written to the same Bishop about Gebwin his Arch-Deacon who was gone to Rome about some Difference which he had with his Bishop In his Journey he stop'd at Cluny and had promis'd Peter to return to Troyes and adjust Matters with his Bishop Atto in the Thirty Fifth Letter returns an Answer to the foregoing Letter The following Letters of Peter of Cluny contain nothing in them of moment till you come to the Seventh of the Third Book wherein he replies to the Questions which had been propos'd to him by one of his Monks nam'd Gregory who was a great Student The first Question was whether the Virgin Mary had received an Increase of Grace in receiving the Holy Ghost with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost Peter of Cluny replies that she had received no increase of Charity or of sanctifying Grace since throughout her whole Life she had a fulness of Grace and Sanctity but that she might have receiv'd an Augmentation of some particular Gifts such as Knowledge Prophecy the power of working Miracles of speaking several Tongues which yet was not very certain The second Question is how the Virgin Mary could possibly be ignorant of any thing after she had conceived the Son of God Peter of Cluny proves that she was ignorant of a great many things nor is he of Opinion that she had such a perfect Knowledge of God as the Angels and Souls of good Men made Blessed have and he positively denies that here below she enjoy'd Beatitude though he owns that she had more Knowledge and Wisdom with respect We cannot but here observe that this is one of the most modest accounts of the Perfections of the Virgin Mary to be met with among any Romanists and such as does not at all favour the Notions of some of the modern Papists to Spiritual things than all other Mortals The third Question is upon a passage of St. Gregory wherein that Father seems to assert that the Word was united to the Manhood before it was born of the Virgin Mary Peter of Cluny says that this passage has given some an occasion of asserting that our Lord brought down his Humanity from Heaven which is entirely contrary to the Sentiment of St. Gregory who explains his Thoughts by saying that though Jesus Christ was not yet born of the Virgin yet the Union of the Person of the Divine Logos with the Manhood was already typifyed and foretold though it was not as yet known or reveal'd In the Third Letter of the Fourth Book he writes to Pope Innocent in favour of Lewis the Younger King of France and intreats him to have some condescension for him If his Youth had inclin'd him to do any thing that was not convenient This was written upon the occasion of the Difference between that Prince and the Arch-Bishop of Bourges He likewise gave the Pope to understand that the Monastery of Luxeu which he would have reform'd the last Year by sending thither several Monks of Cluny was still wholly irregular and in a worse Condition than before The Fourth is that Letter which he wrote to the same Pope about Abaelard By the Fifth he recommends to that Pope a Canon of Lions nam'd Heraclius In the Seventh he writes again to that Pope in favour of Arnulphus Arch-Deacon of Seez Elected and Consecrated Bishop of Lizieux that the Pope might confirm him in spite of the Attempts made by the Count of Anger 's to the contrary In the Eighth he complains to Milo Bishop of Terrouanne for his having publickly declaim'd in his Church against the Monks of Cluny accusing them of being Proud and Disobedient to Bishops He shews him that if he had any thing to say against their Conduct he ought to let them know of it and reprove them for it privately and not to declaim against them so publickly Afterwards he clears them of the Accusation and complains that that Bishop had hinder'd the bestowing a Canonship Peter the Venerable Abbot of Cluny of Abbeville on them though it did not belong to his Diocess but to the Diocess of Amiens In the Ninth he recommends to Pope Innocent the Bishop of Salamanca Arch-Bishop Elect of Compostella and intreats him to approve of this Translation In the Tenth he intreats him to grant Hugh Arch-Bishop of Tours leave to return to his Arch-Bishopprick For Hugh in his Journey to Rome fell sick in the Monastery of La Charite where he had taken upon him the Habit of that Order In the Eleventh he exhorts the Arch-Bishop of Narbonne who was very old and infirm to quit his Arch-Bishoprick and to retire to Cluny This Letter was written from Spain to which place he had travelled The Sixteenth is the Two Hundred and Twenty Eighth Letter of St. Bernard to which Peter of Cluny reply'd by the Seventeenth which is likewise the Two Hundred and Twenty Ninth of St. Bernard's Letters of which we have given you an Abstract Peter of Cluny does therein at first declare that the Difference which had been between them whether about the Bishoprick of Langres or for Tenths had abated nothing of the Charity Friendship or Esteem which he had for him In the close of this Letter he sends him word that he therewith sent him a Version of the Alcoran which he had translated whilst he was in Spain to shew the Errors and Follies of the Mahometan Religion Afterwards he gives him a short account of Mahomet and of his Doctrine The Eighteenth is a Letter of Compliment to Pope Celestine upon his Advancement to the Pope-dom The Nineteen is written to Pope Lucius to whom he likewise made several Compliments and asked him whether he should send him the thirteen Religious according as he had order'd him when he was at Rome This Pope by the next Letters return'd him Answer that he would do him a great Favour in so doing The Twenty First is that which he wrote to Heloissa upon the Death of Abaelard The Twenty Second is written to Lucius in favour of the Bishop of Orleans who was accus'd by several of his Clergy By the Twenty Fourth he recommends to him the Religious whom he sent him In the Twenty Fifth he wrote to Pope Eugenius III. in favour of the Arch-Bishop of Besancon In the Twenty Seventh he exhorts Atto Bishop of Troyes to retire to Cluny In the Thirtieth he blames those who caus'd to be sung or recited such Hymns or Histories in the Church as are full of Fictions and he says that not long ago he was very much put to the Blush in being forc'd to hear Sung and to sing himself in the Church an Hymn in Honour of St. Benedict which contains twenty falsities at least without mentioning the Impropriety of the Language and the falseness of Quantity which had engaged him to make another Hymn in Honour of that Saint The Thirty Sixth is written to King Lewis the Young exhorting him to punish the Jews not by putting them to Death but by
this History is real and true But the manner wherein 't is related the Conversation that is held with the Devil the Prolixity of the Discourses of Job's Friends and of what Job himself delivered in his miserable estate ought to make us acknowledge that this History is mightily amplified and adorned with several feigned Circumstances to render the Story more useful and agreeable 'T is commonly believed that Job lived before Moses or at least in his time and that the History related in this Book happen'd during the time when the Israelites were in the Desert because there is not a Word spoken there about the Written Law Some there are who make Job to descend from Nahor the Brother of Abraham but yz others from Esan The last Opinion seems to me to be the most probable because 't is supported by the Authority of a very ancient Addition which is to be found at the end of the Greek Edition of the Book of Job Though the Psalms are commonly called The Psalms of David or rather The Book of the Psalms of David yet 't is certain as St. Jerome has observed in many places that they are not all of 'em his a a and that there are some of them which were written long after his Death 'T is therefore a Collection of Songs that was made by Ezrah It is a difficult matter to say who are the Authors b b and to distinguish those that were made by David from those that were composed by others But whoever were the Author 't is certain as Theodoret has judiciously observed that they were composed by Persons inspired by God and that they are cited under that Character both in the Old and New Testament c c The Authors of the following Books are better known the Proverbs or Parables belong to Salomon whose Name is written in the beginning of that Book The Proverbs of Salomon the Son of David 'T is observed in the 25th Chapter that the following Parables are still Salomon's but that they were collected by some Persons chosen by the King Hezekiah These are also the Proverbs of Salomon which the Men of Hezekiah King of Judah copied out The 30th Chapter begins with these Words The Words of Agur the Son of Jakeh which shew that this Chapter is an Addition made to the Proverbs of Salomon by one Agur as is easie to be proved because this Chapter is entirely separated from the rest and besides is written in another Style In short the last Chapter is entituled The Words of King Lemuel We ought therefore to conculde from what has been said that the 24 first Chapters are Salomon's Originally that the five following ones are Extracts or Collections of his Proverbs and that the two last Chapters were added afterwards The Book of Ecclesiastes is ascribed to Salomon by all Antiquity And yet the Talmudists have made Hezekiah the Author of this Book and Grotius upon some slight Conjectures pretends it was composed by Zorobabel It begins with these Words The Words of the Preacher the Son of David King of Jerusalem Which may be applied to Hezekiah as well as to Salomon But what is said of that Wisdom in several places which was peculiar to him and in the second Chapter of his Riches and Power determines that we ought rather to understand it of Salomon The Song of Songs that is to say a Song by way of Excellence is allowed to be Salomon's by the Consent of the Synagogue and the Church The Talmudists attribute it to Ezrah but without any Grounds The Book of Wisdom is commonly said to be Salamon's e e but this Opinion is not very probable For 1. This Book is not to be found in the Hebrew 2. It was never received into the Hebrew Canon 3. 'T is evident as St. Jerome has observed that the Style is extreamly different from that of Salomon and that it was composed by a Greek The same St. Jerome observes that it was commonly attributed to Philo which we are to understand of an older Philo than him whose Works we have However it appears plainly that it was composed by a Hellenist Jew who had a mind to imitate the Books of Salomon from whom he has borrowed abundance of Thoughts The Preface which is before the Book of Ecclesiasticus and the Fifth Chapter of that Book inform us that the Author thereof was a Jew named Jesus the Son of Syrach who composed it in Hebrew and which was translated into Greek by his Grand-Son St. Jerome tells us he saw in his time an Hebrew Copy of it f f Some of the Ancients attribute it to Salomon g g perhaps because of the resemblance of the Subject and the Thoughts which is so great that 't is visible he design'd to imitate him and that several Thoughts are taken from him The Books of the Prophets carry the Names of their Authors undisputed Isaiah is the first and most excellent of the Prophets He was the Son of Amos whom we are by no means to mistake for the Prophet of the same Name h h He Prophesied from the end of the Reign of Uzziah to the time of Manasses by whose Command they say he was cruelly slain and sawn asunder with a Wooden Saw i He himself collected into one Volume all those Prophecies which he delivered under Uzziah Jotham Ahas and Hezekiah Kings of Judah Besides these he wrote a Book of the Actions of Uzziah which is mention'd in the 2d of Chron. Chap. 26. Verse 22. Some Apocryphal Books are ascribed to him amongst others that famous one so often quoted by Origen and another intituled The Ascension of Isaiah which St. Jerome and St. Epiphanius mention and a later one likewise called The Vision of Isaiah Some have pretended that this Book of Isaiah which we have is only compiled out of the Works of Isaiah but the Conjectures which they bring to prove it are extreamly frivolous k k Jeremiah born in a Village near Jerusalem of Sacerdotal Extraction began to Prophesie about the end of the Reign of Josiah when he was very young and continued his Prophecies till after the Captivity of the Jews in Babylon He was not carried away with the other Jews into that City but tarrying in his own Country to lament its Destruction he was afterwards taken Prisoner and carried into Egypt along with his Disciple Baruch where as 't is commonly believed he was stoned to Death The Fathers think that he always lived in the state of Celibaâ—y We are told in the beginning of the 36 Chapter that King Jehoiachim having burnt the Book of his Prophecies this Prophet composed a new Volume larger and stronger than the former He afterwards added those Prophecies which he made till the Babylonian Captivity and those which he delivered in Egypt In the 50th and 51 Chap. he foretels all that was to come to pass in Babylon and these he transmitted thither by Saraiah the Son of Neriah The 52d Chapter does not belong to him for his
