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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88705	Speculum patrum: A looking-glasse of the Fathers wherein, you may see each of them drawn, characterized, and displayed in their colours. To which are added, the characters of some of the chief philosophers, historians, grammarians, orators, and poets. By Edward Larkin, late Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, and now minister of the Word at Limesfield in Surrey.	Larkin, Edward, 1623-1688.	1659 (1659)	Wing L444A; ESTC R230373	42,396	106

the Longobards who had with violence entred Italy and wasted many of the Churches He wrote many books which were consumed after his death by them that hated them a few onely being preserved through the intercession of Petrus Diaconus He dyed in the year of Christ 606. he is said to have countenanced Images in Churches although we finde no such toleration in the writings of former Fathers but no wonder if being a Monk he was a Patron of Superslition and Idolatry yet Barthius gives him this character Ejus Homiliae mirifice bonis rebus plenae exemplar sequentium seculorum doctoribus His Homilies are wonderfully full of good things and as a copy set for the Doctors of the following ages to write after Nay Erasmus calls him simplicem pium And again sayes he In Gregorio pluram nulloque fuco picturatam sanctimoniam agnoscimus We acknowledge in Gregory pure sanctimony and painted with no false deceitful colour But Martin Luther doth not without some colourable grounds disparage him whilst he hath this passage in the 49 Chapter of Genesis Gregorium admodum tenuiter cognovisse Christum verbum Evangelii That Gregory knew Christ and the word of his holy Gospel very slenderly The successor of this Pope Sabinianus by name out of spight and spleen to his memory endeavoured the destruction of all his Works Of which Sabinianus we reade that he was the first Inventer of the use of Bells and of Lamps perpetually burning Isidorus Hispalensis ISidorus Hispalensis lived in the yeer of the Lord 630. and dyed in the raign of the Emperour Heraclius Gesner saith that he wrote a Commentarie almost on all the Scripture besides he wrote a book De ortu obitu Sanctorum Of the birth and death of the Saints and of the Nativity Passion and resurrection of our Saviour together with many Philosophicall Treatises as of Astronomy Cosmography and Grammaticall learning moreover he wrote two books of Epistles to severall persons contemporary then with him Iohn Gerson doth affirm that the acts of the Councills were collected by this Isidore Sixtus Senensis saith that this man was conceived to have been the Disciple of Great Gregorie Our Bishop Downham having an occasion to mention him tells us that he was Archbishop of Sivill in Spain and one of the most learned writers which have been in the Church within these thousand yeers He is said to have culd and gathered out of the immense writings of the ancient Fathers innumerable volumes of all Arts and Sciences To him in regard of his great Sanctity of life Annuall honours on the sixteenth of Ianuary are decreed Hildephonsus composed a Catalogue of his works This Isidore was called Isidore Iunione or the younger Isidore in distinction to another of that name called Isidore Pelusiota who flourished about 450. yeers after Christ and was the disciple of Iohn Chrysostome He wrote a hundred and thirty Greek Epistles now extant as some write in the Vaticane Library wherein he did explain the deep mysteries of the Christian Religion Cardinall Baeronius has inserted into his Annalls an Epistle of this mans written to the Emperour Theodosius in whose Raign he flourished Suidas doth thus advance him telling us quod una cum simplicitate veritatem amaret probaret sine omni simulatione loqueretur That he loved the Truth with simplicity That he approved of it and would speak it without dissimulation or hypocrisy And Demster gives Hispalensis Isidore this following Elogie Grammaticus necessarius in que pleraque quae nusquam alibi A needfull Grammamarian in whom there are many things no where else to be met with Beda BEda was an English man by birth calle Venerabilis venerable for his great learning and gravity and yet he was miserably ensnared with Popish errours which in those times had overspread like a Gangrene every Nation wherein there was a possession of Christianity so that it might be said that as the whole world was once called Arian so then it might have been stiled Antichristian Yet this man though corrupt in his opinions and judgement was very zealous in the duties of his calling fervent in prayer laborious in reading writing and preaching of the Gospel But there is nothing makes more for his commendation then his noble patience in bearing those heavy and fearfull agonies which he underwent immediately before his death He was of great fame in the Raign of Iustinian the