the 13th he says That since the coming of Jesus Christ God requires of Men greater Holiness than before In the 14th he discourses of the Reward of Christians The 15th has no particular Subject It begins with a Reflexion upon the Obligation that lies upon Christians to honour Jesus Christ with Purity and Faithfulness and after this it contains many Questions whereof the First is concerning the Resurrection viz. If a Man shall rise with all his Members and the rest concerning Concupiscence and the Inclination to Sin that is found in all Men. He is of opinion That 't is a kind of Fire kindled in a Man which inflames as one may say all his Parts That a Man may resist it but that to do it aright he must watch continually over himself and always fight against it He says That those who resist their Passions receive the Holy Spirit and the Grace which Jesus Christ has merited for them but they ought to take good heed that they be not lifted up with Pride and that they continue in Humility and Contempt of themselves as being accountable to Jesus Christ for the Grace they have received and capable of falling from that State of Holiness in which they are unless they preserve themselves in it by the vertue of Humility which he calls the Sign and infallible Mark of a Christian. In the 16th he says That a Man ought always to live in Fear because he is always expos'd to Temptations That even those that have not yet received Grace ought so to behave themselves as to do Good and forsake Evil by Natural Motives but those who have receiv'd it need not such kind of Motives because this Grace producing Love in their Hearts makes that become sweet and pleasant which appear'd rough and uneasie and makes that appear easie which was thought before to be impossible In the 17th he treats of the Spiritual Unction and the state of the more Perfect Christians and makes it appear that notwithstanding any Holiness they have acquir'd they ought always to fear because they are always in a Capacity of falling away In the 18th he declares the marvellous Effects of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Soul of a Spiritual Man In the 19th he explains the degrees through which a Man ought to pass to acquire Perfection That he ought first to use his utmost natural endeavours to do Good and then God seeing him strive after this manner gives him the Grace of Prayer by which means he obtains all Vertues In the 20th he says That none but Jesus Christ can cure the Soul that 's wounded by the Sin of Adam and therefore we must address our selves to him by Prayer that he would give us his Grace The 21st is of the War that Men are oblig'd to make against their Vices and their Passions In the 22d he describes the terrible difference between the latter End of the Just and the Wicked and says that at the hour of Death the Souls of the Just are received by Angels and conducted to the Lord but those of the Wicked are encompass'd by Devils who draw them down with themselves to Hell The 23d is of the Victory which a Christian ought to gain over his Passions The 24th is of the Necessity of the Grace and Influence of the Holy Spirit to make us capable and worthy of Eternal Life He continues the same Subject in the 25th wherein after he has prov'd that we cannot shun all the occasions of Sin nor resist all our Passions without the assistance of the Grace of Jesus Christ he makes a lively Representation of the state of the Men of this World and describes the wonderful Effects which the Coelestial Fire of the Holy Spirit produces in our Souls The 26th contains many Questions and Answers concerning the Temptations of the Devil and the Effects of Grace The Author there teaches That Man is restor'd to his Primitive Dignity by the Holy Spirit That the Devil cannot tempt us any further than God permits him That Grace changes the Affections of the Heart That the Devil knows some part of our Thoughts but there are others unknown to him That Grace and Charity have no Bounds and we ought never to say that we have arriv'd at the highest degree of Perfection That the Soul goes immediately after Death to that place on which its Love was plac'd during this Life That the Good which may be done by Natural Strength can never Save a Man without the Grace of Jesus Christ That we ought always to attribute to him all the Good we do and to say If God had not assisted us we should neither have Fasted nor Prayed nor forsaken the World And that God seeing us attribute to him the Actions which may be done by our Natural Powers has liberally bestow'd upon us the Spiritual Heavenly and Divine Gifts of his Grace That the Actions which are done without Grace may be Good but they are not Perfect In the 27th after he has first consider'd the Dignity of a Christian he then Answers to many Questions about the Effects of Grace He says That no Man shall ever arrive at the top of Perfection in this World That whatever state they are in whatever Grace they have they are always capable of sinning That the strongest Grace does not hinder the Will from following after Evil because the Nature of Man as long as he is in this World is changeable and that though God has bestow'd very singular Grace upon Christians they ought nevertheless to work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling In the 28th he deplores the state of that Soul where Jesus Christ dwells not at all because of Sin In the 29th he says That God gives his Grace after two different manners That he prevents some with it before they have us'd their own endeavours and bestows it upon others after they have labour'd a long time and then he shows what Reason we have to admire the Goodness and Wisdom of the Divine Conduct both towards the one and the other In the 30th he shows That if the Holy Spirit does not produce within us the Love of God we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven In the 31st he Exhorts Men to Prayer That they may obtain the change and renovation of their Heart In the 32d he says That we cannot certainly know whether we be in a state of Grace as long as we are in this World because we are always tormented with the Motions of Lust but at the Day of Judgment those who belong to God shall be made known The 33d is of the Attention and Fervour we ought to have in Prayer The 34th is of Eternal Glory The 35th is of the state of a Soul which God has deliver'd from Evil Thoughts which he calls a New Sabbath The 36th is of their different degrees of Glory who shall rise again from the Dead In the 37th he proves That many who have thought themselves Just were
Lastly he declares That the trouble he was in when they spake of making him Bishop made him resolve to hide himself He sets forth this trouble by two Comparisons the one by describing the vexation which a Princess incomparable both for Beauty and Vertue might be in who being passionately beloved by a Prince should be forced to marry a mean and contemptible Man the other by describing the astonishment of a Clown that was forced to take upon him the Conduct of both a great Land-Army and of a Navy that was ready to give Battel to a dreadful Enemy He concludes by comforting Basil who was afflicted to see himself ingaged in so hard an Employment and loaded with so heavy a Burden Some say that he writ these excellent Books when he was very young which is not likely Others think with Socrates That he composed them while he was a Deacon but it seems rather that he made them in his Retirement before he was ordained Deacon about the Year 376. The three Books in defence of a Monastical Life against those that blamed that state were the first fruits of S. Chrysostom's Retreat In the first he argues for a Monastical way of life because of the usefulness and necessity of separating from the World In the Second he answers the Gentiles who complained that their Children forsook them to retire into desart places and then he comforts the Christians who were troubled to see themselves bereaved of their Children that embraced a Solitary Life to dwell in Wildernesses He affirms in these Books That a Monk is more glorious more powerful and richer than a Man of the World representing the great difficulty of saving our selves in the World and how hard it is to bring up Children to Christianity and comparing the condition of a Monk with that of Saints and Angels The short Discourse upon the comparison of a Monk with a Prince is upon the same Subject He shews That Men are mistaken who preferr the condition of Kings before that of Monks and retired Men. First Because the greatness of Kings ends with them whereas the advantages of a retired Life continues after death 2. Because the advantages of Retirement are much more considerable than the Fortune of Great Men. 3. Because it is more glorious for a Man to command his Passions than to rule whole Nations 4. Because the War of a Monk is nobler than that of a great Captain and his Victory more certain the one fights against invisible Powers and the other against mortal Men the one engages for the defence of Piety and the honour of God the other for his own Interest or Glory 5. Because a Prince is a charge to himself and to others by reason of those many things which he needs whereas a Monk wants nothing does good to all and by his Prayers obtains those Graces which the most powerful Princes cannot give 6. Because the loss of Piety may sooner be repaired than the loss of a Kingdom Lastly Because after death a Monk goeth in splendor to meet Jesus Christ and entreth immediately into Heaven whereas tho' a King seems to have ruled his Kingdom with Justice and Equity a thing very rare yet they shall be less glorious and not so happy there being a great difference in point of Holiness between a good King and a holy Monk who hath bestowed all his time and care upon praising God But if this King hath lived ill who can express the greatness of those punishments that attend him He concludeth in these words Let us not admire their Riches nor preferr their happiness before that of these poor Monks Let us never say that this rich Man is happy because he is cloathed with sumptuous Apparel carried in a fine Coach and followed by many Footman These Riches and great Pomps last but for a time and all the Felicity that attends them ends with the Life whereas the Happiness of Monks endures for ever It was likewise in his Solitude that he writ the two Books of Compunction of Heart whereof the first is dedicated to Demetrius and the second to Stelechius In these Books he discourses of the necessity and conditions of a true and sincere Repentance affirming That Christians ought to have their sins always in view to abhorr them with all their Heart to lament and continually beg of God the forgiveness of them That this sorrow ought to be a motion of that Charity which the Holy Ghost inspireth into our Hearts and to be animated with the fire of a Divine Love which consumeth sin and is accompanied with a Spirit of Mortification and Disinteressedness from the Goods of this World with an esteem of the Treasures of Heaven and of Spiritual Vertues He saith in the first Book That it is not Grace only which makes us do good since we ought our selves to contribute on our part all that depends upon our Wills and Strength wherefore saith he God's Grace is given to every one of us but it abideth only in the Hearts of them that keep the Commandments and departeth from them that correspond not with it neither doth it enter into their Souls who begin not to turn to the Lord. When God converted S. Paul he foresaw his good Will before he gave him his Grace The Three Books of Providence were composed by S. Chrysostom when he came out of his Solitude and returned to Antioch There he comforteth a Friend of his one Stagirius who having quitted the World was so tormented with an Evil Spirit that he was ready to fall into Despair exhorting him to look upon that affliction as a Grace of God rather than a Punishment for as much as it appears by the most notable Examples both of the old and of the new Law that from Adam to S. Paul Troubles and Afflictions have commonly been the lot of the Saints and Righteous Men For this reason these Books are intituled Of Providence because they clear that great Question which so much perplexed the learned Gentiles Why the Righteous are afflicted and persecuted if there be a Providence over-ruling the things of the World He sheweth there that this Question hath no difficulty if Men believe that there is another Life a Heaven and a Hell For saith he since every one is punished or rewarded in another World to what end are we concerned at what happens in this If wicked Men only were persecuted here we should easily believe that out of this World there is neither Punishments nor Rewards and were there none but good Men in affliction Vertue might be looked upon as the cause of Adversity and Crimes the reason of Prosperity Of necessity therefore there must be in this World righteous and wicked Men some happy and others unhappy He adds That by God's permission the Righteous are afflicted to expiate their sins and to correct them for their faults He saith further That God makes use of the Righteous Man's Fear to oblige others to look to themselves and to
French but retracted it in Africa In the Second and Third Book he proves That Jesus Christ is God and Man and the Virgin may be called the Mother of God In the Fourth he endeavours to shew That there is but only one Hypostasis or Person in Jesus Christ. In the Fifth he comes to a close Examination of the Error of Nestorius He confutes his Theses and shews That the Union of the Two Natures in one Person alone makes it lawful to attribute to the Person of Jesus Christ whatsoever agree to both Natures In the Last Place he proves That the Union of the two Natures is not a Moral Union only nor a Dwelling of the Divinity in the Human Nature as in a Temple as Nestorius asserts but it is a real Union of the two Natures in one Person In the Sixth he falls upon Nestorius with the Creed of the Church of Antioch where he was brought up taught and baptized Some have needlessly enquired by what Council of Antioch that Creed was made Cassian speaks of the Creed which was usually recited in the Church of Antioch and not of a Creed composed by any Council of Antioch But we must not forget here what Cassian observes That the Creed * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to joyn together c. Symbolum is so called because it is a short Collection of all the Doctrine contained in Holy Scripture He urges Nestorius extreamly with the Authority of the Creed of his Church which contained the Faith which he had embraced when he was baptized and which he had always professed If you were saith he to him an Arrian or a Sabellian and I could not use your own Creed against you I would then convince you by the Authority of the Testimonies of Holy Scripture by the Words of the Law and by the Truth of the Creed acknowledged by all the World I would tell you That tho' you had neither Sense nor Judgment you ought to yield to the Consent of all Mankind and that it is unreasonable to preferr the Opinions of some particular Men before the Faith of the Church That Faith say I which having been taught by Jesus Christ and preach'd by the Apostles ought to be received as the Word and Law of God If I should deal thus with you what would you say what would you answer You could certainly have no other Evasion but to say I was not brought up in this Faith I was not so instructed my Parents my Masters taught me otherwise I have heard another thing in my Church I have learned another Creed into which I was baptized I live in that Faith of which I have made Profession from my Baptism You would think that you had brought a very strong Argument against the Truth upon this Occasion And I must freely own 'T is the best Defence that can be used in a bad Cause It discovers at least the Original of the Error And this Disposition were excusable if it were not accompanied with Obstinacy If you were of the same Opinions which you had imbibed in your Infancy we ought to make use of Arguments and Perswasions to bring you from your Error rather than severity to punish what is passed but being born as you were in an Orthodox City instructed in the Catholick Faith and baptized with a true Baptism we must not deal with you as an Arian or a Sabellian I have no more to say but this Follow the Instructions you have received of your Parents depart not from the Truth of the Creed which you have learned remain firm in the Faith which you have professed in your Baptism 'T is the Faith of this Creed which hath gained you admittance to Baptism 't is by that that you have been regenerated 't is by this Faith that you have received the Eucharist and the Lord's Supper Lastly I speak it with Sorrow 'T is that which hath raised you to the Holy Ministery to be a Deacon and Priest and made you capable of the Episcopal Dignity What have you done Into what a sad Condition have you cast your self By losing the Faith of the Creed you have lost all the Sacraments of your Priesthood and Episcopacy are grounded upon the Truth of the Creed One of these two things you must do either you must confess That he is God that is born of a Virgin and so detest your Error or if you will not make such a Confession you must renounce your Priesthood there 's no middle way if you have been Orthodox you are now an Apostate and if you are at present Orthodox how can you be a Deacon Priest or Bishop Why were you so long in an Error Why did you stay so long without contradicting others Lastly he exhorts Nestorius to reflect upon himself to acknowledge his Error to make Profession of the Faith into which he was baptized and have recourse to the Sacraments That they may regenerate him by Repentance they are Cassian's very Words as they have heretofore begat him by Baptism With this Discourse he mingles Arguments against the Error of Nestorius whom he undertakes to confute in the last Book by answering the Objections which he proposed and by alledging the Testimonies of the Greek and Latin Church against him He concludes with a Lamentation of the miserable Condition of Constantinople exhorting the Faithful of that Church to continue stedfast in the Orthodox Faith which had been so learnedly and eloquently explained to them by S. Chrysostom He seems to be much troubled for the Misery of that Church Altho' I am very little known saith he am of no worth and dare not rank my self with the great Bishop of Constantinople nor assume the Title of a Master I have the Zeal and Affection of a Scholar having been Ordained and Presented to God by S. John of blessed Memory And altho' I am far distant from the Body of that Church yet I am united in Heart and Spirit which makes me to sympathize in her Grief and Sufferings and pour out my self in Complaints and Lamentations This and the foregoing Place teach us That this Treatise of Cassian's was composed before the Deposition of Nestorius or at least before it was known in the West They also give us ground to conjecture That the Reason why S. Leo imposed this Task upon him to write against Nestorius was this That being known at Constantinople to be S. Chrysostom's Scholar his Work might have more Weight and be more effectual than if any other had written on the same Subject The Institutions of Cassian saith the learned Photius are very useful especially for those who have embraced a Monastick Life It may likewise be said That they have something so Powerful and Divine that the Monasteries which observe that Rule are flourishing and make themselves eminent for their singular Vertues but they that do not observe it have much-a-do to uphold themselves and are always near a Dissolution And indeed of all the Rules for Monks there are