yet wrote nothing but only that he tarried a long time without writing and at last God commanded him to write 'T is believed he wrote this in the last year of King Uzziah To the second we reply That he might foretel a future desolation even at a time before it happened 'T is an easie matter to answer the third by saying that the Book of the Actions of Uzziah mentioned in the Chronicles is different from that of his Prophecies In order to answer the fourth it sufficeth to observe that it is no where said that Isaiah wrote those things which he prophesied under Manasses Lastly as for the fifth we say that we ought not to expect a continued Historical style from the Prophets On the contrary their Prophecies are generally written without connexion and order Their was formerly another Prophecy of Jeremiah mentioned by Origen where these words were to be found Appenderunt mercedâ—… mâ—… c. The Nazarens made use of it as St. Jerome testifies in cap. Matth. 27. ll We don 't certainly know at what time Some are of opinion that Baruch went not to Babylon till after the death of his Master Jeremiah to whom he was too far engaged ever to quit him and they confirm this opinion by the 2d Verse where mention is made of the burning of Jerusalem Others say he wrote his Book before the destruction of Jerusalem because he there speaks of Sacrifices and Consecrated Vessels which makes them believe that he was one of those that were deputed in the fourth year of Zedekiah of whom Saraiah the Brother of Baruch was chief They affirm therefore that having carried the Book of Isaiah thither he composed his Prophecy the year following to comfort the Captives and that the fifth year after the taking of Jerusalem which is mentioned in the second Verse ought to be computed from the Captivity of Jechoniah mm Which seems to be confirmed by a certain passage in his Book In the first Chapter verse 3. Et ait rex Aspheâ—es praeposito Eâ—…horum 〈◊〉 fuerunt ergo inter eos Daniel c. Origen and St. Jerome are of this opinion The Author of the Life and Death of the Prophets attributed to St. Epiphanius and the false Dorotheus are of the contrary opinion nn The truth and antiquity of the two last Chapters that contain the History of Susanna and of Bel are mightily doubted Africanus Eusebius and Apolliâ—… reject both these Stories as fabulous and maintain they were not written by Daniel but that they make a part of the Prophecy of Hâ—… St. Jerome seems to be of this opinion in his Preface upon Daniel Origen has defended the truth of this History without being willing to affirm that it was Canonical The Author of the Book of the Wonderful things in Scripture attributed to St. Austin Tom. 3. lib. 2. chap. 32. does not mention the History of Susanna and rejects that of Bel. Theodoret in his Comments upon Daniel speaks not a word of these Histories Nicephorus places the History of Susanna amongst the Apocryphal Books The Action of Susanna is related and commended by Clemens Alexandrinus l. 4. Strom. by Tertullian libr. de Corona c. 4. by St. Cyprian Ep. 4. by St. Austin in his 118th Sermon and in several other places by St. Basil lib. 3. de Spir. sancto cap. 〈◊〉 by St. Ambrose lib. 2. de Spir. Sancto by St. Chrysostome in an Homily which is in Tom. 5. by Gregory Nazianzene in his 29th Oration by Avitus in his Epistle to his Sister by St. Fulgentius in his Answers to Ferrandus and by Bede The Author of the Abridgment attributed to St. Athanasius and Ruffinus seem to own it for a Canonical Book as well as St. Ambrose and Sulpitius Severus The Objections that are urged against this History are these In the first place they tell us that the History of Susanna could not happen when Daniel was a youth as he is called in that Story For in the 13th Chapter verse 65. it is observed that Astyages was dead and Cyrus reigned in his place Now Daniel was then well in years Answer This History happened a long time before and as for the above mentioned passage it is put out of its place For in the ancient Versions it is placed at the beginning of the Book of Daniel and 't is therefore set at the end of it in the Vulgar Edition because it is not to be found in the Hebrem Text. Wherefore these words of the 13th Chapter verse 65. And King Astyages was gathered to his Fathers do not at all concern the History of Susanna but that of Bel which immediately follows and accordingly in the Edition of Sixtus Quintus it is joyned to it Africanus objects that it is not credible that Joachim the Husband of Susanna was so rich and powerful in the Captivity as he is said to be in that Book nor that the Captive Jews had authority to condemn their own Criminals To this Origen answers That the Jews that were carried away Captives into Babylon were not plundered but that they were both rich and powerful and that there is a great deal of reason to believe they had authority to judge and condemn their Malefactors by their own Laws as they had afterwards when they were conquered by the Romans In the second place Africanus raises an Objection about an allusion that is to be found in this History where Daniel is introduced discoursing to the Elders in certain words that allude to the Greek names of the Trees under which they found Susanna committing wickedness For the first of them having said that it was under a Mastick Tree in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he answered him that an Angel should cut him in two because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in Greek to cut asunder and the other having said that it was under a Holm-Oak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he makes use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which allusions says Africanus makes it appear that it was a Greek that wrote these things On the other hand Origen answers that Daniel never made use of these terms or names of Trees but of some other Hebrew or Chaldee word to which the Verb that signifies to cut asunder answered and that the Greek Interpreter endeavoured to render this sense by finding out some names of Trees which alluded to those Greek Verbs that signifie to cut asunder And thus in Genesis when it is said in the Hebrew that a Woman is called Isha the feminine of the word Ish that signifies a Man the Latin Translation has rendred it haec vocabitur virgo and in the Greek Symmachus has translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a better word than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Septuagint have used 'T is commonly objected against the History of Bel that the ancient Title in the Septuagint attributes it to Habakkuk and that the Daniel mentioned in that History was a Priest 't is
by the Authority of a Council they so highly reverenced In short wou'd St. Hilary have contented himself with saying that some Persons added this Book to the Canon and not rather have openly declared when he was speaking of the Canonical Books that the Church received it St. Jerome himself if he had been assured of this business wou'd he have rejected this Book so often and not alledged this Catalogue of the Council of Nice which ought to have been the infallible rule for him to follow We must therefore say that this Father received this Information from another But if the Council of Nice reckoned not this Book of Judith in the number of Canonical Books yet the Latine Church has since done it by the Council of Carthage by the Mouth of Innocent the First by the Roman Council under Gelasius and by the Council of Trent which followed the Decree of Eugenius The Book of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus l in the antient Catalogues are placed in the number of those Books that are very profitable but not Canonical Nevertheless these Books are cited by St. Barnabas by Clemens Romanus by Tertullian in his third Book against Marcion and in his Book of Prescriptions by Clemens Alexandrinus by St. Cyprian in several places likewise frequently by Origen by St. Hilary upon the 140th Psalm and according to some by St. Basil by St. Ambrose by St. Jerome and St. Austin but it does not follow that all these acknowledged them for Canonical On the contrary Origen St. Jerome and St. Hilary ranked them amongst the Apocryphal Books And St. m Basil plainly says in the Preface to his Commentary upon the Proverbs That there are but three Books of Solomon and he sufficiently shews in several other places that he did not own the Books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus for Canonical Books Philastrius and Ruffinus reject them as well as St. Hilary who has written a Letter about them to St. Austin Theodoret is of the same Opinion in his Preface to the Canticles One cannot say that of St. Cyprian St. Ambrose and St. Austin who seem to own them for Canonical as it has been determined by the Council of Carthage by Innocent the First by the Roman Council under Gelasius by the Decree of Eugenius and by the Council of Trent To conclude the two Books of Maccabees are not entred into the Canon of the Books of the Holy Scripture in the Catalogues of Melito of Origen of the Council of Laodicea of St. Cyril of St. Hilary of St. Athanasius of St. Jerome and others whom we have Named In Eusebius's Chronicon they are opposed to the Canonical Books in these words That which we have hitherto reported of the Annals of the Jews is drawn out of the Holy Scripture that which follows is taken out of the Books of the Maccabees Josephus and Africanus Tertullian in his Book against the Jews relates the History of the Maccabees but yet he does not cite the Books of the Maccabees as Books of Scripture St. Cyprian quotes them very often under that Character and so does St. Ambrose and St. Chrysostome St. Jerome himself who rejects them in several places cites them sometimes as Books of Scripture St. Austin quotes them in his Book of the concern which we ought to have for the Dead to prove that we may offer Sacrifice for the Deceased and he assures us l. 18. de Civit. Dei that although these Books were never received as Canonical by the Jews yet they were acknowledged for such by the Church But in his first Book against Gaudentius taking occasion to speak of the action of Râ—zias who killed himself he thus delivers his Thoughts about the Books of the Maccabees The Jews don't receive these Books of the Maccabees as they do the Law the Prophets and the Psalms but the Church receives them and they are not unprofitable provided one Reads and Understands them with some sort of Moderation and they deserve esteem particularly for the History of the Seven Maccabees In the last Canon attributed to the Apostles we find the three Books of Maccabees reckoned amongst the Canonical Books but there is reason to believe that this passage has been added because they are not acknowledged for Canonical Books by Nicephorus Johannes Damascenus and several others who have owned the Authority of the Apostolical Canons They are received by the third Council of Carthage and by Innocent the First There is but one of them approved by the Roman Council under Gelasius It is a very surprizing thing that after all these Authorities St. Gregory the Great should thus Speak of them in the Nineteenth Book of his Morals We don't without Reason says he produce Testimonies drawn out of those Books that are not Canonical since they have been Published for the Edification of the Church We ought to make the same Reflection upon all the rest of the Greek and Latin Ecclesiastical Writers whom we have cited and who since the Decisions of the Councils of Carthage and Rome and the Declaration of Innocent the First reckon but Twenty two or Twenty four Canonical Books of the Old Testament Which makes it evident that these Definitions have not been followed by all Authors and all Churches till at last it was intirely determined by the Council of Trent I shall not speak of the Histories of Susanna and Bel that are in Daniel and have been rejected as false or as Apocryphal by several of the ancients since I have already discoursed largely about them Besides these Books that were at last received into the Canon of the Books of the Old Testament there are many others that either were not admitted into the Jewish Canon although they were more Ancient or that having been composed since have been esteem'd and cited by some Christian Authors but never found any place in the Canon or those lastly that were supposititiously obtruded upon the World by Hereticks and by consequence were always rejected In the first place there are several Books cited in the Old Testament that have been totally lost long since and are not Named in the Jewish Canon The first of these Books as they commonly pretend is the Book of the Battels of the Lord that is cited in the 21st Chapter of Numbers vers 24. But it is not certain as we have elsewhere observed that there is any mention made of a Book in this place we ought to pass the same Judgment upon the Book of the Covenant that is mentioned as they assert in Exodus chap. 24. but is in reality nothing else but the Body of the Laws which Moses received from God and delivered to the People Neither is there any greater certainty that the Book of Jasher cited by Joshuah chap. 10. vers 13. and in the second Book of Samuel chap. 11. vers 18. was an Historical Book although I confess there is some reason to believe it was But one cannot hardly doubt that the Books of Nathan of Gad of Shemaiah
of Iddo of Ahijah and Jehu cited frequently in the Books of the Chronicles were Memoirs composed in all probability by these Prophets We must say the same thing of the Book of the Sayings and Acts of the Kings of Israel oftentimes cited in the Kings which is different from the Chronicles as we have already observed To these must be added the Book of Samuel cited in the first Book of Chronicles and the last Chapter The Discourses of Hosai or of the Seers that are mentioned in the second Book of Chronicles chap. 33. vers 19. The History of Uzziah written by the Prophet Isaiah and cited in the second Book of Chronicles chap. 26. vers 22. The Three Thousand Parables written by Solomon as it is said in the first of Kings chap. 4. vers 32. The Five Thousand or rather the Thousand and Five Songs with the several Volumes concerning all manner of Plants and Animals that were likewise composed by Solomon as we are informed in the same place The Descriptions of Jeremiah that are mentioned in the second Book of Maccabees chap. 2. vers 1. The Prophecy of Jonas that is lost The Memoirs of Johannes Hircanus mentioned 1 Maccab. 16. 23 24. and the Books of Jason that are mentioned in the second Book of Maccabees 'T is usually Ask'd Whether these Books cited in the Old Testament were Canonical or no This Question in my Opinion is asked to no purpose since we have not any remainders of them at present but however certain it is that they are not Canonical in the same Sense as we usually take the Word that is to say they were never received into the Canon either of the Jewish or Christian Church and no body knows whether they ought to have been admitted there in case they had been still preserved Neither can we positively tell whether they were written by the Inspiration of God or were the mere Works of Men only the latter Opinion seems to be more probable In the first place because the greater part of them having been composed before Ezrah he had without question reckoned them in the Jewish Canon if he had looked upon them to be Divine Books Secondly because we must otherwise be obliged to say that the Church has lost a great part of the Book of God Thirdly because the Apostles never cited any other Books than what we now have as Books of Scripture Fourthly because the Fathers are all agreed that these Books were Apocryphal and place the Book of Enoch cited by St. Jude in the same rank This is the Opinion of Origen of St. Jerome St. Austin and indeed of all the Fathers except Tertullian For although Theodoret and some other Greek Fathers give the Title of Prophets to the Authors of these Books that are cited in Scripture yet it does not follow from thence that they composed these ancient Memoirs by the Inspiration of God It is not necessary that all the Writings and Discourses of a Prophet should be Inspired by Heaven Upon this account St. Austin has very Judiciously observed cap. 38. l. 28. de Civit. Dei that although these Books cited in the Holy Scriptures were written by Prophets that were Inspired by the Holy Ghost yet it is not necessary to say that they were Divinely Inspired For says he these Prophets might one while write like particular Men with an Historical Fidelity and another while like Prophets that followed the Inspiration of Heaven Alia sicut homines Historicâ diligentiâ alia sicut Prophetas Inspiratione Divinâ scribere potuisse Let us now go on to the Books that are not in the Canon of the Old Testament and which we have at present The Catalogue of them is as follows The Prayer of King Manasses who was Captive in Babylon cited in the second Book of Chronicles where it is said that this Prayer was written amongst the Sayings of Hosai who has Translated into Greek the Discourses of the Seers or Prophets It is to be found at the end of the ordinary Bibles there is nothing lofty in it but it is full of pious Thoughts The Latin Fathers have often quoted it It is neither in Greek nor Hebrew but only in Latin The third and fourth Books of Ezrah are also in Latin in the common Bibles after the Prayer of Manasses The third which is to be found in the Greek is nothing but a Repetition of what we find in the two former it