second of that name about the yeer of Christ 690. He lived as some reports Vitam longissimam till he was very aged He dyed under Leo the third in the yeer 731. so some say but others 734. His works are set out in eight Tomes His Commentaries on Pauls Epistles he gathered out of Augustine as himself doth insinuate by these words in the preface of them In Apostolum quaecunque in opusculis S. Augustini exposita Inveni contra per ordinem transcribere curavi Whatsoever I have found expounded on the Apostle in the works of S. Augustine I have taken care to transcribe them in their order Durandus writes of this Bede that being blinde by reason of his great Age he caused himself to be led into the villages by certain guides that he might preach the Word unto the people and when on a time they carried him into a valley full of stones and his leaders deluded him saying that there was a throng of people met together whereas indeed there was not a man come to hear him he began to preach very zealously as was his manner and when he had concluded his Sermon with these words per secula seculorum instantly all the stones cryed out with a loud voice Amen Venerabilis Beda Amen whence it was saith this Durandus that he was ever after stiled Venerable Beda Johannes Damascenus IOhannes Damascenus was a superstitious Monk the disciple of Cosmus contemporary with Bede who appeared in the West as he did in the East He was for a time mingled with the Saracens and for fear of death committed Idolatry amongst them worshipping as they did the bones of Mahomet He stood stifly for Imagery whereupon he was excommunicated in the General Council assembled by Constantius Copronymus He was much conversant in the books of the ancient Fathers as appears by his Treatise de Orthodoxa Fide but if he had been as narrow a searcher of the holy Scriptures he had not fallen into those Popish snares He was the first man that brought Christian Religion to a certain method in imitation of whom Peter Lombard styled The Master of the sentences did the like He flourished under Leo Isaurus and Constantius Copronymus about the year of Christ 730. Suidas does commend him in these words Damascenus vir doctrissimus aetatis suae nulli eorum qui doctrina illustres fuerunt secundus Damascene a most learned man second to none of his age that were accounted learned Baronius censures him for a vain empty light and lying Writer And Bellarmine lib. 2. de

Philosopher of Athens turned Christian and flourished if we may believe Bellarmine in the year of Christ 142. when Antonius Pius was Emperour and Telesphorus the Roman Bishop though Baronius will not have him to appear till the year of our Lord 179. which was the time when Aurelius sat in the Throne and Soter or Eleutherius in the Chair He was a man of very gteat esteem with the said Prince for his vast abilities and profound learning he wrote an Apology in the behalf of his fellow Christians and likewise undertook an Embassie that he might speak as an Advocate for them to the Roman Majesty He published a golden book as one cals it of the Resurrection set out and interpreted by Andreas Gesner Epiphanius cites this mans Apology in the Heresie of Origen where he relates the words of Proclus out of Methodius Bellarmine in his book of Ecclesiastical Writers saith Scriptorem hunc carere suspicione That this Writer is without suspition and yet he is constrained to confesse that he was over-passed both by Eusebius and Ierome Varro saith that this Author writ also some books of Husbandry How he dyed I read not what is now extant of his Works you have printed in one volume with Iustine Martyr Irenaeus IRenaeus flourished say some about the 160. year of Christ others the 180. when Aurelius Antonius and Commodus were Emperours and in that he saith that in his childhood he converst with Polycarpus some of the learned think that he was born either at Smyrna or not far from it that he was a Greek his name is their warrant to conjecture it Eusebius saith that he succeeded Pothinus in the Bishoprick of Lyons where he governed the Church say some for thirty years others say more Some which have written Martyrologies speaking of his death doe tell us that he was butchered by the Tyrant Maximinus who was a great persecutor of the Saints and people of God Bargnius saith that he was martyred with almost all his people of Lyons in that horrid storm which was raised against the Christians by the Emperour Severus He wrote against the heresies of those times which Satan had spread abroad on purpose to eclipse if not altogether to extinguish the sun-shine of the Truth He was at Rome with Eleutherius where he indeavoured the conviction of Blastus and Florinus two notable Schismaticks and to allay that malignant spirit of error which their stinking breath had raised He also sharply reyroved the Roman Bishop Victor for that he had injuriously excommunicated the Asian Churches