Letter to Desiderius on the Twelve Doctors

Bishop Hilary of the Romans, the Lucifer and lamp of the Churches, and a precious stone to which mortal things scarcely ascend, speaks all things with beautiful and golden-mouthed speech. For even if some things might have fallen beside the way, yet from him a great harvest has arisen in the Scriptures.

Origen Adamantius, thinking of higher and greater things, and not able to bear his own genius, while he speaks of one thing, entangles himself by means of another. And when he had thought this with too great an ardor of mind, he loaded himself with greater burdens, and when he could not thus proceed, he fell headlong into a great ruin, so that his ruin might prepare doctrines through certain inept seductions, and he leads many from the straight way into another way, and his poison, as if by ringing voices and the songs of the Sirens, was able to destroy many. Best of all in good things, worst in bad ones. Some things indeed were sown by him beside the way; yet many testify that some of his worst disciples published many poisonous things under his name.

Eusebius of Caesarea, the key of the Scriptures, and the guardian of the New Testament, is proved by the Greeks to be greater than many in his writings. He wrote the Canons of the four Gospels, and eleven books of Ecclesiastical History, which narrate and guard the New Testament, and a Chronicon, that is, a breviary of times. These three works are excellent, which are attested in his labors, and we have never found before all these anyone who could have followed in his footsteps.

The presbyter Heliodorus, looking upon a very great house through a small opening, and testing the closed doors, having no keys, was scarcely able to bring a few things to light; but what he could relate, he related faithfully.

Brother Ambrose, carried off on the pinion of the depths, and a flying creature of the air, as long as he enters into the depth, seems to pluck fruit from on high. And all his sentences are firm columns of the faith of the Church and of all the virtues.

Dardanus, seizing upon many questions through the cunning of his mind, and not cracking the nut around the kernel, speaks with confidence many impossible things concerning the Scriptures.

It seemed good to Paulinus to become a master, when he had not before been a disciple, and he attempted to make fruit arise and be produced without a root. Therefore his writings have no need of a scribe or of paper.

Pelagius, of whom there is talk among the faithful, of whose words there has also come to me a grievous matter of dispute, announced almost throughout the whole world, whom all the Churches marvel at as at a wolf out of the forest—composing a golden color over black venom, he has mingled the sweet fountain of the first honey with the bitterness of malice.

Jovinian, with a cheerful countenance and a harsh heart, has given many to drink a most sweet drink mixed with gall, and has composed contrary opinions, bringing them forth to Christians out of hatred of occasions, and he afflicts and vexes me (though laborious in all things) continually with endless questions.

Julius Africanus, whose footstep all the Orientals and Southerners diligently and unanimously investigate in the weeks of Daniel, has constructed all the spans of times with all skill and in clear speech, and no contradiction has ever been raised anywhere in the whole world against the things said by him.

Favonius, blameworthy in the eyes of many, has attempted with harsh judgment to force through all the most difficult matters vigorously; and just as one who cannot sail against the waves of the sea, or is not able to swim against the force of a rushing torrent, so all the things he wrote against the holy Scriptures could not stand firm: therefore they are like a shadow beside a man.