Thanks for the Benefits which we have received He gives Examples taken from the Holy Scripture of each of these kinds of Prayer This first Part of his Treatise concerning Prayer is followed with an Explication of the Lord's Prayer He maks two Observations upon these first words Our Father The first is That it is only in the New Testament where there is given to God with assurance the Title of Our Father The second That if we would say these words as we ought we must be of the number of the true Children of God that is to say Free from Sin and in a state of Grace He says upon these words which ar◠in Heaven That we must not understand them in a gross sense as if God was in Heaven after a corporeal manner Upon these words Hallowed be thy Name That it is not as if God were not Holy in himself but only that we desire that men should acknowledge this Holiness in his Conduct He observes That this and the following Forms are in the Imperative but that it is taken for the Optative Mood And from hence he takes occasion to confute Tatian who affirmed that these Words of God in Genesis Let there be light was not an express Command but only a simple Wish By these other Words Thy kingdom come the faithful Person prays the Lord That the Kingdom of Jesus Christ which is in him may be perfected and compleated by the expectation of the Day of Judgment By these Thy will be done we desire of God That men may fulfil God's Will upon Earth as it is accomplished in Heaven or else That the Wicked being represented by the Earth should perform God's Will as it is already done by Just Persons Origen would not have us understand these following words Give us this day our daily bread of bodily Bread but he understands them of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ weo is our Bread and our Nourishment He observes that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supersubstantialis which we render by DAILY is not to be met with in any Author and that it is peculiar to the Evangelists In order to explain it he tells us That as bodily Bread is changed into our Substance so this Bread of the Word of God communicates its Nature and Efficacy to our Souls By Daily Bread he means Eternity Upon these Words And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us he explains the several Duties of Men. He says That they owe to themselves the good of their Souls that they owe very much to their Guardian Angels but that they are above all things indebted to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Ghost that every Condition and every Estaté has its peculiar Duties There is one Duty says he of a Wife another Duty of a Widow another of a Deacon another of a Priest another of a Bishop whose Charge is much the greater and he shall render an exact Account to God who will punish him very severely if he does not acquit himself well of his Duty He adds That as we are indebted to others so others are indebted to us and that if we call to mind those Duties wherein we have been wanting towards others we shall easily pardon those who have been deficient therein towards us as God forgives us the faults which we have committed against him That the Priests forgive in the Name of Jesus Christ the Sins of Men but that in imitation of the Priests of the Old Law they must be instructed by the Holy Ghost who those are for whom they ought to offer up Sacrifices when and after what manner they must do it Wherefore he blames those who not being sensible of what is beyond their Power boast of their being able to pardon Idolatry and to forgive Adultery and Fornication which shews that at that time they refused Communion to Idolaters in some Churches Upon these words And lead us not into temptation Origen says That it is impossible to pass through this life without temptations and he proves it by giving a Catalogue of those temptations to which we are exposed in all conditions and at all times from whence he concludes That we ought not to pray not to be tempted but only not to sink under temptation He observes That God suffers us to fall therein for a punishment of our sins He here delivers his Opinion of those Souls that were always free which were sent into this world for a punishment of the faults which they had committed in the other life He afterwards discourses of the advantage of temptations for the trial and proving of our Vertue Lastly Upon these words But deliver us from evil he says That God does not deliver us from all the troubles and afflictions of this life but that he makes us support them with patience After having explained the Lord's Prayer he discourses of the temper and disposition of mind that is requisite for Prayer of the place where we are to pray and of the time proper for Prayer He would have him that is to pray to recollect and prepare himself that so he may perform it with the greater attention and fervency and that after having purified his mind from the thoughts of this World and banished from his heart all passions and earthly affections he should reflect upon the excellency of the life to come That he should drive from his heart all thoughts of hatred and enmity That he should lift up his hands and eyes towards Heaven when nothing hinders him for he allows sick Persons to pray sitting or lying He observes that kneeling is necessarily when we ask God pardon for our Sins Concerning the place of Prayer he says that every place is proper to pray in but that Custom will have it that we should chuse the most retired part of the House for our Prayers and that we should prefer the place which is set apart for the Assemblies of the Faithful where the Angels are present where we may be sensible of the Efficacy of Jesus Christ of that of the Holy Ghost and of the Suffrages of the Saints departed He would have us always turn our selves towards the East whether we be in our Chamber or in an open place Lastly He distinguishes four Branches or Common-Places of Prayer The Doxology which ought to be said says he at the beginning of Prayer praising and glorifying the Father of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost It ought to be followed with Thanksgiving Afterwards we must make a Confession or an Accusation of our selves for our Sins to which we ought to add the craving of Heavenly Benedictions for us and our Friends Lastly We must conclude our Prayer by praising God through the Son in the Holy Ghost And this is a great part of what is contained in this Treatise of Origen's which sufficiently shews it to be of great use There is nevertheless one passage which may create a great deal of difficulty to those that
Letter to Palladius he commends him for being Orthodox and approves of his staying with Innocent He rebukes those Monks that would not obey St. Basil but praises this Bishop saying he was the Glory of the Church for he contended for the Truth and taught those that needed Instruction and none could be good Catholicks that had any Dispute with him He adds That he had written to his Monks to obey him as their Father and that they were to blame for complaining of him Probably 't was about the Question of the Hypostases that the Monks had some Dispute with St. Basil. After we have spoken of his Historical Works let us now come to the Dogmatical The First of these are the two Treatises against the Gentiles whereof the Second is now entituled Of the Incarnation In the First of these two Books he Opposes Idolatry and Establishes the Worship of the true God he discovers the source of Idolatry that it comes from the Corruption of Man's Heart who being created after the Image of God fell under the guilt of Adam's Sin and inherited from him an unhappy Inclination to Sin which the Will does very often follow though it be free to resist it From this Principle he concludes in the first place against the Hereticks That 't is not necessary there should be two Principles or two Gods one Good the Author of Good and another Evil the Author of Evil. He refutes this Impious Opinion by Reason and Authority and concludes that Sin is not a Substance but that it entred into the World by the Fall of the First Man He observes that this is the source of all Idolatry that Men being faln from their first Estate do no longer raise their Heart and Spirit to things Spiritual but fix them on things Terrestrial and Sensible He refutes afterwards the different kinds of Idolatry and shows that we ought not to Worship nor Acknowledge for Divinities either the Gods of the Poets or the World or any part of it After he has thus overthrown all kinds of Idolatry he establishes the Existence and Worship of the true God He demonstrates that God may be known by the Light of Nature 1. From our selves that 's to say by Reflexion upon our own Thoughts that he is neither Corporeal nor Mortal 2. From the Beauty of the Universe which discovers the Existence of him as the Cause of it Then he shows that this God is the Father of Jesus Christ and that he created all things and governs them by his Word The Second Treatise against the Gentiles is that which is entituled Of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ because there he treats of that Mystery For explaining the Causes of it he goes back as far as the Beginning of the World and proves that it was not made by chance nor fram'd of an Eternal Matter but that God the Father created it by his Word After this he speaks of the Fall of Man who being created after the Image of God addicted himself to things corruptible and perishing and so became the Cause of his own Misery and Corruption He says that the Fall of Man was the cause of the Incarnation of the Word because God pitying Man resolv'd to send his Son to Save him and to give him the means of obtaining that Immortality which he had lost Upon this Principle he founds the Necessity of the Incarnation of the Word which he proves First Because the Son being the Essential Image of his Father there was none but he that could render Man like to God as he was before his Fall 2. Because as the Word is the Reason and Wisdom of his Father there is none but he can teach Men and undeceive them of their Errors From the Causes of the Incarnation he passes to its Effects and after he has described the Graces which the Word has merited for Mankind by his Incarnation he speaks of his Death and shows that he was to die as he did by the Torments of the Cross that by his Death he might conquer Death both in himself and us Lastly He proves the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by the wonderful Effects that follow'd his Death and by the contempt of Death wherewith it inspir'd his Disciples After he has thus explain'd the Doctrine of Christians he refutes the Jews and Pagans the former by proving from the Prophets that Jesus is the Messias promis'd in the Old Testament and the latter from the Miracles of Jesus Christ from the destruction of Idolatry and the Establishment of the Doctrine of the Gospel which though contrary to the Lusts and Passions of Men was entertain'd without difficulty and in a little time by the greatest part of the World He concludes these Discourses with an Advertisement to his Friend Macarius to whom they are directed That he should have recourse to the Holy Scripture which is the Fountain from whence these things are drawn to which he adds this Remark that for the better understanding of it we should lead a Life like to that of the Authors of these holy Books St. Athanasius wrote but two Treatises against the Gentiles for his other Dogmatical Treatises are either about the Trinity or the Incarnation The Four Discourses against the Arians are the chief of his Dogmatical Works In the First which is call'd the Second he convicts the Sect of the Arians of Heresie for which end he first makes use of an Argument which he employs against all Hereticks which is the Novelty of their Sect and the Name which it bears Then he explains their Doctrine and proves that 't is Impious full of Blasphemies and comes near to that of the Jews and Gentiles Lastly He refutes their Reasons and clears up a great many difficulties which they propose against the Doctrine of the Church In the Second Treatise which is the Third in the common Editions he explains some of the Passages which the Arians alledge to prove that the Son is a Creature and insists chiefly upon that in Chap. 8. of the Proverbs The Lord hath created me in the beginning of his ways c. He says towards the end That the Arians run a hazard of having no true Baptism because to make this Sacrament valid 't is not sufficient to pronounce the words but we must also have a right understanding of them and a right Faith He adds That if the Baptism of other Hereticks who pronounce the same words be null and void because they have not a true Faith 't is to be thought that we ought to give the same Judgment of the Baptism of the Arians who are become the worst of all Hereticks These words of St. Athanasius shew That in his time those that had been Baptiz'd by Hereticks were Rebaptiz'd in the Church of Alexandria though they had been Baptiz'd in the Name of the Trinity In the Third Discourse which is reckon'd for the Fourth he proves That the Father and the Son have but one and the same Substance and one
not really so and that those who believ'd themselves to be arriv'd at the highest degree of Perfection have oftentimes faln into Sin I pass over the 38th because that is entire among the little Tracts of Mark the Hermit In the 39th he says 'T is to no purpose to read the Scripture if we do not make Improvement by it In the 40th he proves That there is a concatenation of Vertues one with another and that there is the same in Vices He answers also three Questions and in his Answers he says That there are different degrees of Damnation and that greater Sinners shall be more punish'd than those that have not committed so great Crimes That the quiet state of some Souls does not hinder them from exercising Charity That Grace and an Inclination to Sin may be found together in one and the same Soul at the same time In the 41st he describes the Improvements of Grace in a Soul and makes it appear that none can preserve this Disposition of growing in Grace without Humility In the 42d he says That nothing but the Actions of Men can be hurtful or useful unto them In the 43d he speaks of the different Improvements of those that strive against Sin but 't is so obscure that hardly any thing can be understood in it The 44th is of the Change that Jesus Christ wrought in us and the manner how he heals our Souls He continues the same Subject in the following Homily and explains by many Comparisons the Union of the Soul with God In the 46th he says That a sick Soul may have recourse to a Physician to pray and request his help and when the Heavenly Physician comes to its assistance he joins himself to it to enlighten and conduct it and make it his Spouse The 47th contains many Allegorical Explications of the Law of Moses which he applies to the different states of the Soul In the 48th he says That those who have a true Faith of Heavenly things ought not to have their Affections fix'd on things of this Earth and that those who retire from the World ought not to be sollicitous or anxious about the things thereof In short he would not have the Monks make use of any Medicines to help them in their Diseases but to put their whole Trust in Jesus Christ. In the 49th he shows That 't is not enough to have abandon'd the World but we must also ardently seek after Eternal Happiness In the 50th and last he observes That God was the Cause of all the Miracles which the Saints wrought and from this Remark he draws a Moral Reflexion that we cannot command the Devil but by the Assistance of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit He adds That he that considers his Infirmity his Weakness and Wounds and does not withal consider the Aids of the Holy Spirit which strengthens him is an Indiscreet Man And on the contrary He that so much thinks upon the Divine Aids as to forget his own Weakness and so fansies that he can never fall does miserably deceive himself After this manner does this Author always reconcile these two Fundamental Doctrines of Grace and Free-Will that we ought always so to labour as if the whole depended upon our own Endeavours and yet to acknowledge that we can do nothing without God And if Men had always contented themselves with this Simplicity without nicer Philosophical Enquiries How many Questions had been ended without Noise How many Differences compos'd What Disputes had been Abolish'd What Arguments Superseded How many Books had been â—â—ifâ—ed But to return to our Author there are besides Seven Spiritual Treatises of his which have been publish'd in Greek and Latin by Possinus The 1st is concerning Watching over our Heart The 2d Of Perfection of Mind The 3d. Of Prayer The 4th Of Patience and Discretion The 5th Of the Elevation of the Mind The 6th Of Charity The 7th Of the Freedom of Spirit and some Apophthegms of the Fathers 'T is plain That the Author of the 50 Homilies is the Author of these Treatises for there is the same Genius in them both He has the same Notions and the same Stile He Discourses after the same manner of Grace and Free-Will and he maintains in these Seven Treatises as well as the Author of the Homilies That Angels and Souls are Bodies But 't is not so certain that these are the Works of Macarius the Disciple of St. Anthony and I think 't is more probable that they were made by a later Monk Whoever was the Author his Stile is simple and one may see that he was a Good Hermit who speaks from his Heart without Affectation and Ornament and oftentimes even without Order He allegorizes all and expresses a great many mystical Thoughts which are very hardly intelligible and for the most part makes use of Comparisons which are not just and fit In a word Some things have escap'd him which cannot altogether be reconcil'd to good sence so difficult a thing it is in Spiritual Matters not to wander sometimes The Rules which bear the Name of Macarius are of another Author Those that are found under the Name of Macarius only in Benedictus Anianensis's Code are attributed to Macarius of Alexandria i. e. the Abbot of Nitria Disciple of St. Pachomius and Master of Evagrius There is a certain passage in them which seems to be taken out of St. Jerom's Letter to Rusticus which makes me think either that this was added or that St. Jerom imitated St. Macarius However this Rule is ancient and is cited by the Author of the Life of St. Philibert who says That this Saint read the Rules of St. Macarius St. Benedict and St. Columbanus The other Rule which is found in the same Code compos'd by the two Macarii St. Serapion and St. Paphnutius is made in the Form of a Dialogue and probably is nothing else but some Conferences of theirs which some Monks had gather'd together as the two Rules which follow in the same Code are a Collection of the Speeches of 34 Abbots There is also found a Rule in the same Code which bears the Name of the Abbot Isaiah which is proper for Hermits and especially younger Regulars 'T is full of Moral Precepts and therefore had the Title of The Precepts and Advices of the Abbot Isaiah This Abbot is probably he whom Ruffinus and Palladius mention and call the Abbot of Syria There are also under the Name of the same Isaiah some Remarks upon a Religious Life publish'd by Possinus At the same time there liv'd one Mark a Hermit who dwelt in the Desart of the Cells and liv'd almost an Hundred Years to whom some Books are attributed which probably belong to another Mark who liv'd long after I shall say nothing at present of the Discourses the Answers and Admonitions of the other Hermits of this time because they may be seen in Ruffinus Palladius and other Authors who have written their Lives
Hilary confirms this Answer by many places of Scripture where Jesus Christ gives himself the Title of Good and of Master from whence it appears that the Title was not here refus'd upon its own Account Upon this occasion he Answers the Objection of the Arians who say That Jesus Christ call'd his Father the only God and shows that the Father is the only God because the Divinity of the Father is the same with that of the Son which Truth he proves by many Passages of Scripture The Second Passage objected by the Arians is taken out of the Gospel of St John Chap. 17. This is life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent from whence the Arians concluded That Jesus Christ was not â—he true God but one sent from the true God St. Hilary answers That this Passage does not exclude the Essential Unity of the Father and the Son since in this and other places Jesus Christ affirms That he came forth from God That he is with God That he had overcome the World That he should be honour'd as the Father That he had received the Power of giving Eternal Life That all things which are the Father's are his He adds That in the same Place Jesus Christ prays the Father to glorify him with the Glory that he had with him from all Eternity which evidently proves the Unity of the Essence of the Father and the Son Moreover the words alledg'd in the Objection prove nothing contrary to the Faith of the Church which acknowledges that the Father is the only true God though Jesus Christ is also God because the Father and the Son are not two Gods but one God only The Third Objection is taken from Ch. 5th of the same Gospel of St. John The Son can do nothing of himself he doth only what he seeth his Father do St. Hilary shows that this Passage establishes the Divinity of Jesus Christ and is very far from destroying it because it proves the Unity and Equality of the Father and the Son The Fourth Passage is the grand Objection of the Arians founded upon those words of Jesus Christ in St. John Chap. 14. My Father is greater than I. St. Hilary says That the Father is greater than the Son consider'd as Man and as Mediator The last Objection is taken from those words of Jesus Christ in St. Mark Chap. 13. No Man knoweth the Day of Judgment nor yet the Angels nor the Son but the Father only From whence the Arians concluded That the Knowledge of the Father being more extensive than that of the Son his Nature must be more excellent St. Hilary having in answer to this Objection proved by many Reasons that Jesus Christ could not be Ignorant of the Day of Judgment and having demonstrated this Truth he adds That what Christ says in this place that the Son knew not the Day of Judgment ought not to be understood literally as if he were really ignorant of it but in this sence that he did not know it not so as to tell it unto Men. Wherefore being ask'd about the same Matter after his Resurrection he does not say That he was ignorant of it but he reproves his Apostles with that heat which testified his Knowledge of it by saying unto them 'T is not for you to know the times and the seasons which my Father has reserv'd in his own Power He adds also that it may be said in another sence That the Son of Man was ignorant of the Day of Judgment because he knew it not as he was Man but as he was God For says he as we may say That the Son of God was subject to Fear to Sadness and to Sleep because the Humanity of Jesus Christ was subject to these Infirmities So we may say That he was ignorant of the Day of Judgment because he knew it not as he was Man but upon the account of his Divinity In the Tenth Book he Answers the Objections which the Arians draw from those Passages of Scripture which prove that Jesus Christ was subject to Fear to Sorrow and Pain And here he maintains That Jesus Christ had not truly any Fear or Pain but only the Representation of those Passions within him In which if his Judgment is not different from that of the Church yet it must be confess'd that the manner of expressing it is very harsh He had answer'd the Arians better if he had said That the Fear the Sorrow and Pain of Jesus Christ did belong to his Humane Nature and not to his Divinity He acknowledges in this Book That all Men are conceiv'd in Sin and that none but Jesus Christ ought to be excepted from this General Law He says That the Soul is not communicated to Children by the Parents He observes That what is said in the Gospel of St. Luke concerning the Bloody Sweat of Jesus Christ and of the Angel that appear'd unto him is not to be found in many Greek and Latin Copies of this Gospel In the Eleventh Book he Answers some Passages of the Gospels and of St. Paul concerning Jesus Christ's being risen from the Dead and becoming Glorious which are alledg'd by the Arians to prove that the Son is not equal to the Father But St. Hilary shows That those Passages do much rather prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ than destroy it In the last Book St. Hilary explains that Passage of the Proverbs God created me in the Beginning of his Ways c. He demonstrates that the Word of God was not properly created but begotten of God from all Eternity which he proves by many Passages of Scripture He expounds this Passage of the Proverbs of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. He adds some Proofs of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit and Ends with a Prayer to God wherein he begs Grace to preserve in his Heart that Faith whereof he made Profession at his Baptism that he may always worship the Father and the Son and receive the Holy Spirit which proceeds from the Father by the Son His Book of Synods is Address'd to the Bishops of France and Britain He commends them for the Constancy which they had shown in refusing Communion to Saturninus and for the Zeal wherewith they maintain'd the Faith of the Church by condemning the Impieties of the Arians so sharply After this he sets himself to explain the Creeds made by the Eastern Bishops after the Council of Nice He declares That if there were any Error in some of those Creeds it ought not to be attributed to him since he only relates what others had said and if they were found agreeable to the Doctrine of the Apostles the Praise of it ought not to be given to him but to the Original Authors He leaves it to the Judgment of the Bishops to whom his Book is written whether they be Heretical or Catholick Then he intimates to them what Obligation lay upon him to instruct them in the Opinions of the