so saith Eusebius Erasmus thinks that this Author wrote in Latine and not in Greek and being skilled in Greek he therefore useth Graecismes But Rhenanus judges the contrary because Ierome reckons him among the Grecian Writers Tertullian doth bestow on this man this following admirable character Irenaeus omnium doctrinarum curiosissimus explorator A most exquisite and curious searcher into all manner and kind of learning Epiphanius cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Most blessed and most holy Ireneus Erasmus in an Epistle of his thus sets him forth first he commends him from his name Magnus ille Ecclesiae propugnator pro sui nominis augurio pacis Ecclesiae vindex and then he goes on highly extolling his writings spirant illius scripta priscum illum Evangelii vigorem ac phrasis arguit pectus martyrio paratum habent enim Martyres suam quandam dictionem seriam fortem masculam That great defender of the Church for the divination of his name a maintainer of the Churches peace his writings breath that ancient vigour of the Gospel and his phrase argues a heart prepared for martyrdome for Martyrs have a certain serious expression valiant and masculine Bellarmine speaking of the books which this man wrote saith of them Quod pleni sum doctrina pietate that they are full of learning and piety Yet notwithstanding this great Light had his eclipses as appears by somewhat that is unsound in his own writings Particularly he was entangled with the snare of Papias who was the Father of the Chiliasts this Eusebius doth charge him with as we find it in the third book of his history the six and thirtieth chapter against which opinion of his Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria is said to have written somewhat in confutation so saith Sixtus Senensis He was likewise once an allower of free-will in spirituals though afterwards he expressed himself to the contrary saying Non a nobis sed a Deo esse bonum salutis nostrae that our salvation is not from our selves but God There was one strange opinion more to which he was addicted and that was Animas a corpore separatas habere hominis figuram characterem corporis ut etiam cognoscantur That souls departed and separated from the body have mans figure and form of his body so that they may be known by it Pantaenus PAntaenus was of the School of Alexandria where at first he professed the Philosophy of the Stoicks but afterwards became very eminent in the profession of Christian Divinity It s said of him by learned Pareus Quod primus scholam ex ethnica in christianaem mutavit that he was the first which changed an ethnick school into a christian He was sent from Alexandria by Demetrianus the Bishop thereof into India to establish that church in the sacred Truth which the Apostles of our Lord Jesus had there planted where meeting with the Gospel of St. Matthew written in Hebrew and left there with those Eastern people by Bartholomew he brought it thence say some to the City of Alexandria though Eusebius tels us that it remained there even in his time He was the Master of that famous Schollar Clemens Alexandrinus he flourished under the Emperours Severus and Antonius Caracalla about the year of Christ 200. he left behind him some certain Commentaries on the holy Scripture which are not now extant though Ierome had in his time the knowledge of them Eusebius stiles him a famous learned man and one in great estimation lib. 5. cap. 9. and Senensis speaking of him tels us that he was eminent propter tam secularis literaturae quam sacrae eruditionis gloriam as well for the glory of his secular learning as his sacred erudition Clemens Alexandrinus CLemens Alexandrinus So called because he was a Presbyter of Alexandria preached the Gospel both at Ierusalem and at Antioch he was the master of Origen and moderated in the School of Alexandria after Pantaenus He flourished in the raign of Severus and his son Antonius He wrote many learne books Eusebius calls him in Divinis Scripturis exercitatum one exercised in the Divine Scriptures Causabon inexhaustae Doctrinae virum a man of unexhausted learning Henisius Penu eruditionis Seientiae The granary of Erudition and Science Caussinus Plutarchum Christianum The Christian Plutark Dempster gravem disertum authorem A grave and eloquent author but the Centuriators of of Magdeburg are full and large in

