Homilies and Hymns, Volume 2

which he composed in Urhai Edessa were burnt. And yet some of his writings have been credited to Aprim or Yacob of Serugh.Page 10

Yet, he, Mingana, is critical of Narsai's theology, which he calls 'Nestorian' and condemns in the harshest terms. However, we must remember that when Mingana expressed this opinion, he was a Chaldean Uniate priest and, therefore, he had to please his Latin masters, under whose authority and at whose expense he published the forty-six homilies of Mar Narsai, which we have already commented on in the translation and of which we shall speak more later.

The falsity of these accusations and the fallaciousness of his historical arguments on this issue, Mingana has nobly and generously conceded to following his renunciation of the Roman Church. During the many years as a noted scholar, he edited, translated into English, and published several Aramaic books. Among these is the Commentary of Theodore of Mopsuestia on the Nicene Creed, and this is what Mingana says in his introduction to the book: . . . "Death did not put a stop to the fame of Theodore. It is recorded by Tillemont of Meletius, Theodore's successor to the See of Mopsuestia, that he would have endangered his own life if he had uttered words detrimental to his predecessor. Even Cyril of Alexandria, whose views on incarnation were not in harmony with those of Theodore, was obliged to avow that in the Churches of the East one often heard the cry: 'We believe as Theodore believed; long live the faith of Theodore!'

The same Cyril of Alexandria informs us that when a party of bishops was found ready to condemn him, the answer of the bishops of Syria to them was: 'We had rather be burnt than condemn Theodore.' Leontius of Byzantium informs us also that Cyril of Alexandria advised against the condemnation of Theodore because all the bishops of the Eastern Church considered him an eminent Doctor, and if he were condemned there would be serious disturbance in the Church.

The famous Church historian Theodoret was pleased to call him 'Doctor of the Universal Church.' This title is also ascribed to him by a much later Greek author, Nicephorus Callistus, who calls him 'Doctor of all the Churches.'

This is no place, continues Mingana, to emphasize the fact that Theodore's memory and especially his writing have always been considered as the most esteemed treasures of the East Syrian Church, which for a long time stretched from the East Mediterranean shores to Manchuria and from the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean, was only one degree below that of Paul. With them he was the 'interpreter par excellence' by way of eminence . . . I will also refer to two of the earliest East Syrian histories. "He (Theodore) did not astonish the world in his lifetime only, but also astonished everyone with his books after his death. Who is able to narrate the good works of this sea of wisdom, or