by way of Commentaries and Illustrations on them hee composed many Volumes therein following Origen of whom he was a diligent admirer and imitator Hee flourished under Constantine the Great and Constantius about the yeere of our Lord 320. And after a long and studious life hee surrendred his soule into his Makers hands His Life was written by Accacius his Successour and Eusebius Bishop of Emesen His Apologie is to be found in his Workes sacr a lib. 2. hist. there collected Now appertaining to the understanding of the divine Scriptures are these Works following 1 All the Canonicall Books of the old Testament translated into Greek 2 Of Hebrew places one Book 3 Of the description of the Holy Land one Book 4 Of the doctrine of the Ancients and another of collections of Divinitie 5 Learned Commentaries literally and mystically on the whole Psalmes 6 Fifteene Bookes of Commentaries on Isaiah the Prophet 7 Thirty Volumes in defence of either Testament opposed by Porphyrie in fifteen Books 8 Of Evangelicall preparation five Books 9 Of Evangelicall demonstration twenty books 10 Of the dissonance of the Evangelists one Book 11 Of Evangelical Canons one Book 12 Commentaries on the first Epistle to the Corinths An. Christi 330. L. Caelius Lactantius Firmianus LACT FIRMIANVS I Doe not finde any mention of the parents Countrey or education of this Father nor is his fame and reputation therefore diminished seeing that hee is registred and numbred amongst the ancient Pillars of the Church for his Pietie and Learning and hee is sufficiently praysed by those pens whose worth and veritie have been approved in all ages It is no small credit to be enrolled amongst a cloud of so divine and pious Fathers I finde by the testimony of Saint Ierome that hee was the Scholer of Arnobius who in the Reigne of Dioclesianus the Emperour was together with Flaviâ—s the Grammarian cald to preferment and that hee publikely taught Rhetorick in Nicomedia Hee addicted himselfe to writing Bookes amongst other his workes Saint Ierome speakes these words of his Treatise of Gods Anger Edidit Lactantius librum qui inscribitur Grammaticus pulcherrimum de Ira Dei that is Lactantius set forth a booke called the Grammarian and another beautifull and faire piece of Gods Anger and indeed his subjects which hee treates of and the stile in which he writes are both excellent divine and fluent savouring of a minde that was truly mortified and intended to bring his Auditors to a resolved course of sanctification and pietie For piety and holinesse is the true knowledge of God it was never yet saith hee rewarded with punishment or shame For true piety preserveth and defendeth every vertuous man from shame The party to whom he dedicates the most of his Workes addes no small testimony to his parts and learning for most of them were inscribed to no lesse person than to Constantine the Great an Emperour whose fame doth and will for ever flourish in the Church if for no other cause than even for his pietie and studie to preserve the professors of the Gospell and for his bounty and liberality to the Bishops of his time as also for his building of Churches for divine worship and his valour and heroicke constancie in opposing Hereticks and Schismaticks who began to grow potent And Saint Ierome leaves him not thus but proceeds further in his divulging his prayses in the translation of Eusebius under Constantinus the Emperour in these words Lactantius quasi quidam fluvius Eloquentiae Tullianae Crispum filium Constantini Latinis literis â—rudivit vir omnium suo tempore eruditissimus that is This Lactantius flowed with Eloquence and was as abounding as Tully himselfe and as famous for his stile of Latine Hee was Tutor to Crispus the sonne of Constantine and learned him the Latine tongue A man in his time of all others the most learned and dexterous for the education of Princes and well and deeply seene in the points of Divinity and againe Lactantium propter eruditionem hic legendum that is Lactantius therefore is approvedly read for his singular Learning Quis mihi interdicere potest ne legam institutionum ejus libros quibus contra Genies fortissimè scripsit quos silegeris stylum Ciceronis excerptum reperies that is who can forbid me to reade his Bookes of Institutions which with such a noble and valorous resolution Lactantius published against the Heathens which if you doe reade you shall finde a pure elegant and eloquent phrase no whit inferiour to that of Cieero Platina gives this Lactantius also a faire commendation in these words and to the same effect His verò temporibus floruisse Firmianum Lactantium constat Arnobii Discipulum c. that is about these times flourished Firmianus â— actantius Arnobius his Scholler who taught Rhetoricke in Nicomedia who upon some disturbance left that profession betaking himself to writing in which hee was so excellent that next to Cicero he bore away the name from any other Writer Hee writ many famous Treatises full of judgment and discretion so that in his old age hee was for his rare parts appointed to be Tutor to Crispus the sonne of Constantinus the Emperour a place of great weight and estimation and of no lesse carefulnesse and wisdome which arguâ—â—h this Lactantius to be able in his parts or else hee would scarce have beene admitted to a place of that dignity Saint Augustine and Ierome in severall places are not sparing to commend this Lactantius the latter of them speakes that although his parts were great and his preferments eminent and large yet he died very poore and so lived not gaping or greedily pursuing worldly preferments of honour and riches but as one who was willing to count all as dung and drosse so that hee might gaine the eternall inheritance For a quiet and peaceable life ought to be preferred before all other things and should be the chiefest study and care of every man so that hee might passe his life time in joy and tranquillitie that his soule might bee free from anguish and trouble at his death For it is impossible for that man to be excellent both in riches of this world and in the practise of godlinesse Honour and riches are the occasions of all kindes of mischiefs for they doe draw and seduce a man out of the right way In the time of the great persecution of the Church of Christ under Dioclesianus the Emperour begun against the Christians as Eusebius relates it in the nineteenth yeere of Dioclesian in which there was cruell demolition of Churches and sacred Temples burning of holy and godly Books inhumane tortures and torments inflicted against the Christians so that where any were found that were pious and Christian they were fetcht and most severely martyred for the truth as Cardinall Baronius averres and indeed all other Ecclesiasticall Historians that though the Tempest raged horribly yet this worthy constant Father retain'd his piety and
love or hate of God weareth away through age of the body and so at length comes to nothing Life is of its owne nature a grievous thing most miserable and full of innumerable cares O life saith a wise man how may a man get from thee without Deaths helpe thy evils be infinite and yet no man is able either to avoid nor yet to abide them And if any good thing happen to a man in his life he feeleth also therewith tribulation and sorrow as sometime no other which maketh our joyes little and our life deplorable For the manner of his life it was solitary for he would say by this meanes Ex turbulentis hujus saeculi perturbationibus ac procellis liberari c. that is He was freed out of the turbulent turmoiles and stormes of this World that hee did sweetly enjoy his thoughts without distraction that hee was the more fit for divine Contemplation and studie Yet hee often remov'd but it was still to doe some notable service for the Church of Christ. Hee went to the Citie of Edissa to visit the Churches and to meet with some learned Father to conferre but by the providence of God he met with an Harlot who was impudent yet witty this Ephraem presently turnd his eyes away not willing to behold her but she the more earnestly lookt him in the face to whom hee spoke Oh woman why doe you so greedily gaze on mee to whom shee readily replyed Ex te viro ego sumi I am come from your loines why then doe you cast your eyes upon the earth out of which you were taken and neglect me well he rejoyced that GOD had sent him good counsell from the wicked But not staying here hee went to Caesarea of Cappadocia where hee both heard and saw that sweet Trumpet of Gods glory Saint Basil whom he entirely reverenced here he desired of God to give him abilitie of utterance to preach to the people which God gave him abundantly he did not any wayes affect prayse so his will runs Nulla Ephraem cecineritis carmina c. that is sing no Verses in commendation of Ephraem bury mee not with any lofty Linnens or Ointments rayse no Monuments or Tombs for I am a sojourner and a stranger here as all my Fathers were Psal. 39. He was wondrously mercifull to the poore for though hee had not of his owne to give yet by his sweet and attractive Sermons he stirred up the hearts of others to relieve them he was of so Angelick an Aspect that his Dove-like simplicity his compassion and integritie was easily decyphered in his countenance Gregorius Nyssenus compares him with Abel for offering sacrifice to God which was his soule and body as an acceptable sacrifice to Enoch for his constant walking with God to Noah for his never making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience To Abraham for leaving his owne and going forth by Gods promises To Isaack being willing to lay down his life for the Gospel To Iaakob for supplanting Esau so hee the Hereticks and for blessing the people at his death To Ioseph for Chastitie and especially for distributing the pure wheat of GODS Word wiâ—ely to the famishing soules in many things to Moses for striking the Rocke and bringing forth water from the flinty stone so he by the Rod of Gods Word did fetch teares from hard-hearted men and brought many to repentance To Iosuah for bringing many into the spirituall Canaan to Samuel for devoting his youth to God To Elias for reproving false Teachers to Elizeus for abundance of the spirit to Saint Iohn Baptist for living in the Wildernesse and teaching men to repent To Saint Paul for his manifold sufferings and indeed it is hard to say wherein hee was defective at the time of his death hee denied to have any cost bestowed upon him but willed them to give it to the poore And a great man having prepared a rich Vestment for him said That pietie should be respected before povertie and so did not give it as Ephraem had willed him but hee was presently sorely visited and could not be released till this old man imposed his hands on him and blessed him and then said to him Perfice Homo quae dudum promisisti Perfect that which whilome ô Man thou diddest promise and so he was restored to health Well this Father gave the people comfortable directions at the time of his death so that it was rather Transitus quà m mors a sleeping in the Lord quietly and comfortably in fulnesse of dayes and was buried by the Monkes that were his Disciples I could bee tedious if I should largely and particularly expresse the prayses that many Writers afford Him Basil the Great sayes of him that distabat à mundana sapientia He affected not worldly wisdome Saint Ierâ—me sayes that He came to be of that fame that next to the Scriptures his Works were publikely read Theodoret stiles him a most admirable man an excellent Writer in his fourth booke Chap. 29. Zozomen saith of him that about that time there liv'd one Ephraem Syrus a man excelling others and a singular ornament to the Catholike Church the Tripartite History calls him a man admirable for knowledge and writing So also doth Simeon Metaphrastes Anastasius Synasta Photius Cedrenus Nicephorus Trithemius and others so as I have said He flourished under Constantine the Great and died under Valens Ephraem Syrus his Sayings Of the excellencie of Faith As the body is more worth then the raiment so the soule more worth than the body and faith in Christ more excellent than all get therfore that in thy soule which may get him who is the rich clothing both of soule and body Vpon earnest though late repentance Despise not an old man who desires to come to the haven though he comes late yet he comes in time God rejected not those that come at the eleventh houre thou knowest not but that hee may have his penny as well as the first Of perseverance in Grace The resolute Traveller knowes that his journey is long and the way durty and dangerous yet goes on in hope to come home to his house so let the Christian though the way to Heaven be narrow and difficult though it be set with troubles and persecutions yet let him goe on till hee hath finished his course with joy for Heaven is his home Of the neglecting the Soules welfare Hee that feasts his body with banquets and delicate fare and starves his soule for want of spirituall food is like him that feasts his slave and starves his own wife therefore rejoyce rather with thy wife and keep under thy servant and so all shall be safe Of comming to Christ. Stay not away o my soul from him though thou beest wounded for hee came to heale though thou beest lost for he came to seek let not thy diseases affright thee from the Physitian for hee calls those that are
sets forth the prayses of the Christians He was sent Embassador by the Iews his Countrimen to Rome to plead for his whole Nation and to qualifie Caius the Emperours anger who was possessed against the Iews for divers crimes and enormities which they had committed hoping by his endevour and wisdome to set them right againe in the Emperours good opinion so testifies Photius and Saint Ierome and Suidas and Eusebius hee flourished in the fiftieth yeere after Christs Incarnation in the Reigne of Nero the Emperour the occasion that he was sent to Rome was thus whereas betweene the Iews and Graecians inhabiting Alexandria there fell a great sedition three choice men of either side was set apart to plead their matters and grievances before Caius Appian then being the chief for the Graecians objected many and enormous crimes against the Iews amongst others that they would not neither did give that due honour and obedience to the Roman Emperour which they ought for whereas through all the Roman Provinces there were Temples and Altars built to Caius that hee as well as other Gods might be worshipped these Iews onely of all others denied to performe any such respect neither would they sweare by the Name of Caesar Hereupon this Philo the brother of Alexander Alabarchus being an excellent and wise philosopher and an excellent man for all sorts of Learning and knew well how to guide his passion that nothing could move him to wroth in despight of Appion and all those that strove to exasperate Caius against him and the Iews fitted himselfe to cleere his Nation of those foule aspersions but Caesar would not heare him but commanded him in a great fury to depart his presence whereupon Philo turning himselfe to his Countrimen that came along with him from their Nation as Associates spake thus to them Now let us be of good courage and undaunted hearts for though the Emperour be against us yet God that rules him is for us This Iosephus testifies of him in his eighth Booke and tenth Chapter of his Antiquities of the Iews And thus saith a learned man of him That the noble and couragious heart hath still this property to be alwayes doing things honest and vertuous not onely for his own particular but for his Countries good though it be with losse of credit or exile and with the frowne of princes for true worth indeed dependeth of Vertue and all other things are of Fortune For that man that is truly magnanimous and of a great spirit as was this Philo doth continually carry himselfe upright under any burden be it never so weighty and nothing doth happen amisse or displeasing unto him be it never so difficult and hard to be borne for a Wise man knoweth his owne forces and with his vertue he vanquisheth all sudden accidents This Philo was eloquent of speech rich in sentences deep and profound in the explication of the sacred Scriptures hee was excellent aswell in the Pythagorean Platonicke as in the philosophy of Aristotle insomuch that he was counted one that excell'd others So also was he renowmed for his skill in the Greeke that he was held the chiefe of his time Hence the proverbe came Aut Plato Philonizat aut Philo Platonizat Either Plato imitates Philo or Philo Plato because of their congruity in writing The Romans in Claudius Reigne did so admire his Works that they esteemed them worthy to be kept safe in a publike Library as Monuments of his famous Learning hee was admirable for his threefold explanation of Scripture by the Literall Morall and Allegoricall sence so that most of the Ancient Doctours of the Church have imitated him and have cald him the Inventor as Sixtus Senensis doth relate Possevi As hee was also famous for his Learning so for his parentage being of great descent and executed Offices of the chiefest esteeme with credit and fidelity and it is reported of all that Caius the Emperour because in the Iewish Temples hee was not worshipped by these Titles JOVI ILLUSTRI NOVO CAIO and being incensed by Appion against the Iewes but specially against this Philo that hee intended to have slain him but failing in that hee did with extreme violence persecute and afflict the Iewes every where but chiefly those that lived in Alexandria This Philo notwithstanding being of an admirable courage and vivacitie did publikely deny that ever such prophanenesse and grosse Idolatry should be practised among the Servants of God especially themselves who had fled thither for the Truth And that you may fully see what a rare Instrument this Philo was for al sorts of Learning either Philosophicall or Theologicall Let his Mysticall Expositions of Moses Writings expresse it Hee did throughly saith one Search the Entrails and Bowels of them by which leaving the literall sence hee directed men to a higher end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to gaine eternall life and the perfection of all Vertue Nay saith Iosephus Philo was so excellent in his studies for copiousnesse of Invention for gravity of Expressions for giving light to dark words that all the Ancients gave him credit for Wit and Learning so that many did follow his foot-steps as Clemens Gregory Nazianzen and among the Latine Fathers Saint Ambrose who confesseth that he exchanged nay borrowed many excellent things of Philo. There are some Fathers that have blamed him a little for his too too inquisitive braine and doe conclude that Hee and Origen were in some things fabulous and ridiculous but all wise men know that the greatest Lights of the Church have had some blemishes Bernardus non videt omnia Therefore as a Wiseman saith Let no man upbraid another man with his misery for weaknesse and infirmities is common to all mortall men and no man knows how soone hee may be over-taken and have his failings for it is an injury to laugh at anothers infirmities when the best of men are incident to the like imperfections But this Philo was also well skild in Histories wherein hee showes not onely a rare commendation of Vertues but declares himselfe a sharp hater of Vices so that even they which spake against him for some of his Allegories give him a joint praise for his Historicall parts and knowledege the time and place wherein hee lived was full of Learning hee did live in the Reignes of Tiberius Caius and Claudius And so having done so much hee departed this humane life about the 50 yeere after Christ. His usuall saying was That there is nothing better for a man then to be borne nor anything better for him than to die soone and quickly For Death is the medicine of all evils incident to man Haec legere potes in praef Ioseph His Works 1 Of the life of a Wise man 2 Of ordering our Life 3 Of the Confusion of Languages 4 Of the nature of foure footed Beasts three Books 5 Of things subject to sense 6 Of Learning 7 Of the Possessours of Divine Things 8 Of the Division of unequall things
and slavery and got some of them to bee released from their torments Titus did so love him that he gave him great Possessions and Revenues and tooke him as his Companion when hee went for Rome Where hee was received with a great deale of Honour not only of Titus but of Vespasianus himselfe and Domitianus and his Empresse and had an Annuall pension very large given him by the Emperour and it was not taken from him during life he lived in Titus his owne Court in great esteeme but not without the envy of his own Nation his second Wife was of Creta a Iewesse and nobly descended by whom hee had two sonnes Nay even Domitianus himselfe continued favourable unto him and punished with death some of his Accusers Hee was excellent for Philosophy and Rhetorick and a famous Historiographer for his time he was for the excellencie of his Wit and Learning and singular uprightnesse of life much admired of the Senate and People of Rome though being a Iew yet hee did highly prayse Christians and gave a famous Testimony of our Lord Iesus Christ as you may read in his Works His Workes were so prized that they with great care were put into the publike Library by the Romans and hee after his death had a Statue of Brasse set up for him by the Senate and people of Rome His life was long and full of paine and labour for hee lived under Vespasian and Titus even to the times of Trajan in the hundred yeere after Christ. Eusebius is large in his praise and so is Ruffinus and Hierome and Nicephorus also and others and amongst all the turmoils of warre and destruction of his Country hee set time to write worthy things which the Church of God even to this day doe greatly esteeme for their reality fidelity and truth and here are registred as Eusebius hath exprest them 1 Of the Jews Antiquities 20 Books 2 Of the Wars of the Jews in seven Books which hee not onely writ in Greeke but also in his owne Language 3 Against Appion the Grammarian two accurate Books Of the force of Rhetorick one Book So after all things enjoying the love both of the Emperour and Citizens of Rome he departed this fraile and transitory life and had solemne Funerall Rites performed for him and was generally lamented of all good men An. Christi 71. S. Ignatius S. IGNATIVS IN the writing of this Fathers life I cannot but reverence his Antiquitie and admire his Christian fortitude he is of such ancient extraction that he was one of those that enjoyed that for which Saint Augustine wished that is to have seene the Lord Iesus in the flesh and though he did not as old Simeon take him up in his armes yet he beheld him with his eyes and embraced him with his heart and at last for his Name sake endured constant Martyrdome and indeed it was a great happinesse to behold Christ who was the hope of all and therefore he himselfe spoke it that even Kings and Prophets have desired to see the same This great Star of the Church is by other Reverend Fathers reputed to have been twelve yeeres old when our Saviour suffered Hee was the third Bishop of Antioch after Saint Peter or as Eusebius saith the second A man singular for his Pietie renowmed for his Love and Zeale Dionysius the Areopagite Saint Bernard and others report a famous saying of Saint Ignatius which hee uttered with sighes and is extant in his Epistle to the Romans and it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor meus crucifixus est That is My Love is crucified Either understanding by the word Love his Saviour Christ whom hee so dearly loved or else meaning that all his Affections of this World were crucified that is dead in him according to that of Saint Paâ—l Galat. 6. 14. The world is crucified unto mee and I unto the world And no question but that our Saviour was planted deeply in his soul and for certainty that he did see Christ after his Resurrection take his own words Ego verò post resurrectionem in carne â—um vidi credo quia sit And truly I did see after his Resurrection in the flesh and I do believe that it is He and hee sets down the time and persons when and before whom it was Et quando venit ad Petrum adeos qui cum Petro erant It was when hee came to Peter and to those that then were with him hee said Touch and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see mee have and they touched him and believed so that his own words are sufficient proofs but yet it is the consent of all the Church Historians as Eusebius and Saint Ierome testifie and Ruffinus As hee was led through Asia with great circumspection by ten Souldiers hee strived to do good in all places whither hee came for it may be said of him as of the Apostles That they went about and confirmed the Churches even so this godly Ignatius with holy Discourses and pious exhortations did establish the Churches in his Travels and chiefly because at this time Heresies began to be broached hee gave them speciall warning that they should beware and shun them keeping the Gospell of Jâ—sus Christ which they had received with simplicitie and sincerity And that they should Mordicus adhaerescere Traditioni Apostolorum Cleave close to the doctrine and tradition of the Apostles which that it might be truly kept for ever hee thought it fit to be written out he is stiled Divinus Ignatius Inclytissimus ferventissimus Martyr that is Divine Ignatius a most famous and fervent Martyr Nay Nicephorus goes beyond that title and cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that saw God and one that was carried of God For when he was a Child Nicephorus reports that our Saviour would take him up and shew him to his Disciples And it may be that this was one of the little Children that were brought to Christ to touch them and why not that Childe that Jesus took and set in the midst of them to learne them Humility hee long time lived with the Apostle and succeeded Euodius whom Saint Paul mentions in the Bishoprick of Antioch on a time in a Trance he saw a Vision of Angels praising the blessed Trinitie in distinct courses alternis Carminibus by singing of Verses by turnes Whereupon he did bring into the Church of Antioch the forme of Antiphonies or Anthemes and from that the other Churches even to this day do observe them Hee sate Bishop of Antioch nine yeeres in which time he did maynly build up the Church of his Saviour being alwayes wondrous strict in reproving Superstition and Idolatry in so much that hee did not spare to reprehend the superstition of the Emperour Trajan himselfe who then was at Antioch and for that very cause commanded him to be carried to Rome to be torne and devoured
of Lions Well when he had visited the Churches of Smyrna hee did discourse with and sent Letters to Ephesus and Magnesia Troas Philadelphiae Rome and to Polycarpus himselfe And this Polycarpe doâ—h praise them for he gives this testimony of them complectuntur enim fidem patientiam aedificationem omnem quae ad Christum pertinet That they include and learne Faith Patience and edifying in all things that make to the gaining of Christ and herefore worthy to be had in special esteem in the Churches nay to be publikely and privaâ—ely read and remembred he makes mention of Onesimus in his Epistle to the Ephesians In his Epistle to the Magnesians hee speaks of Damas then Bishop there in his Epistle to the Trallians hee mentions Polybius who then governed it hee intreats the faithfull that were at Rome not to be moved at his sufferings nor to be shaken from the faith which hee had received for hee was ready and joyfull to suffer much for the Name of Iesus and so the Church Historians have kept that Epistle to the Romans with great care and Eusebius mentions it nay records it and so doth La Bigne in his Bibliotheca Patrum and so Saint Ierome Eusebius saith it begins in these words Ex Syriâ Romam versus iter Instituens terrâ marique noctu interdiu cum bestiis confligo decem Leopardis colligatus c. that is As I came out of Syria towards Rome both by Sea and Land both night and day I fight with Beasts and am chained amongst ten Leopards which were the ten Souldiers that did bring me to Rome by Trajans command who though I do many benefits for them yet are they more inhumane and fierce but I am daily better learned by their injuries I could wish that I could see those beasts that must teare mee I would speake fairely to them to dispatch mee quickly which if they shall refuse to doe I will incite them Pardon mee for now I begin to be Christs Disciple All things are of no esteeme in comparison of him Neither feare I what man can do unto mee Ignis Crux Bestiarum conflictationes ossium distractiones conâ—isiones membrorum totius corporis tanquam farinae molitae attritiones omnia denique suppliciorum genera à Diabolo excogitata in me coacerventur si Iesum Christum duntaxat adipiscar Fire Crosse breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my bodie and all the tortures that inhumane man can invent and all the torments of death and the Devill come what will or can come so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his Kingdome for ever when this life is ended What a proffer did this good old man bid for Heaven what a victory was this to his prayse be it spoken to get this victory of himselfe having so many enemies as the World the Devil and the Flesh and inticements of friends which were as so many blocks laid in his way hindering as it were his passage to Heaven When the time of this Ignatius his Marâ—yrdome drew nigh He used a saying which Saint Ierome in his Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall Writers and Saint Irenaeus lib. 5. c. 28. do both remember and it is in the same Epistle namely this Frumentum Deisum dentibus ferarum molar ut munduâ— Dei panis inveniar You may render it in English thus Now I am but Gods Corne when the wilde beasts shall have grinded mee to powder with their teeth I shall be his white-bread He used also to say and no doubt but hee found it true Nihil praestantius est pace Christi as Damascen relates in the first Booke of his Parallels and â—8 Chapter There is nothing better then the peace of a good Conscience then the peace of Christ. For his Humilitie it was much for hee thought it no disparagement to learn of any that could instruct him for hee went to schoole to learn when hee was thirty yeeres of age Likewise hee thought himselfe so unworthy to bee buried in any sanctified place that hee chose rather to bee buried on a dunghill or some common fields Such was his humility that hee ever thought meanly of himselfe and always subjected his own spirit to the practice of Vertue This Vertue amongst all others though the lowest yet holds the preheminence this Vertue is the safest because it is alwayes at Anchor for it endues the minde of Man with divine Knowledge and ingraâ—iates him with his God And certainly that man lives with most content in his calling that strives to live within the compasse of it Polycarpe said to his Schollers bee yee perswaded by the example of Ignatius Rufus and Zozimus or else by the Apostles themselves to hold fast the faith for these by that means are with the Lord. Hee suffered under Trajan at Rome Anno Christi 102 the remainder of his bones which were left by the wild beasts were sumptuously interred by Theodosius Saint Ignatius his Sayings Of good and wicked men They are like true counterfeit mony the one seemes to be good and is not the other both seemes and is strive therefore both to be and to beare Gods Image for though the other seems good yet prove naught in the fire of triall Of the good Persecution The Lions teeth are but like a Mill which though it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good wheat onely prepares and fits it to be made pure bread let mee be broken by them so I be made pure Manchet for Heaven Of unitie in Prayer Let it be performed in one place in one form in one minde with the same Hope same Faith and same Charitie in Christ Iesus who doth otherwise is seduced with vain Opinions Of Education of Children Parents ought to afford these foure things to their Children Discipline Admonition learning Gods Word and Arts all these preserve them from idlenesse and folly gives them wisdome and learnes them subjection and obedience to their Superiours Of Patience its excellency Other graces are parts of a Christians armour as the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit the Helmet of Salvation but Patience is the Panoply or whole armour of the Man of GOD the Enemy foiles us without it but we foile him by it Of Graces in the Soule Grace flowing from the blessed Spirit of God makes the Soule like a Fountain whose water is pure wholsome and cleere for Grace cleanseth saveth and beautifieth the whole man Ignatius wrote these Epistles following 1 To Saint John the Apostle 2 To the Virgin Mary 3 At Smyrna to the Ephesians 4 To the Magnesians 5 To the Trallians 6 To the Romans 7 At Troas to the Philadelphians 8 To the Smyrneans by Burgus 9 To Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna 10 At Philippi to the Tarsenses 11 To the Antiochenians 12 To Hero the Deacon 13 To the Philippians of Baptisme by Euphranius the Reader An. Christi 71. Polycarpus S. POLYCARPVS THis Polycarpus was Disciple to Saint
Iohn and Bishop of Smyrna when Anicetus governed the Roman Church in the Reigne of M. Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus being Proconsul This Polycarpe came to Rome and had great conference with Anicetus about the Celebration of Easter as Irenaeus doth testifie and in his third Book against Heresies he speaks largely in his prayse and commendation This Polycarpe was instituted by the Apostles themselves and had great familiarity with them which had seene the Lord Jesus in the flesh hee was sent into Asia and there was made Bishop and lived a long while to a very ripe age so that the Almond-tree did flourish in his gray haires Hee was wonderfull in esteeme and repute for his reverend gravity and chiefly because hee taught nothing but what hee learned of the Apostles themselves and what the Catholike Church delivered and such points onely as were really true and orthodox And this all the Churches of Asia manifest and all the Bishops which succeeded him in that great dignitie Hee was not as Valentinus or Marcion but testis fidelis veritatis constansque a faithfull and a constant witnesse to the truth nay by his powerfull wisdome and singular piety he recall'd and did reduce many from Heresie and Errour It is reported for certain that Iohn the Lords Disciple and he going to a Bath at Ephesus and espying Cerinthus an Heretick in it that he said fugiamus ocyus c. Let us depart for feare lest the Bath wherein the Lords Adversary is doe suddenly dispatch us which indeed he had just cause to feare forasmuch as the places where wicked men are in a manner seeme to detest their wickednesse so that one of the Fathers made hast out of the house of a wicked man and soon after it fell to the ground Thus this holy man Polycarpus shewed a great zeale vigor of spirit for the defence of the truth And indeed those Primitive Fathers were very circumspect and cautious how they kept company with those whom they thought not to be sound in the faith imitating that rule of Saint Paul An Heretick after the first and second admonition shunne knowing that such an one is fallen away being condemned in his own conscience It is to be wondred to thinke how constant and couragious these Primitive Fathers were in their sufferings For they were not disheartned when their bowels were ript up when they rubd with shels and rough stones when their very heart-strings were crackt in the fire when there were beasts appointed to teare them nay per quodcunque supplieiorum genus whatsoever punishment was laid upon them they did rejoyce in the middest of them and so did this Polycarpus and Germanicus and Ignatius This blessed Martyr when the Heathens did cry out quaeratur Polycarpus kept his countenance and resolution so firme that it bred amazement in his Friends who would have had him gone out of the City into some place to avoid the fury of his Adversaries but hee continued in devout prayers night and day for the Church of God and for its peace hee did foretell to his Friend that hee should die in the flames for the Lord Jesus when as they that came to apprehend were entred something neere the place where hee was his Friends advised him to depart which hee easily might have done but would not and said Domine fiat voluntas tua Lord let thy will be done And so came to them whose countenance when they beheld they were abashed much but he commanded meat to be set before them and intreated them to eat heartily and desired them to give him respite but for one houre onely in which he prayed most fervently for the pardon of all his sinnes and for the Catholike Church and so was upon a solemne day brought into the Citie Herod being Prefect disswaded him not to suffer that death but to recant and to enjoy life and liberty he constantly after a little pause told him plaine hee would not yield to his suggestions which when they saw they drove him in a Chariot with violence to the place of Martyrdome and broke his leg in the journey but comming before the Proconsul he did aske him whether he was Polycarpus or not to whom he answered resolutely that hee was then hee bad him deny Christ and sweare by the Emperour to whâ—m Polycarpe replyed Octoginta sex annos illi jam inservivi c. I have served him these eighty six yeares and all this time hee never did mee any hurt how can I then speake ill of my King who hath kept me â—afe so long a time and cleerly did professe himselfe to be a Christian â—hen the Proconsull told that hee had beasts in readinesse to devoure him and Polycarpus answered Bring them for I am ready then the Proconsull said to him that he would tame him in the flames but Polycarpus told him that they were but momentany and that he neither feared beasts nor fire nor any other punishment Sâ— when they did see that hee would not be frighted they all with fury cryed out Iste Asiae Doctor Christianorum pater deorum nostrorum eversor This is the Doctor of Asia this is the Father of Christians this is hee that speaks against our gods and will not worship them So the fire being made hee was cast into it but it was a strange thing that the fire would not burne him but hee gave a smell as if of sweete Odours and Confections till at last they ranne him through the bowels with a sword and there issued our so great a quantity of bloud that it amazed them all and extinguished the flame Such was his holy detestation of Hereticks and Enemies to the Religion of Christ that when Marcion an Arch-heretick but one of his acquaintance met him in the street at Rome and wondring that he took no notice of him said unto him Dost thou not know mee Polycarpus yea said he I know thee well thou art the eldest sonne unto the Devill When the Proconsul had urged Polycarpus as much as in him lay to deny Christ Hee made this answer to him as before I have served him eighty six yeeres and hee hath not once hurt mee and shall I now deny him And when hee was come to the place of his Martyrdome the stake being fastned in the ground and the wood ready to be kindled they began to tie him to the stake with iron chains and he required to stand untied saying Let mee alone I pray you for hee that gave mee strength to come to this fire will also give mee patience to abide in the same without your tying Indeed that man which is accustomed to patience will never quit or forsake any place for any pain or trouble whatsoever for the paines and perplexities that good and vertuous men doe endure and suffer doe as it were prick them forwards to have a more earnest desire to loath and to leave this wretched and sinfull World whose sweetest pleasures as the wise man