ecclesiae scripsit that he wrote many most pious works of most elegant phrase and neer Ciceroes candour to the edification of the Church he was an extreme charitable man for as soon as he was turned from gentilisme to christianity he gave up all his substance to the support of poor Christians Ierome writing to Paulinus saith of this Father Quod instar fontis purissimi levis incessit placidus that like a most pure fountain he ran light and pleasing he wrote a famous treatise of mortality on purpose to comfort men against approching death in the time of a fearful pestilence Among all his writings that treatise of his de unitate ecclesiae of the unity of the Church is most set by and advanced Erasmus in an Epistle thus commends this man inter Latinos ad apostolici pectoris vigorem ubique sentias loqui pastorem ac martyrio destinatum And again saith he In Cypriano spiritum veneramur apostolicum we reverence in Cyprian an apostolical spirit t' is Austins in the second book against the Donatists chap. 1. non me terret autoritas Cypriani quia reficit humilitas Cypriani the autority of Cyprian doth not terrifie me because the humility of Cyprian doth refresh me A Deacon of his by name Pontius wrot the History of his life and Martyrdome he was martyred under Valerian and Galienus Arnobius ARnobius was a famous Rhetorician in Affrick the master of Lactantius of whom Eusebius Pamphilus reports that being a teacher of Rethorick and a Gentile he was constrained through sundry dreames to beleeve the glorious Gospel and yet the Christian Bishops would not receive him to their Fellowship till he had written and published those excellent Books of his against Gentilisme wherein he confuted that vain Superstition and Idolatry whereof he had been before so great a Patron and Advocate He wrote but seven books in number and the eighth which is thereto added is none of his compiling but as some say the Author of it was Minutius Felix He is said besides these books to have written Commentaries on the Psalmes But they are as Bellarmine well observes the workes of some later Author which he proves by their making mention of the Pelagian Heresie which was not broached till the time that Austine lived which was many yeers after Arnobius and besides Salmeron speaks of another Bishop of the same name to whom he ascribes those Expositions This man flourished about the yeer of Christ Christ 300. He is not without some speciall Characters Barthius saith this of him Si non extaret Densa nox foret in Superstionibus veterum If this man had not been living it had yet been right in the Superstitions of the Ancients Dempster calls him virum reconditae eruditionis styli asperioris A man of deep learning of rougher stile But Henisius above all others doth advance him Ille Patrum praesul optimus ille Christianae Varro maximus eruditionis That president of the Fathers that Varro of Christian Erudition but yet in some respects Ierome doth depresse him Arnobius inaequalis nimius est absque operis sui partitione confusus Arnobius is unequall and too much and without partition of his work confused Lactantius Firmianus LActantius Firmianus whom Alstedius stiles by the name of Cicero Christanorum the Christians Cicero was the Disciple of Arnobius who being eminent for eloquence in the raign of Diocclesian taught Rethorick at Nicomedia and and wrote those elegant books against the Religion of the Heathens of whom Ierome said Lact antius quasi quidam fluvius eloquentiae Tullianae vtinam tam nostra confirmare potuisset quam facile aliena destruxit Lactantius as it were a certain river of Ciceronian Eloquence I would to God he could as well have confirmed our own as he he did destroy the Religion of our Adversaries Lodovicus Vives having occasion to mention him saith this of him Septem scripsit volumina elegantissima acutissima nec est ullus inter Christianos scriptores tam vicinus dictioni Tullianae He wrote seven most elegant and acute volumes neither doth any among our Christian Writers come so neer the speech of Tully Pisecius stiles him Lacteum mellitissimum Scriptorem A milkie and most honey writer And Amesius too speaking of hm in his Book entituled Bellarminus Enervatus thus saith Quod inter omnes Patres audit Ciceronianus That among all the Fathers he is the Ciceronian I shall add but one Elogie more to him and t is that of Henisius Quid Tertulliani porro vim ac lacertos Quid Clementis variam prope incredibilem scientiam aut Hilarii Cothurnum aut Chrysostomi digressiones melle dulciores aut acumen Augustini aut diffusam cum solo Cicerone conferendam Firmiani eloquentiam commemorem What should I commemorate the force and strength of Tertullian Why the incredible Science of Clemens or the statelinesse of Hilary or the digressions of Chrysostome more sweet then Honey or the acutenesse of Augustine or the diffused eloquence of Firmianus who alone is comparable to Cicero And yet he is charged by Bellarmine with many errours whose words are these Lib. 1. de Sanct. beat Cap. 5. circa fin Lactantius in plurimos errores lapsus est praesertim circa futurum seculum cum esset magis librorum Ciceronis quam Scriptur arum Sanctarum peritus Lactantius fell into very many errors especially about the world to come seeing he was more skilfull in the workes of Cicero then in the books of the holy Scriptures Hence Chemnitius discourages us from reading of him saying Non multum potest juvare Lectorem He cannot much profit the reader Ierome particularly