st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS. 20 3
CHAPTER
XIV.
CONCLUSION.
IN endeavouring to form a just estimate of the place
to be assigned to St. John of Damascus, as a writer
and an actor in the history of the Church, our chief
difficulty lies in the confused nature of the evidence
before us. The vague and uncritical, not to say
legendary character of the only professed biography
we have of him, has already been noticed. But, what
is of more importance than this, the works attributed
to him need to be thoroughly examined and sifted.
Many pieces bearing his name still remain in manu
script. The Imperial Library at Vienna is said to be
especially rich in this department. Before it is
possible to arrive at a true decision upon the merits
of the author, these should be examined, and com
pared with the works already in print. In case of
the latter also, much remains still to be done. The
edition of Lequien was an immense improvement
upon all previous ones. He probably realised all that
had been expected from Aubert in 1636. But even
he includes many treatises admitted by himself to be
doubtful, and some that he considers manifestly
spurious ;
while on the other hand he leaves out
several, the Barlaam and Joasaph included, which
have since been printed by the Abbe Migne. Hence