mean Extraction He died in 1291. He composed a Book intituled Collectanea or Collectorium Bibliorum printed at Paris in 1514 and at Cologn in 1541. We have forty seven Ecclesiastical Constitutions of this Archbishop and in the Libraries of England many other Treatises of his in Manuscript as A Book of the Trinity Conferences for all the Sundays in the year Meditations upon the Body of Jesus Christ Disputes between St. Thomas and this Author WILLIAM DURANTS born at Puy in Languedoc a Scholar of Henry of Susa's first William Durants studied at Bâ—logn and having there taken the Doctor 's Cap he taught the Canon Law at Modena from whence Pope Clement IV. called him to be his Chaplain and Auditor of the Palace He was by Gregory X. sent Legate to the Council of Lions in 1274 and at last made Bishop of Mende in 1286. He afterwards refused the Archbishoprick of Ravenna offered him by Boniface VIII but he accepted the Legation to the Sultan of Egypt and having gone thither he died at Nicosia in the Island of Cyprus on the 6th of July in the year 1296. He was so excellent at dispatch of business that he was sirnamed The Father of Practicks He hath left us a Book intitused The Mirror of the Law in three Parts dedicated to Cardinal Ottobon afterwards Adrian V. The Repertory of the Law taken out of this Work and the Rationale of Divine Offices A Commentary upon the Canons of the Council of Lions and an Abridgment of the Glosses and the Text of the Canon Law The Mirror and the Repertory of the Law have been printed with the Rationale at Lions in the year 1516 and 1551. The Mirror was likewise printed by it self at Basil in 1574 and at Franckfort with the Repertory in 1592. The Rationale is the most common and hath been printed many times in many places The Commentary upon the Canons of the Council of Lâ—â—ns â—…h been printed at Fano in 1569 and the Abridgment of the Glosses at Paris in 151â— An Anonymous Author of the Order 〈◊〉 Prâ—…ng Friaâ—s who began the Annals of the Dâ—…inicans Anonymous Authors of Colmâ—â— which are printed among the Historians of Germany wrote â—…out the year 1280 but this Chronicle has by some other been continued down to the year 1302. It is full of Trifles JOHN of Hayde flourished under Edward King of England about the year 1280. He John of Hayde wrote the Passion of St. Laurence 〈◊〉 the Life of St. Maclius WILLIAM de la MARE of the Order of Minor Friars flourished about the year William de la Mare 1280. He wrote a Commentary upon the Master of the Sentences and having undertaken to critiâ—… upon the Works of St. Thomas he wrote a Book inâ—…ed The Correctory of the Works of St. Thomas and of the Additions to the Works of St. Bonaventure RUPERT or ROBERT of Russia of the Order of Minor Friars flourished about the Rupert of Russia year 1â—… He taught Divinity with Reputation He is the Author of many Works Trithemius takâ—… notice only of these An Explanation of the Rule of St. Francis dedicated to Aâ—mâ—n an Englishman General of his Order Four Books upon the Sentences and many Sermons Bellarmine adds to these a Book of the Soul I could not get notice of any of his Works or know whether they are printed or no. ULRIO 〈◊〉 at Straâ—burg of the Order of Preaching Friars flourished in the University Ulric of Strasburg of Paris about the year 1280. He composed a Sum of Divinity a Treatise upon the Sentences a Treatise of the Soul another Treatise of Cases of Conscience and Questions of the Law and Commentaries upon some Books of Aristotle None of these Works are to be 〈◊〉 with in print but some attribute an Abridgment which is among the Works of St. Thomas Aqâ—…nas to him He died young and before he had gotten a Doctor 's Cap. St. GERTRUDE and St. MATILDA Sisters and Religiouses of the Monastry of St. Gertrude and St. Matilda Benedictines of Helfenâ—en in the County of Mansfeld composed about the end of this Century Books of Piety in German which have since been translated into Latin namely St. Geâ—… Spiritual Exercises and St. Matilda Revelations These little Pieces have been printed 〈◊〉 Paris in 1513 at Cologn in 1536 at Venice in 1522 and 1588 and in other places Thâ—â— died about the year 1290. The former of them was made Abbess of Rodalsdorf in 12â—â— whence she was the next year with her Nuns removed to Helfenden THEODOâ—…CK of Apolda in Thuringen of the Order of Preaching Friaâ—… Thierri of Apolda the year 12â—9 the Life of St. Elizabeth Daughter to Andrew King of Hungary 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Landâ—grave of Thuringen in eight Books published by Canisius in the 5th 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Antiquities He â—…eth in his Preface that he was above sixty years old when he began thâ—… Wâ—… and had been two and forty years in his Order Whatsoever Volfius says it doth 〈◊〉 appear 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of St. Dâ—… in seven Books belongs to another Thierri but one may tâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—rius who publishâ—â— it according to his Custom hath changed the Stile in mâ—nâ— place About the end of this Century they place GOBELINUS who wrote the Life of St. Mâ—… 〈◊〉 Gobelin Archdeacon of 〈◊〉 published by Brouverus in 1616 with the Life of St. 〈◊〉 Bishop of that City EGEHARD Abbot of Urangen wrote about the same time a Chronicle of the Bishops of Egehard Hildesheim from Charlemagne to the year 1290 published in the same place by Brouverus with the â—ife of Godehard Bishop of Hildesheim Those who have written of the Authors of the Dominican Order join two of them together Conrade and Stephanardus who lived about the end of this Age. CONRADE a German who about the year 1200 wrote Life of 〈◊〉 Dominick and STEPHANARDUS a Milan Divine who made a Chronicle of Mâ—… in â—…se He seems to be the same with Stephanardus Flâ—mmius who wrote a Hisâ—… in verse of the Snares â—…d by the Bishop of Coâ—o for Vicount Otho where he accuses the Foâ—… of having hâ—d a hand in it spoken of by Paulus â—ovius and perhaps that is nothing but a â—ragment of his Chronicle We have none of these Works They place in this Century one RALPH of Colonna Canon of Chartres who about the Ralph of Colonna year 1290 composed a Treatise of the Translation of the Empire dedicated to Lambert of Castille Professor of the Law wherein he would prove that they were the Popes who removed the Greek Empire to the Latins published by Goldastus in the second Tome of his Monarchy The Treatise is well enough written and full of very important matters but it is likewise full of Prejudices for the Court of Rome which make him maintain a false Proposition THOMAS PALMERAN an Irishman Doctor of the House of Sorbonne is the Author Thomas Palmeran of two Collections one
Lastly he declares That the trouble he was in when they spake of making him Bishop made him resolve to hide himself He sets forth this trouble by two Comparisons the one by describing the vexation which a Princess incomparable both for Beauty and Vertue might be in who being passionately beloved by a Prince should be forced to marry a mean and contemptible Man the other by describing the astonishment of a Clown that was forced to take upon him the Conduct of both a great Land-Army and of a Navy that was ready to give Battel to a dreadful Enemy He concludes by comforting Basil who was afflicted to see himself ingaged in so hard an Employment and loaded with so heavy a Burden Some say that he writ these excellent Books when he was very young which is not likely Others think with Socrates That he composed them while he was a Deacon but it seems rather that he made them in his Retirement before he was ordained Deacon about the Year 376. The three Books in defence of a Monastical Life against those that blamed that state were the first fruits of S. Chrysostom's Retreat In the first he argues for a Monastical way of life because of the usefulness and necessity of separating from the World In the Second he answers the Gentiles who complained that their Children forsook them to retire into desart places and then he comforts the Christians who were troubled to see themselves bereaved of their Children that embraced a Solitary Life to dwell in Wildernesses He affirms in these Books That a Monk is more glorious more powerful and richer than a Man of the World representing the great difficulty of saving our selves in the World and how hard it is to bring up Children to Christianity and comparing the condition of a Monk with that of Saints and Angels The short Discourse upon the comparison of a Monk with a Prince is upon the same Subject He shews That Men are mistaken who preferr the condition of Kings before that of Monks and retired Men. First Because the greatness of Kings ends with them whereas the advantages of a retired Life continues after death 2. Because the advantages of Retirement are much more considerable than the Fortune of Great Men. 3. Because it is more glorious for a Man to command his Passions than to rule whole Nations 4. Because the War of a Monk is nobler than that of a great Captain and his Victory more certain the one fights against invisible Powers and the other against mortal Men the one engages for the defence of Piety and the honour of God the other for his own Interest or Glory 5. Because a Prince is a charge to himself and to others by reason of those many things which he needs whereas a Monk wants nothing does good to all and by his Prayers obtains those Graces which the most powerful Princes cannot give 6. Because the loss of Piety may sooner be repaired than the loss of a Kingdom Lastly Because after death a Monk goeth in splendor to meet Jesus Christ and entreth immediately into Heaven whereas tho' a King seems to have ruled his Kingdom with Justice and Equity a thing very rare yet they shall be less glorious and not so happy there being a great difference in point of Holiness between a good King and a holy Monk who hath bestowed all his time and care upon praising God But if this King hath lived ill who can express the greatness of those punishments that attend him He concludeth in these words Let us not admire their Riches nor preferr their happiness before that of these poor Monks Let us never say that this rich Man is happy because he is cloathed with sumptuous Apparel carried in a fine Coach and followed by many Footman These Riches and great Pomps last but for a time and all the Felicity that attends them ends with the Life whereas the Happiness of Monks endures for ever It was likewise in his Solitude that he writ the two Books of Compunction of Heart whereof the first is dedicated to Demetrius and the second to Stelechius In these Books he discourses of the necessity and conditions of a true and sincere Repentance affirming That Christians ought to have their sins always in view to abhorr them with all their Heart to lament and continually beg of God the forgiveness of them That this sorrow ought to be a motion of that Charity which the Holy Ghost inspireth into our Hearts and to be animated with the fire of a Divine Love which consumeth sin and is accompanied with a Spirit of Mortification and Disinteressedness from the Goods of this World with an esteem of the Treasures of Heaven and of Spiritual Vertues He saith in the first Book That it is not Grace only which makes us do good since we ought our selves to contribute on our part all that depends upon our Wills and Strength wherefore saith he God's Grace is given to every one of us but it abideth only in the Hearts of them that keep the Commandments and departeth from them that correspond not with it neither doth it enter into their Souls who begin not to turn to the Lord. When God converted S. Paul he foresaw his good Will before he gave him his Grace The Three Books of Providence were composed by S. Chrysostom when he came out of his Solitude and returned to Antioch There he comforteth a Friend of his one Stagirius who having quitted the World was so tormented with an Evil Spirit that he was ready to fall into Despair exhorting him to look upon that affliction as a Grace of God rather than a Punishment for as much as it appears by the most notable Examples both of the old and of the new Law that from Adam to S. Paul Troubles and Afflictions have commonly been the lot of the Saints and Righteous Men For this reason these Books are intituled Of Providence because they clear that great Question which so much perplexed the learned Gentiles Why the Righteous are afflicted and persecuted if there be a Providence over-ruling the things of the World He sheweth there that this Question hath no difficulty if Men believe that there is another Life a Heaven and a Hell For saith he since every one is punished or rewarded in another World to what end are we concerned at what happens in this If wicked Men only were persecuted here we should easily believe that out of this World there is neither Punishments nor Rewards and were there none but good Men in affliction Vertue might be looked upon as the cause of Adversity and Crimes the reason of Prosperity Of necessity therefore there must be in this World righteous and wicked Men some happy and others unhappy He adds That by God's permission the Righteous are afflicted to expiate their sins and to correct them for their faults He saith further That God makes use of the Righteous Man's Fear to oblige others to look to themselves and to
possess and we possess nothing justly but what we possess as we ought and all that we possess not as we ought is another's and we possess nothing as we ought if we make not good use of it So that wicked Men never possess any thing as they ought and good Men enjoy it so much the more justly because they love it less Strange Consequences would follow from this Position had not St. Augustin added this Restriction immediately But their Iniquity is tolerated who possess not this World's Goods as they ought yea Laws are established to secure their Possession and are called Civil Laws because that by them Civil Society is preserved not by obliging them to use those Goods as they ought but by preventing their abusing them for the Oppression of others .... Yet we have respect to these Humane and Temporal Laws and our Intercessions never go so far as to hinder the restoring of what is ill gotten according to the Laws The 154th Letter is from Macedonius who sendeth St. Augustin word That he had done what he desired and That he had read the Three First Books of The City of God which St. Augustin sent him St. Augustin answers him in the 155th wherein he discourses of Happiness shewing That God is the Spring of a happy Life and that true Vertue consists in the Love of God Vertue saith he is nothing else but the love of what ought to be loved To know how to make a good Choice is called Prudence not to be turned away from it for any Evil by Pleasure or Pride is called Fortitude Temperance and Justice Thus God is the chiefest Good so that to love any other thing more or as much as him is not to love our selves for our Condition is so much the more happy as we approach with greater violence towards that which is best These four Letters were written immediately after St. Augustin had composed his three first Books of The City of God which were compleated in 413. before the Fourth and the Fifth which were published in 415. The 156th Letter was written from Syracuse by one Hilary who desireth St. Augustin to let him know what he should think of certain Propositions set forth by some at Syracuse That it is in Man's power to keep himself pure from all Sin That it is easie for him if he please to keep the Commands of God That Men are born without Sin and by consequence that it is inconsistent with the Justice of God that Children dying before Baptism should perish That rich Men cannot enter into the Kingdom of God without renouncing their Riches and selling all they have and giving it to the Poor And that whil'st they keep them all the good Works they may do according to God's Law will profit them nothing And lastly That we ought to Swear in no case He asketh further Whether the Church without spot or wrinkle spoken of by St. Paul is that to which we now belong or that which we hope to make up one day with the blessed in Heaven This Hilary of Syracuse is very like that Hilary who joined with St. Prosper to refute the Semi-Pelagians and who writ to St. Augustin the 226th Letter both were Lay-men since St. Augustin calleth them Sons They were both great Enemies of the Pelagians Disciples and great Admirers of St. Augustin The Style of both Letters seems to be the same which makes it probable that they were both written by the same Person Be that as it will in the next St. Augustin answereth the Questions proposed in this Letter which gave him opportunity to treat at large of Original Sin Of the Corruption of our Nature Of Justification and of the Grace of Jesus Christ And to prove against the Pelagians 1. That no Man can be free from Sin in this Life 2 That no Man can fulfil the Law without the Grace of Jesus Christ which is obtained by Labour and by Prayer 3. That Grace doth not take away Liberty because the Will of Man is by so much the more free as it is the more subject to Christ's Grace and delivered from the Dominion of Sin We should not think that Free-Will is destroy'd because it needeth such Helps on the contrary it supposes that it subsists still when we say that it hath need of help 4. That we learn of St. Paul That all the Children of Adam are born in sin and perish eternally if they are not sanctified by the Grace of Baptism Here he refuteth the Pelagians very fully who answered That Sin was not from Adam but by Imitation And he enlargeth upon the Opposition which St. Paul makes between Adam and Jesus Christ between the Condemnation caused by the Old Man because of Sin and the Justification which the New Man worketh in us by his Grace Having handled these Points he speaks occasionally against Coelestius who had been both accused and convicted of those Errors which St. Augustin had lately refuted Afterwards this Saint discourses against another Pelagian Error concerning Manners and proveth 1. That to be saved Men need not part with their whole Estate and reduce themselves to entire Poverty And lastly he observes That the Church here below consists both of Good and Bad. He adds further concerning Swearing That Men should avoid Swearing as much as possibly they can That it is best not to Swear at all no not in Truth because those that are used to Swearing are every moment upon the brink of Perjury That it is a most dangerous thing to play with Oaths but the surest way is never to Swear and use only Yea and Nay St. Jerom mentions this Letter in his Dialogue written in the Year 415. and speaks of it as a Discourse newly published It was read in the Council of Palaestine assembled in July 415. as St. Augustin observes in the Book of The Acts of Pelagius chap. 11. which shews that it was written in the Year 414. The Subject of the 158th Letter is as followeth Evodius Bishop of Uzala having given an Account of a Young Man's happy Death who had led a most holy Life and had appear'd to some after his Death proposes some Questions to St. Augustin about such Apparitions and asks Whether the Soul hath not a Body after Death We ought not to forget that this Bishop speaking of that Young Man's Death observes That in his Sickness he repeated Psalms and in his Agony he made the Sign of the Cross upon his Forehead That they buried him honourably and for Three Days together Hymns were sung upon his Grave and on the Third Day they offer'd the Sacrifice of our Redemption At the latter end of this Letter Evodius asks St. Augustin some other Questions about the difference betwixt God's and Man's Wisdom St. Augustin answers that Bishop in the 159th and tells him That this Question requireth much Labour and Study to resolve all the Difficulties that may be in it But to let him know his Opinion in one word He
Degrade Caecilian and Optatus Utremotis duobus unum ordinarent This Passage obliged Albaspinaeus to affirm That Donatus of Casae Nigrae had been Bishop of Carthage He likewise draws from it great Advantages in favour of the Church of Rome yet this Period is not in the St. Germains Copy and it signifies nothing either for that which goes before or for that which comes after If we read the Passage we may judge Tunc duo Episcopi ad Africam missi sunt Eunomius Olympius Venerunt apud Carthaginem fuerunt per dies quadraginta vel quinquaginta ut pronunciarent ubi esset Catholica Hoc seditiosa pars Donati fieri passa non est This Place is clear and plain whereas if this Period be inserted Ut remotis duobus unum ordinarent the sence is alter'd and it will be contradictory There is likewise some Lines before another Restitution which is confirmed by St. Augustin's Testimony in the Conference at Carthage Donatus petiit ut ei reverti licuisset nec ad Carthaginem accederet Whereas they read before Ut ei reverti Carthaginem contingeret In the Extract out of the Third Book of Optatus they distinguish Three Persecutions against the Donatists and the Governors are named by whose Orders they were raised This is not to be found in the ordinary Editions of Optatus I shall not mention several other Corrections which may make us wish that a new entire Edition of this Author were undertaken The TENTH TOME THE Tenth Volume not yet Printed is intended for the Books which St. Augustin composed Tom. X. against the Pelagians The Three Books Of Merits and Remission of Sins wherein he treats of Infant-Baptism directed to Marcellinus ought to be set in the first place for till then he had not undertaken the Pelagians except in his Sermons or in Conversation as he takes notice in his Retractations He writ these in the Year 412. in Answer to the Pelagians Questions which Count Marcellinus had sent to him at Carthage He speaks there particularly of Infant-Baptism as necessary to remit Original Sin and of the necessity of the Grace of Jesus Christ which justifies us or maketh us righteous though whil'st we are in this Life we cannot so perfectly accomplish God's Law but that we are obliged to say in our daily Prayers Forgive us our Sins These are the principal Truths opposed by the Pelagians St. Augustin refutes them without naming the Authors and speaks of Pelagius in good Terms because several Persons had a great Esteem for his Vertue And he had not yet set forth his Doctrine in his own Name being contented to propose it in other Mens Names in his Commentaries upon St. Paul St. Augustin in the last Book refutes the Explications which he had given of those Passages of the Apostle that speak of Original Sin Count Marcellinus having received these Three Books from St. Augustin sent him word back again That he had found a Passage which puzzl'd him St. Augustin had said That with the help of Grace Man might live without Sin though none was yet arrived to that Perfection in this Life and that none would ever arrive to it Marcellinus asked St. Augustin how he could affirm this to be possible if there were no Examples of it To satisfie him about that Question St. Augustin wrote the Book Of the Spirit and of the Letter Yet he doth not examine this Question to the bottom but having answered in very few words That God can do many things which he doth not he boldly attacks those who durst affirm That a Man may fulfil the Commandments be Just and Vertuous without the succour of Christ's Grace He grounds these Reasonings upon that place of St. Paul The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life By the Letter he understandeth the Law and the Commandments which are unprofitable without the help of Grace which is the Spring of Faith of Righteousness Holiness and all Christian Vertues This Book is of the Year 413. In the Year 414. two young Monks Timasius and James having been undeceived by St. Augustin as to the Pelagian Errors sent to him one of Pelagius's Books wherein he pleaded for the Strength of Nature to the Prejudice of Christ's Grace St. Augustin immediately engaged to write against it and composed upon that Subject the Book Of Nature and of Grace St. Augustin Tome X. wherein he defends the Grace of Jesus Christ without Prejudice to Nature which is delivered and regulated by Grace He explains in this Treatise his Principles concerning the Fall of Humane Nature and the Necessity of Grace to be Justified yet he spares Pelagius's Name But this Monk having afterwards discovered his Opinions was cited by Heros Bishop of Arles and by Lazarus Bishop of Aix to a Council of Fourteen Bishops held at Diospolis in Palaestine in the Year 415. wherein he was declared Catholick in the absence of his Accusers having made a shew of condemning the Errors whereof he was accused St. Augustin fearing lest Men should believe that the Council had approved his Doctrine wrote a Book entituled Of the Acts of Pelagius wherein he declares how Things were carried and discovers at the same time that Pelagius had imposed upon the Fathers of the Council by professing a Doctrine which he had opposed in his Writings This Book is of the Year 416 or 417. Pelagius made use of the same Artifice to persuade Albinus Pinianus and Melania that he did not maintain the Errors he was accused of by Anathematizing them in appearance Coelestius also deceived Pope Zosimus by the same Fraud by presenting unto him a Counterfeit Catholick Confession These Cheats St. Augustin discovers and refutes in the Treatise Of Christ's Grace and in that Of Original Sin wherein he shews that these Confessions of Faith are captious and deceitful These Treatises are of the Beginning of the Year 418. It is probable also that it was at that same time that St. Augustin writ the small Treatise Of the Perfection of Righteousness against Coelestius where he Answers the Objections and Difficulties proposed by this Man under the Name of Definitions against the Opinion of the Catholicks who affirmed That there never was nor ever should be a Man that could attain to that Perfection of passing his whole Life without Offending God St. Augustin maintains That God does not grant this Grace even to the greatest Saints and so that it is ridiculous to believe that Man can compass this by the sole strength of his Free-Will as Pelagius and Coelestius imagined He does not mention this Book in his Retractations buâ— St. Prosper quotes it several times The First Book Of Marriage and Concupiscence was composed about the latter end of the Year 418. There St. Augustin Answereth one of the most malicious of the Pelagian Objections against Original Sin If Concupiscence said they is Evil and an Effect of Sin if all Children are Born in Sin how comes Matrimony to be approved which is
a City of Pamphylia boasted That Philippus Sideta he was the Father of Troilus the Sophist a Native of the same City Being but a Deacon he conversed much with S. Chrysostom and was afterwards ordained Priest He was very laborious and diligent in the Studies of good Learning and had made a great Collection of Books of all sorts He composed several Works in an Asiatick Style for he confuted the Books of Julian and composed the History of Christianity divided into Thirty Books Each Book was parted into divers Sections insomuch that there were in all near a Thoâ—sâ—â—d The Argument of every Section is as large as the Section it self He gave this Book the Name of a Christian History and not of an Ecclesiastical History and collected in this Work many Curious and Learned Observations that he might seem a great Philosopher He speaks often of Theorems of Geometry Astronomy Arithmetick and Musick He spends much Time and Pains in describing Islands Mountains Trees and several other things of little Importance By these Means he hath made his Book very great and in my Judgment useless both to the Ignorant and Learned for the Ignorant take no notice of the Ornaments of this Discourse and the Learned condemn the vain Repetitions Nevertheless let every one give what Judgment he pleases of this Work All that I shall say of it is this That he inverts the Order of Time for after he has related what passed in the Time of Theodosius he ascends to the Time of Athanasius and there often changes the natural Order of things Because he hoped to have been ordained Bishop of Constantinople in the room of Atticus he takes the Liberty in his History to rail against the Ordination of Sisinnius who was preferred before him and reports very scandalous things of those who Chose and Ordained him Photius who had read some part of this Work of Philip of Side says much the same Things of it and passes the same Judgment upon it in Code 35. of his Bibliotheca I have read saith he the Work of Philip of Side entituled The Christian History which begins at the Creation of the World and goes on as far as the Story of Moses Sometimes he treats of Things very short and sometimes more copiously The First Book contains Twenty four Sections and the Twenty three others a like Number These are all we have seen He is full of Words but they are neither pleasant nor elegant but on the contrary are flat and soon â—ire the Reader We find in it a greater Shew of Learning than Profit He puts in many things into his History which are impertinent Insomuch that he that sees this Work would never call it an History but a Miscellaneous Treatise he makes so many needless Digressions He was Con-temporary with Sisinnius and Proclus Bishops of Constantinople He often speaks against the Former in his History being displeased because being in the same Dignity and in the same Church Sisinnius was preferr'd to the Patriarchate before him although he thought himself more Eloquent than he The Judgment which these Authors give of this Work may make us not to be troubled much at the loss of it Niceph. Callistus quotes a Fragment of it PHILOSTORGIUS PHILOSTORGIUS born in Cappadoâ—ia about the Year 388 the Son of Carterius and Eulampia undertook to write an Ecclesiastical History but being brought up in Philostorgius Arianism and engaged in the 〈◊〉 Party a Hence called Atheus his Work is rather a Panegyrick of these Hereticks than an History Therein he openly declares against the Orthodox he slanders them blames them and abuses them all-a-long it on the contrary he praises at a venture all the Arian Party Aetius according to him was the greatest Man that ever was He and Eunomius were the Restorers of the Faith Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Theophilus Bishop of the Indies and several Arian Bishops are the Saints that have done Miracles In it the Semi-Arians meet with little better Treatment than the Catholicks He blames the Deportment of Eudoxus and describes Acacius as a cunning Impostor S. Gregory Nazianzen is the only Person of the Orthodox whom the doth not abuse He cannot likewise forbear commending S. Basil's Eloquence In sum he is full of Falsities Lyes and Calumnies against the Orthodox Bishops and he hath written with so much partiality that we cannot safely believe any thing he says Yet there are many things that may be useful to the Church He gives several Examples of God's Providence He commends Fasting and Continency He approves of the Worship of Martyrs and the Reliques of Saints He says That the First Book of Macchabees is of greater Authority than the Second He wholly rejects the Third His Style is pleasant and elaborate He makes use of Poetical Expressions and choice Words very fitly He is very happy in applying of Tropes and Emphatical Words which would render his Discourse very fine and pleasing if he used them moderately and did not run the hazard of extraordinary and forced Expressions which make it dull and flat His Discourse is set out with so great variety of Figures that it becomes thereby obscure and tedious He hath very often very proper and Significant Words His History is divided into Twelve Books it begins with the Controversy between Arius and Alexander that is to say in 320. and ends at the Time when Theodosius the younger admitted Valentinian III. into a Share of the Imperial Government with him who was the Son of Placidia and Constantius about the Year 425. Every Book begins with One of the Letters of his own Name This History of Philostorgius was had in so great Detestation among the Orthodox that 't is no wonder it has not been preserved entire to our Times But we have an Abridgment of it in Photius and some Extracts taken out of Suidas and other Authors Jacobus Gothofredus a learned Lawyer first published them with his Translation and large Notes This Book was printed at Geneva in 1634 * 1643. Quarto Dr. Cave Since Mr. Valesius having reviewed this Abridgment by the Manuscripts and corrected the Text in several Places hath caused it to be printed with the Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret and Eâ—â—grius at Paris in 1673. NONNUS NONNUS a Christian Poet of the City of Panopolis in Aegypt is reckoned among the Authors of the Fifth Age though it be not exactly known at what Time he flourish'd * Dr. Cave places him A. D. 410. Nonnus All that can be said is That he lived after S. Gregory Nazianzen but is more ancient than Justinian since Agathiâ—â— who lived in the Time of this Emperor quotes him in his Fourth Book of the Gothick Wars His Style and Manners are suitable to the Authors of the Fourth Age. He hath made a Paraphrase upon S. John's Gospel in Verse in a swelling and lofty Style Aldur Manutius first published the Greek Text in the beginning of the former Age in 1508. at
wrote a little Treatise to teach the means of coming easily to the Knowledg of the Truth It was printed at Louvain in 1554. RODERICK XIMENES of Navarre was raised in 1208 to the Archbishoprick of Roderick Ximenes Toledo The next year he perswaded Alphonsus King of Arragon to establish the Academy of Palenza which in 1239 was translated to Salamanca He went in 1215 to Rome where he made a fine Discourse in the Council of the Lateran He died in 1245. He wrote nine Books of the History of Spain from the coming of Hercules into that Country to the year 1243 published by Father Andrew Scot in the second Part of his Hispania Illustris A History of the Ostrogoths from the year 453 to 555. A History of the Huns and Vandals to the same time The History of the Arabians from 570 to 1150 A History of the Romans from Janus to the year 708 which are to be found in the place above-mentioned Justus Lipsius gives him the Character of a good Author for his time His Tomb is in a Monastry of the Order of Citeaux in Arragon call'd Horta with this Inscription Mater Navarra Nutrix Castella Schola Parisius Sedes Toletum Hortus Mausolaeum Requies Coelum HENRY Earl of Kalwa Abbot of Richenou wrote about the year 1220 the Life of St. Pirminus Henry first Abbot of that Monastry and afterwards Bishop of Meaux or Metz. About the same year CONRADE Prior of Schur in Bavaria wrote the History of his Conrade Monastry and the Lives of his Abbots ECKERARD Dean of St. Gall wrote about the same time the Life of St. Notgerus of Eckerard Begue which is to be seen in the sixth Tome of the Antiquities of Canisius WILLIAM Monk of St. Dennis in France is put by Trithemius among the Authors that William flourished under the Reign of Frederick II. about the year 1220. He ascribes to him three Books of History and many Letters RIGORD Physician and Historiographer of Philip Augustus King of France compos'd the Rigord and William History of that Prince under the Reign of Lewis VIII his Son to whom it is dedicated It was printed at Francfort in the year 1596 with the Philippid of WILLIAM the Britain which is likewise the Life of Philip Augustus in Verse and the History of St. Lewis and Philip the Hardy by WILLIAM of Nâ—…gis a Monk of St. Dennis who flourished about the William beginning of the next Century FABIAN HUGELIN of the Order of Minor Brothers wrote about the year 1230 the Fabian Hugelin Life of St. Francis and his Companions printed at Cologn in 1623. CONRADE Abbot of Everback of the Order of Citeaux wrote a Treatise of the Origin Conrade of that Order divided into six Books published by Father Tissier in the first Tome of his Library of the Writers of the Order of Citeaux It 's thought this Author wrote about the year 1230. JOHN GAL Abbot of Fontenelle hath left us the Life of St. Vulfran Archbishop of Sens John Gal. related by Surius in the 20th of March He flourished about the year 1230. ALBERT Prior of the Monastry of Mont des Vignes at Pavia wrote about the year 1230 Albert. the Lives of St. Bâ—â—â—â—â— St. Aldegondâ— and St. Amandus About the same time two Anonymous Authors wrote one the Life of the blessed Joseph Herman Two Anonymous Authors of the Order of Premontre recorded by Surius in the 7th of April and the other that of St. Antony of Padua recorded by the same Surius in the 13th of June In the second Tome of Father Luke Dachery's Spicilegium there are five Letters of MAURICE Maurice Archbishop of Rouen the three last of which are the Interdict which he pronounced against his Diocess because King St. Lewis had seized upon the Revenues of his Archbishoprick It is remarkable that he interdicts all the Chappels and Churches which the King had in his Diocess except that where the King and Queen should assist in Person This Archbishop died the next year WILLIAM Abbot of Andres in the Diocess of Terouane wrote a Chronicle of his Monastry William from the year 1082 to the year 1234 which may be seen in the ninth Tome of Father Luke Dachery's Spicilegium JOHN ALGRIN of Abbeville a Parisian Divine Chanter of Abbeville and Dean of John Algrin Amiens was made Archbishop of Besanson in 1225 and nominated Cardinal Bishop by the Title of St. Sabina in 1227 by Gregory the Ninth who had been before acquainted with him in the University of Paris and had sent him into Spain to preach the Crusade and afterwards to the Emperor Frederick II. to treat of a Peace with him He died in 1236 and had while he lived the Reputation of a good Preacher and made Sermons upon the Sundays and Holidays of the year in which after he has in a few words explained the meaning of the Text he makes a long Discourse full of such a vast quantity of Scripture that one can scarce imagine how he could collect it all or get it by heart This is what Henry of Gand and Trithemius say of him They may be met with in Libraries but no body has thought them worth publishing They have printed nothing but his Notes upon the Song of Songs at Paris in 1521 with the Commentary of St. Thomas of Citeaux upon the same JORDAN born at Bortâ—rge in Saxony in the Diocess of Mentz entred himself into the Order Jordan of Preaching Brothers or Jacobines in the year 1220 and succeeded St. Dominick in the Generalate of his Order in 1222. He composed a History of the beginning of this Order of Preachers Some Letters of advice to his Religious and many Sermons The first of these works hath been printed at Rome with the Notes of Maffeus and Bzovius hath given us the Circular Letter which he wrote upon the Translation of the Body of St. Dominick You must take care not to confound him with another Jordan of Saxony too sirnamed of Quedelimbourg a Hermit of St. Austin of whom we shall speak hereafter To the former of these is ascribed likewise a Treatise intituled The Crown of the Virgin Mary But there is no likelihood that that belongs to either of these Jordans WALTER CORNU Son of Simon Cornu Lord of Ville-Neuve near Montereau-faut-Yonne Walter Cornu Dean of the Church of Paris and made Archbishop of Sens in 1223 was chosen by St. Louis with Bernard Bishop of Annâ—â—y to go in the year 1239 to receive the Crown of Thorns of our Lord which he had recovered out of the hands of the Venetians to whom it had been engaged by Baldwin II. Emperor of Constantinople He hath wrote the Relation of this History printed among Duchesnes's French Historians The same History was likewise written by Gerard a Monk of St. Quentin of Lisâ—e who also Gerard. composed the Life and Office of St. Elizabeth of Thuringen Henry of
Elizabeth PHILIP Of Greve Chancellor of the University of Paris Flourish'd about the same time Genuine Works c. Sermons on the Psalms WILLIAM Bishop of Paris Elected in the year 1228. Dyed in the year 1240. Genuine Works c. A Treatise of Faith and of the Laws A Treatise of the Vertues Manners Vices and Sins A Treatise of Temptations A Treatise of the Merit of Good Works A Treatise of Divine Rhetorick A Treatise of the Sacraments A Treatise of the Causes of the Incarnation A Treatise of Pennance A Work of the Universe A Treatise of the Trinity A Treatise of the Soul A Second Treatise of Pennance A Treatise of the Collation of Benefices Spurious Works Sermons A Dialogue about the Seven Sacraments Works Lost. See the Catalogue p. 66. WALTER CORNU Arch-Bishop of Sens Elected in the Year 1223. Dyd in the Year 1241. A Genuine Work c. A Relation of the Translation of our Saviour's Crown of Thorns GREGORY IX Pope Elected the 20th of April 1227. Dy'd the 30th of September 1241. Genuine Works c. One and thirty Letters in the Councils Several others in the Annalists Twelve in the Bullary Thirteen in the Thirteenth Tome of the Spicilegium The Fragments of several others in the Collection of the Decretals of Pennafort JAMES Of Vitry Cardinal Flourish'd about the Year 1230. Dy'd in the Year 1244. Genuine Works c. The History of the East and West Two Letters The Life of St. Mary de' Oignies Sermons on the Epistles and Gospels PANTALEON Deacon of the Church of Constantinople Flourish'd about the Year 1230. Genuine Works still Extant A Treatise concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost and the other Points in Controversy between the Greeks and Latins Sermons ALEXANDER Of Hales of the Order of Franciscans entred into that Order in the Year 1222. and Dy'd in the Year 1245. A Genuine Work c A Commentary on the Master of the Sentences or a Body of Divinity Works Spurious and Lost. See the Catalogue of them p. 65. JOHN Of Rochel of the Order of Franciscans Flourish'd about the same time Manuscripts or Works Lost. See the Catalogue of them p. 67. ADAM Of Chamilly Bishop of Senlis made Bishop in the Year 1230. Manuscripts Several Sermons WILLIAM Abbot of Andrews Flourish'd about the Year 1235. A Genuine Work c. A Chronicle of his Abbey Two Anonymous AUTHORS Flourish'd about the Year 1235. Genuine Works c. the Lives of Herman the blessed and St. Anthony of Padua THOMAS Of Celano of the Order of Franciscans Flourish'd about the Year 1235. A Genuine Work c. The Life and Miracles of St. Francis LUKE Bishop of Tuy Flourish'd about the Year 1235 and was made Bishop after the Year 1236. Genuine Works c. Three Books against the Albigenses The Life of St. Isidore Arch-Bishop of Sevil. The History of Spain WILLIAM Monk of St. Martin at Tournay Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Genuine Work c. Flowers taken out of the Works of St. Bernard GILES Monk of Orval Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Genuine Work c. The History of the Bishops of Liege ALBERTUS Monk of Stada and afterwards a Franciscan Elected Abbot of Stada in the Year 1232. went over to the Order of Franciscans in the Year 1240 of which he was made General a little after A Genuine Work c. A Universal Chronicle to the Year 1256. GODFREY Monk of St. Pantaleon of Cologne Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Genuine Work c. A Chronicon from the Year 1162 to 1237. St. EDMUND Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Elected in the Year 1234. Dy'd in the Year 1246. A Genuine Work c. The Mirrour of the Church RICHARD Of St. Lawrence Penitentiary of Rome Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Genuine Work c. Twelve Books in the Praise of the Virgin Mary MONETA Of the Order of Dominicans Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Manuscript A Body of Divinity ALBERIC Monk of Citeaux Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Manuscript A Chronicle to the Year 1241. PETER des Vignes Chancellor of the Emperor Frederick II. sent by him in the Year 1245 to the Council of Lions Dy'd in the Year 1249. Genuine Works still Extant Six Books of Letters A Discourse containing the Complaints of the Emperor Frederick about his being Deposed GODFREY the Bald Arch-Bishop of Bourges Flourish'd about the Year 1240. A Genuine Work c. The Life of William Bishop of St. Brieux BENEDICT Bishop of Marseilles Elected in the Year 1229. Dy'd in the Year 1254. A Manuscript A Treatise concerning Faith ROBERT GROSTEAD Bishop of Lincoln Elected in the Year 1235 Dy'd in the Year 1253. Genuine Works c. Discourses and Letters against the Irregularities of the Ecclesiasticks A Treatise of Observations of Law The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs INNOCENT IV. Pope Elected the 24th of June 1243. Consecrated the 29th of the same Month Dy'd the 17th of Decemb. 1254. Genuine Works c. Nineteen Letters in the Collection of the Councils Several others in the Annalists Sixteen in the Great Bullary BARTHOLOMEW Of Bresse Professor of the Canon-Law Flourish'd about the Year 1240 and Dy'd in the Year 1258. Works Lost Works of the Canon-Law of which see the Catalogue p. 71. CONRAD Adjutant Bishop of Mentz Flourish'd about the Year 1250. A Genuine Work c. The Chronicle of Mentz DAVID Of Augsburgh of the Order of Franciscans Flourish'd about the Year 1250. Genuine Works c. A Formula for Novices A Rule for the Inward Man The Mirror of Seven Degrees of Perfection of the Monks ALBERIC VERUS Regular Canon of St. Augustin Flourish'd about the 1250. A Genuine Work c. The Life of St. Osytus A Work Lost A Treatise about the Eucharist GAUTIER Of the Order of Franciscans Bishop of Poitiers Flourish'd about the Year 1250. A Genuine Work c. Synodal Statutes Manuscripts A Body of Divinity Quodlibetical Questions Sermons ROGER Historiographer of Hungary Flourish'd about the Year 1250. A Genuine Work still Extant The History of the State of the Kingdom of Hungary CONSTANTINE Of Orvieto Flourish'd about the Year 1250 A Genuine Work c. The Life of St. Dominick JOHN Of Parma of the Order of Franciscans was Elected General of his Order about the Year 1250 Depos'd in the Year 1256 and retir'd to an Hermitage where he Liv'd 30 Years longer Manuscripts See the Catalogue of them p. 72. ENGELBERT Abbot of the Order of Cîteaux Flourish'd about the 1250. A Genuine Work c. The Life of St. Edwiga ROBERT RICH Of Abingdon Monk of Pontigny and ROBERT BACON Doctor of Oxford Flourish'd about the Year 1250. A Genuine Work c. The History of the Life and Translation of St. Edmund JOHN DE DIEU Canon of Boulogne Flourish'd about the Year 1250. Manuscripts Several Tracts of the Canon-Law A Penitential ALBERTANUS Advocate of Bresse Flourish'd about the Year 1250. Manuscripts See the Titles of them p. 79. MATTHEW PARIS Monk of St. Albans
