was not wanting though absent in body yet very vigilant as present in spirit by his admonitions and otherwise to provide for and promote the welfare of the Brethren as much as he could constituting divers Presbyters to execute his office in his room But that which did occasion no small grief unto him was the schism and disorders that happened in the Church whereof his former adversary Felicissimus was the principal author with whom joyned five other Presbyters who granted rashly and promiscuously peace and communion to the Lapsi or such as through fear had faln in that time of persecution These were set on and abetted by Novatus a Presbyter of Carthage from whom afterward sprung Donatus and his Sect with whom sided Fortunatus set up by his party as a Mock-Bishop in opposition unto Cyprian who yet were of a contray opinion to the former denying all hope of peace to the Lapsi but though they were opposite in judgement unto each other yet did they all at length conspire together and made up one faction against Cyprian who had given order that as the Lapsi should not be altogether excluded so neither should they be admitted unto communion but upon their repentance and satisfaction given unto the Church This Felicissimus with his complices proceeded so far as that of those who adhered unto him who in number increased daily he constituted a Church of his own which he congregated in a certain Mountain from whence the name of the Montenses took its Original given afterward unto the party of the Donatists who in imitation of these lived in the Mountains But though Felicissiâ—us were the first in the Schism yet was he the less famous for his name growing more obscure Novatus gave the title unto the whole Sect who from him were called Novations as also Cathari or pure â—ecause they refused to communicate with the Lapsi though repenting accounting them unclean These Schismaticks growing unto this height the careful Cyprian though in exile is very sollicitous how to suppress them and to prevent further mischieâ—s that hereupon might ensue He falls upon the last remedy writing unto Caldonius and Herculanuâ— his Collegues as also unto Rogatian and Numidicus Compresbyters that they excommunicate Felicissimus and his followers which accordingly they performed as appears by their Letters unto the Clergy of Carthage After two years he returned from his banishment Decius that cruel Persecutor being slain by the Gotbs and so peace restored unto the Church Immediately after his return he useth his utmost endeavours to close up the rent that had been made in the Church during his absence for which end he convenes a Synod wherein after due debate this moderate temperament was agreed upon concerning the Lapsi that the causes and necessities of their fall being examined the Libellatici who were such as by their friends did offer or give in their Libels unto the Magistrate wherein they did deny Christ but withal desire that they might not be compelled to sacrifice as the less Delinquents should be admitted unto communion upon their repentance but the Sacrificati who were such as to preserve their Estates or being by others perswaded thereunto did offer unto the Idols should have a longer time of repentance set and assigned unto them and in case inâ—irmity urged they should receive peace or be reconciled at the time of their death In which Decree Cornelius Bishop of Rome agreed with them a little after calling a Council at Rome which consisted of sixty Bishops so many Presbyters and many Deacons wherein the business of the Lapsi was throughly scann'd and Novotian set up as Bishop of Rome by his party against Cornelius together with Novatus and Felicissimus were excommunicated the sum of which decree was this that Novatus together with such as consented unto his opinion which was repugnant unto brotherly love should be banished the Church and that the Brethren fallen through infirmity in the troublesome time of persecution should be received after that the salve of repentance and confession had been applied unto the Maladies By these Schisms was the Church much vexed for sometime and Cyprian loaded with calumnies by the Authors and Maintainers of them which he bare and overcame with invincible courage and patience Many Councils were celebrated at Carthage and in other Provinces both of the Eastern and Western Churches for the suppressing of them What afterward became of these Schismaticks is not found but persecution being renewed seems for the present to have put an end unto these Controversies After this arose the question about the rebaptization of Hereticks returning again unto the Church which had been in use in the African Churches in the time of Agrippinus the Predecessor of Cyprian and before him in the time of Tertullian This was occasioned by the practice of the Novatians who were wont to baptize again as unclean such as they had drawn from the Church unto their faction which provoked divers African Bishops to emulation among whom Cyprian was the chief Three Councils were by him call'd about this thing in the last whereof were assembled at Carthage out of Africa Numidia and Mauritania eighty and seven Bishops by whom it was concluded that such as had been by Hereticks baptized were upon their return unto the Church to be admitted again by rebaptization and that because there is but one Baptism which is no where to be found but in the true Church The sentence of Cyprian is in the last place set down in these words My sentence or judgement herein saith he the Epistle written unto our Collegue Iubaianus hath most fully express'd viz. that according to the Evangelical and Apostolical contestation the Adversaries of Christ and called Antichrists when they come unto the Church are to be baptized with the only Baptism of the Church that they may be made friends of foes and of Antichrists Christians Which Opinion was rejected by Stephen Bishop of Rome and the Council by him there assembled Yet did many of the Eastern Bishops and of Egypt as well as of Africa consent with Cyprian in this his opinion which having for a while to their utmost defended they at last relinquished it subscribing to Stephen and the rest of the Church of Rome and that Cyprian did so among the rest is very probable of which more hereafter Shortly after followed another grievous persecution under the Emperour Valerian and Galienus which lasted three years and an half and extending very far Africa as well as other Provinces felt the violence thereof where the first that was aimed at and vexed was Cyprian who by Paternus the Proconsul was banished unto Curubis or Curobis as Ptolemy a Town invironed with the Lybian Ocean almost in the manner of an Island standing on the Promontory
de Sacramento calicis infudit Tunc sequitur singulâ—â—â— vomitus In corpore ore violato Eucharistia permanere non potuit Sanctificatus in domini sanguine potus de polutis visceribus erupit tanta est potestas Domini tanta Majestâ—s The necessity of this and the other Sacrament he seems to conclude from Iohn 3. 5. Except a man be â—orn of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God And Iâ—hn 6. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son if man and drink his blood ye have no life in you 6. But the greatest errour to be noted in him which yet oh how small in comparison of some in many other of the ancients was that about rebaptization by Chemnitius too harshly called a fundamental errour Ha 〈◊〉 inquit errorem in fundamento His judgment was this that those who having been baptized by Hereticks did forsake their Heresies and return unto the Church were to be received by Baptism In this opinion many Bishops not of Africa only but of Asia also consented with him about which there having been three Councils convened at Carthage in the third wherein Cyprian was President it was agreed in the affirmative upon this ground chiefly because they thought the Baptism of Hereticks to be a nullity Great was the contest between the African and Western Churches about this controversie these latter holding with the Bishop of Rome that Hereticks returning unto the Church were to be received only by prayer and imposition of hands wherein they are to be conceived no less erroneous than the former for that they allowed the Baptism of all sorts of Hereticks without making any distinction between them whereas not long after in the Council of Nice if any one flie unto the Catholick Church from the Paulianists meaning the Samosatenians called by either name from the Author Paulus Samosatenus and Cataphrygians it is ordained or decreed that they ought altogether to be rebaptized The reason was because these Hereticks holding Christ to be none other than a meer man they baptized not in the name of Christ and so the substance and true form of Baptism not being retained by them it was adjudged to be no Baptism And indeed whoever is baptized by such an Heretick as openly denies the Holy Trinity ought to be rebaptized so that it was the errour of Stephen and those who joyned with him that they excepted not such Hereticks as these as Cyprian erred in excepting none But Stephen though he were little less erroneous than Cyprian herein yet did he differ much in his disposition and carriage for according unto his hot and cholerick temper he declared publickly against Firmilian Bishop of Cesarea in Cappadocia of Cyprian's opinion and excommunicated all those that dissented from himself Contrariwise Cyprian discovering herein the mildness of his spirit thus bespeaks his colleagues in the Council of Carthage Ierom in commendation of him cites two passages of his to the same purpose the one ex Epistolâ ad Stephanum Episcopum Romanum the other ex Epistolâ ad Iubaianum In the former his words are these Quâ in re inquit nec nos vim cuiquam facimus aut legem damus cum habeat in Ecclesiae administratione voluntatis suae liberum arbitrium unusquisque praepositus rationem actus sui Domino redditurus It remains saith he that we produce what each of us thinks concerning this thing judging no man or removing any of another judgment from the right of Communion for none of us makes himself a Bishop of Bishops or with tyrannical terrour drives his collegues to a necessity of obeying seeing every Bishop hath a proper judgment according unto his own liberty and power as who cannot be judged by another seeing that he himself cannot judge another But we all expect the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ who only and alone hath power of preferring us in the Government of his Church and of judging our actions Oh how much is Augustin taken and delighted with the peaceableness charity and moderation of Cyprian herein for which he greatly admires and commends him And saith he the Lord therefore