is cited by St. Athanasius St. Austin and St. Ambrose St. Cyprian likewise seems to have known it The fourth that is only to be had in the Latin is full of Visions and Dreams and some Mistakes 'T is written by a different Author from that of the third for besides the great difference of Style one of them reckons Nineteen Generations from Aaron down to him and the other but Fifteen The third Book of Maccabees contain a miraculous Deliverance of the Jews whom Phiscon had exposed in the Amphitheatre at Alexandria to the fury of Elephants Josephus relates this History in his second Book against Appion This Book of the Maccabees is to be found in all the Greek Editions It is reckoned in the number of Canonical Books in the last Canon attributed to the Apostles but perhaps that has been added since it 's also mentioned in the Chronicle of Eusebius and in the Author of the Abridgment of Scripture attributed to St. Athanasius This History if it be true happened about Fifty years before the Passages that are related in the other two Books and therefore ought to be the first It is without any Reason called the Book of Maccabees since it does not speak of them in the least The fourth containing the History of Hircanus is rejected as Apocryphal by the Author of the Abridgment of Scripture attributed to St. Athanasius It is mentioned by scarce any of the Ancients Perhaps it was taken out of the Book of the Actions of Johannes Hircanus mentioned towards the end of the first of Maccabees Sixtus Senensis assures us that this account very much resembles Josephus's but that he has abundance of his Hebrew Idiotisms there There is towards the end of Job in the Greek Edition a Genealogy of Job that makes him the fifth from Abraham with the Names of the Edomitish Kings and of the Kingdoms of his Friends This Addition is neither in the Latin nor in the Hebrew There is likewise in the Greek a Discourse of Job's Wife that is not in the Hebrew rejected by Africanus and St. Jerome Towards the end of the Psalms in the Greek Editions we find a Psalm that is not of the number of the Hundred and Fifty made in the Person of David when he was yet a Youth after he had Slain the Giant Goliah The Author of the Abridgment of Scripture attributed to St. Athanasius cites it and places it also in the number of the Canonical Psalms To conclude at the end of Wisdom there is a Discourse of Solomon drawn from the
of Ruffinus this Quotation is not to be found which makes it evident that it has been added since f There are no others cited in the New Testament but those that were received into the Canon of the Jews Some Persons say that the Book of Wisdom is cited by St. Paul Rom. 11. in these words Who hath known the Mind of the Lord Or who hath been his Counsellor Which they say are the very same in effect with those in Wisdom Chap. 9. For what Man can know the Counsel of God But this passage cited by the Apostle is to be found word for word in Isaiah Chap. 40. Vers. 13. where the Greek Terms are the same that are used by St. Paul St. Basil L. de Spir. Sancto Ch. 5. Tertullian in his fifth Book against Marcion Ch. 14. St. Ambrose or rather the Author of the Commentaries upon St. Paul that are falsly attributed to him Peter Lombard and several others observe that it is taken out of Isaiah 'T is also pretended that the passage in his Epistle to the Hebrews where it is said that Enoch was translated that he might not taste of death is taken out of that Book But it is in Genesis Chap. 5. Vers. 25. It is likewise said that there are several Allusions in the Gospel and the Epistles of the Apostles to some places in Ecclesiasticus the Book of Wisdom Judith and Tobit Every one abounds in his own sense and can find out what Resemblances or Allusions he pleases but it is not necessary that two Persons that have happen'd upon the same thought should take it one from the other St. Justin and the Ancients don't accuse the Jews for not acknowledging all the Books of Holy Scripture for Canonical Theophilus says that Zechariah is the last of the Prophets and concludes the Holy Scripture with Ezrah g A great part of these are quoted there These are all Books that are cited there Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua the second Book of Samuel the first of Kings Job the Psalms the Proverbs Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Jonah Micah Haggai Habakkuk Nahum Zechariah Malachi h Gregory Nazianzen distributes the Books of Scripture into Historical Poetical and Prophetical This Distribution in my Opinion seems to be the justâ—â—t and most natural i By that of the Roman Council held under Gelasius Anno Dom. 494. There is mention made in this Catalogue but of one Book of Ezrah and one Book of Maccabees although the Number of Books is not exactly distinguished in all the rest For Example Regnorum libri quatuor Esdras liber unus Maccabaeorum liber unus In some Manuscripts Job is not mentioned there and they read Maccabaeorum libri â—uo k St. Jerome who frequently rejects it as Apocryphal and puts it out of the Canon not only of the Jews but the Christians also Every time that St. Jerome treats expresly obout the Canonical Books in his Prologues to the Kings to the Books of Salmon Ezrah and Esther in his Epistles 7 and 103 to Paulinus in his Commentary upon Ezekiel in l. 17. ch 43. he always rejects those Books that are not to be found in the Canon of the Hebrews as Apocryphal and only fit to be considered as such But when he speaks without making any manner of reflection he frequently cites these very Books as parts of the Holy Scripture and attributes the same Character to the Book of the Wisdom of Salomon although it is certain that he believed the contrary In his Prefaces before Judith and Tobit as if he had a mind to restore the Reputation of these Books he speaks very advantageously of them l The Books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus Besides several Allusions to the Scripture which might be produced but don't prove that they were cited from thence St. Barnabas cites a passage drawn out of the Book of Wisdom Chap. 2. Vers. 12. and another out of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 4. Vers. 36. Clemens Romanus in his Epistle to the Corinthians has quoted the Book of Wisdom Chap. 11. Vers. 22. Tertullian likewise has quoted the same Author in his Book against Marcion towards the end and in his Prescriptions Clemens Alexandrinus has also quoted him frequently St. Cyprian very often quotes these two Books and ascribes them to Salomon Origen mentions the Book of Wisdom under the Name of Scripture in Epist. ad Hebr. in his third Book against Celsus and in his eighth Homily upon Exodus as he also cites Ecclesiasticus Tom. 2. upon St. Matthew Treatise the 24th And Eusebius l. 6. of his History Chap. 13. says That although St. Clement cites these Books yet they are for the most part rejected St. Hilary cites them upon the Psalm 104. St. Basil also cites them sometimes and particularly in his fifth Book against Eunomius So does St. Jerome frequently in his Commentary upon Psalm 73. in his 16th Book upon Isaiah and in his 33d Book upon Ezekiel and in his second Book upon Isaiah St. Austin does the same in abundance of places They are likewise cited by the Author of the Book of Divine Names and of the Hierarchy in the last Book Chap. 2. in the first Chap. 4. In the Letter of the Council of Sardica set down by Theodoret Hist. l. 2. c. 8. By Anastasius Sinaita lib. 9. In Exam. Orat. 2. De incircumscripto and Quest. 8. and 10. By Johannes Damascenus l. 4. Of the Orthodox Faith Chap. 16. In his third Oration of the Nativity and in his Sermon of the Dead But to cite a Book as Gretzer observes is not to declare it to be Canonical These Books are thrown out of the Canon by those very Persons that cite them under the Name of Scripture and they that attribute them to Salomon when they cite them at other times formally deny it Some seem to think that the Book of Ecclesiasticus is cited by those who produce this Sentence as from the Scripture Do nothing without advice Such as St. Basil in his short Rules Quest. 104. Eusebius de Praep. Evang. Lib. 12. Cassian Conference 2. Boniface Epist. 98. The council of Ephesus in the Epistle to the Synod of Pamphylia But the same Sentence is in substance in the 13th Chapter of the Proverbs Vers. 16. and is word for word in the 24th Chapter Vers. 13. of the Septuagint Version from whence these Fathers quoted it as well as Isidore Pelusiota who frequently uses it The Proverbs likewise are very often cited by the Ancients under the Name of Wisdom by Melito in his Catalogue Proverbia quae Sapientia for so it ought to be translated and not Proverbia Sapientia by Origen Hom. 17. upon Genesis upon Exodus and Numbers by the Author who has written under the Name of Dionysius of Alexandria against Paulus Samosatenus by the Author of the Constitutions frequently by St. Basil Const. Monast C. 3. and 16 by Gregory Nazianzen Orat. 1. and 26. And by Gregory Nyssene in his Book of The Life of
Opinion and indeed has no tolerable Pretences to support it for we can no more doubt that St. Mark wrote it in Greek than that St. Luke or St. John did theirs He follows St. Matthew in abundance of things and sometimes abridges him nevertheless there are some Historical Passages which he relates more copiously and with the addition of several Circumstances 'T is commonly believed that this Gospel was written in the Forty third Year after our Saviour's Birth and according to the common Computation Ten Years after his Death but this is not certain St. Jerome observes that the last Chapter of this Gospel is to be found but in very few Copies and that almost all the Greeks reject it Wherefore says he one may reject it particularly because it seems to relate some things contrary to the account we have of them in the other Evangelists And in his second Book against the Pelagians he cites a Passage that was inserted into this Chapter and contained the Error of the Manichees It plainly proceeds from this addition that in most of the Copies of St. Mark this Chapter was entirely left out for as for the rest it is cited by St. Irenaeus and several others and contains nothing that cannot be reconciled with ease to the Accounts given by the other Evangelists St. Luke was of Antioch the Metropolitical City of Syria i He was a Physician by Profession and very well skilled in the Greek Tongue k he was not an Apostle or Disciple of Jesus Christ but was a Disciple or Follower of St. Paul whom he accompanied in his Voyages He himself tells us says Eusebius in the beginning of his Gospel the reason of his writing for many Persons having rashly undertaken to write the Evangelick History he thought himself obliged to rescue it out of ill Hands after he had been exactly informed of all the Occurrences by those that were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word that is to say by the Apostles and particularly by St. Paul 'T is imagined that the Apostle speaks of this Gospel when he says according to my Gospel and that he meant St. Luke when he wrote this passage The Brother whose praise is in the Gospel in all Churches Cujus laus est in Evangelio per omnes Ecclesias St. Jeroâ—â— observes that â—e wrote his Gospel travelling along with St. Paul when he was in Achâ—iâ— and Bâ—otia towards the second year of Nero and the fifty sixth of Jesus Christ. The same Father assures us that he always continued unmarried and that he lived Fourscore and four years He is also the Author of the Acts of the Apostles which Book contains the History of the Church from the Ascension of 〈◊〉 Blessed Savioâ—â— to the fourth year of Nero during the space of 29 or 30 years St. John the Evangelist of the City of Bethsaid◠〈◊〉 Galilee was the Son of Zebedee and was called to the Apostleship when he was very young St. Jerome and Tertullian affirm that he continued in the state of Celibacy all his Life-time He was the dearly beloved Disciple of Jesus Christ and 't is supposed that he speaks of himself when he says the Disciple whom Jesus loved But though this were not to be thus understood yet the tenderness which Jesus Christ had for him sufficiently appear'd in the last Suppâ—â— when he placed him in his Bosom and in his last words to his Mother Woman behold thy Son After the deâ—cent of the Holy Ghost he went and preached the Gospel in Asia where he founded and governed the Churches for a long time being Bishop of Ephesus the Meâ—ropolis of that 〈◊〉 He was condemned at Rome by the Emperor Domitian to be thrown into a Vessel of burning Oyl but he came out says Tertullian more vigorous and strong than when he entred in at first He was banished afterwards into the Isle of Patmos where as 't is generally supposed he wrote his Revelation After the death of Domitian he came back to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel about an hundred years after the Birth of our Blessed Saviour St. Jerome reports that he was engaged in this Work by the other Bishops and Christians of Asia who obliged him to write his Gospel to confound the Errors of Cerinthus and Eâ—ion who said that Jesus Christ was a meer Man and that He had no being before He was born of the Virgin Mary The same Father adds that he had yet another reason to write his Gospel after others for having read the Gospels of St. Matthew St. Mark and St. Luke he observed that they only concerned themselves to write the History of one year of our Blessed Saviour's Life namely from the imprisonment of St. John down to the Death of our Saviour which made him resolve to give an account of the most considerable things that occurred in the preceding years He has likewise written three Epistles The first of which no Man ever doubted is directed to the Faithful and particularly to the Parthians if we may believe St. Austin and some other ancient Writers that is to say to all the Faithful dispersed in Persia which at that time was under the Domination of the Parthians We don't certainly know the time or place where it was written The two others were directed to particular Persons one to a Lady called Electa the other to Gaiâ—s They only carry the name of an Elder or Priest which has made some People of opinion that they were written by another St. John as Eusebius and St. Jerome observe But the Stile the Spirit and Thoughts of these Epistles together with the concurring Authority of most of the Fathers make it evident that they belong to this Evangelist There is a greater difficulty about the Apocalypse the stile of which Book appears to be different from the rest and which several of the Ancients rejected or attributed to another St. John but the most received opinion is that it was written by the Evangelist The Stile of St. John is simple and has little eloquence in it but his Thoughts are very losty He lived till the time of Trajan not dying till the 68th year after the Passion of our Blessed Saviour St. Paul descended of the Tribe of Benjamin and born in the City of Tarsus came up to Jerusalem and there became the Disciple of Gamaliel a famous Pharisee He was converted to the faith of Jesus Christ in that miraculous manner which is set down in the Acts of the Apostles he afterwards changed his name of Saul into that of Paul after he had openly Converted and Baptized the Proconsul Sergius Paulus The History of his Travels and Preaching down to his first imprisonment at Rome is written by St. Luke in the Acts. We don't certainly know what he did after his enlargement some of the Ancients were of opinion that he went into Spain but this is very uncertain and the contrary seems to be the more probable Be that as it will 't is certain that he was