upon his Doctrine and Writings He praises the Purity of his Faith and the Aversation he had to the Heresies of Sabellius Arius and Apollinarius He says That he refuted the Anomaeans and the Novatians and all his Writings are full of solid and convincing Proofs He adds That he had read and meditated more than any Person upon the Old and New Testament and that he had wrote Expositions upon all the Holy Scripture from the Beginning of Genesis to the End of the New Testament That he had also compos'd many lively and Pathetical Exhortations That Tears and Sighs were very common and familiar with him as may be seen in his Writings For says he he does not only sigh when he speaks of Morality and the Precepts of Life but even in his Panegyricks all his Discourses are mix'd with bemoaning and compassionate Expressions which are able to move even the hardest Hearts For who that is Proud adds he would not become the humblest of Men by reading his Discourse of Humility Who would not be inflam'd with a Divine Fire by reading his Treatise of Charity Who would not wish to be chast in Heart and Spirit by reading the Praises he has given to Virginity Who would not be frighted by hearing the Discourse he has made upon the Last Judgment wherein he has represented it so lively that nothing can be added to it but the same thing God gave him so Profound a Wisdom that though he had a wonderful facility of Speaking yet he could not furnish Expressions for the multitude of Thoughts that came into his Mind We have seen as the same Father still goes on one of his Sermons where he calls Apollinarius a Madman He tells a very pleasant Story of a trick that St. Ephrem put upon this Heretick He says That the Heretick had written two Books wherein were all the Reasons and Passages of Scripture that he made use of to defend his Error and which he had committed to the Custody of a Woman That St. Ephrem pretending that he was of the same Judgment with Apollinarius had borrow'd them of this Woman and that before he restor'd them he glued all the Leaves fast to one another That this Woman seeing the Books bound up after the same manner perceiv'd nothing of what was done but gave them as they were to Apollinarius to make use of them in a Publick Conference which he was to have with a Catholick and that then the Heretick not being able to open them was forc'd to withdraw with shame The quickness of St. Ephrem's Wit appear'd also in the Syriack Verses which he made in his own Language in imitation of Hammonius the Son of Bardesanes who had compos'd many Hymns which the Syrians Sung with Delight St. Ephrem perceiving that this Author had cunningly interspers'd in those Prayers some Errors of his Father and of the Greek Philosophers fearing lest the Christians of Syria might fall insensibly into these false Opinions he endeavour'd with all his might to comprehend the Metre of these Verses and wrote other Books agreeable to the Doctrine of the Church as Hymns and the Encomiasticks of the Saints which were so well received by the Syrians that they Sung them to the same Tunes with those of Hammonius 'T is said That he compos'd almost 100000 Verses of this Nature Sozomen says also That he wrote the Life of St. Julianus To conclude Photius in Volume 197 of his Bibliotheca observes that he had read 50 Sermons of this Father It appears by what we have already said That Ephrem wrote Commentaries upon all the Bible Treatises of Controversy against many Hereticks a Book of the Holy Spirit a great many Discourses and Instructions to the People and to his Monks some Panegyricks many Treatises of Morality and a great number of Hymns to be Sung in the Church That all his Writings were composed in Syriack and that the greatest part of them were translated into Greek while he was living We have none of his Commentaries upon Scripture nor his Treatises of Controversy but we have a great number of Discourses of Moral Precepts and of Hymns which have been translated into Greek and publish'd by Vossius towards the end of the last Age under St. Ephrem's Name Some Criticks to whom the Books concerning a Monastick Life are not agreeable have pretended that all those Books are Supposititious Notwithstanding 't is very probable that the greatest part of them are truly St. Ephrem's because all the Characters that the Ancients give of the Writings of St. Ephrem agree to these so that 't is easie to know them 1. The Treatises of St. Ephrem were full of Figures and Ornaments but yet without Fineness and Art now these are all fill'd with Exclamations Interrogations Comparisons Antitheses and other Figures which are grosly enough employ'd and without choice 2. He had much Vivacity and Fire which these are all full of 3. St. Ephrem related many Passages of Scripture and these Writings are oftentimes nothing else but a Collection 4. St. Gregory Nyssen says That they were mix'd with bemoaning Expressions with Sighs and Tears That he spoke continually of Weeping even in his Panegyricks This is properly the Character of the greatest part of the Discourses publish'd by Vossius 5. The same Father says That he wrote Discourses of Humility Charity in Praise of Virginity and of the Last Judgment There are Discourses upon all these Subjects amongst those that were publish'd by Vossius and have the same Character which this Father observ'd in St. Ephrem's Books that is to say that they are pathetical and moving 6. He wrote many Hymns upon divers Subjects and there are among the Books which go under his Name many Pieces written in Verse and of a Poetical Stile 7. His Testament which is related in this Edition is the same with that which is quoted by St. Gregory Nyssen who produces two Passages out of it which are word for word in that which was publish'd by Vossius 8. We have among these Books The Life of Julianus cited by Sozomen B. III. of his History Ch. 14. In fine The 49 Sermons of St. Ephrem whereof Photius made an Extract are found in these Works of St. Ephrem The same Photius quotes a Discourse of Humility divided into a 100 Chapters which is in the second Tome a Discourse upon the same Vertue which is in the first Tome and a Treatise of Vertues and Vices to the Metebian Monks which is also in the first Volume and which contains the same Matters in the same Order These Reasons plainly show that the greatest part of the Books which at present go under St. Ephrem's Name are the same with Gregory Nyssen Theodoret Sozomen and Photius attributed to this Saint Now what probability is there that they should take the Works of another Author for those of St. Ephrem St. Gregory Nyssen could not be deceiv'd herein who lived at the same time What probability is there that Photius who was a
Church and if he did not then obey he ought to be Excommunicated He says That his Soul was set upon it to separate this Impostor him and all his Family out of the Church The Letter 289 address'd to Caesarea a Lady is about frequent Communion He begins it with declaring that it is Good and Profitable to Communicate every Day He says That in his own Church there was a Communion four times a-Week on Sunday Wednesday Friday and Saturday and also on other Days when the Anniversary of some Martyr is Celebrated That in former times the Faithful themselves Communicated in their Houses and that this Custom cannot be blamed That it is still in use in Egypt and at Alexandria where the Faithful carry the Communion to their Houses That all the Hermits do the same thing That we must believe that the Priest having offer'd the Sacrifice and distributed the Eucharist to those that are present tho' they take it one after another in parcels yet 't is always the same For says he in the Church it self the Priest gives one part of it into the Hands of the Faithful and they put it into their Mouth and is not this the same thing as for them to receive all at once many parts of it from the Hand of the Priest It was in one of the last Years of his Life that he invited the Bishops of Pontus by Letter 291 to come to his Synod which he held at the Feast of St. Eupsichius There is also a Letter which is the 337 wherein he blames one of his Suffragans because he did not come to this Synod and orders him to come thither for the future In Letter 302 he commends a Lady call'd Theodora whom he calls a Nun wherein he observes That 't is an easy thing to embrace that kind of Life which is conformable to the Gospel but 't is not so easy to observe it even in the smallest things to do nothing but to please God to preserve her Modesty always in all her Conversation and Behaviour to Eat no more but what is precisely necessary and to keep nothing that is superfluous That 't is not sufficient to attain a perfect Humility not to be lifted up when we are admired or commended or when we have some excellency either of Mind or Body but in order to Perfection we must preserve an inviolable Purity we must pray continually and fervently in short we must have Charity for our Brethren a contrite Heart and an humble Spirit we must manage our Austerities with Discretion and always have the thoughts of a future Judgment present before our Eyes The 317 to a Bishop named Optimus contains an Explication of that Passage of Genesis Whosoever shall kill Cain c. where he first gives the natural Sence of it affirming that this Passage means only That whosoever should kill Cain should deliver him from the Vengeance of God which was seven times more severe than Death He enlarges afterwards upon the Mystical Sence and upon the Signification of the number Seven which he takes to denote Remission of Sins He finds out seven Sins in the Actions of Cain and seven Punishments of his Sins He refutes those that think that Lamech kill'd Cain and says That when 't is said in Genesis Whosoever shall kill Lamech c. the meaning is that Lamech was more guilty than Cain because that he having before him the Example of God's Vengeance against a Murderer was not thereby deterr'd from this Crime He adds another Mystical Explication that for the Expiation of Lamech's Crime there was not only a necessity of the Deluge which happened in the Seventh Generation after Cain but also of the Death of Jesus Christ which happen'd Seventy Seven Generations after Lamech At last he explains that Passage of the Gospel wherein Simeon tells the Virgin when he saw the Infant Jesus That a Sword should pierce through her Heart where by a Sword he understands the anxiety and trouble of Mind that the Virgin was to endure during the Passion of Jesus Christ. As these Explications will not be relish'd by all the World so St. Basil gave them only for the Satisfaction of that good Bishop who had consulted him In the 323 to Nectarius St. Basil admonishes him to hinder all Canvassing at the Election of the Bishops In the 335 he Congratulates the Bishop Sophronius because he continued in the Simplicity of the Faith of his Ancestors He says That to maintain this Simplicity we must revive the Credit of the Primitive Christians but now there were few Persons that were free from Curiosity and would confine themselves to that Simplicity of Faith which teaches us to believe in the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit In the 340 he reproves a Suffragan Bishop call'd Timotheus for concerning himself about Civil Affairs after he had embraced a Monastick Life The 343 and 344 are address'd to a Monk call'd Urbicius in the Second he refutes the Error of those who affirm that the Divinity of Jesus Christ was changed into his Flesh. The 383 to a Superior treats of the manner how he should admit a Person who would make Profession of a Monastick Life He orders him to receive him according to the Rules of the Holy Fathers after he had taught him to understand the Obligations the Duties and the Troubles of a Monastick Life In Letter 387 he preferrs the Creed of the Council of Nice to all the Creeds that had been made since that Council He says That it did not expresly determine the Divinity of the Holy Spirit because no Body had then expresly opposed it and then he proves that the Holy Spirit is not a Creature In the 388 he informs Callisthenes That he was not obliged to keep the Oath which he had made in heat of Passion to punish his Servants In the 391 to Amphilochius he answers many Questions which this Bishop had put to him First He explains that Passage of the Gospel No Man knoweth of the Day of Judgment but the Father only and says That the Sence of this place is that the Father knows it of himself because he is the Fountain and first Principle of this Knowledge whereas the Son of God receives this Knowledge from his Father in which Sence it is also said That there is none Good but God only He explains in what Sence the Scepter was always in the Tribe of Judah tho' it be said that Jechonias was the last of the Princes of David's Family He refutes the Opinion of the Encratites who affirmed that it was unlawful to Eat of some kind of Meats He says That the Tripple Immersion observed in Baptism is a Figure of the Three Days that Jesus Christ was in the Sepulchre He distinguishes Essence from Subsistence He gives to the Three Hypostases of the Divine Persons the Names of Paternity Filiation and Sanctification He condemns those that admit but One Hypostasis as being not far off from the Heresy of the
upon the Praises of Shepherds and gives a Catalogue of the Great Men who had kept Flocks Towards the end he makes a Digression against the Arians 't is believ'd that this Mamas suffer'd under the Emperour Aurelian The Panegyrick upon the Martyr Barlaam is a very short Discourse wherein he praises this generous Confessor who had endur'd with Constancy the burning of his Hand rather than suffer the Incense to fall into a little Box which was upon the Profane Altar of an Idol The Ascetical Treatises of St. Basil are very useful not only to the Monks but also to all those that make Profession of Piety and contain the Rules of the Morality of Jesus Christ which agree to all the World The three First Treatises which are at the beginning of the Asceticks are distinct Discourses which have no Reference to them though the First is entituled A Preface to the Asceticks 'T is an Exhortation to those who have embrac'd a Monastick Life wherein he endeavours to persuade them that they are engag'd as Souldiers in a Spiritual Warfare and that they ought to fulfill all the Obligations of it The Second also is An Exhortation to a Monastick Life wherein he represents the Advantages of Celibacy and of the Practices of Religion The Third which is entituled Of a Monastick Life contains many Precepts which concern those who retire from the World These three Treatises are distinct Discourses but the two following of Faith and Judgment are the Preface or the First Book of the Asceticks We must begin with the Book of Judgment and joyn to it that of Faith which ends with a little Preface to the Asceticks and all these make only one Preface to the whole Work He declares there that having been educated in the Christian Religion and instructed from his Youth in the Doctrine of the Holy Books when he came to the Years of discretion he perceiv'd that there was much Union among the Professors of Arts and Sciences but that he found great Divisions in the Church of Jesus Christ that he was sometime in doubt which Party he should choose and that meditating upon this Subject he came to know that the greatest Evil was Schism and Division which proceeded from the Ignorance and Sin of those who did not obey the Commands of God and follow'd not his Law That having afterwards reflected upon the terrible Judgments of God upon these Persons he believ'd himself oblig'd to adhere to the Faith of the Church and to meditate on those Precepts of the Holy Scripture which concern the manners and behaviour of Men That being then persuaded that nothing but Faith working by Love would avail any thing he believ'd that t was Necessary after the Explication of the Faith of the Church and the Doctrine which is to be held concerning the Trinity to write a Book of Manners This Conclusion of the Book of Judgment shews that after it follow'd the Treatise of Faith wherein he says many fine things concerning the Vertue of Faith and then Expounds the Doctrine of the Church and makes Profession of the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit whom he affirms to be of the same Substance with the Father He Exhorts those to whom he wrote to keep to the Simplicity of this Faith which is founded upon the Authority of the Holy Scripture and he prays God that they may always continue inviolably fix'd in it At last having explain'd this Faith he declares That he has collected into one Body many Precepts taken out of the New Testament These Precepts are comprised in 80 Rules divided into several Chapters To these must be joyn'd the 84 Great Rules and the 313 Small ones which are answers to several Moral Questions that comprehend all that is most Excellent in Christian Morality These are they which make up the Body of St. Basil's Ethicks or Asceticks divided into Two Books as we have observ'd They may be consulted concerning all the Offices and Actions of a Christian Life They may be useful to all States and Conditions and one may say that St. Basil has there collected and methodically digested all the Practical Part of the Gospel Upon which Account Photius had Reason to say That whosoever shall follow these Precepts shall undoubtedly be sav'd The Book of the Instructions of Monks and of Monastical Constitutions are two Books distinct from the Asceticks which contain many Precepts and Rules for the Monks that are not so general nor so useful to all the World as the Treatise of Morality To know the Genius and Doctrine of St. Basil we can address our selves to none better than to his Faithful Friend Gregory Nazianzen See then how he speaks of him He compares his Eloquence to a Trumpet sounding in the Air to a Divine Word which shall be spread over the whole Earth to a wonderful Whirl-wind raised after a very Surprizing Manner He says That he has div'd into the most hidden Secrets of the Holy Scripture which he has made use of to Instruct all Men and to make them lose the Relish of things present and fall in Love only with things to come That his Writings are the Object of the Admiration of all Persons and the Pleasure and Study of all Men of worth The Authors that wrote after him says he say nothing but what they have drawn out of his Works The Ancients are neglected and nothing is minded but what he has said anew In a word He alone is sufficient to make an able Man When I read his Treatise of the Creation adds St. Gregory methinks I am present with the Creator when I light upon the Books which he wrote against Hereticks methinks I see the Fire of Sodom which reduc'd those criminal Tongues to ashes when I peruse what he has written of the Holy Spirit I acknowledge the God whom I possess and I make no Scruple to publish boldly the Truth when I read the Explications of Scripture which he has made for the Illiterate I understand the deep Abysses of Mysteries when I hear his Panegyricks of the Martyrs I despise my own Body I fansie my self present with those whom he praises and I feel my self excited to the Combat when I set my self to read the Discourses which he has written concerning Morals and the manner of living Well my Heart and my Soul are purified that they may become the Temple of the Holy Spirit they reform me they instruct me they change me and lead me unto Vertue We are not here to think That St. Gregory Nazianzen in saying all this heightned the Matter as an Orator or flattered him as a Friend what he says is very true and there is not any Author whose Writings make a greater Impression than those of St. Basil He describes things so lively he explains his Reasons with so much force he urges them so vigorously he makes such loathsome Portraictures of Vice such persuasive Exhortations to Vertue he gives so large and so profitable Instructions that