did not discover this truth unto him that his pious humility and charity in wholsomly keeping the peace of the Church might be the more open and manifest and taken notice of as a remedy not only by the Christians of that time but also by posterity c. Moreover let me add as making much to his praise that he was not obstinate in his errour for as he was learned and skilful to teach othâ—rs so was he also docil and patâ—ent to learn of others which I doubt not saith Augustin he would have demonstrated had he discussed this question with holy and learned men Yea saith he perhaps he did correct his errour but we know it not for neither could all things which at that time were done among the Bishops be committed to memory and writing nor do we know all things that were so committed Again we do not find saith he that he corrected his errour yet may we imagine not incongruously of such a man that he did correct it and that it was perhaps suppressed by those who were too much delighted with this errour and were unwilling to want so great a patronage And this hath been by some so far charitably believed that they have plainly affirmed so much that he did being convinced by the Orthodox renounce his errour herein so Bede quoted by Pamelius Supplement Bergomens Platina in vitâ Lucii Scaliger in Elench Trihaeresâ—i Nicolai Serari cap. 31. And Baronius who tells us that none can justly doubt of it seeing both the Eastern and Western Churches have always used to celebrate the Birth Day of the Martyr Cyprian Briefly either he was not saith Augustin of the opinion that you the Donatists report him to have been of or he afterward corrected it by the rule of truth or else he covered this quasi naevum spot as it were of his white Breast with the pap or veil of charity while he most copiously defended the unity of the Church increasing through the whole world and most perseveringly detain'd the bond of peace § 7. As touching his Martyrdom it is recorded that upon his first entrance into Cuâ—ubis the place of his banishment it was revealed unto him in a Vision whereof he had divers and attributed much unto them that upon that same day in the year following he should be consummate and crowned which accordingly fell out For being by Galerius Maximus who succeeded Paternus in the Proconsulship recalled from his banishment he according unto the Imperial Edict abode a while in his own Garden from whence being certified that certain Officers were sent to bring him unto Vtica a famous Town not far from Carthage he withdrew for certain days by the perswasion of his
because so many are said to have been collected by Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna and so many are contained in the catalogues both of Eusebius and Ierom. But that skillful Antiquary the Reverend Vsher conceives that the Epistle to Polycarp which is reckoned among and makes up the seven is none of his Ignatius writing no peculiar Epistle unto him but that unto the Church of Smyrna only directed both unto them and also unto him joyntly as their Bishop or Pastour And this saith that learned Author I do not at all doubt to have been in the mind of Ierom whose words Et propriè ad Polycarpum commendans illi Antiochensem Ecclesiam are to be read as in a Parenthesis not as denoting a distinct Epistle from that to those of Smyrna but as relating to the same For as the quick eyed Casanbon observes those words of Ignatius mentioned by Ierom immediately after in quâ arte are not taken out of the Epistle to Polycarp as Baronius imagined but out of that unto the Church of Smyrna where only to this day they are to be read and not in the other And Eusebius produceth the same words out of the Epistle to the Smyrncans Thus Hic Ignatius cum Smyrnaeis scriberet c. Hence Honorius Augustodunensis in his Book de luminaribus Ecclesiae being an Epitome of Ierome Bennadius Isodore Hispalensis Beda and others enumerating the Epistles of Ignatius altogether omits that unto Polycarpus which therefore ought to be and is by Vsher accordingly ranked among the second sort of his Epistles The six Genuine Epistles then are these His Epistle 1. To the Ephesians wherein he mentions Onesimus their Pastour 2. To the Church of Magnesia lying on the River Meander whose Bishop was Dama 3. To the Church of Trallis whose Overseer was Polybius 4. To the Church of Rome All these were written at Smyrna in his journey from Syria to Rome His Epistle 5. To the Church of Philadelphia 6. To the Church of Smyrna Written from Troas Which yet the Centurists leave to the consideration of the diligent Reader how unlikely it is that they who conducted him should go so much out of the direct way and Road leading to Rome and fetch so great a compass about in their journey Though these and these only are judged to be genuine yet have they not escaped the hands of those who have offered no small injury unto them having most unworthily corrupted these ancient Reliques partly by addition and interpolation of what never fell from the pen of Ignatius and partly by diminution and substraction of that which they saw would prove of disadvantage and prejudicial unto them These Epistles saith Chemnitius have in them many sentences not to be contemned especially as they are read in the Greek but withal there are mingled other things not a few which verily have not in them Apostolical Gravity It 's most certain therefore saith Cook that his Epistles are either supposititious or at least filthily corrupted so mangled and changed by insertion or resection That saith Rivet they are of little or no credit but only in those things wherein they do agree with the writings of the Apostles from whose Doctrine that Ignatius did not recede both his Piety and Learning do perswade us So that even those six Genuine Epistles through the foul abuse that hath been offered unto them have clearly lost much of that authority which they they had of old For the discovery of this fraud take a few instances In Epist. ad Philadelph mention is made of this Heresie that there was in Christ no humane Soul yet was Apollinarius Laodicenus the first author thereof who lived about the year 370 a long time after Ignatius And as this is foysted in so are those words left out which are cited by Theodoret in Dialog 3. being taken by him out of the Epistle to the Smyrneans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e They saith he speaking of those Hereticks that denyed the truth of Christ's flesh admit not of Eucharists and oblations but reject them because from the Eucharist is proved the truth of Christ's flesh For thus doth Tertullian learnedly argue lib. 4. contra Marcionem Quod est phantasma figuram capere non potest Atqui Corpus Christi capit figuram scil panem Igitur Corpus Christi non est phantasma I wonder therefore saith Scultetus what judgment they have who bring this place of Ignatius to establish trans and consubstantiation That passage also mentioned by Ierom Ignatius that Apostolical man boldly writes that the Lord chose Apostles who were sinners above all men is not now to be found which yet Ierom had out of one of the seven if not rather six Epistles contained in his catalogue for he speaks of and therefore 't is probable he had seen no more The second sort of Epistles are such as are dubious and concerning which it is very questionable whether they be his or no of these there be also six in number being the second collection made as the reverend Vsher conjectures by one Stephanus Gobarus Tritheita about the year 580 by Anastasius Patriarch of Antioch about the year 595 and by the Publisher of the Constantinopolitan Chronicle about the year 630. So that in the sixth Century after Christ they grew up to the number of 12 coming out of the same Shop that vented the Canons of the Apostles augmented by the addition of 35 to the former as also the Apostolical Constitutions variously trimmed and altered So that these are of a much later date than the former the only Genuine Birth of this famous Martyr These latter six are 1. Epistola ad Mariam Cassabolitam or as some call her Zarbensem In two ancient Manuscripts she is stiled Maria Proselyta Chassabolorum or Castabolorum It seems to be derived from the place of her Birth or Abode or both which may be a City in Cilicia in the lesser Asia not far from Tarsus famous for the Birth of the Apostle Paul there For so I find Strabo making Castabala to be a Town of Cilicia situate somewhat near unto the Mountain Taurus Pliny also reckons it for one of the inland Towns of this Country near unto which are the Anazarbeni now called Caesar-Augustani the Inhabitants of the City Anazarbus fruitful in Olives saith Rhodignie the Birth place of the Renowned Dioscorides as also of Oppian the Poet so Stephanus Bizantii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom add Niger thus speaking The City Cesarea was aforetime called Anazarbeum situate near the Mountain Anazarbeum Again Castabala also is another Town beside the Mountain Taurus So that with a little alteration which might happen through time and the errour of Transcribers she might have the name of Cassobolita from the one and of Zarbensis from the other of those Towns Accordingly I find in one of the
