TO THE KIND READER, JOANNES LUDOVICUS SCHULZE
A We shall briefly explain what is contained in this fourth volume of the Works of Theodoret, and what we have contributed toward preparing it for the press. This single volume of our edition comprises all that Sirmond included in the fourth volume of his own edition, and a great part of those things he appended under the name of an Appendix; indeed, it even includes the Epistles of Theodoret, which were the only items remaining from the third volume. Thus, the three Dialogues, most worthy of being read and commonly inscribed *Eranistes* or *Polymorphos* [The Beggar, or The Man of Many Forms], follow in their proper order. Next is the *Compendium of Heretical Fables*, which is completed in five books; the ten most excellent *Orations on Divine Providence*; and finally, the *Cure of Hellenic Maladies*, in twelve books or disputations, by which this charming writer prepared for his name an everlasting glory. From the Appendix, we have added the *Little Book to Sporacius*, written against Nestorius. There follow the arguments of the twenty-seven books against various propositions, from Photius, codex XLVI. The Epistles of Theodoret bring this volume to a close.
B There is little need for us to demonstrate at length that these books, the index of which we have already provided, are highly commendable for the dignity of their subject matter, the abundance of their learning, and the elegance of their style. No one who aspires to a more solid knowledge of ecclesiastical discipline and history can do without those two which we named first. If anyone reads the third and does not admire it, he must be a complete stranger to the art of speaking well and eloquently, so great do we know the charm of the *Orations on Divine Providence* to be. Finally, the fourth, which defends the excellence of the evangelical truth when compared with the philosophy of the Gentiles, is deservedly adorned with the highest praise, both by those who set a just value on the defenders of our most holy faith, and by worthy judges of the more elegant literature; for it is eminently useful, whether one looks to the dogmas of our most holy faith or to the tenets of the ancient philosophers. Thus, it is no cause for wonder that these four books were formerly often printed separately. We have used those older editions which were published according to the authority of the manuscripts, so far as was possible, especially where we saw that we were deficient in manuscripts. Friends have generously shared rarer editions with us, and it would be utterly ungrateful not to acknowledge this publicly.
C What we have observed in our scholia regarding the three dialogues has been taken, for the most part, from the Greek editions published at Rome in the year 1547 by Stephanus Nicolinus Sabbiensis in quarto, and at Leipzig in 1591 at the expense of Valentinus Vogelinus in octavo. We have also called upon the Latin version of Victorinus Strigelius, which was often reprinted in the sixteenth century, if the readings of Sirmond differed from the text of the Greek editions, or if the names of *Eranistes* and *Orthodoxos* appeared to have been interchanged. Furthermore, we deemed it necessary to examine more diligently the passages from the Fathers provided in large numbers at the end of each dialogue, to note in the scholia those which were alien to our own readings, and to correct the Sirmondian readings in various places, as on page 49 and elsewhere. While doing this, we not infrequently encountered places in the Fathers that still stood in need of correction, and which could be happily restored from our author, although we generally used the most approved editions, which we have not neglected to mention in the scholia. Readings cited by Theodoret from Ambrose in these dialogues often sound different in the Greek and convey a milder sense than in the Latin text. Hence, a suspicion arises that our author did not have the same readings in his Ambrosian codex that we now have in the printed books of Ambrose. However, that conjecture did not have enough weight with us to allow us to be carried away and to refashion the Latin text of Ambrose—which we saw corresponds most exactly to the Benedictine edition—from the Greek in these places, lest we commit the same fault into which those fell who were seized by a rash impulse to restore a text from some translation.
D Regarding the books of the *Heretical Fables*, we have collected the variety of readings from the strictly Greek edition which was published at Rome in 1547 in quarto. We also considered it worthwhile to compare our writer with Eusebius, Irenaeus,
and Epiphanius, and to turn to our own use those matters which had already been usefully observed by Petavius, Massuet, Grabe, Cotelier, and others. More prolix scholia have arisen from this, and we have not hesitated to depart here and there from the reading of the Sirmondian edition, as on page 354 and elsewhere.
We compared the Greek text of the most excellent Orations on Providence with the edition in Greek only, which was printed at Paris in the year 1569 in octavo, and we called into our aid the Latin translation of Rudolph Gualther, which was published at the same place in the year 1571 in octavo. The Reverend Schmidt, minister of sacred things among the Dobrizensians, provided us with a copy of both editions, to whom public thanks are due. We were able to restore the Sirmondian text to its integrity here and there by supplying what was missing and correcting what was expressed less accurately, as on page 527.
When we came to the twelve books *On Curing Greek Maladies* (a), the corrections of Fulvio Orsini, collected for the most part from ancient books, which Garnerius set forth in his *Auctarium*, pages 393–456, were not to be neglected. We used these Collectanea of Orsini in such a way that those things most worthy of note were included in our scholia, preceded by the letter U, in a few words. To these were added various readings taken from two Florentine codices. We were finally able to enjoy the use of the Sylburg edition, which was published at Heidelberg in 1592 in folio, when the first three books had already been printed. We had indeed intended to supply here what remains concerning these books, but because of the limitation of time and space, we changed that plan. A more suitable place for these and other supplements will be in the fifth volume.
We have already given notice on page 1041 regarding what needed to be said about the Appendix. Regarding the order in which Theodoret's letters have been arranged in this volume, the venerable Jo. Aug. Noesselt, to whom we owe many thanks for the exceptional effort he put into adorning the third volume, of which those letters formed a part, will speak. For the rest, we pray to God, the Best and Greatest, that He may command these labors to result in the glory of His name. Given at Halle, in the Frederick Academy, 20 May, A. D. 1772.
COROLLARY OF J. A. NOESSELT
In reviewing the text of the letters of Theodoret, which were transferred into this volume from the third Sirmondian volume, we first used those readings which Sirmond himself had received from the Neapolitan codex; furthermore, since a great many letters, whether of Theodoret or others, exist elsewhere, whether translated into Greek or Latin—as in the bodies of the councils, in the Works of Marius Mercator, or in the Annals of Baronius—we have also diligently compared the diversity of these editions; finally, by the kindness of the illustrious man Ad. Franc. Kollarius, we obtained from the Imperial Library of Vienna an accurately copied example of the letter of Theodoret to John, bishop of Germanicia (to which we gave the location 147), and of another to the monks of Euphratesia (no. 151), which Garnerius had sought in vain to publish. It happened that the Greek man to whom the task of copying the letter had been given, while perusing the codex, also culled a few other readings, although they were few, that differed from the letters, all of which we are accustomed to call the Viennese [readings]. Regarding the *Auctarium* of Garnerius, whose order we followed for the letters added to the Sirmondian edition, we corrected the text, which was sullied by many errors, and the Latin version; where the Greek had perished, we exhibited the old Latin interpretation. It did not, however, please us to add those letters of Theodoret which were preserved in the most celebrated *Synodicon* of Irenaeus; for I have seen that same [work] repeated by Garnerius in the fifth dissertation of the *Auctarium* concerning the cause of Theodoret and the Orientals, of which Schulzius, the venerable man, gave hope that it would be reprinted, enriched by the Mansi edition, in the fifth volume of the works of Theodoret, in which volume the commentaries will also be repeated, with which Garnerius illustrated almost all the letters of Theodoret edited by himself and Sirmond.
(a) We have used the review of this excellent work which the most learned Englishman Thomas Gaisford took care to have published at Oxford in the year 1839. ED. PATR.