ristians pay to the saints in heaven, is entirely
different from the worship which the heathens give to their false
gods, and elegantly explains (pp. 591, 660, 606) in what manner the
souls of the martyrs now in heaven, with the choirs of angels, are
our protectors and mediators with God, the physicians of our bodies,
and savers of our souls: the portions of their divided relics are
the guard and protection of our cities, which through their
intercession with God obtain divine gifts: Christians give their
names to their children to put these under their patronage: it was a
custom to hang up before their shrines, gold or silver images of
eyes, feet, or hands, as tokens or memorials of health, or other
benefits received by their means: they keep their festivals, as
those of Peter, Paul, Thomas, Sergius, Marcellus, Leontius,
Panteleemon, Antoninus, Mauritius, and others, in prayer, divine
canticles, and holy sermons. The same he testifies in his other
works. Almost every life of holy monks which he wrote, he closes by
imploring their intercession, and mentions that as far as Rome,
handicraftsman hang up in their shops the picture of St. Simeon
Stylites, hoping by their devotion to share in the protection of his
prayers. (Philoth. c. 26, p. 862.) We learn from, him, that
Christians were always accustomed to make the sign of the cross on
the cup before they drank. (Hist. Eccl. l. 3, c. 13.) He often
extols the virtues of that holy sign, honored, as he says, by all
Christians, whether Greeks, Romans, or Barbarians, (Serm. 6, de
Prov. p. 580, t. 4,) and he relates, (Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 1,) that
Julian the Apostate, by making it in a fright, drove away the devils
which one of his enchanters was invoking. His book in praise of
virginity, to which he refers us, (on 1 Cor. vii. 33.) is lost; also
the book in which he confuted both Eutyches and Nestorius, which is
mentioned by Gennadius (c. 89) and Marcellinus. (ad an. 466.) His
book Against the Jews, and several others, have not reached us.
Among those which are extant his Octateuch, (or comments on the five
books of Moses, and those of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth,) to which he
added comments on the books of Kings and Paralipomenon, much
commended by Photius, seems to be the last work which he wrote. See
Tillem. t. 15. Ceillier.

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