( 148 )

Name of Idacius Claras to be none of his, but theMerchandize of the (ame Forge which producedthe Decretal Epistles, &c. The only Proof of thishardy Assertion is, the Aphorism from the Old Bal-ly brought up again, that he there goes under asthtious Name. But how weak a Pretence this is,every one must be sensible, that is not an utter Stran-ger to Books. Nothing is more common, than forWriters to conceal their true Names and to set fi-ctitious ones, without any Design of personatingothers, but for Reasons merely prudential. Andof this Sort were the Concealments of Vigilius Fap-fensts , who lived in a Time when it was not safefor any one openly to oppose Arianism . For whichCause he was forced to publish whatever he wroteagainst that Heresy , under supposititious Names, asof Athana[his , or Idacius Claras, or Austin : butstill in siich a Manner, as that Critics have had noDifficulty in assigning these Works to their properAuthor. So that Vigilius Tapsensts, in spite of theweak and disingenuous Efforts of our Adversary,continues, an unexceptionable Testimony to theText in dispute.

And now having, as he would make his Rea-ders believe, invalidated the chief Evidences for thecontroverted Passage, he proceeds to strew how un-reasonable those Men are who pretend to fay, somethat the Arians expunged this Text; others thatthey had interpolated it. But he very well knows,that the latest Advocates, for that Text, account forits Omission quite another Way; charging it whollyupon Accident. So that if he meant to. fay anyThing to the Purpose, he should first have men-tioned this Expedient of theirs, and then have.