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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

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

strong armour against hereticks This Father was wont to say when he spake of our Saviours death and passion that his Love was crucified Ireneus gives us an account of his Martyrdome and sets down the very words he should utter a little before his sufferings which were to this effect or sense Inasmuch as I am the wheat of God I am to be ground with the teeth of beasts that I may be found pure bread or fine manchet His Epistles were printed at Oxford 1644. Polycarpus POlycarpus whose name signifieth much fruit was the Disciple of St. Iohn the Apostle ordained by him Bishop of the Church of Smyrna he went to Rome in the reign of Antonius Pius Anicetus being Prelate at that time there where he reduced to the true faith those which were bewitched by the hereticks Marcion and Valentinus It happened that wicked Marcion there meetting him thus spake to him Knowest thou us O Polycarpus To whom forthwith this grave and holy man most disdainingly answered I know thee to be the first-born of the Devil This godly Professor was in the dayes of Antoninus the Philosopher and Lucius Verus Roman Emperors tied to a stake in the midst of the Amphitheater and there devoured by the mercilesse flames as Volaterrane and Eusebius have written but others yet say that he could not burn the Lord from Heaven restraining the natural violence of the fire by a miracle and thereupon they slew him with the sword at Smyrna in the year of our Lord 167. In this mans time Egesippus the Iew was converted to the Christian Faith who afterward wrote in five books the History of the Church from Christ to his own time This Polycarpus writ an Epistle to the Philippians so saith Ierome and another to great Dionysius the Areopagite so Suidas Socrates in his Ecclesiastical History tels us That this man did communicate with Anicetus the Roman Bishop though he differed in opinion from him about the celebration of Easter Ireneus commends that Epistle of his to the Philippians in his third book against heresies saying That it is so full furnished to this that out of it all those which have any care of their salvation may know the character of faith and the doctrine of truth Eusebius recites the Prayer which this holy and devout man did conceive and utter immediately before he was martyred it begins thus O Father of thy beloved and blessed Son Iesus Christ by whom we have knowledge of thee Ireneus gives this eminent Saint this following commendation Hic docuit semper quae ab Apostolis didicerat Ecclesiae tradidit quae sola sunt vera This man alwayes taught that which he had learnt of the Apostles and delivered to the Church those things which are only true 'T is Dalleus his Blogy of him Quo viro post Apostolos quorum familiaris fuit vix ullus apud Christianos unquam fuit sanctior ant divinior Then which man after the Apostles whose familiar companion he was there was scarce any one among the Christians more holy and divine Eusebius gives us an account of his martyrdom by an Epistle of the Church of Smyrna inserted in his History wherein we have many remarkable passages one is a Voice speaking to Polycarpe from Heaven and saying thus O Polycarpe be of courage and play the man even then when he was standing before the Judgement-seat Another is the stout Reply which he made the Proconsul when he tempted him to deny the Lord Jesus which was much to this effect Fourscore and five years have I served him neither hath he ever offended me and how can I revile my King who hath hitherto kept me A third is that when his body was burning it seemed to the senses of them that beheld it to send forth a sweet and fragrant smell as of Frankincense or such like odoriferous perfume Justine Martyr IUstine Martyr fiourished in the reign of Antonius Pius and so was contemporary with Polycarpe Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history speaking of him saith that this man was famous in the Christian Doctrine a little after the times of the Apostles He was the son of Priscas Bacchus born at Flavia a new City of Syria Palestina so he himself tels us in one of his Apologies It s said that the Emperour upon his reading of this mans Apologies which he had dedicated to him wherein he pleaded the righteous cause of poor distressed and calamitous Christians that he gave order for the ceasing of the persecution Tertullian and Suidas doe speak great matters in the honour and praise of this Champion He wrote against the Heretick Marcion whose venome it seems had spread it self farre and wide in his dayes He was a notable Philosopher and in his Dialogue with Trypho he saith that he had been an Auditor of all the Sects of them of Stoicks Peripateticks Pythagoreans and Platonicks Ierome tels us in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers that he did habitu Philosophico incedere walk in the guise and habit of a Philosopher He was beheaded at Rome saith Eusebius in the reign of Lucius Verus but according to Epiphanius it was before even in the time of Adrian His death whensoever it was was promoted and procured by the malice and revenge of Crescens an ungodly Philosopher who being worsted by him in his excellent disputations never left till his malignancy had brought to passe this pious Martyrs destruction whence you have this or the like passage from his own mouth in his Apologie relating to his persecutor Crescens I look for no other thing then this that I be betrayed by some one of them called Philosophers or knockt in the head by Crescens no Philosopher indeed but only a proud self-conceited boaster and so he goes on in that Apology This Father records of himself that he was prevailed withall and won to imbrace the Christian Faith through the cruelties of heathen Tyrants against the Saints of Christ and their couragious patience under them We meet with a worthy character given this man in the Bibliotheca of Photius which is as followeth or much to that sense Est vir ille ad Philosophiae tum nostrae tum potissimum profanae summum evectus fastigium multiplicisque eruditionis historiarum copia circumfluens That man is an eminent proficient both in our Christian Philosophy and also in prophane and overflowing with abundance of various learning and histories Pareus saith this of his works quod ejusdem scripta etiamnum cum fructu leguntur That his writings are now read with benefit Epiphanius cals him Virum sanctum Dei amantem a holy man and a lover of God Tatianus in his book against the Gentiles stiles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most admirable Yet this man though he did apologize for Christianity had his errors In his Dialogue with Trypho he shews himself an Abetter of the opinion of the Chiliasts and the barbarous Gentiles he did entitle to salvation A thenagoras A Thenagoras a