Predecessor for solliciting the Towns of Carcassone and Alby to Revolt for encouraging the People of the latter of these Cities against the Inquisitors and for forcing open the Prisons of the Inquisition The King's Guards demanded him of the Pope and prayed him to appoint him Judges in partibus His Holiness committed him to the Archbishop of Narbonne and the Bishops of Pamiez and S. Papoul the last of whom having been informed against the accused Person and finding him Guilty of the Crimes laid to his Charge except the first they degraded him and condemned him to end his Days in Prison loaded with Irons and to eat nothing but Bread and Water This Sentence was passed on him by these two Bishops and three others which they had called to their Assistance Dec. 8. 1319. It was Executed and the Pope allowed the Commissioners to mitigate the Punishment as to the Eating and Chains if they saw convenient and that Friar Bernard were not able to bear them But the King's Proctor appealed à minimâ from the Judgment of the Commissioners and the Pope by a Brief dated at Avignon Febr. 1320. ordered that it should be executed in its full Rigour and condemned him to die in Prison loaden with Chains We are indebted to Mr. Baluzius for these Monuments of Antiquity of which we have spoken and which he hath published in the First Tome of his Miscellanies In 1322. there rose another Dispute among the Grey-Friars in which almost all the Order The Disâ—…c of the Grey Friars abâ—ut the Property of the thingâ— they spent engaged themselves against the decision of John XXII The Grey-Friars affirm That according to their Rule they make a Vow not to have any thing either in Property or in Common and consequently that they have no Dominion or Property in any thing but only a right to use those things that are Necessary by a simple Usage de facto and that the Property and Dominion of all they have belongs to the Church of Rome That it was in this absolute Abjuration of all Property that the Perfection of the Evangelical Life consisted which JESUS CHRIST and his Apostles lived who had nothing either in Property or in Common and that they ought to practise this depth of Poverty to follow the Counsel of the Gospel and observe the Rule of St. Francis Gregory IX had declared in the Year 1230. that according to the Rule of St. Francis the Grey-Friars ought not to have any Property either in Common or by themselves but only the Use of their Goods Books and other Moveables That they could not sell them or alienate them any manner of way unless the Cardinal-Protector of the Order gave a Power to the General or Provincials Innocent IV. declared in 1245. That the Propriety of those things of which the Grey-Friars had the use allowed them belonged to the Holy See Nicholas III. in his Decretal Exiit qui seminat determines That to renounce a Property in all things as well in particular as in common is Meritorious and Holy and that JESUS CHRIST who hath shewed us the Way of Perfection hath taught it by his Words and confirmed it by his Example That the first Founders of the Church Militant practised it and declared those Excommunicated who were of a contrary Opinion Martin IV. who Succeeded him declared also That the Grey-Friars had no right of Property nor Dominion over the things as well moveable as immoveable which they used This Judgment was confirmed by Nicholas IV. in the Year 1298. and by the Decretal of Clement V. which begins with Exivi in which having compared the Order of Grey-Friars to a Paradise upon Earth and recommended the Life which their Rule prescribes them as conformable to that of JESUS CHRIST He explains several Articles of their Rule which were something ambiguous and among other things he declares concerning their Poverty That the Vow which they take to renounce all Property ought to be understood as well in particular as in common That the Property of all things given to them belongs to the Holy See and that they have nothing but a mere use de facto which extends also to every thing that is necessary for Life In this State and Condition were things when John XXII was raised to the Papacy and the Grey-Friars were perswaded that they had no Property or Dominion in the things they had the use of no not in those things which perish in the use as Meat and Drink They also protested in a General Chapter held at Perusia That they would practice this Poverty in the literal sense and conform to the Determination of Nicholas IV. upon that Subject John XXII who was a subtil Pope could not endure that that Order which he did not love should have the Honour of renouncing all Propriety which neither rendred them poorer nor gave the Holy See any Property which could be of Profit to it He considered that the Property of things which perished in the use was not distinguished from the use it self As for Example It is undeniable that he that Eats and Drinks must have a Property in those things he Eats and Drinks actually and in that case the Property can't be separated from the use and consequently that if the Vow of the Rule of St. Francis were to have no Dominion the Grey-Friars are obliged not to Eat but to die with Hunger to uphold their practice or break it that they might Live That the Poverty of which the Grey-Friars bragged was a mere Cheat since that their Renunciation of Property was such a Chimaera as made them no whit the poorer that their Intention was no other than theirs who have the Advantage of those things they use That the Property and Dominion which they attributed to the Church of Rome was more Charge than Profit since nothing was got by it That JESUS CHRIST and his Apostles never dreamed of this Poverty and that it was an Errour and Heresie to maintain that JESUS CHRIST had no right nor property in the things which he used On these Grounds he published two Decrees In the First which is the Extravagant Ad Conditorem dated at Avignon Dec. 7. having observed that it belongs to those who have a right to make Canons to Revoke or Change them which they have made either themselves or their Predecessors when it happens that they do more hurt than good and that the absolute Renunciation of Property in common or particular by the Grey-Friars built upon the Constitutions of his Predecessors who grant them only the mere use de facto of the things which they use reserving the Property to the Church of Rome is neither profitable to themselves nor the Church and besides in things which perish in the use the Property or Dominion can't be separated from the use since they are destroy'd by the very use He declaees That the Church of Rome hath no property by virtue of the Constitutions of his Predecessors in any
Year Francis Carrara Governour of Padua caused him to be murdered in Rome in 1388. The Mirrour of the Virgin Mary printed at Augsbourgh in 1476. is attributed to him As also a Commentary upon the Four Books of the Sentences and some Meditations upon the Life of Jesus Christ which some say are printed in Germany Some say That he Composed a Commentary upon the Canonical Epistles of S. James and S. John Trithemius attributes to him no more than some Sermons for the Year and upon the Saints Days JOHN de BOURG or JOANNES de BURGO an Englishman Chancellor of the University of John de Bourg Cambridge and Rector of the Town of Collingham in Nottinghamshire Composed in 1385. a Treatise Intituled The Apple of the Eye for Priests in which he treats of the Administration of Sacraments the Ten Commandments and other Ecclesiastical Offices printed at Paris in 1510. at Strasburg in 1514. and at Roan in 1516. PHILIP RIBOTT a Spaniard of Catalonia a Carmelite of Gironne was Provincial of his Order Philip Ribot in 1368. and died in 1391. He Composed a Work Intituled A Looking-Glass for the Carmelites divided into Ten Books in which he treats of the Beginning Progress Privileges and History of his own Order which was printed at Venice in 1507. and at Antwerp in 1680. He also wrote a Treatise of the Famous Men of his Order and some Sermons JACOBUS de TERAMO in Abruzzo a Province in Italy Canon of the same Church and Arch-deacon Jacobus de Teramo of Aversa Composed about the Year 1390. a Commentary upon the Sentences and a Book upon the Redemption of Mankind Intituled The Consolation of Sinners These two Works are only in MS. in the Libraries in England Trithemius also observes That this Author also wrote upon the Clementines GUIDO d'EUREUX a Friar-Preacher Composed in 1390. some Sermons and a Rule for Merchants Guido d'Eureux which Works are found in MS. in some Libraries AUGUSTINUS d'ASCOLI an Hermit of S. Augustine flourished about the End of this Year in Aug. d'Ascoli the University of Padua and made some Sermons which are yet preserved in MS. in the Libraries of the Augustin-Monks at Bononia Padua and Cremona HENRY BOICH Dr. of Law in the Diocess of S. Paul of Leon in Britain flourished at the End Henry Boich of this Age and Composed a Commentary upon the Five Books of the Decretals upon the Sixth and upon the Clementines printed at Venice in 1576. and are in MS. in the Library at the Cathedral Church at Cambray SIMON de CREMONA an Hermit of S. Augustine flourished and preached a long time at Venice Simon de Cremona in the latter end of this Age. He Composed some Commentaries upon the Mr. of the Sentences A Treatise of the Indulgence of Assisi and several Sermons These Works are in MS. in the Libraries of the Augustin-Friars in Italy with a Postill upon the Gospels of the Year printed at Ruthlingen in 1484. He died in 1400. PETER QUESNEL a Grey-Friar of the Convent of Norwich a Divine and Canonist flourished Peter Quesnel about the end of this Age and wrote a Directory of Law in the Court of Conscience and in the Court Judicial A Treatise of the Trinity of the Catholick Faith and of the Seven Sacraments A Treatise of the Sins which hinder us from receiving the Sacraments and the Penalties to be enjoined for these Sins A Treatise to order such things as respect the Instructions of Judgments These Treatises are in MS. in some Libraries in England and the first is in the Vatican and Mr. Colbert's Cod. 228. and 2302. MARSILIUS ab INGHEN a German though Trithemius and Bale make him an Englishman Marsilius ab Inghen Dr. of Paris Canon and Treasurer of the Church of S. Andrew at Colen Founder and first Rector of the College of Heidelburg died Aug. 20. 1394. He Composed a Commentary upon the Book of the Mr. of the Sentences printed at Strasburg in 1501. HENRY KNIGHTON Canon-Regular of Leicester Composed an exact Chronicle of the History Henry Knighton of England divided into Five Books from 950. to 1395. and the History of the Deposition of Richard II. King of England which happened in 1399. These Works are in the Collection of English Historians printed at London in 1652. WILLIAM THORN a Benedictin Monk of S. Augustin of Canterbury Composed an History of William Thorn the Abbots of that Abby to 1397. copied as far as 1272. out of the History of Thomas Scott This Chronicle is also in the Collection of English Historians printed at London in 1652. p. 1757. 'T is said also that he wrote an History of the King◠of Kent the Lives of some Saints and a Chronicle of the Counties Bishopricks and Abbies of England which is not printed but is in MS. in Bennet-College Library at Cambridge Cod. 67. GERHARDUS de ZUTPHEN one of the first Canons Regular of the Order of S. Jerome or Gerhard de Zutphen Clerks of the Community instituted by Gerhard Groot died in the 31st Year of his Age Dec. 4. 1398. He has left us some Ascetick Treatises One Of the inward Reformation of the Powers of the Soul The other about our Spiritual Progress printed with the Works of Thomas à Kempis who wrote his Life and in the Biblioth Patr. Tom. 26. p. 234. as also at Paris and Colen in 1539. NICHOLAS EYMERICUS born at Gironne a City of Catalonia a Friar-Preacher flourished in the Papacies of Innocent VI. Urban V. Gregory XI and Clement VII He was first Inquisitor-General Nicholas Eymericus for Innocent VI. about 1356. and coming to Avignon in the Papacy of Gregory XI was made the Pope's Chaplain and Judge of Heresies He died at Gironne Jan. 4. 1399. His Principal Work is a Book Intituled A Directory for Inquisitors printed the first time at Barcelona in 1503. and after at Rome in 1578. with the Corrections and Scholies of Penna and after in the same City in 1587. and at Venice in 1595. with the Commentaries of the same Author This Work is divided into three Parts In the First he treats of the Articles of Faith In the Second of the Punishment of Hereticks and the Inflictions which they deserve according to the Canon-Law and Decretals What is Heresie and Errour Of the Differences of Heresies And lastly Of those which are subject to the Jurisdiction of the Inquisition and the Crimes which are out of its Knowledge The Third part is about the manner of ordering the Process at the Tribunal of the Inquisition of the Power and Privileges of the Officers of the Witnesses Criminals and the Execution of Judgment upon them He Composed several other Treatises which are in MS. in Mr. Colbert's Library N o. 2846 and 2847. The Titles of them are these A Letter to the Cardinals against the Election of Urban VI. A Letter to the King of France in favour of Clement VII Some
a Kempis as the Author which he had only Transcrib'd That this it is which has deceiv'd some of those who have since Copied out or Printed this Work and many Authors who have ascrib'd it to him That there is not any Manuscript found before the year 1441. which goes under the Name of Thomas a Kempis and that there were many of the same time and since that which are Anonymous That these Manuscripts are not more considerable nor more ancient than those which ascribe the same Book to St. Bernard to Gerson or Gersen even while Thomas a Kempis was alive But on the contrary the latter are more ancient That no where but in Flanders or Germany are there any Manuscripts to be found which go under the Name of Thomas and that all those which are in France and Italy are anonymous or go under the Name of Gerson or Gersen which shews that those who first put his Name to the Manuscripts were deceiv'd by the Manuscript of Thomas a Kempis in 1441. That in the Manuscripts which carry the Name of Thomas a Kempis the four Books are parted and under different Titles as if they were four different Treatises and often they are transpos'd whereas in the greatest part of the other Manuscripts which are more ancient the four Books of Imitation are plac'd there under the same Title and in their Natural Order These are the Exceptions which are made against the great number of Manuscripts which are alledg'd on behalf of Thomas a Kempis which depend upon the Manuscripts which the others produce whereof we shall speak hereafter Let us now come to the Editions which have been made under the name of Thomas a Kempis SECTION IV. The Editions of the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ under the Name of Thomas a Kempis 'T IS true the First Edition which is alledg'd with a Date of the Imitation of Jesus Christ under the Name of Thomas a Kempis is in 1475. tho' the Copy of it is never produc'd but then 't is said that there is one in the Library of the Republick of Ausburg Cod. 32. of Theological Books wherein the 4 Books of the Imitation are printed in Folio without a Date indeed but at the end there is found this Note Viri Egregii Thomae Montis Sanctae Agnetis in Trajecto Regularis Canonici Libri de Christi Imitatione numero quatuor finiunt feliciter per Zanitherum Zainer ex Rentlingen progenitum literis impressi aheneis i. e. Here end the 4 Books of the Imitation of Jesus Christ by that Excellent man Thomas a Canon Regular of Mount St. Agnes of Utrecht printed in Letters of Brass by Gonther Zainer a Native of Rentlingen Zainer died April the 14th in 1475. as is prov'd by the Burial-Book of the Canons Regular of the Holy-Cross of Ausburg and therefore this Edition must be more ancient than the former There is an Edition of the Mirror of Human Life by Roderic of Zamora printed in 1471. by Zainer And lastly it is observ'd upon the Copy whereof we are now speaking that it was bought by the Convent of Friars Carmelites of Ausburg Supposing the truth of these matters of Fact it cannot be deny'd but the Books of the Imitation were printed under the Name of Thomas a Kempis a little time after his Death The Second Edition which is alledg'd is that of Strasburg in 1487. 'T is said that it was in the Library of Prague and Heserus relates that he found it at Ausburg in the Library of the Canons Regular of St. George It begins thus Incipit Liber pâ—imus fratris Thomae de Kempis Canonici Regularis Ordinis St. Augustini de Imitatione Christi de contemptu omnium vanitatum Mundi Capitulum primum Qui sequitur me c. and at the end Fratris Thomae de Kempis de Imitatione Christi de contemptu omnium vanitatum Mundi devotum utile Opusculum fiâ—it feliciter Argentinae impressum per Martinum Flach Anno Dom. 1487. There is also alledg'd another Edition in the same year at Nuremberg which is mention'd in the Addition to the History of the Library of Nuremberg There are 3 Editions in 1480. one at Ingolstad the other at Lyons and a 3d at Memmingen and one at Lunenburg in 1493. The first which fell into our hands is the French at Paris in 1493. which we have already quoted and has these words at the top Here begins the most wholsom Bock Entituled Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ our Lord and a perfect contempt of this miserable World which by some has been hitherto ascrib'd to St. Bernard or Mr. John Gerson tho' really it does not belong to them For the Author of this Book under our Lord was a Venerable Father and most Devout Canon-Regular who in his own time liv'd in a Regular Olservation of the Rule of my Lord St. Austin Nam'd Friar Thomas de Kempis After this follows an Edition of the Works of Thomas a Kempis in 1494. at Nuremberg by Gaspar Hochfeder by the Care of Peter Danhausser and at the sollicitation of George Pickamer Prior of the Carthusians of that City wherein the Treatise of the Imitation is at the head of all the Works with this Observation Dulcissimi Divi Thomae de Kempis viri piissimi religiosissimique de Imitatione Christi Opus quod falso apud vulgares Gersoni Parisiensi Cancellario impingitur There are also before that at Paris one by Badius in 1520. which some have thought to be the first Edition under the Name of Thomas a Kempis that of Collen in 1507. and that at Antwerp in 1519. In the Editions of the Works of Thomas a Kempis by Badius in 1520 1521 and 1523. the Book of the Imitation is there with this Note that it was falsly ascrib'd to Gerson It was also printed at Venice in 1535. among some Works of Thomas a Kempis with the same Note I pass over in silence the Paris Editions of the years 1541 1549 1561 and 1574. and at Antwerp in 1535 1550 1552 1559 1575 1587 1592 1599 1607. after which follow'd that of 1616. by Bellerus from the Manuscript written with the Author 's own hand in 1441. at Lyons in the years 1554 1555 1596 and 1601. at Vienna in Austria in 1561. at Lisbon in the same year at Dilingen in the years 1571 and 1576. at Basil in 1563. in which the 3 first Books are turn'd into fine Latin by Sebastian Castalio which have been publish'd since after the same manner by Francis Toll who Translated the 4th Book and printed them together at Antwerp in 1575. at Collen in the years 1575 1582 1591 1601 1607 and 1610. and at Rome in 1583. wherein the Book of the Imitation is printed under the Name of Thomas a Kempis a Canon Regular or with this Observation that it has been falsly ascrib'd to Gerson Neither shall I mention the Editions in Vulgar Tongues such as the French Version printed in 1565. the
History of Florence places his Death Now supposing that about the Year 1480. Marianus had seena Manuscript of the Conferences under the Name of St. Bonaventure then he who is the Author of them must have liv'd before that time and this Author having when he wrote an Anonymous Manuscript of the Imitation in Italy 't is probable say they That this Book was compos'd before Thomas a Kempis could write it But this is what those deny who maintain that the Book was written by Thomas in 1410. And so the Testimony drawn from these Conferences is not concluding 'T is alledg'd That St. Thomas took something out of the 4th Book of the Imitation and inserted it into the Office of the Holy Sacrament viz. That which he says in the Responses of the Magnificat at the Feast of the Holy Sacrament O quam suavis est Domine spiritus tuus qui ut dulcediâ—em tuam in filios demonstrares Pane suavissimo de Caelo praestito esurientes reples bonis fastidioses divites dimittens inanâ—s for the very same Words almost are to be found in Ch. 13. of B. 4. of the Imitation O quam suavis est spiritus tuus Domine qui ut dulcedinem tuam in filios demonstraâ—es pane suavissimo de Coelo descedente illos reficere dignaris But what Proof is there That St. Thomas did rather take this from the Imitation than the Author of the Imitation should take it from the Office of the Holy Sacrament especially if we consider That this Author does often take Sentences out of the Offices of the Church as in ch 3. of the Same Book O mira circa nos tuae Pietatis dignatio Which Words are us'd at the Blessing of the Easter Wax-Candle and again in ch 55. there is a Prayer taken from the Orison on the 16th Sunday after Whitsunday Matthias Farinator is also alledg'd but to this pretended Witness we have already answer'd from whence it appears That it is not demonstratively prov'd that the Imitation of Jesus Christ was cited by any Author before that Thomas a Kempis could have written it There remains only a Passage of Trithemius which we have already produc'd which is That his Ancestors said that their Ancestors had seen the Book of the Imitation many Years before Quem ante multos annos seniores nostri suos ferunt legisse seniores Trithemius wrote this in 1495. His Ancestors were then between Sixty and Seventy Years of Age and these being young men had seen the Book in the hand of their Ancestors who read it many Years ago This will make his Age at least to go back to the beginning of the Century which is the Reason also why Trithemius ascribes it to a Thomas more ancient and not to him that liv'd until his time It may be said That supposing Thomas had written the Imitation in 1410. which Trithemius in that Place says may be true and that the Ancient Thomas to whom he ascribes it was no older then consequently the whole matter depends upon knowing whether in 1410. Thomas was capable of composing this Book which we shall examine hereafter Let us now see whether there are any Manuscripts of this Book whether they be Anonymous or have the Author's Name whether they be dated or without Date which prove that this Book was in being before it could be compos'd by Thomas a Kempis The first of all which we produce shall be that which is pretended to have been written with the hand of John the Abbot of Verceil who is said to be the Author which Manuscript was in the Abbey of that City if it be true which is written upon an ancient Edition at Venice in 1501. under the Name of Gerson Hunc librum non compitavit Joannes Gerson sed D. Joannes ..... Abbas Vercell ...... ut habetur usque hodie propria manu scriptum in eadem Abbatia But since it is not known by whom nor when this Note was first put upon this printed Book and that it was certainly done since the Year 1501. since that Mr. Naudaeus avers that this was written even since the Controversie about this Book begun and the F. F. Benedictines did not produce this Copy in 1671. nor in 1674. altho' they had it in their hands I think we need not be concern'd about it The Manuscript of Arona which goes under the Name of the Abbot Gersen and that in the Monastery of St. Columbanus of Bobio were judg'd in 1687. to be 300 Years old Scriptura non videtur inferior annis tricentis and if so then they were written at the end of the 14th Century and consequently before Thomas a Kempis could write them Father Sirmondus has given the same Judgment of an Anonymous Manuscript which he had and which is in the Library of the College of Jesuits at Paris Mr. Naude judg'd it much later but I shall rather refer my self to F. Sirmond than Mr. Naude There is also alledg'd an Anonymous Manuscript in the Abbey of Grandmont together with the Certificate before a Notary of Peter Almaert a Monk and Library-keeper of the Monastery of St. Adrian of Grandmont who testifies That he had seen and read upon the last Leaf of this Manuscript which was tore off some Years after an Inscription which said That this Book was written by Friar Louis Du Mont who died before the Year 1400. Hic liber conscriptus fuit a F. Ludovico de Monte qui obiit ante Annum millesimum quadringentesimum But since 't is not known by whom this Note was added nor at what time and that this Manuscript contain'd the Book of the Discipline of those who are in the Cloyster by Thomas a Kempis it cannot be made use of to prove that the Imitation is more ancient than he The Manuscript of the Monastery of St. James of Liege in Paper wherein is found the 4th Book of the Imitation under the Title of a Book about the Sacrament of the Altar without the Name of the Author has this Note written upon the first Leaf Anno Dom. 1417. die mensis Octobris 15. indutus fui habitum Ordinis sancti Benedicti in Monasterio aedificato in honore sanctorum Apostolorum Jacobi Andreae But it is not necessary That this Note should be written from the time that this Regular was profess'd and it happens sometimes that the Regulars set down the Day of their being profess'd upon Books which they had not till a long time after yet 't is very probable that this was not written a long time after The First Manuscript which has a certain Date is that which was cited in a Register of the Monastery of Melice written and fram'd in 1517. by Fâ—iaâ— Stephen Purckhardi wherein there is mention made of a Volume in Manuscript containing the Treatise of St. Austin of the Visitation of the Sick the first Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ and a Meditation upon the Passion by St. Bernard at the end of which
The House of God mentioned in the Ninth Chapter may be understood well enough of the Tabernacle and Ark which was in the time of Joshuah l Be it as it will the Book of Judges is ancient To prove that this Book was not composed till after the Captivity they commonly instance in these words in Chap. 18. Vers. 30 31. Untill the day of the Captivity of the Land and in these In those days there was no King in Israel Words say they which demonstrate that this Book was written after the Captivity and in the time when they had Kings in Israel But the Captivity spoken of in this place is not that of Babylon but the Captivity that happened in the time of Heli when the Ark was taken by the Phllistines and the Idol of Micah was destroyed as it is observed in this place of the Book of Judges And as for these words In those days there was no King in Israel they don't necessarily suppose that there were any when this Author lived and perhaps they were added by Ezrah m Which has made Men think that the Books of Samuel were written by that Prophet This Opinion is not certain because Chap. 9. Vers. 9. it is said That he that is now called a Prophet was before-time called a Seer which Samuel could not say In the fifth Chapter Verse the fifth the Author of this Book relating the History of the taking of the Ark tells us that the Priests of Dagon did not tread upon the Threshold of Dagon unto this day But this might well enough be said by Samuel because that happened when he was young and he wrote not this Book till towards the end of his Life n Ezrah speaks there in the first Person He speaks of himself in the first Person Ezrah Chap. 7. Vers. 27 and 28. God hath extended his Mercy towards me before the King and I c. And Chap. 9. Vers. 5. I fell upon my Knees and spread out my Hands o The Conjecture of Huetius is not so strong as to make us quit the common Opinion He says that the Author of the six first Chapters was at Jerusalem in the time of Darius as it appears by these words in the fifth Chapter ad quod respondimus eis quâ— essent nomina Now Ezrah came not to that City till after Darius's Reign under that of Artaxerxes as is easily proved by the beginning of the seventh Chapter But 't is no hard matter to refute this Conjecture by observing that when Ezrah said Respondimus eis he only spoke in the Name of the Jews and 't is an usual thing with the Historians of any Nation to cry We did such or such a thing although the Historian had no share in the doing it p The second Book is constantly attributed to Nehemiah He begins thus The Words of Nehemiah and after the same manner Herodotus Thucydides and Timaeus c. begin their Works not to mention the Prophets The Author of Ecclesiasticus speaks of the Actions of Nehemiah Chap. 40. and the Author of the second Book of the Maccabees commends his Writings q T is commonly believed that Tobit and Tobias wrote their own History This Opinion is principally founded upon the Angels commanding them in the 12th Chapter Vers. 20. Narrate omnia mirabilia ejus In the Greek Interpreter it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Write all his wonderful Works Secondly because in the Greek and Hebrew Editions they speak of themselves in the first Person r The time wherein the History of Judith happen'd is no less uncertain Some say this History happened before the Captivity and prove it first because it is said in this Book that it happen'd a little after the City of Ecbatana was built by Arphaxad King of the Medes Now that City according to Eusebius and Herodotus was built by Dejoces who lived a long time before the Captivity Secondly King Nebuchadnezzar who sent Holofernes into Judâ—a reigned in Ninive which City was destroyed before the Captivity of Babylon Thirdly This Nebuchadnezzar they tell us is Saosdâ—thinus Grandson of Sennacherib and Son of Assaradon King of the Babylonians who gave the Name of Nebuchadnezzar to their King Fourthly They say that Eliachim or Joachim was High-Priest under Manasses as we may see in the 22d Chapter of Isaiah Those who are of the contrary Opinion return the following Answers to these Conjectures To the first they reply That Ecbatana was several times rebuilt To the second That Ninive was restored to its ancient Splendor by the Kings of Persia. To the third That the Name of Nebuchadnezzar was common to the Kings of Babylon and Assyria To the fourth That Eliachim of whom mention is made in Isaiah and in the second Book of Kings Chap. 18. was not High-Priest The Reasons which they alledge for this Opinion are as follows First That this History happen'd at a time when there were no Kings at Jerusalem and the High-Priests had the whole Authority in their Hands Now this was not before the Captivity Secondly We read that there was one Eliachim or Joachim High-Priest after the Captivity Thirdly Achior Prince of the Edomites being ask'd by Holofernes Chap. 5. Vers. 3. Who the People of Israel were He tells him That they were lately carried away Captives into a strange Land but now possessed the City Jerusalem Et plurimi eorum captivi abducti sunt in terram non suam nuper autem reversi ad Dominum Deum suum ex dispersione quâ dispersi erant adunati sunt ascenderunt Montana haec omnia iterum possident Jerusalem And in the Greek it is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et Templum Dei eorum factum est in solum Words that shew that this passage ought to be understood of the Captivity and Destruction of the Temple Lastly They add that it is said in the 16th Chapter that Judith who lived an Hundred and five Years saw no more War in Israel and in the 8th Chapter that when she went to find out Holofernes she was young and beautiful Hence they say it evidently follows that this History did not happen during the Reign of Manasses because from the War which Pharaoh Necho made in the time of King Josiah it was but Forty five or Forty six Years to the Captivity so that by this account she must have been Sixty four Years old when she went to meet Holofernes which is by no means probable These Reasons I confess are not unanswerable but however this Opinion seems to me to be most agreeable to Truth The greatest part of the Protestant Criticks as Luther Chytraeus Beroaldus Scaliger and Grotius believe that this History is a Fiction or Allegory which Grotius has very hadsomely explained but this is a rash Opinion and ought not to be followed s The time and Author of the History of Hester are still uncertain Scaliger assures us that it happened under Xerxes First he says that the Name of Assueras in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Criticks who have questioned them Photius says in the beginning of his Bibliotheca that one Theodorus wrote a Book by way of reply to the Objections that were generally urged against these Books and he produceth the Objections that were propounded by this Author but takes no notice of the Answers that he had annexed to them which is an Argument that he thought them to be of no great strength 2. The style and method of these Books is very far from the manner of writing used in the First and Second Centuries as being swelling and too much affected the Author purposely leaves ordinary and natural Expressions to make use of those that are lofty and Figurative he Amplifies every thing even that which ought to be recited after the most simple manner he uses a great deal of Arâ—iâ—â—ce in the disposing of his Periods and observes an exact Method in the Order of his Arguments which shews that it was written by a Philosopher who had leisure to revise and polish it with much Care and Study which doth not agree with the Character of S. Dionysius the Areopagite nor with the way of writing in his time 3. Neither are the Contents of these Books conformable to the Genius of the Age wherein S. Dioâ—â—siâ—s the Aâ—â—â—pagite lived The Christians were employed in these primitive Times in Composing Three â—orts of Books Apologies for their Religion Epistles for the Instruction of the Faithful and to exhort them to suffer Martyrdom and Lastly Treatises against the Hereticks Now these Writings attributed to S. Denys plainly relate to another Subject and have a quite different Design for his principal Intention is to treat of Mysteries after a curious and exâ—uisite manner and to expound them according to the Principles of Plato's Philosophy and even in Platonick Terms He is not content to propound them with the simplicity of the ancient but he applies himself nicely to enquire into all the Difficulties that might occur therein and to raise divers Questions more curious than useful concerning the nature of God and the different Orders of Angels He explains the Doctrine of the Trinity more distinctly even than S. Athanasius himself He plainly rejects the Errors of the Nestorians Eutychians Anthropomerphites He speaks of the Church as in a prosperous Condition and enjoyning Peace neither doth he make any mention of Persecutions or Martyrs He distinguishes the several Orders of Angels and observes their difference things that were unknown to the ancient Writers and concerning which they were not sollicitous to be informed as S. Irenâ—us assures us in Lib. 2. chap. 55. and S. Cyril Catech. Illum 11. Upon the whole matter if we compare these Writings with those of the other ancient Authors we shall find that there can be nothing more different either as to their style and method or as to the matters therein contained We shall now proceed to give particular Proofs whereby it will plainly appear that these Books were not written by S. Dionysius the Areopagite and there are Two sorts of these some proving that they cannot belong to S. Denys others shewing that they were Composed by an Author who lived after the Fourth Century I shall begin with the Arguments which prove that those Books do not belong to S. Denys 1. The Author of the Book de Divinis Nominibus Dedicates it to Timothy and then cites an Epistle of S. Ignatius Now Timothy was dead when S. Ignatius wrote his Epistles and Onesimus succeeded him and besides he calls Timothy his Son and yet he must needs be older than S. Denys 2. He cites and explains the Gospel according to S. John and the Apocalypse which were scarcely written when S. Dionysius the Areopagite was alive And yet he declares in those Books that he was but a young Man He cites the Revelation as undoubtedly included in the Canon of Holy Scripture and yet it was very much questioned in the primitive Ages of the Church whether it were Canonical or not The same Reflection may be likewise made upon his Citations taken from the Second Epistle of S. John and that of S. Jude 3. He rejects the Error of the Millenaries which could not have appeared in his time 4. He expresly produceth in Lib. de Divinis Nomin chap. 4. certain Passages out of the Epistle of S. Ignatius to the Romans written by this Bishop a little before his Martyrdom whereas S. Ignatius was put to Death under the Reign of the Emperor Trajan and S. Dionysius the Areopagite under that of Domitian and consequently the later was dead when the former wrote this Epistle Maximus replies that this Citation is added but there are Three or four entire Lines that relate to this matter which there is no reason to disallow 5. This Author affirms that he was present at the Death of the Virgin Mary but S. Dionysius the Areopagite was not Converted at that time for it is generally believed that she died Fifteen years after the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and S. Paul who Converted S. Denys came not to Athens till Seventeen years after our Saviour's Passion Lastly there are many Reasons by which it may be proved that this Author wrote after the Fourth Century For 1. He treats of the Mysteries of the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation in such Terms as were not known till after the Fourth Age of the Church he used the word Hypostasis to signifie the Divine Persons c 7. Coelest Hier. c. 1. de Divinis Nominibus whereas it is well known that this word was not used in this Sense till after the end of the Fourth Century 2. In Lib. de Coelesti Hierarchia cap. ult He confirms the Baptism of Infants by an ancient Tradition We declare that says he which our Bishops have taught us according to an ancient Tradition Could this have been written by S. Dionysius the Areopagite or rather doth not this shew that he that discourseth thus is a much later Author than this Bishop of Athens 3. He describes the solemn Administration of Baptism as it was when the Church being delivered from Persecution began to practice the ancient Ceremonies with exteriour Pomp and Splendour 4. He speaks of Churches built on purpose wherein there was a Sanctuary separated from the rest of the Churches as also of the perâ—uming of Altars with incense and of divers Ceremonies relating to the Eâ—â—rgumens Catecumens and Peâ—â—tents which were not observed in those Primitive times 5. It is certain that the Institution of Monks is not so ancient as S. Denys and that they were not consecrated till long after the Age wherein he lived Yet the Author of the Divine Hierarchy in chap. 6. mentions them as being more ancient than himself and adds that his Instructers called them Tâ—â—rapeutae or Monks and he gives an Account of the manner of their Consecration and distinguisheth several sorts of them 6. He often cites the Ecclesiastical Authors that lived before him who wrote concerning matters that were only debated in
Asia recommended to the Bishop a young Man who seemed to have very good parts That this Bishop presently took care of him and having sufficiently instructed him he baptiz'd him but afterwards neglecting to look after him as before this young Man grew lewd and became the Ring-leader of the Robbers that S. John returning some years after demanded of the Bishop the Trust which he had committed to his Charge and let him know that he required this young Man from him The Bishop telling him that he was utterly lost and that he was become the Head of the Thieves this Holy Apostle being extreamly concerned at this unfortunate Accident immediately took Horse caused himself to be taken by the Robbers and to be brought before their Chief who remembring him immediately fled but S. John running after him made him acknowledge his fault promised him to obtain for him Christ's Pardon and brought him back along with him and having put him into a Course of Repentance he did not leave him till he was reconciled to the Church We have this Book entire in the last Volume of the Supplement of the Bibliotheca Patrum translated by Gislenius and the Greek Text published by Cariophylus 'T is an excellent Discourse wherein S. Clement explains the Words of Jesus Christ to the young Rich Man recorded by S. Mark Chap. 10. And it shews that in order to Salvation 't is not necessary for any one absolutely to quit his Possessions and Riches provided he makes a good use of them Upon occasion of this Question he discourses of Love towards God and towards our Neighbour and of Repentance By the way he says something of the Advantage there is in having a Director to reprehend us severely for our Faults and to give us suitable Remedies for our Amendment And it was to shew the Efficacy of Repentance that he told this Story of S. John We find under the name of S. Clement in the Bibliotheca Patrum some Explications upon several Passages of the Old Testament and Commentaries upon the Canonical Epistles If these Fragments are really his they must be taken from his Books of Institutions which is not very improbable because they have a near Relation to what Photius says of the Institutions and besides they have the Genius of S. Clement There is no doubt but S. Clement was a Person of Extraordinary Qualifications S. Jerom makes no scruple of saying that no Man had ever more knowledge than this Father and it is certain that of all the Ancients there is none whose Books are so full of Profane Learning as his i Whose Books are so full of prophane Learning at his I believe the Reader will not think it tedious to read the following Passage of Gentianus Hervetus concerning the Learning of S. Clement Do you desire says this Author to read Histories that are very Ancient and very Curious Read S. Clement who understood all ancient History so perfectly well that one would think him to have been ignorant of nothing that had pass'd in the World Have you an Esteem and Veneration for the Verses of the ancient Poets and the Answers of the Oracles You cannot put too high a value upon S. Clement who quotes Passages from several ancient Poets whose Works we have lost Would you be willing to know the Rites and Ceremonies which were observed in the Sacrifices of the Heathen Gods Read S. Clement who discovers the most hidden Mysteries of the Pagans Besides Is there any one among the Christians who has any respect for the Superstitions of the Heathens who commends their Manners and Customs and I wish to God there were no such Persons left but if there be any they may disabuse themselves by reading S. Clement who clearly makes out the Falshood of the Pagan Religion so that after having read it they cannot but be ashamed of their Folly have you a mind to understand the Opinions and Maxims of the ancient Philosophers Read S. Clement who discourses of the Original of Philosophy of all the Sects of Philosopers and of their Doctrine yet so as he always prefers the Philosophy of the Christians before all others and proves by invincible Arguments that This is That which is only Divine whereof God himself is the Author Would you know the Tenets of the Hereticks who infested the Church in its infancy S. Clement explains them concisely and confutes them very solidly and substantially Do you seek for Testimonies against the Hereticks of our Times S. Clement will furnish you with several Have you a design to correct that abominable corruption of Mannners in this present Age There is no Author that reproves Vice more severely that exhorts more powerfully to the practice of Virtue and that gives better Rules and Instructions for leading a Christian Life Lastly have you a mind to re-establish the ancient Discipline of the Church You cannot have too high an esteem for the Learning and Sanctity of S. Clement who being a Priest carried himself and lived after so Holy a Manner that it were very much to be wished that there were more Persons in this Age like him He even shews too much of it for a Christian Writer and we may say that he was more a Philosopher than a Divine though he was by no means ignorant of our Religion and perfectly understood the Holy Scriptures But he is much more Emphatical upon the Moral than upon the Doctrinal Part of Christianity and he explains almost all the Passages which he cites after an Allegorical manner in imitation of Philo Judaeus He writes almost always without Method and Coherence His Stile is careless which may be particularly observed in his Stromata For in his Exhortation to the Gentiles and his Pedagogue he writes more floridly as Photius has observed and he is all along buoyed up with a certain Majestick gravity which is very delightful The Works of S. Clement have been Printed in Greek at Florence in the year 1550 for Torrensis by the Care of Petrus Victorius They were translated by Gentianus Hervetus which Translation was Printed at Florence by the same Person in the year 1551 at Paris in 1566 1572 1590 1592 and in 1612 at Basil in 1556 and with S. Irenaeus in 1560 and 1566 at Amsterdam in 1613. Silburgius afterwards took Pains upon this Author and having collected the Observations and Corrections of several Learned Persons caused it to be Printed in Greek by Commelinus in the year 1592 in Folio Afterwards it was published in Greek and Latin by Heinsius who revised the Translation and added some new Observations and caused it to be Printed in Greek by the same Commelinus in the year 1616. This Edition was followed by those of Paris in the year 1629 and 1621 which is the best of all That of 1641 is not so Fair and Correct Miltiades The two Apollonii And two Anonymous Authors who wrote against the Heresies of Montanus and Artemo 'T IS not known neither what was the Country
Protestations before the Bishop and in the Church That we renounce the Devil all his Pomps and Miniâ—â—es afterwards we are plunged in the Water three times and they make us answer to some Things which are not precisely set down in the Gospel after that they make us taste Milk and Honey and we bath our selves every day during that whole Week We receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist instituted by Jesus Christ when we Eat and in the Morning-Assemblies and we do not Receive it but from the Hands of those that preside there We offer Yearly Oblations for the Dead in Honour of the Martyrs We believe that it is not lawful to Fast on a Sunday and to pray to God kneeling From Easter to Whitsontide we enjoy the same Priviledge We take great Care not to suffer any Part of the Wine and Consecrated Bread to fall to the Ground We often Sign our selves with the Sign of the Cross if you demand a Law for these Practises taken from the Scripture we cannot find one there but we must answer That 't is Tradition that has established them Custom that has authorized them and Faith that has made them to be observed The Book concerning Flight in time of Persecution is a further Mark of the Extream Rigour of Tertullian for there he maintains That it is absolutely Prohibited to Fly in time of Persecution or to give Money not to be Persecuted The Book De Pallio is a small Treatise wherein he endeavours to prove that he had reason to quit the Toga or the long Roman Gown and to wear a Cloak he shews therein a great deal of Wit and Learning and it seems as if he Composed it rather to shew what he was capable of saying upon so trivial a Subject as this is than seriously to defend the Action In his Book concerning Publick Sights and Spectacles he dissuades the Christians from those Sights and Spectacles shewing how these Pleasures are both shameful and dangerous to those who have Renounced the Pomps and Pleasures of the World and Idolatry There is no need of giving the Reasons why he wrote those Books concerning the Ornaments and Dresses of Women since the Titles themselves do sufficiently shew against what Abuse they were written So likewise the Title of the Book that Virgins ought to be Veiled does discover the Subject but we are not to understand it only of Virgins Consecrated to God for Tertullian's Design is to prove that young Women should be Veiled that is to say that they should have their Face covered in the Church Which he undertakes to prove contrary to the Custom of his Country where only married Women were veiled And upon this Account he speaks against this Custom and maintains that it cannot prescribe against Truth which is true when it relates to Doctrine but not when it concerns only a Matter of Discipline which is but of little Consequence In the First Book written to his Wife he Exhorts her not to Marry again and in the Second he Advises her that in case she will Marry again to take a Christian for her Husband The Treatise of Patience is an excellent Exhortation to the Practice of this Virtue In which Discourse Tertullian sets forth with a great deal of Eloquence all the Motives and Arguments which might induce Christians to Patience and dissuade them from Impatience The Discourse directed to the Confessors whom he calls Martyrs according to the ancient way of speaking is likewise a very powerful Exhortation to those who were in Prison upon the Account of the Religion of Jesus Christ to encourage them to bear with Patience their Chains and Torments and to persevere with Constancy to the End nothing can be more Pathetical and Moving than this little Discourse I have now nothing more to do but to speak of those Books which Tertullian Composed against the Church in Defence of the Montanists and they are Four His Book of Modesty of Monogamy an Exhortation to Chastity and A Treatise of Fasts In his Book of Modesty he endeavours to prove against the Church that it has no Power to Remit the Sins of Fornicators and Adulterers and that when Men are once fallen into these Crimes after Baptism they cannot be any more admitted into the Communion of the Church how Penitent soever they may be In his Book of Monogamy and the Exhortation to Chastity he absolutely condemns second Marriages as being Adultery Lastly In his Discourse of Fasts he commends the Excessive Fasts of the Montanists who made several Lents observing the Stationary Fasts as if they had been expresly enjoyned making them to continue till Night and not eating upon those Days any thing but Bread and Fruits nor drinking any thing but Water In all these Books excepting his Book of Exhortation to Chastity he formally attacks the Church and the Catholicks whom he calls Psychici and speaks every where very advantageously of Montanus and his Prophetesses believing that the Holy Ghost had inspired them to set up and establish a more perfect Discipline For as to what relates to the Rule of Faith that is to say to the principal Doctrines of Religion Tertullian and the first Montanists were of the same Opinion with the Church And therefore it is that in this Book against Praxeas he says that he always believed in One only God in three Persons and that he still believes it more firmly since he has been instructed by the Paraclete or Comforter And in his Book which he wrote to prove that Virgins ought to be Veil'd he says that excepting the Rule of Faith which is immoveable and can no ways be changed Manners and Customs that relate to Matter of Discipline may be reformed and altered That it is this which the Paraclet has done by the Ministry of Montanus who has instructed Men in a much more perfect Discipline than that which the Apostles had taught them that Justice was with him in the Cradle while he was an Infant That the Law and the Prophets were as it were the Infancy that the Gospel was as it were the Youth but that there was no compleat Perfection to be found but in the Instructions of the Holy Ghost who spake by Montanus for Tertullian and the first Montanists do not believe that Montanus was the Holy Ghost but only that the Holy Ghost had inspired him and sent him to Reform and Perfect the Discipline of the Church and they did not attribute this Priviledge only to Montanus but also to several of his Disciples and principally to Women and they would have it believed that there were among them several Persons who had Revelations and prophesied Things to come These Persons were sometimes strangely agitated sometimes they fell into an Extasie This Sect gave a respectful Attention to all that they said either while they were thus agitated or after they came to themselves as it was believed that these were so many Revelations of which it was not lawful to make any doubt
