The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

202 Credtbility of the Gospel History.
CHAP. LVIII.
LUCIAN, PRESBYTER OF ANTIOCH ;
AND HESYCHIUS,
BISHOP IN EGYPT.
I. Lncian, his history, and testimoines to him. II. His
edition of the scriptures of the Old and JSTeic Testament.
III. Hesychiiis, his history, and his edition of the Old
and New Testament. IV. Lucian's icorks. V. His
sentiment upon the doctrine of the Trinity. VI. Conchiding
remarks.
I. SAYS^' Jerom in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers :
' Lucian, a most eloquent man, presbyter of the church of
' Antioch, was so laborious in the study of the scriptures,
' that to this day some copies of the scriptures are called
* Lucian's. There are extant some discourses for small
' treatises] of his concerning the faith, and some snort epis-
' ties to several. He suffered at Nicomedia for confessing-
' the name of Christ, in the reign of Maximin, and was buried
' at Helenopolis in Bithynia.'
Cave says that ''Lucian was contemporary with Paul of
Samosata, and flourished chiefly about the year 290. He
suffered martyrdom in "^ 311, or rather"^ in 312, and on the
seventh day of January in that year.
It is now commonly said by^ learned moderns, that "^Lu-
'• Lucianus, vir disertissimus, Antiochenae ecclesiae presbyter, tantum in
scripturarum studio laboravit, ut usque nunc quaedam exemplana scriplurarum
Lucianea nuncupentur. Femntur ejus de Fidelibelli, et breves ad nonnullos
epistolae. Passiis est Nicomediee ob confessionem Christi sub persecutione
Maximini, sepultusque est Helenopoli Bithyniae. Hier. de V. I. cap. 77.
'' Noster hie Paulo Samosateno erat aetate suppar, prsecipue vero claruit circa
an. 290. Cav. Hist. L. in Luciano.
«= Baron. Ann. 311. n. iii. iv. Fabric. Bibl. Gr. T. v. p. 279.
"* Ruin. Act. Mart. p. 504. Pagi Ann. 311. n. x. et xx. Basnag. 312. n.
iv. Tillem. St. Lucien. Mem. T. v. P. iii. p. 150, 151, et note v.
* Lucianus, nobili prosapia ortus, patriam ha])uit Samosata, urbem Syriae
non incelebrem, ejusdem et urbis et nominis cum famoso illo christianae
religionls derisore, qui Trajani tempore vixit. Cav. ubi supr. Conf. Basn. an
312. n. 23. Tillem. ubi supr. p. 146. et passim.
< In the preceding note I have placed Tillemont among those who say
Lucian was born at Samosata : for such are his words : II naquit a Samosates
dans la Syrie appellee Euphratesienne ubi supr. p. 146. And yet he was aware
that this Ls destitute of foundation ; as appears from what he says in another
place. II etoit, a ce qu' on pretend, de meme pays que Paul de Samosate.
ib. p. 3P8. not. 1. sur. S. Lucien