CATENA

From a Greek word signifying a chain. By a Catena Patrum is meant a string or series of pa ages from the writings of various fathers, and arranged for the elucidation of some portions of Scripture, as the Psalms or Gospels. They seem to have originated in the short scholia or glo es which it was customary in MSS. of the Scriptures to introduce in the margin. These by degrees were expanded, and pa ages from the homilies or sermons of the fathers were added to them. The most celebrated catena is the Catena Aurea of Thomas A quinas. It was translated at Oxford, under the superintendence of Mr. Newman, of Oriel College. The subsequent conduct of that gentleman has led those who were willing to attach some authority to the work to examine it carefully, and the result has been, the detection that Thomas A quinas has sometimes falsified the quotations he has made from the fathers; and the whole, as a commentary, is inferior to the commentaries of modern theologians.