Gennadius Massiliensis

Gennadius Massiliensis, a presbyter of Marseilles, a Gaul (end of 5th century). Although some modern writers assert that he was a bishop, some say of Marseilles, others of Toledo, he was only a presbyter. He was versed in Greek and Latin, and a laborious student of the Scriptures and the fathers. He wrote a number of books, of which only two have come down to us:

(1.) De Viris illustribus, or De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis (Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers), a continuation of that of Jerome. to which it is usually joined. It begins where Jerome's ends, A.D. 392, and ends 493. There have been many editions of it, besides that which is inserted in the works of St. Jerome; the best is that of Fabricius, in his Bibliotheca Ecclesiastica (Hamb. 1718, fol.).

(2.) De Ecclesiasticis Dognatibus (Hamb. 1594 and 1614, 4to). Gennadius advocates doctrines on free-will and predestination similar to those of Faustus of Rhegium. "In his treatise De Dogmatibus Ecclesiasticis, he says, God first of all warns man, and invites him to salvation; it is in the power of man to follow him. In his work De Viris IIlustribus, cap. 38, he speaks of Augustine with commendation, yet does not hesitate to add, that by writing so much he fell into the error of which Solomon says in the 10th chapter of Proverbs, 'In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin.' He makes mention of an error which had arisen from much speaking, and evidently refers to the doctrine of absolute predestination. This arose from carrying things to an extreme, but for all this Augustine had no fallen into heresy" (Neander, History of Dogmas, Ryland's transl. page 383). — Dupin, Eccl. Wriiters, 4:185; Mosheim, Ch. Hist. 2:341; Neander, Ch. Hist. 2:647; Hook, Eccles. Biog. 5:289; Cave, Hist. Lit. (Genev. 1720, fol.), 1:299.