The Demonstrations of Aphrahat

...the Nestorians a Christian sect emphasizing the distinction between the human and divine natures of Christ who still survive in Mesopotamia; the Syriac liturgy, which is twofold, since one is used by Catholics and another by Monophysites; and the liturgy used among the Maronites an Eastern Catholic rite in communion with Rome.

Finally, from the fourth to the fourteenth century, more than two hundred authors, among whom Saint Ephrem stands out, published various writings in Syriac concerning Christian affairs. Since these Syriac letters belong to the Orientals and do not depend directly on the order of things found in the Roman Empire, whether among the Greeks or the Latins, it follows necessarily that there are found there many testimonies of great importance for exploring the truth of the Christian and Catholic faith.

These things being established, so that the approach to the works of various authors who used the Syriac language may be easier, in this our Patrologia Syriaca the collection of Syriac Church Fathers, we will primarily provide the Syriac text of all works in existence by authors who, professing the Catholic faith, used these Syriac letters. Next, we contend that the principal works at least of other non-Catholic authors must in no way be neglected, for it is often in our interest to know their testimonies so that each person may judge for himself and recognize the truth of the Catholic faith. Furthermore, there are many things found which, when translated from Greek into Latin, carry great utility, either because the Greek texts have already perished or because of the very antiquity of these translations. Thus, we have not considered such translations negligible; you will find them in this collection of volumes under the name of the Syriac writer who translated these works from the Greek into the Syriac language. If, however, the author of these translations cannot be known, we place them under the name of the Greek author himself. We have not even neglected the apocrypha, which will occupy their place and time as required.

But it is by no means necessary to sketch out a history of Syriac literature or a catalog of authors who used this language, since the most distinguished man, W. Wright, has very recently written a most complete work on these matters, to which it was only possible to add a few things¹.

So that all these texts might be edited according to the method of modern criticism, we have wished to read, even in the case of previously published texts, the various manuscripts that are preserved in the public libraries of Europe,

¹ W. Wright, art. Syriac literature (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Edinburgh, 1887, vol. XXII, pp. 824-856). — Cf. Gust. Bickell, Conspectus rei Syrorum literariae, Monasterii, 1871.