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

w●ites of him Prosper Episcopus Rhegiensis vir in divinis Scripturis eruditissimus in secularibus nobiliter doctus carmine excellens prosa eloquio disertus sensu profundus ingenio subtilis assertione nervosus vita conversatione sanctissimus apparuit Prosper the Bishop of Rheims appeared to be a man most learned in the divine Scriptures and nobly instructed in things that were Secular excellent both for verse and prose eloquent in speech profound in sense subtile in wit sinewous in assertion and holy in life and conversation He wrote a book de Ingratis Of Unthankeful men by which name he alwayes meant the Pelagians which sprung up out of the ashes of that Arch-heretick Pelagius So Bishop Usher writes in his eighth Chapter de Primord Britan. Eccles Bellarmine saith this of him to his honour Quod multa praeclara scripsit pro gratia Dei contra Pelagianos That he wrote many excellent things for the grace of God against the Pelagians Seque Augustini discipulum defensorem acerrimum demonstravit and proved himself to be a disciple and most sharp defender of Augustine Sixtus Senensis styles him Virum acris ingenii dictionis pressae nervosae elegantis A man of a piercing wit of a brief sinewous and elegant elocution Petrus Chrysologus PEtrus Chrysologus was Archbishop of Ravenna born of Noble Parentage styled by Sixtus Senensis Vir tam vitae sanctitate quam omni eruditionis genere excellens A man excelling as well for sanctity of life as for all kinde of learning He was instructed in Christian literature by Cornelius a certain Bishop and advanced by Pope Sixtus the third to that eminent dignity at Ravenna In this mans time there were two Councils summoned the one by Coelius Symmachus the Pope the other by Theodoricus the King of the Ostrogoths the one sitting at Rome and the other at Ravenna This Prelate was called to both And besides he delivered Letters to the Council of Chalcedon against the heretick Eutyches which Letters are yet extant He had the name of Chrysologus given him because he was so near in conformity to Chrysostome there being in both of them par phrasium majestas a like majesty of phrase In the Epistle prefixed to this mans Sermons you have this commendation bestowed upon him Si cum hoc quosdam Neotericos aut commentatores conferas Pigneum Atlanti comparare videaris If you confer any of your Neotericks or late Commentators with this Author you may seem to compare a Pigmy to Atlas Sixtus Senensis speaking of those hundred two and twenty Sermons preached by this Prelate he doth thus expresse them Breves quidem sed sensus gravitate venerandes candore sermonis venustisque verborum flosculis amaenos argutis quibusdam sententiolis naturali quadam facilitate fluentibus jucundos validis quibusdam affectibus interdunt verbis tragicis expressis admirandos Short Sermons indeed but yet for the gravity of sense venerable for candor of speech and beautiful flowers of words delectable and for witty sentences flowing with a natural facility pleasant and for strong affections exprest sometimes with tragical words admirable He dyed about the year of our Lord 500. when he had governed the Church of Ravenna 60 years Fulgentius FUlgentius an African a Citizen of Carthage appeared soon after Prosper about the year of Christ 500. He was Bishop of Rusp in Africk and in his time had hot contentions with the Arians condemned long before by the General Council of Nice He confuted those which asserted the doctrine of Free-will approving himself a puissant maintainer of the servitude of mans will to Sin and Satan which he had received from Augustine or rather from the Scriptures He was Bishop of that Church near twenty five years and dyed piously in the year of his age 65. He flourished under Anastasius the Emperour and Thrasimundus the King of the Vandals In his life he shined with transcendent humility and sincerity detesting nothing more than pride luxury He abstained from flesh feeding altogether upon herbs and eggs He did wear only one garment both in Summer and Winter this being a usual saying with him Corda potius quam vestimenta mutanda esse That mens hearts were rather to be changed than their garments He was so far from harbouring of wrath against any of his enemies that being extremely injured by one Felix an Arian and thereupon counselled by his friends to seek a remedy at Law he sweetly replied to them Christiani esse non ulcisci sese Deum enim ulturum injuriam suis illatam That its the Christians duty not to avenge himself for God is the avenger of his children In the time of his sickness his Physicians advising him to bathe much he replied Putatisne balnea hominis mortalis fata impeditura Do you think that baths will hinder the death of a man by nature mortal And he would have these words very often in his mouth Domine hic da mihi poenitentiam postea indulgentiam Lord give me here repentance and afterwards indulgence Vossius calls this man in allusion to his name Fulgentissimum Ecclesiae sydus The most brightsome star of the Church It s said of him by Gomarus Quod sententiis Augustini adeo delectatus erat ut eas pluribus in locis non tam imitatus sit quam expresserit That he was so far forth delighted with the sentences of Augustine that he did not so much imitate them as to the very life express them One takes notice of some of his writings that they are thorny sharp and piercing quasi aculeos in verbis inservisse visus esset as if he had implanted stings in his words This is noted chiefly in his Mythologie whereas as the same author well observeth alia pie quidem Christiane scripta non tam horrida sunt other of his Works being piously and Christianly written are not so rough He was banished with an hundred more African Bishops into the Island of Sardinia by Thrasimundus the King of the Vandals which might be the occasion of so much gall in some of his Treatises Gregorius Papa GRegorius Papa called Gregory the Great he was constituted Bishop of Rome after Pelagius drawn as it were into the Chair by constraint He was a Roman by birth the first of the Popes saith one that discovered an humble and lowly minde who would be called Servus servorum Dei The servant of those which serve God He was wonderfully averse to that great and proud Title of Oecumenical or Universal Bishop boldly saying In istud scelestum vocabulum consentire nihil aliud esse quam fidem perdere That to agree to that wicked denomination were nothing else but to destroy the Faith He ever did acknowledge himself the Emperour Mauritius his Subject He maintained disputes with the Jews and against Hereticks He confirmed by publick Decrees these four Councils of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedon He sustained many afflictions by

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