notes this in him that he denied the Holy Spirit to be a substance or person and beside this errour he addes another whilst he attributes reason to brute creatures lib. 3. instit cap. 1. He wrore his book of Divine Institutions under Dioclesian as himself expresseth it in the fourth Chapter of the fifth book and he published it in the Raign of the Great Constantine to whose Imperiall Majesty he doth direct his speech in it He was called Firmianus from his Countrey Town Firmii situate among the Picens in Italy and Lactantius as one well notes a Lacteo eloquentiae flumine from his milkie river of Eloquence He was in his old age Tutour to Crispus the son of Constantine how he dyed I read not Eusebius EUsebius was Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine he flourished about the yeer of our Lord 320. He was looked on at the first as the principall man of the Arian faction Chemnitius de lect Patr. stiles him apertissimum propugnatorem Arii A most open defender or abetter of Arius Baronius stiles him with Tertullian manifestum Hereticum a manifest Heretick Ierom in both his books which he wrote against Ruffinus doth not onely call him Arianum an Arian but likewise signiferum principem Arianorum The Standard bearer or Ensign of the Arians Yet certainly at the Councill of

Concord thy childe without doubt shall live When the Emperour refused to yield to this Let God saith Basil deal with your son as it pleaseth him and so the childe presently died This Father lived till the beginning of the reign of the good Emperour Theodosius and was thought to have been the Author of Monastical life The commendations are high which his friend Nazianzene gives him as who styles him Luminare in Mundo Doctrinae Palatium unus Sol inter Syderea A Light in the World a Pallace of Learning and as the Sun among the Stars Suidas calls him Verum celeberrimum ad summum omnis doctrinae fastigium progressum A man most famous that had climbed up to the highest step of all Learning Caussinus saith That Libanius though his Master did prefer him before all other Authors Erat illi unus pro centum millibus in eloquentia Basilius And this sayes Erasmus also of him Basilius dilucidus pius sanus suaviter gravis graviter suavis nihil habens affectate loquacitatis Basil is clear pious sound sweetly grave and gravely sweet having nothing in him of affected loquacity Gregorius Nyssenus GRegorius Nyssenus Brother to Basil the Great called Nyssen from the Church of Nyssa whereof he was Bishop but when he was consecrated it is not with any certainty resolved He joyned with his Brother Basil and Gregory Nazianzen against the Arians whom both with their word and pen they notably confuted Neither was this Father more backward and slack in opposing the Heresie of Eunomius and if we will take the word of Reverend Theodoret this Doctor ever shewed himself zealous in withstanding that whatever it was which was contrary to the rule and power of godliness Nicephorus tells us in his 12 Book and 13 Chapter That in the General Council of Constantinople this man did supply that which was lacking in the Nicene Creed this clause being by him added And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified Suidas doth bestow upon him these two Characters Gregorius Nyssenus omni doctrina refertus in multum profecit illustris evasit ut quisquam veterum Gregory Nyssen being stuft full with all Learning profited so much therein that he was judged as famous as any of the Ancients And again the same Author calls him Eloquentissimum multiplici eruditione praestantem Most eloquent and excelling in variety of Learning And Caussinus gives him this following Elogie Quid Gregorius Nyssenus Caesarius Num ipsi Gregoriorum fato aureum flumen orationis fundunt This mans Brother Basil being prevented by untimely death from finishing his Commentaries on the six dayes works Socrates tells us That this Gregory compleated them and made them perfect These were the eminent and remarkable sayings of this Father He said concerning Sin That although the Serpents which stung us were not here slain outright yet their venemous stings could not mortally wound us And concerning Pilgrimage he said That a Pilgrimage from the Lusts of the Flesh to the Righteousness of God and the Sanctification of the heart was onely acceptable to God and not a journeying from Cappadocia to Palestina and that God would give a reward in the world to come onely to things done in this world by the warrant of his own Commandment Leo the Emperour called this Father Dulcem illustrem Ecclesiae fontem The sweet and illustrious fountain of the Church He was elder Brother to Basil but died after him Gregorius Nazianzenus GRegorius Nazianzenus was born at Nazianzum a town neer to Cesarea in Cappadocia where Basil the Great was Bishop who out of a desire he had to learning went to Athens to imploy his time there in the study of the Arts whence