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ON ST. DIONYSIUS,

AND ON HIS WRITINGS

AN APOLOGETIC DISPUTATION

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It is no cause for wonder that, after the many labors of most learned men who have published Areopagite Vindications with the highest praise and glory of intellect, we should now approach the same disputation. For—to pass over the fact that individual authors have not pursued all points, and that, as the Prophet of celestial hymns says, Day unto day uttereth speech—it surely pertains to this edition of ours, which we desire to be adorned and complete in all its parts, that all obstacles be extinguished and the turbulent waves of objections be calmed, so that this arrival of Attic wares, brought into Gaul by the Blessed Dionysius, may reach the understanding of all the learned in a direct course. Nor indeed shall I embrace here everything that could have been said in this genre; St. Maximus and others, who have written the life of Dionysius with the greatest judgment, will exhaust a great part of the objections which lovers of novelty are accustomed to oppose. Since their learned monuments are in everyone's hands and are also placed by us in this work, we shall accordingly remain silent in this place regarding Apollinaris; nothing shall be said of either Dionysius—the Corinthian or the Alexandrian; nothing of those small darts, as it were, which smatterers and the curious cast against the now common opinion of all nations, lest in refuting them idly we should seem to do what has already been done and to serve up twice-cooked cabbage.

The authority of Gregory of Tours has always seemed weightier to me; relying upon it, certain most learned theologians of this time used to say it was by no means possible that he who arrived at Lutetia of the Parisii under Decius—as that Gaulish man, well-versed in the affairs of Gaul and recording well-known matters, confirms—could be Dionysius the Areopagite. And they thought he was to be heard all the more in that very matter because, as they themselves believe, the ancient Roman Martyrology concurs with his narrative and opinion. Since it is pleasing to scrutinize the passage of the holy man, drawn from the History of the Franks, and to examine it a little more subtly in order to illuminate the hiding-place of this entire difficulty, I shall set it all down here. Thus, then, it holds in Book 1, Chapter 30: In his time, seven men were ordained bishops and sent into the Gauls to preach, as the history of the passion of Saint Saturninus relates: for it says that under the Consuls Decius and Gratus, as is held in faithful memory, the first and highest of the Church of Toulouse...