meetest man for such a work with their letters that he might comfort those afflicted Churches confirm them in the truth and confute those heretical adversaries He took Rome in his way haply to confer with and crave the advice and help of Eleutherius Bishop there about this affair unto whom he had letters recommendatory from the Churches making Honourable mention of him During his absence upon this weighty occasion in the great persecution under Antoninus Verus which much raged in the Churches of France the good Bishop Photinus aged ninety years is imprisoned and being brought before the tribunal and by the President asked this question who is the God of the Christians he perceiving this demand to be made rather in way of scorn then out of a serious desire to be informed because hâ— would not cast pearls before swine vouchsafed him no other answer but this si dignus fueris cognosces when thou shalt become worthy thou shalt know With which answer as contumelious the President being highly provoked commanded the Officers to beat him which accordingly they did handling him in a most barbarous and cruel manner and afterward almost breathless casâ— him into a filthy prison wherein about two days after by a glorious death he obtained the crown of Martyrdom The Church of Lyons by this means being destitute of a Bishop none was thought moâ—â— worthy to suceed the aged Martyr then his Presbyter Irenaeus who not long after returning was accordingly chosen anâ— took upon him the Government of thaâ— Church He entred upon the administration thereoâ— in a very unquiet and turbulent time the staâ—â— of affairs being much distracted not only bâ— reason of that grievous storm of persecutioâ— they had lately been under yea which 〈◊〉 yet scarcely calmed and blown over 〈◊〉 also through the busie attempts of diveâ—â— impostours cunningly seeking to underminâ— the Doctrine of Christ. For now had thâ— Valentinian Hereticks prevail'd and spread 〈◊〉 far as France and among others bewitchâ—â— sundry eminent women with their sottâ—â— and absurd opinions by means of one Mâ—â—cus a wretched sorcerer and a wicked deceiver and abuser of the weaker Sex But 〈◊〉 such a manner did this vigilant watchmaâ— and painful Pastour bestir himself that he notably prevented the farther spreading of this Pest and recovered many of those who had been therewith infected And having happily secured his own charge he rested not here but proceeded farther affording his help by his excellent letters unto other Churches also particularly unto that of Rome out of which he endeavoured to weed those tares which the envious man had there sown their careless Bishop how unfit to be an universal overseer it seems securely sleeping the while and leaving the work that properly belonged to himself unto another The chief instruments that Satan here imployed in sowing those tares were Florinus and Blastus Presbyters of this Church but by the Bishop degraded for their impiety in commiseration of whose sad condition infected with so soul Heresies he wrote as is reported those five learned books now extant In such kind of laborious imployments did he spend much of his time under the Emperours Antoninus the whole of Commodus and a good part of Severus Reigns being very serviceable unto the Church of God in his generation not only by his preaching and disputations but also by his writings which he left behind him as singular monuments unto posterity of his zeal for the glory of God and love to his truth as a bright shining lamp lighted and set up by the Lord he diffused his Rayes for the good of many till the oyl was wholly spent and consumed In his time fell out that sharp and lasting contention between the Eastern and Western Churches about the observation of the Feast of Easter as also about the kind and manneâ— of fasting The Churches of Asia as from an ancient Tradition and herein following the examples of Philip and Iohn Apostles as also of Polycarp with others their Successors observed this Feast on the fourteenth Moon upon what day of the week soever it fell out on which day the Jews were to offer theiâ— Paschal Lamb. But the Church of Rome together with others in the West did celebrate it always upon the Lord's day and hence grew a great rent between them for those of the East refusing to leave their former usage and custom for which they had so good â— warrant and to conform themselves hereiâ— unto the other Victor who was the Bishop of Rome possessing that Chair that would afterward usurp authority over all Churches and acting accordingly in the heighth of his pride and the heat of his passion begins to threaten and thunder out his excommunication against them Hereupon Irenaeus brooking his name as a lover of peace with the Brethren of the Gallican Churches being grieved at such insolent and harsh proceedings and foreseeing the sad effects they might produce thought it their duty not to stand still as idle Spectators but to interpose at least by their Letters and to endeavour a prevention if it might be of those evils that were like to ensue and follow upon so rigorous and sharp a censure which they did accordingly dealing plainly and roundly with the proud Prelate tartly reprehending him for handling his Brethren in so unchristian a manner and that for things indifferent which he made necessary he would fall upon so extreme a course the cutting off of so considerable a part from the Body shewing withal that his excommunication was void and of no force Now so great was the authority of the man with the Bishop of Rome who had not as yet exalted himself so high that it should not be lawful for any of his Fellow Bishops to take the boldness to admonish him or to say what dost thou though he should lead thousands to Hell and such the strength of the arguments alledged that the issue was as Feuardentius relates the asswaging of his fury and the deterring of him from that rash attempt of cutting off so many famous Churches from the Body of Christ whence followed a more serene face of things and a great tranquillity to the Churches of Christ. § 2. He was a man exceeding eminent and of chief note among those of his time very ancient and not far from the days of the Apostles Honourable mention is made of him by those of the following ages for Eusebius Inter omnes coaetaneos ei palmam tribuit gives him the preheminence above all his contemporaries Others stile him an Apostolical man admirable and the light of the Western Churches an ancient man of God highly commended he is as one in whom the resplendent Beams and brightness of Apostolical Doctrine did gloriously shine forth for what he had learned and received from Polycarp and Polycarp from the Apostle Iohn he retaining it in its purity communicated iâ— unto the Church so that in all things he
are as it were common places out of the Scriptures might be looked on by him as Commentaries wherein indeed he briefly glosseth upon and giveth some light unto many Texts though this were not the thing that he intended in those Tables Among the works of Cyprian that remain unto this day his excellent Epistles are deservedly ranked in the first place as having a notable vein of piety running through them Epistolae Cypriani inquit Chemnitius referunt pectus ardens Pietate ita ut lectorem accendere possint and wherein is discovered abundance of that prudence candour meekness modesty gravity and holy severity wherewith his rare spirit was so much adorned These are the most genuine births of our Author though yet they have not continued altogether untouched nor have escaped the injury of those whose fingers have been itching to tamper with and corrupt them for the support of their tottering cause which truth will never patronize There are at this day eighty three of them in number whereof some few were from others unto himself the rest written by him unto the Bishops Presbyters and Churches or Brethren They are by Pamelius digested and cast into this order two were written shortly after his Baptism thirty and eight in his first Exile which lasted the space of two years eighteen during the time wherein Cornelius and Lucius sate Bishops of Rome eight miscellany Epistles written in the times of the peace of the Church ten in the time of Stephen Bishop of Rome concerning the Rebaptization of Hereticks and seven in his last secession a little before his Martyrdom The same Authour hath taken good pains in his more exact Chronological account of the particular years wherein these Epistles as also his other Treatises were written which affords not a little light for the better understanding of them for he had found them to have such a mutual dependance one upon another that many of them without the help of others could not well be understood This Chronology is prefixed by Pamelius in his Edition of these Epistles together with the rest of Cyprian's works in whose diligence in his emendations and annotations which contain many Ecclesiastical Antiquities for the illustration of them deserveth commendation Yet in this was he unhappy that being a sworn Vassal of the Romish Synagogue he strains his Wit and skill to reconcile which cannot be the opinions and judgement of Cyprian and other Ancients with Pontifician Traditions and the Anathematisms of the Tridentine Conventicle which filth cast upon the famous Cyprian and Orthodox antiquity Simon Goulart hath with good success endeavoured to wipe off in his Learned notes as an antidote subjoyned unto those of Pamelius by which means this Edition comes to be more exact than any that were before it though there were divers Of which Pamelius a Lovain Divine the said Goulart gives this approbation that he was an ingenious Man of much reading most diligent of very accurate and quick expression and one that had merited much of those studious in Theology in his Edition of Cyprian if contenting himself to have pointed at the various readings he had either not touched or more sincerely explicated those Antiquities As touching these Epistles I shall refer the Reader for the Analysis and contents of them unto Scultetus who hath taken laudable pains in surveying the works of our Authour together with divers other of the Ancients It shall suffice me to reflect upon them in a more general way and what is remarkable in them and to hint somewhat that may be of use in reference unto them And herein I shall observe that order wherein they are ranked and set down by Pamelius The second Epistle contains a flourishing and eloquent Narration of his conversion and Baptism savouring much for its quaintness of the Rhetorick Schools from whence he was newly come The phrase of this Epistle saith Erasmus is more neat and florid then that of the rest retaining still the scent of Scholastical eloquence In Secundâ Epistolâ nonnihil lusit apparatu pompâque Sermonis unde Augustinus Lib. 4. cap. 14. de Doctr. Christian comptae jucundae splendidaeque dictionis depromit exemplum It is entituled by Trithemius lib. de gratiâ Dei And by Antoninus De Gratiâ abundantiâ malitiae saeculi But this accurate Eloquence of his gotten with so much sweat and augmented with continual exercise and for which he was famous every where he laid aside as of little profit and necessity preferring before it Christian simplicity Yet that in this Epistle he wrote in so high a strain I suppose it therefore so fell out saith Augustine or rather was advisedly done that posterity might know what a tongue the soundness of Christian Doctrine had recalled from such redundance or superfluity and restrained to a more grave and modest eloquence such as in his following writings is securely loved religiously desired but most difficulty performed Wherefore this holy Man did shew that he could so speak because some where he spake so but withal that he would not because he afterward no where doth so Nihil inquit Erasmus reperies in Cypriaeno quod ad ostentationem ingeâ—â— videri possit ascitum aut quod ullo pacto vafrieiem sapiat In the twelfth Epistle ad plebem wherein he desires them to wait for his return that we saith he and our fellow Bishops being assembled together may examine the Letters and desires of the blessed Martyrs according to the Doctrine of our Lord and in the presence of the Confessors secundum vestrâ—â— quoque sententiam and according as you shall think convenient Those last words are maliciously left out because saith Daille they would not have us to know that the faithful people had ever any thing to do with or had any vote in the affairs of the Church In the thirty first Epistle there remained for a long time a foul fault uncorrected by which the place was so depraved that no perfect sence could be made of it which was at length happily amended by the dexterity of that Phoenix of her Sex for Learning Margaret the Daughter of Sir Thomas Moor one unto whom Erasmus wrote many Epistles and dedicated his Commentaries on certain Hymns of Prudentius calling her the flower of all the Learned Matrons of England She was of a quick and sharp Wit and composed in Greek and Latin both Verse and Prose and that most eloquently to the admiration of those that perused her writings This Gentlewoman reading this Epistle and being come to the place corrupted which was this Absit enim ab Ecclesiâ Romanâ vigorem suum tam profanâ facilitate dimittere NISI VOS severitatis eversâ fidei Majestate dissolvere presently without help of other example or instruction quoth she those words Nisi Vos must be Nervos and so the sentence by