no other Beatitude but that which consisted in carnal Pleasures that as for himself he durst not entirely reject it since it was esteemed by a great many Christians but that he was perswaded it hid a â—idden meaning which could not be 〈◊〉 by any body that he acknowledged that Book to be written by an Author inspired by the Holy Ghost though he did not believe it to have been written by St. John the Evangelist but by 〈◊〉 of the â—â—me Name as he endeavours to prove by the difference of the Style and Thoughâ—â— Eusebiâ—s has preserved considerable Fragments of this book from whence we have drawn the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passages See the Third Book of his History Chap. 28. and l. 7. Ch. 24. and 25. Another Errour that Dionysius of Alexandria opposed and 〈◊〉 if I may use the Expression in its Cradle was much more considerable Tâ—… 〈◊〉 Bishops in Pentapolis that embraced the Errour of Sabellian who 〈◊〉 the Thâ—… 〈◊〉 of the Holy Trinity This Opinion was so deeply rooted and established in those Quarters 〈◊〉 the Son of God was 〈◊〉 mentioned in their Churches Dionysius to whom this Province belonged by 〈◊〉 of the Preheminence of the Patriarchal See of Alexandria to preside and watch over all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sent his Legates to that place to undeceive the People that were in an 〈◊〉 but being not able to go thither himself in Person he was constrained to write to 〈◊〉 to confute this 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 Letter was addressed to Ammon Bishop of Berenice the Seâ—… to 〈◊〉 and Euphranor and the Last to Ammon and Euporus The End which he proposed to himself in writing these Letters was to perswade these People who had not been very well instructed that the Father was not the Son and that He was not the Father but the Son that was Incarnate and Died for 〈◊〉 But that happened to Dionysius in this Affair that usually happens to most Men that while he opposed and attack'd one Errour he spoke very favourably of the contrary Thus going about to prove that the Son was a distinct Person from the Father he chanced to say That he was the Work of the Father That he was with respect to the Father what a Vine is to the Vine dresser a Ship to the Builder And lastly That the Son did not exist before he was made These Expressions that seemed to establish an opposite Errour to that of Sabellius which afterwards was taken up by Arius gave occasion to some well-affected Catholick Persons to carry a Complaint to Dionysius Bishop of Rome against the Bishop of Alexandria But he being advertised of the matter wrote Four Books which he presented to the Pope vvherein he refutes not only the Errour of the Sabellians but also that which vvas attributed to himself and having desired the Pope to send him all the Objections that were urged against him he wrote a Treatise vvhich he called A Refutation and an Apology because he refutes the Errours of other Men and likewise Justifies himself St. Athanasius from whom I have borrowed this Account relates divers other Passages that were extracted out of this Work in a Book which he wrote about the Opinion of Dionysius of Alexandria in vvhich he invincibly proves against the Arians who had the Confidence to make use of his Authority That his Notions of the Trinity were very conformable to those of the Church though he did not much approve of the term Consubstantial To conclude Dionysius of Alexandria a little before his Death defended the Divinity of Jesus Christ against Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antioch For being invited to the Synod that was held at Antioch against that Heretick in the Year 264 and not being able to go thither by reason of his Old Age and Infirmity he wrote several Letters to the Church at Antioch wherein he explains his own Opinion and refutes the Errour of Paulus Samosatenus whom he looked upon as so great a Criminal for advancing this Errour that he would not even condescend to Salute him in his Letter considering him already as an Heretick and one that was separated from the Church as we find it observed by the Fathers of the Council of Antioch and by Eusebius after them in his Seventh Book Chap. 27. and 29. Baronius thinks that this Letter of Dionysius is the same with that which Turrianus published which is inserted in the first Volume of the last Edition of the Councils P. 850. But he is mistaken for that Letter which the Fathers of the Council of Antioch speak of was written to the Church of Antioch whereas we find this is addressed to Paulus Samosatenus as appears by these first words We Answer what you demand of us that we may oblige you to speak your Thoughts plainly and openly From whence it is manifest That this Letter if it is not Supposititious was written soon after the First Synod of Antioch when Paulus Samosatenus promised to renounce his Opinion and in all appearance seem'd to have chang'd it effectually But it 's probable enough that this Letter which is cited by none of the Ancients and which was unknown to the World before Turrianus's time was never written by Dionysius of Alexandria For in the first place The Fathers of the Second Council of Antioch tell us plainly That Dionysius of Alexandria would by no means salute Paulus Samosatenus What reason is there therefore to imagine that he wrote to him twice as this Letter supposes Secondly The Style of this Letter is extremely different from that of the other Letters writ by Dionysius In the Third place the Author of this Letter approves of the Word Consubstantial and expresly tells us That the Fathers called the Son of God by that Name Now it is certain that both Dyonysius of Alexandria and the Synod of Antioch disallowed that term and in the time of St. Dionysius a Man could not say that the Fathers commonly made use of it And if St. Dionysius of Alexandria had ever used it is it to be believed that St. Athanasius would have forgotten or omitted so memorable a Passage when he was writing in his Defence It is not to be imagined that we have given a Catalogue of all the Works of Dionysius of Alexandria for he composed so great a number that notwithstanding all the Diligence that Eusebius used in drawing a perfect Catalogue he is forced to say at last and several other Letters Now the Letters of this Father were Treatises and his Treatises were written in the way of Letters for after this manner he wrote some Books concerning Nature to a young Gentleman named Timotheus a Book of Temptations to Euphranor and several Letters to Basilides in one of which he tells him that he had composed a Commentary upon the beginning of Ecclesiastes We have only now one of his Letters to Basilides Printed in the first Tome of the Councils where he treats of some matters relating to Discipline Theognostus 'T is
them away from Vice and his Remonstrances concerning the corrupt Manners of the Christians and the Irregularities of his own time carry a very near resemblance to those of our Age. JULIUS FIRMICUS MATERNUS THIS Author of whom none of the Ancients have made mention has written a Treatise Intituled Julius Firmicus Maternus Of the Errours of Prophane Religions which he has addressed to the Emperours Constantius and Constans the Sonâ— of Constantine The Stile and Matter of this Book abundantly convince us that it is no Spurious Piece and the Title it carries gives us an occasion to Conjecture that it was writ after the Death of Constantine the Eldest Son of Constantine the Great which happened in the Year 340 and before that of Constans who was Slain by Magnentius in the Year 350 for it being addressed to Constantius and Constans there is reason to believe that Constantine their Eldest Brother was already dead and 't is very evident that Constans was then alive We don't know what the Author was of what Country or of what Profession a Baronius believes that he was Bishop of Milan Baronius imagines that he was Bishop of Milan in the time of Julius and that he assisted at a Council held at Rome under that Pope There is indeed mention made of one Maternus a Bishop of Milan who suffered in Dioclesian's time in the Martyrologies of the 18th of July But he that was the Author of this Treatise never took upon him the Quality of a Bishop and we don't find it related in any Authors of Credit and Reputation in the World that there ever was a Bishop of Milan of that Name On the contrary it appears by St. Athanasius That in the time of Julius there was no Bishop of that Name at Milan And the Roman Council of which Baronius is to be understood is a Chimerical Council invented by Isidorus Baronius believes that he was Bishop of Milan but without any solid Foundation There are Eight Books of Astronomy that bear the same Name Now some Persons are of Opinion that they were composed by another Author b Labbè maintains that they belong to the same Man Possevinus and Simlerus distinguish them and call the last the Younger of the two Labbè pretends that he lived in the Years 334 and 337 and according to this Computation he might perhaps be the Author of the Treatise De errore Profanâ— Religionis Labbé maintains that they belong to the same Man but we cannot positively assert either one or the other This Treatise De Errore Prophanae Religionis was Printed at Venice in the Year 1499. At Basil by Hervagius in 1533. At Strasbourgh in 1562. And afterwards with Wouverus's Notes by Frobenius in 1603. Afterwards it was joined with Minutius Felix and Printed at Amsterdam in 1645. And in 1652. At Leyden in 1562 in Quarto 'T is likewise to be found in the Bibliotheca Patrum And lastly it was put at the end of the last Edition of St. Cyprian which was Printed at Paris 1666. The Author of it discovers the Original of all the several Religions amongst the Pagans and shows the absurdity of them In the first place he shows how prodigiously Men have debased themselves in making Gods of the Four Elements Secondly he lays open the Extract and Rise of the fabulous Deities giving an Historical Account of those things which the Poets have so disguised in Fiction In the Third place he demonstrates the Absurdity and Impiety of the Pagan Theology where several Persons have had the good luck to drop into an Almightyship only for being more exquisiâ—ely villainous than the rest of their Fellow-Creatures In the fourth place he takes occasion to refresh their Memories with several particulars relating to their Gods as how they have been slain wounded and ill-used by Men. Fifthly he pretends that the Religion of the Aegyptians derived its Original from Joseph and that their God Serapis is the same with the above-mentioned Patriarch who is so called because he was the Son of Sarah This Reason in my Opinion appears to be weak and ill-grounded Sixthly he observes that Men have Deified abundance of things which they either love or have frequent occasion for and thus they call Eating and Drinking their Dii Penâ—tes or their Houshold Gods Thus Vesta is the Domestick Fire we daily use and the same Judgment may be passed of several others and for this Reason it has happened that the Names of their Gods denote the Proprieties of Natural Things In a word he Describes and Enumerates the Prophane Signs or Mysterious Words that are used by the Pagans in their Way of Worship and he applies them to Jesus Christ with a great deal of Wit To say the truth This Treatise is exceeding Elegant and is abundantly stored with a great deal of Profound Learning the Author of it shows a considerable Stock of Knowledge Wit and Eloquence he frequently Exhorts the Emperours to destroy the Pagan Temples to suppress their Religion and to make use of strong and violent Remedies to cure Men of their Maladies and retrieve them from their Extravagancies and Errours At the same time he Exhorts all Men to feed and nourish themselves with the Bread of Jesus Christ which is his Word and his Doctrine for he does not speak of the Eucharist in this place as some Persons have vainly imagined to embrace the Light and come to the Marriage of the Celestial Bridegroom He tells us there that God made himself Man to save us and restore us to that Immortality which we lost and forfeited by the Fall of Adam that if he had not assumed a Body in the Womb of the Virgin and suffered an Ignominious Death for the sake of Mankind all the Jews even those of the Old Testament had never been in a Capacity of obtaining Salvation He teaches us that the Soul is Immortal and Spiritual and that the Daemons were frequently disturbed and ejected out of the Bodies of those Persons whom they had possessed by the powerful Prayers and Intercessions of the Christians He acquaints us with several Figures or Types of the Cross drawn out of the Old Testament Lastly to speak a Word or Two concerning his Morals he severely declaims and inveighs against those that disguise themselves in Female Habits These are the Principal and most considerable Heads that are discoursed of in this Treatise As for his Astronomical and Mathematical Books they are divided into Eight Parts That Work was first Printed by Aldus Manutius at Venice in the Year 1499. Reveiwed by one who calls himself Pascennius and afterwards Printed in the same place in 1501. Lastly It was Published at Basil by Hervagius and Corrected by Bucherius in the Year 1551. Of the COUNCILS that were Held in the First Ages of the Church THE Canons and Acts of the Councils ought to be reckoned amongst the Works of the Councils Ecclesiastical Authors since they are the Works of several Persons
is the most considerable of all his Books which is a Collection of all the Memorable Things which happen'd in the Church from the Birth of Jesus Christ to his own time He has exactly noted the Succession of Bishops to the Sees of all the Great Cities in the World he has given an Account of Ecclesiastical Writers and their Books together with the History of Heresies and some Remarks concerning the Jews He has described the Persecutions of the Martyrs the Controversies and Disputes touching Ecclesiastical Discipline and in a Word all things which concern the Affairs of the Church He Writes nothing of History as from himself but almost every where in his Works he cites the ancient Authors or their Monuments from whence he had his Relations and inserts long Extracts taken out of them as Men usually do when they write Annals or Memoirs This manner of writing History is less agreeable indeed but much more profitable than any other and gains Credit and Weight to that which is related For when a Writer reports the Transactions of Ancient Times without citing the Authors from whence he had them he cannot so easily gain Credit with his Readers as when he cites his Vouchers and produces their Testimonies for the Truth of what he says since those Relations must certainly be agreeable to Truth which are founded on the Authority of unquestionable Witnesses But besides this general Reason there is also a particular one why this way of writing History which is followed by Eusebius is of wonderful Advantage unto us which is this That for the most part those Authors and their Works which were more ancient than Eusebius have been loft since his Death by the injury of time and therefore we are mightily oblig'd to him who hath preserved in his History not only the Memory of those Authors but some considerable Fragments of their Works In short without the History of Eusebius we should scarce have any Knowledge not only of the History of those first Ages of the Church but even of the Authors that wrote at that time and their Works since no other Writer but he has given an Account of those things For it is observable that the Historians who followed after him as Socrates Sozomen and Theodoret begun tâ—… History where he ended his either because they thought that he had Collected in his all that was Remarkable of those first Ages or because they had no other way of coming to the Knowledge of them but by him Nicephorus Callistus who pretended to write a New History in the Fourteenth Century has mixt in it a great many fabulous and uncertain Tales because they were not taken out of Eusebius nor confirm'd by the Authority of any Ancient Author Nevertheless it must be confess'd That even the History of Eusebius is not altogether so perfect as were to be wish'd for it is not written smoothly neither is it always exact l Neither is it always Exact Many Faults are observed in it contrary to the Truth of History and contrary to Chronology In his First Book he saith That the Taxing which Josephus speaks of in his Eighteenth Book of the History of the Jews is the same that St. Luke writes of In the same Book Ch. 9. he says That Lysanias Tetrarch of Abylene was Brother to Philip and Herod the younger which is not true In Ch. 7. he says That Herod Junior was banished to Vienna contrary to the Testimony of Josephus who assures us Book XVIII Ch. 9. That he was sent to Lyons He thinks that Jesus Christ spent Four Years in his preaching He is mistaken in the Epocha of the Voyage of St. Paul to Jerusalem In Book XI Ch. 13. he distinguishes Cephas who was rebuked at Antioch by St. Paul from the Apostle St. Peter tho' he was certainly the same I shall not now mention his other Faults which he committed by taking things upon hear-say nor the Apochryphal Books which he cites very often He mistakes the Jews of Alexandria mentioned by Philo called Therapeutae for Christians B. II. Ch. 10. he confounds Novatus and Novatianus B. VI. Ch. 45. he makes mistakes in the years of the Pontificates of Sixtus and Eutychianus Our Author does often enlarge too much upon those things that ought to be slightly pass'd over and on the contrary sometimes he expresses such things very succinctly which deserve a much larger Account But notwithstanding these Faults it is a most Excellent History and highly to be priz'd There is at the End of the Eighth Book a small Tract of the Martyrs of Palaestine in which he describes the Martyrdom of those that suffered in this Province for the Faith of Jesus Christ. Some have confounded this with the Eighth Book but against Reason for it is a distinct Tract and as it were a Supplement to it Ruffinus is the first who Translated this History of Eusebius but he according to his usual manner took a great liberty in doing it He has past over the whole Tenth Book and has added to it two more which contain the following History down to the Death of Theodosins His Translation is clean neat and elegant enough it gives the Sence and Thought of the Author in a very agreeable Stile and sometimes more faithfully than those Interpreters who have Translated him since This Version has been the great Magazine to all the Latin Authors who have drawn from thence whatever they either wrote or understood of the Ecclesiastical History of the First Ages Musculus the Protestant undertook a new Translation of the History of Eusebius which he perform'd happily enough He ties himself up very much to the Letter and has Translated the Text with much politeness and brevity But he does not always understand his Author aright and so he has committed many Faults in his Version The Translation of Christophorson is more Elegant and his Stile more Ciceronian but it is too Copious for an Historian whose Stile should be concise and close He hath Corrected many Faults of Musculus and yet his own Version is not altogether free The Learned Henricus Valesius having observ'd the Faults of all former Versions undertook to make a new one more perfect He publish'd it with the Greek Text Revis'd by Four Manuscripts and added to it most learned Notes His Version deserves Universal Applause and the singular esteem of all Learned Men for it has two qualities that rarely meet together being both Elegant and Literal And yet the Criticks have observ'd some Faults in it But it is impossible to satisfie all Men and very difficult to avoid all Mistakes in a Work of so great a length It was very fit that the History of Eusebius should be Translated that those who neither understand Greek nor Latin might not be depriv'd of the History of the Church in its Original Purity The President Cousin has done the Publick this Service who has Translated this History into French with as great Purity as Faithfulness and
the Lord to give him Grace to preserve him from Shipwracks amidst the Storms of this Life He requests of him That his Heart and his Mouth may be a pure Temple and without Stain by the Heavenly Grace and that it may máke his Tongue and Lips to move continually in Singing forth the Praises of God This Discourse is one of the Noblest and most Beautiful of them all The Four following Discourses are concerning Compunction or the Remorse we ought to have for offending God In the 1st he says That the Grace of God is always ready to enter into our Hearts whenever they are dispos'd to receive it or when our evil Thoughts do not put a Bar to it That in the mean-time it touches our Soul by the Sweetness of its Light and makes it return to it self and seek after the Light That the Grace of God does never wholly forsake us and that without Grace we cannot Repent In the 2d he shows That we ought not to Despair and that every one may obtain Pardon of his Sin provided his Heart be pierced with a sincere Sorrow for his Offence against God and that he change his course of Life In the 3d. he shows That we ought to bewail this Life and to rejoyce at Death The 4th is also of the Sorrow we ought to have and the Tears we ought to shed in this Life The 44th and 45th Discourses are about Penance The 46th is about Repentance and Conversion The 47th is of Penance and Patience The 48th is of Patience under the Crosses and Adversities of this Life The 49th is of Constancy and Compunction In the 50th he exhorts to Perseverance and Watchfulness from the dread of the Last Judgment and the Pains of Hell He says That we must always pray even while we labour with our Hands we must continually resist Temptation read the Holy Scripture with Attention and Preparation and live in Silence and Tranquility He enlarges particularly on the Praises of this last Exercise After these Discourses follow several Sentences call'd the Beatitudes of St. Ephrem in which he recommends above all things Christian Vigilance to his Brethren After these Beatitudes follow Questions and Answers upon several Subjects as about the Renunciation promis'd in Baptism about the Last Judgment about the Different Punishments of the Damned This is follow'd with a Treatise of remembring Death wherein he lays open the Vanity of Riches The Second discourse of Death is attributed to St. Basil and is of a different Stile from St. Ephrem's Discourses The following Treatises are of the Resurrection of the Last Judgment and the things which shall happen when Anti-Christ shall come and of the Apparition of the Cross at the time of Christ's second Coming This Relation is ended with Lamentations and Prayers which are attributed to St. Ephrem The Second Tome contains the Life of St. Ephrem written by Simeon Metaphrastes choice Sentences drawn from the Books of St. Ephrem a Discourse of St. Ephrem about his Conversion a Spiritual Song concerning the praise of Learning and Wisdom an Epistle to a Monk about Patience four Exhortations to a young Monk concerning a Monastick Life six Chapters of Vertues necessary to a Monk twelve Chapters upon these words Take heed to yoúr selves fifty Exhortations to the young Monks wherein he exhorts them to Humility Obedience Watchfulness to Labour Devotion Meekness Patience to Charity Reading Prayer Temperance and the Practice of the other Monastical Vertues The 49th is of the Excellencies of a Monastick Life above the Secular Then follow 100 Maxims Apophthegms or Examples of the means for acquiring and preserving Humility and the other Monastick Vertues a Discourse against Covetous Monks another of the Perfection of a Monk a Treatise of Spiritual Arms of the Spiritual Combate an Instructive Exhortation about an Ascetick Life another Exhortation to Repentance from the second Coming of Jesus Christ nineteen Advertisements of the Abbot Ammon and the Apophthegms of the ancient Fathers wherein he speaks of St. Benedict The Third Tome is divided into three Parts The I. contains a Treatise compos'd in imitation of the Book of Proverbs which is a Collection of Sentences and Maxims for a Spiritual and Monastick Life a Treatise of a Religious Life a Treatise of Repentance or Pennance a Discourse of the Compunction of the Heart Another Discourse wherein St. Ephrem accuses himself of his Faults and asks Forgiveness A Discourse of the Resurrection of Judgment and the Pains of the Impious with an humble Prayer to God The II. Part contains Panegyricks upon Just and Holy Men whom he proposes as Examples and Paterns of Vertue The 1st is upon Noah where he speaks of Continence The 2d is upon Abraham and Isaac where he exhorts to Obedience The 3d. upon Lot and against false Confidence The 4th in Praise of the Patriarch Joseph The 5th upon Daniel against those that say The times are Evil we cannot save our selves The 6th upon Jonah and the Repentance of the Ninevites The 7th upon Elijah and the Widow of Sarepta The 9th upon the Precious Stone that 's mention'd in the Gospel The 10th against those that search into the Greatness of the Divine Nature The 11th a Discourse upon our Saviour's Transfiguration The 12th of the Passion of Jesus Christ The 13th the Lamentation of the Virgin upon the Passion of her Son The 14th upon the Cross of Jesus Christ where he speaks of the manner of celebrating Festivals among Christians of the Vertues of the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Usefulness of the sign of the Cross The 15th is of the Praises of the Virgin after which follows a Prayer to the Virgin The 16th on the Woman that was a Sinner The 17th is a Discourse of St. Chrysostom about the same Woman and a Pharisee The 18th is a Panegyrick upon St. Basil which is publish'd in Greek by Cotelerius in the last Volume of his Monumenta Ecclesiae Graecae The 19th is in Praise of the Forty Martyrs The 20th is upon all the Martyrs in the World who have suffer'd for Jesus Christ The 21st is upon the same Subject The 22d is upon Abramius The 23d is upon Julianus the Hermit The 24th is upon the Holy Fathers that died in his own time The 25th is upon the same Subject Two Hymns upon the same Subject A Discourse of the Happiness of those that died in Christ and of the Vanity of this World of the Uncertainty of Life and the different kinds of Death The Last Monument of St. Ephrem is his Testament cited by St. Gregory Nyssen which is properly an Exhortation of this Father upon his Death-Bed address'd to his Monks He desires them to remember him in their Prayers He forbids them to keep his Garments as Relicks He desires that they would Bury him after a plain manner and without any Pomp He conjures them to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass for him and enlarges also upon the Usefulness of Prayers for the Dead
their Sex of which St. Ambrose makes them asham'd in Chap. 18. The Treatise of Naboth and the Poor for so it ought to be call'd according to the ancient Manuscripts and according to the Custom of St. Ambrose is a Discourse full of Zeal against the Rich and Powerful who oppress the Poor preach'd by St. Ambrose upon the History of the Oppression of Naboth by King Ahab This Saint there shews that there are Ahabs and Naboths at all times The History of Naboth says he at the beginning of his Discourse is ancient if we consider the time wherein it was Transacted but in Practice it happens daily tempore vetus est usu quotidiana For who is the Rich man that does not desire other Mens Goods Is it not daily seen that the Rich would take from the Poor the little Estate that they have and drive them away from the Inheritance of their Ancestors Where is there one found that is content with what he has There has not been one Ahab only in the World he is born in it every day there has not been one Naboth only kill'd there are some such every day oppress'd Every day the Poor are over-whelm'd driven away persecuted and reduc'd to die by Famine by the Injustice of the Rich. He declaims afterwards against this Barbarity and shews the Rich by the Example of Ahab that they are more unhappy with all their Riches than the most Miserable and the most Poor in their Wants He cries out against those sumptuous Feasts and needless Expences which they make by which they waste the Blood and Substance of the Poor Here he relates a frightful Story of a Rich Man who to procure good Wine to his Table forc'd a Poor Man to sell his Son and then he brings the Parable of the Rich Man mention'd in the Gospel of St. Luke Ch. 12. who purposed to pull down his Barns that he might build larger and shews from hence how far the Slavery Blindness and Misery of Rich Men extends Afterwards he returns to his History of Ahab and having represented the horribleness of the Action of Ahab and Jezabel he exhorts Rich Men not to imitate it by teaching them the use they ought to make of their Riches which is described in Psalm 75. He concludes with this Remark that God pardon'd Ahab for this Crime but this miserable Man brought upon himself Destruction by new Crimes 'T is thought that this Treatise was compos'd about the Year 395. The Book of Tobit is chiefly written against Usury which St. Ambrose condemns most severely There he describes the Miseries to which Usurers reduce the Poor and the Artifices they use to ensnare young Heirs Usury according to him is all that is receiv'd above the principal It is condemn'd by the Divine Law in the Old and New Testament If it was permitted to the Israelites with respect to Strangers it was only with reference to them whom they might lawfully kill He refutes those by name who restrain the Prohibition of Usury only to the Poor and rejects the Reasons of Interest which may be alledg'd to excuse it Erasmus doubted whether this Book were St. Ambrose's or no but it was a doubt very ill grounded for St. Austin cites it It has St. Ambrose's Stile it contains his Doctrine which is also to be found in short in his 23d Letter to Vigilius and it contains many Passages translated out of St. Basil according to the Custom of St. Ambrose This Book was written about the Year 386. The Four Books of the Intercession of Job and David that is of the Complaints which Job and David made for the Miseries and Weakness of Mankind are in this Edition replac'd here in their natural Order In the two First Books he enlarges upon the Complaints contain'd in the First Chapters of the Book of Job and in the Psalms particularly in the 72d and 42d In the Two last he answers the Complaints of those who tax Providence because the Wicked are happy in this Life and the Just miserable He proves that the Happiness of the Wicked is not true happiness and that the Calamities Miseries and Misfortunes of the Good do not at all render them unhappy In the Book entituled the Apology of David he saves the Honour of this Holy King not by justifying his Crimes of Adultery and Murder which are used to render him odious but by shewing that he rose again from his Fall by a quick and sincere Repentance that it was for our Instruction that God permitted him to fall into Sin and that he made amends for his Fault by a great number of good Actions And therefore he explains the 5th Psalm that it may serve as an Apology for this Holy King These Sermons were preach'd soon after the Death of Gratian in the Year 385. The Benedictines have plac'd here among these Works of St. Ambrose which are Genuine the Second Apology for David but it is confess'd in the Preface that it has been question'd and that there is reason for doing so Indeed it is observ'd that in all the Manuscripts that have been seen this Book goes under the name of St. Ambrose and the Conjectures which some Criticks have alledg'd to show its imposture are rejected But then they find the Stile is different from St. Ambrose's and the Author uses a different Version of Scripture and sometimes the Vulgar Latin and he speaks of Two Sorts of Wills and Operations in Jesus Christ in such a manner as favours very much of the Times of the Monothelites They add that this Author only Copies and Enlarges upon what St. Ambrose had said before The Second Apology contains a great part of what is in the First And what probability is there that St. Ambrose should twice repeat the same thing The Subject of both is the same The Author undertakes to show that no Man ought to be offended with any thing that is related in Scripture and that David fell into the Crimes of Murder and Adultery His Defence is divided into Three Parts In the First he shows that the Fall of David must be attributed to the Infirmity of Humane Nature and that his Amendment was the effect of his Vertue In the Second he says that David fell to instruct the Jews that they should continue no longer in their blindness In the last Christians are instructed in the Mysteries which is typify'd by David's Fall The Author enlarges upon common Places and employs part of his Discourse in Refutation of the Hereticks and chiefly of the Arians and Manichees This Treatise is composed of popular Harangues The Expositions of some particular Psalms are not a formal Commentary upon them but a Collection of Homilies upon the Psalms preach'd or compos'd upon several Occasions However it appears by the Preface to the Commentary upon the First Psalm that St. Ambrose had a Design to Expound all the Psalms The Homily upon the First Psalm was preach'd about the Year 390 after the Institution
of them From Bolonia he went to Florence whither he carried the Reliques of these Saints which he plac'd in a Church built by a holy Widow call'd Juliana which he was entreated to Dedicate 'T was at the Dedication of this Church that he made the Discourse entituled An Exhortation to Virginity Juliana having lost her Husband was not only consecrated to God her self but by her Example and Instructions she so order'd the matter that she gave all her Children to God also Her Son Laurentius was made Reader and her Three Daughters profess'd Virginity St. Ambrose upon this occasion relates the Exhortation of this holy Widow to her Children She told her Son that his Father and she had given him that Name which he had because they had obtain'd a Son by the Intercession of St. Laurence That they had design'd him from that time for the Clergy and that in this he ought to comply with their Desires and fulfil their Vows Afterwards addressing her Speech to her Daughters she describes the Troubles of Marriage the excellency of Virginity and exhorts them to consecrate themselves to God She concludes with pressing her Son and her Daughters to accomplish the Vows which she and their Father had made in their behalf St. Ambrose pursues this Exhortation by adding Instructions to teach the Virgins after what manner they should live and Examples to serve them for a Pattern The example of St. Sothera the Kins-woman of St. Ambrose is not here forgotten Afterwards he promises to Juliana the Reward of her Piety Lastly he prays the Lord to accept graciously of that Church which he was consecrating and to receive favourably the Prayers and Sacrifices of the Body of Jesus Christ which should be offer'd there and particularly the Oblation of all the Family of Juliana This Treatise was written when St. Ambrose retir'd upon the Account of the coming of Eugenius the Tyrant in the Year 393 towards Easter The Treatise of the fall of a Virgin consecrated to God is here found under the name of St. Ambrose It is also among St. Jerom's Works but certainly it is not his for it is notorious that the Author of this Treatise was a Bishop but St. Jerom was only a Priest Gennadius assures us also that Niceas Bishop of Aquileia wrote a Discourse address'd to a Virgin who had faln into Sin very proper to persuade all those who should fall into the like Faults to return from their Evil ways This gave occasion to the Conjecture of many that this Bishop was the Author of this Treatise But the Title alone is not a sufficient proof since St. Basil wrote a Book upon the same Subject which has the same Title The Benedictines observe that all the Manuscripts which they have seen attribute this Work to St. Ambrose except one only wherein it is attributed to St. Chrysostom They maintain also That there is nothing in this Book which may not very well be St. Ambrose's But they confess that it has not the Stile of this Saint and indeed there is neither that sharpness of Wit nor the lively and spiritual Thoughts which are in his Works This is more languid and less sublime Whosoever be the Author of it he is Ancient for one may find there Traces of the ancient Discipline one sees that Publick Penance was administred but once Nay even this Author obliges this faln Virgin to do Penance all her life and he seems also to take from her the hopes of receiving Absolution in this Life It appears that there were yet Idolaters in his time and that the Adult were baptiz'd on Easter-day He admits a middle State between the Damn'd and the Happy he describes the Ceremonies of the Profession of Virgins almost as St. Ambrose does He says that she to whom he writes who was a young Woman of Quality call'd Susanna having resolv'd against the Will of her Kindred to embrace Virginity profess'd it on Easter-day at Night in the great Church where she was accompanied by those that were newly baptiz'd holding lighted Torches in their hands That there she pronounc'd her Vows publickly before the People and then receiv'd the Veil and entred into a Monastery that presently after Reports were spread about which wounded her Reputation and they were found to be false and the Authors of them could not be discover'd but that Three Years after she committed the Crime whereof she had been falsly suspected before suffering a young Man to lie with her many times by whom she was gotten with Child She was accus'd also of having destroy'd her Child which Murder she endeavour'd by all means possible to conceal and would never confess but being convicted of it before the Bishop she was put under publick Penance The Author of this Treatise represents to her the monstrous heinousness of her Crime and the Scandal she had given he exhorts her to do Penance all the rest of her Life he Orders her to repeat every day the 51st Psalm and to pass her Life in Sorrow and Grief that at least she might avoid the punishment of Hell-fire He excites her also to the Acts of Penance and Compunction which he deduces from many places of Scripture There is also a Chapter against him who had abus'd this Virgin whom he exhorts to do Penance The Author of this Treatise is accus'd of being a Novatian because he tells this Virgin that she ought not to expect Absolution of her Sin in this Life and that those who promis'd her pardon of her Sin in this Life deceiv'd her 'T is true that this Rigour was practis'd in some Churches in the First Ages of the Church But he who speaks thus in the Fourth Century appears to be much inclin'd to the Novatians St. Ambrose was the Man of all the Fathers who did most vigorously oppose this Maxim in his Books of Penance and therefore 't is no wise probable that he should affirm the same in this Treatise without giving any Explication of his Words But here it may be said that this Author exhorts this young Woman to do publick Penance Why should he exhort her to do Penance if she was uncapable of Absolution This is what St. Ambrose and the other Fathers justly object against the Novatians That they put Sinners under Penance and exhort and force them to do it but yet afterwards they deprive them of the fruit of Penance by refusing them Absolution The Language of the Author of this Exhortation is perfectly like that of the Novatians He exhorts this young Woman to do Penance but he gives her no hopes of obtaining Remission in this Life On the contrary he tells her expresly that this shall not be and that those who promise it to her do but deceive her but that she ought always to do Penance to shun Eternal Torments He even dares not promise her Glory but only the Privation of Torments These are Doctrines contrary to those which St. Ambrose establish'd in his Book of Penance or
mind their own Salvation But why doth it happen That such as lived well before they were tempted by Afflictions should fall into sin when Temptation cometh S. Chrysostom answereth First That many seem to be Righteous before Men who are great Criminals before God that searcheth the Hearts Secondly That God permits the most righteous to fall into sin to humble them to keep them from Pride and from an Opinion of their own Merit and to put them in mind that if they have any thing that is good it is not of themselves but of the Grace of Jesus Christ. The Book of Virginity is written with much Prudence and Wisdom For whereas most of the Authors that have written of Virginity could not forbear whilst they commended this Vertue to condemn marriage or at least to speak slightingly of it On the contrary S. Chrysostom answereth at first those Hereticks that condemned Matrimony and proveth that their Virginity will not only be unprofitable but also pernicious adding withall that as many as condemn Marriage are Despisers of Virginity It being a greater advantage to be what it is a good thing a nobler and more excellent than another good thing than simply a Vertue in opposition to Vice I commend Matrimony saith he it is the Haven of Continency for those that will use it well but there are excellent persons who have no need of that help and are able to quench the Fire of Lust by praying watching and lying upon the Ground These I exhort to Virginity but forbid them not to marry If they follow not my Advice I condemn them not I excommunicate those that commit Adultery and Fornication but commend those who make an holy use of Matrimony Marriage is good that 's my Opinion but Virginity is better This I own and if you will have my Sence It is as much above Matrimony as Heaven is above the Earth and makes Men like to Angels Afterwards he makes an Objection to himself against Virginity which seems natural enough If it be better to live unmarried why did God institute Marriage why did he make Women and should all Men embrace Virginity how should Mankind be propagated To answer these Questions S. Chrysostom goeth back as far as the creation of the first Man and takes notice That while he was in the earthly Paradise with Eve he was taken up with a Conversation with God that he was then freed from Lust and the desires of the Flesh and lived in a perfect Virginity and the whole World was at that time a vast Solitude But Man having disobey'd God's Commands and becoming mortal and corruptible with that happy Life which he enjoyed he lost also the glory of Virginity so that Sin being the cause of Death became at the same time the cause of Marriage It is probable that tho' there had been no Marriage yet the World might have been peopled and that God had created other Men as he had done the first adding That it is not the frequent use of Marriage that multiplieth Mankind but God's Blessing and he believes that Marriage is more necessary to the World at present for a remedy against Incontinency than for the preservation of Mankind he grants That it is necessary for the weak but that Virginity is far more honourable and profitable too He pretendeth That whatsoever S. Paul said of Marriage ought to induce Men to embrace Virginity and at last he describes the troubles and inconveniencies of a married life and opposes to them the quiet liberty sweetness pleasure and other advantages of a single one and then concludes with this noble Sentence Here below we are seriously to work out our Salvation let him that has a Wife live as if he had none and he that hath not should endeavour with Virginity to get all other Vertues that so in the next World he may not lament the disorders that he committed whilst he was in this This Treatise of Virginity is quoted in the 19th Homily upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians preached at Antioch It was by consequence composed in that Town S. Chrysostom being a Deacon or newly ordain'd Priest The two Treatises against the cohabitation of Clerks and Women were composed if Palladius may be believed at Constantinople against the abuse of those Churchmen who lodged devout Women with them or themselves lodged in the Women's Houses Against these Disorders S. Chrysostom wrote two Books whereof the first reproveth the Virgins that dwelt with Churchmen and the second admonisheth Churchmen who admitted Women into their Lodgings and shews That such mixt-habitation is an occasion of scandal and cannot be wholly free from sin In the Discourse to a young Widow he both comforts and exhorts her To continue in her Widowhood He made another little Book on purpose to shew That she ought not to marry again where he proves That tho' second marriages be not absolutely forbidden yet it is much better to continue in Widowhood The small Treatise upon this Paradox That no Man is offended but by himself was written by S. Chrysostom in his Exile It is upon a Subject very proper to administer Comfort to a Man in Persecution for he proveth there by several Examples out of Holy Scripture That Persecutions and Vexations are so far from doing any harm to those that are tormented wrongfully that they make them more happy and glorious and that nothing but Sin can make Men truly miserable In the first Exhortation to Theodorus who is thought to be the Person who afterwards was made Bishop of Mopsuesta he adviseth him to do Penance for quitting a retired life to return into the World shewing him That how great soever his fault might be yet he might hope for Pardon from God's Mercy because he always granteth it to those that truly and earnestly repent which Penance is not to be judged of according to the length of Time but by the disposition of the Heart and which consists in a change of life Afterwards he represents Heaven Hell and Judgment whereof he maketh an excellent Description to oblige him to do Penance and then he comforts him by the hope that his Repentance will recover not only his former Innocence but also an higher degree of Holiness and Perfection Among the Examples which he mentions to confirm this Truth he citeth the History of that famous Thief who was converted by S. John which Eusebius takes cut of Clemens Alexandrinus The second Discourse to Theodorus containeth some milder Motives to oblige him to forsake a Secular life where he represents the Labours and Cares of the World to make him out of love with it This last Exhortation ought to be placed first These Treatises were written at Antioch All S. Chrysostom's Letters were written during his Banishment The first is a Circular Letter to Innocent Bishop of Rome Venerius Bishop of Milan and Chromatius Bishop of Aquileia in which having described the attempts of Theophilus the Injuries which he receiv'd from him the