him Omnium Doctrinarum curiosissimum Exploratorem that is the exquisitest or curiousest searcher out of all 〈◊〉 of Learning And God having laid him out for a famous Instrument in his Church Irenaeus sets himselfe seriously and ardently to the study of the sacred Scriptures and did take wonderfull paines and delight in that studie and for his better helpe this way he put himselfe to Polycarpus to be his Scholler which had not onely heard Saint Iohn but most of the Apostles which had seen Christ in the flesh and no question it was a great joy to that old Father to see that hee should have Children who would be constant professours of the Faith in Christ Iesus and Eusebius gives him that prayse that he did truly observe all the sweet speeches that fell from Polycarpus lips and omitted nothing that hee spake of Christ his Actions Miracles or Passion Nay hee was not onely with Polycarpe but also with Papias Bishop of Hierapolis and Iohn Bishop of Ephesus and Aristion with other who were all excellently Learned and Apostolicall men and he did eagerly desire the company of such as had conversed with the Apostles for so he made himselfe the abler to contradict all Gainsayers so that Saint Hierome and Saint Epiphanius terme him the true Register of the Apostles actions He came to be Governour of the Church of Lions in France or rather indeed setled the Gospel there for hee saith that inter Celtas commorabatur and that Rhodanensem Regionem incolebat that is that he abode among the Celtae and dwelt in the Countrey not farre from Roan and hither he was sent a Beato Polycarpo by blessed Polycarpe if you will believe Gregorius Turonensis Here with what faith and diligence paines and carefulnesse with what issue and happy successe you may easily judge for he did constantly preach and carefully and reverently deliver the Eucharist to the people committed to his charge take his owne words Oportet nos Deo oblationem facere in omnibus gratos inveniri fabricatori nostro Deo in sententiâ purâ fide sine Hypocrisi in spe firmâ in dilectione fâ—rventi that is That it behoves us to offer our selves to God and in all things to be thankfull to our Maker who is God with a pure mind and purpose with faith without hypocrisie with stedfast hope and in â—ervent Love and Charity and so for his delivering the Sacrament Quemadmodum qui est à terra panis percipiens invocationem Dei en consecratio jam non communis panis est sed Eucharistia ex duabus rebus constans terrena coelesti gratias agimus Dominationi ejus that is For as ordinary bread after prayer and consecration is not any longer common bread but is the Eucharist consisting of two parts earthly and heavenly and so wee praise God And againe Populo dedit Verbum praeceptum faciendarum oblationum The Word did command us to offer Sacrifices to God not that he needed them but that hee would be served by us and therefore hee would have us to bring our Oblations daily to the Altar This Reverend old man became famous at Lions and brought by his preaching and holinesse of life most of that Citie from Gentilisme to the knowledge and service of the true God but the common enemy of Mankinde envied â—his great successe and so troubled the peace of the Church with a double mischiefe for hee brought in a most cruell persecution against the Church of Vienna and Lions which agreed with those of Asia and Phrygia in the same â—oints of faith and also stirred up a spirit of Errour and Lying in some Heretikes as Montaâ—us Theodotus and Alcibiades and Maximilâ—â— by both which hee disturbed the Christians and the peace of the Church the French hereupon take care for the Brethren and therefore sent large Epistles of things done amongst them as also the Tenents of Montanus into Asia with their judgments upon them as Eusebius testifies and not onely so but dispatched likewise Letters to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome whom they desired heartily to keepe the Church in unitie Now whom could they finde and chuse out to be imployed in this weighty imployment for holinesse and gravity and sinceritie praeter unum Irenaeum but onely this one Irenaeus whom they knew would undergoe all travaile labour and danger for Christ and the Churches good so Photinus and other chiefâ— men of the French Churches with some Martyrs that were imprisoned asked him to goe Embassadour to Rome about some questions of the Church and so into Asia which he willingly performed as Hierome testifies and presents to Eleutherius the letters in his name certifies the Bishop of the doubts he desires his approbation confirmation of the judgment of the French concerning the Montanists and so having all things to his harts desire at Rome he very readily prepares for Asia his own Country where he did by his owne presence and doctrine afford much comfort to those distracted and afflicted Churches by declaring to them the Conformity of the Westerne Churches and the See Apostolicall of Rome and mainly setled in points of Faith God then giving great successe to his labours he was present at Caesarea in Palestine at the Councel where he spoke couragiously and learnedly in the matters of Faith as Nauclerus Vincentius Bellovacensis and Hugo Floriacensis have recorded Cardinall Baronius doth deny that this Irenaeus went into Asia because that neither Eusebius nor Ierom do mention it and because Eusebius doth speak of his Embassage to Eleutherius to Rome indeed to speake strictly what time he spent and how long it was ere hee did returne to Lions cannot be distinctly known but certain it is that when Photinus was ninety yeeres old and when hee with divers other Martyrs departed this life that Saint Irenaeus returning from his Embassage was chosen Bishop of Lions His enterance into it was full of danger unquiet and troublesome because the Emperour was then cruell to the Christians and had not called in the Edicts of Nerâ— for the fourth persecution but even in this dangerous time Irenaeus was valiant and laboured exceedingly by prayer by preaching instructing arguing reproving with patience and wisedome hee seeketh the lost strengthneth the weak recals the wandring binds up the broken-hearted and settles those that were strong take Tertullians words of him Tanta vitae integritate et doctrinâ—â— sinceritate gregi is praesidet c. He governed the flock of Christ with such integrity of life and sincerity of Doctrine that à suis amatur ab exteris suspiciatuâ— His own lov'd him exceedingly and others feared him but God sent peace to the Church in the end of the reigne of Marcus Antoninus Verus who was moved by the Apologies of Melito Apollinarius Athenagoras and by the teares and grones of Christians but chiefly by Gods mercy to yeeld quiet rest to the Church as also
because that rain was procured by the prayers of the Christians so that they lived securely and held Councels and did preach freely in his reigne as also in the reigne of Commodus who succeeded Antoninus But divers weedes sprung up againe to disturb the Church of Lions and Rome and the Easterne parts Lions was troubled with the Valentinians and Gnosticks Rome it was molested with Blastus and Florinus and the Eastern Church was disquieted with a great deal of contention about the celebration of Easter but against all these did this Irenaeus proceed he setled Lions refuted Blastus and Florinus follies and was mightily studious to settle the Churches about Easters celebration He lived in Antonius Commodus and Severus Reignes being about 182 yeeres after Christ but this Severus being a cruel man against the Christians rais'd the fifth persecution against them wherein many Martyrs were crowned But most of all it raged at Lions in so much that the blood of slaughtered Christians ran down the streets so that their names could not be told nor numbred but God hath written them in the Book of Life at last this blessed Saint was by the slaughter-man laid out to death with the greatest part of that Citie on the fourth of the Calends of Iuly as Trithemius about the sixtieth yeere of his age other say the ninetieth There is great dispute among Historians about the yeere of our Lord in which he died but it is certaine that he with divers others were set betweene two Hils there being a Crosse on the one and an Idoll on the other being put to choice which way he would goe either to the Crosse and so suffer or to the Idoll and live Hee and all they chose to suffer Martyrdome and so were all put to death His bones as relicks were reserved with great care and laid in rest untill the yeare 1562. they were digd up in that furious and raging cruelty of the Hierognosticks who neither spared dead nor living nor Temples Altars nor any holy things but spoiled all and cast part of his bones into the River and his skull was kicked about the streets as a Ball but a Christian Chirurgion stole it up and kept it two yeers untill Charles the ninth got the City again and restored to Christians their former liberty who hearing where his skull was came and decently with great respect buried it and caused it to be registred in their common Register of the Citie His Sentences I have here placed with his Works Hee used to compare the Hereticks and Schismaticks of his time to Aesops dog that lost the substance of Religion by too earnest gaping after the shadow In a just consideration of the glories and honours of this transitory World What profit is there saith hee in that honour which is so short liv'd as that perchance it was not yesterday neither will be too morrow For such men that labour for it are but like froth which though it be uppermost yet is unprofitablest 1 Against the Gentiles 1 booke 2 Of Discipline 1 book 3 Of Schisme to Blastus 1 book 4 Against Heresies 5 books 5 Of the Monarchie of God 6 Of Ogdoades 7 Of Easter to Victor 8 Of the Apostolicall preaching An. Christi 204. Quinctus Septimius Florens Tertullianus TERTVLLIAN THis Tertullian flourished in the Reigne of Severus the Emperour and lived till the reign of Antoninus Caracalla as himselfe witnesseth in his first book against Marcion as also in other places Pamelius who wrote his life sayes That it was when Victor was Bishop of Rome who was an African borne and when as Septimius Severus was Emperour that then this Tertullian an African was famous also in the Church There have beene those who have striven about two Questions first concerning the knowledge of this Tertullian from one Tertullus a Consul and from one Tertyllianus a Counsellour as also from one Tertullinus a Martyr The second question is about the time wherein this our Tertullianus lived some will have him to be converted to â—e Faith in the yeere of Christ 160. but that is rejected but Eusebius and others do with better judgement place him in the yeere of our Lord 200. I cannot let passe in the first place the cause of the multiplicity of his names All Antiquaries do hold that he was called Quinctus à loco in quo natus from the place in which hee was borne which was his praenomenâ—sed â—sed by the Romans as Onuphrius testifies and cites some so called as Quinct a Septimia a famous Matrone Septimius was added to him à Gente from his stock which was amongst the Romans both Regall Plebeian and Consular So Septimius Mesius rex Aequicolâ—rum Lactantius in his Institutions and Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Fabiola doe suppose this Tertullians stock to be very noble The Cognomen or Sirname of Florens denotes a certain Family of that Race of Septimius As for his name Tertullianus it is a derivative of Tertullus as Octavianus of Octavus and as Septimius of Septimus It is concluded by Eusebius and Saint Ierome that this Tertullianus was an Affrican borne the sonne of a Proconsul which also is affirmed by Isidorus Nicephorus and Beda and more specially to be of the Citie of Carthage For his Institution he was happy for it was excellent and hee was as industrious to adde what could be had by study his Works against the Gentiles testifie his able parts which according to Saint Ieroms words Cunctam saeculi continent disciplinam that is they containe all sorts of Learning He was well read in Poets Grammarians Histories and Lawes Hee was well seene in Physicks and Philosophy Lactantius says hee was in omni genere doctrinae peritus well skild in all kinde of Learning Eusebius stiles him Peritia rerum legum Romanorum clarum He knew well and dexterously the affaires and Lawes of the Romans Saint Ierome sayes he was Acris vehementis ingenii vir eruditus quo nihil eruditius c. That hee had a sharpe and pregnant wit that there was none more learned than himselfe Saint Austine stiles him Disertissimum a most discreet man Nicephorus calls him Eloquentia acrem pollentem powerfull in his Eloquence and Oratory but hee that will see his large prayse let him read Vincentius Lyrinensis His words I have Englished Inter Latinos omnes hic facile princeps judicandus that is Amongst the Latine Writers hee is chiefly accounted of for what learning greater then his Who more exercised in all divine and humane knowledge For he was expert in all Philosophy He knew all Sects their Authors Defendors Abettors Arguments Fallacies hee was full of all History his wit was able to decide any Controversies and that with forcible Arguments hee convinced any Opposite hee undertook judiciously who can sufficiently blazon his prayses Each word is a Sentence all his constructions victorious He wrote many Workes that were necessary for Christians which are all
who strive to corrupt the Christians by their Idolatrous shews then Tertullian wrote his learned Treatise de spectaculis wherein hee handles the case to the full And at the same time how did hee stop an Heresie arising in Affrick called the Apelletians from one Apelles which worke is desired but not as yet enjoyed In the fifteenth yeere of the Emperour Severus did hee not famously write against that great Heretick Marcion and set forth his Book De Resurrectione Carnis And presently after wrote his Booke De Carona Militis worthy here to be spoken of a little upon a Triumph all the Emperours Souldiers for the greater pompe were to weare Crowns made of Bayes but one Christian there was who when he had his Crown given held it on his arme but would not weare it whereupon being demanded why hee alone had refused to set forth the pompe of that day he did boldly answer Non decet Christianum in hac vita coronari A Christian ought not to be crowned in this life a true and a worthy answer And so upon this Tertullian wrote his Book so entituled I read not after this that Tertullian did write any thing for the Church but against it The more is the pitie so great a Scholer should fall so fouly There are many Fathers who have discoursed what might be the cause of this Tertullians revolt Some as Saint Ambrose say it was Envie Vincentius Lirinensis makes a good application of it It was saith he a great tentation and triall The Lord saith Moses tries us whether wee love him or not when there ariseth up one of these false prophets or teachers or dreamers Saint Ierome gives him a great praise for his wit but laments his losse Saint Cyprians phrase was when hee would read Tertullian to say Da Magistrum Give me my Master Trithemius terms him Tam in divinis quà m in saecularibus Scripturis doctissimum The most learned in sacred and secular affaires And that hee taught Rhetorick at Carthage a long time Gloriosè saith he with great glory and credit and againe scripsit Latino sermone penè c. That hee wrote almost infinite Workes in Latine wherein he hath most judiciously confuted and overthrown all the Heresies hee wrote against licet in aliquibus c. and though saith he he erred in some things yet he wrote profitably in many other his Books Hee lived till hee was old and decrepite and so yielded up his spirit after that he had painfully and learnedly studied the Word of God and carefully and discreetly answered all those that proved Hereticks to the Truth I have here not followed Trithemius Catalogue nor yet Bellarmines concerning his Works but as Pamelius hath registred them in the Collen Impression Anno 1617. Hee hath a learned commendation set under his Effigies wherein as Tullius was the Pillar and praise of Rome so Africk glories in her Tertullian His Oratory was famous and Tertullians speech was sweeter then honey as may appeare by some of his Sentences Tertul. de poenitenia If thou be backward in thoughts of repentance be forward in thy thoughts of Hell the flame whereof only the streame of a penitent eye can extinguish and first so thinke on the greatnesse of the punishment that thou mayst not doubt of getting a remedy against it Idem de fuga in persecutione The Legion of Devils could not have conquered a Herd of Swine if God had not given them power farbe it then the Devill should have power over Gods owne Sheepe I may say That even then the bristles of those Swine were numbred before God and much more are the haires of his Saints De Fide Ex personis probamus fidem an ex fide personas Doe wee try mens faith by their persons we should try their persons by their faith Idem de Oratione The remembrance of Gods precepts chalkes out a way for our prayers to Heaven the chiefe of which precepts is That we come not first to make our atonement with God on his Altar before wee have made our atonement with our brother in our hearts For what profit is it to come to the peace of God without peace to come for remission of debts without remission of debts How can he appease his Father that is angry with his brother Idem de Oratione Let us not approach unto Gods holy Altar before wee have made peace with our offended brother for to what end should wee come to the God of peace without peace for the remission of our own sinnes without any intention to forgive one another How can hee that is not pleased with his brother thinke to please the God of his brother seeing that God commands him not to be angry at all but forgive him Hee that then prepareth himselfe on earth shall be sure of his reward in Heaven Tertullians houres of prayer They were the third the sixt and the ninth houres for they are saith he the more eminent part of the day to distribute and distinguish the publike affaires of men so have they beene accounâ—ed the most solemne times for Prayer and Divine Duties in the Church of God For at the third houre were the Apostles met together at their Devotions and were filled with the power of the Holy Ghost GOd Almighty who is the protector and defender of Kings grant to your Sacred Majesty along life a happy Reigne a secure State and habitation a strong Army a faithfull Senate or Councell and a Royall people These were the solemne Prayers of Tertullian for the Emperours and used by the ancient Church De Sanctorum Passione Tertullian saith that Paul thought himselfe unworthy to suffer for his Saviour because hee had no more lives to lose for his sake For hee that lost his life for us that wee might live deserves our lifes and all to bee laid downe for him Whence it is that the Saints have rejoyced in their sufferings not counting their life deare that they might winne Christ. Yea to mee saith Saint Paul in his Epistles to live is Christ and to die is gain And elswhere he saith I beare in my body the marks of the Lord Iesus And indeed the sufferings of the Saints though for the present grievous and hard to bee borne bring forth an hope of reward exceeding great and glorious while wee looke not at the things temporall but at the things eternall And this should encourage us for Christs Name sake to passe through bad report and good report setting before our eyes the example of the Saints and not onely so but with cheerfulnesse to sustain all injurious dealings of men though they deprive us of livelihood and life it selfe for Christ and his Truths sake knowing that it is a good thing to suffer in a good cause and that this shall make our Crown to be glorious and enstate us into blessednesse with eternity to have a period De Christo VERBO Tertullian upon occasion taking a
would visit others that were in chaines for the cause of CHRIST Nay and without feare of punishment delivered some from their fetters And in his Writings when as he◠speaks of Martyrs and their torments hee seemes to be even ravished in spirit Hee was not seventeen yeeres old when hee was deprived of his Father and had a Mother with many brethren whom hee did by labour and study maintaine and cherish and the better to provide for their sustenance hee did publikely professe Grammar which though many may take to be a needlesse profession yet in ancient times it was in high esteem so that of it it was said Senile atque arduum fuisse negotium that is it was a taske for an old grave man to perform and full of difficulty for as a great Writer speaks Non tātùm expect abatur Declinationum Conjugationum Constructionum ratio sed sermonis elegantia plurimorum Authorum lectio Antiquitatum Historiarum peritia ac etiam Poeseos Rhetorices Dialectices Arithmetices Cosmographiae Musicaeque cognitio that is There was not onely expected in one of these Professors a method for the Declensions Conjugations but there was a requisite elegancy of speech reading of divers Authours skill in Histories Poetrie Rhetoricke Logicke Arithmeticke Cosmographie and Musicke in all which this Origen was excellently wel experienced and the place in which hee professed was no meane one but in the famous Citie of Alexandria and presently after hee read the grounds of Religion divinely instructing the Christians confirming and strengthening their hearts against all the stormes of persecution Amongst many others one Disciple called Plutarchus was so encouraged by this famous instrument that hee underwent Martyrdome and one Heraclas a Kinsman of this Plutarchus for his holinesse of life was after the death of Demetrius advanced to the Government of the Church of Alexandria Serenus also was so instructed by Origen that hee died for the name of Iesus as also Heraclides and many others as well men as women so servent and powerfull was the doctrine of Origen and such deepe impressions made it in the minds of his Auditors He did strictly keep under his body and subjugated the flesh to the spirit lest as hee said while he saved others hee himselfe should be a cast-away he was frequent in watchings in fastings humicubations in labours and wants and yet underwent all with a great deale of alacritie integritie and patience his holinesse of life was not onely admired and followed by Christians but also by many Heathens so attractive and powerfull is the example of a good life But now Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria hearing of Origens paines and piety thought him a fit instrument to be placed in the Church and so called him to be the Catechista or Reader of Divinitie in that place a weighty and eminent place which after the Apostles one Pantaenus and after him one Clemens had supplyed in the Citie of Alexandria and now this Origen enjoy'd and kept it many yeeres with a general approbation and renowne the Disciples of these men were termed Catechumenists or hearers Now he left his profession of Grammar and sold all his bookes to a friend of his for the allowance of foure half-pence a day and wholly addicted himselfe to the studie of Divinity in which he so profited and exceld that hee was by Alexander Bishop of Hierusalem and Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea called to the Priesthood a great dignity in those times though much and too much slighted in these looser and prophaner days The Churches of Achaia were vext at this time with divers Heresies to stop which Origen was sent with the Epistles or Letters Testimoniall of the Church and as he went through Palestine towards Athens hee was by the Bishops aforenamed ordained Priest that He might be the more potent being confirmed by authority Ecclesiasticall He did not run but was lawfully sent and did painfully undergoe that charge and indeed his doctrine and life was so renowmed and eminent that they caused him to be envied and hated especially of Demetrius so that he did what he could to cloud and darken this Origens fame a fault not fitting to harbour in a Divines breast though through the Devils malice too frequent This Demetrius ript up this Origens faults and by his writings did publish them to the World and especially hee upbraided him with that rash and inconfiderate act of his dismembring himself which He stiles puerilis error a childish fact a blind zeale without knowledge and said that He took some other things Historically which he should not in the Gospel as that having two Coats he should give away one as also that of not caring for the morrow c. so that what Origen thought not to have bin known was and Demetrius for that imperfection deem'd him unfit for the Priesthood and so did now dislike what formerly hee approved and envied deeply him whom hee should have lov'd Such power hath premeditated and working revenge Well in the height of Origens fame these things were divulged and his adversary was potent and thereupon Origen was forced to give way to the storme and yield to the importunitie of his Enviers and so left Alexandria yet always kept his constancie and courage and retain'd his piety unmoved preaching the Gospel with all diligence and painfulnesse striving to convert many to Christ not doing as Tertullian did to turn from Orthodox to a Montanist but the more his affliction was the closer he kept his piety nor yet troubling the World with Schisme nor yet requiting his adversaries with ill language or calumniations but hee went another way to worke to doe good for evill and to speak well of His standerers as Saint Peter saith by this meanes stopping the uthes of his Gain-sayers The principall place in which He taught was Caesarea of Palaestine there hee instructed many in the Faith and saw the fruits of His labours for Hee had many famous men who were His Followers and Scholers as Firmilianus afterwards Bishop of Caesarea Cappadocia of whom Hee was entertained with applause through all Cappadocia Who after that he had seen the Holy places in Palaestina return'd to Origen againe He brought up Theodorus afterwards called to the dignity of a Bishop as also Gregorius who for the Miracles which Hee wrought was termed Thaumaturgus who was an eminent Father of the Church This Origen did likewise convert Anthenodorus the brother of Gregorius and made him leave all his worldly wisdome to gain the knowledge of Christ and gained great advancement in the Church of God He was called to Antioch by Mamniaea the mother of Alexander Severus and was by her honourably entertained and religiously dismissed againe this woman is called by Saint Ierome a Religious Matron He wrote a famous and learned Epistle to Philip the Emperour who was the first King of the Romans which was Christian. Hee saw Rome which hee cals Ecclesiam magnam a great Church in one of his
Epistles and this was done in the time of Zepherinus so againe he did returne to Alexandria and admitted into his society Heraclas again He recald Ambrosius from the heresie of the Marcionites and caused him to embrace the orthodox faith He never affected wealth but contented himselfe with a low estate for being so beloved he might easily have abâ—unded in riches if his mind had beene setled on them He was so studious that he would read at his meales It is said of Him to his credit and renowme that Origeni null a par â—aetatis periit à studiis that is Origens whole life was a continued study and another speaks thus of him Origenis ingenium sufficiebat ad omnia perdiscenda that is Origen had such a pregnancie of wit that he was apt to learne any thing Adfuit illi mira ex tempore dicendi facultas in obscuris dictionibus perspicuitasâ— that is He had a wonderfull faculty in expressing himselfe ex tempore and to explicate obscure places wondrous quick and able Quanti fecerit Originem Antiquitas c. How much did Antiquity account of Origen any man knows for Saint Ierome stiles him no lesse then Magistrum Ecclesiarum post Apostolos the Master of the Churches after the Apostles And Saint Augustine wished that His Works were turn'd into Latine Victorinus and Hilarius Bishop do mightily endevour to set forth his prayses And as one saith Quis ex Scriptoribus qui post Origenem vixere non insigniter ab eo est adjutus that is Who of all the Writers who lived after Origen was not singularly helped by Origens labours Nay to shut up all it is said of Him primus omnium glaciem scidit Hee was the first that broke the ice for the explanation of the Scriptures To conclude all Hee carefully employed His time endured a great measure of affliction faithfully preached the Gospel converted many to Christ having spent himselfe in holy labours for the good of the Church In the first yeere of Decius the seventh persecution being raised against the Christians in the 225 yeere after Christ. And in this persecution it is generally knowne what heavy and cruell torments this Origen then endured and indeed it was not so fierce against any as this Father for Hee suffered bonds tortures of his body being fastned by the neck with a great iron chaine and many dayes together his feet were kept in a paire of Stocks of wood and then were stretched foure paces wide with threatnings of fire and a most cruell Judge striving by all means to prolong his tortures but what pious Ejaculations and comfortable prayers and zealous exhortations he made and gave to the Christians is to be wondred at considering the length and extremity of his sufferings that he should retaine his valour and constancie untill the giving up of his spirit I know how some have sharply reprov'd him for that act of dismembring himselfe and others have condemned him and his Writings but these are not demonstrations so much as calumniations of so great a Light of the Church However if hee was in an errour the Mantle of Charitie should hide and conceal it I have read too that he died at Tire very old and poore But we are not to believe a private pen before so great a Cloud of Witnesses to the contrary However Hee lived to the seventieth yeere of his age and died a constant Martyr for Christianity Hee flourished in the Reigne of Antonius Caracalla Macrinus and others from the yeere of our Lord 213. to 240. Also I have annexed some of the famous Sentences of this Father Origen Let every man know his place and order and understand what doth become his place and degree and so weigh his actions and speech and moderate his gate and habit yet it may bee agreeable to his degree and profession Thou that art a sinner grieve not to encounter afflictions in the pilgrimage of this life for thou shalt not deserve compassion if thou sufferest with indignation but rather thinke thy selfe worthy of punishment and when thou hast humbled thy selfe and hast said that Gods judgements are just and right thou shalt obtain mercy from him who can restore thee to his favour Those that are humbled and cast downe whether worthily or unworthily let them leave the judgement to God and patiently beare his judgements for thereby they shall obtaine mercie from God and recover amongst men their former degree and glory which they lost Hee that hath exchanged poverty for riches that hee might be perfect was not made perfect at that instant when hee gave his goods to the poore but from that day when the speculation and consideration of Gods goodnesse drew to the perfection of all vertues Gods providence hath ordained all things to some end and purpose He made not malice and though he can restrain it he will not For if malice were not Vertue should not have a contrary it could not shine cleeâ—e there would be no examination and vertue could not be tried and proved For the malice of Iosephs brethren was the meanes whereby God brought about the works of his providence effected by Ioseph I have annexed his Works as they are in two Tomes Tome 1. On Genesis homilies 17 On Exodus 13. On Leviticus 16. On Numbers 28. On Josua 26. On Judges 9. On the Kings 1. On Job books 3. On the 36. 37. 38. Psalms homilies 9. On the Canticles homilies 6. On Esaiah hom 9. On Jeremiah 14. On Ezechiel 14. De principiis 4. Threnes or Lament 1. Pamphilus his Apology for Origen Ruffinus depravation of Origen Tome 2. On Matthew Tracts 35 On Luke Homil. 39. On John 32. On divers places of the new Testament homilies 10. On the Romans books 10. Against Celsus books 8. Dialogues against the Marcionites book 3. An. Christi 233. Sanctus Gregorius Thaumaturgus GREG THAVMATVRGVS I Doe intend to describe the lives of foure famous Fathers of this name who have beene eminent in the Church for Piety and Learning for Action and Passion viz. Gregorius Nazianzenus then Gregory sirnamed Magnus Pope of Rome Gregory Nyssenus who was brother to Saint Basil the Great and this Gregory Thaumaturgus the greatest part of the Churches Historians have beene copious in setting forth the prayses of all these I now set upon this and what I doe expresse to the World shall be true and mayntaind by sufficient Witnesses He was called Theodorus before and hee got his name Thaumaturgus from the abundance of Miracles which hee wrought and great Wonders which hee did if wee give credit to Gerardus Vâ—ssius in his Preface before this Fathers work that Saint Basil ranks him not inferiour to Moses the Prophets and Apostlâ—s and that hee was full of great Signes and Miracles that hee was indued with the spirit of prophecie that hee by prayer removed a great Hill which hindred the perfecting of a Church that hee dried up a great Lake
which had caused great discord betwixt two Breâ—hren that Hee by His prayer stopt the force of the River Lycus which overflowed and drowned the neighbouring fields and so brideled the swelling waves that ever after they did keep within their own bounds and banks That this Faâ—her likewise cast out Devils out of the bodies of men that He stayed the plague in places that were infected that he heald the sick and weak and that He also raised the dead and that Hee brought many souls to embrace the Gospel of Christ Iesus Whether he was so full of these Works and Wonders I doe not here intend to dispute but I have onely related what I have read of him and I have not much cause to suspect the wordes of so many Fathers of the Church who witnesse it of Him Take therefore I pray you the commendation which Saint Basil the great affords Him in His Booke of the Holy Ghost Chapter 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Where shall I find a fit place for this great Gregory and his praises May I not fitly set him with the Prophets and Apostles a man endued with the same spirit in great measure a man whose life paralled those former stars of Heaven a man who did powerfully shew the vigour of the Word of God We should do injury to the Truth if we should not account him amongst the blessed in glory and felicity which like an eminent Torch shined in the Church of Christ ope S. S. tremendam habuit adversus Daemones potestatem And who by the helpe of the Holy Ghost had mighty power against Devils Hee had received such a plentifull portion of the graces of Gods Spirit that by the helpe of seventeen more Christians he brought whole Cities and Countries to the obedience of the Gospel Hee also chang'd the course and bridled the force of Rivers and of a great Lake which was cause of dissention betwixt two brothers and his predictions of things to come makes him that hee may be reckoned amongst the Prophets If saith Saint Basil I should reckon up all His Wonders and Miracles which hee did in the sight of the people I should even attribute that title to him which his very adversaries afforded him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a second Moses for they are so fixed in the hearts of men and so knowne amongst all so faithfully registred amongst Historians that the envy of the Devill nor the length of time can ever abolish the memory of them Qui à tempore magni praesidis Ecclesiae vestrae Gregorii Who from the time of that Great President of your Church Saint Gregory have flourished Here I cannot but cite the admirable commendation that Eusebius the Historian giues him beginning thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the same time that Xistus ruled the Roman Church and Demetrianus who succeeded Fabianus in the Church of Antioch and Firmilianus the Church of Caesarea that this Gregory called Theodorus who was an Auditour of S. Origens together with his brother Athenodorus did wisely manage the Church of Pontus and in another place the said Eusebius reckons up this famous Gregories actions Verum quoniam Beati Gregorii historiae textus mentionem attulit c. But for as much as the Text of the History hath mentioned this Blessed Saint Gregory I will not omit the worthy Workes of so great a man There was a great Lake in Pontus full of all sorts of fish which came to be the Inheritance of two Brethren who fell to civill dissention about it so that many men had lost their lives in the quarâ—ell which thing when Gregory heard of he presently came to the place and uttered these words to the two contentious Brothers Nolite ô Filioli rationales animas pro multis animantibus viâ—lare Fraternam pacem quaestus cupiditate dissolvere Dei leges naturae pariter jur a temer are that is Do not ô my sonnes ô doe not destroy so many reasonable soules for a few mute creatures break not the bond of brotherly love and peace for transitory gaine doe not so rashly and desperatly violate the Laws oâ— God and Nature at once come wiâ—h mee to this fatall Lake and I will by the help of God reconcile you for ever Whither comming this good man upon his bended knees prayed heartily to God in the sight and hearing of all present and Eusebius sets down the words of his prayer That he desired of God that never any more fish might be in it but that it should be a field for corn that by this means these two Brethren might agree in love together whose prayer God heard and did immediatly grant his request to the amazement of all the standers by Such force have the prayers of a faithfull man with God this one action is enough to renowme him in all Ages but he was admirable likewise for ingenuity and dexteritie of wit as the same Eusebius gives testimony of him in these words Sed ingenii sui in parvo nobis maxima monumenta dereliquit But hee shewed in briefe the excellency of his wit For Magnificentissime scripsit that is He writ most elegantly upon Ecclesiastes and left a brief but an eloquent Exposition upon the Catholike Faith which hath beene and is a great edification of the Church of Christ His wordes begin thus Vnâ—â— Deus Pater Verbi Viventis that is One God the Father of the Living Word of the Subsisting Wisdome of the Ever-living Power the Perfect begetter of the Perfect One the Father of the onely begotten Sonne and so goes on expressing the Deitie and Triniâ—â— in most apt and significant judicious termes Saint Gregory Nyssen affords this man a singular Encomium and Eulogie in these words Sicâ—t de Mose ait Scriptura c. that is That as the Scripture speaks of Moses so may I of this Gregory Hee was seene in all the Learning of the Gentiles hee found how weake and unwise their opinions were and embraced with great ard our and sanctity the Gospel Saint Hierome also blazons 〈◊〉 his Works with prayse and commendation They begin thus Theodorus qui postea Gregorius a pellatus est Theodore who was after called Gregory was Bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontâ—s in his youth to learne the Greeke and Latine with his Brother Anthenodorus he passed from Cappadociâ— to Beritum and afterwards to Caesarea of Palestine where Origen seeing their admirable wit taught them Philosophie and so instâ—ucted them in Divinitie and sent them to their Mother this Gregory wrote an eloquent Letter to Origen extant yet And Hierome stiles him Virum Apostolicorum signorum virtâ—tum that is A man ful of signes and Apostol call Miracles And he that will read more of him let him accept of this cloud of Witnesses Sanctus Gregorius pap lib. 1. Dialogorum cap. 7. Socrates lib. 4. c. 22. Enagrius lib. 3. cap. 31. Cedrenus in anno 12. Anastasii Imp.