be none of Cyprians 3. Of the praise of Martyrdom unto Moses and Maximus wherein pennis eloquentiae se mirificè extulit But the stile is so elaborate and unequal that Erasmus supposeth no man is of so dull a scent but he must needs perceive it to be far different from that of Cyprian He thinks it therefore to be an Essay of some one that would exercise his pen wherein he shewed more care then wit and more affectation then ability Cardinal Baronius is very angry with him for this his censure calling him Mome telling us that he that will prudently compare it with the Apologetick unto Demetrian or his Epistle unto Donatus will easily perceive by the same lineaments of their faces that they proceeded from the same Author But the wit and wisdom of Erasmus dictator ille rei literariae and his ingenuity in this kind are sufficiently known and approved of by the Learned And as he was able so was he no less diligent in comparing one thing with another that he might the better give a right judgment So that the cavil might well have been spared and deserves little to be regarded as issuing rather from heat and interest then from candid and impartial animadversion The truth is both the Cardinal and the Canon Pamelius looked on it as advantageous and making somewhat for their market affording them a considerable authority for the Doctrines of Purgatory and the Invocation of Saints who therefore strain hard and would fain perswade us that it is Cyprians though they be levissima argumenta very trivial and slender arguments whereby they endeavor to make it appear so to be 4. Unto Novatian the Heretick that hope of pardon ought not to be denied unto the Lapsi such as fell in time of persecution which saith Erasmus the stile will not suffer us to believe that it is Cyprians But withal it is so Eloquent and Learned that he judgeth it not altogether unworthy of Cyprian yet rather thinks that Cornelius Bishop of Rome wrote it which conjecture he grounds upon the words of Ierom whom herein Honorius Augustodunensis follows and explains saying Cornelius wrote a very large Epistle unto Novatian and Fabius 5. Of the Cardinal or Principal works of Christ unto his ascension unto the Father which besides the Preface consisteth of twelve Chapters or Sermons 1. Of the Nativity of Christ. 2. Of his Circumcision 3. Of the Star and Wisemen 4. Of the Baptism of Christ and manifestation of the Trinity 5. Of his Fasting and Temptations 6. Of the Lords Supper and first institution of the Sacrament consummating all Sacraments wherein is comprehended the sense and consent of Orthodox Antiquity and the Catholick Church concerning the Lords Supper 7. Of washing the Disciples feet 8. Of Annointing with Oyl and other Sacraments 9. Of the passion of Christ. 10. Of his Resurrection 11. Of his Ascension 12. Of the Holy Ghost All these are urged as the authority of Cyprian by divers Romish Champions for the maintenance of many of their unsound Doctrines though it be doubted of by themselves for sundry weighty reasons among the rest these following 1. The stile is lower than Cyprian's useth to be 2. The Author in serm de tentatione sâ—ith that the Devil fell from Heaven before the creation of man contrary unto the opinion of Cyprian in his Treatise de telo invidiâ 3. In the Preface he gives unto Cornelius Bishop of Rome the Title of sublimitas veâ—ra your Highness whereas Cyprian always stiles him brother and Collegue The stile saith Erasmus argues it to be none of Cyprian's though it be the work of some learned man whereof that age had store Non Cypriani quidem inquit Casaubonus sed non indignus Cypriano And Bellarmin himself elsewhere affirms that the author of these Sermons without doubt lived long since Cyprian yea after the time of Augustine and taxeth the boldness of him that first put Cornelius his name in the fore front of this Book But in a very ancient Manuscript in the Library of All-Souls Colledge in Oxford the Author is called Arnaldus Bâ—naâ—illacensis who lived in the time of Bernard unto whom he hath written one or two Epistles and the Book is dedicated not unto Cornelius who lived about the year of Christ 220. but unto Adrian the Fourth who lived about the year 1154. and succeeded Eugenius the Third unto whom Bernard wrote his Book of Consideration Also that Learned Antiquary the Reverend Vsher saith he hath seen besides the abovenamed another Manuscript in the publick Library at Oxford wherein this Book bears the name of the said Arnaldus as the author thereof Taking it then for granted that it is none of Cyprian's let us give it its due in the words of Scultetus It is a Book full of Religious Piety and of great use to Preachers for they are popular declamations which do breath affections stirred up by the spirit of God 6. Of Dicers which Game he proves by many arguments to be unworthy of a Christian especially an Ecclesiastical man But it certainly appears to be none of his by the stile and seems to be written in the corrupter times of the Church Bellarmin and Pamelius speak doubtfully of it the former supposing it rather to be written by some one of the Bishops of Rome as plainly appears from the Author 's assuming unto himself the Presidentship of the universal Church and to be Christ's Vicar which indeed none ever dared to do but that proud Prelate of Rome 7. Of the Mountains Sina and Sion against the Jews being a mystical interpretation of them the stile shews it to be none of his as both Bellarmin and Pamelius confess yea it is altogether different both from the stile and also the Genius of Cyprian and is stuffed with such allegories and expositions of Scripture as are far from the Learning Piety and Simplicity of this Blessed Martyr 8. As for those Poems viz. Genesis Sodoâ—â— ad Senatorem Pamelius hath adjudged them rather unto Tertullian because of the stile and because Cyprian was never ranked among the Christian Poets but only by Fabricius he might have added Gyraldus so that he leaves the matter doubtful And saith Bellarmin we have no certain ground whence to conclude it So also for the Hymn de Pascha in many Manuscripts it is ascribed â—nto Victorinus Pictaviensis But saith Bellarâ—in of them Opera sunt gravia docta S. Cyprianâ— digna To which I add the Verses de Sanctae Crucis ligno which Lilius Gyraldâ—s ascribes unto Cyprian being sixty nine Heroicks in number Quos inquit ego legi si semel legatis iterum saepe legetis But as I find them no where else mentioned as Cyprian's so I conceive Pamelius would not have failed to rank them among the rest had he seen
rhetorical flourish and because the Treatise it self is justly suspected not to belong unto Athanasiùs I shall forbear to set it down as being unworthy to be ascribed unto so grave and found an Author 3. He seems to assert the worshipping or adoration of the Saints thus If saith he thou adore the man Christ because there dwelleth the Word of God upon the same ground adore the Saints also because God hath his habitation in them It is strange say the Centurists that so great a Doctor should so write but they do erre saith Scultetus not considering that he there speaks upon the suppositition of Samosatenus who thought that Christ as man was to be adored because of the Word dwelling in him which is the thing that Athanasius denyeth convincing Samosatenus of falshood from an absurdity that would follow For seeing the Word dwelleth also in the Saints it would thence follow that they are to be worshipped which Athanasius in the same place affirmeth to be extreme impiety And indeed he expresly elsewhere saith that adoration belongeth unto God only § 7. As touching his death it was very remarkable in this regard that in the midst of a most vehement storm and tempest the cruel persecution under the Emperour Valens he should so quietly arrive at the haven For being forc'd to hide himself as hath been said in his Fathers monument about the space of four months the people that greatly loved him and had him in very high esteem grew so impatient of his absence from them that they began to be tumultuous threatning to burn the ships and publick edifices unless Athanasius were permitted to return unto them again The Emperour hereupon fearing what the issue might be gave way to their fury being a hot and hasty kind of people and suffered him to enjoy his Bishoprick again from that time tempering himself from troubling Alexandria and the Country of Aegypt By this means it came to pass that after so long labour and sweat for Christ so many encounters for the Orthodox faith so frequent and famous flights and banishments having given many things in charge unto Peter his successor he did at Alexandria in peace and a good old age pass from this vale of trouble unto the rest above after he had governed that Church by the space though not without intermissions of forty and six years in the seventh year of the Emperour Valens and of Christ about 371. Hilarius Pictaviensis § 1. HE was born in France and yet not Gallus as himself answered Leo Bishop of Rome in a certain Council asking him at his entrance in a proud insulting manner Tune es Hilarius Gallus At ille Non sum inquit Gallus sed de Galliâ ac si diceret non sum natione Gallus sed de Galliâ praesul Erat enim gente Aquitanicus pontificali autem dignitate praeminebat Gallis for he was Bishop of Poâ—ctiers the chief City of the Celtae or Galli For France of old was divided into three parts or Provinces viz. Belgicam Aquitanicam bodie Guienne vocatur Celticam Now the inhabitants of this later were properly those called Galli ipsorum linguâ Celtae nostrâ inquit Caesar Galli appellantur So