Hieronymus Vincentius propter verecundiam humilitatem nollent debita nomini suo exercere Sacrificia laborare in hac parte Ministerii qua Christianorum praecipua salus est This Ordination was about the Year 375. before the Peace was concluded betwixt Meletius and Paulinus in 378. S. Jerom might be about 35 Years old at that time As he would not enter into Orders but upon condition not to be compelled to Exercise the Functions of his Ministery so he did not think himself obliged to have his Name registred nor to reside in the Church of Antioch he left it therefore to go to Bethlehem which he chose for his constant Habitation Yet he did not stay there long but went to Constantinople where he conversed with S. Gregory Nazianzen whom he calls his Master and of whom he professes to have learned to expound the Holy Scripture Having tarried some time with this Saint he had a Call to Rome about the Affairs of the Church with Paulinus and S. Epiphanius l He was called to Rome with Paulinus and S. Epiphanius He says so himself in his 16th and 27th Epistles He came thither in 382 and went away three years after as he observes in the Letter to Asella he speaks in the 11th Letter and in his Apology to Pammachius of the Letters and Answers which he writ in Damasus's Name whose interest he had Espoused against those of the East this Journey was in all probability undertaken after the Death of Meletius in the Year 382. Damasus taking notice of S. Jerom's merit kept him with him that he might have a Man that was able to answer all Questions proposed from all parts S. Jerom did not only discharge the parts of that difficult Employment most worthily but composed several Books besides He was likewise charged with the conduct of the most considerable Ladies of the Town m He was charged likewise with the conduct of the most considerable Ladies of the Town These Ladies are become famous by S. Jerom's writtings their Names are Marcella who being left a young Widow and having been but seven Months with an Husband refused to Marry a Man of the first quality called Cerealis to continue in Widow-hood Her Mother Albina who came also to hear S. Jerom. Melania is not less famous by the Praises of S. Jerom than by those of Rufinus Asella Marcellina and Felicitas are also of the number of those whom he commended but his greatest Affection appeared to be for Paula and her Daughters Blesilla Eustochium Paulina Ruffina and Toxotium This is what he saith himself in his Letter to Asella of the Esteem which he had gotten among the Women I have saith he dwelt three years at Rome I was often encompassed with great numbers of Virgins and Women I often expounded the Holy Scripture to them This reading made them constant and their Assiduity begot a kind of Familiarity upon which an ill Opinion was conceived of me and yet he was not able to prevent wholly evil speaking The Clergy of that City whose manners he reproved found fault with his Carriage accused him of too much Familiarity with Paula and they suborned a Footman to tax him with disorder but the Fellow being imprisoned and put to the Rack disowned all that he had said before by which means he got many Friends and much credit But as he severely reproved the Mis-demeanours of the Clergy and the Vices of the people so he got many Enemies who endeavoured to render his Behaviour suspected After Damasus his Death S. Jerom who this whole three Years that he was at Rome longed for his Solitude took Shipping in August 385. to go back to Bethlehem with a great many Persons that accompanied him He passed thro Cyprus where he saw S. Epiphanius from thence he went to Antioch where Paulinus received him courteously and from Antioch he went to Jerusalem and then into Egypt where he stay'd some time with Didymus Afterwards he visited the Monasteries of Nitria and finding the Monks there adhering to Origen's Opinions he returned to Bethlehem whither the Ladies Paula Eustochium and Melania came soon after He continued some time in that place in a little Cell But the number of those that embraced that kind of Life being increased Paula built there a Church and four Monasteries one for Men and three for Women S. Jerom then enjoying perfectly that Quietness which he so much desired continued his Labours and there composed the greatest part of his Works upon the Scripture His rest was somewhat disturbed by the Quarels which he had with Rufinus and with John of Jerusalem upon the Account of Origenism yet he went on with writing and defended himself with a great deal of Vigour He died very old in the Year of Christ 420. This Saint wrote great numbers of Books full of profound Learning and written with great Purity and Eloquence In our Accounts and Abridgments we shall follow Marianus Victorius's Order that he uses in the Edition which he published of S. Jerom's works The First Volume contains the Letters which S. Jerom writ either to exhort his Friends to Vertue or to instruct them or to commend them in Panegyricks or funeral Orations The First directed to Heliodorus was written by S. Jerom from his Solitude some time after this Friend left him to return into his own Countrey He exhorts him to come back again by representing the great Advantages of a retired Life with great force and Fineness and by answering all the Reasons that might keep him from embracing it with abundance of Art This Treatise is a Master-piece of Eloquence in its kind nothing can be more florid more agreeable or more moving This Letter saith he whereof you will find some lines blotted with my tears will put you in mind of the tears I shed and of the Groans I uttered at your going from me You then endeavoured by your Caresses to sweeten the contempt that you cast upon my Intreaties .... I was not able to stop you at that time and now I seek after you now you are absent .... No I will use no more Intreaties I will employ no more Caresses Love that feels its self offended ought to turn into Anger You who regarded not my Supplications will perhaps hearken to my Reproaches Nice Soldier what are you doing in your Father's house .... Remember that day wherein by Baptism you listed your self a Soldier of Christ then you took an Oath of Fidelity to him that you would spare neither Father nor Mother for his Service .... Tho' your little Nephew should hang about your Neck tho' your Mother should tear her hair and rend her clothes to show you the Bosom that carried you to oblige you to stay and tho' your Father should lie down upon the Threshold of the Door to stop you step over your Father and follow the Standard of the Cross with dry Eyes It is great mercy to be cruel on such occasions I know
follow It begins with this Sentence None is more happy than a Christian seeing he hath a Promise of the Kingdom of Heaven None is to Fight more since he is in danger of his Life none is stronger since he overcometh the Devil And then he exhorts Rusticus to persevere with Zeal in that profession which he had embraced He enjoyns him to be respectful to his Mother but not to be too much tyed to her nor to hold any Conversation with other Women He adviseth him to renounce all these things and to withdraw from the World He warneth him not lightly to take upon him Holy Orders or to affect to be a Master before he had been a Disciple and to chuse rather to live in a Monastery than to be an Hermit in a Solitude and he represents the Inconveniencies of that kind of Life Commonly saith he an Hermit becometh proud he thinks himself to be some Body and forgetteth what he is he eats what he pleases sleeps as much as he will fears no Body and you shall find him oftner in the Town than in his Cell Not saith he That I find fault with a solitary Life which I have so often commended but I would have these Soldiers come out of Monasteries where they have learned their Exercises least the severe beginnings of Solitude should amaze them S. Jerom recommends to him afterwards the Vertues and Exercises of a right Monk and particularly working with his hands Reading and Meditation upon the Holy Scriptures Prayer Obedience to Superiours Chastity Fasting c. He blames the Monks that live like Seculars and observes that they used to chuse Monks to make them Church-men He tells Rusticus That he ought not to begin to write early but Practise long before he undertook to teach At the end of this Letter he praises two Bishops of Gaul Proculus Bishop of Marseilles and Exuperius Bishop of Tholouse what he saith of the latter is very remarkable This Holy Bishop saith he imitates the Widow of Sarepta he feeds others and starves himself his face is pale with fasting nothing but other Mens hunger troubles him He has given all his Estate to the poor and yet there is none richer than he He carries the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ in an Osier Basket and his precious Blood in a Glass Vessel one may say That he drove Covetousness out of the Temple of the Lord. Follow saith he to Rusticus at the latter End of the Letter the steps of this good Bishop and of other Persons who imitate his Vertues those Saints whom the Pastoral Dignity has made poorer and more humble And if you desire to embrace a condition more perfect get out of your Country as Abraham did leave your Kindred and get you to an unknown place If you have any Goods sell them and distribute the price of them to the Poor If you have none you are discharged of a great Burden Strip your self of all things to follow Jesus Christ only Nudum Christum nudus sequere It is hard I confess it is Great and it is Difficult but the recompence is Infinite He mentions in this Letter that which he had written to Nepotian and so this was written after the Year 393 perhaps in 394. In the Fifth to Florentius who came to Jerusalem he commends the Charity of that Holy man He sent him a Letter to be delivered to Rufinus who was to go from Egypt to Jerusalem with Melania where he speaks as much to the advantage of that Presbyter as he spoke afterwards since to his Disparagement I would not saith he to Florentius have you judge of me by his Vertues you shall see in him the visible marks of Holiness I am but dirt and ashes and I think my self Happy if my weak Eyes can but behold his Vertues he his pure and white as Snow but I am all ever covered with Sins S. Jerom writ this Letter from the Solitudes of Syria about the Year 372. Florentius having answered S. Jerom this Saint wrote again a Sixth Letter to tell him that having read his he was tempted to go to Jerusalem but he durst not quit his Solitude He prays him to desire of Rufinus the Commentary upon the Canticles that was composed by Rheticius Bishop of Autun that he might take a Copy of it and to tell him that an Old man one Paulus desired the Copy of Tertullian which he had lent him He intreats him likewise that he would cause some Books to be transcribed for him which he had not of which he sent him a Memorandum and send him S. Hilary's Commentary upon the Psalms and his Book of Synods which himself had Copied with his own hand at Triers and in requital he profers to communicate to him the Books which he had in his own Library The Seventh is directed to Laeta Wife of Toxotius Paula's Son This Lady had a young Daughter called Paula whom her Grand-mother designed for a Religious Life S. Jerom writes this Letter to the Mother of this little Girl to teach her how she should breed her up and exhorts her to send her as soon as she could to his Monastery at Bethlehem Her Grand-father was a Priest of Jupiter but the rest of the Family were Christians This made S. Jerom say pleasantly that it was a surprizing thing that this Old man should make much of a Girl that sung the Praises of Jesus Christ and be compassed about with a Family of Christians which gave him hopes that he would be converted For saith he pleasantly I fansie that Jupiter himself might have believed in Jesus Christ had he had such a Family as yours what he says afterwards is more serious Tho' he laughs at my Letter and calls me Fool and Sensless yet I despair not of his Conversion his Son-in-Law did the same before he embraced the Faith of Jesus Christ. No man is born a Christian but becomes one afterwards ..... It is never too late to be converted It will not be thought amiss that I should set down here some of those Precepts which S. Jerom gives for the Education of a young Woman to shew that it is no new thing to see retired Persons and those that are furthest from the commerce of civil Life teach the People of the World how to breed their Children It is strange that such as have Children to bring up should be obliged to do it well and to have recourse to those that have made a vow never to have Children or a Family themselves Thus saith S. Jerom is that Virgin to be Educated whose Soul is designed to be the Temple of God Let her not hearken to let her not learn nor discourse of any thing but what is proper to inspire the love of God Let her never hear filthy Talk nor learn profane Songs but let her Voyce be betimes accustomed to the singing of Psalms Let no Boys come near her her Maids and Governesses should be wise and kept from the Company of
which these Ladies had put to S. Jerom. They are very curious Questions and S. Jerom's Answers are very just and learned To these Works we ought to join the Treatises which are at the latter end of the eighth Volume which likewise are Critical Letters Namely The Book of the Names of the Cities and Countries mentioned in the Bible translated out of Eusebius An Exposition of the Hebrew proper Names in the Old and New Testament The Hundred and fifty first Epistle is an Explication of the Hebrew Alphabet written whilst he was at Rome A Collection of Traditions or rather Jewish Expositions upon Genesis a most curious and useful Work for the right Understanding of the Text of the Scripture where he takes Notice of all the Differences betwixt the Hebrew Text and the Translation of the Septuagint The Hundred and fifty second Letter to Minerius and Alexander upon these Words of S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. We shall not all die but we all shall be changed wherein he gives a particular Account of the different Expositions of this Place by the ancient Commentators He quoteth Theodorus of Perinthus Diodorus of Tarsus Apollinaris Acacius of Caesarea and Origen This Letter is of the year 406. In the same place is the Hundred and fifty third Letter to Paulinus written about the same time he answereth two Questions put to him The first how one could reconcile to Free-Will what is said in Genesis that God hardned Pharaoh ' s heart and what S. Paul saith That it is neither of the Will nor of the Endeavours of Men but of God who maketh Man to act The second why S. Paul calleth the Children that are born of baptized Parents holy since they cannot be saved but by receiving and preserving the Grace of Baptism For the former S. Jerom referreth him to what Origen saith upon that Subject in the Book of Principles newly translated by S. Jerom. And to the second he answereth with Tertullian that the Children of Christians are called holy because they are as it were Candidates for the Faith and have not been defiled with Idolatry adding that the Scripture gives the Name of holy to things that are pure and that in this Sence the Vessels of the Temple are said to be holy Lastly There is in the same place the Hundred fifty fourth Letter to Desiderius and Serenilla whom he invites to come to Bethlehem It is written after the Treatise of Famous men about the Year 400. We are to reckon likewise amongst S. Jerom's critical Works upon the Bible the Corrections and Translations which he made of the Books of the Scripture At first he corrected the Greek Text of the Seventy and reformed the common Edition by Origen's Hexapla He made a new Translation o He made a New Translation He speaks of this Version as wholly his own in the Eighty ninth Letter to S. Augustin yet it is likely that he made use in several Books of the Scripture of the ancient vulgar Translation which he only corrected It is certain that he made a new Translation of the Psalms as he says himself in this Epistle to Sunia and Fretela He also translated anew the Book of Job as appears by the two Prefaces to that Book and to those of Salomon as it is observed in the Second Book of the Apology against Rufinus of them wherein he mark'd by two Hooks those passages of the Septuagint that were not in the Hebrew Text and added the Version of what was in the Hebrew Text which was not in the Translation of the LXX noting those Additions with a Star so that in this Translation one might see at once both what was added and what was wanting in the Version of the LXX This Translation of S. Jerom's of the Books of the Prophets is joyned to his Commentaries This was the first Labour of S. Jerom upon the Bible which he undertook when he was but young in his first Retirement Afterwards having attained to a more perfect knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue he conceived that it would prove a considerable Service to the Church if he set forth an entire Translation of his own from the Hebrew Text. Wherefore he fell upon that Work and published a new Latin Version of all the Books which the Jews own to be Canonical p The Books which the Jews own to be Canonical He did not translate the Books that were not in the Canon of the Hebrews except Tobit and Judith and so the Translations of the Books of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Maccabees Baruk and Jeremiah's Letter and the Additions to the Books of Hester and Daniel are not S. Jerom's and of the Books of Judith and Tobit setting before the beginning of each Book the Prefaces already mentioned This new Translation of S. Jerom was but ill received in the Church at first Men were very much pre-possessed in favour of the Septuagint and S. Jerom's enterprize was looked upon as a rash and dangerous Innovation S. Augustin himself disliked it and sent him word as we have seen that he would have done better if he had been contented with the Translation of the Septuagint and not have gone about a new one which would certainly cause some Scandal and trouble in the Church Rufinus and others of S. Jerom's Enemies went yet further and accused him of perverting the Scripture and despising the Authority of the Apostles by rejecting the LXX's Translation which they had made use of to introduce a new one borrowed in some sort from the Jews All these reproaches did not hinder S. Jerom from publishing his new Translation He shews the injustice of his Accuâ—ers in most of his Prefaces Sometimes he complains of the ingratitude of Persons in his Age who instead of acknowledging the good Services he had done to the Church reckoned it as a Crime in him Sometimes he declares That he did not undertake that new Translation to condemn the Septuagint which he commends and approves and which he corrected and translated in his Youth and that his design barely was to do an useful Work Sometimes he saith That he was obliged to make a new Translation because the Septuagint had been corrupted But for the most part he affirms openly That the main reason which put him upon making a new Translation was the want of Exactness in that of the Seventy and the small Conformity which it had with the Hebrew Text which he believes ought to be depended upon as the true Original And for this reason almost as often as he speaks of it he gives it the Name of the Hebrew truth He alledgeth also political Reasons for his undertaking The Jews accused us in their Disputes with us that we did not faithfully quote the Holy Scripture they continually urged that the Hebrew Text was not conformable to what was cited to them out of the Translation of the LXX The Christians who were ignorant of the Hebrew and besides had no Translation from the Hebrew were extremely perplexed
did not believe that the Soul did go out of the Body with a Body That as to Visions and Apparitions nothing can be said without deciding after what manner an infinite number of different Idea's are raised in our Souls which is a thing very hard to be comprehended though it is certain that such Representations are neither Corporeal Motions nor Corporeal Qualities He referrs Evodius to what he had said concerning that Matter in his Book upon Genesis and contents himself to tell him what happened to Gennadius a Physician at Carthage who doubting whether there was another Life was convinced of it by a Young Man that appeared to him in a Dream and made him apprehend that since he did both hear and see him though his Eyes were shut and had no use of his Ears that even so after Death though he should have no bodily Eyes yet he should see and feel and live The 160th and 161st are both by Evodius In the first he asketh St. Augustin what God is and what is Reason And in the Second he desireth him to explain a Passage in his 137th Letter to Volusianus St. Augustin answereth both by the 162d Wherein he tells Evodius That he had not Time enough to answer those Questions but he had already resolved several of them in his Books of the Trinity Of Free-Will Of the Quantity of the Soul and Of True Religion He confirms what he had said in the 159th Letter touching a Soul separated from the Body and about Apparitions And at last justifieth what he had said of the Incarnation to Volusianus If a Reason could be given of that Mystery then would it cease to be Wonderful Were there an Example of it it would not be Singular Though St. Augustin had signified to Evodius That he was not at leisure to answer such sort of Questions yet this Man proposes two more in his 163d Letter The former concerning the Original of Christ's Soul and the other about a difficult Passage in St. Peter's Epistle where it is said That Jesus Christ preached in the Spirit to the Spirits in Prison which some time were disobedient when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah St. Augustin resolveth both these Questions in the 164th Letter And beginning with the latter he saith 1. That no Man can doubt of Christ's Descent into Hell 2. That he did not deliver all Men from thence but only such as he judged worthy to be delivered 3 That almost the whole Church believes that Jesus Christ delivered our First Father and some others think That he brought out the other Patriarchs and the Prophets But that it is more probable that these righteous Men were not in Hell but in another Place called Abraham's Bosom 4 That those just Men who were raised again when Christ died did take again their Bodies to die a second time 5. In cannot be said That Jesus Christ preached the Gospel in the other World to those that were Incredulous in this Life 6. That that Passage of St. Peter is not to be understood of the Spirits or Souls detained in Hell but of the Spirits who lived in the days of Noah whom the Word did then enlighten So that St. Peter's meaning in St. Augustin's Opinion is not that Christ descended into Hell to preach the Gospel to those who believed not in Noah's time but that Jesus Christ dying for us was raised again by the same Spirit by whom he formerly preached or by which he formerly instructed Unbelievers in the days when Noah prepared the Ark whil'st God's Patience waited and invited them to Repentance 7. That Christ's Birth was not defiled with Sin and though he took in the Womb of a Virgin true Humane Flesh yet was it not sinful Flesh because Lust had no hand in forming of that Flesh. This brings him insensibly to the other Question about the Original of the Soul St. Augustin is still to seek about that Subject and dareth not declare for any of the four Opinions that divided the Christians at that time but clearly disowns the Notion That for the Punishment of some Sins committed in another Life the Soul is cast into the Body as into a Prison But maintains That it is certain that Christ's Soul was not subject either to the Death of Sin or to Condemnation All these Letters of Evodius and these Answers of St. Augustin were written not long after one another after that to Volusianus in the Year 414. The 165th is a Letter of St. Jerom to Marcellinus and Anapsychia Wherein this Father having related the several Opinions about the Origination of the Soul adviseth them to address themselves to St. Augustin if they desired to know more It is visible that this was written before the former because it is directed to Count Marcellinus who was executed in 413. but it is placed here because of its relation with the following Letter of St. Augustin which is a Treatise upon the Soul 's Original dedicated to St. Jerom and sent to him by Orosius in the Year 415. St. Augustin having observed That the Soul cannot be called a Body if by Body be understood an extended Substance though it might be termed Corporeal in another sence if this Term be taken at large to signifie Substance in general he proposes then to St. Jerom the several Opinions concerning the Soul's Original starting some Difficulties upon that which St. Jerom seemed to approve best yet it is that which we now hold That Souls are created and put into our Bodies at the Birth of each Person He insists particularly upon this That it is difficult to make that consist with Original Sin and with what the Church believes concerning Children that die without Baptism and so he asketh of St. Jerom a Solution of these Objections having answered the Reasons alledged against that Opinion which seemed most probable to St. Augustin He takes notice That the Innocents were honoured in the Church as Martyrs The next Letter to St. Jerom upon these words of St. James ch 2. v. 10. He that transgresses in one point is guilty of all was written immediately after the fore-going as St. Augustin observes in his Retractations He desireth St. Jerom to explain that Passage to him and himself giveth an Explication of it which he submits to St. Jerom's Judgment He examineth the Stoicks Opinions who taught That all Sins were equal and that of the Philosophers who affirmed That it was impossible to have any one Vertue without being endowed with all Having bandied these Questions on both Sides he concludes That though it were true That One Vertue could not be alone yet it would not follow That All Sins were equal But however it is not true That all Vertues must necessarily be joined together because Vertue being no other thing than the love of what one ought to love a Man may have more or less of this Love for no Man can attain to perfect Charity in this Life This being supposed he
of the Manners of the Manichees Of the Usefulness of Faith Of Two Souls Conference with Fortunatus and Felix Against Adimantus Against the Epistle of the Foundation of the Manichees Against Faustus Thirty three Books Of the Nature of Good Against Secundinus Against the Adversary of the Law and the Prophets Two Books Letters 79th and 236th ORIGENISTS Anastasius's Letter to John of Jerusalem and a fragment of a Synodical Letter of his against Origen John of Jerusalem his Apology Theophilus's Paschal Letters St. Jerom's Apologetick to Domnion and Pammachius Letters to Apronius and Avitus against the Errours of Origen His three Books of Apology against Rufinus 〈◊〉 Invectives of Rufinus against St. Jerom. His Apology to Pope Anastâ—sius 〈…〉 Augustin's Freatise against the Origenists and Prisâ—… His 237th Letter against the Priscillianists His 265th Letter against the Novatians ARIANS 〈…〉 Jerom's Treatise against Helvidius His two Books against Jovinian with his Apology to Pammachius His Treatise against Vigilantius and two Books against the same Dialogue against the Lucifâ—rians 〈…〉 Augustin's Answer to the Discourse of an Arian His Conference against Maximinus His Letters 238th 239th 240th 241st and 242d PELAGIANS 〈…〉 Jerâ—â—'s Letter to Câ—esiphon and three Books of Dialogues against the Pelagians 〈…〉 Aâ—gustin's Treatise against the Pelagians contained in the tenth Tome of his Works whereof see the Catalogue in the preceding Table His Letter 140th and others noted in the Table of Letters disposed according to their Arguments by the Benedictines 〈◊〉 of the Council of Carthage of the Year 4â—8 Acts of the Council of Diospolis of the Conference of Jerusalem and of the Councils of Carthage and Mileâ—… against Pelagius and Coelestius DONATISTS St. Augustin's Treatises against the Donatists contained in the ninth Tome of his Works See the Catalogue as above His other Treatises and Letters against the same Hereticks whereof there is a Table at the end of the ninth Tome His Letter 23d and others marked by the Benedictines in the Table of Letters Treatises upon the Articles of Religion St. Chrysostom's six Discourses of the incomprehensible Nature of God His Treatise of the Divine Providence to Stagyrius Treatise of Virginity â—…us's Explication of the Creed The Confeâ—sions of Faith of Pelagius and Coelestius St. Augustin's Treatises of the true Religion and the Manners of the Church his explication of the Creed Manual to Laurentius Dâ—scourse of the Instruction of the Ignorant Discourse of the Belief of things we cannot comprehend Treatise of Faith and Good Works Treatise of the Usefulness of Faith Letters upon dâ—vers Articles of Religion marked in the Catalogue of the Benedictines his Books of Retractations Upon the Trinity St. Jerom's two Letters to Damasâ—s upon the Hâ—postaâ—es St. Chrysostom's Sermon concerning the Consubstantiality A Treatise of Isaac a 〈…〉 〈◊〉 vpon the Trinity and the 〈◊〉 St. Augustin's fifteen Books upon the Trinity Upon the Incarnation Fragments of Homilies of Flavianus and Antiochus produced by Theodoret. Fragments of Theodorus Mopsuestenus St. Chrysostome's Letter to Caesarius against the Errors of Apollinaâ—is where also the Eucharist is spoken of Upon different Subjects St. Chrysostom's Homily concerning the Resurrection of the Dead his Sermon concerning Daemons St. Paulinus's Twelfth and Forty second Letters concerning the Fall of Man and the Merits of Jesus Christ. St. Augustin's Books against the Academicks his Treatise of Blessedness Treatise of Immortality and of the quantity of the Soul Discourse of Musick Book of a Master Three Books of Free will Answers to several Questions Answers to the Questions of Simplicianus and Dulcitius Two Discourses against Lying Another Discourse concerning the Pâ—…diction of Daemons Four Books concerning the Origination of the Soul Treatises concerning the Discipline of the Church The Canonical and Paschal Letters of Theophilus The Letters of Pope Innocent I. Some of St. Chrysostom's Sermons upon the chief Feasts of the Year St. Chrysostom's Defence of a Monastick Life Comparison between a Monk and a King Books of the Priesthood Two Discourses to Theodoruâ— Three Treatises of Compunction of heart Treatise of Virginity Two Discourses against Women's â—ohabiting with Clerks Discourse to a Nun against Raillery Two Discourses to a Young Widow Homily of Anathema and some others of his St. Jerom's Letters contained in the first Tome of his Works Treatises against Jovinian and Vigilantius Several Letters of St. Paulinus and particularly the 1st 2d 45th 46th 22d 23d 26th 29th 30th 32d 38th Letter of Bachiarius concerning Penance Ursinus's Treatise against the Reiteration of Baptism conferr'd by Hereticks St. Augustin's Treatises concerning Continence and the benefits of Marriage of Holy Virginity of the advantages of Widowhood of adulterous Marriages of the labour of Monks and of the care they ought to have for the Dead his Answers to the Questions of Dulcitius Letters marked in the Table of the Benedictins The Letter of Pope Zosimus and Pope Boniface I. Synesius's Letters and particularly the 5th 9th 11th 12th 13th 57th 58th 79th 89th 66th 67th 76th 95th and 105th Canons of the Councils related at the end of this Volume Books of Morality and Piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fragments of Books of Evagrius Ponticus â—…urses of Mark the Hermit 〈…〉 Psychomachia Cathemerinon and Hamarâ—… 〈…〉 Hundred Chapters of a Spiritual Life 〈…〉 among the Works of St. Chrysostom 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Sermons with the Extracts of Phoâ—… â—…ks â—…tters contained in the first Tome of â—…ks 〈…〉 â—â—â—mons whereof see the Catalogue in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—â—scourses of Piety and Morality see the Ca 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 part of his Letters 〈…〉 Seven Letters â—… part of the Letters of St. Paulinus 〈…〉 〈◊〉 13th 22d 23d 30th 32d 〈…〉 〈◊〉 to Aâ—â—thius entituled the Eccleâ—… 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—o Câ—lancia attributed to St. Pauâ—… â—… Thirty two Poems 〈…〉 Demetrià s and some others in St. 〈…〉 â—…s â—…manners of the Church 〈…〉 Bâ—… 〈…〉 â—eligion most part of â—â—s Sermons chiefly those of the â—… â—â—ird and 〈◊〉 Clâ—…s Treâ—… of 〈◊〉 and Good Works 〈…〉 â—anual â—o Lâ—…ius â—… Comâ—…at 〈◊〉 of Patience 〈…〉 Letters mentioned in the Table of the â—… 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 particularly that of the 〈◊〉 of well 〈◊〉 and those concerning Proâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particularly the 95th 〈…〉 and Discourses upon the Holy Scripture BOOKS of Criticism 〈◊〉 's Tâ—…se of the best manner of Translating his Book of the Names of Countries and Cities spoken of 〈◊〉 Scripture Explication of the proper Names of the Hebrews Explication of the Hebrew Alphabet Book of the Tradition of the Jews â—… Letters upon divers critical Questions â—… â—… to Minerius and Paulinus Verâ—…s of the Text of the Bible from the Sepâ—…t and from the Hebrew â—… Harmony of the four Gospels St. Chrysosioâ—…'s Homily upon the beginning of the Acts of the Usefulness of reading the Holy Scripture and 〈◊〉 others St. â—â—gustâ—â—'s four 〈◊〉 of the Christian Doctrine his 〈◊〉 â—…ks of particular ways of speaking used in 〈◊〉 â—…en 〈◊〉 Books of the Bible and Questions upo◠〈◊〉 same Books â—… 〈◊〉 Scripture â—…
after the Words of the Priest are no longer common * Not common but holy Bread because still Bread and Wine Bread and Wine but the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. He adds in the One hundred forty and fourth Letter That the Christians were nourished with this Body and Blood He commands them to receive it in a state of Holiness and to shew with what Reverence it ought to be approached He tells us in the Two hundred ninety and fourth Letter of the same Book That S. Chrysostom celebrating the Divine Mysteries saw the Angels assisting the Bishops Priests and Deacons at the Distribution of the adorable Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. He often recommends Penance In the Two hundred forty and third Letter of the Third Book he admonishes a Priest not to deal too roughly with a Person who had confessed his Sin publickly and advises him to give him Absolution not requiring any other Penance not that he thought that he ought always so to deal with Offenders for on the contrary he acknowledges that it is good and necessary for a Sinner to fast watch to lie on the Ground to cover himself with Sack-cloath and Ashes and Lastly to perform rigorous Penance But he requires that it be remitted for the sake of those who are not able to endure those Austerities and that Absolution be given them immediately after the Confession of their Crime He observes upon that occasion That a Priest ought to be active to plant the Vine of the Lord and slack to pluck it up He dislikes the cruel Treatment of Sinners lest thereby they be driven to Despair In the One hundred and ninetieth Letter of the Second Book he reproves a Bishop who would not receive Hereticks into the Church And to render him inexcusable he relates a Story which he says happened in the Apostles Time to one Carpus a Bishop who having used too much Rigour toward the Younger sort who had sinned was rebuked miraculously He speaks of the Usefulness of the Sign of the Cross and commands Christians to make it often in Letter Eighty seven Book One and in Letter Three hundred and four Book Two In Letter Sixty four Book Four inscribed to Olympiodorus and recited in the Second Council of Nice he blames this Lord That he had caused the Shapes of Beasts and other strange Figures to be painted upon the Walls of the Church He tells him That we may only paint the Cross in the Chancel and round the Church place Pictures of the History of the Old and New Testament that those that cannot read may learn the History of the Bible The Iconoclasts had falsified this Passage and whereas it is said in that place That we may paint Pictures they put instead of it We must white-over the Walls of the Church The Last Letter contains the Relation of a Miracle done by the intercession of a Martyr called Plato who freed the Son of a certain Monk of Mount Sinai from the Captivity he was in an History which proves that the Intercession and Invocation of Saints was in use at that Time I have forgotten to observe what S. Nilus maintains in Letters Two hundred sixty and nine and Two hundred and seventy Book One That Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ was always a Virgin before after and in her Delivery He exhorts Men to labour yet acknowledges That all our Labour is of no use without the Assistance of God These are the principal Points of Doctrine which may be gathered out of S. Nilus's Letters There are an infinite Number of Moral Points which it would be too long to recite particularly It may suffice to say that he commends Charity Peace Vigilance Mortifications Watchings Obedience Humility Alms-givings and other Christian Vertues He gives also many useful Counsels to those who profess a Religious Life and who may be very serviceable to Superiors as also to those who are charged with the Government of others Read upon this Subject Letter Three hundred and three Book Three and Letter One Book Four In several Places he extols the State and Condition of the Monks and observes very well in Letter One That Princes and great Personages are obliged to desire the Help of their Prayers to obtain the Graces they stand in need of Among all the Excellencies that we have taken notice of in S. Nilus's Letters there are some false Notions forced Allegories impertinent Comparisons and Apocryphal Stories This for example is laughed at by S. Jerom and that with good reason He says in Letter Two Book One That Palaestine was the Place of Adam's Habitation that he dyed in Mount Calvary and that from thence it had that Name for Men wondring to see a bare Skull in that Place called the Place Calvary S. Jerom says fitly That that Explication is plausible and pleases credulous People but is by no means true Favorabilis interpretatio mulcens aurem populi non tamen vera Yet Origen S. Ambrose and S. Epiphanius in Haer. 46. agree to it But S. Jerom's Opinion who assures us That 't was the Place of Execution of Malefactors is much more probable The Author of the Confessions of Faith attributed to RUFINUS F. SIRMONDUS published in 1650. a long Confession of Faith which bears the Name of Rufinus and which Joannes Diaconus hath attributed to him that was a Priest The Author of the Confessions of Faith c. of Aquileia But this learned Jesuit at the same Time assures us That it cannot be his because it expressly contradicts the Doctrine of Origen which Rufinus never condemned In the Manuscripts of the Abby of Corby Pelagius is said to be the Author of that Writing which he published under Rufinus's Name F. Garner hath also put out since another Confession of Faith much shorter than the former made up of Twelve Anathema's which is found at the beginning of the Collection of Pieces composed by Marius Mercator This also condemns the Opinions of Origen and particularly that of the Pre-existence of Souls which the Priest of Aquileia never would condemn So that this cannot be Rufinus of Aquileia's no more than the former Nevertheless it appears to be him to whom it is commonly attributed and not another Rufinus as F. Garner affirms 1. Because the Author who hath preserved it hath put it at the end of Anastasius's Letter to Rufinus of Aquileia 2. Because the same Author tells us That it is this Rufinus which is spoken of in Anastasius's Letter by this Title Incipit fides ejusdem Rufini Here begins the Sum of Rufinus ' s Faith 3. Because it is said of the Author of that Confession of Faith That he held and defended heretofore the Doctrines which he now condemns This agrees to Rufinus who had defended the Opinions of Origen 4. Because the Opinions of Origen condemned in that Confession of Faith are the very same that Rufinus is accused to have held and about which he defends himself in his Apology to Pope
reckoned it among the Sacred Volumes and many of them have explained it in their Commentaries or cited it with great Praise in their Writings For not only Eusebius of Palaestine Origen of Aegypt the glorious Martyr S. Cyprian and some other Fathers besides who were more ancient and nearer to the Apostles but also those who have since gain'd credit to the Church have acknowledged this Book for a Divine Work S. Basil explaining the beginning of the Proverbs both the S. Gregories one of whom was the Brother the other the Friend of S. Basil Diodorus that excellent Defender of the true Religion John whose Discourses do instruct the whole World at this present and all that have followed them are of this Judgment Is it lawful to contemn these great Men to follow private Opinions Is it reasonable to forsake the Testimony of the Holy Spirit to hearken to the Surmises of Men But least it should be thought adds Theodoret that we are not sollicitous to undeceive our Adversaries being contented that we are our selves perswaded of the Truth Let us see what it is that might cause them to fall into the Error and endeavour to cure it by Remedies taken out of Holy Scripture In reading of this Book and finding therein these words Perfumes Lilies Fruits Kisses Lettices Eyes Thighs and many other Expressions of that Nature they have stopped at the Letter without diving into the hidden and spiritual Sence But they ought to consider that in the Old Testament there are many figurative Expressions which have a clear different sence from that which the Terms do properly and naturally signifie As for Example in Ezek. c. 17. 3. the King of Babylon is described by an Eagle his Power by the Wings of that Bird and his Armies by the Talons Jerusalem is there called Lebanon the Cedars are the Inhabitants Nor do the Christians only thus expound this Text but the Jews themselves In the Prophet Zechariah c. 11. 1. Jerusalem is also understood under the name of Lebanon the King of Babylon under that of Fire the Cedars are the Nobles and great Men the Pines are those of a middle condition there are an infinite number of such like Expressions But to use an Example which hath a nearer resemblance to the subject we are upon God addressing himself to the Nation of the Jews speaks to it as to a Woman and uses the same Terms that Solomon doth Read but Ezek. 16. and you 'll find there Breasts Thighs Hands Nostrils Ears He speaks also there of Beauty Love Embraces which things nevertheless ought not to be understood according to the Letter There are like places in Jeremiah Isaiah and in all the other Prophets We do nothing extraordinary then when we understand the Song of Songs spiritually and so much the rather because the Apostles have expounded who is the Bridegroom and the Spouse spoken of in this Book Jesus Christ himself is called the Bridegroom the Spouse is his Church her Companions are the Souls which are not yet perfect enough to be Spouses of Jesus Christ they that converse with the Bridegroom are either the Prophets or Apostles or rather the Angels Lastly Theodoret observes That the 3 Books of Solomon are as so many Degrees of ascent to Perfection That the Proverbs teach Morality Ecclesiastes the vanity of worldly Things and the Canticles the Mystical Union of Christ and his Church and that 's the reason that this Book is put in the last place He believes That Solomon hath learned a part of what he says from the Books of his Father who hath given an Idea of it in Psalm 44. He will not that this Book be put into the hands of young and weak People and he says That none ought to be allowed to read it but such as have a good Wit and can comprehend the spiritual and hidden sence Lastly he admonishes us That he hath taken many things out of the Works of the Fathers which have written before him yet does not account himself a Thief for that because it is a Privilege allowed to those that succeed them to make use of what they have said He tells us That he added many things That he abridged what was too long and enlarged what seem'd too short in others He makes a Conclusion with a Petition to those who enjoy his Labors without any Toyl that they would pray for him in recompence and if they find not his Commentary very exact he requests them to accept at least his Labour in good part and amend what they find wanting in it This Preface alone gives sufficient Evidence that this Work is Theodoret's It is divided into Four Books He explains the Text with respect to the Sence as he had observed in the Preface Theodoret hath also made Commentaries upon all the Prophets as he declares it in his 82. Letter to Eusebius Bishop of Ancyra We want none of them but that upon Isaiah of which we have some Fragments taken out of the Catena's collected by F. Sirmondus But although much Credit is not to be given to Writings of that Sort I see no cause to fear but what he hath taken from them is Theodoret's As to the Commentaries upon Jeremiah and Ezekiel Daniel and the Twelve Minor Prophets they are all entire in Greek and Latin in the Second Volume of Theodoret's Works The Commentary upon Daniel was composed first in 426. The Comment on Ezekiel was next The Explication of the Twelve Minor Prophets followed this This was no sooner ended but he undertook to explain Isaiah And after he had finished that he wrote upon Jeremiah and concluded all his Works upon the Prophets with the Explication of the Lamentations as he himself tells us at the End of his Commentary upon that Holy Book In this Commentary he keeps to his ordinary Method explaining in a few Words very clearly and intelligibly the Literal and Historical Sence of the Holy Text without departing from it through Allegories or Moral Digressions The Translation of the Comment upon Jeremiah was made by Picus President of the Inquests Upon Ezekiel and Daniel by Gabius And upon the Twelve Minor Prophets by one named Aegidius of Albiga or Albigensis The Commentary upon all the Epistles of S. Paul excels all the Commentaries of Theodoret for their Solidity and Elegancy He therein explains the Text of that Apostle in a very plain and natural way He composed it after the Council of Ephesus Theodorus of Mopsuesta and S. J. Chrysostom having already made excellent Commentaries upon those Epistles it might seem inconsiderately done to undertake to make a new one This Theodoret himself excuses in his Preface and after he hath according to his usual Custom invoked the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit he owns That he hath done nothing almost but abridged the Commentaries of others He next observes the Order in which he believes that the Epistles of S. Paul were composed for he doth not think that they are ranked according to the