the most part they were comprehended under the Second First because the Fathers in relating the Examples of slight Sins place in that number those that are considerable enough such as Slander and addictedness to Wine The Author of Sermon 41 among those of St. Austin which is attributed also to St. Ambrose places in the rank of light Sins Drunkenness Theft Evil-speeches c. Julianus Pomerius in the 2d B. of a contemplative Life Ch. 7. says That slight Sins are those for which one is not condemn'd before Men. Caesarius of Arles Fulbertus of Chartres and St. Eloi when they make a particular Enumeration of Mortal Sins place among them Anger and Drunkenness but with restrictions viz. Anger if it last long and Drunkenness if it be continual Secondly the Fathers consider'd the first Class as enormous Sins great Sins great Crimes which no Christian commits which do wholly disgrace a Man and which are extremely rare Now there are many Sins between these great Sins and the smallest Sins of which we cannot speak after this manner Thirdly All the Sinners of the first Class when they are known either by Confession or by Conviction are put under Publick Penance But none were put under Publick Penance except for very heinous Sins such as are mentioned in the Canons of Councils and the Canonical Letters of Bishops What are these Sins These are Murder Adultery Fornication and the consequents of these great Crimes There is no Canon to be seen against Anger Covetousness and Slander at least it does not appear that Publick Penance was impos'd upon any for these kind of Sins These Sins therefore tho' they be sometimes Mortal were comprehended under the second Class and not under the First which contained only those for which Publick Penance was done This may be confirm'd by the Canonical Letter of St. Gregory Nyssen to Laetoïus where he makes an exact enumeration of those Sins which subjected Men to Publick Penance which are all enormous Sins and considerable Crimes Fourthly It may be added that Publick Penance being granted but once only they must be very extraordinary and enormous Crimes for which Men were subjected to it Lastly Origen St. Austin and St. Bernard say that the great number and the custom of some Sins of the Second Class may finally destroy and stifle Charity in the Soul therefore they did not believe that this Class did not contain Mortal Sins I would not have it thought that I make these Remarks to authorise Licentiousness or to insinuate That there are some Mortal Sins which may pass for Venial God forbid that I should have such a detestable Design On the contrary my intention is to create a horror of all Sins First of great Crimes Secondly of Sins which may be Mortal tho' they appear not so enormous And Thirdly even of slighter Sins also But I thought my self oblig'd to observe here for explaining the Passage of St. Ambrose That none but the Sins of the first Class did subject Men to Publick Penance and that 't is of these only that the Fathers speak and which they comprehend under the Name of Enormous Sins and Crimes tho' there be others which may be also Mortal and which a Christian ought carefully to shun but then they are such for which he was never subjected to the Humiliation of Publick Penance but only to Corrections and Reprimands given in secret as St. Austin informs us But now let us return to our Subject the Time is not certainly known when St. Ambrose compos'd these Books of Penance He says in the Explication of Psal. 37 made about the Year 393 that it was a long time since they were written De poenitentia duos jamdudum scripsi libellos I wrote two little Books of Penance a long while ago But this denotes no certain time It appears by the Books themselves that he was then well advanc'd in Years and had taken much pains for the Church The Benedictines think that they may have been written in the Year 384. After the Treatises of Morality and Discipline follow his Writings of Controversy The Five Books of Faith or the Trinity are the chief of his Writings of that sort St. Ambrose wrote the Two first at the Request of the Emperour Gratian who at his departure into the East in the Year 377 to assist the Emperour Valens against the Goths desired of St. Ambrose a Treatise concerning the Faith against Arianism which then reign'd in the East St. Ambrose proves the Divinity of the Son in these Two Books of the Faith of the Church and answers the Objections of the Arians concisely and smartly The Arians having accus'd him of treating this Matter too succinctly and of having abridged their Objections and his own Answers too much he added in the Year 379 the Three last Books in which he enlarges and confirms the Principles that he had laid down in the former These Books are written with much Wit Vigor and Subtilty he illustrates the Matter which he handles with lively and pleasant Descriptions He proposes the most subtil Objections in an intelligible manner and answers them with all the Industry and clearness that is possible It may be said that there is none among the great number of Treatises written by the Ancients upon this Subject where the Theological Difficulties about the Mystery of the Trinity are better discuss'd and clear'd up than in this Yet he is not always Exact and he sometimes employs Arguments which are not very concluding The Books of the Holy Spirit are written in a less concise less lively and less smart Stile St. Jerom says That they contain nothing Logical nothing masculine nothing moving nothing convincing but that every thing in them is feeble and languid tho' it be polish'd dress'd up and painted with strange Colours He accuses him also of having robb'd the Greeks and particularly the Book of Didymus whose Translation St. Jerom publish'd then and of having made a bad Latin Book out of many good Greek ones for Ruffinus informs us That St. Jerom speaks of St. Ambrose in this place It must be acknowledg'd that tho' the passionate Desire which this Saint had to extol the Treatise of Didymus made him speak a little too vehemently against St. Ambrose's Book yet there is something of truth in what he says For this Book is not written smartly and the greatest part of the things which it contains are taken out of the Works of Didymus of St. Basil and St. Athanasius St. Austin was so far from finding in it that Beauty and those Ornaments which St. Jerom met with in it that he gives it for an example of a Book written in a low Stile Because says he the Subject does not require Ornaments of Discourse to move the Heart but Proofs of the Truths which he proposes St. Ambrose has there collected together all that could be said for establishing the Divinity of the Holy Spirit He wrote it after the death of Athalaricus King of the Goths
Antioch in the absence of the Bishop He commends the Martyrs and treats of Contrition of Heart and of Alms-deeds The Seventieth is upon the Feast of S. Bassus Bishop and Martyr upon an Earthquake that happened at Antioch and upon the Words of Jesus Christ Matthew c. II. v. 29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart The Seventy-first is a Panegyrick upon S. Drosis The Seventy-second is a Sermon of Penance mention'd in the Ninth Homily of Penance All these Sermons now mention'd were preached at Antioch by S. Chrysostom when he was Priest of that Church There are but two more in this Volume preached at Constantinople the first was after the expulsion of Gainas from the City and the other was after S. Chrysostom's return from his first Exile At the latter end of the Fourth Volume there are Three Sermons of the same The First was preached at Antioch by S. Chrysostom immediately after his being made Priest This Sermon is a Panegyrick upon Flavianus who Ordained him It is the First that S. Chrysostom ever preached The Two others in the same place were preached towards the latter end of his Life The First at the time when they contrived his Deposition and former Banishment the Second after he was recalled In it there is an excellent Comparison of Sarah seized upon by the King of Egypt and of the Church of Constantinople deprived of his presence by the Caballings of Theophilus an Egyptian Bishop and a dextrous Commendation of the Empress Eudoxia The first Volume contains several other Sermons preached for the most part at Antioch The first Twenty-one are called Sermons of Statues because they were preached at the time and upon the occasion of a sedition in Antioch in the beginning of the Year 388 wherein the People had thrown down and dragged about Streets the Statues of Theodosius and of the Empress Flaccilla The first Sermon is upon these words of S. Paul to Timothy Use a little Wine for thy Stomach's sake and often Infirmities wherein he alledgeth several reasons why God permits his Saints to be afflicted he preached it sometime before that Tumult which obliged him to discontinue his preaching But the heat of that sedition was no sooner over and the People of Antioch astonished with the fearfull Threatnings of the Emperour had acknowledged their fault and turned their fury into Mourning but he resumed the Chair for the comfort of that desolate People And Flavianus their Bishop as a good Father went to the Emperour to asswage his Anger The first Sermon of S. Chrysostom upon this Subject is that which is called the second of Statues There he bewails the Unhappiness of that City exhorting the Inhabitants to implore the Mercy of God by fervent Prayers and turn away his Wrath by good Works to prevent the Danger that threatned them This Discourse is very eloquent Here are some Fragments whereby one may judge of the rest What shall I say What shall I speak of Our present Condition calls for Tears rather than Words Lamentations rather than Discourses and Prayers rather than Sermons The blackness of our Action is so great the Wound we have given to our selves is so deep and so hard to be cured that we have need to apply our selves to an Almighty Physician Then having compared the Misery of that City to that of Job he adds Seven Days have I kept silence as formerly did Job's Friends Give me leave to open my Mouth and bewail our Misery I groan I weep not for the severity of the Threatnings but for the excess of our Folly For though the Emperour were not angry with us and should forbear to punish us how should we suffer the shame of our Action After this he describes very elegantly the Happiness which that City enjoyed before that Mutiny and the Misery it was now reduced to and concludes this Description with these Words The great City of Antioch is in danger of being utterly destroyed she that lately had an infinite Number of Inhabitants will shortly prove a Wilderness none in this World can help her For the offended Emperour hath no equal upon Earth he is the Sovereign and the Master of all Men. All we can do is to make our Application to the King of Heaven let us address our selves to him and call upon him for help If we obtain not Mercy from Heaven we have no remission to hope for He observes that God permitted that Mischief to punish the People for their Blasphemies and teaches rich Men what use they are to make of their Riches The next Sermon was preached when Flavianus was gone to Court to sollicite the Business of the City of Antioch There he represents the Charity of Flavianus who would undertake that Journey He tells them the things that the Bishop was to represent to the Emperour and bids them hope that these Remonstrances will be heard affirming that he is confident of all through God's Mercy God says he will stand betwixt the petitioning Bishop and the Emperour addressed to he will soften the King's Heart and put in the Bishop's Mouth the Words which he should speak He intreats the People to pray earnestly that God would mollifie the Spirit of the Emperour He speaks of fasting in Lent affirming that right fasting is to abstain from Sin At last he advises the People to avoid three Vices Evil speaking hatred of their Neighbour and Blasphemy He goes on to instruct and comfort the People of Antioch in the following Sermons In the 4th he praises God that the Christian's Affliction in the City of Antioch had put them upon thoughts of their Salvation and exhorts them to Patience And in the last place inveigheth against Swearing and promises to speak of it all the Week This Sermon was preached upon Munday of the First week in Lent Next day he continued the same Subject encouraging the People of Antioch to bear with Constancy and Generosity all the Threatnings against them and not to fear either Death or Sufferings He shews that Sin is the only thing that Christians ought to fear and he speaks again eagerly against Swearing The 6th Sermon was preached the next Day after for the Consolation of the People that were intimidated by the Magistrate He giveth God thanks that Flavianus was arrived before those that carried the News of the Mutiny He tells the reasons that the Bishop was to use to the Emperour and explains a Law that was to be urged He tells them That Sin only was to be feared and that Swearing ought to be avoided The 7th and 8th were preached upon Thursday and Friday of the same Week He comforts the People and explains the beginning of Genesis which was then begun to be read in the Chuches in Lent He discourses against Swearing and reminds them that it was the sixth Day that he had preached against that Sin and that it should be the last time Which shews that the 15th Sermon followeth this for there he tells them
in the Homily upon these Words Phil. 1. What then Christ is preached He describeth both the Conditions and the Effects of Prayer in the 2d Homily upon Hannah In the 5th Homily upon the same Subject he sheweth the Strength and Virtue of Prayer He lays down the Necessity of Prayer in several places of his Works See the 22d Homily upon S. Matthew the 36th upon S. John he speaks of Thanksgiving in the 25th upon Matthew in the 35th upon S. John's Gospel and in the 14th upon 2 Cor. Of Attention in Prayer WE pay less respect to God than a Servant doth to his Master a Soldier to his General or even a Friend to his Friend for we speak to our Friends with attention But whilst our Knees are on the ground and we are treating with God about the business of our Salvation whilst we beg pardon for our Crimes we faint our Mind is at Court or at the Bar and there is no correspondence betwixt our Thoughts and our Words We daily commit this fault c. Many go into the Church and there utter a great number of Prayers and then come out not knowing what they have said They move their Lips but they do not apply their Minds to their Discourses What you hearken not to what you say and would you have God hear it I kneeled say you but your Heart was some-where else Your Mouth uttered Petitions but your Mind was about Bargains Trading Exchange or Visits It is in the time of Prayer that the Devil assaults us knowing that then we profit spiritually he suggests to our Spirits a multitude of Thoughts See the 36th Homily upon the Acts wherein he exhorts Christians to pray in the Night Of Humility against Pride HUmility according to S. Chrysostom is the principle of all Vertues and the ground of all good Works This he proveth in the 47th Homily upon S. Matthew We should not be lifted up for our good Works but acknowledge our unworthiness before God Vertues are like Riches if we expose them publickly we are in danger of losing them to preserve them they must be hid The more good we doe the less we should boast of it if we be proud for it we lose its reward The greatest Action and the most acceptable to God is to entertain low Thoughts of our selves .... Nothing conduces more to make us beloved of God than to reckon our selves most imperfect that is the heighth and perfection of Wisdom See the 3d. Homily upon S. Matthew the 4th upon the same Gospel the latter end of the 25th and 65th upon the same the 28th 38th 41st and 48th upon S. John the 21st upon the Romans the 11th upon 2 Thessal and the 2d Homily upon the Epistle to Titus where he speaks against the love of Glory Of Christian Watchfulness S. Chrysostom describeth in several places the various Devices which Satan useth to tempt us very eloquently Upon this Subject one may consult the Homily of the Tempter where he proves that Temptations are profitable for us provided we stand always upon our guard and watch continually over our selves This he recommends in that place and in the 13th Homily upon S. Matthew where he proves that in this World the Devil's temptations are to be resisted In the 14th where he shews that the diseases of the Soul are not to be neglected and in many other places where he gives both Precepts and Means to avoid Temptations and Sins Against Covetousness S. Chrysostom declares his Indignation against Covetous Men in many places and the Picture which he makes of them is enough to beget in us an abhorrency to them Thus he speaks of them Hom. 9. upon 1 Cor. What can be more impudent shameless and bold than a miserably covetous Man A Dog is more modest than the covetous Man who seizeth upon that which is another Man's Nothing is more filthy than those Hands which take all nothing more cruel than that Mouth which devoureth all and is never satisfied Look not upon his Face and Eyes as if they were the Eyes and Face of a Man The covetous Person is never contented till he hath got all that the World hath all is brutish in his Face he is Inhumanity itself c. In the 39th Homily upon 1 Cor. he sheweth how abominable a thing a covetous Man is who having gathered great quantities of Corn to sell it dear laments because it is growing cheap In another place Hom. 18. upon the Epistle to the Ephesians he says that Covetousness is a kind of Idolatry He carries the same Notion in the 64th Homily upon S. John In a word all his Homilies are full of Invectives against covetous Men He writes against Usury in the 56th Homily upon S. Matthew in the 12th upon the Romans and in the 15th upon 1 Cor. Of Meekness and against Anger THo' S. Chrysostom's Zeal gave his Enemies occasion to accuse him of being passionate yet one may easily judge by his Writings that he was a great lover of Meekness and that he disapproved of Passion See his Moral Exhortations in the 29th Homily upon S. Matthew the 33d and 48th upon S. John the 6th upon the Acts and the 17th upon the Epistle to the Ephesians Against Envy ENvy is the most abominable of Sins Hell never produced one more to be abhorred Other Sinners have some pleasure but the Envious Man torments himself whilst he torments others Envy hath been the cause of all mischief This crime is so much the more dangerous because no Penance is enjoyned for it Men fansie they may blot it out by some small Alms or a short Fast they do not weep bitterly for it as for Adultery or Fornication c. These are some of S. Chrysostom's Notions about Envy taken out of the 40th Homily upon S. Matthew One may read upon the same Subject the Homily upon Pasl 49. Hom. 37. upon S. John the 3d. upon 1 Cor. the 24th and 27th upon 2 Cor. and the 3d. upon the Epistle to the Philippians Against Drunkenness THere is not a more dangerous or hatefull Sin than Drunkenness saith S. Chrysostom in the first Discourse upon these words of S. Paul to Timothy Use a little Wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities A Drunkard is a dead Man living voluntary sick a person useless either for the Commonwealth or for his Family one whose presence is intolerable whose breath voice and steps are equally odious See the 27th Homily upon the Acts the 25th upon the Epistle to the Romans See also the 56th Homily upon S. Matthew and the 27th upon the Acts. Against Swearing and Blasphemies S. Chrysostom discourseth against Swearing and Blasphemies almost in all the Homilies of Statues where he declaimeth vehemently against that Vice See also the 8th 10th and 11th Homilies upon the Acts. Concerning Publick Shows and Stage-plays S. Chrysostom living in Two great Imperial Cities where Plays Shows Comedies c. were very frequent and to which the People were
