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192 Credibility of the Gospel History.
' 3Iethodius, ' that is Christ, even man filled with pure and
perfect deity, and God contained in man : for it is highly
becoming that the most ancient of eeons, and the chief of
archangels, since he was to live with men, should inhabit
the most ancient and first of men, that is, Adam.'
These last words of our author Basnage'" is much offended
with : the most ancient of ceons he thinks more becomingthe
mouth of a Valentinian than a Catholic christian. Grabe"
thought proper to allege the first part of this passage as a
proof that Methodius believed Christ's true deity : but then
he omitted the latter part of the passag-e, being-, I suppose,
too much in haste to transcribe it all : nevertheless, if the
latter part of the passage should be understood to be explanatory
of the former part of it, (as possibly it may,) then
Grabe's argument avouIq be of little M-eight.
I shall transcribe no more passages relating to this matter,
but only refer to some places" in the margin, to be consulted
and particularly
by those mIio are curious, and have leisure ;
to'' Beausobre's remarks upon the forecited passages of
Methodius : nor do I venture to say what was this writer's
real opinion concerning the Trinity : for this appears to me
a point not easily decided : and 1 think it would require a
nice and careful disquisition to determine, upon good ground,
what was his sentiment upon that head.
6. Methodius is likewise called a millenarian. Du Pin
having made his extracts out of the Banquet says :
' 1'' stay
' not to observe that he has taught in this treatise the opinion
' of the millenarians.' Tillemont"^ too says that Methodius
here clearly admits the opinion of the millenarians, and a
reign of the saints upon the earth for the space of a thousand
years after the resurrection : and' it must be owned that in
the Banquet he expresseth himself after that manner: but
in the Fragments of the discourse Of the Resurrection, he
affirms that the earth is not to be annihilated, but changed
' Taro yap eivai rov Xpi^ov, avOpuirov aKpar