doth Sulpitius Severus distinguish his Country men into these three sorts Aquitanes Galli and Brittaines the two former are so far differing the one from the other saith Strabo both in habit and Language that the Aquitanes are more like unto the Spaniards then unto the Galli It is reported of him that in his younger years applying himself unto study and not profiting as he desired which made him to doubt whether he should ever attain unto that which he aimed at he left the Schools purposing to fall upon some other course and passing along by a certain well in the way walled up with great stone he observed that those stones were much worn and hollowed in some places by the often rubbing of the Rope upon them wherewith they used to draw the water Hereupon he fell into this consideration with himself if this Cord that is much softer hath by frequency of fretting made this hard stone hollow then surely may I also by continuance of time both profit and perfect or accomplish my desire Accordingly he betook him again unto the Schools where by assiduity and constancy in study he at length became a most Learned and accurate Scholar He seems to have been at first an Ethnick at what time perceiving and considering with himself how vain the opinions and conceits were which the Philosophers had of the gods musing much hereupon he at length light upon the books of Moses the Prophets and the Apostles by the diligent perusal whereof he came to the knowledge of the truth and to embrace the Christian Religion being now well stricken in years yet in a short time did he so much profit in the Doctrine of Christianity that he was deservedly esteemed a chief Doctor and pillar of the Catholick Church His Country men coming to understand of his great worth soon advanced him unto a high degree of dignity though a married man he being by them chosen to be Bishop of Poictiers chief City of the Province of Poictou About this time the persecution under the Emperor Constantius grew very hot in so much that many eminent Bishops for holding fast and sticking close unto the Catholick Faith were exiled and driven into banishment Hereupon Hilary with divers other Gallicane Bishops convening together with mutual consent did by a Decree separate Saturninus Valens and Vrsatius who were violent Arians from their Communion adding withal that if any being admonished to shun their society did not herein obey the sentence of the Catholick Bishops they should be excommunicated Saturninus who was Bishop of Arles a factious and mischievous man took this very grievously that he should be Anathematized and excluded from Communion with the rest of the Bishops yet after this was he sor heinous crimes cast out of the Church wherefore by the favor of Constantius he procured Synods to be congregatted at Byterris and at Arles Cities of France unto which the Catholick Bishops should be forced to come Hilary being one of those who were present in these Synods fearing least by the subtilty of the Arians as was their manner the Orthodox through simplicity might be circumvented offereth a libel to be read wherein the close conveyances crafty fetches and blasphemous Heresies of the Arians were laid open and discovered unto all But the adversaries withstanding the Reading thereof prevailed so far that Hilary refusing to subscribe unto their ambiguous and captious contessions and decrees for he was very circumspect and quick sighted to discern and avoid their cunning devices and impostures was banished into Phrygia in the East where he continued for the space of three whole years and upward In the fourth year of his banishment the Emperor commands a Synod of the
given to the Bishops of Rome of the real presence of collegiate and cloystered Virgins of the vertue of the Sign of the Cross to terrifie the Devil of their Feasts and lenten Fast of the authority of Traditions and of the Church of Rome And well may they be driven to such shifts who shun the Scripture◠as insufficient yea justly are they given up to these delusions who not contenting themselves with the Sacred Oracles alone and the Doctrines contained in them which are able to make perfect and wise unto salvation do fansie and devise new ones in their own brains and then Coyn and impose authorities pretendedly Ancient for the maintaining of them Frivolous therefore and vain is the flourish of Baronius that it came to pass by the admirable Counsel and providence of God that these Epistles should all of them be written by Ignatius and notwithstanding the shipwrack which so many writings have suffer'd yet that these should be preserved intire and uncorrupt whereas 't is very evident that the greater part of them now extant are counterfeit and not his and the genuine miserably corrupted and alter'd So that it may upon better ground be said that herein the good providence of God hath been eminently seen that he hath been pleased to stir up and assist some of his servants in vindicating the writings of this and other of the Ancients from the injury that hath been offered them by base and disingenuous spirits who have preferr'd their own interest before the honour and truth of God and in plucking off the vizar and discovering the fraud and Leger-demain of those that would abuse and cheat the world by the obtrusion of Novelty instead of Antiquity thereupon § 4. His stile savours of a certain holy simplicity as did the State of the Church at that time full of gravity suitable unto a primitive Bishop lively fiery and solid becoming so glorious a Martyr § 5. That which is chiefly remarkable in these Epistles are those passages which are mentiond by Eusebius and Ierom as being most unquestionably such as fell from the penof this blessed Martyr wherein are in a lively manner drawn and deciphered the purtraiture of his most excellent spirit his singular and vigorous love to the Lord Jesus whose name is said to have been ingraven upon his heart in letters of gold as also his undaunted courage and Magnanimity in his cause accompanied with unconquerable constancy and sweet humility 1. His earnest desire of Martyrdom he thus expresseth From Syria even unto Rome I fight with beasts by land and sea night and day bound with ten Leopards i.e. with a guard of Souldiers who are the worse for favors But I am the more instructed by their injustice yet neither hereby am I justified Would to God I might injoy the beasts which are prepared for me who I wish may make quick dispatch with me and whom I will allure to devour me speedily lest as they have been terrified at others and did not touch them so they would not dare to touch my body and if they will not I will even force them thereunto Pardon me I know what is best for me Now I begin to be a Disciple of Christ desiring nothing of these things which are seen so I may win Jesus Christ. Let fire cross and troops of violent beasts breaking of bones dissipation of members contrition of the whole body and all the torments of the Divel let them all come upon me that I may injoy Jesus Christ. 2. When he was now condemned to the wild beasts and with an ardent desire of suffering heard the Lions roaring saith he I am the wheat of God whom the teeth of wild beasts shall grind that I may be found the pure or fine bread of God Immediately before which go these words I write to all the Churches and injoyn them all because I willingly die for God if ye hinder not I beseech you therefore that your love toward me be not unseasonable Suffer me to become the meat of wild beasts by whom I may obtain God 3. His care of the Churches was very great whom he earnestly presseth to holiness and a conversation becoming the Gospel And commendeth unto Polycarp whom he well knew to be an Apostolical Man the Flock or Congregation of Antioch praying him to be careful of the business there about the election of a Bishop or Pastor in his room manifesting herein his zeal for God and his glory as also his cordial affection and fidelity to the brethren Besides these there are in the Epistles other things worthy of notice though not so undoubtedly his as the above-mention'd They are such as these 4. His Creed or brief sum of Christian Doctrine wherein he accords with the Apostles Creed His words are Beloved I would have you to be fully instructed in the Doctrine of Christ who before all ages was begotten of the Father afterward made of the Virgin Mary without the company of man and conversing holily and without blame he healed all manner of infirmities and sicknesses among the people and did signs and wonders for the benefit of men and revealed his Father one and the only true God and did undergo his passion and by his murtherers the Jews suffered on the Cross under Pontius Pilate President and Herod the King and was dead and rose again and ascended into heaven unto him that sent him and fitteth at his right hand and shall come in the end of the world in his Fathers Glory to judge the quick and the dead and to render unto every one according to his works He that shall fully know and believe these things is blessed 5. Though he were one of the most eminent men of his time both for Piety and Learning yet out of the depth of his humility he thus speaks of himself when bound for Christ and his truth and lead toward his Martyrdom stiling his chains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual pearls although I be bound saith he yet am I not to be compared unto any one of you that be at liberty Again speaking of the Pastours of the Church saith he I blush to be named and accounted in the number of them for I am not worthy being the last lowest or meanest of them and an abortive thing he also divers times stiles himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the least 6. Speaking of the Lords day let every Christian saith he Celebrate as a Festival the day of the Lords resurrection which is the most eminent of all days 7. A Pious and Religious Man is money Coyned and stamped of God but a wicked and irreligious Man is false and counterfeit Coyn of the Devils making Matth. 22. 20. 8. As touching Antiquity thus I have heard saith he some to say I will not believe if I find not the Gospel among the Ancient Records But to such I say that JESUS CHRIST is to me