Haymo lib. 7. c. 8. Nâ—ceph lib. 9. Beda Ruffinus Suidas speaks of him also Factus Episcopus signis c. that is Being made Bishop he exceld for signes and wonders above humane power He was full of holinesse Phedinus Bishop of the Amassensians ordained him a Bishop Hee flourisht under Aurelianus and he reigning this Gregory died At his death he thanked God that hee left as many faithfull Christians in that City as hee found Infidels at his comming The Roman Breviary stiles him Sanctitate doctrinaque illustris c. famous for sanctitie and doctrine and much more for miracles At this death hee asked how many Infidels there were in Neocesarea it was answered but seventeene thanks be to God said he for at my comming there were just seventeen Orthodoxe Christians in this place Bellarmine and Baronius declare his worthy parts and say that he was famous for Learning and Miracles and that hee flourisht in the Reigne of Alexander Severus and Baronius testifies in his second Tome that hee was made Bishop in the tenth of Severus hee suffered so much for the Truth that in the Greek Churches he is reputed a Martyr S. Gregorius Thaumaturgus in Ecclesiast cap. 12. It will be worth thy labour whilst thou art in the prime of thy youth to be affected with the feare of God before thou give up thy selfe unto sinne and wickednesse and so that great and terrible day of the Lord steal upon thee at unawares when thou art unprovided for it Ibid. Cap. 11. If thou feed the hungry and cloath the naked what though others thinke all 's lost that goes that way and no better then bread â—ast upon the waters yet let mee tell thee that in processe of time thou shalt have it returned ten-fold into thy bosome againe Idem Cap. 10. Listen to the voice of the King and of those that are set in authority over thee doe them no harme nor be thou too free in thy speeches against them for assuredly know that whatsoever thou doest or sayest against them though never so secretly it will appeare against thee when thou shalt least think of it Idem Cap. 10. This World 's at no certainty now it is all warre anon all peace this yeere comes famine the next brings plenty nay such is the inconstancie of things sublunary that hee which we knew one day abounding in prosperity the next day we saw dejected by adversitie His Works extant are these according to Bellarmine 1 A Metaphrase on Ecclesiastes 2 A Panegyricke of Origen 3 A briefe Confession of Faith which hee learned of St. Johns Revelation 4 An exposition of Faith against Elianus 5 A Canonicall Epistle To these Vossius hath put twelve Sentences Greeke and Latine with Anathematismes 6 Three Sermons of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin 7 Of the Baptisme of Christ. Of the Epiphany 8 A dispute of the soule against Tatianus Hee was borne of Gentile parents but had good education at Alexandria he cast out a Devill from a woman which would have tempted him and did accuse him of lust to the wonder of all So after great paines endured for the Truths sake he died peaceably Read more of him in Baronius Annals Tome 2. I cannot omit to speake some things of him in briefe 1 His patience when a Strumpet reviled him 2 Divine revelation and receiving the Articles of the Faith so effectually 3 His erecting of a Church his flight in the persecution by Decius 4 He cured divers of the Plague and so also converted them to the Faith 5 He frees himselfe from the calumnies of Sabellius 6 Hee was at the former Councell at Antioch and opposed Paulus Samosatenus 7 Before his death he visits the Churches 8 Gave away all his possessions and yielded quietly his spirit to God An. Christi 250. Sanctus Cyprianus S. CIPRIANVS IT hath always beene the providence and goodnesse of God to raise up and finde men of parts and gracious endowments to mayntaine the cause of his Church amongst which this Saint Cyprian merits a place whom so many of the ancient Fathers of the Church doe highly commend as Gregory Nazianzen Hillarius Ambrose Prudentius Saint Augustine Fulgentius Maximus Isidore Petrus Chrysologus Beda and Râ—banus Maurus as also Eusebius Zonaras Nicephorus and Divine Saint Ierome who bestowes this Encomium of him Quam purissiâ—i fontis instar dulcis incedat placidus ingenio sit facili copioso suavi quae sermonis maxima est virtus aperto ut discerni nequeat ut rumne ornatior in eloquendo an facilior in explicando an potentior in persuadendo fuerit When as this Father runs like a Fountain sweetly and calmly of an apprehensive copious delicious note and that which adds grace to him of an holy wit so that it is hard to distinguish whether he was more rich in eloquence or facile in his explication or more powerfull in perswasion Pontius his Deacon writing of him stiles him thus Cyprianus religiosus Antistes Testis Dei gloriosus Saint Cyprian that Religious Prelate that Glorious Witnesse and Martyr to passe by therefore the part of his life as he was a Rhetorician wee will onely describe him as a Christian. At this first ingresse to Christianitie he chiefly studied to keepe his body continent and cleane from lusts and occasions provoking saying Tunc enim posse fieri pectus idoneum sensum ad plenam veri capacitatem pervenire si conâ—â—piscentiam â—arnis robusto atque integro sanctimoniae vigore rigore calcaret That then his heart would be truly fit and his spirits to come to the full capacitie of the truth if that once he could with a strong and entire vigour and rigor of Holinesse trample down his concupiscence of flesh And not onely eminent for his austeritie but also in the reading of the Scriptures hee chiefly aimed how hee might improve his labours to Gods glory Hee at his initiation to Christianity gave and distributed all his estate to the poore ut ambitionem saeculi spernerâ—t that hee might avoid worldly ambition and performe an act of mercy well pleasing to Gâ—d A strange thing and not to be paralleld by any of the Fathers Upon this hee entred into the Priesthood Where how worthily hee did behave himselfe is manifest hee was not daunted with any oppositions nor frighted with any persecutions so that as Pontius saith well Non illum penuria non dolor fregit It was not want or sorrow that startled his noble heart not his Wifes disswasions not the worlds frownes not the malice of his adversaries could affright him He stood firme unshaken in all estates and conditions keeping his faith and devotion and blessed God in his deepest sufferings His house was free to all commers he never turn'd widow empty away from him he was the blinde mans eye and the lame mans legs and the naked mans garment Haec debent facere dicebat qui Deo placerent These things
ought to be done of such as would please God There was one Caecilius a Priest and upright man who first did enlighten his minde a man worth commendation whom this Saint Cyprian highly honoured and reverenced calling him novae vitae parentem The Father of his Christian life It is not possible to reckon up all his severall graces this adds to his credit that being but a Neophyte in Christianity yet God so disposed it that hee was chosen to be a Bishop with an unconceiveable joy of the people which did honour him but he was so humble that hee seemed not to regard their praises but at his comming out and going into his house a World of Christians attended quae illi pietas qui vigorâ— misericordia quanta quanta censura O how great his piety his valour O how admirable his mercy and his discretion His countenance full of gravity and pleasantnesse not too much expressing a severe sadnesse nor yet affecting wantonnesse but so equally tempered that it was hard to say whether hee was more loved or feared his carriage was answerable to his aspect not any wayes swelling or puft up with pride nor dejected with poverty But what was this Bishops love to the poore may be a patterne to all succeeding ages but Satan envied this good man and so at last he was banished but even in this state he performed a world of good Witnesse that speech made and sent to Nemesianus â—oelix and Lucius with other Priests and Deacons saying It is no shame but glory not to be feared but to be rejoyced at to suffer banishment or paines for Christ that such as suffer shew that they are valiant Captains of Vertue provoking by the confessions of their mouth and sufferings of their bodies the hearts of the faithfull to Martyrdome For saith he it is no new thing for a Christians body to be beaten with clubs or to be full of wounds or skars in as much as they were ornaments to them not any discouragements and though the Mines afford no beds to Christians yet they shall rest in the Lord and though their weary bodies lie on the cold ground yet they shall be refreshed though their hands and feet have bin loaden with fetters and chains of iron yet Christ will loose them and make them free men of Heaven the tying of them fast here is a meanes to make them run the faster to Heaven and though they be stripped of their garments yet Christs Righteousnesse would cover them their deformity shall be turned to honour their mourning to joy their pain to pleasure and to endlesse felicity And though they could not bee admitted the Temples to pray in yet they might offer their bodies and souls in humility and contrition to God which would be Sacrifices that would please him And concludes his comfortable speech to them with the words of S. Paul These present sufferings are not to be compared with the brightnesse of that glory that shall be revealed to the Children of God As also that saying of his shews his worth Quis doceret poenitentiam lapsos Veritatem Hâ—reticos Schismaticos unitatem filios Dei pacem Evangelicae pacis legem Who ever gave such directions to such as were fâ—lne to renew their repentance Who ever gave better directions to Hereticks to embrace the Truth Who better taught Schismaticks the way to Unity or the Children of God the pâ—th of peace and prayer By Him it was that the blaspheming Gentiles were convinc'd in themselves of those things whereof they accused the Christians By Him it was that the weaker Christians were so willing to forsake all worldly preferments in hope of a reward in heaveu Hee it was of whom wee may truly learne pity and patience It was this Cyprian that overcame the malice of his Eâ—vious Adversaries by a sweet and Christian-like meeknesse Who was it that afforded stronger Cordials and Counsels to conquering Martyrs and to speak truth Quis denique tot confessores frontium notatarum secunda inscriptione signatos ad exemplum Martyrii superstites reservatos incentivo tubae Coelestis animaret Who ever did by the heavenly trumpet encourage so many Confessours branded and twice written downe and signed and daily expecting Martyrdome to stand firme in the faith as Saint Cyprian It was then the singular providence of God that this man should be yet reserued so that his feare and his departure was divine and approved that yet he might confirme many convince others and comfort many others in their sufferings for at this time the Church of God was deeply wounded by the common adversary and therefore fit it was that hee and such like as he was should binde up and cure the wounded and broken Lactantius gives this Cyprian a great commendation for his gravity and cleernesse of stile he was unwilling to have been Bishop but the voices of all cried out either Saint Cyprian or none and indeed who can sufficiently set forth either his wisdome or diligence in feeding Christ his flock so that hee was like a loving Father to all A vigilant Bishop and an heavenly inâ—pired Master when as the Church 〈…〉 miserably wasted by persecution under 〈◊〉 the Emperour whose governmenâ— was â—ut short but as Saint Cypriâ—n witnesseth himselfe extremly bloudy for the Church saith 〈◊〉 having enjoyed a long peace under his â—â—ther all men studied their private wealth so that Devotion and Religion and good 〈◊〉 were quite neglected and all estates and â—orts of men and women were fearfully corrupâ—ed sâ—vit hoc â—â—agellâ—m Deus God suffered thi◠〈◊〉 of persecution to reforme it which Saint Cyprian avoided by flying as 〈◊〉 testifies but his Adversaries sought for him to have cast him to be devoured by Lions in the Amphitheatre so that they that would â—ot believe him a Bishop in prosperity should 〈◊〉 him one in banishment but what great goâ—â— in his banishment did hee performe doth easily appeare by his care to see the slaughtered christians to have decent buriall to care that 〈◊〉 wounded and mangled should have releafe and comfort and it pleaâ—ed God to afford him â—uch a perswading power that he obtain'd whatsoever he desired for them but this storme of persecution was but of one yeers continuance For 〈◊〉 raigned but one yeer and three moneths so that all things being â—alme this Saint Cyprian returned to his charge againe gathering together the dispersed â—lock yet for all this the Barbarians entred Nâ—midia wasting and destroying many Christians whom Saint Cyprians provided for and got monies for the ransome of such as were captives About this time a grievous pestilence raged in Africk in which Saint Cyprian shewed a marvellous measure of Piety and Charity Hee comforted some administred to those that were in want hee stird up those Christians that were persecuted by Pagans to afford them neverthelesse reliefe in the time of Contagion teaching them to doe good even for evill but yet not all these unparalleld
liberty 〈…〉 S. ARNOBIVS WAs by Country an African Hee was eminent in the Church of God in the Reigne of Dioclesian the Emperour and professed Rhetorike with the applause of all men in a certain Citie of Africk called Sicca Amongst many other excellent Scholers to whom he read daily the most famous for wit and learning was Lactantius there are many things which doe greatly set forth the praise of this Arnobius though many pens have striven to â—ully or at least to lessen this mans good name and to cast aspersions and make suspicions of his Writings for who can in the first place but ingenuously confesse him to be an able man for learning how is it possible else that hee should have brought up others to that height and excellencie How could he otherwise have kept his place with such a generall approbation How could hee have set forth those worthy Works which are reserved in the Church with great applause For where can there be more solid pieces found then his And secondly his conversion from Heathenisme to Christianitie as it was worthy of commendation so the more prayse-worthy because it was voluntary sincere and constant voluntarily dâ—ne it was for there were no threats to terrifie him no tormentors to urge him there were no men imployed in that service to winne him nor yet any preferments either promised him to allure him nor any could hee hope for in those times and from those persons that then ruled neither did he by any probability lay down his former profession upon any such indirect and uncertaine foundations so that without torments and threatnings without rewards or hopes of any he did voluntarily embrace Christian Religion an act very rare to offer up himselfe willingly into the Lords Harvest Then secondly his conversion was sincere though by many Bishops not onely suspected but at first feared for when as hee came to them and did earnestly desire of them to be received into the Church and to be baptized it is said quem cum illi rejicerent veriti ne vir saeculari eloqâ—entia tumens Religioni Christianae quam semper oppugnaverat illudere vellet Whom they fearing denied it to him lest he a man swelling and puft up with secular wisdome and who had alwayes thitherto opposed Christian Religion should make both a mock of them and it whose dealing and proceedings in that kind were wise and politicke For it is usuall with great learned men without the speciall grace of God working and ruling them to despise the simplicitie of Christianity but yet God brought him in worke hee had to be done by his pen which should stop the mouthes of the Adversaries of his Church And who knows not Gods dealing with Saul who was sorely against his children yet a man in that state and condition wel known for Learning and able parts but brought to be one that was ready to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus It makes not what the instrument hath beene so much as what it is But yet Arnobius finding this repulse at these Fathers hands leaves not his intendments but presently produceth his Letters Testimoniall sufficient proofe that Hee intended what hee made profession of For then Obtulit eis in Argumentum sinceritatis suae praestantissima adversus pristinam Religionem disputationum volumina tanquam fidei suae obsides that is offered to them those most excellent Volumes of his Disputations against his former Gentilisme as infallible arguments of his sincerity and to be for ever the manifest pledges of his Faith which were presently with great joy received by them and he received of them the sure seale of Christianitie And as his conversion was voluntarily as from himselfe without any constraint used as it was sincere without Hypocrisie as may be seene by his Works so likewise was He in the third place to his dying day constant in it For notwithstanding the hate and envy of his former associates notwithstanding the dangers that Christians are subject to and more specially those of that time in which Hee lived being many though Hee could not choose but know the mockes and scoffes that were put upon Christians yet none of these could any whit remove him or cause him either to be sorry for his act or to relinquish the Faith contrary to the practice of too too many Formalists and Temporizers who can take up and lay down Religion as they do their garments but our Arnobius did goe on and hold out Now thirdly for his upright life and learned Writings they are known to all though there be some disputes about the latter yet none but Heathens have spoken against his life no question but his life was answerable to his profession however Charity shall perswade where none accuses and hide his blemishes if Hee had any and therefore I will a little touch upon the latter some cals his Works Insignia volumina famous Volumes others say Multa praeclaraedidit that is He set forth many admirable pieces Habuit sayes another multos egregios Nobiles Discipulâ—s that is Hee had many excellent and Noble Scholers To omit what Saint Ierome and divers others have said of him I will expresse to you the testimony of Erasmus concerning his Commentarie which Hee hath â—rit upon the Psalmes though some have suspected the Work to be none of Arnobius pâ—nning yet Erâ—smus doth as well as many others give many excellent and faire conclusive arguments to avouch the certaintie of it When as Hee lived about Frankendale this Commentary was brought him at first he doubted whether it would please or not because they were termed Jâ—â—uni Commentarii empty Commentaries and Impoliti sermones erant soloecismis scatentes They were of harsh and impolished language and had some seeming Soloecismes in them But sayes he when I had turned over two or three leaves and strictly read them Sensinon esse vulgarem Infantiam led expolitissimam impolitiem copiosissimam brevi-loquentiam c. that is I perceived that they were not childish but most polite and neat in their dresse speaking much in little the words indeed seemed somewhat more neglected but the sense most ample and absolute so that I thought no small store of treasure to be come unto my hands Would to God saith he that there were more store of such judicious Authors as Arnobius was who writes so perspicuously so learnedly so briefly and so holily For his Solecismes they proceeded not from unskilfulnesse but from judgment and are not to be imputed to the man but the times nor can any prove this not to be the same Arnâ—bius who writ against the Gentiles For it is certaine the same pen writ though not to the same persons Hee writ the one to Scholers learned this to the common people Hee fitted himselfe to the meanest that all might understand what all did sing he had a care of the weakest that hee was so short it was for mâ—mory that he was so plaine
it was for profit in both these hee shewed exquisite eloquence and depth of judgment as well knowing what he did He doth not use any circumlocutions hee desired rather to give the best then much and naughty His stile is no where languid or dull he strives to refresh to stirre up to comfort the Reader for the learning and sincerity that you shall find you may admire him In briefe hee hath so done all that none but the malicious can speak against him or his Works This and a great deale more doth that learned Erasmus speake of our Arnobius so that who pleaseth to read his prayses at large may view them set forth in the Epistle Dedicatâ—ry before the Commentary on the Psalmes printed by Frobenius This Arnobius flourished in the time of Dioclesian from the yeere of our Lord 290 to 300. Arnobius sayings Of Prayer It is the bed of a sick and weake mans soule refresheth in tentations and keepes warme the actions of grace In Psal. 41. Of Despaire He that fals into Despaire is like a ship that looseth her Anchors and runs on the Rocks In Psal. 42. Of Persecution Persecution brings death in one hand and life in the other for while it kils the bodie it crowns the soule In Psal. 45. His Writings 1 Seven Books against the Gentiles 2 Commentary on the Psalmes 3 A learned tract of Rhetoricke hee died under Dioclesianus the Emperour An. Christi 326. The life of Eusebius Caesariensis EVSEB CAESARIENSIS EVsebius Bishop of Caesarea Palaestina formerly called the Tower of Strato for his great friendship towards Pamphilus sirnamed also Pamphilus being Scholer to Dorotheus the Eunuch a most learned man and a most diligent searcher of the Divine Library with Pamphilus was so famous among all the contemporary Bishops of his age for his knowledge in divine and humane Learning so that his deserts were celebrated with this most noble Eulogie of the Emperour Constantine who would often say That it was Eusebius happinesse to bee worthy to be Bishop not onely of one City but of the whole World A praise of an high straine beseeming an high place Indeed mens abilities should be answerable to their dignities greatest perfections are fittest for greatest places and promotions If Moses be placed over all the Israelites as supream Judge his endowments ate proportionable but with his employments his measure of spirit is abated and part resteth on the seventy Elders who were fitted for the like performances He that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Over-seer and such had need bee furnished with more then ordinary gifts for correcting of vice instructing the ignorant making straight that which is crooked Such were the manifold endowments of this Reverend Bishop Eusebius And for his eloquence Saint Ierome stiled him Romani eloquii Tubam the Trumpet of Roman elocution Eloquence in a Minister is a singular ornament Moses was fearfull to take up Gods Embassage not being eloquent but slow of speech therefore God appointeth his brother Aaron for his helper The lineaments of a Picture make it no exquisite without colours and varnish they make it beautifull Oftentimes a faire out-side leads us to the finding of hidden worth within and the phrase or stile of writing sets a lustre upon the matter Luther caused to be painted over his study doore Verba sine rebus Erasmus Res sine verbis Lutherus nec res nec verba Carolastadius res verba Melancthon Words without matter Erasmus matter without words Luther neither matter nor words Carolostadius both matter and words Melancthon Thrice happy Melancthon judicious and eloquent Omne tulit punctum qui misâ—uit utile dulci. The same was the commendation of Eusebius That he was a defender of the Arrian Heresie and a corrupter of the Nicene Synod some Writers affirme either deceived by the affinity of name and dignitie which he had with Eusebius first Bishop of Berithus in Palaestina and afterward at Nicomedia in Bythinia Captain of the Arrians or else induced to that beliefe because Eusebius of Caesarea would not consent in the Nicene Councell to the propounders of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Consubstantiall but after a long inquisition and examination of the said word done by him not maliciously but rather out of sincere pietie for when many of the Bishops would have the word Homousii as excluding a multitude of gods inducted by Arrius and most of the Bishops did sharply oppose the acception of the same word as introducing the opinion of Sabellius who held that the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost were but one person through their diversitie of opinions Eusebius being doubtfull to whether part hee should assent Eustathius Bishop of Antioch accused afterward by Cyrus Bishop of Bexoen opprobriously termed him a Favourer of the Arrians and a corrupter of the Nicen Faith Eusebius on the conâ—rary affirmed that hee neither favoured Arius nor corrupted the Nicen Faith but that Eustathius did introduce the perfidious opinion of Sabellius Lastly when it was declared by the Fathers that this word Homousii did not take away the distinction of persons which were of the same Nature and Essence hee subscribed to the Decree of the Homousii or Consubstantialls and by the Fathers command hee composed that Nicene Creed which is now sung in the Church A singular stayed discretion in a man of authority and eminent dignity not rashly to suffer any noveltie to creep into the Church without examination how farre forth it may prove profitable to the good of the Church especially in matters of greatest importance such as this concerning the Deity 's essence and manner of existence which is well distinguished by the Schoolmen every person in the Deity say they is alius alius sed non aliud aliud the former notes the distinction of persons but the later their essence to be the same and undivided such as the Father is such is the Sonne and such is the Holy Ghost And that you may the better be drawne into the admiration of his eloquence take notice of some of his sentences which were like Gold Coine containing much worth in a little compasse they are here inserted Of the Law and Gospell Moses did write the old Law in dead Tables of stone but Christ did write the perfect Documents of the new Testament in living soules And the difference of the Law and Gospell may further appeare in this that the Law is a killing letter for it worketh death making us lyable to the curse For cursed is hee that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to doe them but the Gospel is a quickning letter and supplies for our defects in not obeying the Law we being clothed with anothers righteousnesse the long white robes of Christs righteousnes the imputation whereof makes us as acceptable to God as if wee had fulfilled the Law in our own person Christ having actively and passively fulfilled the whole Law for us by
the Macedonians by these three the Churches were miserably vexed But foure yeeres after the Councell of Sardis even to the death of Constantius some ten yeeres space this Athanasius was again banished into the Desarts of Libya but the Emperour was sorely vexed at him but Liberius then Bishop of Rome pleaded hard for him in so much that Constantius banished him for it well in the absence of Athanasius Constantius caused councels to be held in severall places that was chiefe against Photinus the Heretike who dispraised both the Orthodoxe and Arrians Against this Photinus both the Orthodoxe Christians and Arrians agreed well But in what troubles was the Church under the Reigne of Constantius who gouerned 24 yeers in which space there were so many Councels and nine contrary Confessions of Faith to that of the Nicene Councell the two first were proposed at Antioch the third by Constantius his Embassadours to Constans the fourth was sent by Eudoxius to the Westerne Bishops the fifth sixth and seventh was at Sirmium the eighth at Seleucia by the Acacians the ninth was at Constantinople to which Vlphilas the Bishop of the Gothes subscribed upon all these hath Athanasius divinely spoken Witnesse his Creed every syllable whereof beares matter of importance answerable to the judgment of so divine an Author whose doctrine in other things was no lesse judicious though not altogether so profitable as in this his compendious abridgment and abbreviation of the Christian faith briefly comprehended in a short Epitome yet not so briefely as plainly dilucidated and expounded to the general benefit and edification of the Church Concerning which it may be said maximum in minimo that the greatest thing is in the least the most matter in fewest words And albeit in the Apostles Creed there are not many words yet the words might appeare unto some not sufficient for restrayning Heretikes from their opinions and hence this Father advisedly undertooke the penning of this his Creed for explication of those articles which others wrested and perverted to their own and others destruction which had it bin sooner written in all probability those their errors had bin nipped in the bud never germinated to the scandal and annoyance of the Church of God So that as it is said of the good woman by the Son of Syrach Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all so may we say of this learned and reverend man many have written Creeds of the Christian faith but thine the Apostles onely excepted is inferiour unto none yea superiour being compared with others Upon these occurrences Constantius died sorrowing for three reasons The first that hee had furthered his Kindreds death the second because hee had nominated Iulian the Apostate Emperour the third that he had too much approved those new and Hereticall Arrian points But now the case of the Church under Iulian was deplorable who strive to put downe all Christianity But for all this Athanasius receives his charge at Alexandria where while he staid he called the Bishops together and they strengthened the Nicene Confession and they condemned the Arrians Eunomians Macedonians and the Audaeans and Apollinarians with the Sabellians but now the Church increasing at Alexandria by Athanasius presence the great Philosophers Magicians Wisards and South-sayers cry out that they can do nothing unlesse this Athanasius be removed So Letters were granted not onely to take him but to kill him upon this Athanasius leaves Alexandria and intends to go by ship to Thebais his friends grieving at his departure he told them Nubecula est â—ito transitura It was a cloud that would soone be over and so it came to passe for the yeere after Iulian died fearfully but how ever he sent after Athanasius to apprehend him but they were deceived that sought him for hee came presently back to Alexandria and kept close till Iulian was dead Then Iovianus succeeding in the Empire recall'd the banished Orthodox Bishops and embrac'd them highly Athanasius writ an Epistle to this ' Emperour of the Nicene Faith but this good Iovianus after seven moneths raigne died at Bythinia so Valentinianus and Valens succeeded him different these were for Valentinian was Orthodoxe but Valens was an Arrian and did persecute the Easterne Churches so that Athanasius was forced to hide himselfe in his Fathers Monument the space of foure moneths yet for all this stir this Emperour was in a manner forc't to give leave to Athanasius to reside in Alexandria so long as this Athanasius liv'd the Church of Alexandria was quiet but this good Father died in the seventh yeere of Valens his Raigne peaceably and in his old age having been Bishop 46 yeeres of Alexandria This Father is commended of all Ecclesiasticall Writers Gregory Nazianzen stiles him Tubam ingentem columnam Ecclesiae The great Trumpet of the Church and the Churches Pillar and further he calls him Oâ—ulum Orbis Doctorem Certaminum vocem magnam fidei sustentaculum secundum Christi praecursorem Lampadem Epiphanius calls him patrem rectae fidei Theodoret stiles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bulwarke of Truth Saint Basil praises this Father highly so doth Iulius the Roman Bishop in his Epistle to the Alexandrians So doth Constantine the younger in his Letters to the said Citizens So doth Saint Hierome Ruffinus lib. c. 14. So doth Cassianus lib. 7. de Incarnat cap. ult and Vincentius Lirinensis and Cyrillus of Alexandria and divers others and so this Father having finisht his course and kept the faith expects the second comming of the Lord Jesus Athanasius his Sayings Of Faith The religious forme of godlinesse is above every forme and is knowne only by Faith For it is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternall salvation for without it no man can come neere the number of the sons of God and without it all the endevoâ—â— of man is of none effect So the Apostle Paul declares himselfe saying ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Againe his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine to life and Godlinesse 2 Pet. 1. 3. To believe rightly in God and also of the whole Trinity is to direct all our hope unto God and with sure trust to depend only upon his truth and goodnesse These are the works of faith saith he namely a quiet and good conscience the love of God and the blessed Trinitie and the hope of things to come a boldnesse to come to the Throne of grace prayer true worship confession of the truth obedience perseverance in yielding up of the spirit and to goe immediatly to God Saint Athanas. de meditatione Let the Sun when it riseth in the Firmament see the Psalter or thy Prayer book in thy hands that so the Sonne of righteousnesse may shine into thy heart by faith in thy heart Saint Athanas. de meditatione Be instant at prayers with God and worship him that hung upon the Crosse
