Section 25
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XV111 LIFE OF EUSEBIUS. the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth,) answered Porphyry, who m the Twelfth and Thirteenth of those books which he published against the Christians, had attempted to confute the book of the prophet Daniel. St. Jerome,* however, does not mean, as Scaliger thought, Eusebius's Books on Evangelic Demonstration, but the books he wrote against Porphyry, entitled, according to Photius's Bibliotheca, s-£f* 'ix..<>"/.ou x*i »»*-o\oy,*s, Refutation and Defence. We are also persuaded that Eusebius wrote these books after his Ecclesiastic History ; because Eusebius, though on other occasions he usually refers to his own works, does not in the Sixth Bookt of his Eccle siastic History, where he quotes a notorious passage from Por phyry,:]: make any mention of the books he wrote against him. We avail ourselves of the present opportunity to make some re marks relative to Eusebius's Ecclesiastic History, the chief subject of our present labour and exertions. Much, indeed, had been written by our Eusebius, both against Jews and Heathens, to the edification of the orthodox and general church, and in confirmation of the verity of the Christian faith, nevertheless, amongst all his books, his Eccle siastic History deservedly stands pre-eminent. For before Eusebius, many had written in defence of Christianity, and had, by the most satisfactory arguments, refuted the Jews on the one hand and the Hea thens on the other, but not one, before Eusebius, had delivered to pos terity a history of ecclesiastic affairs. On which account, therefore, because Eusebius, not only was the first to show this example, but has transmitted to us, what he undertook, in a state so complete and perfect, he is entitled to the greater commendation. Though many, it is true, induced by his example, have, since his time, furnished accounts of ecclesiastic affairs, yet they have not only uniformly commenced their histories from the times of Eusebius, but have left him to be the undisputed voucher of the period of which he yet re mains the exclusive historian, and consequently he only is entitled to the epithet of the father of ecclesiastic history. By what preliminary circumstances Eusebius was led to this his chef-d'o3iivre, it is not difficult to conjecture. Having in his Chro nological Canons accurately stated the time of the advent and passion of Jesus Christ, the names of the several bishops that had presided in the four principal churches, and of the eminent characters therein, * In his preface to his Commentary on Daniel. •\ Chap. 19. $ From Porphyry's third book against the Christians.