THEOPHILUS, a writer and bishop of the primitive church, was educated a Heathen, and afterwards converted to Christianity. Some have imagined that he is the person to whom St Luke dedicates the Acts of the Apostles; but they are grossly mistaken; for this Theophilus was so far from being contemporary with St Luke and the apostles, that he was not ordained bishop of Antioch till anno 170; and he governed this church twelve or thirteen years. He was a vigorous opposer of certain heretics of his time, and composed a great number of works; all of which are lost, except three books to Autolyceus, a learned Heathen of his acquaintance, who had undertaken to vindicate his own religion against that of the Christians. The first book is properly a discourse between him and Autolyceus, in answer to what this Heathen had said against Christianity. The second is to convince him of the falsehood of his own, and the truth of the Christian religion. In the third, after having proved that the writings of the Heathens are full of absurdities and contradictions, he vindicates the doctrine and the lives of the Christians from those false and scandalous imputations which were then brought against them. Lastly, at the end of his work, he adds an historical chronology from the beginning of the world to his own time, to prove that the history of Moses is at once the most ancient and the truest; and it appears from this little epitome, how well this author was acquainted with profane history. These three books are filled with a great variety of curious disquisitions concerning the opinions of the poets and philosophers, and there are but few things in them relating immediately to the doctrines of the Christian religion. Not that Theophilus was ignorant of these doctrines, but, having composed his works for
the conversion of a Pagan, he insisted rather on the external evidence or proofs from without, as better adapted, in his opinion, to the purpose. His style is elegant, and the turn of his thoughts very agreeable; and this little specimen is sufficient to shew that he was indeed a very eloquent man.
The piece is intitled, in the Greek manuscripts, "The books of Theophilus to Autolyceus, concerning the Faith of the Christians, against the malicious detractors of their religion." They were published, with a Latin version, by Conradus Gesner, at Zurich, in 1546. They were afterwards subjoined to Justin Martyr's works, printed at Paris in 1615 and 1636; then published at Oxford, 1684, in 12mo, under the inspection of Dr Fell; and, lastly, by Jo. Christ. Wolfius, at Hamburg, 1723, in 8vo.
It is remarkable, that this patriarch of Antioch was the first who applied the term Trinity to express the Three Persons in the Godhead.