placet ejus reciperâ— Lâ—ctiâ—nâ—â— In his first Book on Habakkuk ad c. 1. v. 14. he calls it Apocryphal and finds fault with a foolish Thought in the Book Ruffinus on the Creed reckons it among the Ecclesiastical Books though not Canonical It is cited by Cassian Collat. 8. c. 12 13 and 17. And S. Prosper rejects it as a Book of no Authority Ut nullius Autoritatis contra Collat. c. 30. Gelâ—sius inserts it in the List of Apocryphal Books And lastly Maximus cites it in Lib. 4. De divinis nominibus This shews that notwithstanding its various fortune it hath been always very famous 1. Who is the Author thereof 2. Whether it be Canonical or not 3. Whether it be a useful Book as also whether it deserves the Esteem and Reputation that it formerly had The first Question may be easily determined It bears the Name of Hermas and all the ancient Writers have cited it under this Name it appears likewise from the Antiquity thereof that it might possibly be written by that Hermas whom S. Paul salutes at the end of his Epistle to the Romans Origen Eusebius and S. Jerom have made no difficulty of asserting it however it cannot be doubted but that the Author of this Book was called Hermas and that the Name of Hermes hath been attributed to him by some Authors through a mistake which gave occasion to certain Modern Writers to ascribe this Book to one Hermes the Brother of Pope Pius I. b To impute this Book to one Hermes the Brother of Pope Pius I. The Author of Damâ—sus's Pontifical Reginâ— the Author of the Letter of Pope Piâ—◠〈◊〉 and some other modern Writers are in this Error and they seem to have taken it from the Author of the Poem against Marcion who affirms that Hermas who wrote this Book was the Brother of Pius Post hunc deinde Pius Hermas cui Germine frater Angelicus Pastor cui traditâ— verbâ— locutus But he calls him Hermas and not Hermes It is true indeed that we find in the Version of Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made by Ruffinus Lib. 1. c. 3. and Lib. 4. c. 2. Hermes instead of Hermas but it is a fault of the Transcriber for in the Greek Text of the last Fragment that is extant of the Philâ—calia it is read Hermas and not Hermes and Ruffinus himself in other places calls him Hermas Moreover all the ancient Writers as St. Clement Tertullian Origen Eusebius S. Jerom and others above-mentioned always call him Hermas and never Hermes Baronius and some others distinguish two Books one written by Hermes the Brother of Pius which Treated of Easter and the other by our Hermas but since they ground their Opinion only on the Authority of modern Writers in attributing a Book to this pretended Hermes a Person unknown to all Antiquity their Conjecture seems to be without any probability But this Imagination is sufficiently refuted by the Testimony of all the ancient Fathers who constantly call him Hermas besides the Author of this Book was a Greek and his Writings were more known amongst the Greeks than the Latins as is observed by S. Jerom which would not have happened if it had been Composed by the Brother of Pope Pius Hermas As for the Authority of this Book it is certain that it hath been heretofore received in many Churches as Canonical and that S. Irenaeus S. Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and even Tertullian in Lib. de Oratione cite it as a part of Holy Scripture nevertheless it cannot be doubted that it hath been rejected by divers other Churches c It cannot be doubted that it hath been rejected by divers other Churches Origen acknowledgeth that it was Thrown out of the Canon of Holy Scripture by many Christians Turtullian in Lib. de Pudicitiâ— replies to certain Persons who objected it to him that this Book was rejected by divers Orthodox Churches Eusebius S. Athanasius S. Jerom and Ruffinus above-cited reckon it among those Writings that are not Canonical yet such as may be useful for the Instruction of Christians and Gelasius placeth it amongst the Apocryphal Books and esteemed only as a Treatise that might be used to very good purpose for the Edification of Christians But there have been very few ancient Authors that have not set a high Esteem on this Book and it hath been almost always cited by the Fathers as a Work of great Authority d It hath been cited as a Book of great Authority Tertullian censures it but after he turned Mâ—ntanist Origen observes that it was contemned by some Christians but that he had a great Esteem for it S. Jerom in one place accuseth it of Nonsense but in others he commends it S. Prosper throws it aside as a Book of no Authority but it was because he scarce knew it It hath not been so much valued by Modern Authors and there are very few at present that commend it or that have the same regard to it as those that lived in the primitive Ages of the Church And indeed if we may judge by the Method according to which it is written and by the things therein contained it doth not seem to deserve much Esteem The First part Entituled the Visions is full of many Revelations that are explained to Hermas by a Woman representing the Church they all relate to the State of the Church and the manners of the Christians The Second part which is most useful is called the Ordinances wherein are comprized divers Precepts of Morality and pious Instructions which the Pastor or Angel of Hermas prescribes to him The Third Part is called The Similitudes because it begins with several Similes or Comparisons and concludes with Visions These three Books comprehend very many Moral Instructions concerning the Practice of Christian Virtues but the great number of Visions Allegories and Similitudes make them tedious and all these Moral Truths would in my opinion have been more useful if the Author had propounded them simply as the Apostles have done in their Epistles We have lost the Original Greek Text of these three Books and there remains only a Version which is printed in the Orthodoxagrapha as also in the Bibliotheca Patrum and hath been likewise published separately by Barthius and lastly by Cotelerius together with the Greek Fragments extracted from ancient Authors It is not known when nor by whom this Translation was composed some attribute it to Ruffinus and others affirm that it was made in the Primitive Ages of Christianity when the Writings of Hermas were not altogether unknown to the Latins However it be this Version is not amiss since it exactly agrees with the Greek Passages cited by St. Clement Origen Antiochus and some other ancient Writers There have been other Editions of Hermas's Pastor besides these which M. Du Pin mentions It was first published by Jacobus Faber at Paris 1513. Then at Strasburg 1522. And it was lately published from two MS. Copies at Oxon with short
expounds the Orthodox Doctrines of the Catholick Church that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary that he was really Man that he actually suffered and died and not in appearance as some Hereticks said Lastly in the Epistle to the Romans he expresseth his Zeal and ardent desire of suffering Martyrdom and entreats them not to take this glorious Crown from him by preventing his being exposed to wild Beasts in the Amphitheatre of Rome Upon the whole matter all these Epistles are â—ull of very wholsom Precepts and usefull Exhortations they are extremely worthy of a Christian of a Bishop and of a Martyr and are all full of Warmth and Piety One cannot read them without perceiving every where that this Holy man was animated with a Zeal truly Divine for the Salvation of Souls for the fulfilling of the Law of Jesus Christ and for the preservation of his Doctrine In every thing that he says he appears to be full of Love to our Saviour of affection towards his Brethren of Care for the Discipline of the Church and of Ardour for the blessing of Peace In short let Criticks that are of a contrary Opinion say what they please I dare maintain that these Epistles deserve to be well esteemed and to be admired by all those who profess to have any Respect for Books of Piety S. POLYCARP ST Polycarp a S. Polycarp Halloixiuâ— says that S. Polycarp was originally of Smyrna that he was born in the East and that he was a Slave in his youth that he was bought by a certain Lady named Calistiâ—ne who gave him his Liberty and caused him to be instructed in the Christian Religion that she afterwards made him her Steward and at last her Heir He enlarged on the liberal donations of this Lady he affirms that Bâ—câ—lâ—â— Bishop of Smyrnâ— was at first Tutor to S. Polycarp and afterwards S. Joâ—â— he writeâ— much in the commendation of this Fictitious Bucâ—lâ—â— and declares that he ordained S. Polycarp who is the Angel of Smyrnâ— These Tales and many others are extracted from the false Acts of the Life of St. Polycarp forged under the name of Pionius from the Mâ—nologium Graecâ—râ—m by the modern Greeks the Disciple of S. John the Evangelist b The Disciple of S. John the Evangelist S. Irâ—…us tells us lib. 3. cap. 3. that he was constituted Bishop of Smyrna by the Apostles and this could be done by no other than S. Joâ—â— and by him ordained Bishop of Smyrna was after the decease of this Apostle esteemed as the Head of the Churches of Asia c The head of the Churches of Asia S. Jerâ—me says that he was Priâ—…ps 〈◊〉 Asia that is to say that he was the most considerable Bishop and as I may say succeeded in the Authority of S. John when S. Polycarp he went to Rome under the Pontificate of Anicetus about the Year 160 d About the year 160. He died in the seventh year of the Emperor Marcus Aâ—relius in the year 167. he had then served Jesus Christ 86 years as he declares himself in the Acts of his Martyrdom Thus he might have begun to serve God in the year 81 after the Nativity of our Saviour and then he might be Ten years old He conversed with all the Apostles if we may believe the Testimony of S. Irenaeus S. John died in the year of our Lord 101 and in the second of Trajâ—n he was banished in the fourteenth of Domitian Aâ—… Dâ—… 95 and returned into Asia after the death of this Emperor These Observations may serve to fix the Chronology of the Life of S. Polycarp He was born about the year of our Lord 70 he began to consecrate himself to the service of God in the year 81. At that time he conversed with the Apostles and became the Disciple of S. John after the return of this Apostle he was ordained Bishop of Smyrna however it is not precisely known in what year but this must of necessity have happened before the year 101 since S. John died that year He undertook his Journy to Rome in thâ— beginning of the Pontificate of Anicetâ—â— who presided in that See from the year 158 to the year 169. he converted several Marcionites and obliged them to return to the Bosom of the Church He had several Conserenoâ—s with Pope Anicetus probably about several particular Customs of the Church of Rome They debated the question of the day when they should keep Easter which was afterwards disputed under the Pontificate of Pope Victor but each of them having judged it to be most convenient to observe his own custom they aâ—…cably communicated one with another and Anicetus to do the greater honour to S. Polycarp caused him to officiate in his own Church e In his own Church All these Circumstances are related by S. Ireâ—â—us There are some who affirm that the Expression of S. Irenaeus signifies only that Anicetus administred the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper to S. Polycarp but he would not thereby have done him much honour it may be better understood according to our Explication and in his own place This Holy Bishop always abhorred Hereticks and he used to tell a Story That S. John having seen Cerinthus entring into a Bath speedily fled from thence without bathing himself therein fearing lest the building should fall because Cerinthus the Enemy of the Truth was there and he himself having once accidentally met with Mâ—rcion who desired that he would vouchsafe to take notice of him he replied I know that thou art the â—ldest Son of the Devil He had a very particular respect for the Memory of S. John he took much delight in telling over the Discourses that he formerly had with him and with others that had seen Jesus Christ in the flesh he related every thing whereof he had been informed by them concerning his Doctrine and Miracles and if he had heard any one maintaining any Principles contrary to the Apostolical Faith he was wont to cry out O God to what times hast thou reserved me and would immediately depart from the place where he was All this is recorded by S. Irenaeus and cited by Eusebius in the 14th Chapter of the fourth Book of his History and in Book 5. Chap. 20. The illustrious Martyrdom of this Saint which happened in the year 167. after the Nativity of Jesus Christ on the 23d day of February is described after a most elegant manner in the Excellent Epistle of the Church of Smyrna to those of Pontus produced in part by Eusebius in the Fifteenth Chapter of the fourth Book of his History and published entirely first by Archbishop Ushâ—r and afterward by Valesius They there give an account that S. Polycarp did not voluntarily surrender himself to his Executioners but that he waited after the example of our Saviour untill he was deliverd into their hands that many Christians suffered before him with admirable constancy all the Torments imaginable that
