Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/871

PHILASTRIUS fenthal, 31 Oct., 1811) was one of the most distinguished pedagogues of the Philanthropinist school, and probably the most interesting personality among all its representatives. He was originally a Protestant pastor at Erfurt; then, after writing on educational subjects for some time, he became the teacher of religion at the Philanthropin at Dessau (1781-84), and in 1784 founded his own school at Schnepfenthal, which he conducted until his death. Like the entire Philanthropinist school, his religious opinions were rationalistic. The best known of his writings are "Krebsbüchlein oder Anweisung zu einer unvernünftigen Erziehung der Kinder" (Erfurt, 1780, and frequently reprinted), a satirical account of the results of a wrong education; "Ameisenbüchlein oder Anweisung zu einer vernünftigen Erziehung der Erzieher" (Schnepfenthal, 1806); "Konrad Kiefer oder Anweisung zu einer vernünftigen Erziehung der Kinder" (Erfurt, 1796). The most important of Salzmann's assistants was Johann Christoph Friedrich Guts-Muths (1759-1839), who was the teacher of geography at Salzmann's school; one of his pupils was the celebrated geographer Karl Ritter, the first pupil of the school at Schnepfenthal. Guts-Muths, however, is best known for his work in gymnastics. Friedrich Eberhard von Rochow (1734-1805) advocated views similar to those of the Philanthropinists, but, unlike the actual members of this school, did much for the improvement of primary education; his "Kinderfreund" (1775, and many later editions) was a widely used school-book. Finally Christian Felix Weisse (1726-1804), a voluminous writer for children, exerted great influence through his "Kinderfreund" (24 vols., 1775-84), a weekly publication for children.

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Philastrius, Saint, Bishop of Brescia, d. before 397. He was one of the bishops present at a synod held in Aquileia in 381. St. Augustine met him at Milan about 383, orperhaps a littlelater (St. Augustine, Ep. ccx-xii). He composed a catalogue of heresies (Diversarum Hereseon Liber) about 384. Among the writings of St. Gaudentius (q. v.) was a sernion pur- porting to be preached on the fourteenth anniversary of St. Philastrius's death. According to this sermon, PhUastrius's life began with a great act of renuncia- tion, for which he might fitly be compared to Abra- ham. Later he was ordained priest, and travelled over nearly the whole Roman world (circumambiens Universum pene ambitum Romani Orbis), preaching against pagans, Jews, and heretics, especially the Arians. Like St. Paul he carried in his body the "stig- mata" of Christ, having been scourged for his zeal against the last-named heretics. At Milan he was a great stay of the Catholic party in the time of St. Ambrose's Arian predecessor. At Rome he held both private and public disputations with heretics, and converted many. His wanderings ceased when he was made Bishop of Brescia.

Doubts were first raised by Dupin as to the gen- uineness of this sermon, and these have been reiterated by Marx, the latest editor of Philastrius, who thinks

the sermon a forgery of the eighth or ninth century. The chief objection to its genuineness, rather a weak one, seems to be that it is not found in the MSS. con- taining the undoubted sermons of St. Gaudentius. Marx was answered by Knappe, "1st die 21 Rede des hi. Gaudentius (Oratio B. Gaudentii de Vita et Obitu B. Filastrii episcopi pra;decessoris sui) echt? Zugleich ein Betrag zur Latinitat des Gaudentius" (Osnabruck), who endeavours to prove the genuineness of the sermon in question by linguistic arguments. His BoUandist reviewer thinks he has made a strong case (Anal. Boll., XXVIII, 224). Philastrius's "Catalogue" of heresies would have httle value, were it not for the circum- stance discovered by Lipsius that for the Christian heresies up to Noetus the compiler drew from the same source as Epiphanus, i. e. the lost Syntagma of Hippolytus. By the aid, therefore, of these two and the Pseudo-Tertulhan "Adv. Hser. ", it has been possible in great measure to reconstruct the lost treatise of Hippolytus. The first edition of the ' ' Cata- logue" was published at Basle (1.528); the latest, ed. Marx, inthe Vienna "Corp. Script. Eccl. Lat. " (1898).

TiLLEMONT, H. E., VIII, 541 sq.; Ceillier, Hist, des Auteurs Eccles., VI, 739 sq.; Lipsius, Zur Quellenkritik des Epiphanus (Vienna, 1865) ; Idem, Quellen der dlt. Ketzergesch. (Leipzig, 1875) ; Hahnack, Quellenkritik der Gesch. des Gnosticismus (Leip- zig, 1874); KuNZE, De hist. Gnosticismi fontibus novw quasi, critica: (Leipzig, 1S94). F. J. BacCHUS.

Philemon (Gr. </iiXi5/iwi'), a citizen of Colossse (q. v.), to whom St. Paul addressed a private letter, unique in the New Testament, which bears his name. As appears from this epistle, Philemon was his dear and intimate friend (verses 1, 13, 17, 22), and had been converted most probably by him (verse 19) during his long residence at Ephesus (Acts, xix, 26; cf. xviii, 19), as St. Paul himself had not visited Colossse (Col., ii, 1). Rich and noble, he possessed slaves; his house was a place of meeting and worship for the Colossian converts (verse 2) ; he was kind, helpful, and chari- table (verses 5, 7), providing hospitality for his fellow- Christians (verse 22). St. Paul calls him his fellow- labourer (crvi'epydt, verse 1), so that he must have been earnest in his work for the Gospel, perhaps first at Ephesus and afterwards at Colossi. It is not plain whether he was ordained or not. Tradition represents him as Bishop of Colossal (Const. Apost., VII, 46), and the Menaia of 22 November speak of him as a holy apostle who, in company with Appia, Archippus, and Onesimus had been martyred at Colossa; during the first general persecution in the reign of Nero. In the address of the letter two other Christian converts, Appia and Archippus (Col., iv, 17), are mentioned;. it is generally believed that Appia was Philemon's wife and Archippus their son. St. Paul, dealing ex- clusively in his letter with the domestic matter of a fugitive slave, Onesimus, regarded them both as deeply interested. Archippus, according to Col., iv, 17, was a minister in the Lord, and held a sacred office in the Church of CoIossee or in the neighbouring Church of Laodica;a.

Philemon, Epistle to. — A. Ardhenticily. — Ex- ternal testimony to the Pauline authorship is consider- able and evident, although the brevity and private character of the Epistle did not favour its use and public recognition. The heretic Marcion accepted it in his"Apostolicon" (TertuUian, "Adv. Marcion", V, xx-i); Origen quotes it expressly as Pauline ("Horn.", XIX; "In Jerem.", II, 1; "Comment, in Matt.", Tract. 33, 34); and it is named in the Muratorian Fragment as well as container! in the Syriac and old Latin Versions. Eusebius includes Philemon among the homologoumena, or books universally undisputed and received as sacred. St. Chrysostom and St. Jerome, in the prefaces to their commentaries on the Epistle, defend it again.st some objections which have nei- ther historical nor critical value. The vocabulary (ivlyvutnt, rrapixXjio-is rdx"), the phraseology, and the