of Alexandria a Martyr so also was that St. Cyrill which was a Deacon then also by their difference of Times this of Ierusalem being in the yeare 365 the other in 430. But St. Cyrill the Deacon was in the same time with this worthy instrument yet they are easily distinguished for this Saint was Bishop of Ierusalem the other did defend the faith in Phaenicia in Heliopolis whose Martyrdome as Theodoret in his Ecclesiasticall Historie relates it was no lesse famous than Cruell perpetrated by the Gentiles under Constantine the Emperour for in that this St. Cyrill did breake some of their Idols and Images they not onely killed him but ript up his belly and eate his Liver upon whom God did speedily manifest a terrible revenge for the Teeth first and then the Tongues of all that tasted his Entrailes fell out putrid and fetide then their Eyes and so all presently miserably dyed Now this St. Cyril though he had divers bloudy malicious Enemies who would if they durst have acted as much upon him yet he was by the all-ruling Providence and protection of God preserved from their fury So these two things being cleared let us proceed to write the actions of this worthy Saint Constantius reigning who was sonne to Constantine the great this Cyrill succeeded Maximus who was Patriarch in the same Metropolis A man magnae Sanctimoniae Doctrinae Prudentiae qui successit ob praeclaras rarasque animi corporisque Dotes id est Of great Sanctimony Learning Wisedome who did succeed Maximus for his rare and excellent endowments both of body and minde who endured many heavy things for the testimony of Faith and a good Conscience being often forced to forsake his place and yet after all these storms raised by the Devils agents he slept quietly in the Lord. Of whose undefiled faith the Synod of Sardis writing to Daâ—asus have given a large and evident Testimony which is to be seene in Theodoret which because it is so prevalent to remove all the scandals of his adversaries I have here set downe We have exhibited to the Church of Jerusalem which is the Mother of all other the most reverend and most Holy St. Cyrill which was appoynted and approved by all the Bishops of the Provinces as saith the Canon and also waged many famous Combats with his Adversaries the Arrians with admirable successe and renowne He is said to have governed the Church singularly well and it is knowne that he got the hatred of many for his great Charity and Compassion towards the poore for this made him famous and envyed for in the time of a great famine when as the poore were destitute of all helpes and meanes and knew not where to finde reliefe they flocked all to this holy Patriarch as to their utmost refuge Hee was so liberall to them that he gave them all he had nay so full of pitty and compassion was this Father that when he had nothing left him of his owne hee tooke the Vessells and Church ornaments and sold them to relieve the necessity of the indigent so that hee feared not to spoyle the Temples Materiall so that the Temples Spirituall might be furnished imitating in this his action the examples of St. Ambrose St. Augustine and others and even for this act he wanted not many adversaries yet for all their proceedings he justified the act and was beloved of all pious and good men Nicephorus saies of this Father that inter veteres Ecclesiae patres c. St. Cyrill is reckoned amongst the ancient Writers of the Church and is reputed famous amongst the Defendors and Champions of the Catholike and Apostolicke Doctrine for he was not onely equall to very many of those strong Pillars of the Church but their Senior and held the Catholicke Doctrine sincerely and as hee is mentioned of most Historians as Socrates Theodoret Zozomen Nicephorus and others So none speak of him but with singular and honourable account and when as Nicephorus speaks of learned and judicious men as Paâ—lus of Constantinople Athanasius of Alexandria Anthonius of Egypt Eusebius Bishop of Emissen Titus Bostrensis Basilius of Ancyra Eudoxius Acacius the successor of Eusebius of Caesarea and St. Cyrill who succeeded Maximus and Ephrem Syrus saith he T is also said that St. Cyrill was not onely endowed with parts requisite for the adornment of such a great Patriarch but also with the Spirit of prophecy For when as Iulianus the Emperor had given command to have the Temple of Ierusalem rebuilded and the charges thereof to be disbursed out of the common stocke St. Cyrill being at that time Bishop of Ierusalem remembring the prophecy of Daniel and what our Saviour had confirm'd in his holy Gospell and told it to many how that one stone should not be left upon another which should not bee throwne downe said presently all what is here foretold shall come to passe the Bishop said it and in one night there was such a terrible earthquake in Ierusalem which parted the very stones of the foundation and so all the upper building fell downe and with the fall ruined all the contiguous houses and whereas many of the Iewes came to behold what was done suddenly there came downe fire from heaven and consumed all the Instruments and Tooles of the workmen So that what St. Cyrill had said did come to passe Nicephorus saith that there was a Crosse seen in the heaven of almost all the Iewes by which this St. Cyrill did convert maâ—y to believe on IESVS the Saviour of the world who dyed upon the Crosse and this St. Cyrill mentions in his Epistle to the Emperour Constantius and others affirme that GOD did by this signe add Confirmation to this worthy man and gave efficacy to his Doctrine So that what he preached of Iesus which was crucified was readily and chearefully embraced Theodoret saith that Macarius being dead and Maximus that followed him Cyrillus alacris promptus doctrinae Apostolicae propugnator in Episcopatus gradulocatur id est Cyrill the lively and prompt Champion of the Apostolicall Doctrine was placed in that preferment Whereupon the Arrians knowing and indeed finding his undaunted spirit and courage for the opposing of all Heresies and defence of Piety and Truth as Sozomen relateth raised sundry Calumnies and spread abroad divers disgracefull reports of him insâ—much that they thought to have possessed the Orthodox Bishops of these his scandalous acts and to have utterly eclipsed his glory yet for all these projects and pretences the Catholike Bishops being 150 which held a Councell at Seleucia would not any wayes confirme or ratifie his deposition as Theodoret testifies nay they were so farre from doing any thing against him that they did resolve to proceed against his chiefest adversary who was called Acacius and excluded him from the Synod and as Nicephorus who did write the Acts of the Seleucian Synod and of this Acacius and his Favorites
sayes they did not nor should professe the faith Catholike nor would they suffer any objections to be brought in against this famous Cyril nay moreover those that were invited to the hearing the cause of Saint Cyrill decided who had also determined his deposition were not onely not there nor was there any who answered for them yet as Baronius reports St. Cyrill was driven from his place by the Arrians in the Councell of Constantinople Mark saith Nicephorus the admired integrity of this Cyrill who appeared to defend his innocency notwithstanding all his enemies bravadoes and menacings nay he was so farre from being daunted that he affrighted the hearts of all his enemies so that they durst not maintain their forged accusations before so many famous and learned Judges But when as they found the Emperour infected with their heresie then they grew potent and impudent and Cyrill being removed Heraclius was brought in and after him Hillarius as Nicephorus maintaines for they two administred the affaires of that Church untill the reigne of Theodosius and then Cyrill was again restored and how reverently and piously hee determined all affaires belonging to that place is easily seene And Epiphanius who was the Hammer of Heretiks gives this Cyrill a worthy Encomium in these words Qui praeter Acacium Arrianum cum multis aliis illius sectae Episcopis contendere religionis ergô non dubitavit that is who not onely not feared to encounter Acacius the Arrian but did Christianly and faithfully oppose divers other Hereticall Bishops nor is Saint Ierome wanting to commend him for Cyrillus saith he Fâ—rtissimus Christi athleta orthodoxae fidei Assertor constantissimus c. That valiant Combatant of Iesus Christ that most constant Mayntainer of the Orthodoxe faith for many yeeres together strove for the propagation of Divine Truth suffered various and heavy persecutions exercised in these dangers from the beginning almost of Constantius Reigne to many yeeres of Theodosius yet all this while in these manifold grievances kept his first resolution and died in the faith at last Thus he And saith Nicâ—phorus though the Arrians at that time by their flatteries policies and suggestions had corrupted the minde of the Emperour though the Court was also all of that Sect yet this Cyrill startled not which was an infallible demonstration that he preached not Christ out of vain glory or in hope of reward at Court noâ— yet that hee was desirous to follow the times but that thee strove to keepe the â—aith in a pure conscience as knowing that would be his recompence at last Cardinall Bellarmines testimony of him shal briefly conclude my discourse of this laborious and constant Embassadour in the cause of Christ. Saint Cyrill saith hee after he was made Bishop of Ierusalem for his singular parts and Learning the state of the Church at that time requiring faithfull Dispensers of Gods Word was often driven by the Arrians from preferment yet did hee hold the faith till his death which was under Theodosius the Emperour Hee preached every Sunday and all the Lent every day with great pains and profit These are some of his Sayings Sanctus Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus Praefatio in Cat. Be not curious in things of vanity seeke not to know what 's done in the Citie what the King doth at the Court what the Bishop in his Consistâ—ry what the Priest in his Parish it is high time to looke into thy selfe and then up to Heaven from whence thy salvation commeth Idem 16. Some come to Church for fashion others to meet their friends this man upon one pretence that man upon another yet it s better to come so then not to come at all in the meane time the net is cast out the Word being preached draws in them which came with no intent to be caught at all being thus taken they shall be preserved for it is Christ that hath catch'd them not that hee may destroy them but that being dead hee may bring them to life eternall Idem Cat. 16. Let every good Christian say thus within himselfe certainly now the mystery of iniquitie is wrought the rumour of warres affrighten mee the Schismes and divisions of the Church are ready to distract me the difference amongst brethren make me amazed surely the end is not far off Lord when thou commest let me be prepared for it Idem Cat. 16. What though thou suffer for Christs sake suppose that fire and swords racks and torture be now ready to seize thee harken what the blessed Spirit of God the Comforter saith unto thee Trust still in God those are but flea-bitings continue but a while and thou shalt be in Heaven for evermore Here follow the Treatises of his which are called his Catechismes by the Paris Edition Anno 1631. 1 An introductory to Baptisme and his Lecture out of Esay upon that Lavamini 2 Of Repentance and of remission of sin of the adversary of man Lectures upon that of Ezechiel Justitia justo 3 Of Baptisme Lectures upon that of the Romans Know ye not c. 4 Lectures upon that of the Colossians Cavete ne quis vos c. 5 Of faith out of that to the Hebrewes Chap. 11. 6 Of the soveraignty of God of Heresies and Lectures out of Esay upon that Turn unto mee ye Isles 7 Of the Father Vpon the Ephesians for this cause 8 Lectures upon that of Jeremy Deus magnus fortis 9 Lectures upon Job upon that who is he 10 Vpon that and in one Lord Jesus Christ. 11 Vpon that the onely begotten Sonne of God Vpon that of the Hebrews Multis multifariam 12 Vpon that Hee was incarnate and was made flesh 13 Lectures upon that He was crucified 14 Lectures on Christs Resurrection 15 Lectures upon that He shall come again to judge the quicke and dead And of Antichrist out of Daniel Aspiciebam Throni c. 16 Lectures upon the Holy Ghost Vpon the first of the Corinthians 17 Lectures upon the holy Catholicke Church the Resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Out of Ezechiel And the hand of the Lord was upon me 1 Lectures to those who are newly baptized out of that of Saint Peter Be yee sober and watchfull c. 2 Lectures upon the body and bloud of Christ out of that of the Corinths What I have received of the Lord c. 3 Lectures upon that of Saint Peter Cast away therefore c. These were the pious and learned Works of this Father which the Church hath always kept as a solid buckler against Hereticks and as a restorative to the faithfull members of our Lord Iesus Christ. An. Christi 368. Sanctus Ephraem Syrus S. EPHREM SYRVS IT is not fitting that such eminent Lights should be hid under a Bushel but that their renowmed and pious actions should be blazon'd to the World for admiration and imitation the time in which he died in the Church was under Valentinian and Valens He
led a Monastick course of life and was over the Church of Edissa as Trithemius reports in his booke of Ecclesiasticall Writers He was made Priest by Saint Basil the Great borne he was of Christian parents in the time of Constantine the Great a Syrian hee was by Nation even from his childhood abstemious and shunned the appearance of evill His parents in a Vision saw a fruitfull Vine branch spring forth of Ephraems mouth and they saw it spread as it were into most parts of the world and though all the fowles of Heaven came and eat of the fruit yet still there remayned a great quantity this as they verily judged shewed how his doctrine of the true Vine Iesus Christ should be so copious and delicate that all Nations in all ages might out of his Works gather nourishment and yet there would be store enough for others that should come after and certain it is that this man had admirable endowments whom all the worthy Fathers of the Church have so highly commended it will not therefore seeme false what here is recorded of this Father if so many worthy Writers may be credited and it hath alwayes been the custome of the Church to celebrate the memory of pious and religious men especially of those who did as this Ephraem optabat enim non videri sed bonus esse he did not onely desire to seeme but to be really good whose minde was as a golden Ring all enchased and decored with rich jewels heare therefore what a man he was of whom Gregorius Nyssenus speaks thus Celebrandus est mihi igitur Ephraem ille qui cunctis Christianis versantur in ore that is That Ephraem the Syrian must be praysed of me who is well known to all Christians in the World neither is hee ashamed of his Kindred whose Vertues are as a generall light to all whose life and doctrine have made most men wonder at him there are none but such as be ignorant of great Saint Basil but know him And as the same Father speaks the prayses which he gives this man are not small or such onely as are worldly neither doth hee speake of his education or forme of bodie or comelinesse of his person but as hee witnesseth they were Actio Contemplatio Fides Spes Charitas Pietas erga Deum c. that is Action and Contemplation Faith Hope and Charitie Pietie towards God Meditation on the holy Scriptures puritie of minde and bodie strict Mortifications privacie of life diligence in prayer often changing his place by trials and hardnesse a flying from evill being instant in preaching no lodging but the cold earth an incredible austeritie of life poverty with singular Humility mercifull in a manner beyond humane condition opposing and indeed not enduring the Broachers of Heresies in a word furnished with all the gracious endowments that should bee in the man of God how zealously did He in His Writings by sundry places of Scripture and severall undeniable arguments detest those furious and mischiefe working Hereticks as Sabellius Arrius Apollinarius Anomius Novatus and others in so much that He was stiled the Pancratiastes or the unconquered Souldier of Iesus Christ For his great love to God and his Neighbours the words of his own will do sufficiently declare which deserve to be engraven in Golden Characters Nullo modo in tota mea vita contra Deum contumeliosus extiti nec sermo stultus è labiis meis egressus est Neminem in tota vita maledict is onerari nec cum ullo Christiano homine contentiosum me praebus that is By no means in all my life saith hee have I reproached God or suffered foolish words to flie out of my mouth never did I burthen any man with curses nor did I ever shew my selfe contentious with any so that it doth plainly appeare what circumspection hee had over his wayes Hee was wondrous studious in the Word of God and made divers very comfortable and learned Commentaries and he was wonderfull eloquent to perswade men to embrace the Word of God hee kept his bodie and minde chaste and pure as doth appeare by repelling the shamelesse behaviour of a lewd woman which being instigated by the Devill thought to have entic'd him to lust but this grave Father what with his exhortations admonitions and divine speeches caught and overcame the Tempter so that shee which had beene light of behaviour by his fatherlike advise prov'd a grave modest religious Matron He would very often weep for and bewaile the calamities of men the losse of time his inbred corruptions Hee that reads but that one Tract of his of Humilitie seriously will if endued with any sparke of grace remove all pride and self-conceit and will with that King and this Father confesse That hee is a worme and no man corrupted with sinne and iniquitie Indeed Humility for her excellency should be the sister of true Nobility for God hath more respect unto them that with humblenesse of heart can cast themselves lowly before the presence of his Majesty For as the lowlinesse of heart maketh man highly in favour with God even so meeknesse of words maketh him to sinke into the hearts of men such was this our Ephraems condition of humilitie Who shall read his booke of Divine Love whose heart will not be inflamed For the greatest argument of godly love is to love that which God willeth and commandeth and contrariwise not to love that which God loveth not And the true lover of God which is properly the charitable person is under no rule but he is Lord above all inventions all precepts and all commandements that God hath given to man for love is not confined or limited within any bounds Who shal read his Tract of Chastity Virginity wherin it is praysed but wil studie to keep his body and soule free from adultery and lust and say as Saint Paul did that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost For Chastitie is the beauty of mans life consisting either in sincere Virginity or in faithfull Matrimony For chastitie puritie of life continencie or refusing the corrupt pleasures of the flesh and of this witty wicked world are precious in the â—ight of our Creatour and doe possesse such as keepe their bodies cleane and undefiled and in life and conversation refraine from evill And who is hee that hath any sence in him or faith meditating his Divine Sermons of the last judgement and Christs second comming but will speedily prepare himselfe to appeare and strive ever so to live as if he was presently to give an account of his whole life for our whole life is nothing else but as it were a glue which in a man fasteneth the soule and body together which proceedeth of the temperament of the Elements whereof the bodie is made which if it bee not violently melted before through our owne distemperance or loosed with the moysture of our owne merits or suddenly consumed with the
cleernesse of speech doth illuminate their beauty And in this faculty this famous holy Saint was most powerfull so that it may be said Veram animae illius pulchritudinem in oratione â—lucere hanc illius comitem ac ministram The true beauty of his soul did shine forth in his eloquence Rhetoricke being both his companion and servant And to the higher increase of his glory hee was a familiar friend to Basil the Great and St. Hierome was his Scholar for Divinitie moreover he was of so great authoritie estimation in the Grecian Church that whosoever durst oppresse his testimony was accounted and suspected for an Heretike and generally hee was a man of so great learning integrity and eloquence that his Adversaries durst not contradict his assertions so that Gregories 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or affirmation was a confirmation and authority to prove any point of Divinitie Hee loved and adored solitude and the Monasticke Life and when for his excellent Learning and sanctitie of life hee should have been made a Bishop he retired himselfe into obscuritie desiring rather to lead a poore religious life than to be advanced to popular Honour But Omnipotent God would not have so cleere a Light of Religion which might illuminate many soules hidden under the bushel of a Monastick life Being therefore by divine providence discovered and found out hee was by the people made a Bishop and afterward to excuse his former flying and retiring a solemne 〈◊〉 was composed iâ— qua ars artium animarum regimen ostenditur shewing that the government of soules is the Art of all Arts. For his great Learning and sanctity of Life he was called Gregory the Great before Pope Gregory was so stiled At the last growing old and uncapable of Episcopall Government having constituted another Bishop in his place he returned to his former solitude and Monastick Life Hee lived in the Reigne of the Emperour Theodosius Anno 390. Gregory Nazianzen his Sayings Wee should walke in the middle way betwen fearfullnesse aâ—d rashnesse that wee may bee more modest then they are who ambitiously aspire to undeseâ—ved honour and more confident then such as decline all good actions for feare of being censured In a great multitude of people of severall ages and conditions who are like a Harpe consisting of many strings it is hard to give every one such a touch in words and preaching that they may all be pleased and none offended A sparke of envie will sooner inflame the minde than the flames of vertue can warme the affection For a little Worm-wood being cast into a great deale of Honey presently maketh it bitter but twise as much Honey mingled with Worm-wood will not make it sweete Better is that spirituall warfare which doth make one drawne ere to God then that peace which doth separate from God The Art of Arts and Discipline of Disciplines is government in a man who is of all creatures most various in manners and divers in will The chiefe wisdome is a laudable life and a pure minde before God whereby the pure are joyned to him that is pure and the holy to him that is holy Hee that for a vertuous course of life begun desires to be praised hee eats the fruit of his tree before it is ripe Thus Gregory Nazianzen used to say that God required but three things of every man that should be saved First faith and confidence in God For Faith is the gift of God and breathed by the Spirit of God into the hearts of those that be the children of God And through a lively quick and fruitfull faith wee have our first entrance unto God but the faith that is without good works is not a lively but a dead faith and therefore now not to be called faith no more than a dead man is to be called a man Secondly continence in his tongue For the tongue is a slippery and nimble instrument wherby commonly the treasures of the heart are in such wise unlocked and laid forth and spread abroad that not onely thereby friendship is greatly ingendred earthly treasures increased the life quietly stablished perpetuall prayse and everlasting felicitie obtained but contrariwise friendship is decayed worldly riches are diminished the life most miserably wasted infamie and immortall pain is thereby purchased The tongue if it be well used is the most precious member of a man but otherwise the most detestable pernicious evill and full of pestiferous poyson And it is most plaine that the heart within is very filthy and fouly defiled and corrupted whensoever the tongue is wickedly â—ent and utterly uncleane by filthy and wicked speeches Thirdly Chastity in his body For Chastity is the beauty and glory of a man a chast heart which is onely seene and approved of God is most precious and blessed in his sight and therefore deserveth of all men so farre forth to be well judged or else condemned as the words uttered from the mouth the manner of outward gesture the usage in eating and drinking and the order of apparell seemeth to be honest modest temperate and seemly And Chastitie without Charity is a Lampe without Oile take the Oile away and the Lampe giveth no light take away Charity then Chastity pleaseth not at all Therefore that man whose minde is wholy dedicated to the use of vertue and chastity of life and despiseth the vanities of this life most certainly prevaileth and obtaineth salvation in the end He composed Works in prose and verse containing 30000 Verses as namely annotations on the first Chapter of Ezechiel and a Sermon on the contention of the Maccabees also on the Pharisees question concerning Divorce One Homily beginning Jesus qui piscatores and on the passion and death of Christ out of the foure Evangelists A Tragedy entâ—tuled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or Christ suffering He writ also in favour of the younger Christians prohibiâ—ed by Julian the Apostate to study any Grecian Arts besides many other divine Poems that young men learning them instead of the Greeke Poets might attaine tâ—e knowledge of the Greeke Tongue and of versifying An. Christi 370. Sanctus Epiphanius S. EPIPHANIVS THere were many of this Name and therefore it will be convenient and profitable to the Reader to know them that thereby this famous Father may bee distinguished from the rest and nothing attributed to him but what doth truly belong to him There was one that was called Epiphanius Scholasticus because he translated the Tripartite History of the Church out of Greeke into Latin as Cassiodorus testifies there was a second that was Bishop of Selybria otherwise called Olybria which writ an oration against the burners of Images as Possevinus saith another was called Vlpianus a Sophister as Suidas reports A fourth of this name there was who in the acts of the second Nicen Councell affirmed that Eusebius of Cesarea had in his Commentaries on the Psalmes spoken some things of the inequality of the Father and
stirre up their Spirits to Innocency of Life and Constancy in the Christian Faith For said He GOD would call him from this labour here and settle him in glory in Heaven and so after fervent prayers he embraced them sweetly much like as St. Paul did the Ephesians and uttered these words Salvi estote filii Epiphanius enim non vos amplius videbit in hâc vitâ that is God blesse you my Children for Epiphanius shall see your faces no more in this life and so it came to passe for hee did depart this Life shortly after being aged an hundred and fifteene yeeres and three moneths for a little before he went into the Ship Arcadius asking him of his age he answered Sexagesimo aetatis anno ad Episcopatum promoâ—um esse in eo autem per quinquaginta quinque annos tres menses vixisse that is that hee was promoted to the Bishopricke when he was sixty yeares old and he lived in it fifty five yeares and three Moneths The Ship that he dyed in arriving at Salamine and it being told abroad of the Bishops death all good men lamented his losse and so hee was buried with great lamentation and abundance of teares Manifold are the commendations that the Fathers have afforded to this Epiphanius St. Hierome saith Epiphanius Cypri Salaminae Episcopus scripsit adversus omnes haereses libros c. in extrema senectute varia cudit opera that is Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus Writ Bookes against all Heresies and in his extreme old age set forth many workes the same Father saith non tibi sufficit contra omnes detractio nisi specialiter contra beatum insignem Ecclesiae Sacerdotem styli tui Lanceam Dirigas that is Can it not suffice thee to have slandred all men but thou must needs direct thy Lance against that blessed and ever famous Father of the Church Epiphanius Saint Augustine speakes of him Epiphanius inter-Graecos magnos habitus et à multis in Catholicae fidei sanitate laudatus that is Epiphanius was accounted amongst those great Greek Fathers and is praised of many that are of the Orthodox Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is about this time Eâ—iphanius flourished not onely famous for his Life but also for his singular parts of Learning So Photius speakes of him likewise in confuting all Heresies he excel'd so that hee stiles him for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the most Copious and Commodious So ex Menologio Graecorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That great and admirable Epiphanius See you may what a worthy Man this was by that Epistle which Acacius and Pauâ—us writ to him in the times of Valentinian Valens and Gratianus It begins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To our most Honoured Lord and in all things to our most religious Father Epiphaniâ—s Bishop Epiphanius his saying This Epiphanius used to say that he never let his adversary sleepe By which he meant not that he tooke any delight in disturbing of him when he was a sleepe but that without agreeing with his adversary as the Scripture speakes Agree with thy adversary and let not the Sunne goe downe upon thy wrath for without forgiving of him he would never let him goe to bed Wrath and revenge saith a Philosopher is a vice most ugly and furthest from all humanity for who beholding a man by fury changed into a horrible figure his face enforced with rancour his mouth foule and embossed his eyes wide staring and sparkling like fire not speaking but as a wilde Bull roring and braying out despightfull and venomous words forgetting his estate and condition if he be learned yea and forgetting all reason who I say will not have such a passion in extreame detestation For wrath and revenge taketh from man the mercy of God and destroyeth and quencheth the grace that God hath given him And he that is inclined to his owne passion and will more than to forgive and shew mercy is neare unto the wrath of God I have here annexed the Works of this great light of the Church 1 His Panacion against all Heresies being in number at that time fourescore 2 A Book intituled his Anchorite 3 The summe of his Books against Heresies 4 Of Measures and Weights 5 Of the life of the Prophets a short History 6 An Epistle to John Bishop of Hierusalem 7 An answer to Acacius and Paulus Epistle Of all these there is no doubt to bee made this Epiphanius is said to have written the life of Hilarion but it is not extant In the Epistle to the Bishop of Hierusalem there seemes something to be added who desires to know this let him read Bellarmines Controversies li. 2. de Sanctis cap. 9. These though they seeme to bee but few yet considering their worth and nature they are of all men of learning and judgement held to bee rare and admirable for use in all ages Hee flourished in the reignes of Valens Gratianus and Theodosius as St. Hierome witnesseth untill the fourteenth of the said Emperours reigne An. Christi 374. Sanctus Ambrosius S. AMBROSIVS PAulinus at the request of Saint Augustine did write the life and passages of Saint Ambrose in his prologue or entrance into it he useth these words Hortaris venerabilis pater Augustine c. that is you desire most Reverend Father Saint Augustine that as Athanasius and Saint Hierome did write the lives of Paulus and Antonius driven into the Wildernes so that likewise I would describe in my style and phrase the life of this most blessed Father Saint Ambrose Bishop of Millain but I am unable fully and compleatly to expresse the merits of these eminent men who were Ecclesiarum muri Eloquentiae fontes that is the Walles and Bulwarkes of the Churches and the fountaines and springs of Eloquence but I have collected this Life from Paulinus rather then from any other because hee was a present Witnesse of most and had instructions from Marcellina sister to Saint Ambrose His Father was made Prefect to administer the affaires of France when his sonne was born there appeared a swarme of Bees as hee lay in his Cradle who sate upon his mouth and covered his face all over and at last flew so high into the aire that they could not bee seene which wondrous thing his Father with his Mother and Daughter beheld commanded the Nurse not to drive them away and presently spoke these words Si vixerit infantuliâ—s iste aliquid magni erit that is if this infant live he will be some great man Which thing was truly fulfilled in his mellifluous Writings afterwards he came to Rome his Father being dead being accompanied with his Mother and his sister and another Virgin who had a sister called Candida where this yong man gained wonderfull knowledge in the liberall Arts and was not which is a thing too common with young beautifull personages infected with the sinnes of that populous