The Churches are guarded by the Martyrs as by so many Soldiers The afflicted make Addresses to them and with Confidence implore their Intercession It cureth Diseases comforteth in Poverty and appeaseth the anger of Princes Finally the Churches of Martyrs are an Harbour in a Storm and a refuge in all Miseries The Father whose Child is sick prayeth unto God for his Cure by the intercession of a Martyr saying You Holy Martyr that suffered for Jesus Christ interceed for us You who can Address to God with greater Boldness carry this word for your fellow Servants Tho' you are no longer in the World yet you know the Pains and Afflictions of this Life Your selves have formerly pray'd to the Martyrs before you were Martyrs they heard you when you intreated them now that you can hear us grant â—s our Requests But least ignorant Persons should yield to Martyrs the Honour which belongs only to God he adds We doe not adore the Martyrs but we Honour them as God's Servants We Honour not Men but admire them VVe lay up their Relicks in beautified Shrines and we build magnificent Churches to their Memory to render them the same Honour in the Church that is given in the VVorld to those that have done famous Actions He goeth on to establish this Principle in the rest of this Discourse where he speaks so strongly of the worship of Saints and Martyrs against such as despise them that it gives occasion of Suspicion whether this be not of a younger Age than that of Asterius Amasenus The Eleventh Sermon is a Panegyrick upon S. Euphemia cited in the Seventh general Council Act. 4. and by Photius It seemeth not to me to be of Asterius Amasenus his Stile The Author relateth the History of that Saint and observes that she was represented upon a VVinding-sheet that was near her Grave After these Sermons come those Extracts produced by Photius Vol. 271. The first is taken out of a Sermon of Penance upon the sinful Woman among the Works of Gregory Nyssen to whom he ascribed it in the Second Volume of his Bibliotheca but after serious reflection I have found that it is more likely to be written by Asterius Amasenus The Second Extract is taken out of the Sermon upon S. Steven among Proclus's Sermons It differs from that which S. Gregory Nyssen made upon that Subject tho' I confounded them in the Second Volume The Third is taken out of the Homily upon the Parable of the Traveller who going to Jericho was taken and wounded by Thieves Luk. 10. He supposeth that this Accident was real and that Jesus Christ makes use of it to inform the Jews of the Greatness of his Charity and Mercy This wounded man going down to Jericho is the Figure of Adam who by his Sin fell from the happy State wherein he was created and at the same time caused the Fall of all mankind The Levite and the Priest are Moses and S. John who finding this Man that is all mankind destitute of Grace Vertue and Piety and wounded by his Enemies did indeed look upon him with Compassion but could not cure him That the Samaritan is Jesus Christ who carries a Treasure of Grace hidden till the time of the New Law This Exposition of the Parable is pretty exact so far but the Comparison he makes afterwards betwixt the Body of Jesus Christ and the Horse that carried this Samaritan is hardly tolerable Because saith he the Body of Jesus Christ is as it were the Vehicle of the Divinity The Fourth Extract of Photius is taken out of an Homily upon the Prayers of the Pharisee and of the Publican spoken of Luk. ch 18. Here is an excellent Definition of Prayer Prayer is a conference with God a forgetting of earthly things and an Ascension into Heaven He that prayeth standing with his hands lifted up to Heaven doth by this posture of his Body represent the Cross and if he prayeth with the Heart and his Prayer is acceptable to God he hath the Cross in his Heart For Prayer extinguishes in him the Desires of the Flesh the love of Riches and puts off from his Spirit the thoughts of Pride and Vanity He addeth That Vain-glory corrupts the best Actions as Prayer Fasting and Alms c. and renders them improfitable The Fifth Extract is out of the Homily upon the History of Zacchaeus it containeth nothing considerable The Sixth is upon the Parable of the prodigal Son He saith that the Father spoken of in that Parable represents the Father of Eternity That the two Sons are two sorts of Men That the prodigal Child is a Figure of those that have lost the Grace of Baptism That the Portion of Goods which he desires of his Father is the Grace of Baptism and the Participation of the Body of Jesus Christ That this Child doth indeed ask it well but does not keep it but goes into a foreign Countrey that is he departeth from God's Commandments That the Devil is that Citizen and Prince who commandeth the Swine that is debauched Persons That this Sinner at last acknowledging his Fault cometh back to God his Father but with fear and confessing his unworthiness That the Father full of Compassion and Mercy receiveth him embraceth and puts upon him new Robes That these new Robes cannot be Baptism which cannot be received a second time but Repentance which is instead of Baptism and which blotting out our Sins with tears makes us clean and acceptable to God That the Ring afterwards given to this prodigal Child is the Seal of the Holy Ghost which is given in Repentance as well as in Baptism The Seventh Extract is of a Sermon upon the cure of the Centurion's Servant Photius saith that Asterius upon occasion of that History treateth of the Duties of Masters and Servants That he adviseth Servants to obey their Masters readily and heartily and exhorteth their Masters to use them with Meekness and Bounty looking upon them as Brethren For saith he they are made of the same Mould with us they have the same Creator the same Nature the same Passions they have a Body and a Soul as we have c. The Homily at the beginning of the Fast from which Photius hath taken out the Eighth Extract is in Latin among the Works of S. Gregory Nyssen I now Confess that it rather belongs to Asterius than to that Father The Ninth Extract is of the Homily upon the Man born blind which we have entire The Tenth is upon the Woman having an Issue of Blood There he speaks of the History of the Statue which that Woman caused to be set up in Honour of Jesus Christ in the City of Paneas This is all that F. Combefis hath collected of the Works of Asterius Amasenus but since that Cotelerius in the second Volume of his Ecclesiastical Monuments hath given us three Homilies upon Psalm 5 6 and 7. which he ascribeth to Asterius Amasenus upon the Authority of two Catenae upon the Psalms
Especially about the years of the Kings of Israel and of Juda but he would have no Man trouble himself much to Explain them The Hundred and thirty third Letter to Marcella is a Critick upon the Commentary upon the Canticles that was made by Rheticius Bishop of Autun He observes several Faults in that Author which were mentioned in the second Volume of this Bibliotheca The Hundred and thirty fourth to Sophronius containeth Notes upon the Psalms He saith that some divide them into Five Books but that he Comprehended all in one Volume following therein the Authority of the Jews and the Apostles He affirms that they are written by those whose Names are found at the beginning of every Psalm He speaks afterwards of his Latin Translation of the Psalms and of Sophronius's design to Translate it into Greek The Hundred and thirty fifth Letter to Sunia and Fretella is a Critick upon those passages of the Psalms where the Greek of the Septuagint and the Latin Version differ S. Jerom layeth this down for a Rule That when there is a Difference betwixt the Latin Copies of the New Testament they ought to go to the Original So likewise when there is any Difference between the Greek and the Latin of the Old Testament to find out the Truth the Hebrew Text ought to be consulted By this Rule he explains all those passages of the Psalms where the Greek of the Seventy and the Version then in use did not agree In the Hundred and thirty sixth to Marcella he expounds the ten several Names given to God in the Hebrew Tongue In the Hundred and thirty seventh to the same he gives the Signification of the Terms Halleluja Amen Maranatha Halleluja according to him signifies praise the Lord. Amen is a Word which signifies that Credit is given to a thing desiring that it may be so and which may be rendred So be it Maranatha is a Syriack Word which S. Jerom translateth Our Lord comes In the Hundred and thirty eighth Epistle to the same he shows the Meaning of the Hebrew Selah which the Greeks translate Diapsalma a Word very frequent in the Psalms He saith that some have said that the Diapsalma was an Alteration of the Verse and others that it signified a Pause others a Change of the Tune He is not of their mind but saith with Aquila that Selah signifies always The Hundred and thirty ninth to Cyprian is an Exposition of the Eighty ninth Psalm according to the Hebrew Text. The Hundred and thirtieth to Principia is an Exposition of the Forty fourth Psalm The Hundred and forty first containeth certain Remarks to understand the Hundred and twenty sixth Psalm The Hundred and forty second and Hundred forty third to Damasus clears the History of Uzziah speaks of the Seraphim the Holy holy holy and the rest of Isaiah's Vision described in the sixth Chapter of his Prophecy The Hundred and forty fifth Letter to Pope Damasus explains the meaning of the Word Hosanna rejecting S. Hilary's Opinion who thought that it signified The Redemption of David ' s House as also that it signified Glory To expound it he appeals to the Hebrew Text and pretends that Hosanna whereof they have made Hosanna signifies Save us Lord. The Hundred and forty sixth to the same is an allegorical Exposition of the Parable of the prodigal Son whom he supposes to be a Figure of the Gentiles converted to the Faith In the Hundred and forty seventh to Amandus he gives a literal Explication of three passages of the New Testament of these Words of Jesus Christ Matth. ch 6. Take no thought for the morrow sufficient unto the Day is the evil thereof Of those of S. Paul 1 Cor. 2. He that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body and of that other of S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. where he saith that all things are subject to the Son of God and that he is subject to him who hath put all things under him At the latter end he moves the Question whether a Woman having left her Husband because he was an Adulterer or given to unnatural Lusts may be married to another and if having done it she might be admitted to the Communion He answers That she cannot marry without sinning and ought not to be admitted to the Communion but after Penance and having renounced the second Husband In the Hundred and forty eighth he resolves five Questions which Marcella put to him upon several passages of the New Testament The first is How S. Paul could say that eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Since he says in another place that God hath revealed them by his Spirit S. Jerom answereth that in the former place S. Paul speaks of the things which the Eyes and Ears of Flesh may apprehend and what may be comprehended by humane Understanding without Revelation The second Question was about the Exposition which S. Jerom had given of the Parable of the Goats and of the Sheep which are at the right and at the left Hand of God whereby he understood the Jews and the Gentiles and not good and evil Men. Here S. Jerom referrs to what he had said in his Books to Jovinian The third Question was concerning those of whom the Apostle saith that they shall be carried alive into the Air at the Day of Judgment to meet Jesus Christ. S. Jerom sticks not to say that this is to be understood literally and that such as shall be found alive then shall not die but their Bodies shall become incorruptible and immortal The fourth is about those Words of Jesus Christ to Mary Magdalen Touch me not This is the Sence of them according to S. Jerom You deserve not to fall down at my Feet and worship me seeing you doubted of my Resurrection It is more natural to expound them after this other manner Do not make haste to embrace and to hold me I am not yet ascended into Heaven I will abide for some time upon Earth and you may do it at leisure The last Question is to know whether Christ being upon Earth after his Resurrection was likewise in Heaven at the same time S. Jerom answereth that it is unquestionable that the Word of God was every where but he does not answer the Question proposed precisely which was not concerning the Divinity but the Humanity of Jesus Christ. In the Hundred and forty ninth Letter he proposeth to himself one of the chiefest and most considerable Difficulties of the New Testament namely what is the Sin against the Holy Ghost and in what Sence it is unpardonable But he doth not go to the bottom of the Question shewing only by the bye against Novatian that it is not the Sin of Idolatry The Hundred and fiftieth to Hebidia and the Hundred and fifty first to Algasia contain Solutions of three and twenty Difficulties about particular Passages of the New Testament
could not do it so well in Latin This Custom was found so reasonable that several Bishops in Africa followed his Example admitting Priests to Preach in their Presence yea they did St. Augustin the Honour to make him Speak in a General Council of Africa held at Carthage in the year 393. where he Expounded the Creed in the Presence of the Bishops who conceived so great an Esteem of his Learning that they judged him worthy of a more excellent Dignity But Valerius fearing lest a Person so necessary for the Government of his Diocess should be taken away from him resolved to make him his Co-adjutor and accordingly two years after he caused him to be Ordained Bishop of Hippo by Megalius Bishop of Calama then Primate of Numidia in the year 395. With much difficulty St. Augustin consented to that Ordination though he did not then know as he afterwards declar'd that it was contrary to the Laws of the Church and to a Canon of the Council of Nice which forbids the Crdaining Two Bishops in the same Church I shall not now give any Account of what he did and wrote whil'st he was Bishop because that will come in in the Abridgment of his Works Neither will I enlarge upon the Praises which may be given him nor upon his Holiness and his Vertues which were known and admir'd by all the World both before and after his Death This is no part of my Design besides the Name only of St. Augustin is the greatest Commendation that can be given him and whatsoever may be said after that can serve only to lessen the Opinion Men have conceived of his rare Merit and his great Piety He died as Holily as he had liv'd the 28th day of August 430. aged Seventy six Years with Grief to see his Countrey Invaded by the Vandals and the City whereof he was Bishop Besieged for several Months St. Augustin's Works make up several Volumes wherein they are divided according to that order which was judged to be most natural We shall follow that which is observed in the last Edition set forth by the Benedictines of St. Germans The First TOME of St. Augustin's Works THE First Volume containeth the Works which he wrote before he was a Priest with his Retractations and Confessions which serve as Prefaces to his Works because the First giveth Tome I. an Account of his Writings and is useful to understand the most difficult places of his Works and the Second discovers his Genius and takes notice of the principal Circumstances of his Life The Book of Retractations is a Critical Review of his Works He tells you there the Title and sets down the first Words of them He gives a Catalogue according to the Time and he observes upon what Occasion and wherefore he writ them he tells the Subject and the Design which he had in composing them he clears those places which seem to be obscure he softens those which he thinks are too hard gives a good Sence to such as seem capable of having a bad one and rectifies them where he thinks that he erred from the Truth In one word He confesseth ingenuously the Errours or Mistakes which he committed The Preface to this Work is very humble He says That his Design is to review his Works with the Severity of a Censor and to reprove his own Faults himself following therein the Apostle's Advice who saith That if we judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. That he is frighted with those words of the Wise-man That it is difficult to avoid committing Faults in much speaking That he is not terrify'd with the great number of his Writings since none can be said to Write or Speak too much when he Speaks and Writes only things that are necessary but he is afraid lest there should be in his Writings many false things or at least unprofitable ones That if now being Old he thinketh not himself free from Errour it is impossible but that he must have committed Faults when he was Young either in Speaking or in Writing and so much the rather because he was then obliged to Speak often That therefore he is resolved to judge himself according to the Rules of Jesus Christ his Master whose Judgments he desires to avoid The Body of this Work is divided into Two Books In the former he reviseth the Works which he writ before he was Bishop And in the latter he speaketh of those which he composed afterwards to the Year 427. which is the time when he made his Book of Retractations I need say no more at present because in discoursing of each of them I shall mention what St. Augustin hath observed in his Retractations His Confessions are an excellent Picture of his Life he draweth himself with lively and natural Shapes representing his Infancy his Youth and Conversion very critically He discovers both his Vices and his Vertues shewing plainly the inward Bent of his Heart with the several Motions wherewith he was agitated As he speaks to God so he often lifts up his Spirit towards him and intermixes his Narration with Prayers Instructions and Reflections He tells us himself That he would have us view him in that Book as in a Looking-Glass that represents him to the Life and that his Design in the Writing of it was to Praise both the Justice and the Mercy of God with Respect to the Good and Evil which he had done and to lift up his Heart and Spirit to God That this is the Effect that it produced in him when he composed it and that which it produceth now when he readeth it Others saith he may have what Opinion of it they please but I know that several Pious Persons have loved my Confessions very much and do St. Augustin Tome 〈◊〉 love them still As indeed all spiritual Persons have ever since read that Work with Delight and Admiration This Book is not full of whimsical Imaginations and empty obscure useless Spiritualities as most Works of this Nature are It contains on the contrary excellent Prayers sublime Notions of the Greatness Wisdom Goodness and Providence of God solid Reflections upon the Vanity Weakness and Corruption of Man proper Remedies for his Misery and Darkness and most useful Instructions to further him in a spiritual Life In one word It may be said that of all spiritual Books there is none more sublime or stronger than this Yet there are some Notions too Metaphysical above the reach of some devout Men and there appeareth too great an Affectation of Eloquence There is perhaps too much Wit and Heat and not enough of Meekness and Simplicity St. Augustin's Confessions are divided into Thirteen Books whereof the Ten first treat of his Actions and the Three last contain Reflections upon the beginning of Genesis In the First Book after an excellent Prayer to God he describeth his Infancy discovering the Sins he committed at that time as well as the evil Inclinations that were in him He