in reckoning up a greater number of years of the Reign of this Emperor under whom he lived than were really passed which is not credible or that he did not write these Books until after this time under the beginning of the Reign of Commodus and then he could not have had Maximinus for his Successor until the year 182 of the Vulgar Account unless he was taken in his Life-time to be his Coadjutor There is more probability that Eusebius was deceived a year or two Nicephorus in his Chronography of the Patriarchs of Antioch allows 13 years to Theophilus which agrees with our Opinion that is to say until the Years of our Lord 181 or 182. This Bishop was noe of the most vigorous Opposers of the Hereticks of his time he wrote a considerable Book against Marcion and a Treatise against the Heresie of Hermogenes d And a Treatise against the Heresie of Hermogenes Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Jerom Sub Imperatore M. Antonino Vero librum contra Marcionem composuit qui usque â—odie extat And Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Jerom Et contra Haeresim Hermogenes liber unus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Jerom Et alii breves elegantesque tractatus ad aedificationem Ecclesiae pertinentes wherein he cited the Apocalypse He likewise Composed other small Tracts for the Instruction and Edification of the Faithfull All these Works are entirely lost but we have Three Books still written by him to Autolycus a Learned Heathen of his Acquaintance who had undertaken to vindicate his Religion against that of the Christians In the first of these Books he answers the Request that had been made to him by that Heathen to teach him how to know the true God and after having declared that to attain to the knowledge of him we must be purified in mind and heart he proceeds to Treat of the Nature of God and of those things which the Divines call his Attributes as his Eternity Immensity Power Invisibility afterward he enlargeth on the Blessedness of the other Life and on the Resurrection of the Body he observes by the way that Princes ought to be honoured as having received their Authority from God and derives the Etymology of the word Christian from Unction This first Book is properly a Discourse between him and Autolycus in Answer to what this Heathen had said against the Religion of Jesus Christ. The second Book was written to convince him of the Falshood of his own Religion and of the truth of the Christians He begins with a Confutation of the Opinions that were maintained by the Pagans concerning their Gods and shews the Contradictions of the Philosophers and Poets on this Subject he explains at large the Creation of the World and that which happened in the succeeding Ages he Demonstrates that the History of Moses is the oldest and truest History that ever was and that the Poets have extracted many things from the Holy Scriptures particularly their Relations concerning the Torments of the Damned In the third Book after having proved that the Writings of the Heathens are full of an infinite number of Notions contrary to right Reason and good Manners he shews that the Doctrine and Lives of the Christians are very far from those Crimes that are laid to their Charge Lastly at the end of his Work he adds an Historical Chronology from the beginning of the World unto his Time to prove that the History of Moses is the ancientest and the truest It is apparent from this little Epitome how well this Author was acquainted with profane History These three Books are filled with a great Variety of curious Disquisitions concerning the Opinions of the Poets and Philosophers Tho' there are but few things that relate immediately to the Doctrines of the Christian Religion not that Theophilus was Ignorant of them for it appears from several passages that he was very skilfull in these Matters but in regard that he Composed this Book chiefly to convince a Pagan he insists rather in proving our Religion by Arguments from without than by expounding its Doctrines He is the first Author that hath applied the word Trinity e The word Trinity Lib. 2. p. 94. and 100. to the Three Persons of the Godhead but he calls the Third by the Name of Wisdom He asserts two things concerning the Word which seem to savour of the Arian Heresie the first is that the Word may be in a Place and the Second that he was begotten in Time but these Expressions which are common to him and many of the ancient Fathers had a different Signification f But these Expressions which are common to him with many of the ancient Fathers had a different signification They meant nothing else by the first Expression as hath been already observed but that God made himself manifest unto Men by the Word therefore when Theophilus affirms that the Word is in a place and that the Father cannot be there he intended only to declare that the Word appears unto Men in a place as he heretofore appeared unto Adam in the Terrestrial Paradise and that the Father doth not appear in that manner This is the System of the ancient Christians It would be more difficult to resolve the second Expression were it not that they themselves have explained it since they acknowledge that the Word is Eternal and that he remained in God from all Eternity as his Council Wisdom and Word But they say that the same Word who was in God in some manner went out from him when he undertook to Create the World because he began to make use of this Word in Exterior Operations and this is what they call the Procession Prolation and Co-generation of the Word which does not hinder but that the Word might be from all Eternity and eternally begotten of the Father after the same manner as we apprehend it but this is not that which they call Generation These Expressions are not only used by Theophilus but likewise by Athenagoras Tatian Tertullian the Author of the Book concerning the Trinity amongst the Works of this Father Lactantius the Compiler of the Homilies attributed to Zeno Veronensis and afterwards by Rupertus in his Commentaries on Genesis from that which was afterwards given them by the Arians Moreover these Books are full of Moral and Allegorical Expressions the style is elegant and the turn of the thoughts very agreeable that whoever reads them cannot doubt but that the Author was a very Eloquent Man They are entituled in the Greek Manuscripts The Books of Theophilus to Autolycus concerning the Faith of the Christians against the malicious Detracters of their Religion They have been published in Greek and Latin as also in Latin by Conradus Gesner and Printed at Zurich in the Year 1546 afterward they were inserted in the Orthodoxographa Printed at Basil in 1555. Fronto Ducaeus annexed them to the first Volume of the Supplement of the Bibliotheca
by Photius and even by Eusebius in the Sixth Book Chapter 31 of his History If that Passage which is not to be found in Ruffinus's Version nor in S. Jerom be not foisted in But it is more likely that this is the Work of another Africanus g Is the Work of another Africanus These Books Entituled Cesti were Discourses containing nothing but prophane Learning they were so called à Cesto Veneris They treated of Herbs and particularly of those that had any Faculty in procuring Love The Author of this Book was of Lybia he called himself Sextus Africanus or rather Africanus Cestus He was probably a Heathen as the Title and the Subject of his Work sufficiently shew There is a Book attributed to one Africanus cited by Politian under the Name of Cestus being a Manuscript in the King's Library but not the same which Photius speaks of It was lately published We do not know whether he of whom we speak wrote any thing else nor when he died MINUTIUS FELIX MInutius Felix a famous Lawyer at Rome a A Lawyer at Rome Not only Lactantius and S. Hierom assure us that he was of this Profession but this likewise appears by the beginning of his Dialogue where he says That it being Vacation time he had no Business at the Hall who lived in the beginning of the Third Century b In the begining of the Third Century The Ancients do not fix precisely the time wherein he lived S. Hierom in his Catalogue wherein he keeps the Order of Time places him between Tertullian and S. Cyprian It is evident that Minutius has taken several Thoughts from Tertullian and that S. Cyprian in his Book Of the Vanity of Idols has transcribed in several Places the Words of Minutius This makes it probable that he was an African and his Style savours a little of Africa wrote an excellent Dialogue Entitulled Octavius in defence of the Christian Religion Minutius Felix 'T is a Conference between a Christian whom he calls Octavius c Octavius He is also called Januarius and Cecilius is named Natalis and Minutius Felix Marcus It would be rather to divine than to believe that these were the Januarius and Natalis Bishops of Africa who lived in S. Cyprian's time It would have been more likely that Octavius and Caecilius were imaginary Names in the Dialogue if we had not been told that they are their proper Names and a Heathen named Cecilius where Minutius sets as Judge Cecilius speaks first against the Christian Religion and begins by laying down this Maxim that every thing is uncertain and doubtful and that therefore it is a great piece of Rashness especially in the Christians who are an ignorant and stupid sort of People to pretend to establish their Opinions as certain and Infallible Truths That there being no Providence that governs the World and all things being dubious it is the best way to stick to the Religion of our Ancestors That the Roman Empire was first established and afterwards arrived to its present Height by the Religion of the Gods that they never contemned the Omens and Presages of the Sooth-sayers without repenting of it and that their Oracles certainly foretold things that were really to come to pass Afterwards he attacks the Religion of the Christiand in particular he accuses them of worshipping an Asses Head adoring Crosses and other things which were yet more dishonorable He upbraids them for those Crimes of which the Heathens them-were justly accused to wit the Murthering of Children the Committing of Incests He reprehends in them as a Crime that excessive Love which they had one for another He finds fault with them because they had no Temples Altars nor Statues He tells them that they can neither see themselves nor shew to others that God whom they adore that they feign that he sees all things but that it is impossible that he should be able to take care of every particular thing if he has the Charge of the whole Universe lying upon him He pretends that it was to no purpose that the Jews adored and honoured this God He scoffs at the Hopes of the Christians He looks upon the Resurrection Hell and Heaven to be Fables like those of the Poets He says that Men being necessarily Good or Evil 't is ridiculous to believe that God will punish or reward them for their Actions He examines the Condition of the Christians in this Life which is to be Poor Ignorant subject to Diseases persecuted exposed continually to Racks and Tortures Which shews says he that their God either cannot or will not relieve them and by consequence that he is Impotent or Malicious That on the contrary the Romans who do not adore the God of the Christians are not only Powerful and Lords of the whole World but they likewise enjoy all those Pleasures from which the Christians are forced to abstain He concludes by advising the Christians not to seek any more after Heavenly Things and not to flatter themselves vainly with the Knowledge of them maintaining that all things being uncertain and doubtful it is better to suspend our Judgments than to judge rashly for fear of falling into Superstition or utterly destroying all Religion After some Reflexions of Minutius Felix Octavius answering Cecilius's Discourse observes how he has argued after a very inconstant manner sometimes admitting a Deity and sometimes seeming to doubt thereof Which he has not done says he out of any Craft or Cunning this sort of Artifice not suiting with his Candid and Frank Temper but that has happened to him which usually happens to a Man who is Ignorant of the Way when he sees several Paths he stands in suspence not daring to chuse any and not being able to follow them all In like manner as he adds he who has no certain Knowledge of the Truth is always in doubt and suffers himself to be led by the first Suspicion without being able to stop himself He afterwards reprehends all the Reasonings of Cecilius and he answers every one in particular After having shewn that Poverty and Ignorance which was upbraided to the Christians could be no ways prejudicial to the Truth he proves the Divine Providence by the Order and Beauty which is seen in the Universe and by the admirable Perfections of all the Creatures And he shews that it could be no other than God who has created all things governing them by his WORD ruling them by his Wisdom and bringing them to perfection by his Power That he is not to be seen because he is more subtile than the Sight That he is not to be comprehended because he is greater than all the Senses That he is infinite and immense That the Bounds of our Understanding are by much too shallow to have a perfect Knowledge of him That it is only he who comprehends himself that it is impossible to give him a Name suitable to his Perfections And yet that all Men do naturally know him
never searched after it amongst the Jews and because it is inseparable from the Worship and Knowledge of the true God He afterwards explains the Doctrine of the Christians with relation to Jesus Christ and evidently proves That the Pagans themselves acknowledged that he was the Word and Wisdom of God existing before the World That this Word was begotten of God after an incomprehensible manner That he descended from Heaven and was born of a Virgin according to the Predictions of the Prophets that the Gentiles might know the true God He then gives an Account of the Life the Miracles and Death of Jesus Christ and shows That it was necessary for him to undergo the infamous Punishment of the Cross. He afterwards demonstrates That though the Christians do acknowledge that the Son is God as well as the Father yet they worship but one God That the Father and Son are one Spirit and one Substance and one God which 〈◊〉 illustrates and explains by the Comparisons of a Fountain and its Stream of the Sun and its Rays c. Towards the End he declaims in general against Heresies and tells us That the Catholick Church only has retained the true worship of God That it is the Sourse of Truth the Habitation of Faith the Temple of God That those Men who never enter into it or who depart from it are out of hopes of obtaining Everlasting Salvation That no Man ought to flatter himself whilest he continues stedfast in his Obstinacy since his Eternal welfare is concerned in the Matter which he will be in danger of losing unless he takes particular Care That though all the Sects of Hereticks pretend and boast to be the Church yet there is but one properly so called which heals the Wounds of Man by the wholsome Remedies of Confession and Repentance In the Fifth Book that treats of Justice He shews that the Pagans have no such thing as true Justice That 't is impossible to find it any where but in the Christian Religion That it is a great Injustice to pâ—…secute the Christians because of their Persuasion and that though they were in an Errour yet their Adversaries ought to recover them out of it by the force of Reason and not of Punishments That we cannot and that we ought not to constrain Men to be of any Religion which is a thing not to be defended by Killing of others but by Dying for it our selves not by Cruelty but Patience That that the Sacrifices which are extorted from Men by Violence neither signifie any thing to those that offer them nor to those that cause them to be offered nor to the Gods themselves That 't is a surprizing thing that the Pagans could suffer the Superstitions of the Egyptians and the Atheism of the Philosophers and yet should bear such an incurable hatred to the Religion of Jesus Christ In short That though God sometimes permits Truth and Justice to be persecuted yet he never fails at last to punish Persecutors with the utmost Severity The Sixth Book treats of the true worship of God He distinguisheth between Two sorts of Worship True and False and Two sorts of Ways One that leads to Hell and the Other that leads to Heaven He tells us That this last is a difficult Way that we must pass through Poverty Ignorance and a long Series of Sufferings before we can arrive at Virtue That the Philosophers search'd after it to no purpose since they neither knew what was Good or what was Evil having no Knowledge of God who was the Author of Good nor of the Devil who is the Author of Evil That the Law of God is made clear and manifest to us That this Law contains two Principal Heads The First of Piety The Second of Humanity That Piety consists in worshipping God and that Humanity which is also called Mercy and Charity consists in our mutually