returning home he was Baptized about the twentieth yeer of his age and after that giving himself up to the study of the Christian Religion he was at length urged by his father to take upon him the Ministery and to assist him being then aged in the execution of his pastorall charge Yet his parents after a while deceasing he left his Countrey for some yeers and lived private but comming afterwards to Constantinople he preached in the Church of Anastasia all the other Oratories of the City being taken up and filled by the Arians And here is one thing to be noted that though so eminently learned and pious a man as was this Nazianzene was then present yet the Generall Councill held there at that time preferred one Nectarius a Noble man of Cilicia to the Bishoprick of Constantinople before him a man which was at that time but a Catechumenus and never before advanced to any Ecclesiastical preferment overpassing this great Doctour and overlooking this great light And here it was that he fell into controversie with Apollinarius the Heretick who was so impudent as to accuse Nazianzene of sedition before the Magistrate but the Bishop did very fairly acquit himself of the crime It is said of this grave and holy man quod solus post Johannem Evangelistam Theologi nomen meruit That he onely after Iohn the Evangelist merited the eminent title of Divine There happening dissentions amongst his fellow Bishops he withdrew himself for retirement to his Fathers Countrey Farme house as being weary of all publike congressions whereof he seldom saw any profitable issue by reason of the ambition of the disputants He lived all his life time unmarried and dyed not under the 90th yeer of his age in the yeer of Christ 384. he wrote much against those Hereticks which either did impugne the Divinity or Humanity of our Lord and he was likewise most vigorously active against the Heathenisme of the Gentiles in those two invectives of his wherein he chastiseth that Apostate Iulian who would needs be a restorer of Paganisme Ierom owns this holy Father for his Master 〈◊〉 quo Scripturas explanante didicit From ●…om as his interpreter he learn't the Scriptures And ●s this learned man did admire Basil so did Basil him as appears by this Elogie he gives him Vas electionis puteus profundus os Christi Gregorius Now for this mans speech it seemed as Suidas saith to come neer to Polemons or to Isocrates so saies Erasmus as also it was not unlike to Ambrose Erasmus speaking of his piety he tells us that it did ex aequo propemodum certare cum facundia It was even as eminent and illustrious as his eloquence and the commendation which Bellarmine gives him is quod sapientiam mirificie eum eloquentia copulavit That he marvellously coupled his wisdom with his eloquence Epiphanius EPiphanius Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus was instructed in learning by certain Monkes in Egypt from whence he went into Palestine living there a Monasticall life and improving his time in the study of Philosophy so that in few yeers his proficiency therein was mightily increased

and advanced He wrote a book in confutation of no lesse then 80. Heresies which is called his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein is also comprehended a History from Christ even to his own times He flourished in the reigns of the Emperours Valens and Gratian being Contemporary with those grand Lights of the Church Basil the Great Gregory Nazianzene Iohn Chrysostome with the latter of which he had a sharp contention about the writings of Origen which Epiphanius would have condemned as Hereticall at the Synod of Constantinople but Chrysostome withstood it in which bickering of theirs this hapned worthy of admiration That one was a true Prophet to the other Epiphanius presaging the deposition of Chrysostome and Chrysostome the sudden death of Epiphanius both which were accordingly accomplished the one being afterwards deposed and the other dying in his return to Cyprus Suidas saith thus much of this mans works Quod a doctis ob res ab indoctis propter verba leguntur and Ierom said the like That they are read of the learned for their matter and of the unlearned for their words His Panarium is stiled by another Vniversae antiquitatis Ecclesiasticae promptuarium A Cellar or Storehouse of all Ecclesiasticall Antiquity He was master of five learned tongues and thence it was that Ierom honoured him with this Epithet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustine addes this Elogie Apud Graecos inter magnos habitus a multis in Catholicae fidei sanitate laudatus With the Greeks he was reputed among the great ones and commended by many for his soundness in the Catholike Faith And yet Drusius fastens many an errour on him lib. 4. observat cap. 21. Epiphanium scimus omnes in multis graviter hallucinatum We all know that Epiphanius grievously erred in many things Ambrosius Mediolanensis AMbrosius