resembled the face of the Apostles He excelled both in piety and learning being so admirably endued with both that he was no less famous for the one than for the other stiled therefore by Epiphanius a sacer Irenaeus holy man so singularly accomplished and fitted for the work he was designed and called unto as that he became praeclarum organum a choice instrument for the good of the Churches of Christ. Admirably well skilled he was in all sorts of Learning both sacred and secular very studious and ready in the Holy Scriptures having by this means attained unto a more than ordinary measure of understanding and insight into them And how notably instructed and furnished with knowledge in the Arts and Sciences is abundantly manifested by his subtil investigation of abstruse Heresies which though wonderfully obscure and confused he representeth and sets forth to publick view with very great perspicuity and order as also by his most acute and quick disputations wherein he throughly discovers their vanity and as soundly confuteth them So that it is most evident saith Erasmus that he was very exact in all the liberal Scienceâ— Yea how diligently he had read over the Books both of the ancient Philosophers Thales Anaximander Anaxagoras Democritus Empedocles Plato Aristotle c. As also of the Poets Tragick Comick and Lyrick may be gathered from hence in that he clearly evinceth those Heresies which he impugned to have been taken and to have had their original from those prophane Authors the names only being changed So that he was not without cause stiled by Tertullian Omnium doctrinarum curiosissimum exploratorem a most curious inquirer or searcher into all sorts of Doctrines very large is Epiphanius his Encomium of him who held him in high esteem as appears by the great use he made of him Old Irenaeus saith he every way adorned by the Holy Ghost brought into the Field by the Lord as a valiant and expert Soldier and Champion and annointed with Heavenly Gifts and Graces according to the true faith and knowledge contended against all the arguments of sottish Hereticks and most exactly confuted them Add hereunto which put a lustre upon all the rest that he was of a very meek and modest spirit a great lover and as studious a preserver of peace among Brethren but withal no less earnest and zealous in the cause of God and a bitter adversary of the wretched Hereticks of his time Magnus to give you Erasmus his words to this purpose Ecclesiae propuâ—nator ac pro sui nominis â—ugurio pacis Ecclesiasticae vindex § 3. He wrote divers learned Books upon several subjects and occasions the greater part whereof indeed all to one through the injury and neglect of foregoing ages are quite lost not any of them remaining and extant at this day and they are such as we find mention of 1. A brief Volume against the Gentiles And saith Ierom another of discipline but herein is he mistaken and those that follow him as Honorius Augustodunensis Trithemiâ—â— c. who supposed that they were two distinct Books whereas by Eusebius it appears 't was but one and the same Volume for thus he speaks of it Extat adhuc liber illius adversus Gentes compendiosissimus summopere necessarius de scientia inscriptus 2. A declaration of the manner and way Possevin of the Apostles preaching unto a certain Brother one Marcianus 3. A Book intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 variorum tractatuum saith Ierom variarum dictionum inquiunt centuriatores or a disquisition of sundry things Possevin 4. A Book or an Epistle de schismate unto Blastus 5. A Book de Monarchiâ or that God is not the author of Sin unto Florinus whose Doctrine he being of this opinion he proves to be both impious and blasphemous 6. A Book entituled Ogdoas or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written also for Florinus who was bewitched with the errours of Valentinus which Ierom calls commentarium egregium an excellent commentary in the close whereof we have these words containing a solemn obtestation which both Eusebius and Ierom thought worthy of special notice Adjurâ— te c. I adjure thee whosoever thou art that copyest out or transcribest this Book by our Lord Jesus Christ and by his glorious coming wherein he shall judge the quick and the dead that thou compare what thou hast written and correct it diligently by the exemplar from whence 't is transcribed and also that thou do likewise write out this adjuration and insert it into the copy so taken The like hereunto is that of Ruffinus in his preface in his Translation of Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is found among the Epistles of Ierom charging both the Transcriber and Reader not to add or diminish to insert or alter any thing therein but to be exact even to a Letter c. 7. Divers Epistles unto Victor and many other Pastors of Churches about the Controversies of Easter as also against those who at Rome did corrupt the sincerity of the Churches 8. Volateran saith that he wrote an Ecclesiastical History quam mutuatus est Euseâ—ius testemque citat 9. A Commentary upon the Apocalypse as saith Sixtus Senensis But these two latter are very questionable seeing that neither Eusebius nor Ierom in his Catalogues not Honorius Aâ—gustudonensis nor Trithemius make mention of any such That of his which to this day the World injoys is only a Volume containing five Books against the Heresies of the Gnosticks and Valentinians whâ—ch was thus intitled as both Eusebius and Photius have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of redargution and the eversion of knowledge falsly so called a learned and most famous piece full fraught with Learning and Piety This too it seems was almost lost at least as to the Western Churches For saith Gregory we have long and diligently made inquiry after the Writings of Irenaeus but hitherto not any of them could be found Erasmus therefore tells us he that might well call him his as being by his industry brought to light after it had been almost buried and recovered from the dust being mouldy and moth-eaten And should they have remained in perpetual oblivion the loss had been exceeding great for saith he his writings do breath forth the ancient vigour of the Gospel yea his very phrase came from a breast prepared for Martyrdom for the Martyrs have a certain serious bold and masculine kind of speech It hath been a question and doubted by some learned men whether he wrote these Books in the Greek or Latine Tongue because they are now not to be found but in the Latin only yet was he a Greek by Nation and his phrase savours of that Language having many Grecisms in it Erasmus a man of more than ordinary perspicacity and judgement this way rather inclined to think it
After these Iohn the Disciple of our Lord who also leaned on his breast published a Gospel remaining at Ephesus in Asia 9. When the Hereticks saith he are convinced from the Scriptures they betake them to the accusation of the Scriptures themselves as if they were not right nor of any Authority and because they are variously spoken and because from them the truth cannot be found out by them that know not Tradition 1. We ought to obey them that are Presbyters in the Church even those who have succession from the Apostles as we have shewn who together with the succession of their Bishoprick have received the certain gift of truth according to the pleasure of the Father Succession of Doctrine is the principal and without that certain gift of truth it is vain yea impious to boast of personal succession 11. Of the Translation of the Septuagint thus Ptolemy willing to have an experiment of them and fearing leâ—t perhaps by consent they should through their interpretation hide that truth which was in the Scriptures he separating them one from another commanded them all to interpret the same Scripture and this he did in all the Books when therefore they come together into one place with Ptolemy and compared their Interpretations God was glorified and the Scriptures were believed to be truly divine all of them reciting the same both in the same phrases and in the same words from the beginning to the end So that even the Gentiles that were present did acknowledge that the Scriptures were Interpreted by the Inspiration of God 12. Very memorable is that passage of his in an Epistle unto Victor Bishop of Rome recorded by Eusebius Although saith he Christians differed in their Judgements about the manner of Fasting yet notwithstanding were they at unity one with another for this variety of fasting commendeth the unity of Faith They that were Presbyters before Soter of that Church whereof now thou art President Anicetus I mean and Pius and Hyginus and Telesphorus and Xystus neither did so observe it themselves nor left any such Commandment to their posterity and yet nevertheless they not observing it were at unity with them who resorted unto them from those Churches that did observe the same when yet their observance was contrary to those who observe it not Neither was any one at any time rejected or excommunicated for such kind of fasting but those very Presbyters who were thy predecessors have sent the Eucharist to the Brethren of those Churches who kept it after their own manner And when Polycarp was at Rome in the time of Anicetus and they were at variance among themselves about some certain small and trifling matters they were soon reconciled but about this particular they had no contention at all Neither was Aniceâ—us able to perswade Polycarp mark the Roman Bishops used not it seems to command them as now that he should not retain that which he had always observed with Iohn the Disciple of our Lord and the rest of the Apostles with whom he had been conversant neither did Polycarp perswade Anicetus so to observe it but told him he ought to observe the Ancient Custom of the Elders whom he succeeded And things being at this pass they held communion one with another and in the Church Anicetus granted the Eucharist unto Polycarp for the reverence which he bare him and so they parted from each other in peace and in the Universal Church both those that did observe it and those that did not observe it were at peace one with another These and many other the like worthy sayings are to be found in the Books of this Ancient Father but let it suffice to have given you this tast of them § 6. Yet are there some things observed in him as his blemishes and failings wherein he is not to be followed because therein he swerves from that un-erring Rule the word of Truth Even the most eminent Men in the Church after the Apostles have built some hay and stubble upon the foundation they held which will not endure the trial of the Fire Those of this Father are as followeth 1. Somewhat harsh and to be corrected is that concerning Christ. Si quis exquirat causam propter quam in omnibus Pater communicans Filio solus scire horam diem Domino manifestatus est neque aptabilem magis neque decentiorem nec sine periculo alteram quam hanc inveniat in praesenti quoniam cum solus verax Magister est Dominus ut discamus per ipsum super omnia esse Patrem Etenim Pater ait major me est secundem agnitionem itaquâ— praepositus esse Pater annunciatus est à Domino Nostro ad hoc ut nos in quantum figura hujus mundi-sumus perfectam Scientiam tales quaestiones concedamus Deo Et ne fortè querentes