Citie but did wholly apply himselfe to his study and in short time by his excellent wit and memory the great helps to Learning hee was eminent for his parts so that he publickly professing and handling matters was taken notice of by Probus then a Praetor and was approved of for abilitie of Counsell and Judgment so that this Probus adjudg'd him a fit man to governe the affaires being as Baronius testifies cruditione praeclarum eloquentiae studiis egregie excultum optimisque compositum moribus that is famous for his Learning excellently accomplished for eloquence and of worthy carriage and sweet behaviour so that hee made him Ruler of Insubria Liguria and Emilia and so this Ambrose came to Millain to whom as he departed Probus uttered as it prov'd prophetically these words Vade age non solum ut Iudex sedut Episcopus that is goe and manage the affaires not onely as a Judge but as a Bishop which came to passe five yeares after Auxentius the Arrian Bishop being dead who governed the Church of Millain Dionysius the Confessor of blessed memory being banish'd and the people being divided and almost ready to rise and mutiny about the election of a Bishop this Ambrose to stop the fury of the peoples rage and to hinder the Arrian faction undertook to decide the matter but of a suddain there was a voice as it were of a Child heard to sound these words Ambrosium Episcopum that is Ambrose the Bishop and so both parties as well the Orthodox Christians as the Arrians cried out publikely with one consent the same words but hee was offended at this and going out of the Church caused a tribunall to be erected and some persons to be punished but they cried out let his sinne be upon us and knowing him to be a Catechumenist they did promise remission of his sins by the vertue of baptisme well he gave himselfe to study Philosophy shewing indeed what a wise man he would prove in the Church of God nay to divert the peoples intention he gave admittance to common women to resort unto him but seeing that would not take effect hee intended to fly and leave the place so in the middle of the night hee intended to have gone to Ticinum but hee was discovered at the Gate of the City of Millaine called Romana so that God seemed to hinder his flight so being kept by the people word was sent to the Emperour Valentinian how Ambrose who was their Judge was of all men desired to be their Bishop which gladded the good Emperour and especially rejoiced Probus who heard that his words were come to passe but Ambrose againe prepares to escape and hides himselfe in a great mans house called Leontius but the matter being concluded by the Emperour and the peoples desires satisfied Leontius who had formerly hid now brings him forth well finding no hopes any longer to resist hee was brought to Millain and desired to be baptized by none but a Catholike Bishop Cavebat enim solicite perfidiam Arrianorum that is for he did solicitously beware of and shun the treachery of the Arrians being baptized he fulfilled all Episcopall Functions was eight days after his Baptisme to the great content of all named and ordained Bishop a few yeares after his Ordination Hee goes to Rome where he findes his sister and the other Virgin but his Mother was dead Hee going over the River Tyber to a rich Womans House healed one of the Palsie which was published and knowne abroad only by touching his Garment which shee presently devoutly kissed and was restored Comming to Syrmium to ordaine Anemius Bishop hee was opposed by Iustina a Queen who would have not him but the Arrians to doe it well he proceeded to it where an impudent Maid boldly putting on the priests habit came boldly and sate by Saint Ambrose to whom hee spake that though hee was unworthy of such an Office himselfe yet shee nor any of her Sexe were to be admitted into the Office of Priesthood and told her shee had neede to feare some heavy judgment which fell out for the day following shee died having perform'd this hee returnd to Millain But Iustina prosecuted him with all her power and malice for she set the people against him and promised them places of eminence and great rewards if they would take him and send him to banishment Amongst the rest one Euthymius thought to have performed it but failed for it is in vaine to dispossesse those whom God hath placed but Iustina's malice ceased not but shee intended to act that by force which shee could not by policie For the Arrians by her counsell beset the Church call'd Portiana and would not suffer any Catholicks to enter but God stirr'd up holy men to put by this plot also at this time there were Anthems and Hymnes and Vigils kept in the Church of Millaine and so have continued in the Western Churches to this day but the Arrians informed Iustina that Ambrose should give men money to give of that she was troubled with ill spirits but that lie was disclosed and one of the Arrians was presently possessed of an ill spirit and was forced to cry That so let all those be tormented which would deny Martirs or the unitie of the Trinitie or the Trinity which Saint Ambrose maintained but the Arrians took him and drowned him in a fishpond adding murther to their treachery but in spight of all these adversaries St. Ambrose every day grew more famous then other retaining his Integrity and Humility at the same time as Paulinus hath it there was a man who was a great Disputant and an Arrian and would not yield to the truth being in the Church where this Saint Ambrose preached saw an Angell stand by his eare as it were speaking to Ambrose what he taught the people at which sight hee presently altered his minde and was converted to the faith there were likewise two Bedfellows who were Arrians and they intended to propose a question to Saint Ambrose and so comming to the Church with a great Company the question was of Christs Incarnation these swelling with pride and forgetting the power of God or his Judgements upon scorners both in their comming fell down suddenly dead which when Saint Ambrose heard hee presently made an admirable Sermon to confirme the Incarnation of Christ as it is to bee read in his Workes and in his Epistle sent to Valentinian the younger Iustina being dead there was a certaine Witch called Innocentius who being punished for his Villanies and Witchcraft confest more then hee was asked and said there was an Angell to inflict greater punishments upon him then those because of Saint Ambrose for he had sent Devils to kill Saint Ambrose but they found him hedged by God as Iob was so another came to his bedside with a sword to have kild him but could not stirre his hands and hee confest that Iustina had hired him before her death so being sorry
and repenting his intent he was by prayers restored to the use of his hands This Saint Ambrose freed a boy possessed with a Devill which left him as soone as he came neere Millain the Conjurers demanding of the Devil why he left him he replyed se timuisse Ambrosium that he feared Ambrose he was sent by Probus the Pretor Maximus being dead and Theodosius residing at Millaine Saint Ambrose being plac'd at Aquileia it so fell out that there was a Synagogue of the Iewes and a Grove of the Valentinians burnt by the Christians in so much that both these began to insult over the Orthodox Christians these Valentinian Heretikes worshipt thirty gods whereupon the Governour of the place sent word to the Emperour what was done and the Emperour commanded the Synagogue to be rebuilded by the Catholick Bishop of that place and revenge to be executed on the Agents which when Saint Ambrose heard hee presently sent an Epistle to perswade the Emperour to revoke his act and sent word that hee was ready to die rather then fulfill it So when hee came to Millaine the Emperour being at Church he treated of this in the presence of all the people and spoke to the Emperour divinely and couragiously in these words Ego te ex ultimo Imperatorem feci c. that is I have at last made you an Emperour I have delivered your enemies into your hands I have subdued those that rose against you I have confirmed you in the Empire and have made you triumph without your helpe or power and now will you triumph against God who hath done all this for you To whom when Sermon was done the Emperour replyed Oh Bishop you have this day spoken against us but this Ambrose did answer I have oh Emperour spoken for you and he did perswade him so divinely that the Emperour did revoke his former Decree nay the Bishop was so carefull to maintaine Gods honour that hee would not goe to the Altar untill the Emperour gave him his faith for it A worthy Champion and fit for such a place This you may see in his Letter to his sister Marcellina nay that miserable destruction and slaughter made in Thessalonica by the Emperours consent Saint Ambrose hearing denied him entrance into the Church untill he had done publicke acknowledgment to whom the Emperour said David the King did commit murther and adulterie to whom the Bishop Quem secutus es errantem sequere corrigentem that is as you have followed him in his fall so follow him in his repentance to which the milde Emperour did agree and submit The fame of Saint Ambrose his wisdome was spread farre and neere so that two mighty and wise men of Persia hearing his fame addrest themselves for Millaine and furnished themselves with many questions to aske him to try his wisdome so they came and staid disputing with him by an Interpreter from the first houre of the day untill three of the clocke at night and wondring at his wit and wisdome departed and taking their leave of the Emperour went to Rome to see Probus and so went home But now Theodosius leaving Italy and going for Constantinople and Valentinian being appointed Augustus for all Gaule there was a direct order under the name of the Senate by one Symmachus for the restoring of the Altar of victory and for the charges of the Ceremonies but St. Ambrose finding the plot writ to the Emperour and so wrought that Symmachus was not able to effect his desires but when Valentinianus was dead at Vienna then Eugenius undertooke the Empire and Flavianus the Prefect with Argobastes desired to have the said Altar restored which when Eugenius granted Ambrose hearing this departed from Millaine came to Bononia and so to Faventia where staying a while The Florentines entreated him to go to Thuscia which he yielded not desiring to see the face of that sacrilegious person and presently sent him a Divine Letter as you may read in his Works while he stayed in Florence there was one Decens in whose house St. Ambrose abode who had a son cald Pansophius who was possest with an ill spirit but by the prayers of S. Ambrose and the imposition of his hands he was restored He built there a great Church and therein laid the relikes of Vitalis and Agricola whose Corps were found in the Citie Bononia for they were promiscuously buried amongst the Iews Argobastes the Commander at the same time prepared for Warre and having raised a mayne Army overthrew the Adversaries being in banquet with the Kings of that people they asked him whether hee knew Saint Ambrose to whom Argobastes replyed hee knew him very well and loved him deerly to whom they replyed Ideo vincis quia ab Ambrosio diligeris qui dicit soli sta stat Therefore thou overcommest because thou art beloved of Ambrose who saith to the Sun stand and it standeth Saint Ambrose leaving Tuscia returned to Millaine when as Eugenius went to war against Theodosius Flavianus and Argobastes going likewise said That when they returned conquerors they would make the great Church in Millaine a stable for their Horses and try the Priests by force of armes but they fail'd for Eugenius fell by his owne souldiers and Theodosius got the victory which when Ambrose heard hee rejoyced and sent his Deacon with Letters to the Emperour to pardon those that were Agents and involv'd in that warre and then sent Iohn a Tribune afterwards Praetor to perswade the Emperour to spare those that had fled to Churches nay hee himselfe came to Aquileia and prayed for them whose petition the mild Emperour easily granted and falling at his feet confest he was preserved by his praiers afterwards went to Church and gave his three sons into the Bishops hands and died not long after About which time the corps of Nazarius the Martyr was found in a Garden not corrupted nor his haire on his head falne but the corps was redolent and so were buried in the great Church at Millaine by Saint Ambrose his care This Bishop was very abstinent full of watching and prayers diligent in writing never dining but on Sundays or at the Celebration of the Birth-days of the Martyrs Hee weakened his body with writing he had an especiall care for all the Churches wondrous couragious for Gods Truth mercifull he was also to the poore and captives at at time when hee was ordained Bishop hee gave all his money to the Church and to the poore all his Lands onely some reserved for the mayntenance of his sister hee bestowed on the Church hee rejoyced with those that rejoyced and wept with those that wept hee would weep when hee heard any Religious Priest to be dead because the Church wanted such men hee foretold his death Hee grieved deeply to see the covetousnesse of men who oppressed the poore A little before hee lay down sick hee reading the 43 Psalme in the sight of Paulinus there
Commentaries on some Psalmes 21 Another apologie of David 22 Of Davids interpellation Bellarmine allows not of these apologies to bee Saint Ambroses Tome 5 1 On the Gospel of St. Luke ten books 2 Commentaries on all St. Pauls Epistles 3 Of the Resurrection 4 Holy Prayers 5 Hymnes holy 6 A Song of the Saints by Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine that begins Te Deum laudamus Some of the Commentaries on Saint Pauls Epistles are doubted not to be of Saint Ambrose his Writings and as Bellarmine sayes well not without cause First because Saint Augustine against the Pelagians useth the authority of S. Ambrose and yet doth not use any out of these Commentaries So having done such famous things for the truth his memory will ever be sanctified and at the day of the Resurrection will be gloriously rewarded by our Lord Jesus Christ. An. Christi 380. Sanctus Gregorius Nyssenus S. GREGORIVS NYSSENVS THis famous Father of the Church was Brother to St. Basill the great he is called Gregorius Emisseâ—â—s by Honorius and Trithemius his Life Studies Actions and Sufferings though mentioned all by severall Writers yet by way of History none have compleatly done them but those things which Gregory Nazianzen remembers of him in His Epistle to him are so many great and large that they may serve in place of 〈◊〉 History Theodoret so Cratos Suidas Nicephorâ—s and the Roman Martyrologie with some later Writers as Volateranus Trithemius Possevinus have written most Honourably of his Life Doctrine Eloquence accounting of him as a Father of Fathers Gregory Nazianzen doth speake of Him in severall places with great commendation and approbation and did write many Epistles to him as his 34 35 36 37. 42 43. 95. 142. But if there were nothing else to set forth his praise and to cause him to be worthily ranked amongst the great Fathers of the Primitive Church it is enough that hee was sent into banishment by the Arrian Hereticks under the Emperour Valens and this Emperour dying he was appoynted the onely man by the Antiochian Synod to goe and settle and order the Easterne Churches had he not been eminent and faithfull the Fathers of that Councell would not have employed him in so weighty a charge for it is a labour full of difficultie and must be undertaken with a great deale of wisdome and patience and this honourable charge was not onely imposed upon his shoulders but also the Oecumenicall Synod of Constantinople under Theodosius the Emperour destined this man as most fit to visit the Churches planted in Arabia so that for these his actions hee is worthy to be accounted amongst the chiefest Champions of the Church this Father was likewise admired for his Eloquence and Rhetoricke by those that have the knowledge in the Greeke Photius sayes of him that hee alone carried away the Bell from all men for his elegant stile and eloquent expressions One calls him a learned man pervigilom Antistitem the faithfull and vigilant Prelate He was the elder brother of Basil the Great hee embraced a Monasticke life highly respected in those Primitive times and so joyning Theology to his other indowments he proved in short time an eminent Pillar of the Truth he did read the Scripture with all diligence reverence and strictnesse having a speciall regard to the genuine sence of it at all times so being made Bishop of Nyssa of which City he tooke name he did for a while surcease the reading of the old and new Testaments and addicted himselfe to the study of Rhetorique insomuch that Gregory Nazianzen in his 43 Epistle to him seemes a little to reprehend him for his time of comming to his Bishoprick it was under Valens when Gregory Nazianzen had the Bishopricke of the Sasimes allotted him by St. Basil This Gregory did as Theodoret relates it succeede his brother Basil in the Bishopricke of Caesarea which some have questioned for an improbability Well he was a man meriting commendation and so you shal heare what report the Ancients doe afford him Saint Hierome speakes of him thus Gregorius Episcopus Nyssenus c. That is Gregory Bishop of Nissa brother to Basil of Caesarea not long since reade to mee Gregory Nazianzen his learned bookes against Eâ—nomius who is said also to have written many other famous Treatises Nicephorus in his Ecclesiasticall History describes him in these tearmes Basilius habuit fratres c. That is Basil had brethren of whom Gregory Bishop of Nissa was one the light and ornament of the Nyssen Church a man answerable to his brother for Life Manners Learning Piety Faithfulnes Courage who though he was married yet he did not any waies neglect the care of soules He writ his book called Hexameron after his brothers death and also against Eunomius and Apollinaris he is greatly praised for his indefatigable labour and study especially for that funerall Oration in praise of Gregory Thaumaturgus Socrates also describes him by praysing his parts and abilities saying Basilius autem duos fratres c. That is Basil had two famous brethren especially this Gregory who finished the booke not perfected by his Brother called the Hexameron not without demonstration of singular learning and piety Theodoret writing of him prayses him for his strictnesse of life and purity of learning Photius in his Bibliotheca makes mention of this Gregory in these words Lectus est similiter Gregorii Episcopi prâ— Basilio adversus Eunomium liber That is we reade and approve of a Booke of St. Gregory Bishop of Nyssa for St. Basil against Eunomius he uses a stile that is so full of Eloquence and Rhetoricke that it doth even ravish the mindes of the Readers and captivates the eares of the Auditors Hee doth methodically beate downe Eunomius He is more concise than Theodore more copious than Sophronius full and abounding with Enthymemes and examples of all sorts so that I may truely pronounce it that as farre as Gregory for comelinesse splendour and pleasantnesse excells Theodore so farre doth this man surpasse in copiousnesse and confluence of vailed arguments and illustrating examples and the same Photius in another place goes on in his praise in these words Lectum est Alterum Gregorii Nysseni opus That is there is another worke of Gregory of Nyssens read of the same matter in which grappling with Eunomius he armes himselfe with all sorts of arguments dextrously so that overthrowes him by maine force of wit and learning and pulls downe and defaces all the said Eunomius tottering ill-grounded Conceits and fancies but the gracefulnesse of his speech and the lustie joyned with sweete pleasure doth manifestly shew it selfe in every line and amongst many others that testimony which Suidas doth yield unto him is not to be slighted or neglected it begins thus Gregorius Nyssenus Episcopus c. that is Gregory Bishop of Nyssa brother to Saint Basil of Caesarea a man excellent for his qualification being compleatly furnished
obstinacie it selfe to submit and yield was he not wondrous diligent to gather the bodies of the Saints and interre them with great respect and in the honour of them to build famous Temples as also imitating his parents piety was he not wondrous charitable too and conversant with those that lived an holy Monastick life did not he visit them and refresh their bowels with the bowels of love and compassion Especially one Symeon called Stillites which lived austerely and one Iacobus Nizibenus and many others whose lives and vertues hee writ elegantly and left them to posterity Hee was a carefull imitator of Iohannes Chrysostomus for he alwayes proposed him as his worthiest patterne in forming his stile of writing and by this means hee proved so fluent and eloquent so full of grace and learning in his works It is good to have worthy patternes to imitate and it is no lesse ingenuitie to gather good by them they are lent for the same purpose how sweet and beautifull are his studious and mellifluous Commentaries upon the Scriptures How divinely doth he resolve the hardest places of the old Testament How significantly hath he explained the Prophets how elegantly hath he delineated that sweet singer of Israel What learning is there wanting in his divine Treatise of Gods providence How strenuously and powerfully hath he laid open the fond conceits of abundance of Heretikes as of Symon Magus Menander Basilides Carpocrates of Hermogenes Tatianus Cerdo Marcion and Manes Of Hymenaeus and Phyletus Ebion Cerinthus Paulus Samosatenus Sabellius Marcellus and Photinus Of the Nicolaitans Montanists Noetians As also of Arius Eudoxius Eunomius Macedonius Donatus Meletianists Apollinarians Messalians Nestorians with the Eutychians in the which labours hee hath shewed to all ages to come what gifts and endowments hee had lent him of God and how well and faithfully hee used them to his Creatours glory and the Churches benefit I cannot let passe that hot contention that once was betwixt that worthy Father of the Church Saint Cyril and himselfe sprung rather from zeale to Religion in them both and from the study of pietie then any vaine ambitiou or self-conceit of their own sufficiencies and it is not a wonder for where doth not that great fire-brand of Hell strive to kindle the fire of dissention and division was not there strife even amongst the Apostles and great ambition had it not beene regulated by our Saviour This contention betwixt these two Fathers happened in this manner whereas there was a Synod appointed at Ephesus to stop the grouth and spreading of the Heresie of Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople which did daily begin to spread it selfe and to infect divers with its contagion this Saint Cyrill being first come had by his owne labour and wisdome condemned Nestorius for an Hereticke not knowing that Iohn Bishop of Antioch or the other Bishops of Syria would have been there but when Iohn Bishop of Antioch and the other Syrian Bishops amongst whom this Theodoret was one of the chiefe were come and perceived that Cyrillus did not seem to respect their counsels they tooke it ill at his hands and thereupon canceld his Decrees as void and so by a generall consent with a great deale of labour they all condemne this Nestorius it is thought that had not the care and wisdome of Theodosius the younger calling the Bishops together to Constantinople taken away and removed this contention it would not have so soone ended but hee did take it away and Nestorius was anathematized and Theodoret and Saint Cyrill wondrous loving one to another ever after to proceed that renowmed Councel of Calcedon wherein sate 600 Bishops and above where this Theodoret was present I say the testimony of that so learned a Councell is a large proofe of this mans Faith and Integrity for was not he by the generall acclamations of all there present publickly stiled Catholicus Orthodoxus Ecclesiae pastor doctor sincerus that is a Catholike and Orthodoxe Pestor of the Church and a sincere Doctor for the truth a large commendation from the mouthes of such a cloud of learned Witnesses which bestowed it not on him for flattery or favour but by desert and merit doe not the learned Epistles of Leo the Bishop of Rome sent to him sufficiently commend him by which it may easily be perceived how vigilant hee was to settle Truth in the borders of the Church and how carefully he preserved the Faith amongst the high swelling surges of Heresies unviolated will not his daily meditations and explanations in and of the sacred Scriptures eternize his fame to posterity Doth not Gennadius Priest of Messilea afford him and his labours a large Encomium calling his Writings Scripta fortia per quae Confirmat ratione testimoniis Scripturarum c. that is Impregnable and undenyable arguments by which with Reasons and Testimonies out of Gods Word he doth confirme and establish it that Christ was truely incarnate of the Virgin Mary And doth not Cardinall Bellarmine ranke him equally with St. Cyril and stiles him virum planè Doctissimum c. that is an absolute learned man Photius he also reckons him an able man against Heresies first he useth his authority as well as Saint Athanasius to prove that Dionysius was not tainted with the Arrian Heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so also doth Theodoret censure of Dionysius and again he takes and approves of him as well as Ignatius and Clemens Stromataeus or Eusebius in the condemning the Nicholaitans for Heretiques in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is but Saint Ignatius and Clemens and Eusebius with Theodoret of Cyrus doe all agree the Nicholaitans to be Heretiques so that this Theodoret as appeares was a Father of no small Esteem or regard and doth not Photius in another place afford him as high praise for his Ecclesiasticall History beginning thus Lecta est Theodoreti Historia Ecclesiastica c. that is The Ecclesiasticall History of Theodoret is likewise allowed and saith of all which I have formerly nominated hee useth the most convenient Stile and phrase for an History Clarus enim grandis minimeque redundans that is for he is perspicuous weighty and not too luxuriant and praiseth him for so learnedly relating the Acts of the second Synod Is there not also a short Epigram in Greeke in an ancient Manuscript concerning the Excellency and Eloquency of Theodorets Disputations in three short Verses which are here set downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that as another Nilus with his overflowings hee made all the Grecian fields fat and full of Eloquence and by his labours had enlarged the Faith which shewes likewise not onely the indefatigable studies of this Theodoret but also the admirable wit and wisdome that flowed in his soule and was exprest in his works Doth not likewise Sixtus Senensis speaking of his selected questions of
the Scriptures speake in these words ab initio Geneseos adultimum librum Regum insigne opus c. that is Questions from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the second of Kings a most famous worke in which saith he by way of Question and Answer Theodoret doth briefely and clearly explaine all the hard places of Scripture with admirable industry what pen can sufficiently blazon thy worth for his Commentaries on the Psalter doth not the same Senesis stile them Nobiles Commentarii that is Heroicke Commentaries and upon his Commentaries on St. Pauls Epistles doth he spare to commend him For saith he not Feruntur Commentarii in omnes Pauli Epistolas in quibus quantum fieri â—otest c. that is there are likewise extant Theodorets Commentaries on all St. Pauls Epistles in which as much as can be the genuine sence of St. Paul is succinctly elegantly orderly and piously exprest and which in Saint Pauls writings seemes to be most difficult sentences are joyned with sentences with wonderfull skill and Art to the great profit of the Reader And if I should enlarge my selfe which of the Fathers either doe not use his Authority with great approbation and commendation and all of them doe hold him an able judicious eloquent man he dyed being not very old but rather spent with labour and studies than with age and dyed in the reigne of Theodosius the yonger Emperour and was buried in the same Sepulchre in which that holy man Iacobus Nizibenus before mentioned was intombed His sayings of the government of the soule The delights of the soule are to know the Maker to consider the Workes of Heaven and to know her owne estate and being The soule knoweth all things wherefore he that knoweth his soule knoweth all things and hee that knoweth not his soule knoweth nothing The soule when it dyeth carryeth nothing with it but her vertue and learning and it seeks none other helpe wherefore all such as for the multitude of their sinnes and transgressions are hopelesse as murtherers blasphemers with such like wickednesse the justice of God and their owne deserts condemnes them unto everlasting death from which they shall never bee delivered But such saith he as have lived godly and carefully shall be by death delivered from the prison of the body and shall ascend up into a purer life and dwell in heaven for ever If the soule of man through sinne be once dead it is never againe revived but by the onely meere grace and mercy of the most gracious and ever-living God whose vengeance by his justice still waiteth the destruction of wicked and wilfull sinners therefore say the learned and doe conclude that blessed is the soule that is not infected with filthinesse of this World I have set his Workes as they are registred in two Tomes Printed at Collen 1617. Tome 1. 1 Vpon all the hard questions in Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuâ—eronomy Joshua Judges Ruth and upon the Kings 2 Exposition of all the Psalmes 3 Vpon the Canticles 4 Vpon Jeremiahs prophesie 5 Vpon Baruch 6 Vpon Jeremiahs Lamentation 7 Vpon Ezekiel 8 Vpon Daniel Hosea 9 Joel Amos Abdiah 10 Micha Nahum 11 Habakkuk Zephaniah 12 Aggee Zâ—â—hary 13 Malachy to which are now added these 14 Vpon Moses Song Exod. 15. Vpon his Song in Deuteronomy Vpon Anna her Song Vpon Abakkucks Song Vpon Esaies Prayer Vpon Jonas Prayer Vpon Ezechiah's prayer Vpon the prayer of the 3 Children An Hymne of these 3. Virgin Maries Song Zachariah's prayer Symeons prayer Tome 2. 1 Vpon all St. Pauls Epistles from the Romans to Philemon 2 Ecclesiasticall History 5 Books 3 Three Dialogues against certaine Heretiques 4 The fables of Hereticks 5. 5 An Epitome of divine decrees 6 A religious History 7 Of Evangelical truth drawne out of the knowledge of Philosophy 8 Of Divine providence and of the soul of man An. Christi 390. Sanctus Hieronymus Stridonensis S. HIERONYMVS THis great and eminent Father of the Church must bee ranked according to his deserts In writing whose life I follow the directions of Erasmus of Roterdam To begin therefore the time of his Birth was under the Reigne of Constantine the Great in the yeare of Christ 331 in a Towne called Stridon which was ovethrown by the Gothes then wasting and spoyling severall places Upon the borders of Dalmatia and Pannonia as he himselfe testifies some as Blondus will have it to be that which now is called Sdrigna a little Town of Histria in Italie some hold that to this day there is to be seene Saint Hieroms Monument He had a yonger brother called Paulinianus his mothers name was Castorina His Fathers name was Eusebius but we will not insist upon his parents but will declare his owne worth he had sufficient meanes as may appeare by his education which was at Rome then counted the onely Nursery of Letters as hee doth testifie for though learning was at the same time in France Spaine and Affricke yet no where was it so free from pollution and corruption as at Rome His Master for the Grammar was Donatus and Victorinus for the Rhetorique Some have made question whether this Donatus were the same that made such eloquent Commentaries on Terence and Virgil Well making faire hopes of a large progresse in Learning and being well furnished in these he proceeds to read Porphyrius Isagoge or Introduction to Logique and read the Philosophy of Plato and the Stoicks but not staying here he lookes now into Cosmography History and Antiquities and intends to study Divinity and to set it forth with all the lustre that might be His fellow students were Pammachius Bonosus both these were highly born Heliodorus who for his eminency of parts was made a Bishop This Hierome received his baptisme also at Rome as he proves and now being sufficiently seasoned with these Arts he soares higher and followes the foot-steps of learned men as Pythagoras Plato Apollonius and so he addresseth himselfe to travaile he surveyed all France aud gained acquaintance and love of the chiefest Scholars hee testifies that he was at Triers where hee described that Booke of St. Hilaries de Synodis with his owne hands and Bonosus travailed with him as may be seen in his Epistle to Florentius so having taken a view of most of the Libraries and having conferred with the learnedest in those places whither he came he visited the place of his Birth and the place of his new Birth having like a wise Merchant stored himselfe with abundance of Goods hee resolves upon a course of life and a fit place to settle downe in hee likes not Rome as savouring somewhat of Paganisme and was too full of pleasures which are dangerous Baits for young men to bee insnared with Neither doth he like his owne Country being corrupted with Barbarous delights as he testifies himselfe in his Epistles saying In my Country they make their belly their god and he is counted the holiest which is the
