ve been brought up a Christian, and that
in his early years he may have written some Christian books. Peiper
thinks that the first three treatises are the productions of the early
years of Boetius. The first, _De Sancta Trinitate_, is addressed to
Symmachus (Domino Patri Symmacho), and the result of the short
discussion, which is of an abstract nature, and deals partly with the
ten categories, is that unity is predicated absolutely, or, in regard
to the substance of the Deity, trinity is predicated relatively. The
second treatise is addressed to John the deacon ("Ad Joannem
Diaconum"), and its subject is "Utrum Pater et Filius et Spiritus
Sanctus de divinitate substantialiter praedicentur." This treatise is
shorter than the first, occupying only two or three pages, and the
conclusion of the argument is the same. The third treatise bears the
title, _Quomodo substantiae in eo quod sint bonae sint cum non sint
substantialia bona_. It contains nothing distinctly Christian, and it
contains nothing of great value; therefore its authorship is a matter
of little consequence. Peiper thinks that, as the best MSS. uniformly
assign these treatises to Boetius, they are to be regarded as his;
that it is probable that Symmachus and John (who afterwards became
Pope) were the men of highest distinction who took charge of him when
he lost his father; and that these treatises are the first-fruits of
his studies, which he dedicates to his guardians and benefactors. He
thinks that the variations in the inscriptions of the fifth treatise
which is not found in the best manuscript, are so great that the name
of Boetius could not have originally been in the title. The fourth
book is also not found in the best manuscript, and two manuscripts
have no inscription. He infers, from these facts, that there is no
sure evidence for the authorship of the fourth and fifth treatises.
The fifth treatise is _Contra Eutychen et Nestorium_. Both Eutyches
and Nestorius are spoken of as living. A council is mentioned, in
which a letter was read, expounding the opinion of the Eutychians for
the first time. The novelty of the opinion is also alluded to. All
these circumstances point to the council of Chalcedon (451). The
treatise was therefore written before the birth of Boetius, if it be
not a forgery; but there is no reason to suppose that the treatise was
not a genuine production of the time t