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IS
Credibility oftlie Gospel History.
And hence, if I mistake not, arises the truest and best
solution of the difhculty before mentioned. Bishop Fell
thought the different method of citing scriptures, and the
different reading- of texts or passages, in this and the other
works of Cyprian, to be owing to the distance of the times
of writing them. This was one of Cyprian's first pieces ;
the rest was written at different times afterwards.
Simon says, that though there was at that time a Latin
version generally used by Latin christians, yet it was not
uncommon for those who had learning, and understood
Greek, to translate for themselves from the original when
they saw fit. And to this principally, says he, we ought to
ascribe that diversity of translation of the same passages,
which is found in the different books of this learned bishop.
Nor is it impossible that this method may have been used
by some learned men at that time ; Cyprian in particular.
Massuet** indeed is pleased to make a doubt Avliether Cyprian
understood Greek ; but I think he is singular here : others
have a better opinion of our bishop's learning ; for it has
been generally supposed, that Firmilian's letter written in
Greek, was translated into Latin by him. I formerly referred'
to several men of this sentiment. To them I would now add"
the learned Benedictine, author of St. Cyprian's life : ajid it
appears to be highly probable, that Cyprian, who in the
former part of his life professed rhetoric with reputation in
the city of Carthage, was not unskilled in the Greek tongue.
And in his remaining writings we find mention of some
Greek authors, particularly^ Plato, and Hermes Trismegistus,"
Hippocrates, and Soranus : and he mentions them
possit ea certe illius esse, id vero in primis asseri potest de libris Testimonioruni
ad Quirinum. Plures enim codices plus habent quam vulgat8e editiones, alii
minus. Itaque, quoniam impossibile est discemere ea quae vere Cypriani sunt
ab iis quse post ilium a studiosis addita sunt, nos retinuimus ea quae reperta
nobis sunt in antiquis exemplaribus manuscriptis. Porro duo tantum priores
libri extant in editione Spirenji, in veteri Veneta, et in ea quam Remboldus
procuravit. Erasmus tertiam emisit ex codice scripto monasterii Gemblacensis
Habui autem unum et viginti exemplaria vetera horum librorum, quorum
tamen quinque habent tantum libros duos priores. Baluz. Not. ad Cyprian.
p. 596. * Cyprianum autem Graece doctum fuisse, nullo argumento
constat. Massuet. Diss, in benae. ii. n. 54. p. 102. ' See Vol. ii.
ch. 39. note *. " Haec autem Firmiliani epistola, quae Latine reddita
exstat inter Cyprianicas septuagesima quinta, sic Cyprianicum stilum redolet,
ut non alium interpretem habuisse videatur. Vit. S. Cypr. n. 31. p. 118.
init. ' In quo et Plato pari ratione consentit ; et unum Deum servans,
caeteros angelos, vel daemonas dicit. Hernies quoque Trismegistusunura Deum
loquitur, eumque incomprehensibilem atque inaestimabilem conlitetur. De
Idol. Van. p. 14. " Non invenio unde hoc nomen assumant ; nisi
forte qui plura et secretiora legenint apud Hippocratem et Soranum KktviKsg
istos deprehenderunt. Ep. 69. al. 76. p. 186.