death by a contrary comparison For as death is violent in destroying so love is violent in preserving Of Corporall Exercise Corporall exercise as Fasting watching and abstinence which bridle the flesh are little profitable unlesse piety be added thereunto for it makes us shunne vices and so to be excusable for some vices but not for all but piety and good workes are gratefull unto God Of Christs Love There came one without sinne that saved us from sinne for the Sonne of man came to seeke and to save sinners because he came in love as he was man and was from eternity as he was God The instruction of words is not so powerfull as the exhortation of workes for if those that teach the truth well doe neglect to do well they shall hardly profit their audience For workes perswade more than words The Writings and Bookes of Peter Lombard may bee knowne by the Epitaph on his Sepulcher which is in Saint Marcels Church in Paris where these words may be read Here lies Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris who composed the Booke of Sentences Commentaries on the Psalmes and Saint Pauls Epistles Moreover there are foure bookes of Sentences which are the chiefe works of Master Peter The first containeth sentences of the Fathers concerning the Trinity and Unity of God The second of the Creation of the World and especially of Angels and men and of the grace of God The third of the incarnation of the Word and of vertues and vices The fourth of the Sacraments and of the last things the Resurrection and Judgement An. Christi 1245. Alexander Hales ALEXANDER HALES THis Irrefragable Piece of Learning was borne in England in a place called Hales in Norfolke where having had liberall and free education bestowed on him by his friends he wholly addicted himselfe to literature it seemes hee had not onely an excellent wit but as forward a will to study for he proved famous in a short time which argues that he was wondrous painfull in his studies and so gained the height of learning by his indefatigable care and labour And although England bred him yet hee travailed into other Countries and was as famous abroad as hee was at home for as it is testified of him Magno tempore Parisiis legit id est He read a long time in Paris He it was that made the summe of Divinity and divided it into foure parts which he performed so accurately profoundly judiciously and learnedly that hee was called in Paris Fons vitae the Fountaine of life So likewise others termed him Doctor Doctorum the Doctor of Doctors But the most generall Title of worth that was given him was this that he was Doctor irrefragabilis Sixtus Senensis saith that for his knowledge in all the liberall Arts and for his wisedome in Schoole-Divinity he was not onely not inferiour to any but indeed did farre excell all others so that he may wel be termed the guide of Schoole-Divinity Another entitles him Virum in Divinis Scripturis eruditissimum in seculari Philosophia nulli suo tempore secundum ingenio subtilem clarum Eloquiâ— id est a man most absolutely experienced in the Scriptures and inferiour to none of his time for Philosophy most acute in Wit most renouned for his Eloquence Possevinus saith of him that he writ the summe of Divinity Ea Methodo quam anteà nemo unquam attigerat id est in that dainty Method which never any before had done But abâ—ve all the pens that have writ in his praise Petrus Rudolphus hath gone the highest whose Encomium of it selfe is sufficient to cause this Author to be esteemed And since he was so famous a Writer I cannot let his name and fame dye without adding something of mine own knowledge to perpetu ate him to posterity There be three or foure remarkable things in him which praise him sufficiently as first his general Learning secondly the Scholars of note that hee was Tutor unto thirdly the various Workes that he writ fourthly the honest and sanctified life that he alwayes led and lastly his death For the first who can suspect his ability for any kinde of Learning when as hee is rather admired of all than yet equallized by any Who that is of solid judgement but doe allow of his authority who but subscribes to his Conclusions Who desires not to register his undenyable Sentences Who but spend themselves at the Lampe to have resolution of difficult points from his Treasury What Case doth hee leave unresolved what Science doth he not handle Is hee not absolute for Grammar fluent for Rhetorique deepe in Philosophy expert in Metaphysicks made up compleat for Divinity Who almost can reckon up the number of his scholasticke Questions with their wise and learned Answers satisfies he not any man in any poynt or head of Divinity Is not hee the Garden that 's variously decked with most sorts of sweet Flowers and wholsome Herbes so that while some have endeavoured to bee eminent in this or that Science and with great difficulty have scarce attained their desired perfection is not he made up of all as though Natures endowments and graces blessings attended him and did both strive to the utmost to enrich him And then secondly doe not those worthy Instruments of learning who proved such solid Scholars afterwards speak this Alensis praise especially those two more eminent Lights to wit Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure the one being for his admirable parts stiled Doctor Angelicus and the other for his rare knowledge in Divinity is called Doctor Seraphicus of the first it is said Tolle Thomam dissipabo Ecclesiam take him away and the Church will bee weakned and take away both and how will the Schooles be darkned and their glory eclipsed and were not both these by their own confessions instructed and tutored by this Alexander of Hales the Master sure was an able man who gave learning in such a measure to two such Champions And thirdly doe not his numerous unparalleld Workes sufficiently renowne him Did not all the chiefe Divines and Masters of Paris to the number of sixty approve and seale to the allowance of his summe of Divinity Did not the same Alensis decore and illustrate the old and new Testament with Marginall Notes which Worke was called Postills on the whole Bible Are there not in Manuscripts in foure Tomes Expositions and Commentaries of his upon Saint Marke Saint Luke and upon all the Epistles of Saint Paul Did not his pen set forth the summe of vertues Hath not hee writ likewise on the Pentateuch Commentaries on the Booke of Iosuah on the booke of Iudges on the bookes of the Kings as also on the Psalms hath not his labour set forth Annotations on the lesser Prophets Are not those his Commentaries on Aristotles Metaphysicks knowne by the name of Alexander ab Alexandria Did not he write learnedly likewise on the foure bookes of the Master of the Sentences hath not he
his reigne but the ancient Martyrologies affirme that Saint Denis suffered martyrdome under Hadrianus as Cardinall Baronius hath well and judiciously obserued it And so secondly we may conclude safely that Denis lived one hundred and ten yeers His writings are extant yet not without some scruple or doubting howbeit those of the best judgment give good reason why they are his I will not rehearse any of those great Miracles which the papists doe ascribe to him however I must not neglect to recite unto you his works being so loftie and divine and relishing of a Spirit which was ruled by the Dictate of the Holy Ghost And indeed I could bee large if I should but recite the Testimonies of all Ecclesiasticall Writers who have commended this godly martyr Bellarmine saith that hee used often that saying of Ignatius of Christ Amor meus crufixus est that is to say My love and delight is crucified His Sentences follow And his Works as Cardinall Bellarmine hath registred them He used to say that hee desired of God but two things first to know the truth himselfe Secondly to preach it as he should to others No lesse observable was his speech to Timothy Hadst thou seene the Saints agonies at that time as I did speaking of their cruell persecutions of him thou couldst not but weep considering the sentence denounced against them that Peter was crucified and Paul beheaded that multitudes of the common Rabble smiting them did spit in their faces and it is worthy the remembring that at their parting after they had received the sentence of death from the Magisâ—rate Paul said to Peter Peace beâ— with thee thou Foundation of the Church and Shepherd of Christs Lambs and Sheep And Peter to Paul Go in peace thou Preacher of good things thou Mediator and Captain of our Salvation and chiefest Labourer in the Lords Harvest But at their departure saith he did follow my Master Paul And in the same Epistle Observe a Miracle my brother Timothy not to be slightly passed over I who was present at their parting after their death saw them hand in hand entring into the gates of the Citie clothed with a garment of light and wearing on their heads glorious Crowns 1 Of the Celestiall Hierarchie 1 Book 2 Of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie 1 Book 3 Of Divine Names 1. 4 Of Mysticall Divinity 1. 5 Epistles to Caius 4. 6 To Dorotheus 1. 7 To Sosipater 1. 8 To Polycarpus 1. 9 To Demophilus 1. 10 To Titus 1. 11 To Apollophanes 1 12 To John the Apostle 1. To confirme that these Works were his it is sufficient that they were allowed of Saint Gregory the Great in his 33 Homily on the Gospels and not only of him but of divers others who have writ of him as St. Maximus and others An. Christi 150. Iustinus Martyr IVSTINVS MARTER LOoke upon this effigies and you behold an acute Philosopher a Judicious Divine a constant Martyr a stout shield of the Christian Faith an Elegant ancient and eloquent Writer in the defence of the Truth Whom many of the Fathers have highly esteemed and deepely praised as Photius in his Book entituled the Library and Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History S. Ierom likewise reckons him none of the meanest amongst those famous Champions of the Church so Epiphanius terms him Vir sanctus Dei a man an holy man and a lover of God Anastasius Paulus Orosius in his seventh Book and fifth Chapter and Plinius secundus in his Epistles in the tenth booke But Photius doth amongst the rest give and afford him a large Eulogie it begins in these words Est autem vir ille ad Philosophiae tum nostrae tum potissimum prophanae summum evectus fastigium c. which is That this man came to a great height not onely of our philosophy but also of that which is counted prophane flowing in the copiousnesse and abundance of all sorts of learning and histories and knew very well how to beautifie and adorn his words with Rhetoricall expressions Hence was it that hee was so able to deliver his mind in apt termes and significant phrases so that those things that came from him were wonderfull emphaticall patheticall and significant and work'd much upon the souls of his Auditors Hee was sonne to Prisâ—us Bacchius hee was borne in a certain little Towne in the province of Palestine called Naples But hee tooke great delight in Rome and therefore hee chose that to be the seat of his residence where both in speech life and habit he professed himselfe a Philosopher but he made his philosophy subservient to his sacred studie of divinity and would say He kept it for use and that in his studies he found great profit by it Tritenhemius the famous Abbat of Spanheim in his collections of the ancient fathers doth give this Iustin Martyr a very good report for he cals him Christi amatorem cultorem insignem a great lover and worshipper of Christ Jesus Cardinall Bellarmine and Baronius doe both highly prayse and exâ—oll him for his Learning in their Writings especially Baronius in his Annals doth commend him because Hee was the first Champion that set himself against the dangerous Heretick Marcion His words are these Caeterum non defuerunt qui statim adversus Marcionis venena pararent antidotum praestilit id quidem omnium primus Iustinus Martyr that is There wanted not those that presently prepared antidotes against the poyson and venome of â—arcion but the first that undertooke the cause was Iustin Martyr Nay hee not onely prayses him for that according to his due merit but also for his valour and prudence in discovering the Heresie of the Valentinians he cites Tertullian adversus Valent cap. 4. 5. to utter these words Viri sanctitate praestantia Insignes Haeresiarcharum contemporales instructissimis voluminibus prodiderunt retardarunt ut Iustinus Martyr There were men famous for sanctity worth and excellencie who by their dexterous Writings supprest the Heresie of Valentinus as Iustin Martyr so that it easily doth appeare that he did not onely suffer much for his Saviours cause but also did much study and accustome himself to defend it against all oppositions in his time For custome is a second nature and when the soule takes delight in any vertue it is gain'd upon by an usuall and customary iteration He began to flourish in the Reigne of Antoninus Pius and in the time of Telesphorus as doth appeare by his Apologie which hee dedicates to the same Emperour wherein hee grievously complains against the Prâ—consul in Asia because he did with such extream crueltie persecute the poore Christians with the sword as was thought against the minde of that good Emperour who was calme and gentle towards them and would not suffer them to read any Books of the Prophets which spoke of Christ upon pain of death But this Iustin Martyr lays him open to the Emperour and saith