represents with all the beauty and exactness imaginable the things that are incident to Children their Motions of Joy and Sorrow their Jealousie before they can speak how hardly they learn to speak their aversion to Study their love of Play and the fear of Chastisement He charges himself with loving the Study of Fables and Poetical Fictions and hating the Principles of Grammar and particularly the Greek Tongue tho' these Things were infinitely more profitable than those Fables whereof he discovers the danger He says That being fallen dangerously Sick he desired to be Baptized but coming to have some Ease they deferred it fearing he might defile himself again with new Crimes Because saith he the Sins committed after Baptism are greater and more dangerous than such as are committed before In the Second he begins to describe the Disorders of his Youth he says That being returned to his Father's House at Sixteen years of Age he gave himself to debauchery notwithstanding his Mother's Admonitions That he was guilty of Theft by robbing an Apple-tree in a Neighbour's Orchard with his Companions with several Reflections upon the Motives that put him upon that Action In the Third he confesseth That at Carthage whither he was gone to finish his Studies he was transported with the fire of Lust. He laments the love which he had for Stage-Plays and Publick Shows and the Pleasure he found when they affected him at any time with Passion He declares afterwards That he read one of Cicero's Books Entituled Hortensius that inspired him with the love of Wisdom but not finding in that Book the Name of Jesus Christ which remained engraven in his Heart and which he had as it were suck'd in with his Milk he applied himself to the Holy Scripture but that having read it with a Spirit of Pride he relished it not because of the plainness of it's Stile and then he hearkened to the Dreams of the Manichees who promised to bring him to the Knowledge of the Truth He reâ—utes their Errors and speaks with great tenderness of the Prayers which his Mother made and the Tears that she shed for his Conversion He continued however Nine years in that Heresie being deceived and endeavouring to deceive others He taught Rhetorick at Tagasta There he lost one of his intimate Friends whose Death grieved him exceedingly whereof he describeth the Excess in the Fourth Book where he says many fine Things concerning true and counterfeit Friendship There he mentions the Treatise of Comeliness and Beauty which he made at Twenty five years of Age and gives an Account how easily he came to understand Aristotle's Categories And he shews the Unprofitableness of Learning In the Fifth he describes the degrees by which he came to be delivered from the Manichaean Heresie how he discovered Faustus his Ignorance who was the Head of that Heresie He adds That having taught Rhetorick at Carthage he went to Rome with a design to follow there the same Profession but having been disheartened by the unhandsom usage of the Scholars who refused to pay their Masters he obtain'd of Symmachus the place of Rhetorick-Professor at Milan where he heard St. Ambrose Preach who perfectly disabused him of the Errors of the Manichees and made him resolve absolutely to quit that Sect and become a Catechumen He goeth on in the Sixth Book to describe the Progress of his Conversion which was much furthered by the Prayers and Admonitions of his Mother S. Monica who came to find him at Milan and contracted a strict Friendship with St. Ambrose He observes That this Holy Bishop kept her from carrying Meat to the Graves of the Martyrs as she used to do in her own Country He describeth the Manners of two of his good Friends Alypius and Nebridius and the Agitations that were caused in himself by the knowledge of his Miseries and the design which he had to alter his course of Life In the Seventh Book he declares his Condition in the 31st year of his Age how much he was yet in the dark as to the Nature of God and the Spring of Evil how he was perfectly weaned from Judicial Astrology by hearing of the History of two Children that were born at the same moment of time whose lot proved quite different And lastly by what degrees he rid himself of his Prejudices and came to the knowledge of God though he had not as yet those thoughts of Jesus Christ which he ought to have had He declares That he found the Divinity of the Word in the Books of the Platonists but not his Incarnation And afterwards comparing the Books of those Philosophers with the Books of the Holy Scripture which he began to read he observeth that the former had made him more knowing but also more presumptuous Whereas the others instructed him in true Humility and in the way which Men ought to follow to obtain Salvation At last he comes in the Eighth Book to the best Passage of his Life to that which happened in the Two and thirtieth year of his Age which was his Conversion First of all he was wrought upon by a Conference which he had with a holy Old Man Simplicianus who related to him the Conversion of a famous Rhetorick-Professor named Victorinus He was further moved by the Story which Poâ—itiunus told him of another Conversion And at last feeling himself agitated and distracted by several contrary thoughts he withdrew into a Garden where he heard a Voice from Heaven commanding him to open St. Paul's Epistles whereof he had no sooner read some Lines but he found himself wholly converted and freed from the Agitations which till then had troubled him Nothing can be more noble than the Description which he makes in that Book of the Combats and Agitations which that man feels that is engaged in Vice and hath formed a design of being converted to God St. Augustin was no sooner converted but he resolved to leave his Profession The Vacation being come he retired to the Country-House of one of his Friends called Verecundus to prepare himself for Baptism which he received at Easter with Alypius and his Son Adeodatus whom he had by a Concubine This he relateth in the Ninth Book where he discourseth again of the Death of Verecundus and Nebridius and Adeodatus which happened shortly after his Baptism He speaketh likewise of the Original of the Singing in the Church of Milan that was established by St. Ambrose when he was persecuted by Justina an Arian Princess concerning the discovering of the Bodies of the Martyrs St. Gervasius and St. Protasius and of the Miracles done at the time of their Translation of the discourse he had with his Mother S. Monica about the Felicities of the other Life and of the Death of that holy Widow which happened at Ostia when he was returning into Africa of her Burial of the Prayers that were made for her and of the Sacrifice which was offered He concludes this Book by recommending her to the
are united in one only Person That there is but one Christ one Son But say they Theodoret in his last Dialogue rejects such Expressions as are consequent upon the Hypostatick Union for he is against the Phrases God hath suffered God is dead God is risen which are most true in the sence of the Orthodox It is then truly said That he opposes at least indirectly the Hypostatick Union But if they consider well Theodoret rejects not these Expressions but in the bad sence that they are capable of and as they understand them of the Divine Nature it self He opposes these Expressions in the Reduplicative sence God hath suffered as God and in the abstract Terms The Divine Nature the Divinity hath suffered But he owns That the Person who hath suffered was God altho' he could not suffer as God but as Man Jesus Christ saith he is not a meer Man he is both God and Man We have often made Profession of it but he hath suffered as Man not as God This is the Doctrine of Theodoret in his Dialogues It is so true that this Work was of Orthodox Principles that the most zealous of his Party found fault that he had cited Theophilus and S. Cyril but had not mentioned Diodorus and Theodorus of Mopsuesta so that â—heodoret was obliged to justifie himself in this point which he did in his 16th Letter to Ireâ—…s wherein he tells us That he did it not because he was not willing to make use of any Witnesses suspected by his Adversaries Also Theodoret alledges that Book in his Letter to Dioscorus as a proof of the purity of his Faith and of the respect that he bore to the Memory of Theophilus and S. Cyril Had he been well advised to quote S. Cyril with so much Commendation if he had opposed his Opinions as Heretical In sum there never were any but Eutychians who have condemned this Work of Theodoret. 'T was by their Craft that Theodosius banished him by his Edict in which he approves the Doctrines and Outrages that Dioscorus and Eutyches had set on foot in the sham Council of Ephesus But the Emperor Marcian revoked that Decree and tho' afterwards they quarrelled with Theodoret upon the Account of the Writings which he composed against S. Cyril yet we never saw him attacked for his Dialogues The 5 Books of Heretical Fables * These Books have been printed alone in â—reek at Rome in 1â—â—8 are a no less Authentick Proof of the Learning than Faith of Theodoret. He composed them sometime after the Council of Chalcedon at the desire of Sporatius an Officer of the Emperor who was Consul in 452. He gives us in 5 Books an Abstract of the Doctrines of the Hereticks to which he opposes in the last an Abridgment of the Orthodox Doctrine of the Church The first Book contains an History of the Heresies which have opposed the Divinity by admitting many first Causes All the Hereticks believed That the Son of God took the Humane Nature in appearance only He begins with Simon and ends with the Manichees In the 2d he speaks of those who did truly acknowledge That there was but one first Cause but make Jesus Christ to pass for a meer Man This Sect of Hereticks begins with Ebion and ends with Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus The 3d. Book contains the History of those Hereticks who had other Errors such as the Nicolaitans Montanists and Novatians The 4th Book describes the new Heresies of Arius Eunomius and ends with those of Nestorius and Eutyches It is doubted Whether the Chapter which concerns Nestorius where that Heretick is so much inveighed against be really Theodoret's F. Garner believes That it is a forged Piece and brings many plausible Conjectures to prove it He saith first that if we compare what the Author of this Chapter says of Nestorius with what Theodoret hath written of him we shall be convinced that it can't be his for Theodoret hath always excused Nestorius he hath always spoken honourably of him he never condemns him but with regret On the contrary the Author of this Chapter declares himself against him and treats him with all possible Severity If you will believe him Nestorius was an Instrument of the Devil and the scourge of Aegypt he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Divinity and Humanity of the only begoâ—en Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was an Hypocrite who studied nothing 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and get the Affections of the People by a shew of Religion He was 〈◊〉 sooner 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Power in the Imperâ—al City but he changed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a 〈◊〉 Government and abusing his Power by an unbridled Liberty he made known the Iâ—â—iety of his Heart and pronounced publickly horriâ— Blasphemies 〈◊〉 the Son of God In a word he was a Man who had blotted out of his Memory the 〈◊〉 of the Apostles and their Holy Successors Secondly the Author of this Chapter 〈◊〉 contrary to Theodoret not only touching the Doctrine of Nestorius but also about the 〈◊〉 of his Life The Author of this Fragment says That he knows not what was the 〈◊〉 of Nestorius Theodoret knew well that he had been the Scholar of Theodâ—â—us He saith further That Nestorius had changed his Abode before he came to Antioch Theodoret knew that he had lived in the Monastry of S. Euprepius and likewise That he had been baptized at 〈◊〉 He adds That Nestorius had shewn in the beginning of his Episcopacy after what manner he ought to manage himself and speaks of him as a contemptible Man Theodoret on the other side speaks of him always as a very Learned and Holy Personage Thirdly Theodoret having promised That all the Heresies of which he hath spoken in the former Books should be conâ—uted by him in the 5th doth not count the Nestorians among those Hereticks who were in an Error concerning the Incarnation Fourthly this Chapter seems not to be 〈◊〉 Style It is swelling figurative full of aggravations The beginning seems to be nothing to the purpose and disagreeable to the following part of the History Fifthly this Chapter is taken out of the Letter to Sporatius which contains besides this History a long refutation of the Doctrines of Nestoriâ—â— Now this Letter is an evident piece of Forgery for 1. 'T is a Writing which hath no form of a Letter as being without beginning or end 2. Why should Theodoret write a Letter to Sporatius at that time when he dedicated a Book of Heresies to him 3. The Author of this piece directs his Speech to Nestorius but uses the Phrases of S. Gregory Naz. â—4 'T is not Theodoret's Stile 5. 'T is quoted by no ancient Author 'T is then a forged piece from whence in all probability the whole History of Nestorius is taken and put into the Book of Heretical Fables where Theodoret has not spoken of that Heresie Some Person seeing that he ended his Work with the Heresie of Eutyches and that
and that the whole Council should proceed to a new Judgment forbidding the Bishops to go from Ephesus till he had sent some of his Officers to the Synod to know how things had passed there This is the Subject of the Emperor's Letter dated June 19 brought to Ephesus by Palladius This was signified to the Bishops of both sides Saint Cyril and the Bishops of his Party answered that Candidian had not given a true Relation of things to the Emperor and desired him to send for him to Constantinople with five Bishops of the Council that he might be informed of the truth of all their Proceedings This Letter was not subscribed by all the Bishops because Palladius who was to carrry it was very urgent to be gone John Bishop of Antioch and the Bishops of his Party wrote also by this Palladius to the Emperor and having related all that had passed a second time they prayed him that only two Bishops out of every Province should be allowed to be at the Synod with their Metropolitan They also complained that the Church of S. John had been shut against them insomuch that they were forced to pray abroad and had been abused in their return Lastly They humbly implore the Emperor to remove Cyril and Memnon the heads of this Persecution from Ephesus A little after they sent Count Irenaeus to whom they give another Relation against Saint Cyril concerning the Violence which they pretend he had done them by keeping them out of S. Paul's Church by throwing of Stones at them They also gave him Letters to the Governor of Constantinople and to the Officers of the Emperor that they would maintain their Cause Nestorius wrote also in his own Name to an Eunuch of the Emperor that he did not refuse to call the Virgin Mary The Mother of God provided that they would condemn the Error of Apollinaris which is maintained by S. Cyril July 10. Philip and Arcadius Legats of the Church of Rome arrived at Ephesus and joyning themselves with S. Cyril and his Synod according to their Instructions by which they were ordered Act. 11. to act in conjunction with him they held a Session the same Day in which they read S. Coelestine's Letter dated May 8. first in Latin and after in Greek which shews us that 't was the Custom to read the Letters of the Holy See in the Tongue wherein they were written The Substance of it was this that the Holy Spirit is present in Synods and all Bishops being the Apostles Successors are obliged to maintain and defend the Doctrine which they have received from them and to imitate the Zeal and Vigilance of their Predecessors that they ought to have the same Spirit as they have but one Faith that the Question in hand obliges them to arm themselves with a fresh Zeal because the Person of Jesus Christ is endangered by it That he hopes that He who hath united the Synagogue and the Church will re-unite the Minds of Christians restore the Churches Peace and make the Truth and Ancient Faith to Triumph He exhorts them to continue in that Love so much commended by S. John whose Reliques they have among them that they Ought to pray to God with one Heart and Voice that he would direct them by the Light of his Holy Spirit and give them Courage to defend the Word of God zealously and procure the Peace of the Church Lastly He tells them that he sent them the Bishops Arcadius and Projectus and Philip a Priest to be present at all the transactions of the Council and put in execution what he had already ordained After this Letter was read the Legats of S. Caelestine demanded that they would communicate to them the Acts of what was already done which was granted them We find at the end of this Act two other Letters of S. Caelestine's the one of which is directed to Theodosius and the other to S. Cyril He exhorts the former to protect the ancient Faith and he answers to the Latter who had consulted him whether he might still receive Nestorius the time which he had fixed for his Retractation being passed He answers him I say That We must always receive a Sinner whensoever he returns and that We must endeavour to appease the troubles raised in the Church He tells him likewise that he earnestly desired that Nestorius might repent and that he may be again received These two Letters bear date the one May 7. and the other May 15. The next day they met to read over again the Acts of the first Session of Council to Caelestine's Act. III. Legats When they heard them they approved them gave their Judgment against Nestorius and subscribed his Condemnation When this was done they framed a Letter to the Emperor wherein they tell him that the Legats of the Bishop of Rome had assured them that all the Western Churches agreed with them in their Doctrine and had condemned with them the Doctrine and Person of Nestorius So that this Matter being thus ended as the Emperor desired it for the benefit of the Church and of the Faith they desired him to give them leave to withdraw to secure them from the Persecution they were threatned with and suffer them to ordain a Bishop at Constantinople in the room of Nestorius They wrote at the same time to the Clergy and People of Constantinople to exhort them to put some Person into the See of Constantinople in the place of Nestorius lately Deposed by the Council for his Impious Doctrine The Judgment of Nestorius being thus finished Cyril and Memnon cast about them how they Act IV. might provide against the Sentence of Deposition pronounced against them by the Eastern Bishops The Council therefore being assembled the fourth time on July 16th Cyril and Memnon presented a Petition against John Bishop of Antioch wherein they say That the Council being assembled in the City of Ephesus to confirm the Faith of the Church and to condemn the Heresie lately invented by Nestorius had acted Regularly and in the usual forms That they had cited Nestorius three times to render a Reason of his Doctrine but this Heretick refusing to appear the Council had attentively examined his Writings and had Condemned him according to the Rules of the Church-discipline That after this Judgment given and an Account of it sent to the Emperor John Bishop of Antioch had come to Ephesus where he Assembled himself with the Bishops of Nestorius's Opinion of whom some were Deposed and others were Bishops only in Name having no See and that in this Assembly which had no Authority to judge any Man he deliberately pronounced a Sentence of Deposition against them although he could not do it the Bishop whom he principally pretended to judge being in a See Superior to his own But yet although he might have undertaken this Judgment yet he ought to have followed the Canons and Rules of the Church to have admonished them and cited them before