assisting one another to our utmost Endeavours since we are descended from the same Father That if we would acquit our selves of this Duty we ought to bestow Alms to relieve the Sick and Necessitous to protect Orphans and Widows to redeem Captives and bury the Dead and that the Apprehension of becoming poor ought not to hinder us from giving considerable Alms because they blot out and efface our Sins He afterwards discourses about the Passions and demonstrates contrary to the Sentiments of the Philosophers That Mercy or Compassion is not a Vice but a Virtue and that Fear and Love which are Vices when they carry a Man to Earthly things are Vertues when they move him towards Heaven From hence he proceeds to the Precepts of Justice that are less general such as are the following ones Not to Lye not to be guilty of Usury not to exact Gifts from the Poor not to revenge our selves of our Enemies to speak well of those that revile us to moderate our Passions and to refrain from the pursuit of Sensual Pleasures After he has thus show the way of Justice he says That if it should happen that a Man should forsake this way by falling into some Sin yet he ought not to despair but turn away from his Evil Practices and satisfie God who knows our secret Thoughts In one word That the Sacrifice which we are to present ought to be Spiritual and that we ought to offer him the Purity of our Hearts and the Praises due to his Divinity The Last Book of his Institutions treats about Happiness and a happy Life He shows that this supposes the Immortality of the Soul which he demonstrates by several Arguments and likewise that thiâ—… Mortal Life can never be Happy unless we take care to preserve Justice He afterwards discourseth of the End of the World which he imagines must happen Six Thousand Years after its Creation d Six Thousand Years after its Creation So that he seems to have thought that there were no more than 200 Years to reckon from his own time to the Day of Judgment and of the Signs that shall precede it amongst which he reckons the Destruction of the Roman Empire and of the last Judgment wherein he tells us God shall as it were weigh both Good and Evil and that those who have committed more Evil than Good shall be condemned to Everlasting Punishment That on the contrary those who are altogether Just shall not in the least manner feel the Divine Fire but that those who are in a middle condition shall be examined by it and so purified from their Sins That after this Solemn Trial is over Jesus Christ shall Reign a Thousand Years upon Earth with the Just and when that Course of Time is finished the World shall be renewed all Mankind shall be raised again and God shall make the Just like to Angels that they may be in his Presence and serve him during a happy Eternity but that he will throw the Wicked head-long into Everlasting Fire He concludes all with exhorting Mankind to be Converted and Repent while
appears That Silvanus who ordain'd Majorinus had given up the Holy Books to the Heathens Zenophilus there examines a Grammarian nam'd Victor a Deacon nam'd Castus and a Sub-Deacon call'd Crescentianus and makes them confess That Silvanus had deliver'd up the Ornaments of the Church and the Holy Books according to the Deposition of Nundinarius the Deacon who was present He causes also the Verbal Process made in the Year 363. to be read by Munatius Felix Judge of the Colony of Cirtha who further confirm'd the Deposition of Nundinarius The Letters written to Silvanus by the Bishops of his own Party are set down wherein they reprehend him for his outrageous manner of treating his Deacon Nundinarius He is accus'd also of making a Simonaical Ordination of appropriating to his own use the Alms that were given for the Poor and of being ordain'd himself by the Sollicitation of some Country Fellows There are many things very remarkable in this Act For there one may see That at the Beginning of the 3d. Age of the Church they us'd Chalices of Silver and Gold Cups Lamps and Candlesticks of Silver and Copper That they kept in the Church Garments for the Poor That the Readers who were very numerous had the Holy Books That the Christians had a Library near the Church where they put their Books The Third Record is also part of a Verbal Process concerning the Justification of Felix of Aptungis made by Aelianus the Proconsul in the Year 314 in the Month of February as appears by St. Augustin There he examines one nam'd Ingentius and Convicts him of making an Addition to a Letter of Caecilian that he might falsly accuse Felix of being a Traditor The Fourth is a Letter of the Emperour Constantine to Ablabius wherein he orders him to send Caecilian to Arles with some Bishops of his Party as well as some of his Accusers that he might receive Judgment from the Council which was to assemble there The Fifth is a Letter from the Council of Arles of which we have spoken in its place The Sixth is the Letter which Constantine wrote against the Donatists when they appeal'd to his Judgment after they had been condemn'd in the Council of Arles The Seventh is another Letter of the same Emperour wherein he acquaints the Bishops of Donatus's Party That he once design'd to send Judges into Africk to determine their Differences with Caecilian but that he judg'd it more proper to make him come before himself The Eighth is a 4th Letter of the same Emperour written to Celsus wherein he acquaints him That he will quickly come into Africk to decide the Differences between Donatus and Caecilian himself The Ninth is a 5th Letter of Constantine wherein he gives the Donatist Bishops leave to return into Africk The Tenth is a 6th Letter of this Emperour about the Cause of the Donatists address'd to the Catholicks of Africk He tells them That he had done all that lay in his Power to re-establish Peace but since the Obstinacy of some Men had frustrated his good Intentions they must now wait upon God only for the Remedy of this Mischief and that till it pleas'd the Divine Mercy to remedy it they must proceed with Moderation and bear with Patience the Insolence of the Enemies of the Church That they must not render Evil for Evil since Vengeance is reserv'd to God only and that by suffering patiently the Fury of these Insolent Men they should certainly merit the Glory of Martyrdom For says he Is not this to Fight and Conquer for God to bear with Patience the Outrages and Injuries of the Enemies of God's People At last he assures the Catholicks That if they observe this Method they will quickly see their Enemies Party weakned and that God will give Grace to many to acknowledge their Error and do Penance The following Letter is a further Indication of the Meekness of this Emperour and the Moderation of the Catholicks The Donatists had invaded the Church which Constantine had caus'd to be built in Constantina a City of Numidia which the Catholicks demanded back again but they refus'd it The Catholicks to avoid all further Contention pray'd the Emperour to give them a Place in the Dependances of his Demesnes thereabouts where they might Build another Church To which Constantine answer'd That he did not only grant their Desire but he had also written to the Receiver of his Revenues to furnish them with so much Money as was necessary for the Building of this Church In this Letter he praises the Moderation of the Catholicks and condemns the Obstinacy of the Donatists and ordains That the Laws which he had made for Exemption of the Clergy from all Publick Taxes should be put in Execution The last of these Records which are added to the Books of Optatus is a Fragment of the Acts of the Passion of the Saints Dativus Saturninus Felix Ampelius and of some other African Martyrs made in the time of Anulinus and written by a Donatist This Piece contains some part of the Calumnies of the Donatists against Mensurius and Caecilian The Author of these Acts accuses them of hindring the Faithful from carrying Food to the Christians that were in Prison and of beating them back with blows of Whips and Cudgels He adds That these Martyrs would never communicate with Mensurius nor Caecilian because they had deliver'd up the Holy Books to the Heathens and that the Church of Christ being Holy ought not to hold Communion with those that are defil'd with a Crime of this heinous Nature At last he says That those Martyrs who wanted Food by the Cruelty of Mensurius and Caecilian died of Famine in Prison and went to Heaven there to receive the Crown of Martyrdom The Stile of Optatus's Books is noble vehement and close but not enough Polite or Neat. He presses briskly upon those against whom he Disputes and describes very sensibly the Transactions which he relates and explains the Passages which he produces with a great deal of Wit He gives his Thoughts a fine and delicate turn his Expressions signifie very perfectly what he means to say his Reasonings are subtile and his Relations pleasant In a word It appears that the Author of this little Book was Master of much Learning and Wit The Doctrine which he teaches is and always will be of much use to the Church for there is not the same Reason of those Questions which concern the Truth of the Church as of those that concern only some particular Doctrines These continue only so long as the Sect subsists which opposes these Doctrines and the Books which treat of them become almost useless whenever the Heresie is extinct But all Heresies all Schisms having one common Principle of opposing the Church the Books which are written in its Defence are contrary to all Heresies and will be useful as long as there shall be any Hereticks in the World whosoever they be The Books of Optatus teach us also a
and subtil the Stile is fine and clean enough for a Work of this Nature It is indeed a surprizing thing that he never makes use of Original Sin for the explaining all the Difficulties objected by the Manichees which might have serv'd as one general Solution to almost all their Objections For when once Original Sin is admitted there is no difficulty in understanding Why a Man is addicted to Sin Why he suffers Affliction Why he is subject to Hunger to Pain to Diseases to Miseries and to Death and yet he never urges it to explain those Questions but examines them as a Philosopher He says not one word of the Grace of Jesus Christ and seems to suppose That Man could do Good of himself as well as Evil. There is a Commentary upon the Gospel of St. Luke which is attributed to Titus of Bostra but this can be none of his Book since he who is the Author of it cites St. Jerom St. Isidore Pelusiota and St. Cyril of Alexandria who had not written till after the Death of this Titus of Bostra whom we now speak of Yet this is a very good literal Commentary upon St. Luke and seems to me to be very ancient There was a Version of it publish'd by Peltanus and printed by Sartorius at Ingolstadt in the Year 1579. Since that Fronto Ducaeus publish'd the Greek from a Manuscript out of the King's Library and it was printed in Greek and Latin in the Supplement to the Bibliotheca Patrum 'T is said That there is a Commentary of the same Author upon St. Matthew and there is some probability for it because in the Commentary on St. Luke he never attempts to explain any thing in this Evangelist but what is not to be found in the Gospel of St. Matthew In short Father Combefis has publish'd in his Auctarium to the Bibliotheca Patrum a Sermon upon Palm-Sunday which bears the Name of Titus of Bostra but is not written by the true Titus of Bostra nor by the Author of the Commentaries upon St. Luke it having no affinity with the Air and Stile of either of those two Writers DIDYMUS of Alexandria NOthing is more surprizing than what the Ancients have related of this Author St. Jerom and Ruffinus who were his Disciples assure us That having lost his Sight from the Age of five Years Didymus of Alexandria at which time he was scarce able to read he applied his Mind so vigorously to Study that he learn'd in Perfection not only Philosophy Rhetorick and Musick but even Geometry which one would think could not be learnt without the help of Sight He particularly addicted himself to the Study of Divinity and was chosen as the most Able Person to fill the Chair of the famous School of the Church of Alexandria His Reputation drew to him a great number of Scholars of whom the most famous were St. Jerom Ruffinus Palladius and Isidore He had a wonderful Easiness of expressing himself a pleasing way of declaiming and a surprizing sharpness of Wit He answer'd immediately to all the Questions that were made upon the Scriptures he confuted the Arguments which the Hereticks propos'd to him against Religion and show'd in an instant where the weakness of their Reasons lay He has written many excellent Books St. Jerom mentions these following in his Catalogue Commentaries upon all the Psalms Commentaries upon the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. John Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Galatians Eighteen Tomes of Commentaries upon Isaiah Three Books of Commentaries upon Hosea which are address'd to me says St. Jerom and Five Books upon Zachary which he wrote at my desire says the same Father Commentaries upon Job and an infinite number of other Discourses which would require a particular Table He wrote also a Treatise upon the Dogmes or upon the Sects Two Books against the Arians and a Book of the Holy Spirit which I translated into Latin says the same St. Jerom. He also interpreted Origen's Principles and defended them against those that condemn'd them He consider'd this Author as his Master and espoused his Opinions He was alive when St. Jerom wrote his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers i. e. in the Year 392 and was then 93 Years old and more and 't is thought that he died two Years after His being addicted to the Opinions of Origen was the cause of his Condemnation in the Fifth General Council and in the Fifth Session of the Lateran Council by Martin the Fifth though he died in the Communion of the Church and all the Ancients even St. Jerom speak of him as one whose Doctrine was very Orthodox We have among St. Jerom's Works a Translation which this Father made of Didymus's Book concerning the Holy Spirit He says in his Preface That being in Babylon dwelling in this Province cloth'd with Purple by which word he means the City of Rome he had a design to write a little Book of the Holy Spirit and to Dedicate it to the Bishop of that City but that immediately the Senate of Pharisees cry'd out against him and the Faction of Ignorant Men conspir'd against his Person which oblig'd him to return to Jerusalem where he finish'd his Work at the desire of Paula and Eustochium but that he could not Dedicate it to Damasus who was Dead when it was finish'd He adds That he put at the beginning of it the Name of the Author whom he translated and thought it better to be only the Interpreter of another's Work than to mix bad thoughts with that which is good in the Greek Authors as some Latins have done He has divided this Treatise of Didymus into Three Books Though it is rather a continued Discourse which ought not to be parted or at least ought not to be divided but into Two Parts This Treatise is the most Demonstrative and Methodical of all those that the Ancients have written to prove the Divinity of the Holy Spirit He begins with these words Though we ought to speak with Reverence and Exactness of every thing that concerns the Divinity yet this ought chiefly to be done when we speak of the Holy Spirit since the Scripture tells us That the Blasphemy which is spoken against him is unpardonable Wherefore we must give diligent heed that we may understand what is said of him in the Holy Scripture lest we fall into some Error which may make us speak Blasphemies And upon this account it seems to be convenient for a faithful Christian who is sensible of his own weakness as I am to keep silence in a Question which is above his Power rather than venture to treat upon a Subject where he runs so great a hazard But since there are some Men who by a surprizing boldness exalt themselves against Heaven and speak of the Holy Spirit such things as are no where to be found in Scripture and which have never been propos'd by any Ecclesiastical Writers I thought my self oblig'd to yield to the frequent Entreaties of