Cardinall Bellarmine doth doubt of some of these Workes whether they be Saint Hieromes or not as those upon the Kings and Chronicles Tome 4. 1 Commentaries upon the foure greater Prophets and on Jeremies Lamentations Tome 5. A Commeâ—tarie upon Ecclesiastes as also upon the twelve lesser Prophets Tome 6. 1 Commentaries upon Saint Matthew 2 Vpon the Epistles to the Galatians Ephesians Titus Philemon 3 A book of Didymus put into Latine by Saint Hierome Some doubts are made whether in the fourth Tome the Lamentations of Jeremy were done by Saint Hierom it is thought to be Rhabanus Maurus because it is found amongst his Works Tome 7. 1 Commentaries on all the Psalmes Bellarmine makes some doubt of some of the Psalmes viz. against 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19 20. and sayes they are not of Saint Hieroms turning Tome 8. 1 Commentaries on Job 2 On the Proverbs 3 Homilies on the Canticles These are rather attributed to Beda because they are said to be written in favour of Vecterius Now Vecterius was a Bishop in England in Beda's time as hee testifies those on the Proverbs are thought to be of Beda his Works because on the 21. and 31. Gregory is cited and in the 30 Saint Hierome himself is cited Commentaries on the Epistles are suspected to be Pelagius Tome 9. 1 There are many things of other mens as of Eusebius Caesariensis Ruffinus Augustine Gennadius and others which are all good pieces but not to be ascribed to this Father And so I will shut up the life of this Great Saint Hierome with the prayses that Saint Augustine gives him in his 18 booke de Civitate Dei Non defuit in Temporibus noster presbyter Hieronymus that is there wanted not in our time that Priest Saint Hierome a most learned man skilfull in three tongues especially which turn'd the Scriptures not out of Greeke but out of Hebrew into Latine So his actions and indefatigable pains with his many sufferings doe serve to shew that hee did well employ his time to Gods glory and the Churches good which doth even to this day reap great benefit out of his Works An. Christi 411. Sanctus Chrysostomus S. CHRYSOSTOM I Am now to Write and describe to the view the sweetest Father that the Church of God inioyd in many ages whom to prayse is but of Desert whom not to Commend would seeme barbarous and unchristian He was an Auditour and Disciple to Eusebius then when hee was Priest at Antioch hee got this name Chrysostome as one saith Ob venustatem Eloquii for his gracefull Eloquence it signifies a golden tongue for hee was prevalent and attractive a man most learned in Theology of an admirable Wit in his framing his Homilies hee was beloved and reverenced of all men His fathers name was Secundus and his mothers name was Anthusa both able and noble Hee was borne at Antioch in which place after some time spent in secular affaires he entred into the Priesthood and was made Governour of the Church at Antioch and Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople dying being by the perswasions of Arcadius the Emperour placed Bishop in the same See hee did worthily manage that great charge Sophronius doth highly commend this man for hee writes Nunquam eum mentitum fuisse nec unquam alicuj maledixisse neque scurrilialoquutum nec Iocos admisisse i. e. That he never told a lye never cursed any never spoke any scurrilous matter never admitted of vaine sports Admirable parts â— and indeede fit for a man of his Calling many learned men have admired his parts Anianus sayth thus Chrysostomus certè peculiare illud custodit c. i. e. Chrysostome keepes that peculiar gift and property that though wondrously studious alwayes watchfull though an enemy to dulnesse and stupidity yet never doth his words flye out into vaine flashes but still applyed to the profit of the hearer for his very stile is accommodated to the profit of the Church expressing antiquity and learning together neyther too lofty nor too meane at all times keeping equality and measure full ripe modest free from all fault of too much affected curiosity not too luxuriant not sordid nor yet too much garnished yet sufficiently and powerfully trimmed and decked not too subtile not too smart or sharpe unwantonly pleasant wondrously copious expressing an admirable faculty of the Master yet alwaies free from pride hence it is that the plain man may read him with profit and the greatest scholar cannot but praise him with just desert He doth not onely equallize Saint Basil nor yet parallell Saint Gregory but exceeds them in a word here the curious Palate shall find true Eloquence joyned with Wisdome sound Theology set forth with lustre Holinesse and Scholarship joyned in one in his Works throughout there is store of Bread and abundance of Milke with variety of sweet Delicates of all sorts for Divines In his Homilies to the people he studied for their profit not to tickle their eares but to ravish their hearts performing in all the office of a painfull Doctor he was industrious in his Expositions powerfull in his Morals in all full of Complacency hee would tell his Auditors they were not onely to learne but to exercise themselves in practising and searching the Scriptures lest they should bee addicted to Idlenesse Hee very seldome handled any questions that were curious to the Auditors as of Predestination Reprobation of Grace or of Free-will but when necessity and the Auditory in his judgement were fit to understand them then hee performed them plainly soundly and with a great expression of Piety and Learning He had excellent judgement in Morality and did contemne Riches and hated Vices so that it doth appeare by some golden sentences that hee was as one stiles him verè Aureum flumen truely a golden River Take an Instance in some of them here set downe to your view 1. Vertue is neither troublesome nor hard to be obtained 2. It is easier farre to live well than ill 3. Small and little vices ought to bee avoyded with greater study than great 4. No punishment so great as an evill Conscience 5. No man is hurt but by himselfe 6. It is better to suffer than to offer injury 7. Many doe hurt unjustly none are hurt unjustly 8. This worlds glory is reproach and reproach in this world is glory 9. This Life is rather a Death than a Life 10. Death is better than this worldly Life 11. We gaine most in Afflictions and Miseries 12. That all punishments are to bee accounted and may be made beneficiall 13. Charity is the most gainfullest trade 14. A private seclused life is preferred before all worldly contentments 15. To be deprived heaven is a greater punishment than to be punished in Hell 16. Not to be too wise is to be truely wise 17. That we may powerfully and evidently prove the Divinity of Christ without Scripture Saint Chrysostome as it appeares by all Ecclesiasticall Writers doth surpasse
ordained Bishop of that City so that Megalius Bishop of Calama and Primate of Numidia comming to visit the Church of Hippo with other Bishops this Valerius did obtaine of his hands what he desired with the generall rejoycing of all the Clergy though Saint Augustine did mainly at first refuse it and alledged it was not fitting neither was it the custome of the Church to ordaine any to be Bishop of a City before the other was dead but it was imposed upon him and so being ordained hee doubled his vigilance and not onely in that City but in every place hee taught and writ against the Donatists There was a sect of perverse and desperate people who under the colour of great continence were called Circumcellians who being not able to withstand the Writings nor Preachings nor Disputations of this Augustine they did by might and violence and force of Armes strive to stop Saint Augustines proceedings but all their Actions were in vaine for Gâ—d did still prosper and blesse the labours of this Augustine for he ordaind Orthodox Priests men approved and well knowne to him for Life and Learning and did give them promotion in the Church so that the sincere Doctrine of Faith Hope and Charity was not onely taught in the Affrican Churches but also in other Transmarin Regions Books being printed and sent abroad which made these Heretiques rage insomuch that they intended to have killed this Saint Augustine had hee not by the great providence of God escaped by missing that way in his Visitations which they had beset but such was their fury and power that they neither spared Clergy men nor Lay men but there was a meeting at Carthage appoynted and one Crispinus was the Donatists Champion against whom Saint Augustine opposed himselfe who did by force of arguments convince this Crispinus and so by the Proconsuls authority hee was adjudged as Hereticall and a fine imposed upon him and further it was ordered that all the Donatists should be accounted Heretiques and fined but by the Catholike Bishops perswasions with the clemency of the Proconsull their fine was remitted and peace restored happily to the Church under the Reigne of that glorious Emperour Honorius though there were some that gave out that the Donatists were unjustly condemned by the Bishops at the meeting at Carthage because they had not as these favourers pretended free liberty to speak their mindes Especially one Emeritus maintained this but not long after this Saint Augustine going to the City of Caesarea in Mauritania being sent for by other Bishops by Letters to determine some necessary affaires of the Church this Emeritus being then a Donatist and Bishop of the said place Saint Augustine told him that he had so given it out and wished him now before all those Bishops and all the people if he could to defend his assertions but he would not nor could not performe it onely said that what he should say would bee by the Notaries Registred at Carthage what a poore evasion was this for if it had beene truth it was the onely way to preserve it if it was a lye as indeede it was it would for ever bee his disgrace Possidonius reports an admirable passage of Saint Augustine it so fell out that preaching against the Manichees that there was one Firmus by name a Merchant by profession who was stiffe for that side and had given and spent amongst them much monies hearing Saint Augustine preach was touched in heart and presently came to this Father other men being then with him and did ingenuously confesse that he was infected a long time with that Heresie but by the blessing of God hee was fully resolved now to forsake it and with teares on his knees he desired Saint Augustine and the other Catholicke Priests to pray to God to pardon him and to give him grace to persist in the true Faith which was performed and he reduced from Heresie and leaving his former course of life and living with the faithfull obediently at last proved an eminent Preacher of the Orthodoxe Christians and not onely saved his owne soule but many others See saith Possidonius the wonderfull goodnesse of God that calls whom he will whom he will where he will and how he will to salvation God as he is Almighty so may he worke in all creatures and things after his owne Minde and Will for there is nothing that God cannot bring to passe and that without labour and travaile It was Saint Augustine by the preaching of the Word which caused the Merchant to forsake all and cleave to the Truth but it was chiefely the power of God which had that efficacy in that Word that by one knocke at the doore of the heart of this man that it should open and receive the seale and covenant of Grace which he did without any prorogation or delay or time to consider of it for in these cases delayes are dangerous for the devill the world or the Flesh may cast a baite in our way and so hinder us Therefore let all men in this be truely perswaded that God is the Moderator and Governour of all things both in heaven and in earth and that all things are done by his owne power and appoyntment and that he it is who most clearely beholdeth every man both what hee doth and what he admitteth in himselfe with what minde and godlinesse he doth love and favour Religion and that hee hath also a regard both of godly and wicked men So likewise one Foelix being one whom the Manichees called Electos came to Hippo and thought to have spread his Heresie there but Saint Augustine by publicke Disputation so solidly convinced him that he likewise acknowledged his error and was joyned to the Church This Augustine was termed Haereticorum malleus the Hammer against Heretiques How judiciously did hee overcome those two great Arrians Pascentius and Maximinus the one being full of wealth and authority at Court the other a great Bishop Pascentius who was great in Riches disturbed many poorer Christians and boasted in it that none could object any thing justly against the Arrians St. Augustine hearing this with other Priests went to him and desired to have some private conference with him before they should publickly dispute it this Pascentius admitted but hee was quite overthrowne and had no warrant for his poynts but afterwards bragged it how he had confuted this Augustine whereupon St. Augustine with speed sent in writing many great men being witnesses the grounds of Faith confirmed by the Scriptures to him which he never did replie against so also dealt he with Maximinus the Arian Bishop who had belyed him in the like manner The Pelagians likewise politique and subtle Sophisters who did seduce many and did great mischiefe to the Church how did hee the space of tenne yeares convince and overthrow that afterwards it was determined by Innocent of Rome and Zozimus that their poynts should be anathematized and sent Letters to the
Churches of Affrick to condemne them as Heretiques and that pious Emperour Honorius confirmed their Religious proceedings and adjudged them Heretiques so many of them returned to the bosome of the Church againe and dyed in the Faith Alwayes great was the care of St. Augustine for the good of Religion not onely in Hippo but in other parts of Affricke and not onely against Heretiques but also in winning Pagans to imbrace the Truth He was just in all his Counsels especially hee would determine according to the Truth Hee was not onely learned but also ready to instruct and to take off differences he would not spare likewise to reprove wisely and seasonably the sinners admonishing them to obedience and Christian Devotion so that as Possidonius reports it He may worthily be called a Watchman to the house of Israel to the Church of God preaching the Word in season out of season exhorting instructing rebuking with all long suffering Hee was excellent for deciding temporall causes and very circumspect to relieve the party wronged how divinely did he write to Macedonius a Priest of Affricke and granted his desire As hee had liberty hee would be present at the meetings of the holy Priests celebrated through diverse Provinces not seeking those things which were his but doing all for the glory of God doing as Saint Paul writes to the Corinthians not seeking yours but you taking care that the faith of the holy Catholicke Church should remaine unviolated and that unworthy men should be punished in ordaining Priests he would alwayes follow the custome of the Church and the generall consent of Orthodox Christians For his apparell it was neither too sumptuous nor sordid keeping a faire mediocrity saying that many were puft up with pride by the riches of their Garments and so did fall into sinne Hee kept a spare dyet and frugall being Broth and Roots sometimes for his guests he would have flesh or for the weake and sicke folkes He alwaies kept Wine alledging that of the Apostle Every creature of God is good and not to bee rejected being sanctified by the word and prayer And as hee speaks in his Confessions Hee did not so much feare the uncleannesse of his meate as the uncleannesse of his desires and useth many fine examples out of Gods Word to prove it his Utensils in which his meat was brought to table were either earthen or wood or Marble His Table was rather for disputation and discâ—urse than for any rich Banquetting or drinking and it had this Distich ingraven on it Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam indignam noverit esse sibi That is Who shal their absent friends with words disgrace Are guests unworthy of this roome or place And therefore he would tell them that were faulty this way that either those Verses were to be blotted out or else he to depart Hee was ever mindfull of the poore and would either out of the revenues of the Church or out of the offerings of the faithfull distribute to their necessities His House was a Church Hee never bought land Possidonius speakes that there was an Honourable man of Hippo living at Carthage would give his possession to the Church an act used in those Primitive times now it is out of use and caused it to bee past under Seale and sent it to Saint Augustine but a few yeares after hee changed his minde and sent his Son to desire the deeds to be reversed and in liew of it his Father had sent to the poore an hundred shillings St. Augustine was sorry that the man should so suddenly bee weary of well-doing but withall restored to his Son the Acts and withall did rebuke him sharply and bad him take heed that God did not punish his proceedings He did not regard wealth but counted it combersome and therefore did as Mary did chuse the better part Upon a time he wanted monies to release some prisoners and Captives and caused the holy Vessells to be melted and given for their freedome Saint Ambrose saith that in such cases it may bee permitted He alwayes kept Divines in his house whom he fed and cloathed hee was wondrous severe against Oathes so that hee abated their portion and allowance that did commit it He never did admit women in his house no not those of his kindred Hee never entertained discourse alone with any but had some still with him In his Visitations hee kept the rule of the Apostle he relieved the Fatherlesse and Widowes in their distresse if they entreated him to pray to God for them and lay his hands on them hee would presently doe it He praised one who when hee was sicke said to those that stood about I have not lived so that I am ashamed to live with you nor doe I feare to dye having so good a Lord to goe to This Father before his death recounted strictly all his Books and those which he writ when he was not experienced in the affaires of the Church which would not agree with the Church hee himselfe corrected and reproved and hee writ two Volumes which carry this Title De recensione Librorum which are his Bookes of Retractations hee complained that some of his Books were taken away before they were well mended some he left imperfect being prevented by death Hee writ a Booke called the Speculum in which any one that reades it may find either his obedience or disobedience towards God Hee lived in the time of that barbarous invasion of the Goths and Vandals out of Spain into Africk and Mauritania in which were Cities Churches Monasteries laid wast Virgins defloured Matrons abused the Altars puld down the Priests slain the faithfull hiding themselves in Holes Dennes and Caves Hee saw almost innumerable Churches destroyed onely three escapt their out-rage Carthage Hippo and Cirtis yet after his death Hippo was burn'd it was besieged fourteen moneths Saint Augustine and all the faithfull did pray God either to free the Citie or give them patience to endure or to take him out of this life which last came to passe for in the third month of the siege he fell sicke of a Fever and died hee healed one possessed of a Devill and by prayer dispossest him Hee healed one readie to die by laying his hands upon him whereupon they said if any was sicke Vade ad AUGUSTINUM That is Goe to Saint AUGUSTINE and you will recover hee writ an Epistle to Honoratus his fellow Bishop who desired to know whether they might not fly in those dangerous times or not It is extant among those 180 Epistles wherein he declares largely his mind in this point Hee lived to the age of 76 yeeres hee continued Priest and Bishop almost forty yeeres hee dyed wondrous penitent and had Davids penitentiall psalmes before him which hee constantly read and would weepe hee suffered none to come to him but at such times as the Physitians came with refections for him ten days before
Tome 4. 1 Of Lying two books 2 Of Faith and Works one book 3 Questions 10 books 4 Of the consent of the Evangelists foure books 5 83 Questions one book 6 21 Sentences one book 7 Questions to Simplicianus two books 8 To Dulcitius one book 9 Questions 65. 10 Questions of the old and new Testament 11 Of the care for the dead one book 12 Of Catechising the rude one book 13 Of the word incarnate two books 14 Of the Trinity and unitie one book 15 Of the Essence of the Divinitie one book 16 Of the Faith of Invisibles one book 17 Of the substance of Love one book 18 Of Continence one book 19 Of Patience 1 book 20 Of the good of Widdowhood one book 21 Of true and false repentance one book 22 Of wholsome documents one booke 23 Of Friendship one booke 24 Of the Lords Sermons in the Mount two bookes 25 Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans 26 Exposition of some propositions on the Romans one booke 27 Exposition on the Galatians 28 Annotations on Iob. Tome 5. 1 Of the City of God 22 bookes The occasion was by Romes devastation under Alaricus King of the Gothes 25. Tome 6. 1 Of Heresies I Book 2 Aspeech of 5 Heresies A Sermon to the unlearned 3 Against the Iewes 4 Of the Church and a Synagogue 6 Of the profit of Faith 1 book 7 Against an Epistle 1 b. 8 Of the 2 soules 1 b. 9 Against Fortunatus 1 b. 10 Against Adimantus 1 b. 11 Against Faustus 33 b. 12 Of the passages with Foelix the Manichee 2 b. 13 Against Secundinus 1 b. 14 Of the Nature of God 1 b. 15 Of Faith against the Manichees 1 b. 16 Against an adversary of the Law and Prophets 1 b. 17 Against Priscilianists and Origenists 1 b. 18 Against the Arians 1 b. 19 Against Maximinus 1 b. 20 Against Felicianus 1 b. 21 Against Jovinian 1 b. 22 Of holy Virginity 1 b. 23 To Polentius 2 b. 24 A Tract of Epicures and Stoikes 25 Of that saying I am that I am a Tract Tome 7. 1 Against Donatus 1 b. 2 Against Parmenianus 3 b. 3 Against Petilianus 3 b. 4 Against Cresconius 4 b. 5 Again Gaudentius 4 b. 6 Against the Donatists 7 b. 7 Against Petilianus of Baptisme 1 b. 8 Of the Churches unity 1 b. 9 Briefe Discourses of Donatists 1 b. 10 Of Emeritus passages 1 b. 11 Against Fulgentius 1 b. 12 Of pardon of sinnes 3 b. 13 Of Nature and Grace 1 b. 14 Of the grace of Christ and of originall sinne 2 b. 15 Of Marriages 2 b. 16 Against the Pelagians 4 b. 17 Against Julianus 6 b. 18 Of the soule 4 b. 19 Of Perseverance 1. b. 20 Of Predestination 1 b. 21 Of Grace 1 b. 22 Against the Pelagians 6 b. 23 Against Caelestinus 1 b. 24 Of the Acts of Pelagius 1 b. Tome 8. A Tract upon al Davids Psalmes Tome 9. 1 On Saint John 124 bookes 2 On the first Epistle of John ten bookes 3 On the Apocalyps 18 bookes 4 Meditations 1. love of God 1. Soliloquies 1. a Mauâ—el 1. 5 Of Christian Discipline one booke 6 The sinners looking-glasse 7 Of the praise of Charity 8 Of Pastors 9 A Psalter to his Mother 10 Of the Tree of good and evill 11 Of the profit of Fasting 12 Of the fight of the soule 13 Of the destruction of the City Tome 10. 1 Of our Lords Words Hom. 64. 2 Of the Apostles Words 35. 3 Fifty Homilies 1. 4 Of Time Homilies 256. 5 Of Saints 51. 6 To his Brethren in the Wildernesse 76. 7 Of Clergy mens lives two bookes 8 Sermons newly printed 128. These are the fruits of this Fathers labour he who desires to know which are truely Saint Augustines and which are suspected for adulterine let him read Cardinall Bellarmines observations de scriptoribus Ecclesiastiâ—is in the life of Saint Augustine but these doe shew what a painfull labourer he was in the Vineyard of the Lord. He dyed in the yeare of Grace 430. An. Christi 432. Sanctus Cyrillus Alexand. S CIRILLVS ALEXAND THis eminent Father of the Church was Bishop of Alexandria a Grecian by Nation famous for his actions done in the Church As for his parentage no doubt but that also was in some sort suitable to his breeding for Theophilus the late Archbishop of Alexandria was his owne Uncle whom also hee succeeded in that See but not without opposition Some stood for one Timothy then Archdeacon of Alexandria others came in for this Cyrill partly because of his neere alliance to this former Archbishop who they esteemed highly and reverenced for his sanctitie and holinesse of life but chiefly because this Cyrill was a generall Scholer and one well qualified with all temporall vertues much adoe there was on both sides yet at three days end this good man obtained it and was conducted to the Episcopall Chaire with greater state than ever any Bishop that was at Alexandria He was vir doctus sanctus a learned and a holy man of life by Pope Celestines injunction he â—ate President in the Councell at Ephesus amongst two hundred Bishops in which with a great deal of learning and judgement hee absolutely confuted and condemned those two arch disturbers of the Churches peace Nestorius and Pelagius hee was admirably experienced in the holy Scriptures he flourished chiefly under the raigne of Theodosius the yonger â—Ì„ one gives him this faire Encomium Nestorii omnia occulta venena refellit he discovered all the secret poison of Nestorius There are some who have related that hee was a Monk a Carmelite as Tritenhem but Baronius the Cardinall doth absolutely hold that to be a ridiculous opinion for these are Baronins his own words Facessat igitur ejusmodi fabella de Moâ—achismo Cyrilli in Carmelo that fained fable of Cyrillus being a Monke of Mount Carmel falls to the ground and indeed it is strange that St. Hierome Palladius Euagrius Cassianus Theodoret with others that often mention the Monks that liv'd in Palaestine at that time yet not so much as once remember this great Father of the Church and indeed I doe much wonder that the Great Cardinall Baronius would condemne that Tenet if there had been but probabilitie of truth in it it making for their cause But to proceed this famous Cyrill was so admired for his singular piety eloquence and wit that Gennadius reports that the Grecian Bishops got some of his Homilies by heart and so recited them to the people with wonderfull delight and approbation and truly besides many other things which are reported of him to his praise let this also be one that Iohn the third King of Sweden gives him when as hee was sent into England by his brother Ericus then King When the Commentaries of Saint Cyrill upon the holy Gospell of Saint Iohn were delivered to his hands and hee had read them hee plainly and ingenuously confest that many new Writers had much swayed him but
from al the parts of the Christian World No generall Councell for a long time after wherein the very name of Cyrill was not precious as in that of Chalcedon after the repetition of the Nicene Creed they all cryed out This was Saint Cyrils Doctrine thus he beleeved this is true faith indeed and thus wee all believe blessed bee the memoriall of Cyril of Alexandria Yet the perfidious Nation of the Iewes dwelling within this City grew very tumultuous upon this second blow where after many mutinous uproares much slaughter having drawn a great party to their side to maintaine their tenents they tooke a Christian Boy and in derision of Christ they hung him on a Crosse mocked at him spit on him buâ—ffeâ—ed him and at last cruelly whipped him to death the Christians hereupon made head against the Iewes and the good Bishop himselfe all on fire with zeale for the Name of Christ leades on to their Synagogues where some of them were put to the sword the rest banished and all the spoile of their goods divided amongst the people and yet this is not all sedition and privy conspiracy of the Iewes false Doctrine and Heresie of the Novatians and Anthropomorphites being thus removed hee looked more neare home by reducing those Christians that were any way dissolute into better order by information of the simple by comforting the afflicted and by relieving the poore and needy as may appeare by his Sermons to the people upon severall occasions This and much more not unlike a Ship in the midst of a tumultuous Sea was the state of this reverend Prelate during the first foure yeares of his government at Alexandria So we may perceive that his paines were great and his care for the Churches good deserves perpetuall commendation And who shall read his Workes will finde them well stored with all sorts of Learning And here I can but observe two passages worth observation first that the Devil doth at all times strive to destroy the Church of of God and labours to sow Heresies and Schismes in the midst of it Secondly that it hath alwayes pleased GOD to stirre up at all times and upon aâ—l occasions some men who have resisted the malice of all opposers and have proved themselves resolute Champions in the truths cause so Athanasius against the Arrians so this Saint Cyrill against Nestorius and Pelagius Magna est Veritas praevalebit Hell gates shall not prevaile against it this House the Church being the Pillar of truth shall stand because it is builded on a rock which rock is Christ. After forty two yeeres government this Noble and Orthodoxe Father this great starre of Alexandria began at last to twinkle and yielded to death having sweat hard and laboured extraordinary for the space of twenty two yeeres in that Vineyard hee received the earnest peny of salvation in the yeere of Christ 448 and in the Reigne of Theodosius the younger Cyrillus his Sayings Cyrillus Alexand. de Fest. Pasch. Homil. 16. Wee must as it were graspe any occasion of doing well in both our hands nor let slip those precious opportunities wherein wee may doe good If a Seaman lose but the opportunity of a good gale hee is cast behind in the Voyage if the Husbandman neglect the season of the yeer he may sit at home and pick straws and if any who hath a Christian calling shall be a cunctator in Religion and procrastinate those more speciall employments I judge him fit for all reprehension and to undergoe such inconveniences as shal be conducible to such a negligent and carelesse condition Idem in Fest. Paschal Homil. 27. Admiration the Rich man wanteth in the midst of his abundance is more tormented with care than other taketh up the beggars note and cryeth out O what shall I doe yea rather how shall I dispose of my goods Where shall I lay them I have a plentifull crop this yeere and there is now a world of labourers in my harvest my Vineyard swels with store of Grapes and the Wine presse runs over with abundance here 's all things in plentifull manner yea but then life fails him what becomes then of his goods nay what becomes of himselfe better had it beene to have made the bellies of the poore his barns succoured the fatherlesse and needy to have laid up his treasure in heaven that so he might have beene received into everlasting habitations Idem adversus Anthropomorphitas cap. 2. Where the Scripture wants a tongue of expression we need not lend an eare of attention we may safely knock at the Councell doore of Gods secrets but if we goe further we may be more bold then welcome Idem de vita hom justificati The divell runs with open mouth upon Gods children seeking to devoure them they manfully resist him he thinketh to weaken their faith and they by his assaults are made so much the stronger he fights against them but they gain ground upon him and so by this meanes whatsoever he intendeth for their destruction ful sore against his will makes for their advantage Idem contra Julianum lib. 3. The great Creatour of all things forcing what would come to passe steps in betweene life and death how hee nips one in the bud newly grown ripe for heaven there an other to prevent the evill to come this man he frees from the miseries of a sinfull life that man hee suffers to goe on that he may fill up the measure of his wickednesse thus to God the Lord belong the issues of death but thanks bee given to God that affordeth us this comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. Idem de Fortitudine quae in Christo est lib. 5. Hee that 's taken up with the pompes and vanities of this wicked world is one of the Devils Champions not worthy to bee listed under the Regiment of Christ Jesus the Captain of his salvation As for his Writings they were such as the whole Christian World at that time approved in so much that the Grecian Bishops got his Homilies by heart and so repeated them to the people his name became memorable for the Eastern and Western Churches have made room for it in their Calenders with this adjunct The Champion of the Catholike Faith But his Writings have the more eterniz'd him such as were printed at Paris 1605. Tome 1. 1 Explanations to the literall and mysticall sence on Genesis eleven books 2 On Leviticus 1â— books 3 On Esay five books 4 On Saint Johns Gospell 12 books 5 Sayings on the old Testament Anagogically explained Collected out of Cyrill Maximus and others 6 A booke against the Jewes with questions 7 Short explanations of those who flourished before the Law Tome 2. 1 Epistles of Saint Cyrill to divers with their answers to him 39 books 2 Homilies of the Incarnation being 10 books 3 An Apologie to Theodosius the Emperour 4 A Declaration of the twelve Anathematismes 5 An Apologeticall book for his Anathemaes 6 Another