so copiously adorned and beautified with such solid Reasons that they are able to drive any one to his opinions Some do stile him harsh and crabbed which is supposed came to him by his daily reading Greeke Authors Hee was not so harsh but hee was as beneficiall for his Matter and this wit hee shewed even in his youth thus and more copiously doth he set him forth and under the correction of better judgement set but his too severe faults and imperfections aside look not too rigidly upon his fall For those subjects which hee wrote of I dare say it none performed them more solidly or devoutly and it is thought by candide Divines it was his too much addicting himself to the strictnesse of life his too deep austerity that caused his fall how ever the most eminent Lights of the Church have had their imperfections it is so by the Divine permission and Satans malice and what if to this end That Men may know themselves so and to render all glory to God and my conclusion concerning his fall it shall be vaild with the Mantle of Charity and let mee say thus much of it and seriously professe When I read him I admire him His Discipline may be too rigid for these more licentious times But if it was as Saint Paul sayes Contundere corpus to beat downe his proud flesh that always rebels against the spirit who can justly blame him his method and practice may be harsh and difficult his intention and aime cannot but be commendable though he a little mistook the method yet if he attaind the end may wee not conclude him an happy Conquerour For his Heresie of which he stands guilty have not all Ages shunn'd that Rock and yet entertaine Tertullian For certaine his errour was grosse but why may not that famous Tract of his de Poenitentia make amends for it Hee is gold though not altogether refined so nor to to be refused Wheat he is who not throughly clensed yet may be placed in the Garner perfectly good he is not yet not to be despised for then who should not And what pen is that in Writing never made blot but I doe not here intend a discovery of his faults but rather of his excellencies and so I say to all Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall Hee liv'd to his Clymactericall yeere and as Saint Ierome and Nicephorus relate it hee in the middle of his Age made this declension but this Pamelius whom I follow for the description of his life sayes that hee fell into it in the 53 yeere of his age and why might it not please God to give him a recovery before the revolution of ten yeeres when it may by his Divine providence be effected in ten minutes And how usuall it is with God to bring light of darknes and to make crooked things straight hee that knowes it not is not acquainted with Gods mercifull dealing towards penitent and relenting Sinners In the yeere then of our Lord 194. It seems that this Tertullian was unconverted from Heathenisme for such an one hee was by his owne confession When he writes of the Resurrection from Death the last judgement the joys of Heaven and punishments of Hell he saith Haecnos aliquando risimus cum de vobis fuimus â—iunt non nascuntur Christiani I laughed and thought scorne of such points when I was of you meaning Heathens but now I see wee are not borne but made Christians But for that time which hee passed before his conversion to the Faith it will not be so much materiall for our purpose Though he was ingenuous and powerfull in pleading Causes at the Barre Yet will we not insist upon him as following that course of life but take him in his time wherein he saith Cancellos non adorior Subsellia non contundo Iura non conturbo Causas non elatro plus Togaelaesere Rempublicam quà ni Loricae that is I follow not the Laws plead not at the Barres beat not the Desks disturbe not the Laws doe not baule out any Causes The Lawyers Gownes have hurt the Common-wealth as much as the Souldiers Helmets The means as Nicephorus and Eusebius guesse by which this Tertullian was converted was thus The Iews being by Adrian forbidden to returne home againe after their Warres they wandred saith Tertullian up and downe having neither home nor friend without any man to comfort them and without God their King So that at the beginning of Severus Reigne Bono statures nostrae fuere Our affairs went well and the Christian Faith daily tooke a larger augmentation by the famous Writings and Preachings of excellent Ecclesiasticall Writers and Preachers And it was not promoted in obscure and little Villages but in the most eminent and renowmed Cities to wit Alexandria Antioch Aelia through all Palestine as also in Ephesus Caesarea and towards the Westerne Parts At Thessalonica Athens Corinth in Gaule or France and Rome For whole Families nay great multitudes came and embraced the faith being ready to doe or suffer any thing for the defence of it At the same time there were worthy Writers and diligent Preachers as Eusebius reports to some of which this Tertullian was bound for ever to give God thanks for his conversion as he witnesseth himselfe as at Alexandria Demetrius the twelfth Bishop and Panthenus and his Scholer Clemens Alexandrinus Aâ— Antioch Serapio the ninth Bishop at Ierusalem Gordius the fourth Theophilus at Caesarea Palaestina Polycrates at Ephesus Ponticus Palmas Berillus and Bacchilus at Corinth Agrippinus at Carthage Saint Irenaeus at Lions in France and Victor Bishop at Rome and in this time hee set out his Booke called his Apologie his conversion he declares to be by meanes of one of their Idoll gods whom they worshipped being by a Christian adjured to declare it said plainly that he was a Devill and not onely by that but by his reading the holy Scriptures Which the Devils said he confessed to be the Word of God Moreover hee saith that they are surpassing all others for Antiquitie for omnes Substantias omnes Materias Origines Ordines c. They include all Substances Matter Originals Orders beginnings c. And also because he found that what was written in them was Majesticall and Truth it selfe for quicquid agitur praenunciabatur nothing is done but it was in them fore-told and hee confesseth that the Writings of many worthy men brought him in he names many as Melito Theophilus Antiochenus Apollinarius Clemens Alexandrinus Iustinus Martyr and Irenaeus whom hee calls omnium doctrinarum curiosissimus Explorator he was taunted because hee went à toga ad pallium from the study of Law to that of Divinity but he justifies his Act most learnedly in an Oration made at Carthage and wrote a Booke called Liber de Pallio wherein he shews the Antiquitie Simplicitie Libertie Gravitie and Holinesse of it and says plainly vitio sibi dari non debere c. Hee
who strive to corrupt the Christians by their Idolatrous shews then Tertullian wrote his learned Treatise de spectaculis wherein hee handles the case to the full And at the same time how did hee stop an Heresie arising in Affrick called the Apelletians from one Apelles which worke is desired but not as yet enjoyed In the fifteenth yeere of the Emperour Severus did hee not famously write against that great Heretick Marcion and set forth his Book De Resurrectione Carnis And presently after wrote his Booke De Carona Militis worthy here to be spoken of a little upon a Triumph all the Emperours Souldiers for the greater pompe were to weare Crowns made of Bayes but one Christian there was who when he had his Crown given held it on his arme but would not weare it whereupon being demanded why hee alone had refused to set forth the pompe of that day he did boldly answer Non decet Christianum in hac vita coronari A Christian ought not to be crowned in this life a true and a worthy answer And so upon this Tertullian wrote his Book so entituled I read not after this that Tertullian did write any thing for the Church but against it The more is the pitie so great a Scholer should fall so fouly There are many Fathers who have discoursed what might be the cause of this Tertullians revolt Some as Saint Ambrose say it was Envie Vincentius Lirinensis makes a good application of it It was saith he a great tentation and triall The Lord saith Moses tries us whether wee love him or not when there ariseth up one of these false prophets or teachers or dreamers Saint Ierome gives him a great praise for his wit but laments his losse Saint Cyprians phrase was when hee would read Tertullian to say Da Magistrum Give me my Master Trithemius terms him Tam in divinis quà m in saecularibus Scripturis doctissimum The most learned in sacred and secular affaires And that hee taught Rhetorick at Carthage a long time Gloriosè saith he with great glory and credit and againe scripsit Latino sermone penè c. That hee wrote almost infinite Workes in Latine wherein he hath most judiciously confuted and overthrown all the Heresies hee wrote against licet in aliquibus c. and though saith he he erred in some things yet he wrote profitably in many other his Books Hee lived till hee was old and decrepite and so yielded up his spirit after that he had painfully and learnedly studied the Word of God and carefully and discreetly answered all those that proved Hereticks to the Truth I have here not followed Trithemius Catalogue nor yet Bellarmines concerning his Works but as Pamelius hath registred them in the Collen Impression Anno 1617. Hee hath a learned commendation set under his Effigies wherein as Tullius was the Pillar and praise of Rome so Africk glories in her Tertullian His Oratory was famous and Tertullians speech was sweeter then honey as may appeare by some of his Sentences Tertul. de poenitenia If thou be backward in thoughts of repentance be forward in thy thoughts of Hell the flame whereof only the streame of a penitent eye can extinguish and first so thinke on the greatnesse of the punishment that thou mayst not doubt of getting a remedy against it Idem de fuga in persecutione The Legion of Devils could not have conquered a Herd of Swine if God had not given them power farbe it then the Devill should have power over Gods owne Sheepe I may say That even then the bristles of those Swine were numbred before God and much more are the haires of his Saints De Fide Ex personis probamus fidem an ex fide personas Doe wee try mens faith by their persons we should try their persons by their faith Idem de Oratione The remembrance of Gods precepts chalkes out a way for our prayers to Heaven the chiefe of which precepts is That we come not first to make our atonement with God on his Altar before wee have made our atonement with our brother in our hearts For what profit is it to come to the peace of God without peace to come for remission of debts without remission of debts How can he appease his Father that is angry with his brother Idem de Oratione Let us not approach unto Gods holy Altar before wee have made peace with our offended brother for to what end should wee come to the God of peace without peace for the remission of our own sinnes without any intention to forgive one another How can hee that is not pleased with his brother thinke to please the God of his brother seeing that God commands him not to be angry at all but forgive him Hee that then prepareth himselfe on earth shall be sure of his reward in Heaven Tertullians houres of prayer They were the third the sixt and the ninth houres for they are saith he the more eminent part of the day to distribute and distinguish the publike affaires of men so have they beene accounâ—ed the most solemne times for Prayer and Divine Duties in the Church of God For at the third houre were the Apostles met together at their Devotions and were filled with the power of the Holy Ghost GOd Almighty who is the protector and defender of Kings grant to your Sacred Majesty along life a happy Reigne a secure State and habitation a strong Army a faithfull Senate or Councell and a Royall people These were the solemne Prayers of Tertullian for the Emperours and used by the ancient Church De Sanctorum Passione Tertullian saith that Paul thought himselfe unworthy to suffer for his Saviour because hee had no more lives to lose for his sake For hee that lost his life for us that wee might live deserves our lifes and all to bee laid downe for him Whence it is that the Saints have rejoyced in their sufferings not counting their life deare that they might winne Christ. Yea to mee saith Saint Paul in his Epistles to live is Christ and to die is gain And elswhere he saith I beare in my body the marks of the Lord Iesus And indeed the sufferings of the Saints though for the present grievous and hard to bee borne bring forth an hope of reward exceeding great and glorious while wee looke not at the things temporall but at the things eternall And this should encourage us for Christs Name sake to passe through bad report and good report setting before our eyes the example of the Saints and not onely so but with cheerfulnesse to sustain all injurious dealings of men though they deprive us of livelihood and life it selfe for Christ and his Truths sake knowing that it is a good thing to suffer in a good cause and that this shall make our Crown to be glorious and enstate us into blessednesse with eternity to have a period De Christo VERBO Tertullian upon occasion taking a
Epistles and this was done in the time of Zepherinus so againe he did returne to Alexandria and admitted into his society Heraclas again He recald Ambrosius from the heresie of the Marcionites and caused him to embrace the orthodox faith He never affected wealth but contented himselfe with a low estate for being so beloved he might easily have abâ—unded in riches if his mind had beene setled on them He was so studious that he would read at his meales It is said of Him to his credit and renowme that Origeni null a par â—aetatis periit à studiis that is Origens whole life was a continued study and another speaks thus of him Origenis ingenium sufficiebat ad omnia perdiscenda that is Origen had such a pregnancie of wit that he was apt to learne any thing Adfuit illi mira ex tempore dicendi facultas in obscuris dictionibus perspicuitasâ— that is He had a wonderfull faculty in expressing himselfe ex tempore and to explicate obscure places wondrous quick and able Quanti fecerit Originem Antiquitas c. How much did Antiquity account of Origen any man knows for Saint Ierome stiles him no lesse then Magistrum Ecclesiarum post Apostolos the Master of the Churches after the Apostles And Saint Augustine wished that His Works were turn'd into Latine Victorinus and Hilarius Bishop do mightily endevour to set forth his prayses And as one saith Quis ex Scriptoribus qui post Origenem vixere non insigniter ab eo est adjutus that is Who of all the Writers who lived after Origen was not singularly helped by Origens labours Nay to shut up all it is said of Him primus omnium glaciem scidit Hee was the first that broke the ice for the explanation of the Scriptures To conclude all Hee carefully employed His time endured a great measure of affliction faithfully preached the Gospel converted many to Christ having spent himselfe in holy labours for the good of the Church In the first yeere of Decius the seventh persecution being raised against the Christians in the 225 yeere after Christ. And in this persecution it is generally knowne what heavy and cruell torments this Origen then endured and indeed it was not so fierce against any as this Father for Hee suffered bonds tortures of his body being fastned by the neck with a great iron chaine and many dayes together his feet were kept in a paire of Stocks of wood and then were stretched foure paces wide with threatnings of fire and a most cruell Judge striving by all means to prolong his tortures but what pious Ejaculations and comfortable prayers and zealous exhortations he made and gave to the Christians is to be wondred at considering the length and extremity of his sufferings that he should retaine his valour and constancie untill the giving up of his spirit I know how some have sharply reprov'd him for that act of dismembring himselfe and others have condemned him and his Writings but these are not demonstrations so much as calumniations of so great a Light of the Church However if hee was in an errour the Mantle of Charitie should hide and conceal it I have read too that he died at Tire very old and poore But we are not to believe a private pen before so great a Cloud of Witnesses to the contrary However Hee lived to the seventieth yeere of his age and died a constant Martyr for Christianity Hee flourished in the Reigne of Antonius Caracalla Macrinus and others from the yeere of our Lord 213. to 240. Also I have annexed some of the famous Sentences of this Father Origen Let every man know his place and order and understand what doth become his place and degree and so weigh his actions and speech and moderate his gate and habit yet it may bee agreeable to his degree and profession Thou that art a sinner grieve not to encounter afflictions in the pilgrimage of this life for thou shalt not deserve compassion if thou sufferest with indignation but rather thinke thy selfe worthy of punishment and when thou hast humbled thy selfe and hast said that Gods judgements are just and right thou shalt obtain mercy from him who can restore thee to his favour Those that are humbled and cast downe whether worthily or unworthily let them leave the judgement to God and patiently beare his judgements for thereby they shall obtaine mercie from God and recover amongst men their former degree and glory which they lost Hee that hath exchanged poverty for riches that hee might be perfect was not made perfect at that instant when hee gave his goods to the poore but from that day when the speculation and consideration of Gods goodnesse drew to the perfection of all vertues Gods providence hath ordained all things to some end and purpose He made not malice and though he can restrain it he will not For if malice were not Vertue should not have a contrary it could not shine cleeâ—e there would be no examination and vertue could not be tried and proved For the malice of Iosephs brethren was the meanes whereby God brought about the works of his providence effected by Ioseph I have annexed his Works as they are in two Tomes Tome 1. On Genesis homilies 17 On Exodus 13. On Leviticus 16. On Numbers 28. On Josua 26. On Judges 9. On the Kings 1. On Job books 3. On the 36. 