but to Men and consequently 't is they not the Spirit which are the Authors of the Words and Expressions which they use although he inspires them with the Sense and Doctrine they ought to write In his Answer to the Third Objection he opposeth the Opinion of his Adversary who maintain'd that the Souls of Men were Created separated from the Bodies he affirms that we ought to believe that they are created in and with the Body although the Philosophers delivered the contrary and Austin doubts of it In the next place he answers a question put to him by his Adversary Whether Truth be any thing but God He answers That Truth is not always taken for God himself although 't is not to be doubted but that God is Truth The Fourth Question concerns the Righteous Men of the old Law Agobard maintains that they may be called Christians although they were not called so because they believed in Jesus Christ and belonged to him being anointed with the invisible Ointment of his Grace as well as those who were good Men among the Gentiles The Jews who were in credit at Court because they had Money obtained an Edict from the Emperour which contained many things in their Favour and among the rest that none of their Slaves should be baptized but with their Masters Consent This Edict being very prejudicial to Religion and contrary to Christian Piety Agobard addressed a Writing to Hilduin the King 's great Chaplain and to the Abbot Vala who was at Court in which he shews the injustice and impiety of that Prohibition being evidently contrary to the Design of the Gospel and the intention of Jesus Christ who will have all Men to be saved and hath commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all Creatures and baptize all that believe whether Bond or Free He desires them to whom he writes to endeavour all they can to get this Edict recall'd which he hoped might be done more easily because he offered to pay the Jews the Ransom of those Slaves according to the appointment of the Canons made in that Case In the Letter written by Agobard in his own Name and Hildegisus and Florus's who were Clergy-men of Lyons to Bartholomew Bishop of Narbonne he speaks of a certain Distemper which took Men suddenly and threw them down like the Falling-Sickness Some also felt a sudden Burning which left an incurable Wound This ordinarily happen'd in the Churches and the astonish'd People to guard themselves from it gave considerable Gifts to the Churches to secure them Agobard disallows this practice and searching into the Cause of this Plague he says 't was nothing else but the will of God who punisheth Men by the Ministery of an Angel After which he relates several Examples of the like Chastisements out of Scripture in which God hath exercised his Justice by Angels and other Creatures He affirms that these sort of inflictions are not from the power of the Devil although he owns that God sometimes suffers the Devil to disquiet and torment Men. Returning then to the Question of Bartholomew viz. what we ought to think of the practice of those who coming into the Churches where they were seized with this Distemper bring presents to them He says that fear causes these people to do what they ought not and hinders them from doing what they ought for it were better says he to give Alms to the Poor or Strangers to address themselves to the Priest to receive Unction according to the Command of the Gospel and of the Apostle to fast and pray and do works of Charity It is true adds he that if the Offerings given to the Church be employed as they ought they are an Action of Charity but because at present they are used only to satisfie the Covetousness and Avarice of Men and not to honour God or relieve the Poor it is a shame to give them to such covetous Wretches to be kept or ill imployed by them The Injustice and Violence which was practised among the people of Lyons and could not be restrained obliged Agobard to write to Maâ—fredus a powerful Man in the Emperour's Court. He begs of him to use his Interest with his Prince to hinder those Disorders and cause justice to be done This Compliment is short but urgent The Letter to the Clergy of Lyons concerning the manner how the Bishops and Pastors ought to govern is an excellent instruction for them He says that those who are entrusted with the Government of the Church the Spouse of Christ who is Peace Truth Justice and the Author of all Good ought to love that his Spouse singularly as himself and apply himself entirely to the spiritual good of his only Spouse That those who neglect to do their Duty and place all their Pleasure and Affections upon Riches Finery Hunting and Debauchery are the destroyers of God's Work and the Assistants of Anti-christ That though they seem to be Bishops in the Eyes of Men they are not so in the Eyes of God no more than Hypocrites who affect to appear outwardly Holy but whose Heart is full of Impurity who seek not the Edification and Instruction of the Faithful but their own Interest and Glory such are those who seek to get into the sacred Ministery only to obtain Honour and Riches or to live finely He adds that all those that make it their main Business to gain themselves the Love and Respect of those that are under their Charge and not to make Jesus Christ be loved and honoured by them who is the only Spouse of the Church are Adulterers and unworthy of the sacred Ministery because they design rather to feed themselves than their Flock Nevertheless he advises that the Sheep should endure wicked Pastors through Prudence when they can't reform them His Book concerning the Dispensing of Ecclesiastical Revenues was not written against the ill usage which Clergy-men might make of them but against the Laity who took them away and kept them unjustly Lewis the Godly having called an Assembly of Clergy-men and Lords at Attigny in 822. for the Reformation of Church and State Agobard advises Adelardus Abbot of Corbey and another Abbot called Helissicarius that they ought to rectifie the Disorder that was in the Church about the Ecclesiastical Revenues which the Laity had appropriated to themselves that they might speak to the Emperour of it He zealously represents to them that the Churches having been enriched by the Gifts of the Emperours Princes and Bishops had made an abundance of Laws and Canons for the preservation of the Revenues and to hinder Lay-men from encroaching upon them That the necessity which they alledged was not a sufficient Reason to over-look those Laws nor to authorize the Usurpations they had made of them The year following this matter was more fully debated in an Assembly held at Compeigne where the Clergy again represented that the Laity were not to be suffered in the quiet Possession of the Revenues of the
Court of Rome He likewise Commends Thibaud Count of Burgundy for taking the part of the first Wife which was his Niece In the Two Hundred and Eighteenth he justifies himself to the Pope against a suspicion had of him concerning the Goods of the Cardinal Ives assuring his Holiness that they had been embezled contrary to his knowledge The Two Hundred and Ninteenth is Address'd to Alberic Bishop of Ostia Stephen of Palestrine Igmar of Frescati and Gerard Chancellor of the Church of Rome concerning a difference which happened between the King of France and the Pope on account of the Arch-Bishop of Bourges This Arch-Bishoprick being vacant the King had given the Clergy of Bourges leave to choose any other for their Arch-Bishop than Peter whom the Pope had cast a favourable Eye upon He was nevertheless Elected afterwards and Consecrated at Rome by the Pope Whereupon the King having made an Oath that he should never be Arch-Bishop during his Life time would not receive him but declar'd War against the Count of Champagne to whom he was retir'd This caus'd the Pope to interdict the Dominions of France and it was upon this occasion that St. Bernard writ this Letter by which he wills the Prelates of the Court of Rome that they might have learnt by the Persecution of Guibert and undertakings of Burdin and Peter of Leon how much Schism is to be dreaded and how hazardous it is to raise any difference between the Regal and Sacerdotal Power That therefore they must Act with Prudence and manage Matters with Lenity not to incur the danger of a New Schism That he can by no means excuse the King for having made an Oath which it was both a Crime and Sin to keep nay though he was in a manner forc'd to perform it being a custom among the French to observe any though never so unjust that his Intention was not to excuse the King of France but ask Pardon for him and lastly that the concern he was in his Age and Majesty do in some measure deserve it without being like to do any great wrong to the Church In the Two Hundred and Twentieth Letter he writes to King Lewis that he cannot hinder the Anathema's being renew'd against Radulphus and endeavours to perswade his Majesty that that ought not to set him at variance with Count Thibaud In the Two Hundred Twenty First he speaks high to this Prince and takes a great deal of Liberty to reprove him Affirming that he is an Enemy to Peace that he has violated the Treaties which he has made that he has communicated with Excommunicated Persons that he has encourag'd Murthers Theft Robbery and the Destruction of Churches that not contented to Assume an Authority over the Church of Bourges which did not belong to him he also hinders the Church of Chalons from having a Bishop as likewise permits his Brother to seize upon the Revenues of the Bishopricks He Admonishes him to forbear speedily these Exactions and prevent the anger of God by Repentance after the Example of the King of the Ninevites In the Two Hundred Twenty Second he writes to Josselin Bishop of Soissons and Sugerus Abbot of St. Denys likewise the Kings Minister concerning the occasions pretended at Court for making War upon Count Thibaud as also touching the wrong which the King did to the Churches These Letters written with all the freedom imaginable extreamly incens'd the King and his Ministers against St. Bernard who having understood as much by the Answer which Josselin sent him he signifies again to him in the Two Hundred Twenty Third Letter that perhaps he had been a little bold but that his Presumption was meerly caus'd by Grief and the Zeal he had for the Welfare of the Church and moreover that it was to have been wish'd that they had made use of the same Liberty and endeavour'd to reclaim the King by the like Admonitions In the Two Hundred Twenty Fourth he acquaints Stephen Bishop of Palestrine with the damage which the King had done to the Churches of France putting him in mind that he ought to Repent having written to Rome in favour of this Prince In the Two Hundred Twenty Fifth he exhorts Josselin to endeavour a Peace The Two Hundred Twenty Sixth is written to the King in the Name of Hugh Bishop of Auxerre as likewise in his own wherein he Admonishes this Prince who had just before frustrated a Negotiation begun at Corbeil to renew the same and to have more advantageous thoughts for the good of the Church In the Two Hundred Twenty Seventh he conjures Josselin to use his Interest that no damage may come to him especially from the King who was not a little incens'd against him All these Letters were writ in the Years 1142 and 1143. The Two Hundred Twenty Eighth is a very Civil Answer to a Letter of Peter Abbot of Cluny's lately written to him whereby he gives him to Understand that he could heartily wish to renew the Friendship that had formerly been between them and which was now Interrupted by some differences as well on account of the Bishop of Langres as by reason that Pope Innocent had discharg'd the Order of Cisteaux of the Tithes which they paid to Cluny The following is the Answer which Peter of Cluny gives to this Letter in which after having heaped on St. Bernard a great many Complements he searches into the Reasons why the Orders of Cluny and Cisteaux which ought to live in good Intelligence with each other so continually jar and disagree and he makes it plainly appear that they have no reasonable Cause to be so divided For in the first place if their Difference be about Lands or other temporal Goods they have proper Judges who may regulate those Matters and make Peace between them Secondly they ought not to disagree about their Monastical Observances because if the different Customs of different Churches hinders not the Union of the Spirit and Charity among Christians no more ought the diversity of Practices and Ceremonies to be a cause of Division among Monks who although they are all of one Order yet may have different Usages and Customs St. Bennet himself having been sensible that his Order might be subject to some Moderation or Explication He then brings examples of these Differences and shews that both Orders may observe their Customs separately and with simplicity of Heart without condemning each other in them Thirdly he affirms that the different Colours of Habits ought to be a less subject of Division since nothing is more ridiculous than for Men to fall out on such trifling Accounts And lastly he lays the blame on the Spirit of Pride which he says had divided the Monks of Cluny and Cisteaux the former being unwilling that the latter should be preferr'd to them and the latter Glorying that they had been restorers of the Order and of Monastick Discipline He concludes by exhorting both Parties to live in Peace and to preserve a
and refutes several Fables of the Jewish Talmud To these two Tracts are annexed two Prefaces the one is Peter's of Cluny and the other Robert's of Redines upon the Version of the Alcoran with an Abridgment of the History and Errors of Mahomet The Five Books which Peter of Cluny has compos'd against the Alcoran have not as yet been printed We shall speak of the Treatise against the Petrobusians when we come to treat of those Hereticks The two Books of Miracles contain the Relation of a great many Miracles that happened in his time In the second we meet with the Life of Matthew Prior of St. Martin in the Fields and afterwards Bishop of Albani and the Account of the Contest between Pontius and Peter the Venerable about the Abbey of Cluny Of the Four Sermons penn'd by Peter of Cluny we have only that about the Transfiguration remaining The pieces of Poetry which we have of his are an Apology in Hexameters or Pentameters against those who found fault with the Verses of Peter of Poitiers several pieces of Prose on the Life of Jesus Christ on the Resurrection in Honour of the Blessed Virgin upon St. Mary Magdalen and in praise of Hugh Abbot of Cluny Two Hymns one on the Festival of St. Benedict and the other upon the translation of his Body and several Epitaphs on Count Eustachius Bernard Prior of Cluny Reginald Arch-Bishop of Lyons and Peter Abaelard It had been well if he had written as well in Verse as in Prose Peter of Cluny made likewise a Collection of the Statutes of his Order which were made whilst he was Abbot and at the end of each Statute has explain'd the Reason of their being enacted These statutes relate to the Divine Service to Fasts the form of Habits and several other Customs of the Monks of that Fraternity Father Mabillon in the third Tome of his Analects p. 481. has given us two Letters of this Author of the Association of Prayers for the Dead between those of Chartres and the Senators of Venice CHAP. VI. An Account of the Heresies which prevailed in the Twelfth Century WE have already observed that in the beginning of the foregoing Century there appeared in several parts of France such Hereticks as were accus'd of impious Doctrines who openly attacked The Hereticks of the Twelfth Century the Sacraments of the Church and subverted its most sacred Rites and Ceremonies The Severity with which those who were taken were condemn'd did not prevent the Sect from spreading further nor this Doctrine or some such like from over-running the Kingdom so that in this Century a great many Hereticks appeared whose chief Aim was to divert Men from the receiving of the Sacraments and to overthrow the Hierarchy and Discipline of the Church The first who appeared were Peter of Bruis and an Hermit nam'd Henry his Disciple They first began to broach their Doctrine in Provence from whence the latter went to Lausune and afterwards An account of the Heretick Henry into the Country of Mans. We will give you the Description which the Historian of the Bishops of Mans made of him in speaking of Hildebert About this time there arose in that Country a certain Hypocrite who for his wicked Actions for his corrupt Morals and for his abominable Doctrines deserv'd the severest Punishments This Man conceal'd the Rage of a Ravenous Wolf under the appearances of an innocent Sheep His Countenance and Eyes look'd like a ruffled and tempestuous Sea He was as yet very young He wore short Hair his Beard shav'd was large in stature but very sorrily cloath'd walk'd apace and bare-footed even in the hardest time of Winter he was pretty Affable had a strong terrifying Voice and liv'd in a manner quite different from others His ordinary Retreats were the Cottages of Peasants he liv'd all day under Portico's eat and slept on some Hill or other in the open Air and had acquir'd a great Reputation of Sanctity The Women applauded him cry'd him up for a great Servant of God and gave out that no person could have a greater Faculty than him of converting the most obdurate Hearts and that he was endued with the Spirit of Prophecy to discern the most inward recesses of the Conscience and the most private Sins This Fame having rendred him very desirable in the Diocess of Mans. He sent thither two of his Associates and Disciples who liv'd in the same manner as he did Those Men arrived at Mans on Ash-Wednesday where they were received by the People as Angels In imitation of their Master they carryed Staffs on the top of which was an Iron Cross and they wore the Dress of Penitents Bishop Hildebert was surprized at the Sight and received them kindly He just upon his departure for Rome ordered his Arch-Deacons to give Henry leave to come into his Diocess and permit him to preach to the People He was no sooner come but they flocked from all parts to hear his Sermons and the Clergy themselves excited the People thereto He had a Natural Eloquence and a Tone of Voice resembling Thunder He soon spread his Errors in his Sermons and stirred up the People against the Clergy so that a great many Ecclesiasticks were abus'd by them The Chapter of Mans perceiving this Disorder wrote to him and gave him notice by one of the Canons that they prohibited him from preaching any more either in publick or private within their Diocess The People had like to have kill'd the Canon who brought him this Message and Henry continued to preach in the Churches of St. Germain and St. Vincent He taught that the Women who had not liv'd continently ought to strip themselves to burn their Hair and to renounce their worldly Goods to lead a Life of Poverty by marrying likewise poor Men. 'T is easie to guess how much disturbance such a Doctrine put in Practice would raise in the Diocess Hildebert being returned from Rome Henry retired into the Castle of Calais and continued there to vent his Doctrines and the People still follow'd him and were so far infatuated that they would scarce akncowledge their Bishop or receive his Benediction The Bishop to undeceive the People went to Henry and entring into a Conference with him ask'd him what profession he was of He answered him that he was a Deacon The Bishop asked him whether he had assisted that day at Divine Service He said no then reply'd the Bishop let us say our Matins Henry declared that he could not say his Office the Bishop began to recite the Psalms of the Office of the Virgin-Mary but Henry was still as ignorant as ever so that being in a Confusion was forc'd to own that he knew nothing at all but that he had made it his Study to make Discourses to the People Hildebert having gain'd the Conquest over him prohibited him from preaching or staying any longer in his Diocess Two of his Disciples nam'd Cyprian and Peter recanted and left him after they
in 1482. See the Judgment that Gerson gives of this Author and his Works in his Treatise about the Books which Monks ought to read In my opinion says he one of the best Authors that a Man can read is Eustachius for so one may translate his name of Bonaventure he is the Man of all the Catholick Doctors not to derogate from the rest that seems to me the most proper and safe for the enlightning of the Judgment and inflaming the Heart To be convinced of this one need not read any more than two of his Works I mean his Breviloquy and his Itinerary which are written with so much art and brevity that nothing can be beyond them and though they are more difficult and scarce than his other Works yet all Christians ought to search and examine them Mystical Theology being proper for the Faithful In another place in his Book of the examination of Doctrines he says That if any one should ask him which of the Doctors he thought most proper for the instruction of the Faithful his Answer should be without detracting from the rest St. Bonaventure because he is solid safe pious just and devout and keeps as far as he can from Niceties not meddling with Logical or Physical Questions which are alien to the matter in hand disguised under Theological Expressions as too many do and because by clearing the Understanding he sets off Religion and Piety in their true Colours which is the reason adds he that the indevout Schoolmen which the more is the Pity make the greater number cast him by though there is nothing more noble more divine more conducive to Salvation and fitter for Divines than the Doctrine of this Author Trithemius makes almost the same Judgment of him in these words St. Bonaventure wrote many very deep and devout Works all his Expressions are full of heat and inflame the Hearts of those that read him as well as inlighten their Minds by a holy Light for his Works surpass all those of the Doctors of his time in their usefulness the Spirit of the Love of God and of Christian Devotion shining through them He is deep without Prolixity subtile without Nicety eloquent without Vanity his words are full of spirit yet not bombastick which is the reason that such as are touched with the Love of God read him with the more safety understand him with the greater ease and remember him with the greater profit Many Authors teach Doctrine and others preach Devotion but there are very few to be met with who have joined these two things together in their Writings But in St. Bonaventure they are united for his Devotion instructs in Doctrine and his Doctrine inspires with Devotion So that whoever desires both Knowledg and Devotion cannot do better than apply himself to the reading of his Works Much of the same opinion is St. Antoninus who remarks That such as desire Divine Knowledg more than Aristotelical Vanity find his Works easy to be understood Indeed the greatest part of St. Bonaventure's Works are mystical and spiritual they make eight Volumes printed at Rome in 1588. The first contains Commentaries upon some Books of the Old Testament viz. A sort of Preface intituled Principles of the Holy Scripture Thirty three Sermons upon the Six days Work or the Creation of the World Explications or Postilles upon the Psalms upon Ecclesiastes upon the Book of Wisdom and upon the Lamentations of Jeremy The second Volume contains Commentaries upon the Gospels of St. Mathew St. Luke and St. John with Conferences upon the last of them The third is Sermons of time and of the Saints The fourth and fifth are Commentaries upon the four Books of the Master of the Sentences The sixth Tome contains the first and second parts of his Opuscula the Titles of which are Of the reducing of Arts to Divinity The Breviloquy The Centiloquy The Quiver An Explanation of the Terms of Theology An Abridgment of the Books of the Sentences Four Books of Sentences in Verse Of the four Cardinal Virtues Of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit Of the three Ternaries of Sins Of the Resurrection from Sin to Grace The Diet of Salvation Of the Hierarchy of the Church Those of the second Part are the Soliloquâ— Meditations upon the Life of Jesus Christ Of the seven Degrees of Contemplation Of the five Feasts of the Child Jesus The Office of the Passion The Elogy of the Cross The Wood of Life The Mirror of the Praises of the Virgin The Crown of the Virgin The Compassion of the Virgin The Nightingale of the Passion of our Lord fitted to the seven hours On the seven Words of our Saviour on the Cross The Great Psalter of the Virgin The Little Psalter on the Salutation of the Angel and the Salve Regina The seventh Tome contains the third Part of his Moral Opuscula which are Of the ordering of a Christian Life Of the Government of the Soul The Mirror of the Soul Of the ten Commandments Of the degrees of Virtues The Itinerary of the Spirit of God Of the seven Paths of Eternity The Spur of Divine Love The Fire of Love The Art of loving The Book of Spiritual Exercises The Fasâ—iculary The five and twenty Memorials The Confessional Of the manner of confessing Of Purity of Conscience Of the Priests Preparation for the Mass An Explication of the Mass Of the six Wings of the Cherubims and the six Wings of the Seraphims The eighth Volume contains the Opuscula which concern the Religious the Catalogue of which I shall set down A Treatise of the threefold Estate of Religiouses The Mirror of Discipline for Novices which some call in question The twenty steps of Novices Of Advancement in Religion Of the Contempt of the World Of the Reformation of the Spirit The little Alphabet of a good Monk which is Thomas a Kempis's Of the Perfection of a Religious Life An Explanation of the Rule of the Minor Friars Questions about this Rule Why the Minor Friars preach Of the Poverty of Jesus Christ That Jesus Christ and his Apostles went barefoot An Apology for Evangelical Poverty A Treatise against the Reviler of the Order of St. Francis An Apologetick against the Adversaries of the Order of Minor Friars A Treatise intituled De non frequentandis quaestionibus Conferences to the Brothers of Tholouse which are not St. Bonaventures A Treatise of the Reform of the Minor Friars address'd to the Provincials of the Order In this Tome there is an Appendix containing An Abridgment of Theology Treatises upon the Essence Invisibility and Immensity of God and a Work of Mystical Divinity The Life of St. Francis related by Surius in October 4. is likewise ascribed to St. Bonaventure St. THOMAS of Aquino Sirnamed the Angelical Doctor of the House of the Earls of Thomas Aquinas Aquino descended from the Kings of Sicily and Arragon was born in 1224 in the Castle of Aquino which is in the Country of Lavoro in Italy