is it safe to search too farre when as wee are commanded to honour and feare him It is not the wisest course to gaze too much upon this resplendent Sun lest we be justly by his glorious beams beblinded it is easie to collect by the words and advise of this Epistle to judge what a singular man for Learning this Peter Chrysologus was Baronius saith that having with great pains long governed the Church and having beene always studious of his wayes hee died in December the second day which saith he hath a faire probability of truth in that because Leo then Bishop of Rome in the Consulship of Martianus a yeere after this is said to have sent Letters to Leo this Peters Successor as appeares in the Epistles of Leo hee was by all likelihood an upright man and of courage in matters of Religion For hee and Laurentius the Bishop of Millain would not communicate with Symmachus lest they should bee suspected to side with him against the other Orthodox Bishops when the Councell was held in Rome and Cardinall Baronius shall conclude all in a word Sed qui post Laurentium sequitur ordine Petrus Ravennas Episcopus his temporibus eximia sanctae vitae nituit claritudine that is but amongst those other worthy men after Laurentius in order is to be reckoned Peter Archbishop of Ravenna who in these times exceld for the conspicuous fame of his holy life and because many Students may the easier find upon what subjects Chrysologus hath written knowne to be all his owne Labours and not fathered upon him by them that were admirers of him I have here set them downe in order as they are registred in the Parisian Edition in the yeere 1623 which you shall find after his Sayings Chrysologus his Sayings Of an unprofitable Servant Hee is like the fig-tree that was well looked to by the Master yet was unfruitfull onely cumbred the ground suckt vertue from others troubled and grieved the Master was a disgrace to the Garden and at last cut down for the fire and what else is hee who hath Natures endowments the benefit of Reason of Sense of Judgement of good Education and Example but yet brings forth no fruites of a sanctified life but as that Tree who hindred others and hurt it selfe Of uncharitable Rich men Remember that Thou Foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule perplexe not thy selfe what thou shalt leave behinde but bee sure to send thy almes before thee bee rich in good Works Let not thy care be to have thy hands alwayes full and the poores alwayes empty The onely way to have full Barns is to have charitable hands Vpon Mildnesse and Meeknesse The Apostle Saint Paul hath I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God A good man uses intreaties rather than commands the heavenly Physician rather cures our wounds with divine salves than makes them with his punishing rods God had rather men should love him than feare him He had rather be called Father than Master Hee winnes by mercy that Hee might not punish by Justice If thou wilt be like thy Father doe likewise Of the meanes to grow in grace As neither in the flint alone nor in the steele alone any fire is to bee seene nor extracted but by collision and conjunction fire and light is brought so nor by faith alone nor by good works alone is salvation attaind but if ever you intend to come to that infinite light joine both together Against Drunkennesse and Gluttony Variety and satiety of dainty meates and drinks weakens the vitals spoiles the stomacke corrupts the bloud poisons the humors kindles choller ends in the scar-fire of burning feavers as the clouds darkens the Heavens so intemperate banquetings the minde as the violence of wind and waves drowne and sinke a ship into the bottome of the sea so doth drunkennesse and gluttony our souls and bodies to the depth of Hell Who sinn'd more grievously then Paul who offended more grievously than Peter yet they by repentance deserv'd not onely the ministery but also the mastery in holiness remember there is mercy with the Father in the Gospell shewed to the prodigall sonne returning home judge not therfore before the time before the Lord come c. for men know not the judgments of God for that which they praise hee doth condemne and that which they condemne he doth praise In God piety is not without justice nor justice without piety nor equity without goodnesse nor goodnesse without equity Vertues being separated are annihilated and perish For equity without goodnesse is severity and justice without piety is cruelty Some have lived commendably before their attaining to dignity but being set upon the Candlesticke of the Church they turne their light into darknesse and their fame into infamy and it had beene better for such Lights to have beene still hidden under a Bushell than with disgrace to have got into the Candlesticke for their wickednesse which was obscured by their poverty was manifested and divulged by their dignity As they increased in dignity so they did also in disgrace and infamy A private sinner is often spared but if a Prelate offend all tongues are sharpned to speak his disgrace Discretion should be used in making promises for a vain promise doth often make friends become enemies Where greatest losse is feared there greatest warinesse should be used Chrysologus his Workes 1 Homilies for Christmasse day 2 Vpon Saint Stephens day 3 Vpon Innocents day or Childernmasse day 4 Vpon New-yeares day 5 Vpon Twelfth day 6 First Sonday after Epiphany On the Second third and fourth Sondayes after Epiphany 7 Vpon the Septuagesima 8 Vpon Ash-wednesday 9 Vpon the first Sonday in Lent 10 Vpon all Lent Sondayes 11 Vpon Good-friday 12 Vpon Easter-day 13 Vpon all the Sondayes till Whitsontide 14 For Ascention day 15 For Sondayes after Whitsontide 16 Vpon St. Andrews day 17 Vpon St. Thomas day 18 Vpon our Lady day 19 Vpon St. John Baptists day 20 Vpon Saint Peters day 21 Vpon St. Mathews day 22 Vpon the beheading of Saint John Baptist 23 Vpon St. Luke the Evangelist 24 Vpon some Martyrs 25 Vpon one Confessor 26 Vpon a Virgin Martyr 27 Vpon the day of the Dedication of the Temple 28 A booke against the Heretique Eutyches 29 Some learned Epistles The time of this Fathers Life was long hee did as Trithemius reports of him flourish principally under Martian the Emperour and dyed in the yeare of Jesus Christs Incarnation 500. His body as was fitting was with great solemnity and lamentation buried hard by the body of that renouned Martyr Cassianus and doth with him expect a glorious resurrection amongst the just and upright men His Works are of great esteeme amongst the learned and are to bee reserved in the Church of Christ as Monuments of his great labour and learning An. Christi 445. Sanctus Prosper S. PROSPER THis famous Writer was of the same
time with Hilarius Arelatensis and was the Amanuensis to Leo His parentage is not amongst the Church Historians fully knowne and therefore not to be mentioned but certainly they were both of abilitie and religiously carefull because their sonne had such vertuous education some say that hee was Bishop of Rhegium a Citie of Emilia in Italie others doe hold that hee was Bishop of Rhegium in Gaule Cardinall Bellarmine doth in his Ecclesiasticall Writers suspect the former opinion as not consonant to truth and gives two reasons for his assertion for hee finds Saint Prosper to have subscribed to the Vasensian and Carpeuctorete Provinciall Councell which are in Gaule not Italy so that hence it is probable he was Bishop in a Province of Gaule Moreover Saint Faustus succeeded St. Prosper in his Bishoprick now all have concluded Faustus to bee a French Bishop not an Italian and that his Diocesse was subject to the Metropolitan of Aquitain not to Ravenna but I will not insist upon this Hee was in his time famous for his learned and judicious Writings and shewed himselfe to bee a true Scholer to so great a Master as Saint Augustine was For Hee aswell as his Master had learnedly confuted and overthrown the dangerous Heresie of the Pelagians and as Iohannes Antonius Flaminius of Imola who writes his Life saith that hee was Bishop of Rhegium Vir multiplici doctrina sanctitate insignis A man eminent for his sanctitie and multiplicitie of Learning but in what place or of what parents hee was borne non satis compertum habemus wee have not sufficiently knowne but it doth appeare to all Aquitanum fuisse That he was of Aquitaine but while he lived in his Countrey he did lay a sure foundation that in after times hee would be a shining Lampe in the House of God for hee was assiduous in reading and most conversant in the Scriptures and usually had the foure Evangelists in his hands in which meditating it was by divine providence so ordered that He should meditate upon that place of our Saviour where it is said If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast and give it to the poore and come and follow me which place of holy Writ Hee did so strictly apply unto himselfe that willing not to be onely a Reader but a devout practitioner of Gods Word He presently without any delay put this in practice and made sale of all his Lands and Goods and distributed them freely to the poore members of his Saviour that so being disburthened of his earthly estate hee might the more easily and comfortably follow his Saviour to get an heavenly inheritance which will never fade but is everlasting So setting his servants free both men and maids and yielding them a competencie to live on he went to Rome that he might see the servants of God in that famous City At the same time that most holy and sweetly eloquent Bishop Leo rul'd that Church who hearing of the comming of such an excellent man as this Prosper was left not till hee had got him into his houshold and it is not to be conceivd with what humanity and curtesie and with what joy and rejoycing he received this Jewell as sent to him by Gods speciall Blessing so highly was piety and learning esteemed in those dayes though much slighted in these looser times this learned Leo rejoyced at the approach of Prosper even as Saint Peter is said to have done at Saint Pauls comming for amongst other things Leo did perceive what an able Engine God had sent him to oppose that Heresie of Eutyches which holds but one nature in Christ which every day began more and more to take root in severall places but especially in the Citie of Chalcedon to overthrow which Leo afterwards sent this Prosper with many other Roman Clergie men Such cares there alwayes hath beene in the Governours of the Church to keep down Heresies and Schismes and were it not for the vigilancie and dexterous Learning of Pious Governours and Reverend Bishops how soone would obstinate Hereticks and hot-spirited Schismaticks overthrow the grounds of Divinity and order of the Church These pious men being sent by Leo unanimously maintaind the Niceâ— Creed and did learnedly and divinely by infallible arguments defend the two natures and took away the aforesaid Heresie and by their hand writing sent to Martianus the Emperour with full consent condemned the said author Eutyches as an Heretike So this Prosper being overcome by the prayers of this good Leo stayed there a good while and when he had struck off the heads of many Heresies by sending to divers Churches his learned Epistles Leo being inwardly warned by Gods Spirit made him though for his part with a great deale of reluctancie Bishop of Rhegium for he said his shoulders were not able to undergoe such a burthen But Prosper being overcome he took his journey and the former Bishop being worne out with age and troubled with a grievous disease gave up his spirit into the hands of God for the losse of which good man the whole City did grieve exceedingly but suddenly their mourning was turned into joy for the old Bishop before his death willed them not to grieve for his death for said hee God in especiall love to you and the Bishop of Rome out of his care hath provided you another man to succeede me à Deoelectum Chosen of God famous for holinesse of life and ability of judgement who is now comming to you Which words comforted them exceedingly for when the same of his comming had extended it selfe to the gates of their City all the Citizens went out to give him honorable entertainment Such reverence in ancient times did men give even to the persons of their spirituall Rulers Being thus with the generall acclamations of all men called to be their Bishop and seated in his Episcopall Chaire that he might give them a testimony of his parts and what a worthy Light he would bee to his charge his Speech which he made to them doth sufficiently expresse which doth begin in these words Video Fratres Charissimi quantum meis imbecillibus humeris onus impositum fuerit c. that is which for the sweetnesse both of stile and matter I have translated I see deare brethren what a great burthen will be put upon my weak shoulders For can there be a greater than the charge of mens soules and that which makes it the weightier is the expectation of men who looke for things to be performed by us even beyond mans ability or at least such gifts aâ— are given but to few for is it not a difficulty to turne mens judgements to alter their â—etled opinions and even now I see plainly that such is the expectation of men Wherfore I plainly see that I must omit nothing which doth any wayes belong to the care of soules But knowing the burthen will bee the lighter if it be laid upon many mens backs I entreate you
blasphemiae that name of blasphemy How did he wisely stop the fury of the Longobards and reduced them to peace by writing his book to Theudalinda the Queene in a word having with great care and piety amongst a world of troubles governed the Church thirteen yeers six moneths and ten days in the spight of all oppositions he died quietly and comfortably rendred up his soule into the hands of his Maker in the second yeere of Phocas the Emperour and was buried in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Peter in which Leo Simplicius Gelasius and Symmachus were formerly interred with a large Epitaph in commendation of his labours and studies His Deacon is highly to be praysed for preserving some of his Workes from the fire even to the hazard of his owne life Heare but what a man he was by the testimony of Paulus Diaconus Iisdem diebus sapientissimus ac beatissimus Papa Gregorius Romanae urbis Episcopus c. that is In these dayes that most wise and blessed Father Saint Gregory Bishop of the City of Rome which when he had written many things to the profit of the Church composed foure famous bookes of the lives of the Saints which he called his Dialogues which books he sent to Theodelinda the Queen whom he knew to be a Protector of the faithfull and which did much good to the Church for shee perswaded her husband to give meanes and Revenues to the Church and caused those Bishops which were in misery and cast out to be restored and peace was by her meanes procured to Gods people Sabinianus was the man that did succeed him in his Bishopricke and as one testifies there was a great dearth the next yeer after his death and hee saith debuit enim mundus famem sitimque pati c. The world must needs suffer a famine and thirst when such a Doctor as was both spirituall food and drink to their souls was taken away He wants not divers to afford him commendations and indeed there was a cloud of Witnesses who doe extoll him Isidore cals him timore Dei plenus humilitate summus that is full of the feare of God and chiefe for Humility endued largely with the gifts of the Holy Ghost and saith thus in conclusion Foelix tamen nimium foelix qui omnium studiorum ejus possit cognoscere dicta that is Happy is hee nay thrice happy that can know all his Works and Sayings Honorius Augustodunensis termes him no lesse then Organum spiritus Sancti c. that is The Organ of the blessed Spirit Incomparable for his wisdome who writ many things more precious than the refined Gold Trithemius cals him Theologorum princeps splendor Philosophorum Rhetorum lumen vitâ conversatione integer sanctissimus c. the Prince amongst Divines the beauty of Philosophers and the light to Rhetoricians of life and conversation most upright and holy And to shut up all heare but what Ildephonsus of Toledo saith of him Vicit sanctitate Anthonium Eloquentia Cyprianum Sapientia Augustinum that is he exceeded Saint Anthony in Sanctitie Saint Cyprian in Eloquence and Saint Augustine in Wisdome and so heare onely what Cardinall Bellarmine relates of him who calls him Doctorem eximium meritò magnum that is a most egregious Doctor and well deserving the name of Great Hee died in the yeere of Christ Iesus 604. Sentences out of Gregory Magnus Of Poverty Hee is poore whose soule is void of grace not whose coffers are empty of mony the contented poverty is true riches Of the holy Scriptures The holy Scriptures are direct and right for admonition lofty for promises terrible for threatnings Of God God is never absent though the wicked have him not in their thoughts where he is not by favour he is by punishment and terrour Of conversion to God Every convert hath a beginning a middle a perfection in the first there is sweetnesse to allure him in the second bitternesse to exercise him in the third fulnesse of perfection to confirme him Of the Incarnation Will you observe our Saviours motions hee came from Heaven into the wombe from the wombe to the cratch from the cratch to the crosse from the crosse to the Grave from the Grave to Heaven On the Crosse of Christ. Christ shewed patience in his passion commended humility fulfilled obedience perfected Charity those were the four Jewels that adorn'd his Crosse. Charitatis Humilitatis jubar These are onely true riches which make us rich in vertue therefore if thou desire riches love true riches If thou aspire to honour seek the Kingdome of Heaven If thou affect glory strive to bee enrolled in the high Court of Angels Hee that loves this present pilgrimage in the midst of sorrow knows not how to shew sorrow for the words of a just man are full of sorrow for in regard of present sufferings his speech and sighs aspire to heaven He is most perfect in piety that doth most perfectly feele anothers misery The best eloquence and expression is to declare the mind by good action for conscience doth not check the speaker when his life is better then his speech Hee that lives obscurely and doth not profit others by his example is like a burning coal but hee that imitates holinesse shewing the light of uprightnesse to others is like a lampe burning to himselfe and shining to others True Faith doth not onely consist in verball profession but in actuall operation The fortitude of the Just is to overcome the flesh to contradict the will to forsake the delights of this life to love affliction for an eternall reward to contemne prosperity and to overcome adversity Joy doth discover the mind but adversity as it doth outwardly oppresse so it doth inwardly suppresse the thoughts and make us more close and cautious Gregory Magnus would say of himselfe that hee could never reade those words in the Scripture which Abraham spake to Dives Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst good things without horrour and astonishment lest having received such good things of this World meaning such dignities and honours as he had he should be excluded from having any part and portion in the happinesse or good things in the world to come Of Gods Word Saint Gregory saith and wishes all men that heare the Word of God to taste the Word of God with the palate of their hearts Not to have a slavish feare Feare not man who must die nor feare the sonne of man who is but grasse Of godly Desires Our desires saith this Father do sound more powerfully in the secret eares of God than our words Againe the more earnestly God is desired of us the more sweetly is he delighted in us Saint Paul saith Hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the minde of the spirit Rom. 8. I have here set downe his Works as they are set
in a solitary course of life so that I may be also skilfull in the study of heavenly matters whereunto all these Sciences and gifts are but servants and subalternate which words the Father of this Damascen grieved at being loth to lose such an able man whom he so loved yet because he would not seeme so to requite his pains for his sonnes tuition gave him a large reward at his farwell and so dismissed him in peace so he going to Laura a solitary place spent the remainder of his life in heavenly meditations and in fulnesse of dayes dyed and so did Damascens Father likewise his Father being dead the Prince of the Saracens called this Iohn to possesse his Fathers place which hee at first refused but it was imposed upon him which hee administred with singular fidelity Hee lost his right hand which was cut off by the policy of the exhibition of certain fained Letters which were shewed and read to the Emperour Leo Isauricus that if it pleased him to come with an Army into those parts hee would procure him the City of Damascus to be yeelded to him he having as he said almost all the rule and preheminence in those parts Leo receving the letters sent one presently backe unto the Prince of the Saracens wherein he signified how farre it was from his thoughts to make any hostile invasion into his Dâ—minions though hee had faire hopes of successe by such a mans promise to assist and direct him Hereupon Damascen was presently sent for by the Prince and the Letters were shewed to him he wondred at the matter and said the hand-written was some thing like to his but for the fact or intention hee never harboured such an one in his soule but the Prince being inraged commanded his right hand to be cut off which was as my author relates restored to him againe to convince by this wonderfull act the heart of the incensed Prince and to manifest to all men the innocencie of this Iohn it wrought so effectually that hee had all his Offices and preferments bestowed on him againe but hee intended another course for hee desired the Prince to acquit him of all his places and to give him leave to live retiredly after much debate the Prince yeelded and so immediatly this Iohn did sell all his goods except such as hee gave to his Kindred for the avoiding of suites and strifes and made distribution to the poore And so going to Hierusalem hee went to be admitted into the same Monastery into which Cosmas had beene before whither comming the President of the place finding him to bee full fraught with all sorts of learning appointed a famous member of that Societie to be his Instructour in the study of Gods Word but hee as also a second and third refused it holding themselves not able to teach such a learned man the fourth takes him into charge and gives him precepts and rules both how to order his body and soule to whom this Iohn perceiving his directions to be sweet and wholsome gave speciall obedience and singular respect though afterwards hee was by his said Master ejected out of the Monastery for a matter of disobedience but by his sorrow and submission hee was restored hee was full of Divine Hymnes and having by Gods blessing gained much in the knowledge of Gods Word he was by the Governour of the Church of Hierusalem ordain'd a Priest who having that charge laid on him hee did with great care and pâ—ety undergo it so that it is said of him to his eternall praise Cum religiosae vitae curriculum confeâ—isset c. that is when hee had consummated the course of a religious life when he had kept the Faith or as my Authour speaks when hee had propagated the faith in his Sermons when hee had graced it with his Writings hee was after much labour and travell cald to rest His prayses are large which are afforded him they stile him pietatis Athâ—etam Ecclesiae ornamentum veritatis ducem certatorem religiosae vitae cultorem dogmatum peritum insipientes sapientia instruentem prophanorum institutorem that is the Champion of Pietie the Churches ornament the Captain for Truth the imbracer of a religious life skilfull in his doctrines instructing the unlearned in Wisdome reducing the prophane to Holinesse Suidas speaks thus of him Iohannes Damascenus sirnamed Mansur was a most eloquent man behinde none of his time for various learning His Works are many and those accurate he was so skillfull in Musique that none ever did or will parallel him Trithemius terms him Virum sanctum doctum A learned and holy man of life of whom there are wonderfull things reported for his doctrine and sincerity of life Hee writ divinely many things in Greeke in Constantinople hee was highly esteemed hee brought many from sin and impiety to embrace the truth Hee was a stout Antagonist against Heretikes Hee flourished under Theodosius that worthy Emperour in the yeere of Christs Incarnation 731. Damascen his Sayings If therefore there be no Resurrection there is no God nor any providence but all things are governed by chance and fortune For we see that the just are in necessity and do suffer injurie but sinners and the unjust have abundance of riches and pleasures but who shall imagine that this is not the worke of a just judgement and wise providence therefore there shall be a resurrection for God is just and of those that trust in him is a mercifull rewarder Worldly wisdome is to disguise and cover the heart to dissemble in words to make falshood appeare truth and to make truth appeare falshood this wisdome young men learne by experience those that know it grow proud and despise others those that know it not are subject fearful and admire it in others being obey'd it maketh men climbe to the highest degree of Honour being gotten it commandeth men to rejoyce in the vanity of temporall honour to requiâ—e wrongs with advantage and having power to yield to no opposition and being destitute of ability to expresse malice to counterfeit a peaceable goodnesse of disposition An Angell is an intellectuall substance always moveable free incorporeall ministring to God by Grace not nature and immortall whose specificall kind of substance is knowne onely to the Creatour The Name of Christ doth expresse the unity of person in two natures it expresses also his Regall dignitie and fulnesse of grace by the prerogative of anointing I have here placed his Works as they are set downe in the Parisian Edition 1619. 1 Of Parallells three books 2 Of the Orthodoxe Faith foure books 3 Of some who have died in the faith 4 A speech of Christs Transfiguration 5 Of the birth of the blessed Virgin 6 Of her Assumption 7 Divine Iambiâ—kes Greek and Latine 8 Various Hymnes 9 Damascens Logick 10 Institutions of Decrees 11 Physicks 12 Of Heresies 13 A Dialogue against the Manichees 14 Of Nature 15 A learned Epistle
by fatall divisions of Princes and Christians among themselves it is now the seat and residence of the Grand Signior the arch enemy of the Christians I doe not reade anything of his parents what sort or condition they were of neither is it declared by Historians it seemes that this Theophylact had liberall education or else hee would not have beene admitted to sueh dignity in the Church of God nor trusted with such a pastorall charge I wil therfore principally follow the passages that are worth observation of him as they are registred by Cardinall Baronius Cardinall Bellarmine hath placed him in the yeere of our Lord 1071. when as Alexander the second was Bishop of Rome and when as Diogenes was Emperour of Rome There have beene great mistakes concerning the time in which he lived some having reckoned him 200 yeeres before he was which errour hee himselfe doth openly confute in his Epistles which hee writ to severall men who lived at the same time They have placed him though mistaken to have flourished in the Reigne of Basilius the elder Emperour in the yeere 883 so Panvinus reckons Sixtus Sonensis puts him in the yeere 842 when as Michael began to reigne with Theodora his Mother but his owne Epistles which are to be seen in the Vatican Library being 59 in Greek not as yet printed but translated into Latine and preserved from perishing by the care and industry of Iacobus Syrmondus doe evince that And first that Epistle to Mary the Empresse takes away all controversie in this point for from the time of Michael who reigned with his Mother Theodora unto the time of Isacius Comneâ—us nor any Empresse was called by this name Mary but to cleere this point a little more for the discrepancie of Times disiâ—ynts Histories and therefore it is profitable truly to know the series of the times directly Therefore if you doe but look into his thirteenth Epistle to Iohannes Duca Kinsman to the Emperour which begins thus Nunc demum agnovi c. At length now I know wherein hee calls this Duca the principall man and of the Imperiall Line now it is manifest that hee writ this when as the Lineage of the Ducae's swayed the Imperiall affaires of Constantinople who is of so little judgement as to maintaine that he lived under Basilius and to these may be added that in the same Epistle Bulgaria was not governed by her owne Kings at that time but by such Governours as it pleased the Constantinopolitan Emperours to send to them for in the Reigne of Basilius as Baronius speaks it Constal Bulgaros proprios habuisse Reges that is it is apparent that the Bulgarians had then Kings of their owne and in his eight Epistle it doth plainly appeare that he was Archbishop of Bulgaria when either the Family of the Ducae's or the Comnens did sway the Scepter But to let this passe it doth seeme that this Theophylactus had being made Archbishop a speciall regard of the Churches prosperitie a good signe of a nobly qualified and religious soul to have a care to beautifie and reedifie the Houses of God it was the wicked speech of those in the Psalmes Let us take in possession the houses of God that he in the land nay worse then so Let us destroy the houses of God that be in the Land but that this Theophylact did respect the Churches Maintenance appeares by his learned Epistle which hee wrote and sent to the sonne of Sebastocrator being the seventeenth wherein hee laments the ruine of some Temples which were famous but by the injury of time and the violence of warre as also the neglect of men were ruined and decayed and is not his letter wondrous perswasory and full of Eloquence and Pietie which shews hee was not onely a great Scholer but also a zealous man for Gods Honour I have here set downe the words of the Epistle how it begins as they are also recorded by Cardinall Baronius Oro igitur his litteris tanquam corpore supplex procumbo ut misercaris foelicissimae quondam Ecclesiae quam Christianissimus ille Borises Bulgarorum Rex unam ipsam è septem Catholicis tu renova that is I therefore doe beseech thee and as upon my knees beg of thee to reedifie and renew that one of the seven Catholike Churches which that most Christian King of the Bulgarians Borises did build Oh! take pitie of that once most happy Church c. in which truly hee doth declare also a great and Heroick spirit for hee that will sollicite Kings and Princes this way to shew their bounty must not be faint-hearted oh where shall one finde now such a spirit many doe strive to hinder the decoring or enlarging of Temples few men plead for them but it shall be my prayer to God to stirre up some to stand in the cause of the Church and to blesse them for ever with happinesse for their endevours Sions carved stones and seiled worke will for ever speake their praise and worth But to proceed It seemes the state of the Church was but deplorable for he departed from thence to Constantinople and in his 〈◊〉 age when hee departed from Constantinople to Acridia the Metropolitan Church of all Bulgaria he wrote an Epistle to the Empresse Mary in which he shews elegantly the despicable condition of the Churches in these parts and prayes God for ever to preserve the Empresse from all evill and dangers Hee underwent this charge a long time though as Baronius saith aegro animo veluti durâ—â—â— exilium quo se tandem liberari vehemente◠〈◊〉 atque patrio solo reddi that is With an unwillingnesse counting it in a manner no better than an hard banishment from which hee did wish to be discharged and to return to his native soyle to which he was drawn as it seems not for any unwillingnesse to undergoe the charge but by reason of the wickednesse and barbarousnesse of the Natives as appeares in his Letter sent to Iohannes the great Courtier in which he relates his misery in that place most sweetly by the fable of Omphales it begins thus Non servio Reginae diviti mundaeque pulchrae sed servis barbaris impuris c. that is I serve not a rich comely beautiful Queen but I am inslaved to barbarous and impure slaves smelling of nasty skins and living a beggerly and base life who are onely rich in villany and who admit of no civill government and hee calls those of Acridia men without heads because New Deum nec homines revereri norint that is They neither reverenced God nor man Yet for all this he in this deplored estate proved himselfe Vigilem operarium persever avitque in Pastorali cura diligenter that is A watchfull workeman and stood stoutly in his Episcopall Charge I cannot but remember his Letter which hee wrote to the Emperour who desired that one of the Dukes of the Scopians whom he commended should be preferr'd