Order they were written This Commentary is literal He follows exactly the Explications of S. Chrysostom which he does no more often than abridge by cutting off the Moral Observations This Commentary is the First Work of the Third Tome It hath been translated by Gentianus Harvet The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret which is divided into Five Books is a kind of Suppliment to Socrates and Sozomen as being written after theirs a After theirs Cassiodorus Theodorus Lector and Photius name Theodoret last of these Three Ecclesiastical Authors Theodoret corrects some of their Errors he clears the History of S. Athanasius and relates a great many things which concern the â—astern Church which the other Two Authors had not reported particularly what concerns Meletius Flâ—viâ—n Eusebiâ—â— of Samosata and other Oriental Bishops This seems to be the meaning of that which he hath written in the beginning That his Design is to write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remaining part of Ecclesiastical History although it may be understood of the Continuation of Eusebius about the Year 450 b About the Year 450. Theodoret in his 82d Letter to Eusebius written in the Year 445. making a Catalogue of his Works doth not mention his History It is manifest that he wrote it after the Council of Ephesus since he speaks l. 5. c. 36. of the Translation of the Reliques of S. Châ—ysostom made in 438. He speaks of the Contests which were raised in the Church about the Incarnation and seems to take notice of the Doctrines of Euâ—yches l. 5. c. 3. He wrote it before the Death of Theodosius which happen'd on July 29. 450. because he speaks of that Emperor as then reigning l. 5. c. 36. In the same Book c. 35. he counts Thirty Years from the Martyrdom of Abdas which is put in 420. He hath not brought it down to that Time It begins where Eusebius ends i. e. at the Rise of the Arian Heresy in 322 or 323 and ends in 428 c Ends in 428. Gennadius saith that he continued it to the Time of the Emperor Leo and that he had done it in Ten Books This would make us believe that we have lost the Five last but there is no likelihood that he hath composed more than Five He declares in the End of his Fifth Book That he hath ended his History there Evâ—grius saith in the beginning of his That the History of Theodoret ends at the Empire of Theodosius the Younger at the Time of the Death of Theodorus and just when Sisinnius was made Bishop Photius says the same thing Lastly No Man ever saw these five last Books It is true that Theodorus in his Collections 〈◊〉 2. cites Theodoret in the Business of Petrus Mongus and Calendion S. John Damascene in his Third Book of Images cites some Places of the History of Theodoret which are not to be found there but they are mistaken for by their account Theodoret must have lived till he was an hundred Years old Their Words have given occasion to some to conjecture That there was another Theodoret the Author of an History younger and F. Garner pretâ—nds that it was a Bishop of Alindes in Cariâ— who assisted at the Council of Constantinople under Menâ—as But this seems to me very doubtful we had better say that these two Authors who in other Matters are not exact are mistaken in this before the beginning of the Heresy of Nestorius Photius thinks the Style of Theodoret's History much more agreeable to his Matter than Soâ—omen and Socrates's For it is saith he clear and sublime and hath nothing Superstuous But he useth too bold Metaphors which are sometimes altogether extravagant He hath had no great Care to observe the Years in which those Things happened which he relates but he hath taken pains to collect and copy out in his History Original Pieces as the Letters of the Synods Emperors and Bishops and hath made mention of some remarkable Circumstances which Socrates and Sozomen have not spoken of He gives us a more exact History of the Arians than they do He describes many Particulars which those two Historians have taken no notice of and he discovers many things concerning the Churches and Bishops of Anticch which had remained in Oblivion if he had not preserved the Memory of them He hath committed some Faults d Some Faults Here are some Examples of them He places the Death of Ariâ—s among the Circumstances of the Council of Nice l. 1. c. 14. He makes Eusebius of Nicomedia successor to Alexander in the See of Aâ—tiâ—câ— ibid. c. 16. He relates the Election of Eusebius of Câ—sareâ— to fill the See of Antioch after the Death of Eâ—lâ—lius c. 21. He makes S. Atâ—anasius's Exile to continue Five Months longer than it did l. 2. c. 1. He fixes the Ordination of S. Ambrose in the beginning of Valentinian altho' it did not happen till 370. l. 4. c. 5. He commits a like Fault almost in relating the Sedition of Antiâ—â—h after the Murder of Thessaloâ—ica He mistakes in the Number of the Bishops of the Council of Sardica He counts 250. l. 2. c. 7. when they were no more than 170. He confounds the Seige which the Persians laid before Nisibis in 350 with that which they laid there in 359 l. 5. c. 3. He says That Paulinus refused the Agreement which Meletius offered him as it appears by the Letters of the Bishops of Italy l. 4. c. 30. He is also mistaken ch 8. ibid. where he hath written That Maximus was Ordained Bishop of Constantinople by Timoâ—heus whenas it was his Successor Peter that ordained him but Baronius being prejudic'd against him reproves some Places of Theodoret's History where that Father hath not at all departed from the Truth e Baronius beiâ—g prejudiced c. Theodoret puts the Deposition of Eustâ—thiâ—s Bishop of Antioch in 330. Baronius reproves him but he is mistaken for Eusebius confirms the Opinion of Theodoret. Baronius accuses him further for being too Favourable to Meletius and Flavian but 't is rather the Cardinal who was too much incensed against them Yet this is much more tolerable than to accuse him as a Modern Author does That he hath composed his History for no other end but to abuse the Orthodox and to make a Comparison between Nestorius and S. Athanasius and S. Chrysostom and between S. Cyril and Eusebius of Nicodemia and Theophilus There appears no such thing in Theodoret's History but on the contrary he shews a great Aversion to all Heresies a great Zeal for Religion a great Love for the Church and a great Respect for all the Holy Bishops who have defended the Faith and a great Esteem for all Men who lived well This History hath been printed in Greek at Basil 1536 * 1535. Dr. Cave Eight Years after Rob. Stevens printed it at Paris with the other Ecclesiastical Historians in Greek F. Sirmondus hath put it in the Second Volume of his Edition of Theodoret's Works And
Arch-Heretick into Latin who was alive when he wrote his Book of Ecclesiastical Authors but we have neither the Original nor Translation CHRYSIPPUS THE Time when CHRYSIPPUS a Priest of Jerusalem liv'd is not certainly known yet it is most probable that he flourish'd in the Fifth Age. We find in the Chrysippus Bibliotheca Patrum a * It is extant in Ducaeus's Auctuarium Tom. 2. p. 424 in Gr. and Latin Sermon in Commendation of the Virgin under his Name which contains many extraordinary Praises of her like to those used in the Litanies Photius tells us in the 171st Volume of his Bibliotheca That he had found in a Book where was a Treatise of †Eustratius Cave Eustathius a Priest of Constantinople concerning the estate of Souls after Death a Piece where it was related That Gamaliel and Nicodemus who was his Father-in-Law as it is there said were baptiz'd by S. John and did suffer Martyrdom He adds That this History was attributed to Chrysippus a Priest of Jerusalem who in his * Some Fragments of it are found in Eustratius's Treatise above cited Panegyrick of Theodorus Martyr makes mention of Lucian a Priest of the same Church and that this last lived in the Time that John was Bishop of Jerusalem to whom Gamaliel had related this Story and shewed him the Place where the Relicks of S. Stephen and Nicodemus were which being found had done many Miracles VIGILIUS DIACONUS GENNADIUS assures us That this Author whom he places in the Fifth Age hath written according to the Tradition of the Fathers A Rule for the Monks He adds Vigilius Diaconus That it was read in the Assemblies of the Monks and that it contains in few Words and in a clear Method all the Discipline of a Monastick Life This agrees well with a Rule which is to be found in Holstenius's Collection p. 1. p. 89. in codice Regularum p. 89. printed at Paris 1663. Quarto FASTIDIUS PRISCUS FASTIDIUS PRISCUS an English Author hath written to a certain Woman Named Fatalis one Treatise concerning the Christian Life and another * De viduitate colend of Widow-hood Fastidius Priscus His Doctrine is sound and worthy of Esteem This is what Gennadius informs us of this Author Some have made him Bishop of London but do not prove it He lived in the Fifth Age under Theodosius and Honorius We have his Book of the Christian Life among the Works of S. Austin Tom. IX P. 888 It hath been restored to him thro' the Credit of an Ancient Manuscript Printed by it self by Holstenius in 1663 at Rome * Dr. Cave thinks they are but one Treatise and that Gennadius hath distinguished them falsly The other Treatise is lost The Book of the Christian Life is directed to a Widow He first of all derives the Name of Christian from the Unction of the Holy Spirit He tells us That all that bear that Name ought to imitate Jesus Christ. He then gives us a Reason why God bears with Sinners and afflicts the Good He Explains the Principal Duties of a Christian Love of God Love of our Neighbour and Good-Works without which he shews that none can be saved He at last describes the Vertues of a true Christian and Exhorts the Widow to whom he writes to lead a Life conformable to that which he had drawn up This Treatise is written in a very mean Stile It hath more Piety and Plainness than Eloquence and Loftiness In some places he seems to favour the Opinions of Pelagius DRACONTIUS DRACONTIUS a Spanish Priest who lived in the time of Theodosius the Younger hath composed an Heroick Poem upon the Six Days of the Creation and an Elegy to Dracontius the Emperor There is nothing remarkable in that Work It is written in a very Barbarous Stile S. Isidore and S. Ildefonsus of Toledo speak of this Author The Poem is extant in the Biblioth Patrum Tom. 9. P. 724 and F. Sirmondus hath Printed it with the Elegy at Paris in 1619 Octacto * It is also in Fabritius's collection of Poets and in Appendicâ—â—â—â—neanâ— p. 83â— at the end of Eugenius of Toledo who reviewed this Work and put it in the condition that now it is EUDOCIA the Empress and PROBA FALCONIA WHO would expect to see the Names of Women among the Number of Ecclesiastical Authors In all times indeed there have been Learned Women but yet very few Eudocia Proba Falconia durst meddle with Divinity It is more strange to see an Empress so employ'd and nothing is more wonderful as the Learned Photius observes upon this occasion than to see a Princess amidst the soft and charming delights of a Court to compose Books This Woman of whom we are now speaking was the Daughter of Leontius an Athenian Philosopher and Wife of Theodosius the Younger She composed a Paraphrase upon the Eight first Books of the Bible in Greek Heroicks Photius assures us in the 183 Codex of his Bibliotheca that it was an Excellent Work and not inferior to any other of that Nature in the Elegancy of the Verse But by confining herself too strictly to the Rules of Translation she hath transgressed the Rules of Art Nevertheless many approve of it and affirm that Translation ought to be so managed She is not studious to please the Ears of the Younger sort as Poets usually do by allowing themselves the Liberty of changing Truths into Fables She doth not divert her Readers by tedious digressions from the subject treated on but follows her Text with so much Exactness and Fidelity that they that read her Work will be well satisfied with it She preserves the same sence entirely in the same manner as it is written without adding to it or taking from it and uses as much as possible such words as come nearest the Original At the end of every Book she shews in Two Verses that she was the Author of it The same Photius adds in the following Volume That she had composed in the same Stile a Paraphrase upon the Prophecies of Daniel and Zachary and Three Books in commendation of * Not S. Cyprian of Carthage but another Câ—prian a Roman S. Cyprian the Martyr The First contains the Life of S. Justina the Artifices which Cyprian made use of to defile her his Conversion and Ordination The Life of Cyprian is related in the Second and in the Third the Martyrdom of S. Cyprian which happened under Dioclesian There are many things in this History which seem not to be certain It supposes that Cyprian was Bishop of Antioch whereas there was none of that Name there in the time of Dioclesian I pass over many other things in silence that are related by Photius but are very improbable and unlikely to be true We have none of these Works of Eudocia but there is Printed under her Name An History of the Life of Jesus Christ written in Heroick Verses taken out of Homer that is
helps forward the possession of the People 2. to be given to modest poor ibid. not to be bestowed on professed Beggars ibid. to be given to the poor of any Religion ibid. The Commendation of Almsgiving 27. all Christians are obliged to it and therefore are instructed about it 147. Sinners as well as Good Men are obliged to it ibid. Aurelius Bishop of Carthage 47. Altar Built at Athens to the Unkown God Some conjectures of S. Isidore about it 5. Author of the Books of the Vocation of the Gentiles and the Epistle to Demetrias 128 c. Author of the Confessions of Faith attributed to Rufinus Some Authors Opinions about this Work 20. Author of the Memoir concerning the affair of Acacius This Name is not known 175. Authority Civil and Spiritual they are two distinct powers the one hath no Jurisdiction over the other 110 Auxiliares a Roman Orator 112 178. Asylum a Privilege of Churches 244. B BAptism Baptism for the Dead in S. Paul what it is 5. The Effects of Baptism 6. Infant-Baptism ib. The day for Baptism 53 It 's use 71. It came in stead of the Jewish Washings ibid. At what time it ought to be administred 94. Some Questions about Baptism 104. How it ought to be used with those that have been Baptized and Rebaptized by Hereticks 85 c. They ought to be Rebaptized who can't prove that they have been Baptized already ib. They ought not to be Rebaptized who can remember that they have been Baptized tho' they can't tell by what Sect ib. Solemn Baptism S. Leo affirms ought not to be administred on the Feast of Epiphany 93 nor on any other Festivals besides Easter and Pentecost 104. The Necessity of Baptism 20. They are not to be Rebaptized who have been Baptized in the Name of the Trinity 186. The Ceremonies and Effects of Baptism ib. Reasons for Infant-Baptism 190. When it is to be reiterated 247. Baradatus and Thalalaeus Monks who were always bowed down and shut up 67. Bardesanes an Heretick 68. Basilius Bishop of Antioch 102. Basil Bishop of Seleucia His Life 139. His Homilies and their Abridgment ibid. A Censure upon his Style and manner of Writing 140. The Edition of his Homilies 141. Bassianus Bishop of Evasa his Petition in his own defence 138. Bassianus The difference between him and Stephen who both pretend to the Bishoprick of Ephesus determined in the Council of Chalcedon 238. Bassus His accusation of Sixtus III. a Fable 48. Beasts difference between the clean and unclean 139 Bishops their duty to teach in the Churches 22. They ought to observe the Canons 26. the names of the Bishops of the Nestorian party 44. the names of the Orthodox Bishops of S. Cyril's side 47 must not be such as have had two Wives or have Married a Widow 83. the Ancient right of the African Bishops 84. subject to the Law of Continence ibid. ought not be Married to two Wives 87 ought to go to the Synods ib. ought to observe the Canons ibid. Canons about Bishops 91 c. He that goes from one Church to another contemning his own shall be deprived of both ib. are all equal in what sense 92. ought not to pawn the Goods of their Church 94 a description of good and evil Bishops 183 c. The Virtues of Bishops 185. they ought not to receive or ordain the Clergy of other Bishops 236 nor Usurp their Churches ibid. Bruno Bishop of Signi 118. C CAnticles the Authority and meaning of that Book 61. acknowledged to be Divine by the Fathers 62 63. not to be read by Young and Illiterate persons ib. Chalcedon a general Council held in 451 in that City 37 230. Calliopius a Priest of Nice 2. Caprasius a Monk of Lerins 117. Capreolus Bishop of Carthage Successor of Aurelius He sent his Deputy to the Council of Ephesus 49 and wrote a small Treatise against Nestorius ib. Carosus a Monk 101. Cartenna a City of Mountania 121. Carthage by whom and at what time taken 147. Cassian his Conferences 11 c. Catechumens the Gospel ought to be read to them 245. they ought not to go into the Baptistery nor be with the Faithful ibid. Causes of greater consequence to be determined before whom 92. S Caelestine his Life and Writings 22. where the Aphorisms of Grace are his 22 c. Nestorius and wrote to S. Cyril and John Bishop of Antioch 194. his Letters after the Council of Ephesus 204 his Death 47. Caelestius a Scholar of Pelagius 35. Caelibacy preferred before Marriage 6. Different practises of Churches concerning the Caelibacy of the Clergy 53. It was extended to Deacons and Sub-Deacons tho' not in all Churches 85 91. Caelebacy injoyned Deacons for the future 245. Celidonins a French Bishop condemned by Hilary Bishop of Arles 90. Cerealis his Confession of Faith 154. Ceremonies of the old Law were intended only for Men in an Imperfect State 73. Caesarius Bishop of Arles Author of a great many Sermons 118. Charesius a Priest of the Church of Philadelphia he presented a Petition and Confession of Faith to the Council of Ephesus 47. Charity the Effects of it 13. Cheremon an Abbot 12. Children how to bring them up 147. Chrism the Priests receive it of the Bishop and make use of it 243. Christians their Doctrine about the Creation of the World is more reasonable than that of the Heathens 72. Chrysippus a Priest of Jerusalem a Sermon of his upon the Virgin 141. Church-Catholick the Idea and definition of it 6. some Ceremonies of the Church explain'd ib. it abhors sanguinary punishments 93. a Church not to be built by exactions from the People 6. Situation of Churches different 53. cannot give pawn change or sell the Goods of the Church 94. Church of Rome prerogatives granted to it by the Emperor 91. and is certainly the first Cimele a City of the Sea-Alps an old Bishoprick 121. Claudianus Mamertus a Priest of the Church of Vienna an abridgment of his treatise of the Soul 150 c. Clergy-men ought to be Men of Worth 83. Rules for them 85. they ought not to leave the Church where they have been Ordained 87. nor go from one Church to another ibid. A Bishop ought not to take the Clergy of another Bishop 92. a Point of discipline concerning the Clergy ib. they may not hold Forms 236. ought not to be Ordained without a title to some Church and may not have two 240. ought not to contend with any but before his Bishop 241. Rules for the Lives of the Clergy 247 c. ought not be present at Marriages or Feasts 249. Cloak a Bishops Ornament 6. Caelius Sedulius a Christian Poet. An Abridgment of his Poem upon the Life of Jesus Christ 50. his temper ibid. a different Person from him who made a Comment upon all S. Paul's Epistles ibid. the Edition of his Poem 51. Collections for the Poor from Apostolick Tradition 109 Comedies forbidden 7. Comaedians their Art noxious and a corrupter of
The third fourth fifth sixth and seventh Letters and some Decrees Supposititious Works The first second eighth and ninth Letters EULOGIUS Works lost Six Books against Novatus Two Books of Apology for the Letter of St. Leo against Timotheus and Severus Another Defence of the same Letter Invectives against Theodosius and the Caianites JOHN the younger Genuine Works A Homily of Penance Two Penitential Books Works lost A Letter to Leander JOHN of Biclarum A genuine Work A Chronicle from the year 566 to 590. A Book lost A Rule for his Monks of Biclarum ANASTASIUS SINAITA Genuine Works The Guide of the true Way against the Acephali Books II of Anagogical Considerations about the Creation of the World Five Dogmatical Discourses Six Sermons Divers Manuscript Treatises Supposititious Works 154 Questions upon the Scripture EVAGRIUS Genuine Works Six Books of Ecclesiastical History St. JOHN CLIMACUS Genuine Works A Scale of the Cloister containing thirty Degrees A Letter to John Abbot of Raithu JOHN of Raithu Genuine Works A Letter to St. John Climacus A Commendation and Commentary upon his Scale St. GREGORY I. Genuine Works Twelve Books of Letters which are in number 840 or thereabouts The Questions of St. Austin and the Answers of St. Gregory Morals upon Job divided into five and thirty Books and distributed into six parts Homilies upon Ezechiel Two Books of Homilies upon the Gospels A Dialogue divided into three Books Commentaries upon the Book of Kings and Canticles collected by the Abbot Claudus Supposititious Works The Letter 54 of the seventh Book The 31st Letter of the tenth Book The Memorial about the Affair of Phocas The Priviledges granted to the Churches of Autun The Priviledge of St. Medard An Exposition of the seven Penitential Psalms The Antiphonary and the Sacramentary PATERIUS Genuine Works Two Books of Collections of Passages out of St. Gregory upon the Scripture A Book lost A third Book St. LEANDER Bishop of Sevil. Genuine Works A Letter to his sister Florentina A Discourse about the Conversion of the Goths Works lost Two Books against Hereticks A Treatise against the Arians An Edition of the Psalms Letters to St. Gregory A Letter about Baptism address'd to his Brother Many familiar Letters LICINIANUS and SEVERUS Bishops of Spain Works lost Letters of Licinianus A Treatise of Severus against Vincentius Bishop of Saragosa Another Treatise of the same about Virginity DINAMIUS A genuine Work The Life of St. Marius an Abbot EUTROPIUS A genuine Work A Letter concerning the Reformation of Monks A Work lost A Letter about the Unction of those who are biptiz'd MAXIMUS Bishop of Saragosa Works lost The History of Spain and some other Treatises in Prose and Verse EUSTRATIUS A genuiue Work A Treatise of the Souls of the Dead ANDRONICIANUS Works lost Two Books against the Eunomians LUCINIUS CHARINUS Works lost The Journeys of the Apostles METRODORUS A Work lost A Paschal Cycle HERACLIANUS Bishop of Chalcedon Works lost Twenty Books against the Manicheans LEONTIUS Bishop of Arabissa A Work lost A Homily of the Creation and of Lazarus A TABLE of the CANONS and ACTS of the COUNCILS held in the Sixth Age of the Church The first Council of Rome under Symmachus THe Acts and three Canons for preventing the usual Canvassings at the Election of Popes The second Council of Rome under the same The Acts of the Absolution of Symmachus Two Letters of Theodoric to the Council A Relation about King Theodoric made by the Council The Answer of Theodoric A Memorial of Instructions from the Council to the King The third Council under Symmachus Acts and a Canon of this Council concerning the Alienations of the Possessions of the Church Council of Agda 47 Canons and 25 added which are none of this Council's Council I. of Orleans One and Thirty Canons Council of Tarraco Thirteen Canons Council of Gerunda Ten Canons Council of Epaone Forty Canons Council I. of Lyons Six Canons Council of Lerida Sixteen Canons Council of Valentia in Spain Six Canons Council IV. of Arles Four Canons Council of the Bishops of Afric under Boniface Bishop of Carthage Acts concerning the restoring of Discipline and the Exemptions of Monks Council II. of Orange Eight Articles concerning Grace confirm'd by passages of Scripture and a Collection of some Sentences out of the Fathers Council II. of Vasio Five Canons Council of Rome under Boniface II. Acts about the Affair of Stephen Bishop of Larissa A Conference at Carthage between the Catholicks and Severians Acts of what was said there Council II. of Orleans One and twenty Canons Council of Clermont in 535. Sixteen Canons A Letter to King Theodebert Council III. of Orleans Three and Thirty Canons Council of Barcelona Ten Canons Council IV. of Orleans Eight and thirty Canons Council V. of Orleans Four and twenty Canons Council of Arvernia under King Theodoret. A Repetition and Confirmation of sixteen Canons in the preceding Council Council of Tutella A Letter of Mappinius Bishop of Rhemes about this Council Council of Constantinople under Mennas Acts of this Council Council II. of Constantinople called the fifth General Council Acts of this Council Council V. of Arles Seven Canons Council II. of Paris Acts lost Council III. of Paris Ten Canons Edict of Clotarius Council I. of Bracara Two and twenty Canons Council held at Santones Acts lost Council II. of Lyons Six Canons Council II. of Tours Seven and twenty Canons One Letter Council II. of Bracara Ten Canons Council V. of Paris Acts lost Synod of Antisiodorum Five and forty Constitutions Council I. of Mascon Nineteen Canons Council III. of Lyons Six Canons Council II. of Valentia Act confirming Donations made to the Church Council II. of Mascon Twenty Canons Edict of Gontranus Council III. of Toledo Acts of this Council Three and twenty Canons Edict of the King Council of Narbo Fifteen Canons Council I. of Sevil. A Letter to Pegasus Bishop of Astigis Council in Arvernia Acts lost A TABLE OF THE WORKS OF THE Ecclesiastical Writers Of the Sixth Age According to the Order of their Subject Matter TREATISES IN GENERAL about the Doctrines of Religion A Treatise of Faith address'd to Peter compos'd by St. Fulgentius A Treatise on the same Subject address'd to Felix Confessions of Faith by Maxentius A Confession of Faith of Giles the Abbot A Confession of Faith by Justinian A Treatise by the same against Origen A Treatise of Zacharias against the Manichees A Treatise of the Creation of the World by the same A Letter of Agnellus concerning the Faith Treatises about the Trinity A Letter of Avitus Fragments of some of his Books against the Arians A Conference of his with Gondebaud An Answer to the Objections of the Arians by St. Fulgentius Three Books of the same to King Thrasimund The Answer of Fulgentius to the second Question of Monimus and the last Book of his to Monimus A Treatise of the Faith by the same A Fragment of the Books of St. Fulgentius against Fabianus an Arian Heretick A
Treatise of the same St. Fulgentius to Victor The Answer of St. Fulgentius to the first and fourth Question of Ferrandus A Treatise of Boethius about the Trinity The first and second Dogmatical Treatises of Anastasius Sinaita Treatises about the Incarnation The second and third Letters of Avitus A Discourse of Ennodius against the Hereticks of the East for the Councils Letters of Hormisdas Letters of the Monks of Scythia about this Proposition One of the Trinity suffer'd and the Answer of the Bishops of Afric compos'd by St. Fulgentius The Answer of St. Fulgentius to the second and third Question of Ferrandus The Answer to Reginus Letters of Ferrandus to Severus and Anatolius about this Proposition One of the Trinity suffer'd A Writing of his about the three Chapters The Writings of John Maxentius A Letter of Trifolius A Treatise of the two Natures by Boethius The Works of St. Ephrem Fragments of the Treatise of Jobius about the Word Incarnate Twelve Books of Facundus A Treatise of Rusticus against the Acephali The Works of Leontius An Extract out of the Works of Eulogius related by Photius The Guide of the true Way by Anastasius Sindita The third fourth and fifth Dogmatical Discourses of the same About Grace Liberty and Predestination The fourth Book of Avitus The nineteenth Letter of the second Book of Ennodius The beginning of St. Fulgentius's Book to Monimus A Letter of the Monks of Scythia and the Answer of the Bishops of Afric compos'd by St. Fulgentius Three Books of St. Fulgentius about Predestination and Grace A Letter to John and Venerius written by the same in the name of the Bishops of Afric The latter end of the Treatise about Faith address'd to Peter Canons of Council 11. of Orange About the Soul Against the Arians A Treatise of Eustratius about the Souls of the Dead A Treatise of the Soul by Cassiodorus TREATISES AGAINST THE HERETICKS Against the Arians Fragments of Avitus His Conference Answer to the Objections of the Arians by St. Fulgentius and other Treatises by the same Against the Eutychians Acephali and Severians A Discourse of Ennodius The Writings of John Maxentius The Works of St. Ephrem A Treatise of Jobius A Treatise of Rusticus The Works of Leontius The Guide of Anastasius Sinaita Councils under Mennas Council V. General c. Against the Pelagians The Writings of St. Fulgentius A Letter of the Monks of Scythia Canons of the Council of Orange Upon this Proposition One of the Trinity suffer'd The Letters of Hormisdas The Writings of John Maxentius A Letter of St. Fulgentius and the Bishops of Afric A Letter of Avitus A Letter of Ferrandus to Severus A Letter of Trifolius Letters of the Popes c. About the Affair of the three Chapters Letters of the Popes and chiefly of Vigilius Acts of the fifth Council The Works of Facundus A Writing of Ferrandus The Edict of Justinian Letters of the Popes Pelagius and St. Gregory Works of Discipline First second third fifth sixth and seventh Letters of Symmachus First fourth and sixth Letters of Avitus Item the ninth tenth fourteenth seventeenth three and twentieth six and twentieth thirtieth six and thirtieth nine and thirtieth one and fortieth and nine and fortieth of the same The Homily on the Rogation-days by the same His Homilies upon Dedications The fourteenth Letter of the second Book of Ennodius's Letters The Exhortation of Ennodius about the Obligations of Bishops to keep a Clergy-man in their House to be a witness of their Actions Five Discourses by the same The Answer to the second and third Question of Monimus by the same His Letter to Proba His Letter about Conjugal Duties A Collection of Canons by Ferrandus the Deacon The third Letter of John I. address'd to Caesarius A Letter of Boniface to the same Letters of John II. Novels of Justinian A Collection of Canons and Decretals by Dionysius Exiguus Letters about Easter by the same The third sixth seventh eighth ninth tenth and eleventh Letters of Vigilius The Letter of Pontianus to Justinian The Letter of Leo to King Childebert A Treatise of Facundus address'd to Mocianus A Letter by the same Some Letters of Pelagius I. Collection of Canons by Martinus of Bracara Collection of Canons by Joannes Scholasticus Collection of Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws by the same A Letter of Evantius about the lawfulness of eating the Blood of Animals A Letter and Decrees of Pelagius II. Penitential Books of John the younger Greater part of the Letters of St. Gregory the Great The Pastoral by the same Canons of the Councils About Baptism Answer of St. Fulgentius to the Questions of Ferrandus Letter of Trojanus Bishop of Santones to Eumenius About 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 Two 〈…〉 A Letter by the same 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Jâ—… 〈◊〉 〈…〉 WORKS UPON THE HOLY SCRIPTURE Critical Treatises An Introduction to Scripture by Adrianus An Institution of 〈◊〉 to Diâ—…e Learning Junilius's 〈◊〉 of the Pâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine Law The Harmony of the four Goâ—â—els 〈◊〉 Victor of 〈◊〉 Anagogical Confiderations by Anastasius Sinaita upon the Creation of the World Commentaries Commentaries upon the Pâ—… and Isaiah by Procopius of Gaza Scholia upon Kings and Chronicles by the same A Commentary of Cassiodâ—… upon the Psalâ—â— A Commentary upon Canticles falsly attribuâ—â—â— to the same The Morals of St. Gregory upon Job His Homilies upon 〈◊〉 A Commentary upon Kings and Câ—…icles by the Abbot Claudius A Collection of Passages out of St. Gregory upon the Scripture made by Paterius St. Gregory's Homilies upon the Gospels Priâ—â—sius's Commentary upon St. Paul Hâ—â— Commentary upon the Revelation 〈◊〉 's Commentary upon the Revelation Historical Works The third sixth eighth and ninth Letters of Syâ—…chus The 30th Letter of Avitus in behalf of Pope Syâ—…chus A Panegyrick upon King Theodoric by 〈◊〉 Apology for the Council which acquitted Syâ—…chus by Eâ—…dius The Life of St. Epiphanius Bishop of Pâ—â—iâ— and Anthony Monk of Lerina by the same The Letters of Hormisdas The Life of St. Seurinus by Eugippius Writings of Ferrandus about the three Chapters The Life of St. Fulgentius by Ferrandus A Writing of John Mâ—…ius The Chronicle of Marcellinus Translation of the Histories of Socrates Sozâ—… and Theodoret by Epiphanius A History by Theodorus the Reader Letters of John II. about the deposition of Contumeliosus Letters of Agapetus about the Affair of Anthimus Stephen and Contumeliosus Letters of Justinian to the fifth Council and his Edict against Anthimus The Tâ—… History of Cassiodorus A Chronicle Letters and Writings of Pope Vigilius about the Affair of the three Chapters The Testament of Câ—sâ—rius of Arles The Life of the Abbot 〈◊〉 by Cyril of Scythopolis Works of Facundus about the Affair of the 〈◊〉 Chapters History of Liberatus Chronicle of Victor Some Letters of Pelagius I. Ten Books of the History of France by Gregory of Tours Eight Books of Miracles or of the Lâ—… of Sâ—… The Lives of some Sâ—… Letter of 〈◊〉 II. about the Affair of
Ferrara as he himself tells us in the Preface to his Collection of Maxims and Things remarkable taken out of the Holy Fathers and other ancient Writers dedicated to Hildebald Bishop of Auxerre of which we have only the Preface in Tom. 7. of Mabillon's Analect Besides this Work he composed two Books in Prose concerning the Miracles of S. German Bishop of Auxerre printed by F. Labbe in the first Tome of Biblioth MSS. Six Books also in Verse containing the Life of Caesarius undertaken by the order of Lotharius the younger and dedicated to Carolus Calus printed at Paris in 1543. Octavo with the Poem of Marius Victorinus upon Genesis He undertook to compose an History of the Bishop of Auxerre with Rainogalus and Alogius Canons of that Church He made also many Homilies of which we have three among the Homilies of Paulus Diaconus Anscharius a Monk of Corby the Apostle of Denmark and those Northern Countries and after made Bishop of Hamburg and Breme hath written the Life of Willihadus first Bishop of Anscharius a Monk of Corby Breme which was printed at Antwerp in 1642. and in the 2d part of F. Mabillon's Saec. Bened. III. Anscharius went into Denmark in 836. and was made Bishop of Hamburg in 842. and the Bishoprick of Breme was added to it in 849. He died in 865. Anscharius's Psalter is extant in Cranzius Metrop l. 1. c. 42. but his Epistles of which he wrote many are lost Rudulphus or Rudolphus a Scholar of Rabanus a Priest and Monk of Fulda the Preacher and Confessor to Lewis King of Germany passed for a very learned Man for his time In the Annals Rudolphus a Monk of Fulda of Fulda he hath given him the Title of an excellent Historian and Poet and of a Man very well vers'd in all humane Sciences He writ the Lives of Rabanus and S. Lioba Abbesni of Priscofhten which are in F. Mabillon's Saec. Benedict and in Surius and Bollandus's Acts of the Lives of the Saints The last of these Lives was composed out of the Records and Collections of a Priest named Mago who had conversed with four of the Scholars of S. Lioba viz. Agatha Thecla Nana and Eoliba This Author died in 865. Iso a Monk of S. Gallus Alfridus Bishop of Munster and Orthegrinus a Monk of Werthin Ermentarius Abbot of Noicmantier Iso a Monk of S. Gallus wrote about the year 860. two Books containing the Lives and Miracles of S. Othmarus Abbot of S. Gallus which are also put out in Tom. II. Saec. Ben. III. He died in 871. Alfridus and Orthegrinus of which the first was Bishop of Munster and the other a Monk of Werthin have each of them written the Life of S. Ludgerus the first Bishop of Munster They are both printed in the Saec. Benedict Alfridus was the third Bishop of Munster after Ludgerus succeeding to Jeffrey the Nephew of this Saint in 839. and died in 849. Orthegrinus or Hildegrinus wrote before him Ermentarius Abbot of Noicmontier wrote an History of the Translation of the Body of S. Philibert which the Monks of that Abbey were forced to carry into several places to keep it from the burning of the Normans 'T is published by F. Chiffletius and since by F. Mabillon Milo called Sigebert a Monk of S. Amandus hath composed in Verse the Life of that Milo a Monk of S Amandus Saint and a Treatise of Sobriety dedicated to King Charles We have this Life of Amandus divided into 4 parts with a Supplement to another Life of the same Saint and the History of the Translation of his Relicks in the Acts of Bollandus Surius hath published an Homily under his Name upon the Life of Principius Bishop of Soissons F. Audin hath published a piece in Verse of this Author's which is a Dialogue between the Spring and Winter He died in 872. Voss. de Hist Lat. and is buried in his Monastery His Epitaph celebrates him for the Author of his Treatise of Sobriety and Life of Amandus Aimonius of whom we are speaking in this Paragraph is a different Person from the Author Aimonius a Monk of S. German de Prez of the History of France This last was a Monk of S. German de Prez the other was the Abbot of Fleury The one wrote at the end of the 9th Age and the other at the beginning of the 11th This of whom we are speaking hath described the Finding and Translation of the Body of S. Vincent and made two Books upon the Miracles of S. German Bishop of Paris A Book upon the Translation of the Martyrs S. George the Monk S. Aurelius and S. Natalia and two Books of their Miracles These Works are printed by F. Mabillon in Saec. Benedict 33 and 4. and in other Collections viz. Surius July 25. c. We must distinguish the two Abbo's as well as the two Aimonius's The first was a Monk Abbo a Monk of S. German de Prez of S. German de Prez or de Pratis as well as the first Aimonius and lived at the same time with him the other was co-temporary with the second Aimonius and a Monk of the same Abby of Fleury This last is the Author of a Poem divided into two Books containing the History of the Siege of Paris by the Normans in 886 and 887. This Work is dedicated to Goscelinus not the Bishop of Paris but a Deacon of the same name and hath been printed several times in the Collections of the French Historians He hath a third Book which is not yet printed This Author hath made some Sermons which are in MS. at S. German de Prez of which F. Dacherius hath chosen out 5. and printed them in Tom. 9. Spicil with an Advertisement to the Reader in which he says That he made these Sermons at the request of Frotarius Bishop of Poictiers and Fulradus Bishop of Paris That the Clergy might make use of them to instruct the ignorant Laity Four of these Sermons are upon Holy Thursday In them Abbo observes That this was the day on which Jesus Christ celebrated the Passover with his Disciples and gave them the sacred Memorials of his Body and Blood That the Bishops consecrate the Holy Oyl and the Altars and the Pavements of the Churches are washed and those Penitents absolved and received to Communion who had been excommunicated at the beginning of Lent And upon this last Point it is that he chiefly enlarges in those Sermons exhorting the Penitents to turn unto God with all their Hearts that they may receive the benefit of Absolution to renounce their Sins and lead a Christian Life for the future The third is addressed to the Penitents before their Asolution He comforts them under the delays of Absolution telling them That the Bishop can't absolve them till they have performed their Pennance and shewed a real sorrow for their Sins Nullus est certe Episcopus qui possit absolutionem dare nisi post poenitentiam factam
written to the same Bishop about Gebwin his Arch-Deacon who was gone to Rome about some Difference which he had with his Bishop In his Journey he stop'd at Cluny and had promis'd Peter to return to Troyes and adjust Matters with his Bishop Atto in the Thirty Fifth Letter returns an Answer to the foregoing Letter The following Letters of Peter of Cluny contain nothing in them of moment till you come to the Seventh of the Third Book wherein he replies to the Questions which had been propos'd to him by one of his Monks nam'd Gregory who was a great Student The first Question was whether the Virgin Mary had received an Increase of Grace in receiving the Holy Ghost with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost Peter of Cluny replies that she had received no increase of Charity or of sanctifying Grace since throughout her whole Life she had a fulness of Grace and Sanctity but that she might have receiv'd an Augmentation of some particular Gifts such as Knowledge Prophecy the power of working Miracles of speaking several Tongues which yet was not very certain The second Question is how the Virgin Mary could possibly be ignorant of any thing after she had conceived the Son of God Peter of Cluny proves that she was ignorant of a great many things nor is he of Opinion that she had such a perfect Knowledge of God as the Angels and Souls of good Men made Blessed have and he positively denies that here below she enjoy'd Beatitude though he owns that she had more Knowledge and Wisdom with respect We cannot but here observe that this is one of the most modest accounts of the Perfections of the Virgin Mary to be met with among any Romanists and such as does not at all favour the Notions of some of the modern Papists to Spiritual things than all other Mortals The third Question is upon a passage of St. Gregory wherein that Father seems to assert that the Word was united to the Manhood before it was born of the Virgin Mary Peter of Cluny says that this passage has given some an occasion of asserting that our Lord brought down his Humanity from Heaven which is entirely contrary to the Sentiment of St. Gregory who explains his Thoughts by saying that though Jesus Christ was not yet born of the Virgin yet the Union of the Person of the Divine Logos with the Manhood was already typifyed and foretold though it was not as yet known or reveal'd In the Third Letter of the Fourth Book he writes to Pope Innocent in favour of Lewis the Younger King of France and intreats him to have some condescension for him If his Youth had inclin'd him to do any thing that was not convenient This was written upon the occasion of the Difference between that Prince and the Arch-Bishop of Bourges He likewise gave the Pope to understand that the Monastery of Luxeu which he would have reform'd the last Year by sending thither several Monks of Cluny was still wholly irregular and in a worse Condition than before The Fourth is that Letter which he wrote to the same Pope about Abaelard By the Fifth he recommends to that Pope a Canon of Lions nam'd Heraclius In the Seventh he writes again to that Pope in favour of Arnulphus Arch-Deacon of Seez Elected and Consecrated Bishop of Lizieux that the Pope might confirm him in spite of the Attempts made by the Count of Anger 's to the contrary In the Eighth he complains to Milo Bishop of Terrouanne for his having publickly declaim'd in his Church against the Monks of Cluny accusing them of being Proud and Disobedient to Bishops He shews him that if he had any thing to say against their Conduct he ought to let them know of it and reprove them for it privately and not to declaim against them so publickly Afterwards he clears them of the Accusation and complains that that Bishop had hinder'd the bestowing a Canonship Peter the Venerable Abbot of Cluny of Abbeville on them though it did not belong to his Diocess but to the Diocess of Amiens In the Ninth he recommends to Pope Innocent the Bishop of Salamanca Arch-Bishop Elect of Compostella and intreats him to approve of this Translation In the Tenth he intreats him to grant Hugh Arch-Bishop of Tours leave to return to his Arch-Bishopprick For Hugh in his Journey to Rome fell sick in the Monastery of La Charite where he had taken upon him the Habit of that Order In the Eleventh he exhorts the Arch-Bishop of Narbonne who was very old and infirm to quit his Arch-Bishoprick and to retire to Cluny This Letter was written from Spain to which place he had travelled The Sixteenth is the Two Hundred and Twenty Eighth Letter of St. Bernard to which Peter of Cluny reply'd by the Seventeenth which is likewise the Two Hundred and Twenty Ninth of St. Bernard's Letters of which we have given you an Abstract Peter of Cluny does therein at first declare that the Difference which had been between them whether about the Bishoprick of Langres or for Tenths had abated nothing of the Charity Friendship or Esteem which he had for him In the close of this Letter he sends him word that he therewith sent him a Version of the Alcoran which he had translated whilst he was in Spain to shew the Errors and Follies of the Mahometan Religion Afterwards he gives him a short account of Mahomet and of his Doctrine The Eighteenth is a Letter of Compliment to Pope Celestine upon his Advancement to the Pope-dom The Nineteen is written to Pope Lucius to whom he likewise made several Compliments and asked him whether he should send him the thirteen Religious according as he had order'd him when he was at Rome This Pope by the next Letters return'd him Answer that he would do him a great Favour in so doing The Twenty First is that which he wrote to Heloissa upon the Death of Abaelard The Twenty Second is written to Lucius in favour of the Bishop of Orleans who was accus'd by several of his Clergy By the Twenty Fourth he recommends to him the Religious whom he sent him In the Twenty Fifth he wrote to Pope Eugenius III. in favour of the Arch-Bishop of Besancon In the Twenty Seventh he exhorts Atto Bishop of Troyes to retire to Cluny In the Thirtieth he blames those who caus'd to be sung or recited such Hymns or Histories in the Church as are full of Fictions and he says that not long ago he was very much put to the Blush in being forc'd to hear Sung and to sing himself in the Church an Hymn in Honour of St. Benedict which contains twenty falsities at least without mentioning the Impropriety of the Language and the falseness of Quantity which had engaged him to make another Hymn in Honour of that Saint The Thirty Sixth is written to King Lewis the Young exhorting him to punish the Jews not by putting them to Death but by
