MANY ancient Fathers supposed this Prophecy to be Jeremie's: though none doubted but Baruch his scribe was the writer thereof. So S. Xistus Epist. ad omnes fideles. S. Ireneus, li. 5. c. 35. S. Clement of Alexandria, li. 1. c. 10. & li. 2. c. 3. Pedag. S. Cyprian, li. 2. c. 5. & 6. contra Judaeos. Eusebius Coesariensis, li. de Propheticorum libror. appellationibus, Cap. de Jeremia, & li. 6. c. 19. Demonst. Evangel. Lactantius, li. 4. c. 13. Divin. Instit. The first Council of Nice, li. 2. fol. 105. & 109. S. Hilary, li. 5. de Trinit. sub finem. S. Cyril of Jerusalem, Cathechesi. 4. & 11. & de Concursu Domini. S. Basil li. 4. cont. Eunomium. S. Ambrose, li. de fide c. 7. cont. Arianos. li. de Paenit. c. 8 & li. 3. Examer. c. 14. S. Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. 49. de fide, & Epist. 2. ad Cledonium. S. Epiphanius, cont. Nazaraeos, & cont. Ebionaeos. S. Chrisostom, Ser. de Trinit. & advers. Gentiles. S. Augustin, li. 18. c. 33. de Civit. & Quest. Vet. & Novi Testa. q. 102. S. Prosper par. 2. c. 9. & p. 3. c. 3. de promiss. & predict. S. Theodoretus, Dialogo 1. Eranistes. (who also writeth Commentaries upon this Book, as upon divine Scripture) c. 2. v. 9. These and others allege this Prophecy as Jeremie's. Some also under the name of Baruch. As Origen, li. 2. c. 3. Periarch. S. Cyril of Alexandria, li. 10. in Julianum, S. Gregory Nyssen, Orat. 1. de pauperibus amandis. S. Athanasius, Orat. 3. cont. Arianos. Though in his Synopsi he mentioneth not Baruch, yet he, as also S. Augustin, l. 2. c. 8. Doct. Christ. S. Gelacius, dist. 15. and others in their Catalogues of Canonical Scriptures, comprehend this Book under the name of Jeremie. But whether Baruch was the immediate Author under God, or the writer thereof as of an other man's Prophecy (as the Evangelists writ the words of Christ and others in the Gospels, and in the Acts of the Apostles) always it is certain, the Holy Ghost directed him, that he could not err in writing it. And the ancient Fathers, and Councils ever accepted this book as Divine Scripture. The Council also of Laodicea, in the last Canon, expressly nameth Baruch, Lamentations, and Jeremie's Epistle. And lastly the Councils of Florence, de Unione Armenorum, and of Trent Sess. 4. expressly define that Baruch is Canonical Scripture. In the Greek this book is placed before the Lamentations. Which S. Jerom not finding in Hebrew, nor in the Canon of the Jews, urgeth it not against them. Yet testifieth that he found it in the vulgate Latin Edition, and that it containeth many things of Christ, and the later times. [Praefat. Jerem.] According to the historical sense, the author in five chapters exhorteth the Jews to repentance, and patience, prophesying that they should be brought into more distress and captivity, than as yet they were, but should afterwards be released. The sixth chapter is Jeremie's Epistle.