upon his Doctrine and Writings He praises the Purity of his Faith and the Aversation he had to the Heresies of Sabellius Arius and Apollinarius He says That he refuted the Anomaeans and the Novatians and all his Writings are full of solid and convincing Proofs He adds That he had read and meditated more than any Person upon the Old and New Testament and that he had wrote Expositions upon all the Holy Scripture from the Beginning of Genesis to the End of the New Testament That he had also compos'd many lively and Pathetical Exhortations That Tears and Sighs were very common and familiar with him as may be seen in his Writings For says he he does not only sigh when he speaks of Morality and the Precepts of Life but even in his Panegyricks all his Discourses are mix'd with bemoaning and compassionate Expressions which are able to move even the hardest Hearts For who that is Proud adds he would not become the humblest of Men by reading his Discourse of Humility Who would not be inflam'd with a Divine Fire by reading his Treatise of Charity Who would not wish to be chast in Heart and Spirit by reading the Praises he has given to Virginity Who would not be frighted by hearing the Discourse he has made upon the Last Judgment wherein he has represented it so lively that nothing can be added to it but the same thing God gave him so Profound a Wisdom that though he had a wonderful facility of Speaking yet he could not furnish Expressions for the multitude of Thoughts that came into his Mind We have seen as the same Father still goes on one of his Sermons where he calls Apollinarius a Madman He tells a very pleasant Story of a trick that St. Ephrem put upon this Heretick He says That the Heretick had written two Books wherein were all the Reasons and Passages of Scripture that he made use of to defend his Error and which he had committed to the Custody of a Woman That St. Ephrem pretending that he was of the same Judgment with Apollinarius had borrow'd them of this Woman and that before he restor'd them he glued all the Leaves fast to one another That this Woman seeing the Books bound up after the same manner perceiv'd nothing of what was done but gave them as they were to Apollinarius to make use of them in a Publick Conference which he was to have with a Catholick and that then the Heretick not being able to open them was forc'd to withdraw with shame The quickness of St. Ephrem's Wit appear'd also in the Syriack Verses which he made in his own Language in imitation of Hammonius the Son of Bardesanes who had compos'd many Hymns which the Syrians Sung with Delight St. Ephrem perceiving that this Author had cunningly interspers'd in those Prayers some Errors of his Father and of the Greek Philosophers fearing lest the Christians of Syria might fall insensibly into these false Opinions he endeavour'd with all his might to comprehend the Metre of these Verses and wrote other Books agreeable to the Doctrine of the Church as Hymns and the Encomiasticks of the Saints which were so well received by the Syrians that they Sung them to the same Tunes with those of Hammonius 'T is said That he compos'd almost 100000 Verses of this Nature Sozomen says also That he wrote the Life of St. Julianus To conclude Photius in Volume 197 of his Bibliotheca observes that he had read 50 Sermons of this Father It appears by what we have already said That Ephrem wrote Commentaries upon all the Bible Treatises of Controversy against many Hereticks a Book of the Holy Spirit a great many Discourses and Instructions to the People and to his Monks some Panegyricks many Treatises of Morality and a great number of Hymns to be Sung in the Church That all his Writings were composed in Syriack and that the greatest part of them were translated into Greek while he was living We have none of his Commentaries upon Scripture nor his Treatises of Controversy but we have a great number of Discourses of Moral Precepts and of Hymns which have been translated into Greek and publish'd by Vossius towards the end of the last Age under St. Ephrem's Name Some Criticks to whom the Books concerning a Monastick Life are not agreeable have pretended that all those Books are Supposititious Notwithstanding 't is very probable that the greatest part of them are truly St. Ephrem's because all the Characters that the Ancients give of the Writings of St. Ephrem agree to these so that 't is easie to know them 1. The Treatises of St. Ephrem were full of Figures and Ornaments but yet without Fineness and Art now these are all fill'd with Exclamations Interrogations Comparisons Antitheses and other Figures which are grosly enough employ'd and without choice 2. He had much Vivacity and Fire which these are all full of 3. St. Ephrem related many Passages of Scripture and these Writings are oftentimes nothing else but a Collection 4. St. Gregory Nyssen says That they were mix'd with bemoaning Expressions with Sighs and Tears That he spoke continually of Weeping even in his Panegyricks This is properly the Character of the greatest part of the Discourses publish'd by Vossius 5. The same Father says That he wrote Discourses of Humility Charity in Praise of Virginity and of the Last Judgment There are Discourses upon all these Subjects amongst those that were publish'd by Vossius and have the same Character which this Father observ'd in St. Ephrem's Books that is to say that they are pathetical and moving 6. He wrote many Hymns upon divers Subjects and there are among the Books which go under his Name many Pieces written in Verse and of a Poetical Stile 7. His Testament which is related in this Edition is the same with that which is quoted by St. Gregory Nyssen who produces two Passages out of it which are word for word in that which was publish'd by Vossius 8. We have among these Books The Life of Julianus cited by Sozomen B. III. of his History Ch. 14. In fine The 49 Sermons of St. Ephrem whereof Photius made an Extract are found in these Works of St. Ephrem The same Photius quotes a Discourse of Humility divided into a 100 Chapters which is in the second Tome a Discourse upon the same Vertue which is in the first Tome and a Treatise of Vertues and Vices to the Metebian Monks which is also in the first Volume and which contains the same Matters in the same Order These Reasons plainly show that the greatest part of the Books which at present go under St. Ephrem's Name are the same with Gregory Nyssen Theodoret Sozomen and Photius attributed to this Saint Now what probability is there that they should take the Works of another Author for those of St. Ephrem St. Gregory Nyssen could not be deceiv'd herein who lived at the same time What probability is there that Photius who was a
very able Critick and who distinguishes our St. Ephrem from the Patriarch of Antioch who mentions the Works of the one and the other in two different places of his Bibliotheca What probability is there I say that he should quote a false Ephrem for a true one 'T is objected 1. That there is not found in his Works that Fire and Loftiness which are mention'd by St. Jerom and Sozomen and that they seem to be rather Pious than Learned according to the Judgment of Cardinal Bellarmin I answer That tho' there were not found in a Latin Version of the Works of any Author made from another Greek Version all that Beauty and Loftiness which they had in their Original Language we should not wonder at it But those who object this do not rightly apprehend the Sence of St. Jerom and Sozomen and have neither a very nice Relish nor a very right Judgment in this matter For first of all St. Jerom and Sozomen tacitely confess That the Translation of the Works of St. Ephrem made them lose some part of their Loftiness but they only observe That one might perceive some strokes of his Vivacity and Eloquence even in the Translation it self 2dly St. Jerom says the same of the Book of the Holy Spirit and not of the others Now it may so happen that this sublime Reasoning of St. Ephrem appear'd more in his Dogmatical Books than in his Discourses of Devotion and in his Edifying Exhortations such as all those are which are now extant 3dly 'T is not true that no Vein of Eloquence is to be discerned in them The learned Photius did not think so On the contrary we may admire says he in the Exhortations of this holy Man which are a part of this Book which we now have the force wherewith he perswades his agreeable manner of expressing things and the pathetical Phrases that he makes use of It is no wonder that his Stile and his Figures resemble those Homilies which are made off hand and without premeditation Neither must we throw this fault upon the Author but upon the Interpreter because those that are learned in the Syriack Tongue know that they excel in abundance of Words and in Figures of Rhetorick so that 't is hard to say whether it be from their Language or from his own Invention that the strength and elevation of his Disâ—â—rse proceeds Moreover we ought not in reading to look only upon the meanness of the Words but to consider what Advantage and Profit may be reaped from the things that he has written Mr. Du Pin seems to have forgot that he had named Cardinal Bellarmin just before This Reflection of Photius who was a better Critick in this kind than Rivet and the other Criticks of his way informs us that several strokes of the Elevation and Quickness of his Spirit might be discerned in the Version of St. Ephrem's Discourses and that one might there perceive the Genius of the Syriack Tongue and that whatever meanness there may be in his Stile it ought to be attributed to the Interpreter and not to the Author 'T is objected also That those Treatises were written by an Author who understood Greek since he â—â—â—es St. Irenaeus Ch. 8. of the Treatise of Vertue and the Life of St. Anthony written in Greek by St. Athanasius in Ch. 10. of the Treatise upon these words Take heed to your selves Now St. Ephrem did not understand Greek say they and by consequence these Treatises are none of his 'T is easy to answer this Objection 1. 'T is not certain that St. Ephrem did not understand Greek on the contrary 't is probable that a Man who was often among People that spoke Greek did understand their Language tho' he was not able enough to write in that Tongue 2. That though he did not understand Greek yet he might get the Books of St. Irenaeus translated into Syriack and 't is probable that for the use of the Monks of his Country he procur'd a Syriack Verson of the Life of St. Anthony who was look'd upon as the Rule of all the Monks in the East 3dly They object to us the little Credit that ought to be given to those that have publish'd his Books They say We have them not but as they come through the hands of the Modern Greeks who are too much given to Cheat and that the Latin Versions were made by Ambrosius Camaldulensis and Vissius Tungrensis who were Persons devoted to the Interests of the Court of Rome But why is it sufficient thus to alledge general and uncertain Reasons for rejecting any Books If this be sufficient What is there that we shall not doubt of The Protestants will have Reason to reject all the Books of the Fathers which have been publish'd by Catholicks and Catholicks will have reason to reject all those that have been publish'd by the Protestants Where shall we be then This therefore is not the way But we must suppose that both the one and the other have publish'd the Books which they found in the Manuscripts that fell into their hands for there is no probability that one Man should be so impudent as to forge many Pieces and pretend that he found them in Manuscripts and tho' some Persons should be found capable of doing this yet 't were impossible but their imposture must be quickly discover'd They must therefore have other Proofs besides these general Accusations to reject any Books as supposititious But besides when it is said that we have none of St. Ephrem's Writings but through the hands of the Modern Greeks that 's a mistake They were translated while he was alive as appears by what we have already said And whereas Ambrosius Camaldulensis and Vossius are accus'd of being Impostors 't is easy to justify them by the ancient Greek Manuscripts which are to be found in Libraries Lastly Some places of the Books of this Father are produc'd which seem to be mean and unworthy of him 'T is said that there is nothing more ridiculous than what he introduces the damn'd speaking We salute you O Saints we salute you O Apostles c. They add That there are contradictions in then for in his Confessions he accuses himself of many Sins and in his Testament he makes himself Innocent To answer this Objection in a word I might say That 't is a very hard matter to avoid but some weak Thoughts will be found in so great a Number of Books of Piety and Devotion That if one would compare these Books with those of our Age which are of the same kind they might see that the latter are infinitely more fill'd with false Thoughts than those of St. Ephrem But the places which Rivet has chose to oppose to us are very weak Proofs The wicked do not Salute the Saints in the Treatise of Hell Torments on the contrary they bid them eternally adieu after they had heard the Sentence of Condemnation Neither is there any Contradiction between his Testament