37. 38. Psalms homilies 9. On the Canticles homilies 6. On Esaiah hom 9. On Jeremiah 14. On Ezechiel 14. De principiis 4. Threnes or Lament 1. Pamphilus his Apology for Origen Ruffinus depravation of Origen Tome 2. On Matthew Tracts 35 On Luke Homil. 39. On John 32. On divers places of the new Testament homilies 10. On the Romans books 10. Against Celsus books 8. Dialogues against the Marcionites book 3. An. Christi 233. Sanctus Gregorius Thaumaturgus GREG THAVMATVRGVS I Doe intend to describe the lives of foure famous Fathers of this name who have beene eminent in the Church for Piety and Learning for Action and Passion viz. Gregorius Nazianzenus then Gregory sirnamed Magnus Pope of Rome Gregory Nyssenus who was brother to Saint Basil the Great and this Gregory Thaumaturgus the greatest part of the Churches Historians have beene copious in setting forth the prayses of all these I now set upon this and what I doe expresse to the World shall be true and mayntaind by sufficient Witnesses He was called Theodorus before and hee got his name Thaumaturgus from the abundance of Miracles which hee wrought and great Wonders which hee did if wee give credit to Gerardus Vâ—ssius in his Preface before this Fathers work that Saint Basil ranks him not inferiour to Moses the Prophets and Apostlâ—s and that hee was full of great Signes and Miracles that hee was indued with the spirit of prophecie that hee by prayer removed a great Hill which hindred the perfecting of a Church that hee dried up a great Lake
by way of Commentaries and Illustrations on them hee composed many Volumes therein following Origen of whom he was a diligent admirer and imitator Hee flourished under Constantine the Great and Constantius about the yeere of our Lord 320. And after a long and studious life hee surrendred his soule into his Makers hands His Life was written by Accacius his Successour and Eusebius Bishop of Emesen His Apologie is to be found in his Workes sacr a lib. 2. hist. there collected Now appertaining to the understanding of the divine Scriptures are these Works following 1 All the Canonicall Books of the old Testament translated into Greek 2 Of Hebrew places one Book 3 Of the description of the Holy Land one Book 4 Of the doctrine of the Ancients and another of collections of Divinitie 5 Learned Commentaries literally and mystically on the whole Psalmes 6 Fifteene Bookes of Commentaries on Isaiah the Prophet 7 Thirty Volumes in defence of either Testament opposed by Porphyrie in fifteen Books 8 Of Evangelicall preparation five Books 9 Of Evangelicall demonstration twenty books 10 Of the dissonance of the Evangelists one Book 11 Of Evangelical Canons one Book 12 Commentaries on the first Epistle to the Corinths An. Christi 330. L. Caelius Lactantius Firmianus LACT FIRMIANVS I Doe not finde any mention of the parents Countrey or education of this Father nor is his fame and reputation therefore diminished seeing that hee is registred and numbred amongst the ancient Pillars of the Church for his Pietie and Learning and hee is sufficiently praysed by those pens whose worth and veritie have been approved in all ages It is no small credit to be enrolled amongst a cloud of so divine and pious Fathers I finde by the testimony of Saint Ierome that hee was the Scholer of Arnobius who in the Reigne of Dioclesianus the Emperour was together with Flaviâ—s the Grammarian cald to preferment and that hee publikely taught Rhetorick in Nicomedia Hee addicted himselfe to writing Bookes amongst other his workes Saint Ierome speakes these words of his Treatise of Gods Anger Edidit Lactantius librum qui inscribitur Grammaticus pulcherrimum de Ira Dei that is Lactantius set forth a booke called the Grammarian and another beautifull and faire piece of Gods Anger and indeed his subjects which hee treates of and the stile in which he writes are both excellent divine and fluent savouring of a minde that was truly mortified and intended to bring his Auditors to a resolved course of sanctification and pietie For piety and holinesse is the true knowledge of God it was never yet saith hee rewarded with punishment or shame For true piety preserveth and defendeth every vertuous man from shame The party to whom he dedicates the most of his Workes addes no small testimony to his parts and learning for most of them were inscribed to no lesse person than to Constantine the Great an Emperour whose fame doth and will for ever flourish in the Church if for no other cause than even for his pietie and studie to preserve the professors of the Gospell and for his bounty and liberality to the Bishops of his time as also for his building of Churches for divine worship and his valour and heroicke constancie in opposing Hereticks and Schismaticks who began to grow potent And Saint Ierome leaves him not thus but proceeds further in his divulging his prayses in the translation of Eusebius under Constantinus the Emperour in these words Lactantius quasi quidam fluvius Eloquentiae Tullianae Crispum filium Constantini Latinis literis â—rudivit vir omnium suo tempore eruditissimus that is This Lactantius flowed with Eloquence and was as abounding as Tully himselfe and as famous for his stile of Latine Hee was Tutor to Crispus the sonne of Constantine and learned him the Latine tongue A man in his time of all others the most learned and dexterous for the education of Princes and well and deeply seene in the points of Divinity and againe Lactantium propter eruditionem hic legendum that is Lactantius therefore is approvedly read for his singular Learning Quis mihi interdicere potest ne legam institutionum ejus libros quibus contra Genies fortissimè scripsit quos silegeris stylum Ciceronis excerptum reperies that is who can forbid me to reade his Bookes of Institutions which with such a noble and valorous resolution Lactantius published against the Heathens which if you doe reade you shall finde a pure elegant and eloquent phrase no whit inferiour to that of Cieero Platina gives this Lactantius also a faire commendation in these words and to the same effect His verò temporibus floruisse Firmianum Lactantium constat Arnobii Discipulum c. that is about these times flourished Firmianus â— actantius Arnobius his Scholler who taught Rhetoricke in Nicomedia who upon some disturbance left that profession betaking himself to writing in which hee was so excellent that next to Cicero he bore away the name from any other Writer Hee writ many famous Treatises full of judgment and discretion so that in his old age hee was for his rare parts appointed to be Tutor to Crispus the sonne of Constantinus the Emperour a place of great weight and estimation and of no lesse carefulnesse and wisdome which arguâ—â—h this Lactantius to be able in his parts or else hee would scarce have beene admitted to a place of that dignity Saint Augustine and Ierome in severall places are not sparing to commend this Lactantius the latter of them speakes that although his parts were great and his preferments eminent and large yet he died very poore and so lived not gaping or greedily pursuing worldly preferments of honour and riches but as one who was willing to count all as dung and drosse so that hee might gaine the eternall inheritance For a quiet and peaceable life ought to be preferred before all other things and should be the chiefest study and care of every man so that hee might passe his life time in joy and tranquillitie that his soule might bee free from anguish and trouble at his death For it is impossible for that man to be excellent both in riches of this world and in the practise of godlinesse Honour and riches are the occasions of all kindes of mischiefs for they doe draw and seduce a man out of the right way In the time of the great persecution of the Church of Christ under Dioclesianus the Emperour begun against the Christians as Eusebius relates it in the nineteenth yeere of Dioclesian in which there was cruell demolition of Churches and sacred Temples burning of holy and godly Books inhumane tortures and torments inflicted against the Christians so that where any were found that were pious and Christian they were fetcht and most severely martyred for the truth as Cardinall Baronius averres and indeed all other Ecclesiasticall Historians that though the Tempest raged horribly yet this worthy constant Father retain'd his piety and
richest So taking advice with his fellowes he resolved to depart into some remote place that he might the freer give himselfe to the study of the holy Scriptures and the more truely follow our Saviour Pammachius advised him to marriage but this Hierome desired liberty Boâ—osius hee perswades him to a Monasticke course of living in some remote Island Well the minde of St. Hierome was thus resolved hee got him a rich Library and tooke a competency of meanes for his support and maintenance hee goes into Syria with Heliodorus with him but Heliodorus repents him of his resolution and so returnes home it is thought that they both in their journey saw Hierusalem which was famous at that time And being now destitute of his friends his body was much altered by changeing his course of life so that hee was sicke but was wondrously courteously used by a Monke but more especially by Euagrius who afforded him lodging kindly at his house being recovered to his health with a great ardour of soule he set himselfe to follow Christ so he departed farre off into a solitary place where was no company but wilde Beasts and Serpents and a few Cells of Monkes here and there scattered among the Syrians and Agarens onely Euagrius would now and then even in this his solitarinesse give him a visit Ruffinus who of a former friend became an Enemy at this time came to Nytria of Egypt and now also his brother Paulinianus having betaken himselfe to a Religious course of life was after a while made a Priest which thing Iohn Bishop of Hierusalem did not approve of but Saint Hierome doth answer it sufficiently his dislike grew because Paulinianus was made so young being not yet thirâ—y yeeres old as mâ—y be seene in his Epistle to Paulinianus Saint Hierome lived foure yeeres in this state all this while subjugating his body and studying and meditating continually with watching fastings and prayers and serioâ—sly repenting the sins which he had in his youth committed and imploring Gods grace to preserve him from future temptations So that as Erasmus speaks hee did not onely study hard all day but spent most part of the night in pious performances so that Minima pars noctis dabatur somno minor cibo nulla otio that is Hee did allow the least time to sleepe little for refreshments by diet none for idlenesse When hee was weary with study he would go to prayer or to sing an Hymne he read over all his Library and what is rare sacras literas ad verbum ediscebat that is he learnt the Scriptures perfectly to a word hee was vigilant in reading the Prophets and finding out the intent of their prophesies he was studious in the Evangelists that he might know our Saviours life the better and with more ease and profit follow it His prayer was Lord let me know my selfe first that I may the better know thee the Saviour of the world Hee was so addicted to reading that hee would let none passe him no not Ethnicos non Haereticos not the Heathenish Authours nor yet the Heretikes what he read with judgement he made use of knowing how to fetch Gold from a dunghill or Medicines from poyson by this meanes so fitting each Authour for his owne memory that hee was able to speake suddenly upon any point of Learning hee was mainly taken with Origen so that hee cald him by way of praysing him Suum his owne that little Book which he writ to his Associate Heliodorus shewes sufficiently what an able man hee would prove in the schoole of Christ. Hee had excellent skill in Hebrew knowing how necessary it was for the understanding of the Scriptures which he got of one Bar-hamina hee obtained excellent knowledge in Chaldee knowing that some of the Prophets as Daniel and some other books as that of Iob was written not onely in the Hebrew but also in the Chaldaick Dialect so likewise did he gaine the Syrian because of some affinity with the Hebrew Now having past so long a time in this strict and rigid course of life by the perswasions of Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine and Paulinus Bishop of Antioch whom upon some necessary employments the Emperour had calld to Rome some say hee was made Priest at twentie yeeres of age by Liberius Bishop of Rome but hee testifies hee was ordained at Antioch by Paulinus aforesaid When hee came to Rome hee was acquainted with many Noble Matrons especially Marcella who being stirr'd up by Athanasius and other Priests of Egypt was the first of that sex that profest a Monasticke life at Rome and shee by her faire devout carriage gained others aswell Virgins as Matrons to the same profession especially Sophronia Principia Paula and Eustochium to whom divers others joyned themselves and Hierome instructed them and stirr'd up their spirits to the studie of the holy Scriptures but hee wanted not those that envied him for there came in closely at the same time certaine Arrians under the name of Origenists whom they knew this Sâ—int Hierome had in high esteeme and so they did strive to defame his splendour by raising scandals of him so that hee left the City of Rome as unworthy of him and as some write Melania and Paula went with him or else did presently follow him hee describes his journey in his Workes and gives sufficient Reasons why he went and why he visited so many places hee termes Gregory Nazianzen his Master for Divinitie hee heard likewise Apollinarius at Antioch hee went to Alexandria but for the practice of Divinitie he chose to live in Bethelem which hee made famous by his excellent preaching Here Paula builded foure Monasteries three for women one for men in which Saint Hierome lived many yeeres as hee testifies in his Epitaph of Paula Ruffinus prosecuted Saint Hierome with a great deale of malice in so much that Saint Augustine began to suspect him untill he better knew his life and learning yet though this Ruffinus was so bitter against him Hee had famous men that stood for him as Epiphanius in Syria Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria Marcella Pammachius and Chromatiâ—s at Rome so that being much threatned and hated by these Arrians his life may be term'd a tedious Martyrdome hee studied Gods Word thirty yeeres having buried Paula his Disciple the time came that his course was accomplished and so in the ninety one of his age of Christs Nativitie 422. Under Honorius and Constantius hee payed Natures debt his bones were afterward translated to Rome where to this day there is a Monument of his to bee seene Hee was in his life of such fame that Greece did rejoyce that shee had his Works translated His Epistles are approved of in Italy France Spain all Germany and Afrike He was honoured and sought to far and neere by Bishops by Noble Matrons by great Rulers many great personages came farre having seene his Workes to see the Authour Amongst the rest one Alipius sent by Saint Augustine Paulus Orosius