especially concerning that Universal à Parte rei which he urged so far that William was forc'd to change his Opinion which acquir'd Abaelard so much Credit that the Person who had succeeded William in teaching Logick at Paris surrendred his place to him William soon after outed both of them so that Abaelard return'd to Melun from whence he soon came back to Paris and held his publick Lectures at St. Genevieve where he had a great many Pupils who were very frequently engag'd in Disputes with the Scholars of William But when his Father became Monk and his Mother Lucia was desirous likewise to live retiredly Abaelard was forc'd to take a Journey into his own Countrey At his return he found that William was made Bishop of Chalons and he went to that City to study Divinity â—under Anselm Canon and Dean of the Church of Laon who profeâ—s'd it with a great deal of Repute Abaelard did not find that this Man's Learning answer'd the Fame thereof and soon left off going to his Lectures Several of the Scholars having ask'd him what he thought of reading the Holy Scriptures he reply'd that it was a very useful Study but that he wonder'd that Men of Learning should not be satisfyd with the Commentaries and Glosses of the Holy Fathers without having recourse to other Masters When they smil'd at the Proposal he told them that he was ready to make it appear to them that it was Possible and to give them an Experiment by explaining to them the most difficult Books of the Scriptures with one single Commentator They took him at his Word and made choice of the Prophecy of Ezekiel He began to explain it on the Morrow and those who were present at his Explication thought he had acquitted himself so well that they brought a great many others to hear his ensuing Lectures Anselm began to grow jealous of him and moved thereto by Alberic of Rheims and Lotulplus or Leutaldus of Novar who had the repute of being his best Scholars He forbid Abaelard to continue his Lectures under a pretence that if he should advance any erroneous Opinion it might be imputed to him Hereupon Abaelard return'd to Paris where for some time he profess'd very quietly continuing to expound the Holy Scriptures The Repose which he enjoy'd the Applauses which he receiv'd and the Money which he got by this Profession puff'd him up with Pride and cast him into a debauch'd course of Life But God punish'd him for both by permitting him to be depriv'd of those parts which had serv'd as an instrument to his Lust and to be constrain'd to burn with his own Hands that Book which he prided himself most upon so that he became Chast by necessity and humble by Force We will give you now an account how this came about There was at Paris a young Woman nam'd Helloissa Niece to Fulbert Canon of Paris handsome and well shap'd whom her Unckle who lov'd her tenderly brought up to Learning Abaelard who was her Tutor immediately fell passionately in Love with her and that he might the more easily enjoy her he pray'd the young Woman's Unckle to take him to Board under a pretence that he could bestow more The Life and Adventures of Abaelard time upon her lodging in the same House that besides he would do him a Kindness by easing him of the Trouble of House-Keeping which was not suitable to a studious Man The Unkle who neither distrusted the Virtue of his Niece nor the prudence of Abaelard who had hitherto liv'd very regularly accepted freely of the Proposal and intrusted him with Helloissa whom Abaelard courted so much the more easily because the pretence of study furnish'd him with an opportunity of being often alone with her Sub occasione disciplinae says Abaelard himself amori penitus vacabomus secretos recessus quos Amor optabat studium Lectionis offerebat Apertis itaque Libris plura de Amore quam de Lectione verba se ingerebant plura erant oscula quam sententiae i. e. Under the pretence of Learning we had our fill of Love and our study afforded those private Recesses which our Love required We opened our Books indeed but Love not the Lesson was the Burthen of our Discourse and more Kisses were intermingled than Sentences read The young Woman it seems was not so hard-hearted but she answered his Flame and in a short time the Business was known to every Body besides the Unckle who was the last that found it out As soon as he was inform'd of it he turn'd Abaelard out of Doors within a few days time after Helloissa whose Love was still the same notwithstanding this Separation writ word to Abaelard that she was with Child He brought her off from her Unckle's House and carryed her to his own Countrey disguis'd in the Habit of a Nun where she was brought to Bed of a Boy who was nam'd Astrolabe The Unkle of Helloissa overwhelm'd with Grief at the loss of his Niece would have reveng'd the Affront upon Abaelard's Person had he not been affraid that she would have underwent the same Fate Abaelard to pacifie him went to wait upon him and offered to marry his Niece provided the Marriage were kept secret The Unkle consented to it and Abaelard went away immediately to fetch her and make her his Wife She oppos'd the Resolution a long time foreseeing that she should be the Ruine of the Fortune and the Reputation of a Person whom she passionately lov'd At last yielding to the pressing Importunities of Abaelard she return'd with him to Paris where she was marryed privately in a Church in the presence of her Unckle and of several of their Friends After they were marryed they parted and came together very seldom and very privately The Unkle and his Friends immediately publish'd the Marriage abroad but Helloissa who preferr'd the Honour and Interests of Abaelard to her own and who fear'd that if the Marriage were discover'd he would lose a Prebend which he had and his Reputation too swore that nothing could be falser This gave her Unkle an occasion of abusing her so that Abaelard resolv'd upon putting her into the Monastery of Argenteuil where she had been formerly Educated and making her take upon her the Habit of a Nun but without the Veil This made her Unkle and her Relations believe that he mock'd them and design'd to abandon her whereupon they resolv'd upon being reveng'd of him after a most barbarous manner and in effect enter'd the Chamber of L'Auberge where he was and punish'd him by depriving him of those parts whereby he had injur'd them It cannot be imagined what Confusion Abaelard was in to see himself in that Condition He owns that it was this more than Devotion which induc'd him to embrace the Monastick Life after he had perswaded Helloissa to become a Nun. They both made profession at the same time Abaelard at St. Denys and Helloissa at Argenteuil The Disgrace which Abaelard fell into
and published by Sir Henry Savil A. D. 1596. and at Francfurt in 1601. Father Mabillon has likewise set forth in the first Tome of his Benedictin Centuries the Life of St. Adelm Bishop of Salisbury compos'd by this Author who died A. D. 1143. JOHN OF HEXAM a Native of the County of Northumberland Monk and Provost of the John of Hexam Provost of Hagulstadt Sylvester Girald Bishop of St. Davids Monastery of Hagulstadt flourished about the Year 1160. He made a Continuation of Simeon of Durham's History of the Kings of England and Denmark from A. D. 1130. to 1154. This Work is extant among those of the other English Historians printed at London in 1652. SYLVESTER GIRALD born in Wales flourished in the end of the Reign of King Henry II. to whom he dedicated a Natural History a Topography of Ireland and a History in form of a Prediction of the Conquest of Ireland by that Monarch printed at Antwerp These Works were published by Mr. Camden and printed at Francfurt in 1602. He also wrote an Itinerary of Wales upon a Visitation there made by him with Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury to excite the People of that Country to undertake a Voyage to the Holy Land This last Work is extant among the others and was likewise printed at London in 1585. with a Description of the same Country of Wales Besides these Pieces he wrote the Lives of several Saints and died Bishop of St. Davids in the beginning of the following Century One of his Letters is contain'd in Archbishop Usher's Collection of the Letters of Ireland and divers other Works of this Author are found among the Manuscripts of the publick Libraries of England ROGER OF HOVEDEN an Officer under King Henry II. and afterwards Regius Professor Roger Hoveden Regius Professor of Divinity of Divinity in the University of Oxford compos'd the Annals of England from the Year 731. where Venerable Bede ends to 1202. This Work is among those of the English Historians published by Sir Henry Savil and printed at London A. D. 1595 as also at Francfurt in 1601. Historiographers of the Crusade THE History of the Famous Crusade instituted under Pope Urban II. and the Conquests which the Western People made in the Levant from the Year 1095. to 1099. have afforded Matter to many contemporary Historians the greater part of whom were Eye-witnesses of the Transactions related by them The First of these Historiographers is PETRUS THEUTBODUS who saw the most part of Petrus Theutbodus A Nameless Italian Author the memorable Actions which he has committed to Writing and from whom those that wrote after him took a considerable Part of their Relations The Second is a NAMELESS Italian Author who accompanied Boamond King of Sicily in the Expedition to the Holy Land His Work is known by the Title of The notable Exploits of the French and other Christians of Jerusalem and divided into Four Books The Third is ROBERT a Monk of St. Remy at Rheims who assisted in the Council of Clermont Robert Monk of S. Remy at Rheims in the Year 1095. and afterwards made a Voyage to the Holy Land At his return he wrote the History of the War of Jerusalem divided into Eight or Nine very short Books He excuses himself in the Preface upon account of the roughness of his Style The Fourth is BAUDRY Abbot of Bourgueil who was afterwards ordain'd Bishop of Dol A. D. Baudry Bishop of Dol. 1114 and died January 27. 1131. His History is divided into Four Books but he was not an Eye-witness of what he relates although he assisted in the Council of Clermont Therefore he contents himself only to follow and to supply the defects of an ancient nameless History which was ill written inserting such Accounts as he had receiv'd from others This Author likewise wrote the Life of St. Hugh Archbishop of Rouen and a Tract concerning the Monastery of Fescamp published in the Book called Neustria pia To him also is attributed the Life of Robert d'Arbrisselles which is in Surius and the History of the Translation of St. Valentin's Head which is extant in Bollandus's Collection in Febr. 14. Moreover it is observ'd that he is the Author of the Life of St. Samson and that he promises certain Notes on the Pentateuch in the Preface to his History Lastly 't is reported that there is a small Manuscript Tract of the same Bishop Baudry concerning the Visitation of the Sick in the Library of Vienna in Austria He was employ'd in writing his History near the end of his Life The Fifth is RAIMOND D'AGILES Canon of Puy and Chaplain to the Count of Thoulouse Raimond d'Agiles who was an Eye-witness He wrote this History at the Request of Peter Ponce de Baladin a particular Friend of the said Count who was kill'd in the Siege of Arache and dedicated it to the Bishop of Viviers The Sixth is ALBERT or ALBERIC Canon of Aix in Provence who compos'd his History Albert or Alberiâ— Canon of Aix Foucher Monk of Chartres Gautier the Chancellor from the Relations of others It is extended to the Second Year of the Reign of Baldwin II. that is to say to A. D. 1120. The Seventh is FOUCHER a Monk of Chartres who accompanied Robert Duke of Normandy in the Expedition to the Holy Land A. D. 1095. His History is carried on to the Year 1124. But Guibert of Nogent accuses him of having written fabulous Narrations GAUTIER or GAUTERIUS who assumes the Quality of Chancellor is the Eighth He published an History of the Advantages obtain'd by the Western Christians at Antioch A. D. 1115. and of the Misfortunes that befel them in 1119. He was an Eye-witness of those Occurrences and was taken Prisoner in the War but his History is not very accurate The Ninth is GUIBERT Abbot of Nogent an Author of great Note whose Works deserve Guibert Abbot of Nogent A Nameless Author Another Nameless Writer William Archbishop of Tyre to be specified in a separate Article The Tenth is a NAMELESS Writer who has only made an Abridgment of Foucher's History to the Year 1106. where he ended The Eleventh is another Anonymous Author who compos'd a Relation of the same Transactions under the Title of the History of Jerusalem It was divided into Two Parts but the Second is only extant which begins at the Year 1110. and ends in 1124. This Author has in like manner only follow'd Foucher The Twelfth and most considerable of the Writers of this History is WILLIAM Archbishop of Tyre who has deduc'd it from the beginning of the Crusade to the Year 1183. in XXIII Books It is probable that this Author was a Native of Syria however he passed very young into the Western Countries and having compleated his Studies return'd to the Levant where he was ordain'd Arch-deacon of the Church of Tyre A. D. 1167. Afterwards he was employ'd in the Negociations that were transacted between the Kings of Jerusalem
Chronological Table which the Author makes of the Kings of France in the Tenth Chapter of the Tenth Book he ends with Philip the Son of Lewes the Young before whose Reign these Two Writers were dead Indeed this Reason may serve to prove that the said Work was not compos'd by Hugh of St. Victor deceased in 1142. but it is not so evident a proof to shew that Richard is not the Author of it because the latter not dying till the Year 1173. and Philip being born in 1165. he might joyn him with King Lewes the Young his Father However this very Passage makes it appear that the Author of that Work could not have written later than the Reign of Philip Augustus since he is the last of the Kings of France mention'd by him and consequently the said Author flourished in the Twelfth Century As for the Literal Notes it cannot be doubted that they were the Genuine Works of Hugh of St. Victor of which the following are still extant viz. his Preface concerning the sacred Books and the inspired Pen-men of them his Notes on the Pentateuch on the Book of Judges on the Books of the Kings and on some Psalms These Notes are concise and do not recede from the Literal and Historical Sense Those that he made on the Lamentations of Jeremiah and on the Prophecies of Joel and Obadiah are larger and Allegories are intermixed with them To these Explications of the Books of the holy Scripture are annex'd others which he wrote on the Book of the Hierarchy attributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite We might also add his Explication of the Decalogue and those of St. Augustin's Rule which are of the same Style The Four Books of the Cloister of the Soul the Four other Books of the Soul the small Tract of the Physick of the Soul the Two Books of Birds and those of the Spiritual and Carnal Marriages belong to Hugh de Foliet a Monk of Corby I also ascribe to the same Monk the Dialogue between the Flesh and the Spirit the Style of which is different from that of Hugh of St. Victor nay perhaps he is the Author of the Four Books of the Mystical Ark and of the Ark of Noah which bear the Name of the Benedictin Monk of Saxony Insomuch that in the Second Tome of the Works of Hugh of St. Victor there are but very few of his Genuine Pieces viz. the Soliloquy of the Soul the Encomium of Charity the Discourse on the manner of Praying the Discourse of the Love of the Bridegroom and of the Spouse the Four Books of the Vanity of the World and the 100 Sermons The last Tome contains Dogmatical Works the First of which is called Didascalick or Instructive Institutions being divided into Seven Books in which are certain Rules for studying and general Notions of the Sciences In the Fourth he treats of the sacred Books of the Writings of the Fathers and of the Councils and Canons In the Fifth of the Sense of the holy Scriptures In the Sixth of the manner of reading it and in last which is the largest of the manner of attaining to the Knowledge of God and of the Trinity by the Creatures The Second relates to the Will and Omnipotence of God in which he examines this Question viz. Whether his Power be of a larger extent than his Will The following Tracts are compos'd on divers Questions relating to the Mystery of the Incarnanation particularly in reference to the Will of Jesus Christ his Wisdom and Knowledge concerning the Union of the Word with the human Nature against the Opinion of the Master of the Sentences that Jesus Christ is not a Thing and touching several other Scholastical Questions besides Three Conferences about the Incarnation and a Treatise of the Perpetual Virginity of the Virgin Mary To these Treatises are subjoyn'd Five Books call'd Miscellanies of Theological Learning which contain many Common Places concerning Passages of the holy Scripture and divers Points of Divinity and Morality The Three Books of Divine Offices and that of the Canon of the mystical Offering belong to Robert Paululus a Priest of the Church of Amiens of whom we have made mention elsewhere The small Tract by way of Dialogue between Master and Scholar concerning the Law of Nature and the written Law contains brief Resolutions of a great number of Theological Questions The Summary of the Sentences divided into Seven Treatises is a compendious System of Divinity But his chief Theological Work is a Treatise of the Sacraments divided into Two Books of which the First comprehends twelve Parts and the Second eighteen It is one of the largest Treatises of Divinity that were compos'd in the Twelfth Century and the Author therein explains the Questions after a very clear manner altogether free from the Logical Method and Terms without involving himself in the Labyrinth of obscure and intricate Speculations He proceeds to resolve these Questions by Passages of the holy Scripture and according to the Principles of the Fathers more especially of St. Augustin whose Doctrine he follows affecting even to imitate his Style which gave occasion to some Persons to call him The Tongue of that Father He was a Native of Flanders born in the Territories of Ypres and not in Saxony as it was generally suppos'd But he spent his Life in France in the Monastery of St. Victor of which he was a Regular Canon and Prior. He died Febr. 11. A. D. 1142. aged Forty Years His Works were printed at Paris in 1526. at Venice in 1588. at Mentz in 1617. and at Rouen in 1648. This Author had for his Pupil RICHARD a Scotch Man by Nation and a Regular Canon of the same Monastery who likewise attain'd to the Office of Prior in the Year 1164. and acquir'd Richard of St. Victor much Reputation by the great number of his Writings We have but now observ'd that to him may be attributed the Collection of Questions on the Bible part of which is printed amongst his Works and the rest among those of Hugh of St. Victor The following Works on the holy Scripture and undoubtedly his Viz. Three Treatises of Critical Remarks and History that is to say the First to explain the Form and Parts of the Tabernacle the Second to give a Description of Solomon's Temple and of every Thing that was contain'd therein and the Third to adjust the Chronology of the Books of Kings and Chronicles concerning the Kings of Judah and Israel To these Treatises must be added a larger Explication of the Temple in Ezechiol These Four Treatises relate altogether to critical Matters and have no regard to Allegories nor to Mystical or Moral Significations His other Commentaries are not of the same Nature as not being Literal but Allegorical Moral or Dogmatical They consist in Explications of divers Psalms a Commentary on the Book of Canticles Questions on certain difficult Passages of St. Paul's Epistles and a large Commentary on the Apocalypse The other Works of
make his escape is seiz'd and convey'd laden with Fetters to Thoulouse and deliver'd into the Bishop's Custody The Abbey of Baume is chang'd into a Priory by the Pope by reason of the contempt that the Monks of that Abbey had shewn of the Authority of the See of Rome nevertheless this Title is restor'd some time after A Council at Etampes held on Septuagesima-Sunday concerning the Expedition of the Holy Land and the Regency of the Kingdom of France which is given to Suger Abbot of St. Denis A Council at Auxerre held in the beginning of the Year A Council at Paris held on the Festival of Easter The Death of Waselinus Momalius Prior of St. Laurence at Liege 1148 IV. The Pope after having held several Councils in France returns to Italy X. VI. Lucas Chrysobergius according to some Writers is advanc'd this Year to the Patriarchate of Constantinople but as others will have it not till An. 1155. Eon de l'Etoile a Visionary Heretick is brought before Pope Eugenius in the Council at Rheims who condemns him to close Confinement so that he dies in Prison a little while after Gillebert de la Porrée being convicted by St. Bernard in that Council retracts his Errors The Pope performs the Ceremony of the Dedication of the Church of Toul He writes to St. Hildegarda Abbess of Mount St. Robert commending her Spirit of Prophecy St. Malachy who undertook a second Journey to Rome in order to obtain the Pall of the Pope dies by the way at Clairvaux November the 2d A Council at Rheims held in the Month of March against Gillebert de la Porrée Bishop of Poitiers A Council at Triers held in the presence of Pope Eugenius which approves the writings of St. Hildegarda  1149 V. XI The King of France returning from the Holy Land invests Henry the Son of Mathilda Countess of Anjou with the Dutchy of Nomandy VII Henry the Brother of the King of France and Monk of Clairvaux is made Bishop of Beauvais Gilbert Foliot Abbot of Leicester in England is ordain'd Bishop of Hereford  St. Bernard writes his first Book Of Consideration The Death of Amedeus Bishop of Lausanna 1150 VI. Eugenius after his return to Italy having sustain'd many shocks at last makes himself Mafter of St. Peter's Church XII Lewes the Young King of France divorces his Wife Eleonor the Daughter of William Duke of Guienne whom he had marry'd in 1137. VIII Hugh Abbot of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne is created Cardinal Bishop of Ostia Henry and Roland Monks of Clairvaux are likewise made Cardinals at the same Promotion Philip Arch-Deacon of Paris the Son of King Lewes the Gross is chosen Bishop of that City but he resigns this Bishoprick to Peter Lombard sir-nam'd Master of the Sentences Godeschalcus Abbot of St. Martin succeeds Alvisius in the Bishoprick of Arras Philip who had been depos'd from the Bishoprick of Taranto A. 1139. and who had afterward retir'd to Clairvaux there to take the habit of a Monk is made Prior of the same Monastery by St. Bernard John a Monk of the Isle of Oxia is advanc'd to the Patriarchate of tioch this Year Peter de Celles is made Abbot of Celles in the same Year  St. Bernard writes his second Book Of Consideration and sends it to Pope Eugenius Arsenius a Monk of Mount Athos makes his Collection of the Canons Otho Bishop of Frisinghen Serlo Abbot of Savigny Lucius Abbot of St. Cornelius Bartholomew de Foigny Bishop of Laon. Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris Falco Henry Arch-Deacon of Huntington Hugh Cardinal Bishop of Ostia Constantinus Manasses Constantinus Harmenopulus Robert Pullus Cardinal dies this Year The Death of William Abbot of St. Thierry in the same Year 1151 VII XIII IX The Pope confirms the Rights and Privileges of the Church of Colen Jourdain des Ursins Cardinal is sent Legate into Germany St. Bernard wrote his 190th Letter against this Prelate Geffrey Arthur Arch-Deacon of St. Asaph is ordain'd Bishop of the the same Church Bartholomew Bishop of Laon after having govern'd his Church 38 Years retires to the Abbey of Foigny and there turns Monk Gauterius Abbot of St. Martin at Laon succeeds him in that Bishoprick but he leaves it three Years after and becomes a Monk at Premontré Turoldus is chosen Abbot of Trois-Fontaines in the room of Hugh made Cardinal in the preceding Year The Death of Hugh who of Abbot of Pontigny had been ordain'd Bishop of Auxerre Whereupon many Contests arise about the Succession to that Bishoprick A Council at Beaugency held on the Festival of Easter which approves the Divorce between the King of France and his Wife Eleonor by reason of their being too near of kin Gratian compleats his Collection of Canons John Patriarch of Antioch Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople Andronicus Camaterius George Arch-bishop of Corfu Lucas Câ—rysobergius Patriarch of Constantinople Robert Arch-Deacon of Ostrevant Theobaldus a Monk of St. Peter at Beze Gauterius Canon of Terouane Herbert a Monk Haimo Arch-Deacon of Châlons Herman a converted Jew of Colen Nicetas Constantinopolitanus Teulfus a Monk of Morigny 1132 VIII The Death of Conrad FREDERICK I. succeeds him I. Stephen K. of England being deceas'd the Kingdom returns to Henry II. Duke of Normandy X. Odo Abbot of St. Cornelius at Compeigne is chosen Abbot of St. Denis in the place of Suger The Pope orders the Bishop of Saintes to permit a new Church to be built at Rochel He confâ—… the Primacy of â—â—â—â—do and enjoyns the Bishops of Spain to acknowledge it He likewise ratifies the Constitutions and Privileges of the Cistercian Order  The Death of Suger Abbot of St. Denis January 15. St. Bernard finishes his other Books Of Consideration John Monk of Marmoutier Alexander Abbot in Sicily Radulphus Niger Monk of St. Germer St. Elizabeth Abbess of Schonaw St. Aâ—â—â—ed Abbot of Reverby 1153 IX Eugenius dies July 8th at Tivoli ANASTASIUS IV. is chosen in his place two days after I. II. XI Pope Eugenius grants by a Bull to the Canons of St Peter at Rome the fourth part of all the Offerings that were made in that Church Alanus a Native of Burg de Reninghen near Ypres in Flanders and Abbot of Larivoir is ordain'd Bishop of Auxerre Henry Archbishop of York being dead this Year William his Competitor who had been Chosen and Consecrated Archbishop of that Church in 1140. but before whom Henry was preferr'd by Pope Innocent takes a Journey to Rome where he obtains of Pope Anastasius the confirmation of his Archiepiscopal Dignity and the Pall. However he does not long enjoy this Archbishoprick dying in the next Year The Cardinals Bernard and Gregory the Pope's Legates in Germany depose Hâ—â—â—y Archbishop of Mentz Robert Abbot of Dunes succeeds St. Bernard in the Abbey of Clairvaux  The Death of St. Bernard August 〈◊〉 1154 II. Anastasius dies Decemb. 4th having for his Successor ADRIAN IV. Reign of Henry II. his Successor according to the truest Opinion III. The
Frederick and the rest of the Crosses to go for the Holy Land and that he used the Sword of Excommunication against this Emperor for putting off his Voyage We shall not here repeat what we have before spoken of his dealings with the Emperor which were at last the cause of his Death that fell out on the 30th of September 1241. The Letters of this Pope are much better written than the greatest part of the Letters of any of the Popes of that time There are a great many about his Differences with Frederick others against Hereticks some to St. Louis King of France and the Queen his Mother about the Differences of that Prince with the King of England against the Albigenses and in favour of some Bishops of France This is the Subject of one and thirty Letters of this Pope which are in the Collection of the Councils There are ninety seven of his in Vaddingus and a great number besides in the Ecclesiastical History of Rainaldus who has amass'd them almost all together The great Bullary furnishes us with a dozen among which are the Bulls of the Canonization of St. Francis of St. Anthony of Padua of St. Dominick and of St. Elizabeth Father Dachery has published thirteen of them in the third Tome of his Spicilegium Lastly there are many Fragments of his Decretal Letters in the Collection of five Books of Decretals which he had made by Raimundus of Pennafort and which he approved of forbidding the use of any other Collection in the Schools and Ecclesiastical Tribunals or the making of any other without an express order from the Holy See Thirty days after the Death of Gregory the Ninth Godfrey of Chastillon a Frenchman Cardinal Celestin the Fourth of St. Sabina was by his singular Piety and compleat Learning recommended to the Popedom and took the name of CELESTIN the Fourth but he enjoyed it but eighteen days at the end of which he died overloaded with old Age and Infirmities so that we must not wonder we have no Letters of his After his Death the Holy See was vacant for about nineteen months and then Sinibaud Cardinal Innocent the Fourth of the Title of St Laurence was chosen Pope the 24th of June in the year 1243. and took the name of INNOCENT the Fourth and was consecrated at Anagni the 28th of the same month He lived in the Holy See three years and some months and so has left us many Letters written during his Popedom There are nineteen of them in the Collection of Councils without counting those four that are in the General Council of Lyons In the tenth to his Legate in Cyprus he resolves divers Questions concerning some Contests between the Bishops of the Greek and Way in that Kingdom and he there determines 1. That the Greeks ought to observe the Custom of the Roman Church in the Unctions of Baptism 2. That yet it may be allowed them to anoint the whole Body of the Baptized 3. That it signifies nothing whether they use hot or cold Water in Baptism 4. That none but Bishops have right to anoint the Forehead of the Baptized with Holy Chrism 5. That every Bishop might consecrate the Holy Chrism That if the Greeks had a mind to follow their own way according to which the Bishops are to consecrate it with their Archbishop and the Archbishop with the Patriarch they might be easily allowed it 6. That Priests ought not to give Unction to Penitents instead of Satisfaction 7. But that extream Unction ought to be given to sick People 8. That the Greeks might make use of hot Water or cold as they pleased in the Sacrifice of the Altar provided they thought one might consecrate as well with the one as the other 9. That they ought not to be allowed to keep the Eucharist a year but that it ought to be renewed every five days 10. That the Greeks might be left to use their own Ceremonies in the Mass provided they used the same Form of Consecration that Jesus Christ did and did not stay till past the None Hour 11. That the Priests may call the Hours as they please and are used but that they should not celebrate when they had not said Mattins 12. That the Priests ought to be examined to see whether they are fit and capable of reading the Office and celebrating the Mass. 13. That every Priest should offer the Sacrifice in a Chalice of Gold or Silver or Tin with a white clean Linen Corporal and upon an Altar decently set forth 14. That Women are by no means to be suffered to serve at the Altar 15. That though the Greeks would do better if they fasted every day of the Lent yet they might be left to the way they were used to 16. That married Priests who had the care of Souls ought not to be hindred from taking the Confessions of their Parishioners and imposing Penances on them 17. That for all that it shall be free for the Bishops to settle and appoint Priests in their Diocesses to take the Confessions of Penitents to enjoin Penances and to act in their name 18. That Fornication Soluti cum soluta is a deadly Sin 19. That the Greeks should be obliged to give the seven Orders although they had hitherto neglected it still omitting the three lower ones 20. That the Greeks ought not to condemn all third and fourth Marriages 21. That nevertheless Priests should not give their Blessing upon second Marriages 22. That they should not marry so as they did within the fourth degree of Kindred and Affinity 23. That those Greeks who acknowledged that the Souls of those who died without being wholly cleansed from their Sin might exist after death and be eased by the Prayers of the Living were obliged to call this place where they are Purgatory 24. That those who die in a state of deadly Sin shall be damned for ever 25. That the Souls of Infants who are baptized and of just men who have no more satisfaction to make go directly at their Death to an eternal Country 26. That Abbots and Monks should observâ— the Rules of the Holy Fathers The thirteenth Letter is a Confirmation of the Laws made by the Emperor Frederick against Hereticks And the eighteenth forbids excommunicating or interdicting the Estates of the King of France without particular Orders from the Holy See Râ—â—naldus recounts many other Letters of this Pope in his Annals There are sixteen of them in the Great Bullary of which some are the same with those in the Collection of the Councils and the others are Confirmations or Privileges of Orders and the Canonizations of Saints Father Vaddingus has got together 98 which concern his Order This Pope died the seventh of December 1254. His Successor was Rainaud of Anagni of the Family of the Earls of Signi a Kinsman of Innocent Alexander the Fourth the Third's and Gregory the Ninth's the latter of which had made him Cardinal He was elected on the 21st of
contains the Life of Scotus and the Testimonies of Eminent Men about his Works his Speculative Grammar which some have falsly attributed to Albert of Saxony a Monk of the Order of S. Augustine His large Questions upon all Logick with the Commentaries of Maurice de Porto Archbishop of Tuam which were before printed at Venice in 1512. and 1600. The Second Tome contains his Commentaries upon the Eight Books of Aristotle's Physicks with the Notes of Francis de Pitigianis of Aretium in Italy which had been printed before at Venice in 1504. and 1597. and after at Lyons 1597. Lucas Waddingus proves that they are not Scotus's There are in the same Tome some imperfect Questions upon Aristotle's Books de Animâ With the Notes of Hugh Cavell Archbishop of Armagh The Third Tome contains divers Treatises of Philosophy The Fourth Tome has his Commentaries upon Aristotle's Physicks with his Metaphysical Conclusions and Questions The Six following Tomes contain his Commentaries upon the Four Books of the Sentences which he made at Oxford with the Notes of Cavell Lichet Poncius and Hiquaeus These Books had been printed before at Venice in 1516. and 1597. at Antwerp in 1620. and elsewhere The Eleventh Tome contains Four Books called Reportata Parisiensia which are an Abridgement made at Paris of his Larger Comment with the Notes of Cavell and Waddingus who observes that this Work is much inferior to the former in Stile and Doctrine It hath been printed by it self at Paris in 1519. and 1600 and at Venice in 1597. The last Tome contains his Quodlibetical Questions with the Notes of Cavell and Lichet which had been before printed at Paris in 1519. Trithemius makes mention of some Sermons of Scotus's upon Time and upon the Saints a Commentary upon the Gospels and Epistles of S. Paul with some other Treatises Bale also attributes to him a Commentary upon Genesis a Treatise of the Perfection of the Monks in which this Question is treated of Whether the Condition of Prelates ought to be preferred before the State of Monks but time must bring them forth to light with many others Works which lie yet undiscovered The Famous Raimundus Lullus descended of a Noble Family in Catalonia was Born in the Raimundus Lullus Isle of Majorca in the Year 1236. He spent the first part of his Life in the Court of James King of that Isle and did not retire from the World till he was Forty years old to enter which is hardly credible into the Order of Grey-Friars From that time he began to Study with so great Diligence that in a little time he made a great Progress in the Oriental Tongues and Liberal Sciences He found out afterward a New Method of Arguing and did all he could to get a Permission to teach at Rome but not obtaining it of Pope Honorius IV. he resolved to put in execution a Design which he had of a long time conceived to Convert the Mahometans Being therefore arrived according to this Resolution at Tunis he had a Conference there with the Sarazens in which he was in great danger of losing his Life and had not been saved but upon Condition that he should depart out of Africa and if ever he returned should be put to Death He then came to Naples where he taught his Method till the Year 1290. when he went again to Rome 〈…〉 get Leave to teach in that City but Beniface VIII who was then in the Holy See deâ—… him From thence he went to Genoa where he Composed several Works and passing from thence through Majorca he came to Paris where he taught his Art Then he returned to Majorca where he had frequent Disputations against the Sarazens Jacobites and Nestorians Then he returned to Genoa and Paris to confirm his Disciples in his Doctrine and again desired a Permission of Pope Clement V. to teach at Rome and being again refused he returned into Africk where he was put in Prison but being delivered from thence at the intreaty of the People of Genoa he Landed at Pisa having lost all his Books in his Voyage by a Shipwreck He then set himself to Preach up the Holy War and having gathered a good Summ of Money in Italy for that end he came to Pope Clement V. at Avignon but not meeting with a kind Reception from him he returned to Paris where he taught till the Council of Vienna to which he went and was earnest with them to establish Colleges in all places where he had taught the Oriental Tongues to Unite all the Military Orders of Monks into One to undertake the Holy War and to Condemn the Writings of Averrhoes but these Propositions were not regarded by the Council The rest of his Life is very fabulous Some say that after he had travelled into France and Spain and Sailed into England to sollicit those Kings to undertake the Holy War where he exercised Chymistry he returned into Majorca from whence he again passed into Africa and was Imprisoned there by the Sarazens who treated him so ill that he died of his Blows as he returned in a Genoa Ship June 29. 1315. in the 80th Year of his Age. The Knowledge and Learning of Raimundus Lullus was as extraordinary as his Life He found a Secret by ranging certain general Terms under different Heads in a Method which he had contrived to make such an Hotch-potch Language fit to talk of all manner of Things and yet the Hearers shall understand nothing particularly by it So that after a Man has heard a Lullist talk a long time upon any Matter he is no wiser nor learned than he was before They that will take the Pains to learn this Method may read his Introduction which is the First of his Works and his Cabala which is his Second in which he explains himself in a brief manner He has written also his Principles of Philosophy which are nothing else but Logick accommodated to his Method his Rhetorick his Great Art which contains an Application of his Method to all sorts of Subjects His Book of the Articles of Faith in which he proves Religion by Reason These Works are printed with some Commentaries of the Lullists at Strasburg in 1651. But there are a great Number of other Works written by this Author printed severally in divers places and among others The Philosophy of Love which is one of his principal Works Composed in 1298. and printed at Paris in 1516. A Treatise of Substance and Accident in which he undertakes to prove the Trinity by Reason Composed in the Year 1313. and printed at Valentia in Spain in 1520. A Tract of the Nativity of Jesus Christ Composed in 1310. and printed at Paris 1499. His Treatise called Blanquerna or of the Five States of Men viz. Married Monks Prelates Cardinals and Popes printed at Valentia in Spanish in 1521. A Treatise of Prayers Meditations and Contemplations or Of the Lover and Loved printed at Paris in 1505. The Praise of the Virgin or the Art
of this Bishop in the Appendix of his Work Intituled Marcha Hispanica P. 1454. There is another Terrenâ named Arnoldus who is thought to be the Nephew of the former Arnoldus de Terrenâ of whom we have spoken He was a Doctor of Law and Sacrist of Perpignan who flourished about the End of this Age and wrote about the Year 1373. a Treatise of the Mass and Canonical Hours and Theological Questions which he Compiled at Avignon which Works are found in MS. in Mr. Colbert's Library Franciscus Mayronius Born at Digne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Grey-Friar a Scholar of Scotus being Batchelor Francis Mayronius of Divinity in the University of Paris first introduced by his Example an Act in the Sorbonne which is held from Morning to Night in the Schools of the Sorbonne by one Respondent without any President and without interruption There he received the Doctor 's Cap in 1323. and died at Placentia in 1325. His Comments upon the Four Books of the Sentences and some other Treatises of School-Divinity have been printed at Venice in 1517 1520 1556 and 1567. His Sermons upon Lent and the Saints-Days were printed in the same City in 1491 and 1493. and at Basil in 1598. The following Treatises of the Poverty of Jesus Christ and his Apostles of the Cardinal Virtues and Vices Of the Articles of Faith Of Baptism Of Humility Of Indulgences Of the Body of Jesus Christ Of the Angels Of Prayers for the Dead Of Penances Of Fasting Of the Last Judgment Of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit Upon the Lord's Prayer and the Magnificat were printed at Basil in 1498. He has an Explication upon the Ten Commandments which is printed at Paris in 1619. Theological Truths upon S. Austin and the City of God printed at Tholouse in 1488. and at Venice in 1489. His Commentaries upon the Predicaments upon the Categories and upon Aristotle's Books of Physicks were printed at Venice in 1517. and some other Works yet in MS. are in several Libraries as that of Mr. Waddingus and the Grey-Friars at Leige Bertrandus de Turre a Grey-Friar of the Diocess of Cahors and General-Minister of the Province Bertrandus de Turre of Aquitain was made Archbishop of Salerne in 1319. and in the following Year Cardinal-Priest of S. Vitalis by John XXII and lastly Bishop of Frescati He was appointed in 1328. Vicar or Administrator-General of the Order of Grey-Friars and approved of the Deposition of Michael de Caesenas in the Assembly of a General Chapter of that Order held at Paris in 1329. He died in 1334. He Composed several Sermons which are in several Libraries Two Volumes of them are in the Library of Cardinal de Bouillon and Three in that of the Sorbonne His Sermons upon the Epistles of the Year were printed at Strasburg in 1501. Durandus de S. Porciano a Village in the Diocess of Clermont in Auvergne of the Order of Durandus à S. Porciano Friars-Preachers a Doctor of Paris flourished in that University from 1313. when he was Licentiate to 1318. when he was made Bishop of Puy or Annecy by the Pope from whence he was translated in 1326. to the Bishoprick of Meaux which he governed to 1333. in which he is said to have died His chief Work is a Treatise of Divinity upon the Four Books of the Sentences which he began when he was very Young and finished a little before his Death as he himself tells us In them he departs much from the Opinions of S. Thomas and Scotus and taught several Doctrines very particular and bold which gave him the Name of the Most resolute Doctor This Commentary was printed at Venice in 1561. several times and at Lyons in 1595. He also Composed a Treatise about the Ecclesiastical Power upon the Occasion of the Question which was disputed upon that Subject in France in 1329. between the Bishops and Peter de Cuguieres of whom Peter Bertrandus makes mention upon the Sixth Book of the Decretals which was printed at Paris in 1506. He also Composed a Treatise against the Opinion of John XXII about the State of Souls but we have it not as also an Instruction for his Clergy and some Sermons Odericus de Port-Naon in Friuli a Grey-Friar after he had travelled a long time in the East Odericus de Port-Naon and Preached the Gospel in Asia and the Indies Composed a Relation of the Wonders of the Eastern Tartars which is in MS. in some Libraries in England and a short Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the Papacy of John XXII Some Sermons and Letters Guido Abbot of S. Denys in France flourished about the Year 1320. and was Abbot of Guido that Abby between Giles de Pontoise who died in 1325. and Walter de Pontoise who succeeded him in 1333. He made some Notes upon Usuardus's Martyrolegy which is in MS. in the Library of S. Victor William of Nottingham a Canon and Chanter of the Church of York and after a Franciscan William of Nottingham Monk flourished in England about 1320. and died Octob. 5. 1336. None of his Works are printed but there are several of them in the Libraries of England and among others some Questions upon the Four Gospels Reflections upon all the Gospels of the Year Questions upon the Lord's Prayer and a Treatise against the Errors of Pelagius William Mount an Englishman Canon of Lincoln flourished in 1330. and Composed several William Mount Works which are in MS. in the English Libraries These are the Titles of some of them which are published Collections with a Paraphrase upon the Psalms The Mirrour of Penance A Summ for Pastors Theological Distinctions Sermons A Numeral A Similitudinary and a Treatise of Tropes Philip de Montcalier in Piedmont became a Monk in the Convent of Grey-Friars at Tholouse Philip de Montcalier and was after Divinity-Lecturer at Padua He Composed in 1330. a Postill upon all the Gospels of the Year and Sermons for the whole Year The Abridgment of his Sermons drawn up by Janselmus de Canova Keeper of the Covent of Cordeliers at Cuma was printed at Lyons in 1510. and 1515. This Author lived to 1350. or thereabouts Astesanus so called from the Village of Ast in Piedmont where he was Born a Grey-Friar Astesanus is the Author of a Summ of Cases of Conscience divided into Eight Books which was printed at Noremburg in 1482. by the Care of Bellatus and Gometius and since at Venice in 1519. from whence Antonius Augustinus hath taken his Penitentiary Canons printed at Venice in 1484. This Author lived to the Year 1330. There is another Astesanus of the same Order who flourished some time after whom Waddingus believes to be the Author of some Commentaries upon the Books of the Sentences upon the Revelation and some Sermons which are not printed Nicholas de Lyrâ a Town of the Diocess of Eureux was Born of Jewish Parents who taught Nicholas