different times and which he afterwards collected together and address'd to his Brethren under the Name of a Pilgrim Friar These Discourses contain wholsome Instructions and Advices to the young Regulars founded upon Passages of Scripture and supported by some Examples which are related at the end Secondly Nine Discourses to his Brethren containing most sublime Thoughts upon the principal Vertues of Regulars viz. upon Self-denial Compunction Chastity Silence and Solitude Thirdly Thirty six Discourses upon the Incarnation the Birth the Life the Death the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ and also upon the Mission of the Holy Ghost and upon the Primitive Church which are almost wholly compos'd of Passages of the Holy Scripture The Second Tome contains Spiritual Treatises at the head of which are the four Books of the Imitation of Jesus Christ The Title of the first is Useful Advices for the Spiritual Life Of the second Advices or Documents of the Interiour Life Of the third Of inward Consolation Of the fourth Of the August Sacrament of the Eucharist Or A devout Exhortation to the Holy Communion After this Treatise of Thomas a Kempis which is contested there follow many others which without scruple are attributed to him The first is the Soliloquy of the Soul wherein he hath collected many Meditations drawn out of the Holy Scripture containing divers Thoughts and Motions of Piety of the Thankfulness and Affection of the Soul towards God The second is a Work entitled The little Garden of Roses containing divers Advices for the Spiritual Life which are also in the third entitled The Valley of Lillies In the fourth which bears this Title Of the three Tabernacles he treats of Poverty of Humility and Patience The fifth is of the Discipline of those who are in the Cloister There he treats of the Duties Employments Exercises of those who are in the Cloister and of the means they ought to use for performing them well The fifth is about a faithful Steward or the Ministery of Martha where he speaks of the external Employments of the Regulars The seventh is entitled The Hospital of the Poor Or of the Contempt of the Things of this World It contains divers Spiritual Instructions particularly about Prayer Temptations and Humility The eighth is a Dialogue about Novices wherein he brings in a Novice speaking to an ancient Regular who instructs him in the chief Duties of Religion The Spiritual Exercises are the ninth Work whereof the first part is about interiour Duties and the second of external Employments The tenth is entitled The Doctrinal or the Manual of young People There he recommends the reading of the Holy Scripture the study of good Books Singing frequenting Divine Service Humility Diligence Self-denial and Affection to Heavenly Things The Book of Compunction of Heart is a most fervent Prayer to God of one who acknowledges himself a Sinner and lays open his own Misery The twelfth Book after that about the Imitation discovers the Usefulness of Solitude and Silence These are the Treatises contain'd in the first Part of the Second Tome the second contains many other shorter Tracts the Titles whereof are these Of the Acknowledgment of our own Frailty a short Epitaph or a Manual of the Monks the Manual of Little Ones of the Elevation of the Mind to God to seek after the Sovereign Good the little Alphabet of a Monk for the School of Jesus Christ the Consolation of the Poor and Sick seven Prayers little pieces of the Mortification of our selves of Humility of a good and peaceable Life the Life of a good Monk in Rhime and some Hymns The third Tome contains in the first part the Life of Gerardle Grand of Florentius and nine of his Disciples who are John Grond John Brinkerincke Robert Berner Henry Brune Gerard of Zutphen Aemilius of Buren James of Viana John Ketel Arnold of Schoonhove In the second it contains the Life of Lidwine or Lidewige a Virgin in two parts in the third six Letters of Piety many Prayers and some Hymns These are the Works which go under the Name of Thomas a Kempis and which have been printed at Nuremberg in 1494. At Paris of the Impression of Badius in 1520 1521 and 1523. And of the Impression of Roginius in 1549. At Venice in 1535 1568 and 1576. At Antwerp in 1574. and by Sammalius in 1660. and 1607. At Bilingen in 1576. And at Colen in 1660. The Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ which is among these Works under the Name of Thomas a Kempis is found also printed under the Name of Gerson and has since been ascrib'd to the Abbot Gerson upon the Credit of some Manuscripts who is pretended to be of the Order of St. Benedict which has occasion'd a very hot Dispute between the Canons Regular and the Benedictines of which we shall give the History in a particular Dissertation at the end of this Volume where we shall examine the Authorities and Reasons which are alledg'd on both sides John Busch a Canon Regular of Windesem at Zwoll in Overyssel entred into this Convent John Busch a Canon Regular about the beginning of this Century where he continued till the Year 1464. that he finish'd his Chronicle of Windesem which is divided into two Books whereof one contains the Establishment of the Convent of Gerard le Grand and of the Monasteries that depend upon it and the other contains the History and Life of the Illustrious Men who have flourish'd in the Monastery of Windesem since its Establishment This Work was publish'd by Rosweyde and printed at Antwerp in 1621. with a Letter which Trithemius attributes to him about Spiritual Exercises upon the Life and Passion of Jesus Christ which is the Work of John Huesden Prior of Windesem full of Spiritual Maxims and Thoughts John Busch died about the Year 1470. William Houpeland a Native of Bullen in Picardy Doctor of Paris Curate of St. Severine and afterwards Canon of Notre-Dame and Arch-deacon of Brye died when he was Dean of the William Houpeland a Doctor of Paris Faculty of Theology of Paris August the 11th in the Year 1492. He wrote a Book of the Immortality of the Soul and of its State after death fill'd with many Passages of the Holy Fathers Philosophers Poets and Doctors printed at Paris in 1499. Denys Rickel so call'd from the Name of the Place where he was born which is situated in the Diocese of Liege is known by the Name of DENYS THE CARTHUSIAN because Denys Rickel a Carthusian he entred in the 21st Year of his Age into the Order of the Carthusians and there spent the remainder of his Days until the Year 1471. in which he died March the 12th aged 69 Years There is no Author whom he may not Rival for the great Number of Works he compos'd whereof he himself made a Catalogue In which there are Commentaries upon all the Books of the Old and New Testament printed at Colen in 1538. A Work entitled
and Cleanness and in them he discovers as well the sharpness of his Wit as the extent of his Knowledge His Nephew John Francis Picus of Mirandula has also left us many Works which are printed John Francis Piâ—us of Mirandula with the preceding in the Edition of Basil in 1601. viz. A Treatise of the Study of Divine and Human Philosophy wherein he compares Profane Philosophy with the knowledge of the Scripture and shews how much more excellent this latter is and what use we ought to make of the former A Treatise to prove that we ought to meditate on the Death of Jesus Christ and our own a Treatise of Unity and Being in defence of that written by his Unkle a Treatise of the Imagination two Treatises of Physicks one of the first Matter the other of the Elements a Treatise of Imitation address'd to Bembus together with the Answer of Bembus and the Reply of Francis of Mirandula Theorems of Faith and of what we are oblig'd to believe wherein he Treats very largely of the Principles of our Faith in 26 Theorems After he has shewn that the Faith of Christians is well grounded he proves in the 1st Theorem that we cannot be Sav'd without Faith in Jesus Christ but he believes that God will shew that favour to all those who observe the Law of Nature as to give them Faith In the 2d That the Faith of a Christian is the Gift of God In the 3d That all those who have the Habit of Faith give their consent to the Truths of Faith which are propos'd unto them or at least do not oppose them with obstinacy In the 4th that every one is oblig'd to believe and observe all that the Catholick Church has determin'd by an express or tacit Decision at least as to what concerns Faith and Manners for as to other things she may deceive and be deceiv'd as in the Canonization of Saints according to the Opinion of Thomas and Panormitan In the 5th That every one is oblig'd to believe all that is liâ—terally express'd in the Old and New Testament In the 6th That we are also oblig'd to believe and practise all that the Church has learn'd or receiv'd from the Apostles In the 7th That the same is to be said of those Truths which follow by necessary Consequence from such as are founded upon the preceding Principles In the 8th That we ought also to believe the Definitions and Decrees of Popes when the Church does not oppose them In the 9th That the Truths which God reveals to private Persons are not of Faith save only for those to whom they are reveal'd In the 10th That we ought to obey the Decisions of Bishops in their Dioceses when they Condemn any Doctrines as contrary to Faith or Good Manners In the 11th That every one is oblig'd to believe and practise what is necessary for attaining happiness In the 12th That among Christians the difference of Dignities States and Understanding obliges some to have more knowledge of Matters relating to Religion than others In the 13th That no Person is oblig'd to believe what one or many private Persons teach but only the Doctrine of the Catholick Church is to be embrac'd by every one In the 14th That none is oblig'd to follow the Opinion of Saints and Doctors and to give credit to their Miracles and Revelations In the 15th That we are not oblig'd to give Credit to the Words or Writings of Men even in such things as do not relate to Faith and Manners In the 16th That in case a Council and the Pope be of contrary Opinions we must adhere to the Decision of a Council and when the Fathers of a Council are divided we must follow the Majority In the 17th That when there are two Persons who call themselves Popes we must endeavour to discover whose Election was Canonical and in case it be difficult to know this that it will be better to follow his Party who is thought to have the greatest probability on his side than to own no Pope at all In the 18th That when Divines or Interpreters differ about any Opinion we must follow that which is thought to be most true but if their Opinions happen to be equally probable we must follow that which is taught by the most Famous and Holy Persons In the 19th That in Matters of Controversie and Faith a Man is not at liberty to follow what Opinion he pleases when the thing is once defin'd In the 20th That when it is not determin'd we ought to follow what is most agreeable to the Gospel and best founded In the 21th That in case the Opinions appear to be equally reasonable we ought to shun that against which Anathema's are thundred out In the 22th That in Controversies of Faith which cannot be explain'd we ought to suspend our Judgment In the 23th That those who have a pure heart who pray to God without ceasing that they may know the Truth and have an humble submissive Spirit cannot Err dangerously in matters of Faith In the 24th That those Truths which one is not oblig'd to believe explicitely at the beginning because they were not explain'd and defin'd become afterwards necessary Points of Faith when they are In the 25th That every Christian is instructed Spiritually nourish'd and perfected in the Unity of one only Church and its Head In the 26th That 't is not sufficient to have Faith but it must be accompanied with good Works whereof God is the Author that we must love God and live in conformity to his Will After this Treatise follows a Piece upon a passage of St. Hilarius of the manner after which Jesus Christ is in us reported by Gratian in the Decree Distinct. 2. de Consecrat A Translation of the Exhortation of St. Justin to the Greeks a Poem upon the Mysteries of the Cross Nine Books of the prescience of Things wherein he treats of the Divine Prescience and of that knowledge which some pretend to of things future by Compacts with Evil Spirits by Astrology Chiromancy Geomancy c. which he confutes at large in this Treatise and therein he justifies these Predictions which Prophets Divinely inspir'd Angels and even God himself has given us of things future The Six Books of the Examination of the Vanity of the Doctrine of the Gentiles and of the Truth of the Christian Religion oppose the Errors of Philosophers and particularly those of the Aristoteleans There are also Four Books of Letters written by this Author which are almost all upon Profane Subjects at the end of which there is a Discourse address'd to Leo X. about the Reformation of Manners There is not so much Wit Vigor Subtilty nor Elegance in the Works of Francis Picus as in those of his Unkle nor yet so much Learning but there is in them more solidity and evenness This Prince was unhappy during his Life for he was driven out of his Dominions by his younger Brother Louis and being
Tota vita Christi Crux fuit martyrium l. 2. c. 12. n. 7. Saepe videtur esse Charitas magis est Carnalitas l. 1. c. 15. n. 2. Vita boni Monachi Crux est sed dux paradisi l. 3. c. 56. n. 4. The other Works of Thomas a Kempis NON vestis pulchra perfectum facit Religiosum sed perfecta secuii abrenunciatio vitiorum quotidiana mortificatio Serm. 14. ad novit n. 9. Quid prodest altus status sine humilitate charitate ibid. Si non potes parva vincere non poteris graviora superare Hort. Rosar c. 15. n. 2. Saepe valde parva res est unde homo valde graviter tentatur ibid. Beata Agatha ingenua virgo spectabilis genere ait mens mea solidata est in Christo fundata Ama nesciri pro nihilo reputari Opusc. 5. p. 686. Quocunque te vertere disponis dolores semper invenies taedia multa nisi fueris ad Creatorem conversus Soliloq anim c. 12. n. 10. Omnia pereunt praeter amare Deum Man Par. c. 7. alibi saepius O Domine Jesu quid sic facis quid est iste ludus O Pie Jesu c. Soliloq anim c. 13. n. 4. Christus multos habet amatores sodales mensae sed paucos sectatores abstinentiae Hort. Rosar c. 7. n. 2. Dixit quidam expertus quicquid boni tacendo colligo hoc fere totum lâ—quendo cum hominibus dispergo Serm. ad novit 13. n. 8. Qui foris saepius evagatur raro inde melioratur c. Hort. Rosar c. 10. n. 2. Tota vita Jesu Christi Crux fuit Martyrium in Cant. Spir. Cant. 8. Saepe putatur esse Charitas est magis Carnalitas libenter c. de Discip. Claustr c. 11. n. 2. Vita boni Monachi Crux est sed dux Paradisi Opusc. 12. Thus it appears that many of the Thoughts and Sentences are certainly alike but it may be said That we must not wonder at this since these are Sentiments of Piety and Devotion which come from the Spirit unto all those who write spiritual Books and that the like Sentences are to be met with not only in the Works of Thomas a Kempis but also in those of St. Bernard of Ludolphus the Saxon of John Rusbroek Denis the Carthusian and many other Spiritual Writers besides That Thomas a Kempis being entertain'd a long time with the Thoughts and Sentiments of the Book of Imitation 't is no surprizing thing that he should draw from thence some Sentences as he often does from the Books of Holy Scripture Some Authors and among the rest Rosweidus and Heserus have taken a great deal of pains to collect together all the Flemish or Teutonic Phrases which they thought were to be met with in the Book of Imitation others on the contrary have imagin'd that they see in it a multitude of Italian Phrases but neither the Remarks of one nor the other are a convincing Proof for the greatest Part of the Phrases which they have observ'd as Teutonisines or Italian Phrases are the ordinary ways of speaking which are us'd by those who do not speak good Latin Nevertheless there is one which is wholly Flemish Scire totam Bibliam exterius i. e. To get the Bible by heart for the Flemings say To get a thing without instead of To get a thing by heart But this Expression also is not to be found in the greatest part of the Italian Manuscripts and therefore it may have been added by Thomas a Kempis in his Copy The Doctrin the Spiritual Advices and the Sentiments of the Book of the Imitation are agreeable to the Spirit and Rules of the Congregation of Canons-Regular of Gerard le Grand to which purpose this Book has been compar'd with the Letter of John of Huesden one of the first Priors of Windesme wherein the same Maxims are to be found Here follow some Instances of it The Letter of John of Huesden QUI perseveraverit usque in finem hic salvus erit Dilecte frater habeas praescripta verba ante cordis tui â—culos persevera usque in finem in sancta cruce Poenitentiâ— i. e. in vita religiosa monastica quam propter amâ—rem Jesu Christi suscepisti Initio Epist. Eorum inspice multiplices pergraves labores quam perfecte Deo obtulerunt amicos cognatos omnes possessiones temporalia bona mundi honores ibid. Si ad breve tempus perseveraveris in hoc exercitio Sanctissimâ— Vitae Passionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi ista praecepta multo majora tibi scribi poterunt quiete cito adjicientur p. 3. Quid dulcius O dilecte frater quid securius quid simplici Columbae salubâ—ius quam in Petrae foramine heâ— est in Christi Jesu vulneribus delitescere requiescere ibid. Ad externa Officia nullatenus frater dilecte aspires nec aliquam Praelaturam affectes p. 21. Libenter cum potest fieri solus sis p. 22. Nhihil penitus agas sine consilio plus semper expertis quam tibi ipsi credas p. 23. Ama nesciri ab aliis contemni opta p. 26. The Book of the Imitation DOmine suscepi de manu tua Crucem portabo eam usque ad mortem sicut imposuisti mihi Vere vita Monachi Crux est sed dux paradisi Eia fratres propter Jesum suscepimus hanc Crucem propter Jesum perseveremus in Cruce l. 3. c. 56. n. 4. 5. Intuere sanctorum Patrum vivida exempla O quam multas graves tribulationes passi sunt Astoli Martyres Confessores Virgines reliqui omnes omnibus divitiis dignitatibus honoribus amicis cognatis renuâ—ciabant l. 1. c. 18. n. 1 2 3. Religiosus qui se intente devote in sanctissima passione Domini exercet omnia utilia necessaria sibi abundanter ibi inveniet nec opus est ut extra Jesum aliquid melius quaerat O si Jesus Crucifixus in Cor nostrum veniret quam cito sufficienter docti essemus Requiesce in Passione Christi in sacris vulneribus ejus libenter habita si enim ad vulnera pretiosa stigmata Jesu devote confugeris magnam in tribulatione confortationem senties l. 2. c. 1. n. 4. Multo tutius est stare in subjectione quam in Praelatura l. 1. c. 9. n. 1. Pete secretum tibi ama solus habitare tecum l. 3. c. 53. n. 1. Cum sapiente conscientioso viro consilium habe quaere potius instrui a meliori quam tuas adinventiones sequi l. 1. c. 4. n. 2. Ama nesciri pro nihilo reputari l. 1. c. 2. n. 3. Lastly The Canons-Regulars of the Congregation of Gerard were call'd by the particular Name of Devoto's Devout Clerks the Congregation of the Devout This is the Name which Thomas a Kempis himself gives them in the Lives of Gerard le Grand