the Historian came to see him so did Sulpitius Severus who highly commended him Apodemius out of France with many others with him Hee was full of Eloquence but hee that will read Erasmus commendation of him will admire how one man should be so generally expert in such rare gifts Quis docet apertius quis delectat urbanius quis movet efficacius quis laudat candidius quis suadet gravius quis hortatur ardentius c. that is who teaches more distinctly who delights more modestâ—â— who moves more effectually who prayses more candidly who perswades more gravely who exhorts more ardently Dalmatia Pannonia Italy may boast of him Stridon rejoyceth in him for bringing so great a Light to the world Italy comforts her selfe in three respects First that she instructed him next that shee baptized him lastly that shee reserves his bones as a memoriall of him France is glad that hee sent Epistles to her inhabitants all the world may bee comforted in having such an excellent Bulwark for the truth all ages and sexes may get profit out of his Volumes the best wit may hee helpe and all cannot but praise him except Heretikes whom hee detested Heare but what Trithemius speaks of him Vir in saecularibus valde eruditus in divinis Scripturis inter omnes doctores eruditissimus c. that is Hee was a man well seene in secular Learning but in Divinitie he carries the chiefe fame amongst all the Doctours of the Church famous for the knowledge in Languages he was the rooter out of all Hereticks the defender of the Truth a labourer in Vertue an hater of Vice a true Meditatour on Gods Law Baronius doth commend him deeply as you may read in his Annals So doth Prosper Sentences out of Saint Hierome Vpon Heresies Dead flesh is to bee cut off for feare of Gangreenes the scab'd sheepe is not to be admitted into the Fold lest it defile corrupt and spoile others Arrius at first was but as a sparkle but because he was not at first suppressed he proved the incendiary of the whole Church Of Innocence Wee must be like to children who forget hurts who doe not retaine anger look not on beauty to lust after it doth not speak one thing and think another so unlesse wee have puritie and such innocence we shall not enter Heaven Of Gods Word If according to the Apostle Christ is the power and the wisdome of God then hee that knows not the Scriptures knows not the power of God hee that is ignorant of Gods Word knows not Christ. Of simplicitie Thou must be a Dove and a Serpent the one not to doe hurt to others the other not to be hurt by others Vpon disgrace The Sonne of God endured the shamefull death of the Crosse and dost thou think to follow him and be where hee is and live here in pleasures Vpon Women Womens beauty is not to be respected but their chast modesty shee is truly chast who hath liberty and opportunitie to sinne and will not E duris ad placida He used to say of himselfe that whether hee did eat or drinke or whatsoever else he did that horrible voice was ever in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad jâ—dicium Arise you dead and come forth to judgement He saith the first Adam sinned by a Tree whereby we were lost and our second Adam to redeeme us dyed on a Tree If Adam was cast out of paradise for one sin O Lord what shall become of a sinner that hath a world of sins All Vertues are so united together that hee that wants one wants all and therefore hee that hath one hath all Whatsoever it is a shame to speake it is a shame also to thinke therefore the safest and perfectest course is to accustome the minde to watch over the thoughts and at their first motion either to approve or reject them that so good cogitations may be cherished and the bad extinguished Beware that thou hast not an itching tongue or eares Doe not detract from others nor harken unto them that doe detract from others He that doth afflict his body and yet forsake concord doth prayse God in the Cymball but doth not prayse him in the Quire He that gives almes to a poore sinner is truly mercifull For nature is to be respected not the person For he that gives to a poore sinner not as hee is a sinner but as hee is a man hee doth not relieve a sinner but a man Christ was a sacrifice ordained for our reconciliation and if thou dost contemne the mystery of the Sacrament thou contemnest the remedy contained in the Sacrament A just and valiant man should neither be deject in adversity nor puft up with prosperity but in both estates should be moderate When the body is strong the soule is weake and again when the body is weake the soule is strong The kingdome of Heaven suffers violence for it is great violence that men borne on earth should seek Heaven by vertue possesse it whereunto they have no right by nature I have here set out his Works as they are recorded by the Edition set forth 1567 contained in nine Tomes Tome 1. 1 Hortatory Epistles 42 2 To Heliodorus 3 To Rusticus and Laeta 4 To Salvina 5 To Ageruchia two Epistles 6 To Paulinus 7 To Paula 8 To Eustochius 3 Epistles 9 To Paulus Concordiensis 10 To Theophilus of Alexandria 11 To Castrutius 12 To Exuperantius 13 To Julianus 14 To the Virgins of Hermon 15 To Ruffinus 16 To Chromatius to Antonius of shunning suspected places 17 To Sabinianus Nepotianus 18 To Florentius Demetriades 19 To Furia Gaudentius 20 To Caelantia Eustochius two Epistles 21 To Lucinius Abigaus 22 To Julianus Castorina 23 To Theodosius Augustine 24 To Nycaeas Chrysogonus 25 To Rusticus 26 Twelve funerall Epistles in prayse of many Tome 2. 1 Against Heretikes 2 Helvidius Jovinianus 3 Apologie for his bookes against Jovinian 4 Apologie to Domnio 5 To Pammachius 6 Against Vigilantius 7 Against the same one booke 8 To Marcella against Montanus 9 Against the Luciferians 10 Originists 11 Against John of Jerusalem 12 To Pammachius to Theophilus 13 Apologies against Ruffinus three books 14 To Câ—esiphon against Pelagius 15 Against the Pelagians three books 16 Thirty Epistles of divers Arguments 17 Eight Epistles to Hierome Tome 3. 1 Prefaces and explication of questions 2 To Paulinus 3 Prefaces on the Pentateuch 4 On Jonah Kings Chronicles Esdras Tobiah Judith Hester Job Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles Esaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel 5 Twelve prophets and foure Evangelists 6 Then follow the explication of questions propouÌ„ded by divers as Damasus Dardanus Vitalis Amandus Miverius Alexander Cyprian Paula Euagrius Marcella Sophronius Hedibia Principia Fabiola Ruffinus Sunia Fretella Algasia Paulinus Desiderius 7 Then follow some questions out of Hebrew on Genesis Chronicles Kings 8 Also books of Hebrew names which are in the Old or New Testament
his death and all that while hee prayed fervently at the time of his death his sight and hearing were good and divers priests being present and praying with him he departed this life in fulnesse of days and gave order to them for his buriall and so offered himself as a sacrifice to God hee made no Will at all but gave order that his Library and all his Bookes should be safely reserved to posterity for the Church he left an able Clergy after him his Epitaph was this Distich Vivere post obitum vatem vis nosse Viator Quod legis ecce loquor vox tua nempe mea est This doth sufficiently shew what a jewell this Saint Augustine was in the Church of God Sentences out of Saint Augustine What availes it to keepe the flesh entire if the minde be corrupted holy marriage is more excellent then proud virginity a solid hope a firm faith a sincere Charity is the virginity of the mind Of servitude Doest thou desire to have thy flesh serve the spirit let thy spirit then serve God that must be ruled that the other may rule Of Prayer If it be pure and holy it pierceth the Heaven it returnes not empty thy prayer is thy speech to God when thou readest God speaks to thee when thou prayest thou speakest to God More of Prayer It is the shelter and safeguard to the soule a sacrifice to God the scourge of the Devill Of Death There is nothing doth more abate sin then a frequent meditation of death hee cannot dy ill who lived well nor seldome doth hee die well that liv'd ill Of Riches If men want wealth it is not to bee unjustly gotten if they have wealth they are by Good works to lay it up in heaven a Christian must not be proud in their aboundance nor despaire for their absence Non verborum flores sedsequere Mores If thou wilt be perfectly purged from all vices strive to kindle in thy self the fire of divine love For if thou hast perfectly tasted the sweetnesse of divine love thou wilt not care for any temporall sweetnesse The reasonable soule made to the likenesse of God may find in this world much careful distraction but no ful satisfaction for it being capable of God cannot bee satisfied with any thing but God The covetous man like Hel devoures all and desires that there were no man else in the world that he might possesse all the World The blessednesse of this life doth consist in the heavenly wisedome quietnesse of conscience and sublimity of vertue For not to be without affliction but to overcome affliction is blessednesse Love is as strong as death for as death kils the body so the love of eternal life doth kil al worldly desires and affections for heavenly love grown to perfection grows insensible of earthly affection and he that will mortify his body must first mortify his mind Hee is a Christian that at home and in his own house thinks himselfe to be a stranger our countrey is aboue and there wee shall not bee strangers None can separate Christ from thee unlesse thou separate thy selfe from Christ. Our Redeemer was born like a child died like a Lambe rose from death like a Lion and ascended into heaven like an Eagle If Adam for one sin was cast out of Paradise O Lord what shall a poore sinner be become that hath a world of sins St. Augustine saith he that gave his son for his enemies surely hee will give his Sonne to his friends Reject not ô Lord the worke of thine own hand but be favourable and shew mercy upon me who hath been a sonne of perdition and a child of rebellion And though ô Lord I cannot weare out my tongue with praying nor my hands with lifting up to Heaven for my sins I may weare out my eyes with weeping for them And be thou ô my God more gratious to heare then the Devill is ready to be malicious to hinder Of Ingratitude Saint Augustine calls Ingratitude the Devils sponge wherewith he wipes out all the favours of the Almighty Saint Augustine was so great a lover and admirer of the seven Penitentiall Psalmes as wee call them those Psalmes that expresse the Prophet Davids sorrow for this grievous sin that hee commanded them to be written in a great letter and hung about the curtains of his death-bed within next unto him that so hee might give up the Ghost in the contemplation and meditation of them Saint Augustine speaking of the conversation of the wicked amongst the godly used to say For my part I am a man and live among men how dare I promise to my selfe that my house shall be better than Noahs Arke for there were in it both clean beasts and unclean good and bad Saint Augustine saith ô let ô let the Scriptures be my pure delight let mee not be deceived in them neither let me deceive by them Of Prayer Saint Augustine saith Lord give first what thou requirest and then require of mee what thou wilt And again saith Saint Augustine hee that prayes well cannot chuse but live well and prayers is a private expression of the soule to God for by prayer Gods eare is tied to the tongue of man we speak to God by prayers and he speaks to us by preaching I have here also set the Catalogue of his Works which are many and rare so that they may be called a little Library Tome I. 1 Retractations two books 2 Confessions thirteen books 3 Of Grammar one book 4 Of Logicke one book 5 Of the predicaments one book 6 Principles of Rhetorick one book 7 Of Musique sixe books 8 Against Academick three books 9 Of order one book 10 Of a blessed life one book 11 Soliloquies two books 12 Of a Master one book 13 Of the immortalitie the soule one book 14 Of the quantitie of the soule one book 15 Of Free Will three books 16 Of true Religion one book 17 Of the manners of the Church 18 Of the manners of Monks 19 Against the Manichees two books Tome 2. 1 Epistles of St. Augustine with rescriptions being 222. 2 Epistles to Deo gratias 49. 3 Two to Januarius 4 To Honoratus 120 5 To Paulinus 112. 6 To Boniface 150. 7 To Dardanus 57. Tome 3. 1 Of Christian Doctrine foure books 2 Speeches of holy Scripture 7 books 3 Of Faith one book 4 An Enchyridion 1 book 5 Of the Trinitie 15 books 6 Of Genesis twelve books 7 Of the wonderfull things of the Scripture three books 8 Of a Christian fight one book 9 Of the worke of Monks one book 10 Of the spirit and letter one book 11 Of Divination one book 12 Of Ecclesiasticall tenets one book 13 Of the spirit and soule one book 14 Of faith to Peter one book 15 His looking-glasse one book 16 Questions of the Trinitie one book 17 Of the Patriarchs blessings one book 18 Sentences one book