de Lyra. him the Hebrew Tongue but being converted he became a Monk in the Monastery of Grey-Friars at Verneuill in 1291. and having stayed some time there he went to Paris where he read Lectures several Years upon the Holy Scripture in the Great Covent of Cordeliers at Paris where he died Octob. 23. 1340. He made use of the Learning which he had gotten when he was a Jew to explain the Holy Scripture literally and made Postills upon all the Holy Books He began this Work in 1293. and ended it in 1330. In them he shews a great deal of Jewish Learning and makes a very good use of the Comments of the Rabbies and among others of Rabbi Solomon Isaac or Jarchi The first Edition of this Work was put out at Rome under the Papacy of Sixtus IV. in 1471. by the Care of John D' Allena It has been since printed at Basil in 1508. and at Lyons in 1529. But the most perfect Edition is that of Francis Feuardentius John Dadreus and James de Cuilly at Lyons in 1590. which they put out after they had compared it with the MSS. It is printed since in the Bible with Glosses at Doway in 1617. at Antwerp in 1634. and in the great Bible of Father Le Haye in 1660. He hath also Composed some Moral Comments upon the Holy Scripture which were printed at Venice in 1516. and in 1588. Large Postills or Explications upon the Gospels of all the Sundays in the Year We have also a Treatise of his concerning the Person that Administers and him that Receives the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which has been printed in Germany without Date with a Work of S. Thomas upon the same Subject A Disputation against the Jews printed at Venice with his Commentaries A Book against a Jew who made use of the New Testament to oppose the Doctrine of Jesus Christ printed with the Edition of his Postills in 1529. Waddingus attributes to him a Writing of the Life and Actions of S. Francis but because no other Authors mention it I believe it is not his Trithemius makes mention of his Sermons and we meet with some Large Commentaries upon the Holy Scriptures in Libraries which bear his Name Some Authors say That he made some Comments upon the Books of the Sentences Some Quodlibetical Questions a Treatise upon the Beatifick Vision An Exposition upon the Ten Commandments and some other Works PETRUS BERTRANDUS a Native of Annonay in Vivarois the Son of Matthaeus Bertrand and Peter Bertrand Agnes the Empress after he had Professed the Civil Law with great Reputation in the Universities of Avignon Orleans and Paris was made in 1320. the Chancellor of Joanna Queen of France and Dutchess of Burgundy who made him Executor of her Will and a little time after was made Bishop of Nevers from whence he was translated in 1325. to the Bishoprick of Autun The Conference that he had in 1329. with Peter de Cuguieres in which he defended the Rights of the Church in the presence of Philip de Valois King of France got him Abundance of Reputation He was made Cardinal of the Title of S. Clement in 1331. by John XXII through the recommendation of the King and Queen of France He Founded the College of Autun at Paris in 1341. and died June 24. 1349. in the Priory of Monsault which he had built near Avignon He reduced into Writing the Acts of the Conference held in 1329. in the King's Presence between the Bishops of the Realm the Chief of whom was Roger then nominated to the Arch-bishoprick of Sens and Peter de Cuguieres the King's Advocate who spoke for the King's Officers and Judges about the extent of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Jurisdiction The occasion of this Conference were the Complaints which the Prelates Officials and all the Clergy made against the Judges and King's Officers and against the Barons pretending that they encroached upon their Jurisdiction The King to support them and maintain a good Intelligence among all his Subjects as well Ecclesiastick as Civil gave a Command by his Letters dated Sept. 1. as well to the Prelates as Barons of the Kingdom to meet at Paris upon the Octaves of the Feast of S. Andrew to propose whatever they had to alledge against one another that they might live orderly for the future The Archbishops of Bourges Ausche Rouen and Sens met accordingly together with the Bishops of Beauvais Chalons Laon Paris Noyon Chartres Coutances Angiers Poictiers Meaux Cambray S. Flour S. Brieu Chalon upon Saone and Autun The King being come also thither with his Council and some Barons Peter de Cuguieres Knight and Counsellor of State spoke for the Rights of the King taking for his Text these words Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are Gods from whence he proved two things 1. That due Honour and Reverence ought to be paid to the King 2. That the Spiritual Authority ought to be separated from the Temporal of which the former belongs to the Prelates and the latter to the King and his Lords which he proved by several Reasons drawn from Fact and Right and in the end concludes That the Bishops ought to be contented with the Spiritual Power and the King ought to Protect them in Matters which are Subject to him This Discourse being finished he said in French That the intention of the King was to put himself in Possession of the Temporal Power and presented several Articles containing the Grievances and Attempts which he affirmed to be done by the Prelates and Clergy of the Realm of France or their Officers against the Temporal Jurisdiction of the King Barons and other Lords The greatest part of these Articles respect the Encroachments which the Ecclesiastical Judges had made upon Civil Justice in taking upon them the Cognizance of Civil and Real Causes under divers Pretences and presuming to forbid the Lay-Judges The Prelates desired time to consider before they gave their Answer and obtained till Friday following when Roger the Archbishop of Sens Elect carried word to the King who was at the Castle of S. Vincent and after he had protested that what he was about to say was not with an intention to submit himself to the Judgment of the King but only to instruct his Majesty and the Conscience of his Attendants he took for his Text these words of the First Epistle of S. Peter Fear God Honour the King and shewed from them that Fear and Love was due unto God which engage Men to give Liberally to him to Honour him reverently and give him all his Dues Secondly That all Men are obliged to obey their Prelates and that the Kings of France who had honour'd them more than other Princes have been always most happy Thirdly That we must render to God what is really his and in this Point he opposed what Peter de Cuguieres had said of the two Jurisdictions maintaining that though they were distinguished yet
this Author to prove That the Friars-Preachers may have Goods and Revenues It is observed by the Continuer of the Chronicon of William de Nangis that in the Year 1331. Peter de Palude and some other Doctors were of Opinion That a Friar-Preacher who knew by Confession the Story of the Forgery of certain Letters produced by Robert d'Artois to prove his Right to that County might do it without Sinning yea he was obliged to discover it because that Story was not the Sin which made part of the Confession and his Opinion was followed by all the Doctors that were present although it was not the Common Opinion FRANCIS PETRARCH Born July 20. 1304. at Arezzo of a Father a Native of Florence but Francis Petrarch banished his Country He was brought up at Ancisa till he was 18 Years old when he returned with his Parents to Pisa and from thence was brought to Avignon He Studied Grammar Rhetorick and Philosophy at Carpentras and Civil Law at Montpellier and Bononia Having tasted of Law because he was not to be of that Profession he left it when he was 22 Years of Age and having taken a Journey into Italy and France he retreated into the Valley of Clausa near Avignon where he gave himself up wholly to the Study of Human Learning Oratory History and Poetry and arrived at such Perfection in them that his fame being spread far he was invited to Rome where he was Crowned with Laurels in 1343. He was the first that recovered the Ancient Love of Human Learning and revived it in Europe which had lain buried a long time and caused Men to return from that Barbarism which had reigned till then by inspiring many with a desire to imitate him About the end of his Life he was made a Canon of Padua and died near that City July 14. 1374. It is not upon the account of his Eloquence or Pieces of Poetry or Works of Profane Learning which he made in great Numbers that we put him among Ecclesiastical Writers but because he Composed several Books of Morality in which he establishes the Principles and Maxims of Religion viz. Two Books of the Remedies of both Fortunes which are full of Christian Morality Two Books about a Solitary Life in which he relates several Examples of Christian Monks Two Books of the Leisure of Monks in which he commends the Holy quiet of Religious Persons Two Books of the Contempt of the World full of excellent Morality A Paraphrase upon the Seven Penitential Psalms to which we may joyn a Treatise against Covetousness and some others There are also several Letters of his which concern the Affairs of the Church of his time in which he treats of some Points of Christian Morality He speaks very freely against the Popes at Avignon and against the Disorders of the Court of Rome The Works of Petrarch have been printed at Basil in 1554. and in 1581. JOHN BACON or BACONTHORP so called from a Village in Norfolk in England a Carmelite John Bacon or Baconthorp having accomplished his Studies at Oxford came to Paris where he took his Degrees and returning into his Countrey was made Provincial of his Order in 1329. Four Years after he made a Voyage to Rome he died at London in 1346. This Monk was a famous Averrhoist He Composed a Comment or some Questions upon the Sentences printed at Milan in 1510 and 1511 at Cremona in 1518 at Paris and Venice An Abridgment of the Life of Jesus Christ and some Quodlibetical Questions printed at Venice in 1527. He also Composed a Treatise upon the Rule of the Carmelites an Abridgment of the History and Rights of that Order Some Comments upon St. Austin De Civitate Dei and the Trinity and upon a Treatise of S. Anselm Intituled Why God was made Man A Treatise against the Jews A Treatise of Poverty Some Commentaries upon all the Scripture A Treatise of the Beatifick Vision against John XXII and several Sermons JOHN BECANUS a Canon of Utrecht hath Composed a Chronicon of the Bishops of Utrecht John Becanus and Earls of Holland from S. Wilbrod to the Year 1346. This Chronicon has been continued to 1524. by William Hedanus Canon of Harlem printed at Franeker in 1612. and at Utrecht in 1643. SIMON FIDATUS de CASSIA a Village near Rome an Hermit of S. Austin Founder of the Monastery Simon Fidatus of S. Catharine of Nuns of his own Order at Florence died Feb. 11. 1348. He was famous for his Devotion and in great Reputation for his Spiritual-mindedness and having a Gift of Prophecy He made a considerable Work about the Actions of Jesus Christ divided into Five Books dedicated to a Lawyer named Thomas de Corsinis printed at Colen in 1540. A Book of Virginity printed at Basil in 1517. Trithemius makes mention of these following Treatises of this Author A Book of the Christian Doctrine A Treatise of Patience An Explication of the Creed The Mirrour of the Cross The Discipline of the Monks called Spiritual and some Letters JOANNES ANDREAE not Joannes Andreas as some stile him the most famous Lawyer of his Joannes Andreae time was a Native of Mugello in Italy He taught 45 Years in the University of Bononia and died in that City July 7. 1348. These Works of his are Extant Novels or Commentaries upon the Five Books of Decretals printed at Venice in 1581. Two Commentaries upon the Sixth Book One of them he made when he was young called His Apparatus the other when he was older called A Novel The first is in the Body of Law the other is printed with his Novel upon the Decretals His Glosses upon the Clementines printed at Lyons in 1572. His Additions to the Mirrour of William Durandus A Tree of Consanguinity Affinity and Propinquity as well Spiritual as Legal printed at Basil in 1517. Some Feudal Questions as also upon Marriage and Interdicts printed at Venice in 1584. A Summ about Affiances Marriage and Degrees of Consanguinity printed in Vol. VI. of Tractatus Tractatuum ROBERT HOLKOT a Native of Northampton in England a Preaching-Friar flourished in the Robert Holkot University of Oxford before the Year 1349. in which he died of the Plague after he had began his Lectures upon Ecclesiastes His printed Works are these A Commentary upon the Four Books of the Sentences printed at Lyons in 1497. 1510. and in 1518. Two Hundred and Thirteen Lectures upon the Book of Wisdom which are attributed in several MSS. to Arnoldus D' Alnâ— a Cistertian printed at Spires in 1483. at Ruthlingen in 1489. and at Venice in 1509. and 1586. His Moral Histories for the use of Preachers with a Table of S. Thomas upon the Gospels and Epistles of all the Year printed at Venice in 1505. and at Paris in 1510. His Lectures upon the Canticles and upon the Seven first Chapters of Ecclesiasticus printed at Venice in 1509. A Treatise about the Imputation of Sin and Four
other Questions printed at Lyons in 1497. and in 1518. A Commentary also upon the Proverbs of Solomon is attributed to him printed at Paris in 1515. but it belongs rather to Thomas Gualensis There are some other Works of Holkot's in MS. in the Libraries at Cambridge as his Quodlibetical Questions in Pembroke-Hall Sermons and Allegories in Peter-House RICHARD HAMPOLE Born in Yorkshire in England an Augustine Monk died Sept. 29. 1349. Richard Hampole has Composed several Treatises of Piety Some of them were printed at Cologne and are extant in the 26th Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum A Treatise of the Amendment of a Sinner An Explication of the Lord's Prayer Another of the Apostles and Athanasius's Creed The Praise of the Name of Jesus A Treatise of the Embraces of the Love of God An Exposition upon these words of the Canticles of Solomon The Daughters will love thee affectionately in which he also treats of the Love of God These Treatises are full of the Spirit and very affecting He also Composed several other Spiritual Commentaries upon the Holy Scripture as the Psalms Job Lamentations of Jeremiah A Treatise Intituled The Sting of Conscience Scala Mundi A Book of the Contempt of the World The Commendation of Chastity and some other Treatises which are found in the Libraries of England as the Cotton Archbishop of Canterbury's at Lambeth and Bodleian JOANNES HONSEMIUS or HOXEMIUS a Dutchmâ—n 〈◊〉 Canon of the Church of Leige made a Joannes Honsemius Continuation of the History of the Bishops of Leige composed by Aegidius Aureae Vallis from 1247. to 1348. It is printed in the Collection of Historians upon the same Subject put out by Joannes Chapeavillus and printed at Leige in 1613. GERARDUS ODONIS a Native of Rovergne in France a Grey-Friar was chosen General of Gerardus Odonis that Order in 1329. in the place of Michael de Caesena and after preferred to the Dignity of Archbishop of Antioch by John XXII he died at Catana in 1349. He Composed a Comment upon the Ten Books of Aristotle's Morals printed at Venice in 1500. The Office of the Marks of S. Francis is attributed to him There is in the Covent of Cordeliers at Mirepoix in Languedoc a MS. Treatise of the Figures of the Bible which bears his Name and in the Vatican Library a Comment upon the Books of the Sentences Two Philosophical Questions and some Commentaries upon several Books of Scripture as Waddingus testifies in his Biblioth Frat. Min. p. 145. JACOBUS FOLQUIER an Hermite of S. Austin a Doctor and Reader of Divinity at Tholouse Jacobus Folquier dedicated in 1345. to Clement VI. a Work Intituled Viridarium Gregorianum or Allegories upon all the Books of Scripture which are found in MS. in the Library of the Great Augustines at Paris BERNARDUS Abbot of Mont-Cassin who flourished about 1347. Composed a Book Intituled Bernard The Mirrour of the Monks of the Order of S. Benedict printed at Paris in 1507. A Commentary upon the Rule of S. Benedict which is found in MS. in some Libraries Trithemius also mentions a Book of Regular Precepts and Sermons for his Monks THOMAS BRADWARDIN an Englishman of the Order of Grey-Friars Chancellor of the University Thomas Bradwardin of Oxford Confessor to Edward III. was chosen Archbishop of Canterbury in 1348. by a Chapter of that Church two several times for the King of England and the Pope having preferred John Ufford the first time before him he was not consecrated but this last dying a little time after he was chosen a Second time and his Election being confirmed by the Pope and approved by the King he was consecrated at Avignon by Cardinal Bertrandus but he died within Forty Days after his Ordination and before he had taken Possession of his Archbishoprick This Author Sirnamed the Profound Doctor Coomposed a large Work Intituled The Cause of God and the truth of Causes against Pelagius published by Sir H. Savil and printed at London in 1618. in which he strongly maintains the Principles of S. Austin and S. Thomas concerning the Operation and Power of God over the Actions of his Creatures Some attribute to him also a Treatise of Geometry and Arithmetick viz. a Treatise of Proportions printed at Venice in 1505. A Treatise of Speculative Arithmetick printed at Paris in 1502. and a Treatise of Geometry printed at Paris in 1512. and 1530. Bradwardin in his Work De Caussâ Dei c. does not only treat of Liberty and Predestination but also of the Existence of God his Perfections Eternity Immutability Immensity and other Attributes particularly his Knowledge Power and Will He shews that God preserves all Beings that he hath Created That he doth all things immediately that are done by his Creatures That his Will is effectual invincible and immutable That all that he Wills infallibly comes to pass That the things which he knows are not the cause of his Knowledge but his Will He explains in what sense God Wills or Wills not Sin He proves the Necessity of Grace against Pelagius and shews that it is gratis given and that Man deserves not the first Grace That it is the immediate Cause of all good Actions and principally of Repentance He holds Predestination to be gratuitous and rejects the middle Knowledge These are the Chief Points he treats of in his First Book His Second Book is upon Free Will He affirms That it consists not in being able to Will or not Will the same thing but in a Power of Willing freely all that we ought to choose and willing all that we ought not to choose He shews that no Second Cause can necessitate the Will but that the free Will cannot conquer Temptations without the special Assistance of God which is nothing else but his invincible Will That without this help no Man can avoid Sin That Perseverance is the Effect of Grace Lastly He explains the Co-operation of Man's Will with God's He affirms That God hinders not Liberty though he causes a kind of Necessity He treats of several Kinds of Necessity and Contingence and recites several Opinions of Philosophers and Divines about the Contingency of things which he numbers as far as 33. and concludes that all future things happen by one kind of Necessity with relation to Superior Causes which agrees nevertheless with Liberty but that is not Absolute Natural violent or forced He concludes his Works with a brief Recital of the Errors which he hath opposed and the Truths he hath established which he hath reduced to 36 Propositions ALBERICUS de ROSATE or ROXIATI Born in Bergamo a Lawyer flourished about 1350. He hath Composed a Commentary upon the Sixth Book of the Decretals printed in the Collection Albericus de Rosate of the Treatises of Famous Lawyers made at Venice in 1584. A Dictionary of the Civil and Canon Law printed at Venice in 1573. and 1601. and some other Treatises of Civil Law PETRUS de PATERNIS an Hermit of the
followed He treats in the last Article of the Mass its Ceremonies and Prayers This Treatise is printed in the Bibliotheca Patrum and by its self at Louvain in 1568. The same Author has Composed an History of the Three Bishops of Leige viz. Engelbert de la Marca John de Arkel and Arnold de Horn from 1347. to 1386. published by Chapeaville in his History of Leige printed at Leige in 1616. Tom. 3. JOANNES TAMBACUS or de TAMBACH a Town in Alsatia a Monk of the Order of Friars-Preachers John de Tambach in the Monastery of Strasburg afterward Rector of the University of Prague and created Master of the Sacred Palace by Urban V. in 1366. He died in the following Age being above 80 Years old He Composed a Work entitled The Consolation of Theology or the Looking-glass of Wisdom or Patience finished in 1386. printed at Paris in 1493. at Colen in 1502. at Nuremburg in 1509. Father Alexander cites another Work of this Author's of Nature and Grace which is in MS. in the Library of the great Convent of Jacobins or White-Friars at Paris Trithemius also mentions a Treatise of John Tambacus Of the Delights of Paradise and some Sermons RAYMUNDUS JORDANUS whose Works have gone a long time under the Name of Idiota lived Raymundus Jordanus about the End of this Age and was a Canon-Regular Provost of that Order in Usez and then Abbot of Cella in Berry All his Works which have been printed several times in the Bibliotheca Patrum under the Name of Idiota were put out under his Name by the Jesuite Theophilus Raynaudus and printed at Paris in 1654. They consist of Eleven Contemplations upon different Subjects A Treatise of the Virgin Three Books of a Monk's Life The Spiritual or Mystical Eye which Waddingus attributes to Joannes Guallensis Rules of a Christian Life which rather belong to Picus Mirandula A Paraphrase upon the 15th Psalm FRANCISCUS XIMENIUS of Gironne in Spain Bishop of Elne or Perpignan and dignified with the Francis Ximenius Title of Patriarch of Jerusalem flourished at the End of this Age and in the Beginning of the next He left us some Works of Piety and among others A Book of the Angelical Life printed at Alcala or Complutum in 1527. A Treatise De Scalâ Coeli or the Ladder of Heaven printed at Barcelona in 1501. A Treatise for the Instruction of Bishops and Superiors entitled Pastorale or a Pastoral printed at the same place in 1495 Four Books of a Christian Life printed at Valentia in 1484. and at Granada in 1496. ANTONIUS de BUTRIO a Lawyer of Bononia flourished at the end of this Age and in the beginning Anthony de Butrio of the next He has Composed a Commentary upon the Five Books of the Decretals printed at Venice in 1578. Another Comment upon the Sixth printed at the same place in 1575. A Repertory of the Canon and Civil Law printed several times in several places and some other Treatises of the Civil Law He died as some say Octob. 7. 1408. and as others in 1417. LUCIUS COLUCCIUS PIERUS SALUTATUS de STIGNANO Chancellor of Florence and Secretary Lucius Coluccius to Urban V. and Gregory XI succeeded Petrarch in the Imperial Dignity of Learning i. e. was made Poet Laureate after him He flourished from 1360. and died not till May 12. 1406. We have only two Letters of his The one in Commendation of Cardinal Nicholas de Capocia dedicated to Nicholas Auximus the Chief Notary of the Pope The other to Brunus the Pope's Secretary containing the Commendation of Urban V. and a Petition addressed to the King of France in the Name or the People of Florence against the Faction of the Gibelines presented in 1404. Ancient Pieces which have been published by Mr. Baluzius in the Fourth Tome of his Miscellanies This Author also wrote two Books of the true Religion A Discourse of the Excellency of the Civil Law above Physick A Book of Fortune and Destiny Several-Letters A small Work entitled Loculum Noctis or The Night-Pouch which are in MS. in the Libraries of Florence The Letters of his which Mr. Baluzius has published give us a sufficient Proof of the Ingenuity Elegancy and Politeness of this Author Some attribute to HENRY de BAUME or de PALMA a Grey-Friar who lived about the end of Henry de Baume this Age a Treatise of Mystical Divinity which is printed among the Works of S. Bonaventure and which others attribute to John de Parma BERTRAND de TRILLE of the Diocess of Nismes of the Order of Preaching-Friars flourished Bertrand de Trille about the end of the Age. He Composed a Commentary upon the Books of the Sentences which is in MS in the Library of S. Victor Some attribute to him certain Postills upon the Scripture and some Works of Philosophy JOANNES GROSSIUS or GROSSUS a Native of Tholouse General of the Carmelites from 1389. John Grosse till after 1409. has Composed two Works in honour of his own Order the one entitled Viridarium or the Orchard of the Order of the Carmelites and the other of the Illustrious Men of that Order Printed with the Mirrour of the Carmelites made by Ribotus at Venice in 1507. and in the New Mirrour of the Carmelites printed at Antwerp in 1680 Tom. IV. MICHAEL AIGRIANUS or AIGNANUS a Carmelite of Bononia and Doctor of Paris was chosen Michael Aigrianus General of his Order in 1381. and died Dec. 1. 1416. He is the Author of a Commentary upon the Psalms published several times under the Name of an Unknown Author and printed under that Title at Alcala or Complutum in 1524. at Lyons in 1588. and 1602. at Venice in 1603. and in his own Name at Lyons in 1652. and 1673. Trithemius attributes to him these following Works A Book of the Conception of the Virgin Four Books upon the Sentences A Book of Questions upon the Sentences Commentaries upon the Gospels of S. Matthew and S. Luke A Table of S. Gregory's Morals A Table of Decrees His Sermons for Lent A Dictionary in Three Volumes which his Death prevented the finishing of Notes upon Valerius Maximus and upon the Books of Aristotle's Morals FRANCIS ZABAREL or de ZABARELLIS a Doctor of Law of Padua Professor at Florence and Francis Zabarel Master of the famous Nicholas the Panormitam Abbot was raised to the Dignity of Arch-Priest for his Merit and after made Bishop of Padua but he refused this last Preferment as also the Archbishoprick of Florence and was at length made Cardinal of the Title of SS Cosmus and Damianus by John XXIII He was present at the Council of Constance and died in that City in 1417. Nov. 6. in the 78th Year of his age He composed Commentaries upon the Five Books of Decretals printed at Venice in 1602. a Commentary upon the Clementines printed at the same place in 1481. A Treatise of the Authority of the Emperor to suppress Schisms
for though there were some difference between them they had all very near the same Principles and the same way of Living iâ—somuch that they are often confounded or joined one with the other by the Authors of those times The Ringleaders of this Sect were two Voâ—aries of the Oâ—â—er of the Grey-â—riars Peâ—er de Macerata and Peter de Foro-Sempronio who obtained from Pope Celestine V. a lover of Râ—tirement leave to live as Hermits and to Practice the Discipline of St. Francis in the literal Sense They had many Followers and there was formed at Apulia a Sect of Volunteer Monks Vagabonds Loiterers without any Rule without Superiors who lived as they listed and made all their Perfection to consist in a seeming Poverty Pope Boniface VIII having Condemned them order'd the Inquisitors to proceed against them as Hereticks They retired into Sicily and began to rail against the Prelates and the Church About the same The Errors of Peter John Olivius time Friar PETER JOHN OLIVA de SERIGNANA a Grey-Friar of the Province of Bâ—ziers made his Commentary upon the Reâ—elations which the revolted Monks found very fit to authorize their Errors for he therein â—reats the Church of Rome as Babylon He there Promises a new Church more perfect than that of Jesus Christ had been to that time He brags of the Institution of St. Francis as an Evangelical Rule observed by JESUS CHRIST and the Apostles He there foretells the Destruction of the Carnal Church or Babylon under the happy Influence of St. Francis This Book having been brought into Italy by a Grey-Friar nam'd de Bodicis was received as a Fifth Gospel by the Frerots and the Begards Some undertook upon the Ground of this Prediction even to choose a Pope of this new Church They made themselves a peculiar The Practices of thâ— Spiritual Brethren General and Superiors built â—ew Monasteries took up a strait and close Habit continued to rail against the Church of Rome and to maintain with obstinacy the Errors which they had drawn out of Peter Oliva they added thereto That the Sacraments of the Church were useless because they which administred them had no Power of Jurisdiction or Authority John XXII Condemned them as we have observed in the beginning of his Papacy cried down the Commentary of Peter Oliva and â—as at open War with them Many retired into Germany where they were at quiet under the Protection of Lewis of Bavaria The Begards and Beguine They joined themselves there to the Begards and the Beguines This was an Institution or a Sect of Men and Women who wore a grey Habit professed to lead a Religious Life without being shut up in Monaâ—â—eries or Subject to Superiors who believed themselves arrived at the State of Perfection in thiâ— Life who railed against Popes against the Church and made no account of the Sacraments â—or the Practice of good Works Their Errors were Condemned and their Institutioâ— abolished in the Council of Vienna It is pretended that they were setled by GERHARD SEGARELLI of â—arma who after having given all his Estate to these Libertines Cerard Segarelli betook himself to Begging â—nd had muster'd up a company of poor People whom he had taught that the Kingdom of the Son who had govern'd with Wisdom being at an end that of the Holy Ghost which was a Kingdom of Love and Charity had succeeded it and that in this latter all things ought to be in common even the very Women DULCINUS of Novaria the Dulcinâ—s of Novâ—ria Disciple or Segarelli increased this Sect and to render it more considerable he taught that the Church of Rome her Prelates and her Ministers had lost all their Authority and that she was surpassed by those of his Sect which was the true and Spiritual Congregation This Dulcinus having drawn a great Number after him was set upon by the Troops which the Bishop of Verceil had â—aised taken on Holâ—-Thursday in the Year 1308. with a Woman whom he abused named Margaret and conducted to Verceil where he was burnt Some of his Disciples were kill'd or taken and the rest dispersed There was moreover in the beginning of this Century or rather at the close of the preceding Herman de Poâ—geâ—oup one of Ferrariâ— named HERâ—â—AN de PONGELOUP who was accused to have revived the shameful Doctrine of the Ancient Gnosticks and to have maintained that it was not permitted to Christians to exercâ—se Magistracy He died in Peace but his Heresie having been discover'd after his Death Boniface VIII ordered him to be dug up and his Bones to be Burnt It is said That the Disciples of both these made up the Sect of the Begards and the Beguines but there is more Segaâ—â—â— and Beguineâ— likelihood that it was formed by several Persons Men and Women some of which by an ill govern'd Devotion others out of a Spirit of Libertinism were desirous to live after a singular manner and imitate in shew the Poverty of the Friars Mendicants without being tied to Obedience or to the observance of any â—articular Rule It was impossible that these ignorant People and without Conduct abandon'd to their own Will and Genius should continue long in that state in the Purity of Doctrine and Manners The natural Pride of Men inclined them to esteem themselves better than otheâ—s and to blame the Prelates and the Inclination which Men naturally have to Pleasures drew them on into Disorders They shâ—â—k off at length intirely the Yoke of Obedience fell into strange Extravagancies and received into their Society all the Male-Contents and Revolters from the Church Insomuch That this Sect was made up of People of all Nations and all Opinions which had nothing common but the hatred they bore to the Pope the Prelates and the Church of JESUS CHRIST and the affectation of a voluntary Poverty under which they cover'd an infinite number of Disorders In the beginning of this very Century ARNOLDUS de VILLA NOVA a Catalonian Physician to Arnold of Villa Nova James King of Arragon an Eloquent Man broached some Errors at Paris which were condemned in the Year 1317. by John Longerus of the Order of Friars-Preachers Inquisitor and by the Grand Vicar of the Church of Tarragon during the Vacancy of that See Eymericus relates 5 Articles of the Errors of this Man The First was That the Humane Nature in JESUS CHRIST is in every thing equal to the Divinity The Second That the Soul of JESUS CHRIST presently after its Union knew all that the Deity knew The Third That the Devil hath perverted all Mankind and destroyed the Faith The Fourth That the Monks corrupt the Doctrine of JESUS CHRIST that they are without Charity and shall be damn'd The Fifth That the Study of Philosophy ought to be banisht the Schools and that Divines do very ill in making use of it The Sixth That the Revelation made to Cyril is of more value than the Holy Scriptures The Seventh That
Catholick Church GERARDUS An Hermite of S. Augustine and Bishop of Savona Flourish'd about the same time Works Lost. See the Catalogue of them p. 80. FRANCIS PETRARCH Born July 20. 1304 Flourish'd about 1340 died 1374. His Genuine Works c. Two Books of the Cures of both Fortunes Two Books of a Solitary Life Two Books of the Seisure of the Monks Two Books of the Contempt of the World A Paraphrase upon the Seven Penitential Psalms A Treatise against Covetousness Some Letters JOHN BACON A Carmelite made Provincial of his Order in 1329 and died in 1346. His Genuine Works c. An Abbridgment of the Life of Jesus Christ. Quodlibetical Questions A Commentary upon the Sentences Works in Manuscript Lost. See the Catalogue of them p. 68. SIMON FIDATUS de CASSIA An Hermite of S. Augustine Flourish'd about 1340 and died Feb. 11. 1348. His Genuine Works c. A Treatise of the Actions of our Lord. A Discourse about the Virgin Works Lost. See the Catalogue of them p. 69. JOANNES ANDREAE A Lawyer Flourish'd in the University of Bononia about 45 Years and died in 1348. His Genuine Works c. Novels or a Commentary upon the Five Books of the Decretals Two Commentaries upon the Sixth Book Glosses upon the Clementines An Addition to the Mirrour of Gulielmus Durantus A Tree of Consanguinity Feudal Questions about Marriages and Interdicts A Summary of Affiances Marriages and Degrees of Affinity GERHARD ODONIS A Grey Frier and Arch-Bishop of Antioch was chosen General of his Order in 1329 made Arch-Bishop of Antioch by Pope John XXII and died in 1349. His Genuine Works c. A Commentary upon the Ten Books of Aristotle's Morals The Office of the Marks of St. Francis ROBERT HOLKOTT A Preaching Friar Flourish'd in the University of Oxford about 1340 and died in 1349. His Genuine Works c. A Commentary upon the Four Books of the Sentences 203 Lectures upon the Book of Wisdom Historical Morals for Preachers A Table of S. Thomas upon the Gospels and Epistles of the Year Lectures upon the Song of Songs and the Seven First Chapters of Ecclesiasticus A Treatise upon the Imputation of Sin and Others RICHARD HAMPOLE An Hermite of St. Augustine Flourish'd about 1340 Dy'd in 1349. His Genuine Works Treatises of Piety of which see the Catalogue p. 69. JACOBUS FOLQUIERUS An Hermite of St. Augustine Flourish'd about 1345. A Manuscript Work Viridarum Gregoriinum or Allegories upon all the Books of the Bible MAXIMUS PLANUDES A Greek Monk Flourish'd in the Reign of Andronicus the Elder and was sent Ambassador to Aquileia in 1327. His Genuine Works A Treatise of the Procession of the Holy Ghost against the Latins Some Fragments of his Translation of St. Augustine's 15 Books of the Trinity into Greek A Sermon upon the Burial of Jesus Christ. A Sermon upon St. Peter and St. Paul MATTHEW BLASTARES A Greek Monk Flourish'd about 1335. His Genuine Works c. A Table of Canons A Treatise of the Causes or Questions about Marriage NILUS CABISILAS Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica Flourish'd under the two Andronicus's the Greek Emperors His Genuine Works c. A Treatise of the Causes of the Division of the Greek and Latin Churches A Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy BARLAAM Bishop of Hieracium sent to Pope Benedict XII in 1338. Excuses the Palamites in 1340 but being Condemn'd flies into the West where he was made Bishop of Hieracium His Genuine Works c. A Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy A Discourse about the Union of the two Churches the Greek and Latin Five Letters Two Letters of Morality GREGORIUS ACINDYNUS A Greek Monk Condemn'd in the Council of Constantinople in the Year 1341. His Genuine Works c. Two Books of the Essence and Operation of God A Poem in Jambick Verse against the Palamites Works Lost Five Volumes against Barlaam CREGORIUS PALAMAS Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica Accus'd in 1340. Absolv'd in 1346. Made Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica in 1347. His Genuine Works and Lost See the Catalogue of them p. 87. GUY de TERRENA A Carmelite Bishop of Perpignan was made General of his Order in 1318. Bishop of Majorca in 1331 and after of Elne or Perpignan He Dy'd in 1342. Genuine Works c. A Summary of Heresies Synodal Decrees Works in Manuscript Commentaries upon Gratian's Decrees A Treatise of the Perfection of Life or a Treatise of the Poverty of Jesus Christ. PHILLIP de MONTCALIER A Grey Frier Flourish'd at Padua in 1330 and Dy'd in 1350. A Genuine Works c. An Abbridgment of his Sermons Works Lost Postills upon the Gospels Sermons for all the Year PETRUS BERTRANDUS Cardinal Flourish'd in the Law-Schools before 1320 was made Bishop of Nevers about the same Year Translated to the Bishoprick of Autun in 1325. Made Cardinal in 1331. Dy'd in 1349. His Genuine Works The Acts of the Conference between the Clergy of France and Peter Cuguieres about the Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions A Treatise of the Original and Use of Jurisdiction or of the Ecclesiastical and Temporal Powers WILLIAM de MONTLEDUN Abbot of Monstierneuf Flourish'd in the University of Toulouse under the Papacy of Benedict XII Works in Manuscript Divers Treatises of Canon-Law of which see the Catalogue p. 67. PETRUS de PALUDE A Preaching Frier Patriarch of Jerusalem was a Licentiate in Divinity in the University of Paris in 1314 made Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1330 and dy'd in 1341. His Genuine Works c. A Comment upon the 3d. and 4th Books of the Sentences Sermons A Treatise of the immediate Cause of the Ecclesiastical Power Works in Manuscript A Comment upon the 1st and 2d Books of the Sentences Commentaries upon the whole Bible A Treatise of the Poverty of Jesus Christ against Michael Caesenas CLEMENT VI. Pope Chosen May 7. 1342. Crown'd May 12. Dy'd Decemb. 6. 1352. His Genuine Works c. Letters set down by Annalists by M. Balusius in the Second Tome of the Lives of the Popes of Avignon and in the Register of Bulls BARTHOLOMEW d'URBIN An Hermite of St. Augustine and Bishop of Urbin Made Bishop in 1343 and Dy'd in 1350. A Genuine Work Milleloquium of St. Augustine finish'd by this Author Milleloquium of St. Ambrose Works Lost. A Treatise against Lewis of Bavaria Works of Piety NICHOLAS CABASILAS Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica Flourish'd under the Emperor Cantacuzenus His Genuine Works The Life of Jesus Christ. An Exposition of the Liturgy A Treatise against Usury Works in Manuscript A Treatise against Thomas Aquinas A Commentary upon the Vision of Ezekiel NICEPHORUS GREGORAS Chartophylax of the Church of Constantinople Flourish'd under the Emperor Cantacuzenus His Genuine Works The Byzantine History A Funeral Oration upon the Death of Theodorus Metochita Notes upon the Book of Synesius of Dreams The Sufferings of St. Cordatus Manuscript Works A Treatise against Palamas A Treatise of Easter and others CALLISTUS Patriarch of Constantinople Chosen Patriarch in 1354. Dy'd in 1358. A Genuine Work An Homily upon the Exaltation of the
Utrâ—cht and Earls of Holland by John Becanus Canon of that City With Additions The History of the Bishops of Liege from 1247 to 1348. by Hortensius The History of S. Gothalmus by Bernard Dapifer A Chronicle of the Arch-Bishops of York by Thomas Stubbs The Life of Bartholus Bishop of Strasburg by Albert de Strasburg A Catalogue of Saints by Petrus de Natalibus The Mirrour of Carmelites by Ribot The Viridarium of that Order and their Illustrious Men by John Grossius The History of the Abbots of Canterbury by Thorn The History of the three Bishops of Liege by Radulphus de Rivo The Letters of Lucius Colutius Stignano The Lives of the Popes at Avignon by Peter Herentals The Passion of S. Cordatus by Nicephorus Gregoras Works of Morality A Summary for Confessors by John de Friburg A Treatise of the Poison of Mortal Sins and their Cure by Malachias A Moral Mirrour by Vitalis de Furno A Treatise of the Seven Estates of the Church by Ubertinus de Cassalis Some Treatises of Franciscus Mayronius A Summary of Cases by Astesanus A Summary of Cases call'd The Golden Summary by Monaldus A Summary of Cases by Bartholomew de S. Concordia Two Books of the Remedies of both Fortunes Two Books of a Solitary Life Two Books of the leisure of Monks Two Books of the Contempt of the World A Paraphrase upon the Penitential Psalms A Treatise against Avarice Some Letters By Petrarch An Addition to the Mirrour of Durantus by John Andreae A Treatise of Usury by Gregory Ariminens Nineteen Books of Morality by Bartholomew Glanvile A Treatise of the Care of a Common-wealth and the State of Sovereign Princes by Philip de Loydis The Consolation of Divinity or the Mirrour of Wisdom by John de Tambach Sophologia by Jacobus Magnus Two Letters of Morality by Baralam Works of Morality by Manuel Palaeologus the Greek Emperor Works of Piety and Mortification Hymns and Proses by Jacobus de Benedictis A Commentary of Augustinus Triumphus upon the Lord's Prayer and Angelical Salutation The Tree of a Crucifyed Life by Ubertinus de Casalis Five Treatises of Franciscus Mayronius The Works of Ludolphus a Carthusian A Treatise of the four Instincts And Sermons of the Passion by Henry de Urimaria A Treatise of the Actions of Jesus Christ and a Treatise of the Virgin by Simon de Cassia The Treatise of Richard Hampole The Mirrour of the Monks of S. Benedict by Bernard Abbot of Mount Cassin The Pomegranade by Gallus Abbot of Konigsael The Revelations Sermons and Rules of St. Bridget The Letters of St. Catharine of Sienna A Treatise of Providence by her as also A Discourse of the Annunciation of the Virgin The Divine Doctrine of the Eternal Father to the Holy Spirit by Raimundus de Vignes Three Works of Gerhard Groot The Works of Piety of Ruysbrokius The Mirrour of the Virgin by Bonaventure of Padua The Ascetick Treatises of Gerhard de Zutphen The Works of Raimundus Jordanus The Angelical and Christian Life of Fr. Ximenius The Mystical Divinity of Henry de Palma The Conformity of Jesus Christ and St. Francis by Bartholomew Albicius The Treatises of Piety of Manuel Palaeologus A Discourse of the Contempt of Death by Demet. Cydonius Six Books of the Praises of the Virgin by Barthol Albicius Sermons and Works about Preaching A Summary of Examples and Comparisons for Preachers by John de S. Geminiano Funeral Orations and Sermons for Lent by him A Sermon of Justus in a Chapter of the Carthusians A Summ for Preachers by John of Friburg Bishop of Osmo Sermons upon Sundays Lent and the Festivals of the Saints by Hugh de Prato Sermons upon the Immaculate Conception by Petrus Aureolus Sermons and Explications of the Gospel by Jacobus de Lausanna The Sermons of Franciscus Mayronius An Abbridgment of Sermons by Philip de Montcalier The Sermons of Peter de Palude Historical Morals for Preachers by Robert Holkot Sermons in commendation of the Virgin by Richard of Armagh The Sermons of Thaulerus The Dictionary Reductory and Inductory of the Bible by Petrus Bercherius A Summ of Sermons by Jordanus Saxo. Sermons for all the Year by Nicholas Gorham A Summ for Preachers by John Bromiard The Sermons of Bartholomew Glanvile The Sermons of Bartholomew Albicius The Sermons of Planudes upon the Burial of Jesus Christ. His Sermon upon St. Peter and St. Paul The Funeral Oration of Theodorus by Gregorius Metochita A Homily upon the Exaltation of the Cross by Callistus Patriarch of Constantinople The Sermons of Philotheus The Panegyrick of Theodorus by Manuel Palaeologus Commentaries upon the Books of the Fathers A Commentary upon the Books of St. Augustine De civitate Dei by Tho. Joisius Another Commentary upon the same Work by Nicholas Trivet A Milleloquium of St. Augustine begun by Triumphus and finish'd by Bartholmew Urban who also made the Milleloquium of St. Ambrose A Translation of St. Augustine's Books De Civitate Dei by Radulphus de Praelles A Treatise of Franciscus Mayronius upon St. Augustine De Civitate Die Philosophical Works A Commentary of Joannes Scotus upon Aristotle and other Treatises Some Treatises of Raymundus Lullius The Commentaries of Antonius Andreas the Scholar of Scotus upon the Books of Aristotle and Boethius The Philosophical Treatises of Ockam The Philosophical Treatise of John de Gaunt The Treatises of Franciscus Mayronius The Treatises of Walter Burley A Treatise upon the Eight Books of Aristotle's Physicks by John Canon A Commentary upon the Ten Books of Aristotle's Morals by Gerhard Odonis The Questions of Alphonsus Vargas upon the Three Books of Aristotle De Anima An INDEX of the Principal Matters contained in this Volume A ABbots Of their Election in France c. 47. They ought not to part those Goods which are common with their Monks 94 The Act of the Sorbonne first Introduc'd 62 Publick Acts. A Clause observ'd by the Apostolick Notaries 40 Adam de Valencour 17 Adulterers Excommunicated 93. And depriv'd of Christian Burial 98 Aleth made a Bishoprick 22 Amanaeus Arch-Bishop of Ausche His Constitutions 94 100 Appeals A Rule concerning them 47 Aquileia A Council held there by Gregory XII 46 Arch-Bishopricks Erected by Pope John XXII 22 Arch-Bishops How Elected in the Neutrallty for the Schism 47 Arch-Deacons Not to exact in their Visitations 93 Armenians United to the Church by Clement VI. 31 Arnoldus de Canteloup His Constitutions 105 Arnoldus de Montanier His Errors 115 Arnoldus de Villa Nova His Errors 113 Avignon The Popes that resided in that City 21 22 29 30 31 32. Asylum The Right of Churches to be Asyla 93 105 Attributes Some Propositions concerning the Divine Attributes recanted as Erroneous 114 B BAns of Marriage Necessary 95 97 110 Baptism The necessity of it 95. Its effects ibid. Forbidden to be administred out of the Church 96. The People to be instructed in its Form 97 98. Errors about it condemn'd in England 115 Barlaamites The subject of their contests with the
May in 1459. His Principal Work is an Historical Summary or a Tripartite Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the year 1459. which is nothing but a Collection taken out of many Historians and without much choice It was Printed at Venice in 1480. at Nuremberg in 1484. at Basil in 1491. and at Lyons in 1586. His Theological Summ was Printed at Memmingen in 1483. at Strasburg in 1496. and at Venice in 1591. His Summ of Confession has been Printed in many Places at Strasburg in 1492. and 1499. at Paris in 1516. at Lyons in 1564. and at Venice in 1572. There are Treatises of this Author about Excommunication and the other Ecclesiastical Censures Printed in the Collection of Law-Treatises There is also a Treatise of his about the Disciples of Emaus Printed with his Life before the year 1500. a Treatise of Vertues Printed at Nuremberg in the year 1472. and Annotations upon the Donation of Constantine Printed at Collen in 1535. besides many other Manuscript Works Leonard Aretine and Poggio who were Celebrated Authors for Polite Learning employ'd their Leonard Aretine and John Baptista Poggio pains about Matters very different from Religion yet some of their Works may have a Reference to it as the excellent Discourse of the former against Hypocrites Printed in the Collection of Othuin Gratius and with a Dialogue against Hypocrisie by Poggio at Lyons in 1679. The description of the Death of Jerom of Prague Address'd by Poggio to Leonard Aretine in the same Collection and among the Works of John Huss The Funeral Orations of Francis Zabarella Nicolas Albergat Cardinals and of Laurence de Medicis by Poggio Four Books of the variety of Fortune Dedicated to Nicolas V. by the same Author a Discourse of the Authority and Power of the Pope and Council by the same a Treatise of Nobility and another of Human Misery These two Authors excell'd in the Study of the Greek and Latin Tongues and both of them were Secretaries to Popes the former under Gregory XII Alexander V. and John XXIII the latter under the following Popes The former died in 1443. and the latter in 1459. both of them at Florence whither Laurentius de Medicis had call'd them John de Stavelo of the Diocese of Liege a Benedictine Monk of St. Lawrence of Liege wrote John de Stavelo and John Losse Benedictine Monks Matthew Palmier a Florentine the History of the Actions of the Bishops of Liege to the year 1449. and was continued by another John de Losse of the same Order Matthew Palmier a Florentine wrote a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the year 1449. of which there is nothing Printed but what follows the Chronicle of St. Prosper i. e from the year 444. in the Edition of Basil of the Chronicle of Eusebius 'T is said that this Author having made a Poem about the Angels in Italian was accus'd of Arianism upon the account of some words that escap'd him in that Work and that he refusing to retract his Errors was burnt but this Story is groundless The Chronicle of this Author was continued down to the year 1481. by another who had or took upon him the same Sirname and is no otherwise distinguish'd but by the name of Matthias Matthias Palmerius which was given him instead of that of Matthew this Author was also of Pisa or Vicenza He Translated also the History of Aristeas which was Printed at Basil in 1536. and 1551. John Capgrave an English-man of the Order of Friars Hermites of St. Augustine a Doctor of John Capgrave an Augustine Oxford and Confessor to the Duke of Gloucester Flourish'd about the middle of this Century and died in the year 1464. He wrote a Catalogue or a Legend of the Saints of England Printed at London in 1516. and there are in England many other Manuscript Works of the same Author †Viz. His Comment upon Genesis and the Acts of the Apostles and the Lives of all the Famous Henries to H. VI. Whart App. p. 132. Nicolas Cusanus Cardinal Nicolas of Cusa so call'd from the Name of the place of his Birth scituate upon the Banks of the Moselle in the Diocese of Treves the Son of a poor Fisherman was advanc'd by his Merits to the Highest Ecclesiastical Dignities He was at first a Canon-Regular afterwards Arch-Deacon of Liege and Dean of St. Florin in Constance He was present at the Council of Basil and was one of the greatest Defenders of the Authority of the Council above the Pope Upon this Occasion he wrote a Considerable Work Entituled Of Catholick Agreement which was divided into Three Parts After this he chang'd sides and turn'd over to Pope Eugenius's Party and was Employ'd by him in Embassies into Germany and France and promoted by Nicolas V. December the 20th 1448. to the Dignity of a Cardinal with the Title of St. Peter adVincula He was sent again into Germany and made Bishop of Brixen in the County of Tyrol which occasion'd a difference with Sigismund Duke of Austria who forc'd him at last to depart out of Germany He died at Todi in Italy August 12. 1464. Aged 63 years The Works which he wrote are these following Three Books of Learned Ignorance wherein he endeavours to give Ideas of the Essence of God of the Trinity and of other Mysteries of Religion drawn from Metaphysical and Mathematical Principles This Work is very abstract and obscure which being attack'd by somebody he wrote an Apology for it The two Books of Conjectures are yet less intelligible and less useful and contain nothing but Metaphysical Notions which are of no use The Piece about the Filiation of God is founded upon the same Principles and written in the same method The Dialogues upon Genesis upon Wisdom and Wit and about Statical Experiments have something in them more solid and descend more to particulars The Treatise of the Vision of God is more pathetical and contains fine Meditations The two Books of the Globe are written to give an Idea of the Mystery of the Trinity by this Figure and he enlarges upon the same Argument in another Dialogue The Book about Beryl contains divers Metaphysical Principles which are very confus'd The Books of the Gifts of the Father of Lights of seeking after God of the pursuit of Wisdom contain divers abstract and general Maxims which are above our knowledge The Book of the top of Theory is almost unintelligible the Dialogue of an Unknown God may be of some use These are the Works contain'd in the First Tome now follow those in the Second A Dialogue upon the Annunciation of the Virgin a Work Entituled Excitations divided into Ten Books which contain Allegorical and Mystical Reflections upon many Select passages of Holy Scripture Three Books of Catholick Agreement wherein he Treats 1. Of the Church in it self 2. Of the Priesthood and the Authority of General Councils and of the Pope 3. Of the Empire and the Power of Princes