Mediolanensis Episcopus the Bishop of Millain being Leiutenant of the Province was chosen Bishop of the City by the unanimous consent of the people and therein confirmed by the Emperour Valentinian he was high in the affections of five most noble Princes Valentinian the elder Gratian Valentinian the younger Theodosius the great and Honorius he was a man of great fame amongst the eastern Churches and very intimate and familiar with Basil of Caesarea and other eminent and famous Doctors even as the inscriptions of his Epistles to diverse of them do insinuate He baptized Augustine and was likewise his master before he was Bishop of Millain he governed Liguria he wrote many excellent books which deserved those characters that the learned have given him Erasmus saith thus of him Ambrosius juxta nomen suum vere coelesti manat Ambrosia dignus quisit quod dicitur Ambrosius hoc est immortalis non solum apud Christum sed etiam apud homines Ambrose according to his name doth truely flow with heavenly Ambrosia who is worthy to be what he is called Ambrosius that is immortal not with Christ onely but with men also It s Augustines commendation of him ejus eloquià strenue ministrant adipem frumenti divini laetitiam olei sobriam vini ebrietatem his eloquent speeches do stoutly administer the fat of divine bread-corn and the joy of oyle and of wine a sober drunkenness one of the Latine Poets speaks his worth in this following distich Cedite doctores Romani cedite graii Nescio quid majus nascitur Ambrosio Theodosius the Emperour being suspended from the Sacrament by this excellent Prelate because he came to it with the guilt of bloud upon his soul for being angry with the inhabitants of Thessalonica he had caused seven thousand of them to be slain having drawn them together for that end to a Stage-play he said of this Ambrose Neminem se nosse qui vere sciret episcopum gerere praeter unum Ambrosium that he did not know any man that truely knew how to behave himself like a Bishop besides Ambrose He dyed in the year of the Lord 398. aged 64 years Hieronymus HIeronymus was brought up at Rome in the time of Pope Damasus flourished in the Church about the year of Christ 390. providence so ordering that there should arise such shining lights at that time when the Church was pestered with the heresies of Arius and Pelagius there being no less then ten or twelve which in that short tract of time presented themselves to oppose them among which this Father was one of the chiefest He was a great traveller and had compassed the greatest part of Europe that he might have conference with the learned of that age at length returning to Judea he seated himself about Bethlehem where he composed most of those works we enjoy at this day and there he dyed full of dayes in the yeer of Christ 416. and in the 12 of the raign of Honorius The learned of latter times have highly extolled his repute and fame Hieronymus blandum facundiae nomen summis in omnibus artifex saith Caussinus Ierom a pleasant name of eloquence and in all things the best artist Barthius gives him this Elogy Hieronymi ingenium hoc fuit ut conscius sibi profundissimae eruditionis paucis dicere plura salem quendam acuminis relinquere velit in animo legentis this was Ieroms wit that being conscious to himself of his deep learning he would speak much in few words and leave a relish of his ingenuity in the mind of the Reader Augustine is very spa●ing of speaking in his praise because he lived in his time and was his scholar But Henisius doth of late break out into admiration of him Quo tandem modo aut quibus ego verbis tuam maxime Hieronyme ingentem simul pietatem ac facundiam describam After what manner and with what words O most great Ierome shall I describe thy vast piety and eloquence how shall I express and declare thy skill which was so admirable in all tongues and in all antiquity and Philosophy this Henisius speaks and much more of him in one of his orations they write that this man of all the Fathers onely had knowledge of the Hebrew tongue When he was at Rome he grew into acquaintance with some of the honourable Ladies there as Marcella Sophronia Principia Paula and Eustochium to whom he opened many difficult and knotty texts of Scripture for he was then a Priest after he left Rome as he journied to Palestine he acquainted himself with those three Doctors Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus Nazianzene and Dydimus yet he was more addicted to an Eremetical life then to society Erasmus in his Preface to Hilarius having made mention of this Father he subjoynes this testimony quo viro nihil habet orbis latinius doctius vel sanctius then which man the world hath nothing more Latin and more learned or more holy Austin also speaking of his elegant speech saith thus cujus eloquium ex oriente in occidente instar lampadis resplenduit whose eloquence like a Lamp did shine out of the east into