Apologeticall booke to Euoptius against Theodoret 7 Exposition of the Nicen Creed 8 Schoole Notes on Christs Incarnation 9 Two Epistles to Succensus the Bishop 10 Twelve Synodall Epistles 11 Nestorius Tenets gathered out of his owne Works 12 A speech of the going out of the soul of the second comming 13 A famous Worke called Thesaurus containing fourteene books 14 Seven bookes of Dialogues with Hermias 15 Of worshipping in spirit and in truth 17 books 16 Against Julian the Apostate ten books 17 Of the right Faith to Theodosius and his Queens 18 Against the Anthropomorphites 19 Of the Trinitie Besides these there are extant printed at Ingolstadt his Commentaries on the lesser Prophets Greeke and Latine in Folio and five Books against Nestorius Greeke and Latine in the end of the first Tome of the Generall Councell of the Roman Edition And there shortly are expected thirty Paschall Sermons In these Workes you may finde Learning Wit and Eloquence in all which this Father excelled So that if a man call him the Magazine and store house of divine perfection hee shall not mistake himselfe nor transcend the bounds of modestie But of him ne me Crispini scrinia lippi Compilâsse putes verbum non amplius addam An. Christi 440. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus S. PETRVS CHRISOLOGVS THis Worthy Fathers Birth-place was at Imola a village neare Revenna in France sprung from Parents who are commended for their uprightnesse and sincerity not of meane or dejected fortunes but having ability of meanes to support them with credit and reputation and they are prayse-worthy for their great care that they had to see their sonne vertuously brought up in study and good Arts. This Chrysologus had institution for good manners and learning from Cornelius who was Bishop of that City so likewise from the same Bishop he received holy Orders and was found wondrous able for that holy function insomuch as not long after hee was by Sixtus the third of Rome chosen to bee Arch-bishop of Ravenna and was the two and twentieth that had successively managed the affaires of that Sea Hee deserves high commendation for his rare parts and indefatigable paines and various studies Hee was present at two Councels the one was held at Ravenna the other at Rome by the authority of Caelius Symmachus then Pope of Rome and Theodoriâ—ns King of the Ostrogoths He sent Letters full of learning to the Synod of Calcedon against Eutiches the Heretique which are yet extant but what a copiousnesse of wit he did enjoy may easily be perceived as also what a measure of Eloquence he possessed by the number of his Homilies and Sermons full of Elegancy and matter being above 176. He sate Bishop the space of sixty yeares and governed the Church of God with admirable wisedome and industry Trithemius amongst his Ecclesiasticall Writers speakes thus of this Chrysologus Petrus Archiepiscopus Ravennas vir eruditus atque Sanctissimus c. that is Peter who was Arch-bishop of Ravenna a man full of learning and holinesse performed many worthy actions in the Church of Christ. He was so powerfull in Eloquence especially in his Sermons to the people and so holy in his conversation that he by both these did daily bring some to the imbracing the truth and did set forth many rare pieces pro edificationâ— fidelium that is for the edification of the Faithfull You have this Father sufficiently commended for his excellent parts in an Epistle set before his Workes which were printed at Paris with the Workes of Leo the Great the first of that name Pope of Rome as also of Maximus the Bishop of Taurinum and Fulgentius Bishop of Ruspa with the Workes also of Valerianus Bishop of Cemelium in one Volume where this Chrysologus is commended with these words En tibi Chrysologum c. that is behold this Chrysologus not onely famous for his Divine Eloquence and solidity of Learning but also for his honour'd antiquity and faithfulnesse in the Episcopall function He lived within a while after Saint Chrysostome and other famous pillars of the Church He got this name as Chrysostom got his for he is termed of all Divines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Golden spoken man for who wil but reade his Workes shal finde a lofty Majesty of stile and phrase absolute and profound Learning such purity of Divinity not stained or tainted with any vaine affectation nor any rigid and harsh Interpretation no obsolete deductions or conclusions but direct and even Natural so that if you compare Neotericks either Commentators or as my Author speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Homily Writers with this man you shall finde them as Pigmies to another Atlas for where have you a more modest Interpreter of the sacred Scriptures Where can you finde one so conspicuous for pious Eloquence or Eloquent PIETIE Who opens the most obscure places of the Text with a more apt consonant ingenuous sincere interpretation so that he doth not wrest the sence nor corrupt it nor unfitly expound it but with judgement integrity exact Learning and industry so that in these respects hee doth well deserve to bee ranked with the most eminent Fathers he doth not rashly or childishly heape together a few places of Scripture but doth where the place or matter wants testimony wisely and discreetly exhibit his proofs for confirmation As hee was studious in his preachings so always before he pend any thing he would with great ardencie and humilitie set himselfe to prayer Cardinall Baronius in his Annalls doth commend this Petrus Chrysologus for his Epistle writ to Eutyches dignam plane tanto viro Episcopo Epistolam that is An Epistle indeed worthy such a great Bishop and it doth begin in these words Tristis legi tristes literas tuas with grief of heart I have read thy heavy and dolefull Letters as the peace of the Churches the concord of the Priests the tranquillitie of the common people makes our joy to abound so no lesse doth the dissention of brethren arising out of such causes deeply afflict and torment us oh now why should the actions of Christ done so long since allowed and approved in all ages by your pen be calld to question How Origen too nicely searching into Divinity and how Nestorius disputing too curiously of the Natures fell your wisedome cannot but know the Wisemen câ—nfesse him to be a God though at that time laid in a Cratch by presenting their Mysticall presents the Priests do acknowledge him that should be borne of a Virgin the heavenly Army of Angels sing at his Nativitie Glory to God in the Highest And when as at the Name of JESUS every knee should bow both of things in heaven in earth and under the earth what a strangenesse is it that your pen should move a question of his beginning we do Beloved with the blessed Apostle safely conclude that though we have knowne Iesus after the flesh yet now know wee him no more nor
damnably ingratefull Prosper pro vita contemplativa The Churches treasure should be communicated to those which want but to those which have sufficient nothing should be disbursed for to give to the rich is to defraud the poore Prosper de vita contemplativa lib. 4. The proud man would bee accounted constant the prodigall liberall the covetous diligent the rash valiant the inhumane sparing the slothfull quiet and the fearefull wary Prosper de vita contemplativa The life to come is blessed eternitie and eternall blessednesse where there is certaine security secure quietnesse quiet joyfulnesse happy eternitie eternall felicitie where there is perfect love no feare eternall day and one spirit attended on by Angels where the blessed are not rejected nor no sinner admitted Prosper lib. 5. de Vitiis Virtutibus The envious man hath so many torturers as the envied hath praisers It is the justice of envie to kill and torment the envious His Works are here truly registred by Bellarmines computation 1 Of Predictions 3 books 2 Of the contemplative life 3 books 3 Of the calling of the Gentiles 2 books 4 Of Grace and Free-will 5 Answers to the Chapters of the objections of the French Vincentians Gemensians 6 Of Grace one book 7 Of St. Augustines Sentences one book 8 Of Gods providence â— one book 9 Of predestination an Epistle to S. Austine 10 Commentaries on the Psalmes from the 100 to the 150. 11 A book of Epigrams against ingratitude 12 A continuation of Eusebius and Hieroms Chronologie An. Christi 525. Saec. 6. Sanctus Fulgentius S. FVLGENTIVS THere is amongst Ecclesiasticall Writers mention made of two of this name the one was Bishop of Vtriculanum memorable for his holinesse and sincerity of life and flourished under the reigne of Totila King of the Gothes Iustinian being Emperour and Vigilius Pope Saint Gregory in his third booke of Dialogues in his twelfth Chapter describes him compleatly This is he who was one of those two hundred Bishops which King Trasamund King of the Vandals sent bound into the Island of Sardinia to whom Symmachus the Pope sent sufficient daily provision This was equall in Holinesse and Learning if not excelling the other This famous Fulgentius whose life I describe was an Affrican by birth sprung of noble Parents and â—o much the more honoured because they were Christians His Grand-fathers name was Gordianus a Senator of Carthage and it fell out so when Gensericus was King of the Vandals that this Gordianus with divers other Noble-men and Counsellours were expulsed Carthage and stript of all their meanes and revenues Upon this Gordianus sailed into Italy for feare that as hee was cashier'd from his Estate so likewise he should lose his liberty if not his life where dying two of his sonnes returned into their Country and obtained some part of their fathers inheritance where one of them called Claudius by his wife Mariana an honest Matron in the Towne of Leptis had born unto him this worthy Fulgentius but his Father dying committed the care of his little sonne to his Wife which with great care brought him up both to the knowledge of the Latin and Greeke tongues wherein he proved most excellent and expert Being young he is commendable for his obedience to his Mother so that she committed the charge of her House to his circumspection and in this charge Hee shewed such an example of modesty obedience and diligence that as one speakes of him hee was Matri praesidium domesticis solatium externis quibus conversabatur exemplum that is a safeguard to his Mother a comfort to the family to those without with whom he conversed a rare example But God had laid and appoynted him out for higher imployments and so stirred up and enlightned his understanding that Hee knew and shunned worldly delights and vaine pleasures and profits and so left the company of young men and gave himselfe to prayer to â—astings watchings and reading and meditation So having exercised himselfe in these duties he goes to a certaine Reverend Bishop called Faustus and humbly prayed him to admit him into his Cloyster and afford him a religious habit The Bishop at first doubting whether he was fit to be admitted or not because hee was but young tender rich and noble and therefore not yet able to undergoe that strict course of life telling him how that before he did resolve of it to take a tryall and surveigh of his owne strength and seriously bethinke himselfe of that charge which he went about to embrace seeing usually that many doe presume too much upon their owne power and many times attempt more than their ability are fit to undergoe But at last noting well his eagernesse and hoping well of his constancy and continuance he yielded to his request But as soone as it was knowne that Fulgentius had undertaken this state of life all good men rejoyced and bad men fretted nay his veâ—y mother in all haste comes to recall him and disswade him from it fearing that shee should lose much by this departure from her she cryed complained and grieved deeply but her sonne would not alter and indeed she gained well by this his departure for hee gave himselfe wholly to vertue and holinesse of life His diet was spare and hee tooke no Refectories to please his palate he subjugated his flesh so that with this abstinence he fell into a deep sicknesse and yet during his disease hee kept the same strictnesse of diet saying that this sicknesse proceeded from the hands of God and that it was for his good which so fell out for he speedily recovered He gave his Heritage to his mother not to his younger brother Claudius lest it should make him too proud and because he should give the more respect to his Mother during life About this time the Devill raised up a great storme of persecution against the Catholike Christians by Thrasimund King of the Vandals in which the good old Bishop Faustus was driven from his government and this Fulgentius also from this Cell but he got into another where one Felix ruled here he shewed admirable parts of modestie and temperance But the Barbarians entring this Countrey with violence of armes this Fulgentius and Felix consulting for their safeties fled from their places but fell into the hands of the Arrians who were more inhumane and cruell then those Barbarians For it happened while they stayed at Barbadilia one Felix an Arrian Priest being a cruell persecutor of Orthodoxe Christians tried all plots how to apprehend this Fulgentius and â—elix and having misused some by shaving them and sending them away naked from their lodgings he so displeased the Bishop of Carthage though an Arrian that hee prosessed he would punish that Priest if Fulgentius would accuse him for this fact but this good man would not accuse him lest hee might seeme to revenge his owne wrongs saying plura pro Christo toleranda That he ought to suffer more then so for Christ. Well