his own Country where he was made Dean of Lincoln While he was at Rome he wrote in the year 1477. a Poem in praise of Sixtus IV. Entituled Lucubrationes Tiburtinae wherein he gives the History and a Panegyrick of this Pope in Heroical Verses which are a little harsh his Work was Printed at Rome at the same time Peter Natalis a Venetian in the year 1482. finish'd a History or a Catalogue of the Martyrs and Saints which was Printed at Venice in 1493. at Strasburg in 1501. and at Lyons in Peter Natalis a Venetian 1542. Alexander of Imola a Civilian the Disciple of John of Imola Taught Law for the space of Thirty years with good Credit in the Cities of Pavia Ferrara and Boulogne and died in the Alexander of Imola a Civilian year 1487. ag'd fifty four years He wrote Commentaries upon the Sixth Book of the Decretals and upon the Clementines Printed at Venice in 1571 and 1597. noâ— to mention his other Works of the Civil Law John Wessel or of Wessales for 't is the same of Groningen Doctor of Divinity to whom John Wessel or Wessales some have given the Epithet of The Light of the World was an Able Man in the Hebrew Greek and Latin Tongues and in Profane Sciences as well as in Theology He Flourish'd from the year 1470. and died in 1489. being Aged more than seventy years He wrote many Books wherein he advances a multitude of Propositions which are too free and bold which brought upon him the Condemnation of the Inquisitors of Germany which was past in the year 1479. wherein many of his Propositions are Censur'd according to the Opinion of the Doctors of the Universities of Heidelberg and Collen and by the Authority of the Archbishop of Mayence who presided at that Assembly James Perez of Valence in Spain was made Bishop of Chrysopolis in 1468. died in 149â— Jacobus Perezius Bishop of Chrysopolis wrote Allegorical and Anagogical Commentaries upon the Psalms of David and upon the Canticles with a Treatise against the Jews Printed at Lyons in 1512 and at Venice in 1568. an Exposition upon the Canticles with a Question about the Merits of Jesus Christ Printed at Paris in 1498. and at Lyons in 1513. John Pick Prince of Mirandula and Concordia was Born in 1465. he had from his Infancy a Johannes Picus of Mirandula wonderful sharpness of Wit and a prodigioâ—s Memory at Fourteen years of Age he Studied Law at Bologne After this he spent Seven years in Travelling to the most Famous Universities of France and Italy and after he had Convers'd with the most Learned Men in those places he went to Rome where he propos'd Theses upon all sorts of Sciences while he was yet but Twenty three years of Age he publish'd them over all the World and engag'd to maintain them publickly But Envy stir'd him up Enemies who found something to be blam'd in his Theses and accus'd some of them of Heresie The Pope appointed Commissioners to Examine them who found some of them suspected of Heresie Picus made an Apology wherein he justified himself and explain'd in a good sense the Propositions which were blam'd and submitted himself to the judgment of the Holy See yet still the Pope forbad the Reading of his Theses and when Picus Retir'd from Rome he caus'd him to be Cited some time after While these things were thus depending Alexander VI. granted him a Brief of Absolution June the 18th in the year 1493. After this Picus apply'd himself wholly to the Study of the Holy Scripture undertook to confute the Jews and Mahometans and to confound Judicial Astrology he resign'd also his own Sovereignty and distributed all his goods among the Poor He died at Florence November 17. in the year 1494. His Theses which contain 900 Questions were Printed at Rome in 1486. at Nuremberg in 1532. and at Collen in 1619. and together with his other Works which are an Apology for his Theses Seven Books upon the beginning of Genesis a Treatise of Being and Unity a Treatise of the Dignity of Man Twelve Rules or Precepts for the Institution of a Christian Life a Commentary upon the Fifteenth Psalm a Treatise of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and of the Vanity of the World an Exposition of the Lord's-Prayer a Book of Lâ—tters Twelve Books upon Astrology Three Books upon Plato's Banquet All these Works were Printed together at Venice in 1498. and at Strasburg in 1504. at Basil in 1573 and 1601. and at Mirandula in 1596. He wrote also other Pieces whereof John Francis Picus of Mirandula his Nephew makes mention in his Life viz. A Book of the Fidelity of the Version of the Bible by St. Jerom against the Calumnies of the Hebrews a defence of the Septuagint's Version upon the Psalms a Treatise of the true Computation of Time a Commentary upon the New Testament a Treatise against the Seven Enemies of the Church which are the Atheists the Pagans the Jews the Mahometans the Christian Hereticks the Impious Christians who are Catholicks in appearance and the Impious and Heretical Christians some Books against all Hereticks and other Treatises of Philosophy and Grammar The 900 Conclusions of Picus of Mirandula are for the most part Metaphysical and Scholastical Questions many of them are upon the Philosophy of Aristotle and Plato upon the Principles of the Cabbala and of Magick and some upon the Questions disputed by the Scholastical Divines Upon this last he was attack'd and Thirteen of them were accus'd of Heresie Error or Rashness The 1st that Jesus Christ did not really descend into Hell as to his presence but only as to his effects The 2d That an infinite pain is not due to a Mortal Sin of a finite Time but only a pain that is finite the 3d. That we ought not to adore the Cross nor any Image with the Adoration of Latria no not in the sense of St. Thomas the 4th That he was not certain that God could be united hypostatically to every Creature but only to a Rational Creature the 5th That there is no Science that renders us more certain of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ than the knowledge of Magick and the Cabala the 6th That supposing the common Opinion that the Word may be hypostatically united to an Inanimate Creature then the Body of Jesus Christ may be really upon the Altar tho' the Bread be not chang'd into his Body nor annihilated which is to be understood of the possibility of the thing and not in any way as if it were actually so the 7th That 't is more reasonable to believe that Origen should be Saved than be Damned the 8th That as no Person is of any Opinion meerly because he would be of it so neither can any Person believe precisely because he has a mind to believe the 9th That he who will maintain that the Accidents cannot subsist unless they be sustain'd by the Eucharist may nevertheless maintain the truth of
or written upon this Subject in near Forty different Books from the beginning of our Age. SECTION I. A History of the Contest about the Author of the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ from the beginning of our Age until this present time THE Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ after it had often appear'd under the Name of St. Bernard was printed many times under the Name of Gerson and of Thomas a Kempis but since the Edition of Badius in 1520. it was more commonly publish'd under the Name of Thomas a Kempis and he pass'd for the Author of it without much contest until the beginning of this Century that some maintain'd it could not be his This Doubt was first started in Spain which was grounded upon this That the Imitation of Jesus Christ was Cited in the Conferences attributed to St. Bonaventure who died before the Birth of Thomas a Kempis Don Pedro Mauriquez was the first that maintain'd this Opinion in Writing in a Spanish Book Entituled Appareios para administrar el Sacramento de la Penitentia printed at Milan in 1604. Some Spaniards having spread this Opinion in Italy Father Rossignol a Jesuit confirm'd it by the Authority of a Manuscript of the Imitation of Jesus Christ which he found in the House of the Jesuites of Arona which was formerly an Abby of the Order of St. Benedict in which it is attributed in four places to John Gersen or Gesen or Gessen an Abbot He believ'd that this Manuscript belong'd to the Ancient Library of the Benedictines of Arona and communicated this Discovery to Possevin and Bellarmin who thought this Opinion probable On the contrary Rosweidus a Flemish Jesuit wrote a Letter in 1615. wherein he maintains that Thomas a Kempis is the true Author of the Imitation of Jesus Christ and denies that the Conferences attributed to St. Bonaventure were truly his On the other side Constantin Cajetan of Syracuse Abbot of the Monastery of St. Barontus of the Order of St. Benedict of the Congregation of Mount Cassin a Man very Zealous for the Interest of his own Order having the Manuscript of Arona Communicated to him by the Jesuit Nigroni caus'd the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ to be printed at Rome in 1616. under the Name of John Gessen Abbot of the Order of St. Benedict together with a Dissertation wherein he maintains that the Conferences are Bonaventure's and that the Manuscript of Arona is a decisive Piece to shew that the Book of the Imitation is an Abbot's of his Order Rosweidus wrote immediately a Book against Cajetan which he Entitles VINDICIAE KEMPENSES The Defence of Kempis wherein he answers his Reasons and maintains that the Name of Gersen was put for that of Gerson in the Manuscript of Arona which did not at all belong to the Ancient Library of the Benedictines of Arona as the Abbot Cajetan suppos'd but was brought from Genua to Arona in 1599. by Father Maiole a Jesuit who found it in his Father's House This Answer of Rosweidus came forth in 1617. and made Bellarmin change his Opinion because he thought that Rosweidus had sufficiently answer'd the Objections of the Abbot Cajetan This latter stay'd not long before he made a Reply but quickly put forth an Apology for his Opinion which was printed at Paris in 1618. And that his Opinion might spread thro' the World he ask'd leave of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide to print the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ in Greek under the Name of the Abbot Gessen The Canons Regulars being alarm'd at this Design presented a Petition to this Congregation to hinder it and desir'd to prohibit the printing of this Book under any other Name than that of Thomas a Kempis This way of Proceeding did not take effect and the Contest was hush'd up till the year 1626. in which Rosweide reviv'd it by Publishing a fair Edition of the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ in which he inserted a Dissertation about the Author of this Book which he Entituled Plain Testimonies to prove that Thomas a Kempis is the Author of the Imitation of Jesus Christ. Bollandus Reprinted it after the death of Rosweidus in 1630. and 1634. Francis Walgrave an English Benedictin oppos'd to this Edition of Rosweidus a new Edition of the Book of Imitation under the Name of John Gersen whom he Entitles Abbot of Verceil printed at Paris by Sebastian Hure in 1638. with Apologetical Notes about the Title and the Text of this Book wherein he produces 4 Manuscripts out of Italy to prove that this Book was Gersen's that of Arona that of the Monastery of Padolirona where the Name of Gerson is found in two places that of the Cardinal of Biscia wherein the Author of the Imitation is call'd John de Canabaco and an Edition of the Imitation at Venice in 1501. under the Name of Gerson at the end of which there was written in an ancient Character This Book was not Compil'd by John Gerson but by John ..... Abbot of Verceil whose Manuscript is to this day in this Abbey From this Remark Walgrave Conjectures that Gersen was Abbot of St. Stephen of Verceil and there are 4 Manuscripts which Cajetan calls the Chariot of Gold upon which John Gersen is Carried in Triumph Father Fronto a Canon Regular of St. Genvieve of Paris wrote an Answer two years after to this Piece of Walgrave's Entituled Thomas a Kempis Vindicated by one of the Canous Regulars of the Congregation of France It was printed by Cramoisy in 1641. At the same time Cardinal Richlieu having given Orders to print at the Louvre the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ Father Gregory Tarissus Superior of the Benedictines of the Congregation of St. Maur desir'd of this Cardinal that this Impression should be publish'd under the Name of John Gersen a Regular of the Order of St. Benedict whom he affirm'd to be the true Author of this Book upon the Authority of four Ancient Manuscripts which were at Rome Cardinal Richlieu answer'd Father Tarissus that he would write to Rome to have a Certificate from some Person worthy of Credit that these Manuscripts were agreeable to what he had said and gave order to Mr. Desnoyer to search what Light he could find upon this Subject And it was Resolv'd that this Question should be Examin'd by the Messieurs Du Val Hallier and St. Beuve Doctors and by the Fathers Petavius and Sirmondus Jesuits who might call in to their assistance the Priors of St. German de Prez of St. Genevieve and St. Victor Father Tarissus having written to Rome the R. R. F. F. Dom. Placidus le Simon Proctor General of the Benedictines of the Congregation of St. Maur in the Court of Rome and Dom John M. Proctor-General of the English Benedictines came on the 30th of January in 1641. to Cardinal Bagni who had been Nuncio in France and pray'd him to look upon the four Manuscripts which they presented him that he
might assure Cardinal Richlieu they did really bear the Name of John Gerson Cardinal Bagni answer'd them that to make an Authentical Instrument it would be convenient to appoint two Persons expert in these Matters to examine these Manuscripts and make a Report of them in the presence of himself and a Notary They agreed upon the Sieur Gabriel Naudaeus Secretary to this Cardinal in whose hands they left the Manuscripts and the Sieur Fioravente Martinel one of the Under-keepers and Writers of the Vatican-Library The Sieur Naudaeus having Examin'd these Manuscripts by himself found in that which belong'd to the Cardinal of Biscia and which was then Allatius's the Name of Canabaco at the top tho' this might be written by the same hand and by the same Writer He found also in this Manuscript a Bull of the Apostolical Legate in Germany which was dated in 1448. which shew'd that this Manuscript was later than that year whereof he judg'd the Writing to be at the end of the Fifteenth Century or the beginning of the Sixteenth As to the Second Manuscript which was that of Padolirona he found that these words had been written some time after the rest Incipit Liber Johannis Gerson Primus which were of a Vermilion more bright and fresh than the rest of the Title and that at the end of the same Manuscript Gerson was chang'd into Gersen As to the Third which was that of the Abbey of Cave as it was without the Name of the Author and had only the Figure of a Benedictine upon the first Letter from which they would draw some Inference he Remarks that nothing can be concluded from this Representation and that there is no manner of proof that this is the Figure of the Author of this Book The Fourth was not a Manuscript but was printed at Venice under the Name of John Gerson and at the bottom of the Page it was observ'd that this Work was not Gerson's but Gersen's the Abbot of Verceil He meddles not at all with the time of writing this Note which he judg'd a very late Forgery and to be put in the room of another which had been carefully eraz'd that the traces of some whole words were still to be seen and even the Letters of Thomas which had been eraz'd Monsieur Naudaeus having made these Remarks Communicated them to Cardinal Bagni and to Sieur Fioravente who was of the same Opinion The Fathers Dom Placidus and Dom John coming afterwards with their Notary the thing was Examin'd in their presence and even the traces of three Letters were pick'd out in the Ancient Title of the first Manuscript which did not at all correspond to the new Letters They did not find that this Report would be to their advantage and therefore they never order'd an Instrument of it to be drawn up before a Notary But Messieur Naudaeus drew up one by his own Authority which he caused to be attested by Vincent Galeotte Auditor to Cardinal Bagni and sent it the same year to the Messieurs Dâ— Puy In France Father Sirmondus having met with a Manuscript of the Imitation in the Library of the College of Jesuits which was Anonymous but such as he judg'd to be more ancient than Thomas a Kempis founded upon this his Opinion that Thomas was not the Author of it On the contrary Father Petavius considering the agreement of the stile of this Book with that of the other Books which were uncontestably own'd to be Thomas a Kempis's made no scruple to affirm that it was his being otherwise perswaded that Rosweidus had answered all the Difficulties of the Abbot Cajetan Monsieur de St. Beauve declar'd That it was more probable that this Book was Gerson's the Chancellour of the University of Paris than Gersen's or Thomas a Kempis's The Opinion of the other two Doctors is not known The Result of this whole Enquiry was That the Book of the Imitation was printed at the Louvre without the Name of the Author Notwithstanding the Remarks made by Monsieur Naudaeus the Abbot Cajetan would still maintain his own Opinion and alledg'd the same Manuscripts attested by the bare Instrument of a Notary and the same Reasons which he had formerly made use of in an Apology which he publish'd at Rome in 1644. for John Gersen together with a new Edition of the Imitation under his Name The Book of Walgrave and the Apology of Cajetan were refuted by a Flemish Canon Regular and by Simon Werlin Rector of Diessen who wrote in 1641. a Treatise against Walgrave and a second in 1647. against Cajetan This second was not printed till the Year 1649. after the Death of the Author with this Title Vindiciae Vindiciarum Kempensium In the same Year Father Fronto a Canon-Regular of St. Genevieve reprinted the Dissertation which had appear'd in 1641. wherein he inserted the Relation of Mr. Naudaeus about the Manuscripts of Rome His Work is divided into three Parts In the â—st he intends to prove That the Imitation is not Geâ—sen's nor a Benedictin Abbot's In the 2d That it is not Gerson's And in the last That it is Thomas a Kempis's And at the same time he printed the Book in a large Character under the Name of Thomas a Kempis This Book of Father Fronto was as it were a new Signal which renew'd the War between the two Parties whereof one was for Gersen and the other for Thomas a Kempis For immediately Father Robert Quatremaires of the Congregation of St. Maur being a Man of Wit and Learning but hot and eager made an Answer to the Book of Father Fronto by Word of Mouth wherein he accus'd Mr. Naudaeus of Unfaithfulness in the Examination of the Manuscripts and in the Relation he had made of them he suspected him of having falsified the Manuscripts in Question while he had them in his hands and of having given this Testimonial for the Reward of a simple Priory which he had in their Order altho' it was not given him till four Years after he had sent this Relation to the Messieur Du Puy Some time after Father Francis Walgrave wrote another Answer wherein he treats the Sieur Naudaeus no better Both the one and the other publish'd a Tract of the deceased Monsieur Launoy Doctor in Divinity of the Faculty of Paris which was much more wise and moderate wherein he gives his Judgment about the Author of the Books of Imitation in favour of Gersen and against Thomas a Kempis The Sieur Naudaeus seeing himself attack'd and accus'd of Forgery and Falsification did not only make use of the ordinary Defence to Men of Learning which is to justify himself by publick Writings that discover the Innocence of the accus'd but he had recourse also to the Magistrates to demand Satisfaction for the Reproach that had been thrown upon him and presented his Libel to the Court of Justice at Paris praying That the Copies of the Books of Quatremaires and Walgrave might be seiz'd and suppress'd But the Benedictins
another Manuscript from Mr. Sluse which had at the end the Name of John Gersen which was examin'd judg'd unalter'd and 200 Years old by the Messieurs Du Cange Herouval Baluzius Valesius Launoy Cotelier and by Father Cointe according to the Act which they publish'd bearing Date August 23d 1674. The Canons-Regular put forth in 1677. an Answer to the Dissertation of Father Delfau under the Name of Vindiciae Kempenses written by Father Testellette a Canon-Regular which was quickly confuted by some Observations At last the Canons-Regular that they might oppose an Authentick Instrument to that of the Benedictines made a Collection also of the Manuscripts and Titles upon which they grounded their Opinion and having examin'd them in Order in the Presence of the Archbishop of Paris by the Messieurs Faure Baluzius Vion of Herouval du Cange and by the F. F. Gardiner and Hardouin Jesuites F. Du Bois of the Oratory and F. Alexander a Jacobin a Process in writing was drawn up of this Matter March 4th 1681. At last F. Dom John Mabillon and F. Dom Michael having brought with them at their Return from their Journey into Italy the Famous Manuscript of Arona together with a Manuscript of the Monastery of Bobio and another of the Church of St. John of Parma wherein the Name of John Gersen was found assembled on the 28th of July 1687. the Messieurs Faure Du Cange D' Herouval and many other able Men well vers'd in these Matters who did me the Honour to receive me into their Number who having examin'd these three Manuscripts judg'd That the Name of Gersen was written in them by the first Hand That the Writing of the first Manuscript did not appear less ancient than 300 Years Non videtur inferior trecentis annis That the second was of the same Antiquity and that the third contain'd before the Book of Imitation the Rule of St. Benedict which had been fully written and finish'd according to the Date which is at the end August the 8th in the Year 1466. Thus you see what is the State of the Controversy which remains undecided to this Day altho' the Process was wholly drawn up and the Cause ripe for a Sentence from the Books and Reasons which have been produc'd and alledg'd on both sides and were at first examin'd own'd and verified by Persons of Probity and Ability as all must acknowledge Let us now therefore make an Extract out of the Writings and Exhibits of the Parties and let us then see if there be any way left to give a Decision and in whose Favour Justice and Truth require it should be given SECTION II. The Authors to whom the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ has been ascrib'd Proofs that it is by no means St. Bernard's THERE are but four Authors who can have any Pretension to the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ St. Bernard John Gerson the Chancellour of the University of Paris Thomas a Kempis and John Gessen or Gersen an Abbot For I will not mention Ludolphus the Saxon to whom it has been ascrib'd in a Manuscript and under whose Name an ancient Translation of it has been printed because he has so slender a Claim that he cannot with any Congruity be join'd with the rest in their Pretensions St. Bernard seems to have been the first who was in Possession of it at least it was under his Name that the first Edition appear'd that we now have of the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ which was printed in 1485. at Brescia and taken without doubt from a Manuscript more ancient which went under his Name Incipit Opus D. Bernardi saluberrimum de Imitatione Christi contemptu omnium Vanitatum Mundi quod Joanni Gersoni Cancellario attribuitur It was also under his Name that the first Version of the Imitation was made For in the Inventory of the Books of John Count of Angoulesme and Perigueux which was made in 1467. and is in the Court of Exchequer we find it under this Title The Inventory of the Books which are found in the Closet of the deceas'd Monseigneur on the 1st Day of January in 1467. For towards the end we meet with it in these Words The Imitation of St. Bernard with many Prayers and Devotions in common Letter and Paper which are very much perished Observe these last Words which shew that this Manuscript was then very old in 1467. and consequently That this Version had been made a long while before from a Manuscript which went under the Name of St. Bernard Wherefore in the first Frenâ—h Edition of the Imitation at Paris by Lambert in 1493. 't is observ'd That till that time this Book had been ascrib'd to St. Bernard or Gerson Here begins the most wholsom Book Entitled De Imitatione Christi which has hitherto by every one been ascrib'd to St. Bernard or Mr. John Gerson And in another Edition at Paris by Lenoix about the Year 1500. we have this Title The Book of the Imitation of our Lord ascribed to St. Bernard or John Gerson translated out of Latin into French Lastly There are still some Manuscripts in which it is ascribed to St. Bernard among the rest there is one in the Library of St. Genevieve M. Numb 413. In the mean time it is impossible to maintain That it is St. Bernard's and the Book it self affords a demonstrative Proof that it is not for St. Francis is quoted in it in the 50th Chapter of the third Book A Man is only of so much worth as he is in your Eyes Lord and nothing more says the humble St. Francis Now St. Bernard died in 1153 and St. Francis was not born till 1226. Besides the Style of the Book of the Imitation is much more plain and the Discourse more unpolish'd than that of St. Bernard's We must therefore say That it was by the Fault of Transcribers or Printers that this Work has been ascrib'd to him for they finding it without the Author's Name join'd to some Work of St. Bernard's as it is still to be found in some Manuscripts thought that it must certainly be the same Author's and so boldly put his Name to it This plainly shews that we must not always trust to the Inscriptions of Manuscripts and the most ancient Editions This is all that concerns St. Bernard If the three others had no more Claim than he or the Reasons were no less convincing for taking it away from them this Enquiry would quickly come to an end But the Case is not the same for they produce many more Proofs and Testimonies and there can be no Reason without some Reply to them either to establish or destroy their Claim And this is what we intend to do in the following Paragraphs wherein we shall first examine the Manuscripts which each produces for himself 2dly The ancient Editions which they produce that are almost equivalent to the Manuscripts because Printing begun a little time after the Publication of this Work
Library shews The Books of the Imitation are only in Manuscript but there are other Books at the end of which 't is observ'd that they were written in 1472. with the hand of Muthias and another which is a Soliloquy of Hugo in 1475. As to this Witness 't is said that he may do very much hurt to Thomas a Kempis but can do him no service because this Matthias Farinator liv'd under the Pontificate of John XXII who sate in the Holy-See from 1316. to the year 1334. by whose Order he undertook to Compose the Book of the Light of the Soul Possevin and Simlerus place him at the same time If it be thus and that he Transcrib'd the Book of the Imitation then it could not be Thomas a Kempis's since this Farinator must be dead before the year 1406. wherein Thomas became a Regular Profess'd To this 't is Reply'd that Matthias Farinator was not of the Fourteenth but of the Fifteenth Century as the Date of his Manuscript shews that Trithemius has not put him in the Catalogue of his Writers which ends at the year 1494. nor Arnold Bostius in his Catalogue of the Writers of the Order of Carmelites which was finish'd about the same time That Possevin and Simler were deceiv'd because they thought that Matthias Farinator wrote his Book by the Order of John XXII for there is no such thing said in the Preface as these Authors thought That Farinator Compos'd this Book by the Order of Pope John XXII but That this Book was written in the time of Pope John XXII and after it had remain'd a long while conceal'd and in obscurity he had put it into better Order divided it into Chapters and Paragraphs and made a Table to it Here follow the words Liber Meralitatum jussu Joannis Pontificis Maximi Lumen Animae dictus quem post diutinam occultationem cum adhuc informis esset Simplicioribus rudis obscurus appareret frater Matthias Farinatoris de Vienna Sacri Ordinis B Dei Genetricis Virginis Mariae de Monte Carmeli Lectorum Sacrae Theologiae minimus in Titules Titulos in Paragraphos distinxit Moralitates omnes pariter Naturales per binas Tabulaturas â—…gnans editus est anno 1477. 'T is therefore very probable that Matthias liv'd at the end of the Fifteenth Century and that he did not Compose but put in Order Correct and Publish the Book of Moralities If this be so it may be said that supposing he had written the Imitation of Jesus Christ under the Name of Thomas a Kempis yet he was impos'd upon by some Manuscript which was taken from that of 1441. which made some believe that this Book was Thomas a Kempis's I say suppose he had written it under his Name for there is no such thing in this Manuscript yet it may be that the Author of the Catalogue having drawn it up at such a time as Thomas a Kempis was commonly believ'd to be the Author of the Book of Imitation might add this Name to it tho' it was not in this Manuscript Lastly Since we have not the Original written with Farinator's own hand we can lay no great stress upon this The Third Witness which is produc'd for Thomas a Kempis is the Anonymous Author of his Life who ascribes to him the Book of the Imitation and in the Body of the Life he says that we may see in his Treatise of the Interior Conversation of Jesus Christ with the Soul Ch. 2. what he said to the Lord in his Solitude and in the Ancient Catalogue which concludes his Life Against this Witness 't is alledg'd that he was not Cotemporary to Thomas a Kempis that he had neither seen nor known him since he says that he learn'd what he wrote of his Life from the Friars of his Convent who were still alive A Fratribus illius Conventus qui adhunc vivunt and that he speaks of the time when Thomas became a Regular as a thing that was past many years ago Tunc temporis fuit Consuetudinis ut sic per sex annos probentur priusquam investiantur And therefore we must not wonder that he speaks according to the Common Opinion in Germany of the Book of Imitation That besides this Life was Interpolated and that neither the Catalogue noâ— the last words wherein he promises it are to be found in the Editions of Venice in 1568 and 1576. That the Catalogues of the Works of Thomas a Kempis do neither agree among themselves nor with that of Trithemius Lastly That the Continuator of the Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes who wrote the Life of Thomas in 1477. says nothing like this which is in the Life of the Anonymous and speaks not any ways of the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ but only observes that he Compos'd some Tracts for the Edification of younger People in a plain and easie Style but very considerable for their Sense and Force The Fourth is Peter Shot a Canon of Strasburg who Publish'd in 1488. an Edition of the Works of Gerson wherein he observes that he has not added here those Treatises which had been sometimes ascrib'd to Gerson and who have certainly another Author as the Book of the Contempt of the World which as is manifest was writen by one Thomas a Canon-Regular quem constat esse a quodam Thoma Canoico Regulari editum But that which seem'd manifest to Shot will not appear so to those who ascribe this Book to Gerson The Fifth is John Kunne of Dunderstat who printed in 1489. a Book of the Elevation of the Soul to God wherein he ascribes the Book of the Imitation to Thomas a Kempis The Sixth is John Mauburne an Abbot of Livry the Author of the Spiritual Rosary printed at Basil in 1491. who quotes in this Work the Book of the Imitation under the Name of Thomas a Kempis and who in another Manuscript Work of the Ecclesiastical Writers of the Order of Canons-Regular ranks in this Number Thomas a Kempis upon the account of the Books which he Compos'd among which he names that which begins with these words Qui sequitur me which some have falsly ascrib'd to Gerson This Author wrote not this till towards the end of the 15th Century He owns that from this time this Book had been ascrib'd to Gerson nevertheless he thinks that it was Thomas a Kempis's but he gives no manner of proof of this Opinion and so his Testimony is not decisive in the Case The seventh at last is Trithemius who in his Book of Ecclesiastical Writers which was finish'd in 1494. places the Imitation of Jesus Christ which he entitles De contemptu Mundi beginning with these Words Qui sequiturme at the Head of the Works of Thomas a Kempis who flourish'd about the Year 1410. But the same Author in his Book of the Illustrious Men of Germany written some time after distinguishes two Thomas a Kempis's both Canons-Regular of Mount-Saint-Agnes of Zwoll whereof one was more
Century but that there are many other Manuscripts and many Editions at the same time which give it to St. Bernard to Gerson or to Gersen The Defenders of Tho. a Kempis answer that all those Manuscripts make nothing against him because all those who have a Date are posterior to the year 1410. wherein they say that Tho. a Kempis Compos'd that Work and that it cannot be prov'd that those who have no Date are more ancient To them 't is reply'd That as to the Manuscripts without Date there are some of them as those of Arona and Bobio which appear more ancient than the year 1410. to those Persons who are most expert in matters of this kind As to those which are Dated tho' there be none but what are since the year 1410. in which year it pleases them without Proof to place the Composing of the Book of Imitation by Tho. a Kempis yet it may probably be inferr'd that this Book was Compos'd before this year for these Manuscripts being taken from other Copies and being found in Places far distant from the Abode of Tho. a Kempis as in Italy 't is difficult to imagin that this Book was so lately made But some go further and maintain that in 1410. Tho. a Kempis was not capable of Composing this Book Thomas was in 1399. a Scholar at Deventer about the end of that year he entred into the Monastery of Zwoll He was not a Monk profess'd 'till in 1406. he had Learn'd to Write and Read the Bible and to hear Books of Piety as he himself observes in the Life of Arnoul of Schonhove Ibi quippe didioi scribere Sacram Scripturam legere quae ad mores spectant devotosque tractatus audire He endur'd at first much hunger and had great pain he set himself afterwards to write out Books for Mony and for the House Pro Domo pro Pretio these are the words of the Continuator of his Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes He perfectly Transcrib'd a Missal and the Prayers of the Office in 1414. The Bible he did not finish till 1439. He was not made a Priest 'till 1423. Which Circumstances do shew that 't is very probable he was not capable in 1410. of Composing the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ for he was then young and had not Studied much nor had made any progress in a Spiritual Life He was not then a Priest and the Imitation is the Work of an Ancient and perfect Regular who had Practis'd for a long time what he had Written who had made great Advances in the Spiritual Life who had read very much and meditated upon the Holy Scripture and the Books of Spiritual Men and who was a Priest The Imitation by the Confession of all the World is more sublime and perfect than the other Works of Thomas a Kempis who then can believe that it is his First Essay or one of his First Works This is no ways probable Mr. Launoy brings also another Reason drawn from the advantageous Testimony which the Author of the Imitation gives of the Life of the Monks of his time Book 1. Ch. last which does not at all agree to the state of the Monks at the beginning of the Fifteenth Century who liv'd in great Disorder as Nicolas Clemangis observes Father Fronto Answers this Argument that there were at this time a multitude of Regulars very orderly that those of the Cistertians liv'd very Regularly that the Benedictines were reform'd from the time of the Council of Basil that the Dominicans had been Reform'd in 1400. and the Friars Minors in 1411. that about the year 1350. which is the time wherein it is suppos'd that the Author of the Imitation Liv'd there were also Regulars Disorderly as many Authors of that time testifie that Clemangis has stretch'd the matter too far in the Description he has given of the Disorders of the Monks It must be confess'd that Launoy's Argument is not very strong because the Author of the Imitation speaks not of the Regulars in general but only of many Monks who liv'd very Regularly and 't is certain that it was then true of some as the Carthusians and Cistercians whom this Author gives for an Example in the same place and some others The Author of the Imitation does not dissemble the Disorders among the Monks in his time Lib. 1. Cap. 18. N. 5. 'T is thought much at present not to transgress the Monastick Rule Ibid. Ch. 3. N. 5. If Men would take as much pains to Extirpate Vices and Establish Vertue as to Debate Questions there would not be so much Mischief done nor so great Scandal given to the People neither would there be so great a dissolution of Manners in the Monasteries Nec tanta Dissolutio in Caenobiis But there is another Argument against Thomas a Kempis which appears much stronger The Author of this Book declares himself a Monk Lib. 5. C. 10. N. 2. Ye have shewn great Mercy says he to your Servant and ye have favour'd and gratified him much beyond his merit What then shall I render unto you for this Grace for it is not given to all to Renounce the World by quitting all and embracing a Monastick Life And at Ch. 56. N. 4. of the same Book I have receiv'd from your hand the Cross I will carry it until Death as ye have laid it upon me Yes the Life of a good Monk is the Cross it is that which Conducts him to Heaven L. 1. Ch. last N. 8. How do many other Regulars who being lock'd up by the Discipline of the Cloyster go forth but seldom live and eat poorly are coarsly Cloath'd Labour hard c. 'T is certain that these things agree only to Monks and not to Canons Regulars The Author therefore reckoning himself among the Regulars tam multi alii Religiosi 't is reasonable to believe that he was a Monk in the same sense In fine he proposes always the Rule of St. Benedict the Benedictines and Monks for his Pattern He says nothing of the Rule of St. Augustin nor of the Canons Regulars whereof Tho. a Kempis speaks in almost all his Works To this 'T is Answer'd that the Name of Monk is commonly given to the Canons Regulars as Mauburne Remarks in his Book Entituled Venatorium Nam generali compellatione Canonici Clerici Monachorum nomine compellantur ut Juristae notant That nothing is more common in the Works of Thomas a Kempis than to give the Name of Monks to his Friars Part 2. Serm. 1. N. 6. Caenobium Monachorum est sicut salsum Mare Part 2. Serm. 4. N. 3. O Frater Monache qui Sanctitatis speciem geris habitu nomine In the same Sermon N. 7. Beatus Monachus desolatus cui mundus exilium Coelum Patria cella Paradisus Serm. 5. N. 6. Onus quippe Ordinis diurnum nocturnum collo Monachi impositum Part 3. Serm. 1. N. 12. Haec est via Sanctae Crucis haec
relapse into the very same Sins as things of no value that he approves of Marriage and believes it indissoluble that he blames Polygamy and even second Marriages He speaks but little of the Eucharist and what he says of it is very obscure because he endeavours to conceal this Mystery from those who were not Baptised But he declares expresly in the Second Book of the Pedagogue Chap. 2. that the Bread and Wine are the Matter of it and condems the Hereticks who used any thing else besides Bread and Wine mingled with Water He observes that in several Churches after the Eucharist was distributed it was left to the liberty of each Lib. 3. Stromat p. 462 465. Lib. 1. Stromat init Lib. 7. p. 754. of the Faithful to take a part of it He often cites Apocryphal Books as the Gospel according to the Egyptians the Book of Hermas yet in the mean time he only allows the Four Gospels to be Canonical He admits of the Authority of Tradition and that of the Church These are the Opinions of S. Clement upon the Principal Articles of our Faith which are conformable to the Doctrine of the Church in all the main Points and different only in some Things of lesser Consequence But this cannot be said concerning his Work of Institutions which according to the Testimony of Photius contained several Errors even contrary to what he had taught in his other Works Let us see what this Learned Critick says of the Matter The Hypotiposes says he were written upon some Passages of the Old and New Testament which he explains and interprets briefly but though he has in several places very Orthodox and true Notions yet in others he has some that are very Erroneous and Fabulous For he says that Matter is Eternal and he feigns Eternal Idea's produced by the Decrees of God he places the Sun in the number of Created Beings he holds the Metempsychosis he pretends that there were several Worlds before Adam he fancies Eve to be produced from Adam after an infamous manner and different from that which is set down in the Scripture he imagines that the Angels having had to do with Women begat Children of them he thinks that the WORD was not really and truly Incarnate but only in Appearance he feigns two WORDS of GOD the one Superior and the other Inferior this last was that which appeared unto Men he adds that this WORD is not of the same nature with the WORD of GOD that it was not the WORD of the Father that was incarnate but a certain Vertue and Power of GOD proceeding from the WORD which being a Spirit entred into the Souls of Men. He endeavours to prove these Opinions by Scripture In a word these Eight Books are full of such sort of Errors and Blasphemies whether it be the Author of this Book that has written them or whether it be any other who puts them out under his name The intent and design of the whole Work appears to be an Explication of Genesis Exodus the Psalms the Canonical Epistles and Ecclesiasticus The Author observes that he was the Disciple of Pantaenus If this Work was so full of Errors as there seems no reason at all to doubt after the Testimony of Photius who had seen it it must needs have been composed by S. Clement before he was throughly instructed in the Christian Religion and had altogether quitted the Opinions of Plato which seems very probable for we cannot say that he was not the Author of these Books which are attributed to him by all Antiquity and there is no likelihood that they were falsified by the Hereticks in so many places Besides that these are the Opinions of one who would accommodate the Platonick Philosophy to the Christian Religion or rather of one who was half a Platonist and half a Christian. However among the Ancients these Books have been had in sufficient esteem and reputation Eusebius cites several Passages out of them In the First Book Chap. 12. of his History he brings one out of the Fifth Book where it is said that Cephas Matthias Barnabas and Thaddaeus were of the number of the Seventy Disciples of Jesus Christ. The same Eusebius in the Second Book Chap. 1. produces another passage taken out of the Sixth Book were he says that Peter James and John though they were preferr'd by Jesus Christ to the other Apostles did not dispute about Precedency but chose with one consent St. James the Just to be Bishop of Jerusalem And another out of the Seventh Book where he says that these Three Apostles had the Spirit of Knowledge which they communicated to the Seventy Disciples In the 9th Chapter there is another Passage taken from the Seventh Book where he says that James the Brother of John by his Constancy converted his Accuser and that they were both beheaded for the Faith of Christ. In the 15th Chapter he says that S. Clement in his Sixth Book of Institutions affirms that S. Mark composed his Gospel by the Direction of S. Peter and that this Apostle approved of it when it was finish'd Lastly Eusebius in the Sixth Book 14th Chapter tells us that S. Clement in his Institutions explains all the Books of the Old and New Testament not omitting even those of which many Persons doubted as the Epistles of S. Jude S. Barnabas and the Revelation of S. Peter That he says that the Epistle to the Hebrews was written by S. Paul and translated by S. Luke That S. Paul would not put his Name to it because he was hated by the Hebrews He sets down the Order of the Gospels he says that the Gospels of S. Matthew and S. Luke were first written that S. Mark composed his at Rome at the Instance of the Faithful and by S. Peter's Order and that S. John writ his the last at the desire of his Friends to explain what was most Spiritual in Jesus Christ the others having sufficiently spoken of his Body The famous Valesius has observed that we have still a very considerable Greek fragment of this Work at the end of S. Clement Entituled An Extract of the Oriental Doctrine of Theodotus For it contains those very Errors concerning Christ's Person which Photius has observed in the Hypotiposes and the Author says towards the end that Pantaenus was his Master It is also likely that the other fragment which follows which is a Collection of Words and Expressions of Scripture is likewise taken out of these Books for besides that it is found with the Works of S. Clement it is written after that manner in which Eusebius and Photius acquaints us that the Work of S. Clement was composed and it appears that it is the very same Design There is also another considerable Fragment of S. Clement taken from his Book What Rich Man can be saved in Eusebius Book 3. Chap. 23. where he tells us a famous Story of S. John He says that this Apostle coming to a City of