Eusebius deceptive?

GrinningDwarf said:

Philip Schaff in History of the Christian Church mentions Evangelical Preparation, but doesn't quote anything from it. Schaff says Eusebius tried to ride the fence at the Nicean council between Arianism and Orthodoxy. Before the council, he sympathized with Arius. He eventually agreed to Nicene Creed, but he "reserv(ed) his own interpretation of homoousion."

I'll try to post more later when I can get to my laptop. I've got the Hendrick's collection of the church father's writings on it.

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Since we have seen in the first section that Gibbon's words have been misunderstood, it's interesting to see this comment by Gibbon himself. It would seem that the tendency of Gibbon's remarks discussed earlier to mislead was raised at the time, by this Dr. Chelsum. We have already seen that the remarks he made in Decline and Fall are indeed commonly taken as a direct quotation from Eusebius, which they are not. Gibbon's response is to patronisingly deride 'the importance of this discovery'.

These remarks by Gibbon would appear to be a source for the allegation we are discussing, even if Gibbon's words are rather more negative even than we started with. Neverthless it gives us a source reference, with which to look up the text; and we have already looked at the Praeparatio Evangelica.

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Consequently, unless the context forbids -- and plainly from BURY we learn it does not -- the chapter heading might equally be rendered:

XXXI. That it will be necessary sometimes to use fiction as a remedy for the benefit of those who require such a mode of treatment​

And this, of course, places a different slant on the text. If on the other hand we presume the chapter title is by Eusebius, and we presume that the word 'lie' is intended by him, with all its connotation of inflicting injury, then we can reasonably say that the quote doesn't make Eusebius look very good.


But is this -- Gibbon's interpretation -- fair comment? Is Eusebius advocating the use of lies? or is this a discussion of the use of parables, and the value of fiction in education? Clearly there is room for more than one opinion here, and I would rather not suggest certainty where a judgement has to be made of a number of ideas. This is something the reader must do for himself; but I think Eusebius is not advocating dishonesty, so much as suggesting that fiction has a role to play in education.
It is difficult to see Gibbon's remarks as fair comment, particularly when one notices the mistranslation of the final part of the chapter heading.

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RGL1 said:

Some try to discredit the Church and Bible by pointing out alleged sins in people of the early Church.

I got this quote from another thread:
http://www.christianforums.com/t2463...c-is-okey.html post #5
Bishop Eusebius, who presided over the Council of Nicea, , entitles the 32nd Chapter of his 12th Book of Evangelical Preparation:

"How it may be Lawful and Fitting to use Falsehood as a Medicine, and for the Benefit of those who Want to be Deceived."

Anyone have information about this? Is this a valid quote?

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