blasphemiae that name of blasphemy How did he wisely stop the fury of the Longobards and reduced them to peace by writing his book to Theudalinda the Queene in a word having with great care and piety amongst a world of troubles governed the Church thirteen yeers six moneths and ten days in the spight of all oppositions he died quietly and comfortably rendred up his soule into the hands of his Maker in the second yeere of Phocas the Emperour and was buried in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Peter in which Leo Simplicius Gelasius and Symmachus were formerly interred with a large Epitaph in commendation of his labours and studies His Deacon is highly to be praysed for preserving some of his Workes from the fire even to the hazard of his owne life Heare but what a man he was by the testimony of Paulus Diaconus Iisdem diebus sapientissimus ac beatissimus Papa Gregorius Romanae urbis Episcopus c. that is In these dayes that most wise and blessed Father Saint Gregory Bishop of the City of Rome which when he had written many things to the profit of the Church composed foure famous bookes of the lives of the Saints which he called his Dialogues which books he sent to Theodelinda the Queen whom he knew to be a Protector of the faithfull and which did much good to the Church for shee perswaded her husband to give meanes and Revenues to the Church and caused those Bishops which were in misery and cast out to be restored and peace was by her meanes procured to Gods people Sabinianus was the man that did succeed him in his Bishopricke and as one testifies there was a great dearth the next yeer after his death and hee saith debuit enim mundus famem sitimque pati c. The world must needs suffer a famine and thirst when such a Doctor as was both spirituall food and drink to their souls was taken away He wants not divers to afford him commendations and indeed there was a cloud of Witnesses who doe extoll him Isidore cals him timore Dei plenus humilitate summus that is full of the feare of God and chiefe for Humility endued largely with the gifts of the Holy Ghost and saith thus in conclusion Foelix tamen nimium foelix qui omnium studiorum ejus possit cognoscere dicta that is Happy is hee nay thrice happy that can know all his Works and Sayings Honorius Augustodunensis termes him no lesse then Organum spiritus Sancti c. that is The Organ of the blessed Spirit Incomparable for his wisdome who writ many things more precious than the refined Gold Trithemius cals him Theologorum princeps splendor Philosophorum Rhetorum lumen vitâ conversatione integer sanctissimus c. the Prince amongst Divines the beauty of Philosophers and the light to Rhetoricians of life and conversation most upright and holy And to shut up all heare but what Ildephonsus of Toledo saith of him Vicit sanctitate Anthonium Eloquentia Cyprianum Sapientia Augustinum that is he exceeded Saint Anthony in Sanctitie Saint Cyprian in Eloquence and Saint Augustine in Wisdome and so heare onely what Cardinall Bellarmine relates of him who calls him Doctorem eximium meritò magnum that is a most egregious Doctor and well deserving the name of Great Hee died in the yeere of Christ Iesus 604. Sentences out of Gregory Magnus Of Poverty Hee is poore whose soule is void of grace not whose coffers are empty of mony the contented poverty is true riches Of the holy Scriptures The holy Scriptures are direct and right for admonition lofty for promises terrible for threatnings Of God God is never absent though the wicked have him not in their thoughts where he is not by favour he is by punishment and terrour Of conversion to God Every convert hath a beginning a middle a perfection in the first there is sweetnesse to allure him in the second bitternesse to exercise him in the third fulnesse of perfection to confirme him Of the Incarnation Will you observe our Saviours motions hee came from Heaven into the wombe from the wombe to the cratch from the cratch to the crosse from the crosse to the Grave from the Grave to Heaven On the Crosse of Christ. Christ shewed patience in his passion commended humility fulfilled obedience perfected Charity those were the four Jewels that adorn'd his Crosse. Charitatis Humilitatis jubar These are onely true riches which make us rich in vertue therefore if thou desire riches love true riches If thou aspire to honour seek the Kingdome of Heaven If thou affect glory strive to bee enrolled in the high Court of Angels Hee that loves this present pilgrimage in the midst of sorrow knows not how to shew sorrow for the words of a just man are full of sorrow for in regard of present sufferings his speech and sighs aspire to heaven He is most perfect in piety that doth most perfectly feele anothers misery The best eloquence and expression is to declare the mind by good action for conscience doth not check the speaker when his life is better then his speech Hee that lives obscurely and doth not profit others by his example is like a burning coal but hee that imitates holinesse shewing the light of uprightnesse to others is like a lampe burning to himselfe and shining to others True Faith doth not onely consist in verball profession but in actuall operation The fortitude of the Just is to overcome the flesh to contradict the will to forsake the delights of this life to love affliction for an eternall reward to contemne prosperity and to overcome adversity Joy doth discover the mind but adversity as it doth outwardly oppresse so it doth inwardly suppresse the thoughts and make us more close and cautious Gregory Magnus would say of himselfe that hee could never reade those words in the Scripture which Abraham spake to Dives Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst good things without horrour and astonishment lest having received such good things of this World meaning such dignities and honours as he had he should be excluded from having any part and portion in the happinesse or good things in the world to come Of Gods Word Saint Gregory saith and wishes all men that heare the Word of God to taste the Word of God with the palate of their hearts Not to have a slavish feare Feare not man who must die nor feare the sonne of man who is but grasse Of godly Desires Our desires saith this Father do sound more powerfully in the secret eares of God than our words Againe the more earnestly God is desired of us the more sweetly is he delighted in us Saint Paul saith Hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the minde of the spirit Rom. 8. I have here set downe his Works as they are set
before his Books printed at Rome 1588 distributed into six Tomes Tome 1. 1 Saint Gregories Life contained in foure books by Joannes Diaconus 2 Testimonies of sundry men given to him as Gregorius Turonensis Paulus Diaconus Venerabilis Beda Ado Viennensis Symo Metaphrastes 3 Eulogies and testimonies of his Works 4 The argument of all his Works 5 The argument on the second book of the Kings by him expounded Tome 2. 1 Morall Expositions upon Job in thirtie five books 2 Exposition on the seaven penitentiall Psalmes 3 Exposition on the Canticles 4 Twenty two Homilies on Ezechiel in two books Tome 3. 1 A booke of fortie most learned Homilies to Secundus a Bishop upon divers readings on the Gospels 2 A booke of the Pastors charge to the holy Father John Bishop of Ravenna 3 Foure books of Dialogues 4 Those translated into Greeke by Pope Zachary Tome 4. 1 Twelve books called his Registery of Epistles of severall subjects Tome 5. 1 Containing Anthems and a booke of the Sacraments With certaine Hymnes for Mornings and Evenings to give thankes For Lent For Palme-sunday For Good Friday Tome 6. 1 On Genesis in seventy nine Chapters with expositions 2 On Exodus in sixty two Chapters with Expositions 3 On Leviticus in fifteen Chapters with Expositions 4 On Numbers with twenty foure Chapters 5 On Deuteronomy in twenty eight chapters 6 On Josuah in two chapters 7 On Judges in eight chapters 8 On the first booke of Kings in 15 chapters 9 On the second of Kings in fifteene chapters 10 On the Chronicles twenty foure chapters 11 On the Psalmes two hundred eightie seven chapters 12 On the Proverbs thirty seven chapters 13 On the Canticles 49 chapters by Paterius On the New Testament 14 On Matthew a hundred and foure chapters 15 On Saint Marke 54. 16 On Saint Luke 99 chapters 17 On Saint John 59 chapters 18 On the Acts forty chapters On the Romans thirty chapters 19 On the 1 Corinthians 52 chapters On the 2 Corinthians 29 chapters 20 On the Galathians nine chapters 21 On the Ephesians 14 chapters 22 On the Philippians 11 chapters 23 On the Colossians six chapters 24 On the 1 of Thessalonians 7 chap. 25 On the 2 of Thessalonians 4 chapters 26 On the 1 of Timothy 13 chapters 27 On the 2 to Timothy 4 chapters 28 On the Hebrews 12 chapters 29 On Saint James 9 chapters 30 On the 1 of S. Peter 8 chapters 31 On the second six chapters On the 1 Epistle of St. John 12 chapters 32 On the second two chapters 33 On the Apocalypse 69 chapters And so I will conclude this famous St. Gregory his life with St. Damasceâ—s commendation Gregory was Bishop of the ancienter Roman Church a man admirable for his singular uprightnesse of life and purity of learning who had as hee laboured in the sacred Mysteries of Gods Word an Angell to direct him and was inspired by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost Damascenus in Oratione de iis qui cum fide dormierunt An. Christi 630. Isidore Hispalensis S. ISIDORVS HISPALENSIS HE was by birth a Spaniard of good and honest parents such was their condition that they had alwayes an especiall care in the educating of this their young sonne in vertue in his youth that hee might bee the more endued with it when hee came to maturity For many teach their children the liberall Sciences not because those Sciences may give any vertue but because they make the minde apt to receive any impression of vertue for many mens children be divers and of sundry conditions some bee of nature not prompt and forward wherefore by education they must thereunto bee formed This Isidore was of a quick wit and of an able memory pointed out by heaven in so much that he was admired and respected of all for his Learning and Eloquence And being come to yeeres and taken notice of by the Bishop who then sate in that See and other learned men gained much love and respect from them for his constancie descent and pietie whereupon hee was called to bee a Priest which he performed with a great deal of pietie circumspection and care To be brieâ—e the old Bishop falling sicke and dying many stood for some and more friends for the obtaining of it but at last it came to a generall election and by that meanes it was bestowed upon this Isidore who was successour and also Cozen to Bishop Leander Hee flourished in the Reigne of the Emperour Mauritius and of King Rivaredus and was so generally eloquent that hee could accommodate the quality of his speech fitly to discourse with the Ignorant or Learned His works were most famous for humane and divine Learning he was of a subtle sharpe wit a cleere apprehension and a composed speech excellent in verse and prose shining with the refulgent beams of sanctity and learning so that all those naturall gifts which lie scattered in others were in him collected into one subject He was called the younger to distinguish him from the senior Bishop of Corduba or from another Bishop of Siuill his predecessor When he perceived that hee was neere his end and did foresee by the quick sight of his soule that his body was spent wearied and decayed by continuall sicknesse hee gave such liberall Almes daily to the poore for six moneths together so that they tarried all day to receive his charity afterward his sicknesse increasing and his stomack through weaknesse refusing all kind of sustenance he desired to make his reconciliation with God by prayer publikely and amongst the Congregation and so was carried to S. Vincents Church where hee confessed himselfe and said Thou ô God which knowest the hearts of men and didst forgive the poore Publican that stood afarre off and knocked his owne brest who on the fourth day didst raise dead Lazarus from the grave and wouldst have him received into Abrahams bosome receive at this houre my confession and remove from thy sight the innumerable sins I have done remember not ô Lord the sins of my youth and because thou sayest Quod in quacunque hora peccator à viis suis reverterit omnes iniquitates suas traderes oblivioni I am mindfull of thy gracious promise I call unto thee with hope and confidence being in regard of my sinnes unworthy to looke up unto Heaven but ô Lord I beseech thee receive my prayer and pardon mee a sinner For if the Heavens bee not pure in thy sight much more am I impure who have drunke iniquitie like water Then hee asked pardon of the Clergie and Citizens saying I beseech the whole Congregation of the Clergie and people here present to pray unto the Lord for me a wicked sinner that I who am through my own merit unworthy to obtaine mercy may by your intercession receive pardon of my sins Forgive me I beseech you all the offences I have committed against you if I have contemned any one beene uncharitable if I have corrupted any one with bad
16 Of the two wils in Christ. 17 How we are created in the Image of God 18 Of Images three speeches 19 St. Stephens life 20 A dispute of a Christian and Saracen 21 A fragment of Sentences 22 Of the eight naughty thoughts by Euagrius 23 Of the same by Nilus 24 Of the day of judgment 25 Damascens History 26 Of the holy Sabbath 27 An Oration by Damascen Cardinall Bellarmine amongst his Ecclesiasticall Writers calls him a man of great Holinesse and Learning And as Beda was admired in the West so was he in the East Hee suffered many things for the Faith under Constantinus Copronymus wrote many famous things before he died whom the Master of the Sentences and all the Schoole Doctours have imitated for his worth and wit An. Christi 828. Sanctus Nicephorus NYCEPHORVS HAving drawne the pictures of so many famous Fathers eminent in the Church for their piety sanctity and learning it is necessary leviter tantûm vitam S. Nicephori adumbrare lightly to shadow out the life of St. Nicephorus for indeed what praises can reach the height of his perfection who like a bright lampe of learning and of religious life shined forth in the Horizon of the Church in the yeare 840. for then he lived in his brightest lustre like the East starre leading both the vulgar by his Doctrine and the wise men by his writings to the knowledge of Christ for sapientes faciunt loquuntur sapienter omnia wise men doe and speake all things wisely and Nicephorus being really religious must needs bee wise in words wise in actions and which is the highest wisedome wise to salvation Neither was he inferiour to most of the Fathers for profound judgement and learning both in Humanity and Divinity having read much and spent many houres to adorne his soule with Art and Grace that so he might informe others in the Doctrine of Salvation and illuminate the world then being in great darknes and under the shadow of sin and death He was a Physitian to cure the miseries of humane life and especially those which are incident to the soule namely tenebras intellectus errores mentis vitia appetitus irrectitudinem voluntatis the errors of the understanding the viciousnesse of the appetite and the crookednesse of the will for all these maladies of the soule he cured by his powerfull Doctrine and religious exemplary life so that those that were blind through spiritual ignorance he made them see and abhorre their sinne the lame in Charity and good workes hee made chearefull and forward to doe good the stubborne hee convinced and confuted by Arguments the weake he comforted and instructed And as the Sunne doth with his chearefull beames soften waxe refresh the drooping flowers and cherish the new sowne seeds so with the beams of his life and learning hee did warme and soften the obdurate hearts of men refreshed wearied soules groaning under the burthen of their sinnes and by his Doctrine cherished the seeds of Grace to bring forth in others the fruits of good life and conversation The Philosophers were derided quia in librossnâ—s quos de gloria contemnenda scripserunt nomina sua inscripserunt because to those bookes which they writ of contemning glory they set their owne names shewing themselves thereby most vaine-glorious But Nicephorus Workes are a glory to his name living to eternity in his learned Volumes If therefore his great wisedome and learning which attracted generall admiration may deserve commendation If the gifts and graces of his soule were so wonderfull and divine If his life were so sanctimonious and exemplary hee being a spirituall Physitian and a Sunne to illuminate the ignorant world if all these may render his life perfect and glorious then Nicephorus may be acknowledged amongst the