altitudinem Patris investigare in tantum periculum incidamus uti quaeramus an super Deum alter sit Deus 2. He hath some passages concerning free will not to be admitted though again in other places he hath somewhat directly opposite thereunto E.g. Dedit deus bonum qui operantur quidem illud gloriam honoreâ— percipient quoniam operati sunt bonum cum possint non operari illud Hi autem qui illud non operantur judicium justum recipient Dei quoniam non sunt operati bonum cum possint operari illud Item Quoniam omnes sunt ejusdem naturae potentes retinere operari bonum potentes rursum amittere id non facere justè etiam apud homines sensatos quanto magis apud Deum alii quidem laudantur dignum percipiunt testimonium electionis bonae perseverantiae alii verò accusantur dignum percipiunt damnum eò quòd justum bonum reprobaverint Adhuc Quoniam liberae sententiae est Deus eujus ad similitudinem factus est semper consilium datur ei continere bonum quod proficiscitur ex eâ quae est ad Deum obedientiâ Et non tantum in operibus sed etiam in fide liberum suae potestatis arbitrium homini servavit Dominus Contrà Dominus pollicitus est mittere se paracletum qui nos aptaret Deo Sicut enim de arido tritico massa una fieri non potest sine humore neque unus panis Ita nec nos multi unum fieri in Christo Iesu poteramus sine aquâ quae de caelo est Et sicut arida terra si non percipiat humorem non fructificat sic noâ— lignum aridum existentes primum nunquam fructificaremus vitam sine supernâ voluntariâ pluviâ i. e. Spiritu Sancto 3. His opinion concerning the Age of Christ is evidently contrary to what may be collected from the History of the Evangelists for thus saith he Omnes venit per seipsum salvare omnes inquam qui per â—um rena
dearest Friends unto whom herein he consented and as himself saith not without just cause for that it is meet a Bishop should in that City wherein he is set over the Lord's Church there confess the Lord and so make the whole people famous by the confession of their present Overseer for whatsoever in that moment of Confession the Confessour Bishop speaketh God inspiring him he speaks with the mouth of all If it should be otherwise the honour of our so glorious a Church shall be maimed c. Here therefore lying hid we expect the coming of the Proconsul saith he returning unto Carthage that we may hear what the Emperour shall command and speak what the Lord shall give in that hour Accordingly there came suddenly upon the Ides of September two Apparitours to bring him before the new Pròconsul Galerius but being put off till the next day the Lord so willing that he might dispose of the affairs of the Church he was brought then into the Court of Judgment where he received this sentence that having been the Standard bearer of his Sect and an Enemy of the gods and one that would still be an example unto his own refusing to offer sacrifice It is my pleasure saith Galerius that he be beheaded Which Sentence being passed he was led away unto a certain place called Sexti about four miles six saith Baronius from the City a great multitude following him and crying Let us die together with the Holy Bishop Being come unto the place he submitted himself unto the stroke of the Sword by which his Head being severed from his Body he changed this frail for an eternal life being the first of the Bishops of Carthage that sealed the truth with his blood He suffered under the Emperours Valerian and Galerius anno Christi 259. The Carthaginians did so highly honour and had him in such veneration that they erected unto him a most magnificent Temple and kept a yearly Festival in memory of him which from his name they call Cypriana as Mariners do also a certain storm that usually falls out about the same time Lactantius § 1. LVcius Caelius was his name unto which his eloquence gained him the addition of Lactantius from his milky and smooth kind of speaking as his Country that of Firmianus being an Italian by Birth not an African as Baronius and Posseviue imagine because he was the Scholar of Arnobius that was so of the Province called Picenum of old but afterward by the Lombards Marchia Anconitana from the chief Town therein Ancona as also Marchia Firmiana from the strong Town Firmium heretofore the Head City of the Piceni which Country is a part of the Land of the Church under the Government of the Popes of Rome Some do contend that he was of the German Race and that at this day there is a Family not obscure among the Germans which bearing the name of the Firmiani do boast themselves to be the posterity of Lactantius but the general consent of Authors shews this to be but a vain conceit He was at first the Scholar of Arnobius Professour of Rhetorick at Sicca in Africa as also some time at Rome where Lactantius heard him and profited much in the study of eloquence who also instructed him in the Christian Religion which it seems he had embraced before he came into Bythinia whither under Diâ—olesian the Emperor he was called unto the City of Nicomedia wherein for some while he professed the Art of Rhetorick whereof he had been a learner before But being a Latine in a Greek City his auditory grew thin so that he was destitute of hearers hereupon laying aside the work of teaching he betook him unto his pen and fell to writing being provoked unto and put upon it by a couple of impure and foul-mouthed Philosophers who either of them had belched out their books against both the Religion and name of Christians He was at length in France made Tutor unto Crispus the son of Constantine the great and his great friend who committed him for his breeding unto the câ—re of Lactantius an evident argument both of his fame and faithfulness § 2. He was a man of great Learning 〈◊〉 eruditione clarus abundanter 〈◊〉 inquiâ— Trithemius a very grave Author saith Hospinian one notably skilled 〈◊〉 the Art of Rhetorick and in all Philosophy having diligently perused the writings of all sorts of Humane Authors as his books do sufficiently testifie in which he omitted almost â—one of any science or Profession whose testimony he made not use of and so excelled in â—loquence of speech that therein he was judged to be superior even unto his Master Arnolius who yet was of chief note among Orators He is for this cause often stiled Oratâ—â— disertissimus the most eloquent and elegant Lactantius who among the Latines especially added Ornament unto Christian Doctrine the very top and most eminent of the Latine Rhetoricians in Divinis Scripturis nobiliter institutus His great abilities he notably improved for the publick good for though he were somewhat defective in the inward knowledg of Divine Mysteries and far inferiour unto many others for his skill in delivering and confirming the Doctrine of Christianity yet was he a stout Champion for the truth and gave good testimony of his zeal thereunto in opposing with all his might the adversaries thereof for which work he was excellently furnished having such a dexterity herein that he easily refuted and overcame them Vtinam inquit Hieronymus tam nostra confirmare potuisset quà m facilè aliena destruxit For observing the Christian Religion to be destitute of those that should eloquently defend it the opposers of it being such I saith he undertook this task being grieved with the sacrilegious writings which they published and stirred up hereunto with their proud impiety and conscience of the truth it self that so with all the strength of my wit I might reprove the accusers of righteousness not that I might write against them who might have been confounded in few words but that I might at once by one assault put to flight all those who every where do or have undertaken the same work A most laudable enterprise wherein as he manifested no small love unto the truth in attempting it so did he manage it with no less dexterity for which he hath been deservedly famous in the Church of Christ unto this day His challenge that he makes of all the Heathen is remarkable Si qua inquit 〈◊〉 fiducia est vel in philosophiâ vel in eloquentiâ arment se ac refellant haec nostra si possunt congrediantur comminus singulâ— quaeque discutiant Decet cos suscipere defenâ—â—onem Deorum suorum ne si nostra invaluerint ut quotidie invalescunt cum delubris 〈◊〉 ac ludibriis deserantur Procedant in medium Pontifices seu minores seu maximi
salutatio quidem ei extiterit cum his praetereunti communis I shall close his encomium in the words of Venantius who was also Bishop of Poictiers about the year of Christ 575. And a Poet of chief note according to the time he lived in He in four books of Heroick Verse wrote the life of S. Martin by whose help he had been cured as it is reported of a great pain in his eyes in the first of which books he thus speaks in the praise of our Hilary Summus apex fidei virtutis amoris Hilarius famae radios jactabat in orbem Buccina terribilis tuba legis praeco Tonantis Pulchrior electro ter cocto ardentior auro Largior Eridano Rhodano torrentior amplo Vberior Nilo generoso sparsior Hystro Cordis inundantis docilis ructare fluenta Fontibus ingenii sitienta pectora rorans Doctor Apostolicus vacuans ratione sophistas Dogmate luce side informans virtute sequaces Which may be thus Englished Hilary top of honour faith and grace Whose fame doth dart its rays in every place The laws shrill Trumpet preacher of the most High Fairer than Amber sparkling far and nigh More than refined Gold larger than Po More vehement than Rhone of swiftest flow For fruitfulness passing th' Egyptian Nile Outstretching generous Ister many a Mile Whose swelling heart freely its streams out spues And with his wit the thirsty brests bedews Doctor Apostolick skilful to unty The cunning knots of subtile Sophistry And by sound doctrine to inform aright His followers with virtue faith and light § 3. As for the Writings of this Worthy many of them have felt the force of time which hath rak'd them up in the dust so that they are withdrawn from the view and use of the present as also of some preceding Ages The little of them which with their names have been preserved unto this day is that which follows viz. 1. His commentary or tractates upon the Book of Iob which is little else than a translation of Origen For herein and in his comment upon the Psalms are to be found almost forty thousand verses quadraginta fermè millia versuum Origenis in Iob et Psalmos transtulit translated out of that Author in which he keeps to the sence though not unto his words These were extant in Ieroms time for he had the sight of them 2. His comment upon the Canticles which Ierom only heard of but it came not to his hands 3. Of Mysteries 4. Of the Septenary or uneven number a book mentioned by Ierom dedicated unto Fortunatus This book saith Victorius is extant under the name of Cyprian but that 't is rather Hilary's appears saith he from the stile Ieroms authority ascribing it to him and its dedication unto Fortunatus who was Hilary's great friend as his Poems do testifie 5. His book or commentary as Possevin calls it against Dioscorus a Physician or against Salust a Prefect wherein though it were but short yet was it a learned and accurate piece he shewed what he could do with his Pen putting out all the strength both of his wit and eloquence which is wanting not without the great loss of the History of the affairs of France and other Countries 6. His book against Valens and Vrsatius two pestilent Arians who had infected with their heresie Italy Illiricum and the East containing the History of the Acts of the councils of Ariminum and Seleucia which is lost unless perhaps it be contained in his book of of Synods 7. A defence of the Catholick Faith 8. Of heresies 9. A book of Chronicles or an history from the beginning of the world unto the time of Christ. 