as occasion served How full of Hospitality was he to strangers How humble how cheerfull and how liberall not onely refreshing their bodies but comforting likewise their soules with spirituall directions Did not all men knowing his excellencies send in reliefe to the Brethren either by shipping out of England or by Wills of men dying still was this Monastery supplyed There did likewise belong faire revenues to this Abby out of England to bring in which to the Cloyster this Anselmus came over in the first yeare that he was ordained Abbot and not onely for that reason but also to see and speak with Lanfrancus who was from being an Abbot preferred to the Arch-bishopricke of Canterbury Whither when Anselmus was come with what a confluence of all sorts of people was hee entertained at Canterbury so there was Discourse had betwixt Lanfranck and himself and this is said of them both to their commendations Non erat ullus eo tempore qui aut Lanfranco authoritate vel multiplici rerum scientiâ aut Anselmo praestaret in Sanctitate vel Dei sapientiâ that is There was none at that time that did exceede Lanfranck in authority and variety of knowledge nor Anselme in holinesse nor heavenly wisedome He proceeds now to effect that for which hee came and takes an account of all the meanes which did belong to their Monastery but it is to be wondred at with what expressions of joy and love was he every where entertained what grave Counsells and directions hee gave to all sorts of people especially to the Clergy there was not a Lord or a Lady in England at that time but did strive to expresse their loves to him by presenting him with rich presents nay William the Conquerour though otherwise sterne and rigid yet how did hee expresse his love to this great man So having beene joyfully received of all sorts in England he intends his journey for his Monastery againe having gained large meanes for his fellowes But now the Conquerour dying and leaving his sonne William King of England Lanfranck also the Arch-bishop being dead this William began fearfully to waste the Churches throughout England which Anselme having with griefe heard of did he not at the solicitation of Hugh Earle of Chester and other Nobles come againe into England and comming to the Court did hee not modestly and divinely tell the King what wrongs he had done and how such things would draw downe Gods heavy judgements upon him and his posterity but the King was for the present unflexible so this Anselme went to this Hugh Earle of Chester but the King falling sicke all men cryed up this Anselmes fame and that hee was the onely man to bee Arch-bishop of Canterbury By the Kings authority and the whole Kingdomes love he was consecrated the first Sunday in Lent in the yeare of Grace 1093. But he found this place at that time to bee full of troubles and cares yet he being sent for to Court did meekly beseech the King to cease from afflicting the Churches did not this man performe his charge with patience industry and with expressions of learning and fidelity he was not any wayes addicted to pride not ensnared with covetousnesse neither was he tainted with idlenesse He committed the administration of his houshold affaires to one Baldwine Hee did mainly lament the abuse that was offered to the Church by prophane covetous men who took the meanes of them into their owne possession The King return'd from forraine parts Anselmus humbly intreats of his Majesty that hee might have licence to go to Rome but at this the King was incensed and told him there should no Pope have any Authority over his subjects nor any power within his dominions hereupon there was a generall meeting of all the Bishops and Lords at Rothingam to decide this Here most to gaine the Kings favour were directly against this Arch-bishop onely the Bishop of Rochester stood with him But the King was so vexed that he told him he would not hold him as an Arch-bishop unlesse forthwith he would deny the Popes authority and again at Winchester desiring of the King the same thing the King told him that hee should never have that liberty nor any other if he did persist in that minde So Baldwine was driven out of England and Anselmes servants misused and his lands alienated and hee himselfe derided and hated yet in the depth of this storme hee retained his piety and said that of our Saviour By patience possesse your soules at last he was forced by secret meanes to flye and so came to a place called Whitsands and so to Saint Bertine being glad that hee was out of England but then the King hearing presently ceized upon all his lands and goods and so Anselme came to Lions and was kindly entertained by the Arch-bishop of that place and so being weake in body and unfit to travaile to Rome hee sent his cause thither but stay'd in Lions till they returned They comming backe told him all excuses laid aside hee must himselfe goe in person to Rome So they came to Secusium and presented themselves to the Abbat of that place there were three of them Anselmus and Baldwine and Edinerus which writ this his life So after much travaile and danger we came to Rome and it was bruted abroad of this Fathers approach and all men desired to see him but it being extreame hot in the City of Rome this Anselme lived in a Village seated pleasantly called Schlavia a great deale of time was spent in deliberating for the Churches good but it was thought safest for Anselme not to returne into England while William lived neither did he but his successor Henry came into Normandy hearing that Anselme was there and did reinvest him into all his state and honours againe and he came into England and was entertained with great reverence of all the Lords of the Kingdome and the love of all the Common people So King Henry was very glad that hee had gained the peace of Anselme but hee was even spent with age labour and watching for age brings to us experience in one hand and death in the other and so did not live long after his return but with a great expression of holinesse and comfort did commend his spirit to God Time deales with man Arithmetically First he addes to beauty multiplies his graces and then he subtracts all these and makes a long lasting division between him and Nature And now he is dead it is high time to cover this sweet and heavenly Father with his first mother the Earth who being honourably attended to the grave with the Rose and the Violet is laid to sleepe in the bosome of the earth and shall enjoy though not so suddenly yet as certaine a Spring as they and which is more an everlasting one His Sayings S. Anselm de Malitia foeditate peccati Cap. 190. Saint Anselme was wont to say that if hee should see the shame of sinne on
restrained the persecution Did not he being sent for to Rome oppose the Schismaticks that hee stopt their mouthes and so by his care and diligence peace was restored to the Church Did hee not so gaine the love of Prince The obaldus that he was joyfull and ready to part with all his titles and dignities and means for the maintenance of Gods Churchâ—â— Oh should I or could I indeed reckon up all his eminencies and gracious endowments How incredible nay how unimitable are they For God brought mighty things to passe by this Saint Bernards meanes Take his commendation as one gives it him Serenus vultu modestus habitu circumspectus in verbis in sacra meditatione assiduus c. that is Of a gracious countenance a modest habit circumspect in his words assiduous in meditation devout in prayer strong in the faith patient in hope made up of charity chiefe for humility principall of all in piety in counsels provident powerfull in deeds never idle rejoycing when reproached modest to petitioners flowing with abundance of wisdome vertue and grace with God and men apt in speech fitting himselfe to his auditory admired for his dyet and not affecting any earthly promotions nay he is termed Olivaspeciosa Vitis fructuosa Palma florida Cedrus multiplicatâ— vas Electionis vas Honoris in domo Dei vas auri solidum c. that is A beautifull Olive-tree a fruitfull Vine a flourishing Palm-tree a lofty Cedar a vessell of Election a vessell of Honour in the House of God a pure vessell of solid Gold set with precious stones He foretold his death and hee that desires to read copioâ—sly of each circumstance there is an Epistle extant to Arnaldus an Abbot thus much in briefe after so many great labours in the Churches cause having happily finished his â—ayes being the first Abbot of that place at the age of sixty three yeeres having setled above a hundred and sixty Monasteries for Religion He sickned and commended his soule devoutly into Gods hands a great concourse of people shedding teares for the losse of such an Angelike man This hapned in the same yeere that Eugenius the third of that name an holy man departed this life Anastastus succeeding him in the Roman See then reigning that illustrious Fredericke over the Romans and Ludovicus that godly Prince the sonne of Ludovicus governing France Hee was buried on the Calends of September with great state and pompe Anno 1130. Bernard his Sayings Of sloth Sloth is a certaine languishing sluggishnesse of the minde whereby one neglects to begin that which is good or to finish that which is begun Of brotherly love Then selfe love is just and temperate when that which is withdrawne from pleasurable vanitie is bestowed to relieve our brothers necessity for true love regards the common good Helpe is in vaine expected where punishment is deserved Expectation from others must be according to our dealing with others Of Ambition Ambition is a gilded misery a secret poyson a hidden plague the Engineere of deceit the mother of hypocrisie the parent of envy the originall of vices the moth of holinesse the blinder of hearts turning remedies into diseases and medicines into sicknesse Of Gods love God loved us sweetly wisely and valiantly sweetly because hee put on our flesh wisely because hee was blamelesse valiantly because hee suffered death Learne therefore O Christian from Christ how to come to Christ Learne to love him sweetly lest we be allured wisely lest we be deceived and valiantly lest we be subdâ—ed and vanquished The Soules three estates There are three estates of holy souls the first in the corruptible body the second without the body the third in the glorified body The first in warfare and unperfectnesse the second in rest and quietnesse the third in perfect felicity and happinesse Of the hearts Ascension There are foure degrees of ascension first to the heart secondly in the heart thirdly of the heatt and fourthly above the heart In the first God is feared in the second his counsel is heard the third is the desire of Christs comming the fourth is the fruition of Gods presence Saint Bernard when he entred the Temple or any other holy place when he came to the door of entrance said thus to himselfe Stay here all my worldly thoughts all vanity that I may entertain heavenly meditations His Works are these that follow registred by his owne Scholer who wrote his Life and by Cardinall Bellarmine Such as are reckoned by Godfrede his Scholer are these 1. Homilies in praise of the Virgin Mary 4 books 2 Of the degrees of Humilitie one book 3 Of loving God one book 4 Apologie to William one book 5 Of Precept and dispensation one book 6 Exhortations to the Souldiers of the Temple 7 Of grace and Free will 8 Of consideration five books 9 Sermons on the Canticles 86 books 10 Epistles to divers 351. 11 On Saint Malachies life the Bishop of Ireland These are of the second order and no doubt to bee made of them as Bellarmine Writes 1 Of the Lords comming seven sermons 2 On the Vigils of Christs Nativitie 6 sermons 3 On Christmasse day 6 sermons 4 On New yeeres day 3 sermons 5 On Twelfth day 4 6 On the first Sunday after the Epiphany two sermons 7 On St. Pauls conversion two sermons 8 On Candlemas day three sermons 9 On Septuagessima two sermons 10 On Quadragessima seven sermons 11 On St. Benedict one sermon 12 On our Lady day three sermons 13 On Palme-sunday three sermons 14 On Easter day foure sermons 15 Sunday after Easter two sermons 16 On Rogation weeke one sermon 17 On Ascension day one sermon 18 On Whitsontide one sermon 19 On St. John Baptists one sermon 20 On Saint Peter and Paul foure sermons 21 On David and Goliah one sermon 22 On the seven houres three sermons 23 On St. Victor two sermons 24 On St. Mary Magdalen one sermon 25 On our Lady day five sermons 26 On these words it is a great signe one sermon 27 On the Virgin Maries birth day one sermon 28 On Saint Michael two sermons 29 On All Saints day five sermons 30 On St. Malachies one sermon 31 On Esayes words five sermons 32 On St. Martine one sermon 33 On St. Clement one sermon 34 On Saint Andrews Eve one sermon 35 On Saint Andrews day two sermons 36 On Humbertus one sermon 37 At the Dedication of a Church six sermons 38 On the 90. Psalme seventeen sermons 39 On divers Arguments 35. 40 Of the depth of the heart foure sermons 41 Of conversion to the Clergie one sermon 42 Short sermons 66. 43 Of the gifts of the Holy Ghost one sermon 44 St. Bernards sentences 45 A Declamation on that saying We have left all Those of which there is some doubt made are these 1 To his Brethren 2 Meditations 3 Of the inward house the soule 4 Of the order of life 5 Of the Ladder of Monks 6 Form
with graces his body did not want it's persections for he had a proper stature a grave pleasing and winning countenance and he was so healthy by nature that seldome or never did any disease or sicknesse torment him But I passe from all those outward decorements and will take a view of the gifts of his minde Being entred into a devout course of life who can but admire his innocence and integrity of life it was so eminent that Alexander Alensis would say Non videri Adam in Bonaventura peccasse that is that Adam seem'd not to have sinned in Bonaventure And was not his meeknesse and humility as great which indeed is the Basis and ground-worke the Mother and Mistris of all vertues and that he might not forget the practice of it did hee not ingrave in his study that sweet saying of our LORD JESUS Learne of me for I am humble and meek Doth he not in all his Writings lively expresse it for with what simplicitie is his stile composed off only for that hee writ for the good of simple men as he saith and was not hee as carefull to keepe his conscience unspotted and pure Did he not use ordinarily to say He could not forget his appearance before the great and terrible Judge And they that please may reade the commendation that Gerso Chancellor of Paris gives him for the care he had of it Nay such was his study of humility that lest at any time his mind should swell with pride or ambition he would put himselfe to servile and inferiour offices as to sweeping of roomes washing of vessels and making of beds which many thought too base to be performed by such an holy and Religious man yet nor any nor all these seem'd so to him hee knew how to bring good out of them for he would say they kept his body from pride and idlenesse Who when hee thinks of Bonaventures care for the poor and sick but will admire him how cheerfull was hee in ministring to them how diligent in visiting them though their diseases were noysome and in some sort dangerous it may be said of him as Gregory Nazianzen said of Saint Basil qui hominum leprâ laborantium vulnera curavit osculatus est that is who both healed the Lepers and kissed their sores hee spent much time in these actions yet perform'd the houres at his study so that he seem'd to be one who had a care to redeeme the time if he knew any troubled in minde hee would not leave him till he had given him comfort if any was poore what care would hee have to get him provision where any was falling from the truth how earnest would he be to recover him To come to his spirituall exercises of Meditation Contemplation and Prayer Did hee not make his head a fountaine of teares Was it not his chiefest care in all his Meditations to inflame the hearts of his Readers to kindle the fire of devotion in their breasts Hath hee not shewed the vertue matter forme end and distinction of Contemplation and Meditation Hath hee not laid forth the parts effects fruits times of prayer And in all his labours is that saying true of him that his words were not inflantia but inflammantia that is not high swelling puft up but inflaming such as moved compunction stird up zeale did work mortification and produced repentance in the hearts of his auditors What might not I say of his patience in bearing injuries Of his true valour in undergoing labours Of his contentednesse in refusing great Honours Of his wisdome in managing himselfe in all publike meetings Of his prudence in government But let us take a short view of excellent learning and admired Scholership who in this kind flowed more than he it is without all question that he attained not to such an height onely by his labour but also by the helpe of the blessed Spirit of God Yet his labour was great and constant he hated idlenesse He read over the whole body of the Fathers and made that famous piece which hee cals his Pharetra by the Works and Sayings collected out of Saint Gregory Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Hierome Cyprian Chrysostome Isidore Anselme Bernard Cassiodore and divers others hee was so diligent in holy Writ that he did write two Bibles out with his owne hand hee was so conversant in the sacred Scriptures that he had most of them by heart One of his Bibles is at the place of his birth kept as a treasure in the Church the other reserved in a famous Library as a testimony to future ages of his labour Now observe his happy progresse which hee made in Paris and indeed how could such a diligent Bee as Bonaventure was but gather honey from such able Instruments as there then was to omit many others these two were of note Albertus Magnus and Alexander Halensis so that by the Learning of these men Paris was to Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure as once Athens was to Saint Basil and Nazianzen After the studie and paines of three yeeres in Paris Bonaventure was by the good liking of all held fit to be publike Reader in Divinitie there which hee so divinely performed that Gerso sayes of him thus Nescio si unquam talem Doctorem ac Bonaventuram habuerit studium Parisiense I know not saith he whether ever the Universitie of Paris had the like Doctour as Bonaventure was The first Worke hee set out at Paris was Expositions and Comments on the bookes of the Master of Sentences Hee also made an Hexameron on the first Chapter of Genesis which all men lament that hee brought it not to perfection but it was so well liked that hee had the Archbishopricke of York in England offered him for his labour which Dignity he modestly refused when as he was made and appointed Chiefe of his Order hee stopt the mouthes of all Adversaries by his example wisdome moderation learning and good constitutions hee was meeke and courteous to all rather working men to obedience by faire exhortations and entreaties then by force and rigour His generall Learning is divided into three parts his exposition of Scriptures his Tracts his interpretation of the Sentences In all his Works appeare Learning study exercise Tri-themius sayes of him to his eternall prayse that he was matter not words subtile not curious eloquent not phantasticall His actions were as renowmed as his Works what journies did hee undertake to relieve the poore to profit the Churches to reconcile differences this I cannot omit that when as by the death of Clement the fourth at Viterbium there was no Pope but a great dissention amongst the Cardinals for three yeeres together when as they had so ordered that the choice of the Pope should be put to Bonaventures choice hee contrary to all their expectation chose a stranger a man of excellent parts one Theobald Archdeacon of Leige whereby he stopt a great quarrell and withall shewed his great
wisdome and integritie And who knows not his admirable comportment in the second Councell of Lions how forceably hee convinced all that opposed him so that for his labour hee was made Cardinall and Bishop of the Church of Saint Alban So having spent himselfe in pious actions and continued studies hee gave up his spirit during that Councell in the yeere of Grace 1274 and of his age the three and fiftieth in which yeere also Thomas Aquinas his loving friend departed There are many Miracles ascribed to him but I force no mans beliefe His Works are many and counted rare peeâ—es divided into eight Tomes allowed by the authorities of all learned men The first Tome containes Expositions on the Scriptures so the second The third Tome contains Sermons and of the Saints The fourth Tome containes Commentaries on the Master of the Sentences so the fifth The sixt Tome containes various Tracts of severall things So the seventh and eighth all full of piety and devotion few having come neere him none gone beyond him An. Christi 1265. Thomas Aquinas S. THO. AQVINVS THe thing principally for which the memory of men is celebrated with prayse and Commendation is wisdome that in whomsoever found though meane of parentage and birth or obscure by Countrey or Nation deserves perpetuity of honour and reverence for his wisdome that erects our minds to the contemplation and practise of divine things it is wisdome that differences men from men and makes man like to the Angels 't is wisdome that rectifies all that 's perverse and naught either in the will or in the affections Wisdome is that which steers all our actions to an happy conclusion This worthy Divine then cannot without great injury bee left out from the Fathers of the Church his Name deserves an everlasting remembrance for who had abler indowments than this Aquinas Who ever was more sedulous for study and more desirous of true wisdome than this great Doctor which as Bonaventure got the title of Seraphicus Doctor and Alexander Alensis of Doctor Irrefragabilis So this Thomas Aquinas not undeservedly is called Doctor Angelicus that is the Angelicke Doctor For scarce any of the great Fathers of the primitive times shin'd more gloriously in the eyes of the whole world then this eminent man did for sanctitie of life and puritie of Learning He was an Italian borne as Cardinall Bellarmine hath it not farre from Naples of parentage it seemes great and famous in the story of his life it is said hee was borne in Campania or Samnos all hold hee was not borue farre from these places some others thinke hee had his name of the Citie where he was born being called Aquino which in former times was great and populous though long since made a heap of dust and rubbish by the barbarous invasions of other Nations but it not onely bred up our Aquinas also it was the birth place of Pescenius Niger the Emperour of Iuvenall and divers other learned and famous men However if he cannot receive any credit from the place of his birth yet hee adds Honour to it and though it be now overthrowne and laid waste yet his name and renowme every day doth more increase and augment and his Workes generally approved of all Scholers nay indeed admired There is great doubt concerning his parents some who lived a long time with him and were daily conversant with him report that he drew his Lineage and Kindred from the Counts of Apulia and Kings of Sicily and the Cassinian Chronicles doe verifie and confirme this same thing which for every particular act and circumstance would be too tedious here to insert It is reported that an holy devout man who lived in a place called Rocca meeting Theodora his Mother when shee was great with childe of this Thomas bade her be joyfull for her wombe carried one in it and should safely deliver him into the World that would be heard of and speake through the whole World and indeed the issue proved true His youth was spent for the most part in a learned Monastery of Cassine it being customary and usuall for those times to put into the Cloysters great mens sonnes to give them generous and holy education and it said of this Thomas that hee needed not so much tutoring to make him a Monke for he naturally inclined to that course of life He was humble of mind modest bashfull obedient grave industrious witty all great furtherances to his intended resolutions at his first entrance and admission as my Author saith Cautè aptè sanctè verba protulit that is he discoursed warily congruously holily and that there was in him ardens orandi consuetudo a zealous and inflamed desire of praying to Almighty God It so came to passe that his parts began to be taken notice of by the Abbot of the place who diligently observing the young mans deportment did presently say of him that there was some great expectation of him in time to come Whereupon the said Abbot went to his parents and declared unto them how happy they were in him and related to them his excellent endowments aswell naturall as those acquired by study and did earnestly beg of them that they would not remove him from his course begun nor yet bring him up in Secular affaires or to follow the Wars but to keep him at his study and he said hee would warrant them that they should finde him to bee in short time eminent and famous but however hee was by their advice and direction sent to Naples to make triall of him which way and what course hee would follow which City though often molested by wars yet it was at that time full of great Scholers aswell for Greek as Logicke and indeed it was the seate of all the seven Liberall Sciences Not onely Italy at that time did abound with Learning but all Europe amongst divers there was one Dominicus whose life and doctrine manners and institutions were highly praysed Thomas resolves to be one of his followers but by reason of the commotions and warres in those Countries hee was disappointed for a time and this Dominicus though dead in the time of those troubles yet hee left many excellent men which professed his way above all one Ioannes which was so called from a Towne where he was borne this mans learning and piety did so sound in all mens mouthes that amongst divers others Thomas Aquinas heard his publike Lectures and Disputations and that with such great ardencie that there wanted nothing in him to be his Disciple but acquaintance onely Well this learned Ioannes tooke notice of Thomas Aquinas diligence in hearing and seeing more than ordinary parts to be in him at last by the motion of Gods blessed Spirit discoursing with him strove to make Thomas what he formerly desired to be and thereupon relating unto him the glory and felicity of true wisdome and withall the vanity instabiliy vility contemptiblenesse of terrene objects asked him whether or no hee had
Table with his hand and said jaâ— contra Manichoeos conclusum esse that now the Manichees were foyled He was one that may be a perpetuall patterne for refusing and contemning worldly honours and wealth for though he was young and had great wayes to helpe himselfe yet he regarded them not nay insomuch that when Clement the fourth Bishop of Rome would have made him Arch-bishop of Naples he did refuse it and when great promotions were offered to him his usuall answer was Chrysostomi in Matthaeum Commentarios mallem that is I had rather have the Commentaries of Saint Chrysostome upon Sâ—int Matthew He desired three things principally First that he might not be weary in well-doing Secondly that he might not dislike that calling though with poverty which hee had chosen thirdly what became of his brother Rainaldus who endured such a bloody death for the good of the Church and in this last he said hee was sure that his brother for that temporall death enjoyed eternall life In his teaching hee alwayes strove to frame his speech to the peoples capacity and that hee might avoid all pride and ostentation nay in his disputations he would seeme to yeeld that he might rather shew his humility than height of learning Hee had abundance of Auditors as Doctors Bishops Arch-bishops Cardinalls who counted themselves happy in being his hearers He was of spirit wondrous mild in his corrections and reproofes hee would hate the vice and spare the person When as he was deputed to be at the Councell of Lions hee fell sicke and was carryed on a Mule to Severinum where when he was entred into a Cloyster he writ his Commentaries on the Canticles and perceiving his death to draw nigh received the blessed Eucharist prostrate on the earth After when his sister asked him if he would have any thing answered he should within a little space enjoy all things This was his fiftieth yeare of his age He had many witty sayings as one asking him why he was so long silent under Albertus he answered because he had nothing of worth to say to him Another asked him what was the most pleasant thing to him Hee replyed to understand all he had read One telling him he was not learned as he was supposed hee answered I will study the more to prove his words false A woman reproved him that seeing hee was borne of a woman hee should so shunne them Yes said he even therefore because I was borne of them One asked him how he might live without blame hee told him if he would remember his reckoning to the great Judge of Heaven and Earth So when after great paines and studies hee had approved himselfe to the Church of God he yeelded to Nature and was honourably interred with all the Rites and Ceremonies due to so great a person as he was His Workes are of that value that he who hath them in his study is furnished for all manner of learning His Sayings A day will come when faire dealing shall be found a jewell and false dealing shall come to nothing when a good conscience shall be better than a good purse for the Judge will not then be put off with faire words nor drawne aside with hope of reward He that 's armed for the warres let him consider who it is that gives him strength and teacheth his fingers to fight then let him employ that strength to his glory so that by this means come life come death all 's welcome that God sends In all thy undertaking make much of time especially in that weighty matter of Salvation O how much would that man which now lies frying in Hell rejoyce if there were but possibility to obtain the least moment of time wherein he might compasse the favour of God and so be freed from those torments which seize upon him for evermore Thou that art young hast death at thy back whereas the old man hath it before his eyes and that must needs bâ— a more dangerous enemy that pursues thee than that which marcheth up towards thee face to face Remember therefore thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and remember withall that though God promise forgivenes to repentant sinners yet he doth not promise they shall have to morrow to repent I have set down his Works as Cardinall Bellarmine hath registred according to the Roman Edition Tome 1. Contains his life upon the Perihetmenias and the Analatickes Tome 2. Containes Commentaries upon the 8 bookes of Physicks Vpon the fourth book De Coelo Mundo and of the generation Tome 3. Contains his works upon the books de Meteoris Tome 4. Vpon the Metaphysicks 12 books Tome 5. Vpon the 10 books of Ethicks and upon the 8 books of Politicks Tome 6. Vpon the 1. and 2. books of the Sentences Tome 7. Vpon the third and fourth of the Sentences Tome 8. Vpon Disputaâ—ions and Quodlibets Tome 9. Containes his summes against the Gentiles with the Commentaries of Franciscus Ferrariâ—nsis Tome 10. The first part of his summes of Divinity with the Commentaries of Card. Caietan and the Exposition of divine names by St. Denis Tome 11. Containes primam secundae secundam secundae With Cajetans Commentaries Tome 12. Containes the tertiam partem summae Tome 13. Contains Commentaries on Iob on the 57. Psalme on the Canticles Esay Jeremy Lamentations Tom. 14. Commentaries on St. Matthew and St. Iohn Tom. 15. Contains his golden chain on the 4 Evangelists Tom. 16. On all the Epistles of S. Paul Sermons de tempore and of the Saints Tome 17. Contains 73 little Tracts and a little book upon the foure bookâ— of Sentencâ—s THus farre have we brought the lives of these holy Fathers and Doctors in every Century of yeares wherein they lived downe to our owne Moderne Writers whose vertues have shined on Earth like starres in the firmament by illuminating the darknesse of the blinde world with the light of the Coelestiall Doctrine These holy men I say did willingly and chearefully offer their lives and bodies as a living sacrifice to God not grudgingly or piningly but with alacrity of spirit for though by the hand of envy and tyranny they were judged to death yet they willingly dyed for his cause and yeelded their bodies as a debt due to Nature for they thought so long as the soule was in the body it was no better than in prison for the body at the best is is but a Coffin of the soule as the grave is a Coffin for the body Therefore let us strive by their examples to goe to heaven like them through persecutions tribulations and all worldly temptations for wee ought to desire with ardency as these holy Fathers did that joyfull day which all the Elect have and doe still long to enjoy For when Death and Time shall both cease and tender downe their Sâ—epters of authority as I doe now my self prostrate before God Almighty then shall I and never till then bee truely and really happy