most famous Fathers of his time who after this Pilgrimage of life peregrè constitutus properabat in Patriam regredi being a stranger on earth made haste to returne to heaven leaving to the world his Sentences and Workes He lived in the time of the Emperour Andromicus senior to whom he dedicated his Ecclesiasticall History containing eighteen Bookes and survived after the yeare of our Lord 1300. not long after exchanging this life for eternall glory His Sayings Of Example The naturall man cannot attaine to the height and perfection of active vertue or contemplative unlesse he propose unto himselfe our Saviours example as perfect God and man equall in power and vertue to God the Father and beseech him to give him the power of operation and contemplation Of Security He that liveth in security is so farre from thinking of appeasing Gods just anger towards him that he heaps sinne on former sinnes as if God did not behold them and would not require an accompt of them Of Providence God doth behold and moderate our actions using the scourge of affliction for our castigation and conversion and after due correction sheweth his Fatherly affection to those that put their trust in him for salvation Of the Scriptures The Scriptures rightly conceived make us cheerefull and active in the performance thereof also good just quiet upright and conformable to our great example of righteousnesse Christ Jesus Of Christ. The Wisedome and Divinity of Christ was seene by his words and actions drawing his Disciples to divine contemplation and imitation and working Miracles for their Faiths confirmation so bringing them to perfection which consisteth in the love of God Of Martyrs The ancient Martyrs would not be so called though they suffered Martyrdome yet they would not bee called Martyrs ascribing that title onely to Christ and so by their humiliation deserved a glorious exaltation Of Faith None of the ancient Fathers and Patriarchs did please God but by Faith in Christ as appeareth by Abraham his faithfull obedience being his justification Of Peters denyall Christ asked Peter three times if he loved him not for his own knowledge or information but that by his three-fold profession he might help and heale his threefold negation of him These are those things which he writ Namely his Ecclesiasticall History which hee composed both for style and words in elegant Greeke Also a Synopsis of the whole divine Scripture digested into Trimeter Iambicks wherein he briefely contained the arguments of all the bookes This Worke beginneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Gulielmus Esingr in his Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall Writers doth adde that he did write of the Acts done after the Maccabees even to Christ and the destruction of Ierusalem The Genealogy of the Patriarchs unto David Of Mosaicall Rites A Catalogue of the Iudges of Israel A description of tbe Kings of Israel and of the Patriarchs of Constantinople The Genealogy of Christ. Of our Saviours Miracles according to the foure Evangelists An. Christi 1071. Sanctus Theophylactus THEOPHILACTVS THe birth place of this Father was the famous City of Constantinople which once was the glory of the Roman Empire and the bulwarke of Christendome against the Turkes but
sets forth the prayses of the Christians He was sent Embassador by the Iews his Countrimen to Rome to plead for his whole Nation and to qualifie Caius the Emperours anger who was possessed against the Iews for divers crimes and enormities which they had committed hoping by his endevour and wisdome to set them right againe in the Emperours good opinion so testifies Photius and Saint Ierome and Suidas and Eusebius hee flourished in the fiftieth yeere after Christs Incarnation in the Reigne of Nero the Emperour the occasion that he was sent to Rome was thus whereas betweene the Iews and Graecians inhabiting Alexandria there fell a great sedition three choice men of either side was set apart to plead their matters and grievances before Caius Appian then being the chief for the Graecians objected many and enormous crimes against the Iews amongst others that they would not neither did give that due honour and obedience to the Roman Emperour which they ought for whereas through all the Roman Provinces there were Temples and Altars built to Caius that hee as well as other Gods might be worshipped these Iews onely of all others denied to performe any such respect neither would they sweare by the Name of Caesar Hereupon this Philo the brother of Alexander Alabarchus being an excellent and wise philosopher and an excellent man for all sorts of Learning and knew well how to guide his passion that nothing could move him to wroth in despight of Appion and all those that strove to exasperate Caius against him and the Iews fitted himselfe to cleere his Nation of those foule aspersions but Caesar would not heare him but commanded him in a great fury to depart his presence whereupon Philo turning himselfe to his Countrimen that came along with him from their Nation as Associates spake thus to them Now let us be of good courage and undaunted hearts for though the Emperour be against us yet God that rules him is for us This Iosephus testifies of him in his eighth Booke and tenth Chapter of his Antiquities of the Iews And thus saith a learned man of him That the noble and couragious heart hath still this property to be alwayes doing things honest and vertuous not onely for his own particular but for his Countries good though it be with losse of credit or exile and with the frowne of princes for true worth indeed dependeth of Vertue and all other things are of Fortune For that man that is truly magnanimous and of a great spirit as was this Philo doth continually carry himselfe upright under any burden be it never so weighty and nothing doth happen amisse or displeasing unto him be it never so difficult and hard to be borne for a Wise man knoweth his owne forces and with his vertue he vanquisheth all sudden accidents This Philo was eloquent of speech rich in sentences deep and profound in the explication of the sacred Scriptures hee was excellent aswell in the Pythagorean Platonicke as in the philosophy of Aristotle insomuch that he was counted one that excell'd others So also was he renowmed for his skill in the Greeke that he was held the chiefe of his time Hence the proverbe came Aut Plato Philonizat aut Philo Platonizat Either Plato imitates Philo or Philo Plato because of their congruity in writing The Romans in Claudius Reigne did so admire his Works that they esteemed them worthy to be kept safe in a publike Library as Monuments of his famous Learning hee was admirable for his threefold explanation of Scripture by the Literall Morall and Allegoricall sence so that most of the Ancient Doctours of the Church have imitated him and have cald him the Inventor as Sixtus Senensis doth relate Possevi As hee was also famous for his Learning so for his parentage being of great descent and executed Offices of the chiefest esteeme with credit and fidelity and it is reported of all that Caius the Emperour because in the Iewish Temples hee was not worshipped by these Titles JOVI ILLUSTRI NOVO CAIO and being incensed by Appion against the Iewes but specially against this Philo that hee intended to have slain him but failing in that hee did with extreme violence persecute and afflict the Iewes every where but chiefly those that lived in Alexandria This Philo notwithstanding being of an admirable courage and vivacitie did publikely deny that ever such prophanenesse and grosse Idolatry should be practised among the Servants of God especially themselves who had fled thither for the Truth And that you may fully see what a rare Instrument this Philo was for al sorts of Learning either Philosophicall or Theologicall Let his Mysticall Expositions of Moses Writings expresse it Hee did throughly saith one Search the Entrails and Bowels of them by which leaving the literall sence hee directed men to a higher end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to gaine eternall life and the perfection of all Vertue Nay saith Iosephus Philo was so excellent in his studies for copiousnesse of Invention for gravity of Expressions for giving light to dark words that all the Ancients gave him credit for Wit and Learning so that many did follow his foot-steps as Clemens Gregory Nazianzen and among the Latine Fathers Saint Ambrose who confesseth that he exchanged nay borrowed many excellent things of Philo. There are some Fathers that have blamed him a little for his too too inquisitive braine and doe conclude that Hee and Origen were in some things fabulous and ridiculous but all wise men know that the greatest Lights of the Church have had some blemishes Bernardus non videt omnia Therefore as a Wiseman saith Let no man upbraid another man with his misery for weaknesse and infirmities is common to all mortall men and no man knows how soone hee may be over-taken and have his failings for it is an injury to laugh at anothers infirmities when the best of men are incident to the like imperfections But this Philo was also well skild in Histories wherein hee showes not onely a rare commendation of Vertues but declares himselfe a sharp hater of Vices so that even they which spake against him for some of his Allegories give him a joint praise for his Historicall parts and knowledege the time and place wherein hee lived was full of Learning hee did live in the Reignes of Tiberius Caius and Claudius And so having done so much hee departed this humane life about the 50 yeere after Christ. His usuall saying was That there is nothing better for a man then to be borne nor anything better for him than to die soone and quickly For Death is the medicine of all evils incident to man Haec legere potes in praef Ioseph His Works 1 Of the life of a Wise man 2 Of ordering our Life 3 Of the Confusion of Languages 4 Of the nature of foure footed Beasts three Books 5 Of things subject to sense 6 Of Learning 7 Of the Possessours of Divine Things 8 Of the Division of unequall things
9 Of the three Vertues or Graces 10 Of Nature and Invention 11 Of Covenants 12 Of the successe of Generation 13 Of the change of names 14 Of the Giants 15 Of the five Bookes of Moses 16 Of Dreams 17 Of the Tabernacle 18 Of a Contemplative Life 19 Of Husbandry 20 Of Drunkennesse 21 Of Sacrifices 22 Of Providence 23 Of Idaea's 24 Of Alexander 25 Of Creatures 26 That every unwise man is but a slave These Trithemius fol. 4 There are more of his Works extant 2 Books of Allegories 3 Of the Cherubims 4 Of the Sacrifice of Cain and Abel Of the confusion of Languages Of Gods Immutability Of Abrahams Iournying Of Fortitude Of the Decalogue Of speciall Laws Of Circumcision Of Monarchie Of the Honor of Priests That an honest man is a friend of Nobilitie Of Rewards and punishments Of Cursings Of his Embassage to Caius These are all sufficient Witnesses of this Mans pains and labour An. Mundi 4057. Flavius Iosephus FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS HE was of no mean parentage or Descent but of an ancient stock of the Priests and of that Line which was the chiefe of the foure and twenty and by his Mothers side was of the Bloud Royall shee being of the Family of the Asamonaeans who a long time not onely held the Priesthood of that Nation but the Kingdome his great Grand-father was called Symon Psellus at what time Hircanus the sonne of Symon the High-priest the first of that name held the Priesthood hee was borne the first yeare of Caius Caesar and had three sonnes Hircanus the eldest Iustus and Agrippa in Vespasians Time this Genealogie and Succession was truly kept in publike Tables as his parents were great and Noble so their Integrity and uprightnesse was well knowne to all Ierusalem hee was bred up from his Childhood in good Discipline and had an excellent memory and quick understanding so that the High-priest and Elders of the City much regarded him hee passed through all the three Sects of Pharisees Sadduces and Essenes and did most approve the life of the Pharisees and did in his strictnesse of life imitate one Banus who liv'd solitarily by fruites and herbes At two and twenty yeares he professed himselfe a Pharisie which is much like to the Stoicks amongst the Graecians and presently tooke a Voyage to Rome to plead the cause of some honest and good men who for little or no cause were bound and carried before the Emperour In his Voyage the Ship was cast away yet he with others by Gods blessing with swimming saved their lives and did appeare at Rome and got speciall familiarity with Aliturus a Iew who was in great esteeme with the Emperour by whose helpe hee got to be made knowne to Poppaea the Wife of the Emperour and so freed those Priests from their bonds and further dangers and was rewarded by her with great gifts and so returned home againe Hee was in his outward behaviour and manners courteous and 〈◊〉 of humanity And in his speeches affâ—ble and friendly to all making himselfe pleasing and agreeable to most men as much as in him lay and acquainted himselfe only with such as were good and vertuous for in so doing he shunned the hatred of one and was sure to get the favour of the other For Wisemen accustome themselves gladly and willingly to indure things with patience to the intent they may the better do it when they shall be forced to sufferance He was in his time a famous Warriour and performed great Exploits hee was taken prisoner alive at the siege of Iotopata and was kept with great care and command by a company of Souldiers In the time of his imprisonment which was but short being about five dayes hee did write many things concerning the government of man in affliction And as a Wise man saith which is not impertinent That afflictions on earth are as so many good guides and Companions unto the godly which though of themselves unworthy yet make their cause the better who aime at a higher end then the blinded eyes of the ignorant can behold and become the Masters of their own hopes before others perceive them in trouble For saith hee The Heavens are their only prospect where they behold the Creatour of Nature in his height of Wonder and themselves are the Mine into which they dive to finde reason triumphant by which they discerne their insurrective passions and afflictions And as another saith That it is good for a man to live in the greatest assurance that hee can possibly howbeit if hee be constrained to hazard and adventure himselfe it is more fit that he contend and strive with it honestly then to shun and flie from it shamefully considering that all men are destinated to die but Nature hath only ordained and framed them that are vertuous and wise to die valiantly and couragiously and to beare afflictions patiently Vespasianus did much honour and respect him for his Learning and Knowledge and at his command hee married a certaine Captive Virgin of Caesarea but lived not long with her for she went with the troops to Alexandria and he himselfe married another and so with Titus was sent to Hierusalem where he was in great danger of the Iews for they esteemed him no better then a Traitour and a Betrayer of their Nation but Titus slighted these clamours of the Vulgar but the City being taken Titus gave him leave to chuse something that might be beneficial for him but hee not desiring to be made rich with the spoils of his Countrey desired nothing but the freedome of his body and his Writings both which the Emperour did grant unto him Hee preferred study and knowledge before honour and riches for he knew that the one soone fadeth and the other abideth for ever For hee held amongst all goods and pleasure of this life only wisdome was immortall And we commonly see that those to whom Riches most befall doe find sooner the end of their living then of their longing Which consideration hath caused most wise men to vent these or the like speeches concerning the infelicity of coveting Riches before Knowledge How miserable saith one should I bee if I were the most richest of the the world with what a great burthen of evils should I be over-whelmed Why then should a man torment himselfe for a thing that he must necessarily leave And why is hee not rather content quietly with that which is needfull chiefly considering that the fairest kinde of wealth is for a man to be content in what estate soever that is not to be too poore nor yet too farre off from poverty Hee set free abundance of his Kindred and Friends which were fled into the Temple and did save them and theirs from the violence of the Souldiers to the number of a hundred and fifty persons so hee was sent by Titus with Cerealis with a thousand Horse to Tekoah and saved many of his Friends and Countrymen by the way from misery