10. A book of hymns he was the first among the Catholicks that set forth hymns and verses Declarat inquit Erasmus phrasis et compositio Hilariani sermonis in carmine non infoelicem fuisse Et fortassis aliquot hymni quos hodiè canit ecclesia non indoctos sed incerti authoris illius sunt 11. Divers Epistles a work mentioned by Sulpitius Severus which reporteth the great age of Osius the famous Bishop of Corduba as being above an hundred year old The most of them seem to have been written after his return from banishment into France wherein condemning the Arian heresie he labours to reduce therefrom those Western Bishops who by the Eastern in the Council of Seleucia had been by cunning and craft deceived and drawn into it 12. Whereas the Centurists speak of a book of his concerning the rebaptization of hereticks I suppose it belongs not to our but another Hilary who was a Deacon in the Church of Rome and of Cyprian's mind in the point of rebaptization of those that had been baptized by hereticks and particularly the Arians He indeed wrote certain books upon this subject of whom Ierom is to be understood calling hlm the Worlds Deucalion as one that thought the whole World would have perished in the baptism of Hereticks as in a second flood had not he restored it by another Baptism There are extant to this day these following books which are generally conceived to be his 1. Twelve books of the Trinity against the Arians which he wrote when he was banished into Phrygia being the first among the Latine Fathers that dealt upon this subject A work in this regard of no small advantage unto the Reader that therein he expounds divers places not a little obscure in the Gospel of Iohn and Epistles of Paul no less happily than accurately The first of these books as it seems he writ last for it contains an account or sum of the whole work setting down particularly the subjects or contents of each of the other books It is an elaborate piece of much strength and commended even by the adversaries themselves 2. Three books or Apologues unto Constantius the Emperour who much favoured the faction of the Ariaus All which Erasmus thinks to be imperfect for saith he they promise something exact and laborious but perform not accordingly being as it were suddenly silent The first of these he conceives to have been written after the death of that Emperour because he therein deals more freely and sharply with him whereas in the other two he is more fair and moderate Baronius supposeth the first as well as the two later to have been written while the Emperour was alive and therefore that the book mentioned by Ierome to be written after the death of Constantius is not now extant because he saith that by this free confession he tended to martyrdom whereunto he exhorteth others by the like liberty of speaking which would have seemed ridiculous if the persecutor had been now dead But saith Bellarmine perhaps these different opinions may be reconciled by thus saying That at the Writing of the first Epistle Hilary thought
passages of Ignatius might be reported by Origen as well as not And the Authority is of equal strength for the Affirmative or Negative nothing certain can be concluded from them 2. Erasmus his censure which you produce who thinks it none of his is not infallible and Merlin to whose pains we are beholding for one edition of Origen who therefore should be acquainted with his works is very confident that these commentaries are Origen's 3. The reason for which they are judged to be the work of some Latine Author seems not to be so cogent viz. because some Greek words are interpreted by Latine For this he might do for the help of those that might not so well understand some Greek words which therefore needed explication Besides it is known that for Origen's works although he wrote them in Greek yet have we scarcely any of them at this day but only in Latine except his excellent answer to Celsus in eight books Therefore these interpretations of divers Greek words by Latine and the saying that such a Latine word or expression is rendred so or so in the Greek may be done by the Translators of his works which is most likely from whence therefore it cannot be inferred that those Commentaries are none of Origen's 4. For his homilies on Luke they are not mentioned by either Cook or Rivet among the Tracts falsely ascribed to Origen which doubtless they would and in such a work their censure they ought to have done had they judged them not to be Origens 5. Ierom the interpreter of these Homilies on Luke thinks them to be Origens but a birth of his younger years and not so elaborate for some errors sprinkled amongst them Sixt. Senens in Biblioth which errors as Merlin imagines were inserted by those that envied him So that notwithstanding what is said by Mr. Dallee those sayings of Ignatius may have been related by Origen which he might be acquainted with from his Epistles 4. The fourth Argument or objection made by the dissenters is drawn from the testimony of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea who in his Ecclesiatical History lib. 3. cap. 32. mentions six Epistles of Ignatius So the Reverend Vsser accounts them making that to the Church of Smyrna and to Polycarp their Bishop to be the same but others reckon seven judging that to Smyrna and that to Polycarp to be two distinct Epistles These six or seven saith Mr. Dallee p. 442. we confess that Eusebius acknowledgeth and holds them to be truly the Epistles of Ignatius To these Mr. Dallee's Solutions are 1. Solut. His testimony is of no force being of a man that was two hundred years later than Ignatius Answ. 1. The Epistles of Ignatius might well be preserved unto that time many mens writings have remained many hundred years longer 2. If so then might Eusebius well come to the sight of them though others not being a man so inquisitive after books and Pamphilus his intimate companion most studious and diligent in erecting the Library at Cesarea and searching after books So Ierom. Iulius Africanus began a well furnished Library in the University of Caesarea saith Middendorp of Academyes lib. 2. which Pamphilus and Eusebius so enriched that there is not a more famous one in the whole Earth Being then so intimately acquainted with Pamphilus as that he added his name to his own being called Eusebius Pamphili and assistant with him who was very curious to find out the writings of those that went before him in compleating his Library questionless they would not omit so precious a treasure as the epistle of Ignatius which saith Polycarp epist. ad Philip. are such that from them you may reap great profit for they contain faith patience and all edification pertaining to our Lord. Here then Eusebius might come to see and peruse them if he had them not among his own store 3. The work he undertook and accomplished viz. The compiling of an Ecclesiastical History wherein no one had gone before him required that he should be supplyed with fitting furniture for such an enterprise who therefore being most inquisitive after the chief monuments of antiquity doubtless would not neglect so choice a relique as those epistles that might contribute not a little to his intended design So that if Ignatius writ any epistles and saith Mr. Dallee it were a foolish part in any to deny that he did p. 450. who was more likely to obtain them reserved with utmost care by those that lived with him as Polycarp and the Churches to whom he sent them than Eusebius so conducing to his purpose 2 Solut. He leans saith Mr. Dallee upon a broken Reed viz. the two passages in Polycarp and Irenaeus which are falsly said to be found in them as hath been made to appear Answ. But we have shewed before that the allegations from them are a ground sufficient to prove that for which they were produced and therefore I refer you to what hath been said hereof already 3 Solut. He evidently overthrows this his opinion by somewhat laid down by himself elsewhere which Mr. Dallee stiles his Golden Rule which is this that no books inscribed with the names of the Ancients are to be accounted for true but only those whose testimonies were made use of by men either of the same or certainly of the next memory or Age Euseb. lib. 3. c. 34. Answ. Eusebius his words are these speaking of the second Epistle of Clement Bishop of Rome to the Corinthians we have to learn saith he that there is a second epistle of Clement which was not so received and approved of as the former seeing we find not that the Elders or Ancients did use it Now the question may be what use of it Eusebius means Not that which Mr. Dallee intends viz. their alledging of it in their writings but the publick reading of it in the Churches for so Eusebius records of his first epistle One undoubted Epistle saith he of his there is extant both worthy and notable which he wrote from Rome unto Corinth when sedition was raised among the Corinthians the same epistle we have known to have been read publickly in many Churches both of old and amongst us also hist. l. 3. c. 14. Again saith he Dionysius Bishop of Corinth writing an epistle to the Romans viz. unto Soter their Bishop remembreth the Epistle of Clement thus we have saith he this day solemniz'd the holy Sunday in which we have read your Epistle and always will for instructions sake even as we do the former of Clement written unto us hist l. 4. c. 22 So that Eusebius his golyen rule as your term it being thus misunderstood by you proves in its right sence as no way advantageous unto you so no whit at all prejudicial unto him Thus have I spoken a word in the behalf of Ignatius's his epistles which notwithstanding what hath been said by the learned Mr. Dallee do not appear to be altogether supposititious and that though they have been