Cardinall Bellarmine doth doubt of some of these Workes whether they be Saint Hieromes or not as those upon the Kings and Chronicles Tome 4. 1 Commentaries upon the foure greater Prophets and on Jeremies Lamentations Tome 5. A Commeâ—tarie upon Ecclesiastes as also upon the twelve lesser Prophets Tome 6. 1 Commentaries upon Saint Matthew 2 Vpon the Epistles to the Galatians Ephesians Titus Philemon 3 A book of Didymus put into Latine by Saint Hierome Some doubts are made whether in the fourth Tome the Lamentations of Jeremy were done by Saint Hierom it is thought to be Rhabanus Maurus because it is found amongst his Works Tome 7. 1 Commentaries on all the Psalmes Bellarmine makes some doubt of some of the Psalmes viz. against 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19 20. and sayes they are not of Saint Hieroms turning Tome 8. 1 Commentaries on Job 2 On the Proverbs 3 Homilies on the Canticles These are rather attributed to Beda because they are said to be written in favour of Vecterius Now Vecterius was a Bishop in England in Beda's time as hee testifies those on the Proverbs are thought to be of Beda his Works because on the 21. and 31. Gregory is cited and in the 30 Saint Hierome himself is cited Commentaries on the Epistles are suspected to be Pelagius Tome 9. 1 There are many things of other mens as of Eusebius Caesariensis Ruffinus Augustine Gennadius and others which are all good pieces but not to be ascribed to this Father And so I will shut up the life of this Great Saint Hierome with the prayses that Saint Augustine gives him in his 18 booke de Civitate Dei Non defuit in Temporibus noster presbyter Hieronymus that is there wanted not in our time that Priest Saint Hierome a most learned man skilfull in three tongues especially which turn'd the Scriptures not out of Greeke but out of Hebrew into Latine So his actions and indefatigable pains with his many sufferings doe serve to shew that hee did well employ his time to Gods glory and the Churches good which doth even to this day reap great benefit out of his Works An. Christi 411. Sanctus Chrysostomus S. CHRYSOSTOM I Am now to Write and describe to the view the sweetest Father that the Church of God inioyd in many ages whom to prayse is but of Desert whom not to Commend would seeme barbarous and unchristian He was an Auditour and Disciple to Eusebius then when hee was Priest at Antioch hee got this name Chrysostome as one saith Ob venustatem Eloquii for his gracefull Eloquence it signifies a golden tongue for hee was prevalent and attractive a man most learned in Theology of an admirable Wit in his framing his Homilies hee was beloved and reverenced of all men His fathers name was Secundus and his mothers name was Anthusa both able and noble Hee was borne at Antioch in which place after some time spent in secular affaires he entred into the Priesthood and was made Governour of the Church at Antioch and Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople dying being by the perswasions of Arcadius the Emperour placed Bishop in the same See hee did worthily manage that great charge Sophronius doth highly commend this man for hee writes Nunquam eum mentitum fuisse nec unquam alicuj maledixisse neque scurrilialoquutum nec Iocos admisisse i. e. That he never told a lye never cursed any never spoke any scurrilous matter never admitted of vaine sports Admirable parts â— and indeede fit for a man of his Calling many learned men have admired his parts Anianus sayth thus Chrysostomus certè peculiare illud custodit c. i. e. Chrysostome keepes that peculiar gift and property that though wondrously studious alwayes watchfull though an enemy to dulnesse and stupidity yet never doth his words flye out into vaine flashes but still applyed to the profit of the hearer for his very stile is accommodated to the profit of the Church expressing antiquity and learning together neyther too lofty nor too meane at all times keeping equality and measure full ripe modest free from all fault of too much affected curiosity not too luxuriant not sordid nor yet too much garnished yet sufficiently and powerfully trimmed and decked not too subtile not too smart or sharpe unwantonly pleasant wondrously copious expressing an admirable faculty of the Master yet alwaies free from pride hence it is that the plain man may read him with profit and the greatest scholar cannot but praise him with just desert He doth not onely equallize Saint Basil nor yet parallell Saint Gregory but exceeds them in a word here the curious Palate shall find true Eloquence joyned with Wisdome sound Theology set forth with lustre Holinesse and Scholarship joyned in one in his Works throughout there is store of Bread and abundance of Milke with variety of sweet Delicates of all sorts for Divines In his Homilies to the people he studied for their profit not to tickle their eares but to ravish their hearts performing in all the office of a painfull Doctor he was industrious in his Expositions powerfull in his Morals in all full of Complacency hee would tell his Auditors they were not onely to learne but to exercise themselves in practising and searching the Scriptures lest they should bee addicted to Idlenesse Hee very seldome handled any questions that were curious to the Auditors as of Predestination Reprobation of Grace or of Free-will but when necessity and the Auditory in his judgement were fit to understand them then hee performed them plainly soundly and with a great expression of Piety and Learning He had excellent judgement in Morality and did contemne Riches and hated Vices so that it doth appeare by some golden sentences that hee was as one stiles him verè Aureum flumen truely a golden River Take an Instance in some of them here set downe to your view 1. Vertue is neither troublesome nor hard to be obtained 2. It is easier farre to live well than ill 3. Small and little vices ought to bee avoyded with greater study than great 4. No punishment so great as an evill Conscience 5. No man is hurt but by himselfe 6. It is better to suffer than to offer injury 7. Many doe hurt unjustly none are hurt unjustly 8. This worlds glory is reproach and reproach in this world is glory 9. This Life is rather a Death than a Life 10. Death is better than this worldly Life 11. We gaine most in Afflictions and Miseries 12. That all punishments are to bee accounted and may be made beneficiall 13. Charity is the most gainfullest trade 14. A private seclused life is preferred before all worldly contentments 15. To be deprived heaven is a greater punishment than to be punished in Hell 16. Not to be too wise is to be truely wise 17. That we may powerfully and evidently prove the Divinity of Christ without Scripture Saint Chrysostome as it appeares by all Ecclesiasticall Writers doth surpasse
that is who out-stripped others for piety and doing other things which made him admired that was his Charity and Writings â—irtutibus vitam instituit Eleemosynis claruit that is ordering his life in vertues pathes He shined in Alms-deeds and of his charity to the poor I must not let slip what is recorded of him by Photius and Simeon Metaphrastes On a time there came to him a poore man who made his mone to him that he had endured ship-wracke at sea and had lost all his goods insomuch that he had not any thing to relieve himselfe nor his family withall Gregory presently moved with compassion gives him forthwith six Ducats So he having received them departs and yet the same day returnes to this blessed Father and told him his necessity was so great that what he had received hee had payed away and so desires some more of him Saint Gregory gives him other sixe Ducats well hee the same day came the third time and desired reliefe which was given him without gain-saying by this Father proportionably but this poore man comming the fourth time and Gregory having no more gold to give yet unwilling to send him away empty hee remembred he had a piece of Plate in his House of a good value and presently commanded that to be given and it was performed according to his desire Here was compassion that was beyond the bounds of a common man foure times in one day and of the same party to crave and at every request to receive a reward without reluctancy or repining Here was Charity and Liberality bestowed the right way for whom perverse Fortune long sicknesse threats and oppressors have brought unto poverty to those let men extend forth their compassion and charity This Saint Gregory by the wisedome of God so disposing it for his admirable endowments being made as I have said before Bishop of Rome by the suffrages of all good men it was a custome that upon the first day of his enjoying that preferment there should twelve poore men be called in to dine with him so hee that was chiefe over-seer that way did as was injoyned him Well this father being sate with these twelve he presently counting them reckoned thirteene and asking his Officer why hee had transgressed the custome hee presently replyed that there were but twelve but Gregory affirmed there were thirteene so looking well upon them he saw one of their Countenances often change and to shine so after dinner hee tooke the thirteenth into his study and seriously demanded of him who hee was he replyed that he was the poore man which hee foure times in one day so bountifully relieved with gold and plate which almes-deeds saith he of yours are so well-pleasing to God that I am sent being an Angell to you to preserve your life and to direct you in your studies At which words Saint Gregory was strucke with feare but the Angel vanished immediately and Saint Gregory fell devoutly to prayers and gave God thanks for his great favour shewed to him Here I may say as it is of Cornelius Act. 10. Thy prayers and thy Almes-deeds are come up before me and I wonder where can we finde such a pattern of Charitie in these dayes Rich men doe debar themselves of many a great blessing for not exercising themselves in Almesdeeds as Photius saith here was that saying of Saint Paul verified Harbour and entertain strangers for so many have received Angels so did Abraham and Lot But I will not insist longer upon this Now I will proceed This Gregory was of that acutenesse of wit that he easily overthrew Eutyches the Heretike in a publicke disputation concerning the resurrection and did so confirme it that the Emperour caused Eutyches his books to bee burned as hereticall as you may see and reade in his Workes as also in Beda Read Iohannes Diaconus in the life of this Gregory in his first book and foure and twentieth Chapter where hee shall finde with what solid places of Scriptures and invincible arguments hee doth establish it When as the plague did rage so furiously in Rome that the living could scarce bury the dead and when Pelagius was dead of it how worthily did this Gregory behave himselfe during that heavy visitation and judgment how did he stirre up the hearts of the people with all speed to turn to God with fasting prayer and by serious and unfained repentance What an elegant speech did hee make unto them is easily to be seen it is so full of piety and wisdome that it deserves to be registred in Letters of Gold and is able to make the hardest heart to weepe and lament his sins and to set himselfe to seeke the Lord. How powerfully did he by dextrous Counsels establish the Churches How did he cause the Ligurians the Venetians and Spaniards to be drawn from Schismes and to embrace the authority of the Chalcedon Councell How did he reduce the African Churches from the Heresie of the Donatists Sicily from that of the Manichees Spaine from that of Arianisme Alexandria from that of the Agnoetans by his deep learning and judgment And did hee not likewise free France from Symoniacks which did grow up in every place Did hee not so powerfully prevail with Brunichilda the Queen with Theodoricke and Theodobert Kings of France that he procured from them a generall Councell against these persons and anathematized all that should dare to practise that sin Yet in these Heroick proceedings the Devill did all he could to oppose him by calumniation but he left not off to proceed maugre all their malicious conclusions to effect that good to the Church of God for which he thought he was set up how Christianlike did he speake to the Emperour Mauritius against his making that unjust Law that none of those souldiers which were marked in the hand should ever be converted to the faith of Christ Did not this Gregory answer the Emperour in these words Ego te de Notario Comitem Excubitorum de Comite Excubitorum Caesarem de Caesare Imperatorem nec solum hoc sed etiam Patrem Imperatorum feci Sacerdotes meos tuae manui commisi Tu à meo servitio milites tuos subtrahis that is I have meaning God made thee of a Notary to be Captain of the Watch from that I have made thee Caesar from Caesar have advanc'd thee to be Emperour and not only so but I have made thee a Father of Emperours Have not I given thee my spirituall Souldiers which are my Priests and dost thou take fâ—om my service thy Souldiers Answer I beseech thee ô Emperour to thy servants What wilt thou answer to thy Lord and Judge when he shall demand this at thy hands a worthy speech and savouring of a generous and religious spirit How severely did hee reprove the Bishop of Constantinople who would have beene called Vniversalis for his pridâ— and doth he not directly call it No men istud