Consideration of Death and of Judgment to beg Pardon of his Fault to Turn and Repent The Fourth of these Letters is address'd to a Virgin who being consecrated to God by a Vow of Virginity had suffer'd her self to be corrupted by a Miserable Man He represents to her the Enormity of her Crime He endeavours to terrifie her by the Fear of Judgment and of Hell and gives her hopes that she shall obtain Mercy if she will change her Life and Repent The 411. Letter ought to be joyn'd to this It contains many Precepts of a MonastickLife which for the most part are drawn out of the Holy Scripture The 165. Letter to Eustathius the Philosopher was written some time after St. Basil's Retirement He acquaints him That since his return from Athens he had search'd for him in all places but could not meet with him which Unhappiness he Attributes to the Providence of God and not to Fortune The 166. to one nam'd Julianus seems to have been written about the same time He says That 't is in a Man's Power to lead a happy and quiet Liâ—e by governing his Passions and submitting his Mind to all Events that can happen Neither Loss of Goods says he nor Sickness of Body nor any other troublesome Accidents of this Life can hurt a Vertuous Man while he designs to walk in the Ways of God and Meditates upon another Life who submits to all the Troubles and Crosses of this World For those who are wholly taken up with the Cares of this Life are like those Carnivorous Birds who stoop down to the Earth with the Beasts though they have Wings to fly in the Air. The 167. Letter to Diodorus a Priest of Antioch was also written about the same time In it he commends the Two Books which this Author had sent him He says That the Second was very acceptable to him not only because of its Brevity but because of the many Thoughts Arguments and Answers which it contain'd in a very good Method He commends the plainness of its Stile which is agreeable says he to the Profession of a Christian who ought much rather to write for the Publick Good than to acquire Glory to himself As to the First Book which was compos'd by way of Dialogue he says That though it was more adorn'd with Figures and had greater Variety of Matter yet he found it tedious to read and difficult to understand He takes notice That the Calumnies of Hereticks and the Defences of the Catholicks are very useless and interrupt the Thread of his Discourse To this we may joyn the 168. Letter to Eunomius wherein he rallies this Heretick who boasted of understanding all things by putting to him many difficult Questions about things Natural to which 't was impossible to Answer The 41. and 42. Letters to Maximus the Philosopher who is in all probability the same that got himself Ordain'd Archbishop of Constantinople were also written by St. Basil when he was in his Solitude The 1st is concerning the Opinions of Dionysius of Alexandria He accuses him of Writing some things in his Books which seemed to be the Seeds of the Error of the Anomaeans yet he confesses that he did it not designedly but that in disputing against the Heresy of Sabellius he had too much inclin'd to the opposite Error and in proving the Distinction of the Persons he seem'd to admit a Difference of Nature between the Three Divine Persons After this St. Basil explains his own Judgment concerning the Trinity He does not condemn the Opinion of those who say That the Word is like to God the Father in Substance nor even of those who say simply That he is like to his Father Provided they add That he is in nothing unlike to him because this Sence falls in with their Opinion who call him Consubstantial He adds That this last term is less capable of an ill sence He condemns the Bishops of the Council of Constantinople who contented themselves with declaring That the Son was the Image of the Father without adding That he was in nothing unlike At last St. Basil invites Maximus to come and see him and directly charges him with having too great an Affection for the City and the Grandeur of this World This Letter was written after the Council of Constantinople in 360. In the 2d Letter to the same Philosopher he commends him and recommends to him the love of Vertue The 2d 3d and 33d Letters address'd to St. Gregory who was gone to Nazianzum were much about the same time In the 2d he observes That no words are capable of expressing our Thoughts of God and Admonishes St. Gregory to use all his Eloquence in the Defence of the Truth In the 3d. Letter he pleasantly rebukes St. Gregory for writing none but Laconick Letters to him that is to say such as were short and concise 'T is plain That the Letters of St. Basil to the Emperour Julian if they are Genuine were written by this Saint in his Retirement since the Death of Julian happened before he came out of his Solitude He had known this Prince at Athens where they had Studied together under Libanius After he was return'd to his own Country he received a very obliging Letter from this Prince who had not yet forsaken the Christian Religion This Letter is the 206. But after he had renounc'd Christianity he did no longer treat St. Basil after the same manner but on the contrary he wrote a Proud Letter to him and commanded him to send him 1000 l. of Gold for restoring of the Temples This Letter is the 207th among those of St. Basil to which is subjoyn'd the Answer that Julian made when he had read the Book of Apollinarius I have read it understood it and condemn'd it But it appears that those words were added to the rest of the Letter to which they have no reference at all The Two following Letters contain the Answer of St. Basil to this Letter of Julian yet they are not two Answers nor two different Letters but one and the same Answer of which some have made too Cotelerius hath publish'd a little while ago the whole entire and in one Letter only from a Manuscript of the King's Library It is in his Second Volume of the Monuments of the Greek Church This Sentence which is put at the beginning of the First You did not understand what you read for if you had understood it you would never have condemn'd it was added after the writing of this Letter as that was which is at the end of Julian's Letter I doubt also whether the Answer that is attributed to St. Basil be truly his and I know not but it may be written by some other Person who would make a trial how he could Answer Julian's Letter to this Father And indeed the Stile of this Letter is not so Elegant as that of the Letters of St. Basil. He writes to Julian That he is horribly vex'd when he
upon the Praises of Shepherds and gives a Catalogue of the Great Men who had kept Flocks Towards the end he makes a Digression against the Arians 't is believ'd that this Mamas suffer'd under the Emperour Aurelian The Panegyrick upon the Martyr Barlaam is a very short Discourse wherein he praises this generous Confessor who had endur'd with Constancy the burning of his Hand rather than suffer the Incense to fall into a little Box which was upon the Profane Altar of an Idol The Ascetical Treatises of St. Basil are very useful not only to the Monks but also to all those that make Profession of Piety and contain the Rules of the Morality of Jesus Christ which agree to all the World The three First Treatises which are at the beginning of the Asceticks are distinct Discourses which have no Reference to them though the First is entituled A Preface to the Asceticks 'T is an Exhortation to those who have embrac'd a Monastick Life wherein he endeavours to persuade them that they are engag'd as Souldiers in a Spiritual Warfare and that they ought to fulfill all the Obligations of it The Second also is An Exhortation to a Monastick Life wherein he represents the Advantages of Celibacy and of the Practices of Religion The Third which is entituled Of a Monastick Life contains many Precepts which concern those who retire from the World These three Treatises are distinct Discourses but the two following of Faith and Judgment are the Preface or the First Book of the Asceticks We must begin with the Book of Judgment and joyn to it that of Faith which ends with a little Preface to the Asceticks and all these make only one Preface to the whole Work He declares there that having been educated in the Christian Religion and instructed from his Youth in the Doctrine of the Holy Books when he came to the Years of discretion he perceiv'd that there was much Union among the Professors of Arts and Sciences but that he found great Divisions in the Church of Jesus Christ that he was sometime in doubt which Party he should choose and that meditating upon this Subject he came to know that the greatest Evil was Schism and Division which proceeded from the Ignorance and Sin of those who did not obey the Commands of God and follow'd not his Law That having afterwards reflected upon the terrible Judgments of God upon these Persons he believ'd himself oblig'd to adhere to the Faith of the Church and to meditate on those Precepts of the Holy Scripture which concern the manners and behaviour of Men That being then persuaded that nothing but Faith working by Love would avail any thing he believ'd that t was Necessary after the Explication of the Faith of the Church and the Doctrine which is to be held concerning the Trinity to write a Book of Manners This Conclusion of the Book of Judgment shews that after it follow'd the Treatise of Faith wherein he says many fine things concerning the Vertue of Faith and then Expounds the Doctrine of the Church and makes Profession of the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit whom he affirms to be of the same Substance with the Father He Exhorts those to whom he wrote to keep to the Simplicity of this Faith which is founded upon the Authority of the Holy Scripture and he prays God that they may always continue inviolably fix'd in it At last having explain'd this Faith he declares That he has collected into one Body many Precepts taken out of the New Testament These Precepts are comprised in 80 Rules divided into several Chapters To these must be joyn'd the 84 Great Rules and the 313 Small ones which are answers to several Moral Questions that comprehend all that is most Excellent in Christian Morality These are they which make up the Body of St. Basil's Ethicks or Asceticks divided into Two Books as we have observ'd They may be consulted concerning all the Offices and Actions of a Christian Life They may be useful to all States and Conditions and one may say that St. Basil has there collected and methodically digested all the Practical Part of the Gospel Upon which Account Photius had Reason to say That whosoever shall follow these Precepts shall undoubtedly be sav'd The Book of the Instructions of Monks and of Monastical Constitutions are two Books distinct from the Asceticks which contain many Precepts and Rules for the Monks that are not so general nor so useful to all the World as the Treatise of Morality To know the Genius and Doctrine of St. Basil we can address our selves to none better than to his Faithful Friend Gregory Nazianzen See then how he speaks of him He compares his Eloquence to a Trumpet sounding in the Air to a Divine Word which shall be spread over the whole Earth to a wonderful Whirl-wind raised after a very Surprizing Manner He says That he has div'd into the most hidden Secrets of the Holy Scripture which he has made use of to Instruct all Men and to make them lose the Relish of things present and fall in Love only with things to come That his Writings are the Object of the Admiration of all Persons and the Pleasure and Study of all Men of worth The Authors that wrote after him says he say nothing but what they have drawn out of his Works The Ancients are neglected and nothing is minded but what he has said anew In a word He alone is sufficient to make an able Man When I read his Treatise of the Creation adds St. Gregory methinks I am present with the Creator when I light upon the Books which he wrote against Hereticks methinks I see the Fire of Sodom which reduc'd those criminal Tongues to ashes when I peruse what he has written of the Holy Spirit I acknowledge the God whom I possess and I make no Scruple to publish boldly the Truth when I read the Explications of Scripture which he has made for the Illiterate I understand the deep Abysses of Mysteries when I hear his Panegyricks of the Martyrs I despise my own Body I fansie my self present with those whom he praises and I feel my self excited to the Combat when I set my self to read the Discourses which he has written concerning Morals and the manner of living Well my Heart and my Soul are purified that they may become the Temple of the Holy Spirit they reform me they instruct me they change me and lead me unto Vertue We are not here to think That St. Gregory Nazianzen in saying all this heightned the Matter as an Orator or flattered him as a Friend what he says is very true and there is not any Author whose Writings make a greater Impression than those of St. Basil He describes things so lively he explains his Reasons with so much force he urges them so vigorously he makes such loathsome Portraictures of Vice such persuasive Exhortations to Vertue he gives so large and so profitable Instructions that
169 The fourth Volume 175 The fifth Volume 175 The sixth Volume 176 The seventh Volume 187 The eighth Volume 191 The ninth Volume 195 The tenth Volume 200 Pope Zosimus 207 Pope Boniface I. 210 Synesius Bishop of Ptolemais 211 Polychronius 215 The COUNCILS held between the Beginning of the Fifth Century and the Year 430. CAnons of a Roman Synod believed to be held under Pope Innocent I. 216 Council of Milevis 217 Councils held by S. Chrysostom at Constantinople and at Ephesus in 400 and 401. 217 Council ad Quercum in the Suburbs of Chalcedon in 403. Ibid. Council of Carthage in the Year 403. 218 Council of Carthage in the Year 404. 218 Council of Carthage in the Year 405. 218 Council of Carthage in the Year 407. 218 Two Councils of Carthage in the Year 408. 219 Council of Carthage in the Year 409. 219 Council of Carthage in the Year 410. Ibid. Council of Ptolemais in the Year 411. 220 Conference of Carthage in the Year 411. Ibid. Council of Cirta or Zerta in the Year 412. 221 First Council of Carthage against Coelestius in the Year 412. Ibid. Conference of Jerusalem in the Year 415. Ibid Council of Diospolis in the Year 418. Ibid Second Council of Carthage against Coelestius and Pelagius Council of Milevis against the same in the Year 416. 222 Council of Carthage held about the End of the Year 417. Ibid. Council of Carthage in the Year 418. Ibid. Council of Tella or Zella and some other Councils in Africa in the Year 418. 224 Councils of Carthage concerning the Cause of Apiarius 418 and 419. Ibid. Council of Ravenna 227 Council of Carthage in the Year 420. 228 Council of Constantinople in the Year 426. ibid Council of Carthage against Leporius ibid Council of Constantinople in the Year 428. ibid An Alphabetical Table of the Names of the Authors mentioned in this Volume ANastasius 58 Antiochus 52 Asterius 53 Audentius 5 S. Augustin 125 Avitus 122 Bachiarius 121 Boniface 210 Coelestius 120 Chromacius 58 S. John Chrysostom 6 Diadochus 5 Endelechius Severus 5 Evagrius 1 Evodius 122 Eusebius 123 Flavianus 6 Gaudentius 59 Heliodorus 123 Helvidius 124 S. John of Jerusalem 61 S. Jerom 73 Innocent I. 67 Isaac 121 Lucian 122 Mark 2 Marcellus Memorialis 123 Macarius 123 Niceas 120 Olympius 120 Orosius 122 Palladius 66 Prudentius 4 Paulus 123 Paulinus 113 Pelagius 119 Polychronius 215 Rufinus 107 Sabbatius 121 Severianus 52 Simplicianus 3 Severus 122 Sophronius 111 Sulpicius Severus Ibid. Synesius 211 Theodorus 64 Theophilus 62 Vigilantius 124 Vigilius 3 Ursinus 123 Zosimus 207 An Alphabetical Table of the Councils held from the Year 400 to the Year 430. COuncils of Constantinople in the Year 400 and 401. 217 Council of Carthage in 403. 218 At Carthage in 404. Ibid. The same in 405. Ibid. The same in 407. Ibid. The same in 408. 219 The same in 409. Ibid. The same in 410. Ibid. Conference of Carthage in 411. 220 Council of Carthage against Coelestius in 412. 221 Second Council against the same in 416. 222 Council of Carthage in 417. Ibid. Council of Carthage in 418. Ibid. Councils of Carthage in 418 and 419 concerning the Cause of Apiarius 224 Council of Carthage in 420. 282 Council in the Suburbs of Chalcedon against S. Chrysostom in 403. 217 Council of Constantinople in 426. 228 Council of Carthage in 427. ibid Council of Constantinople in 426. Council of Carthage in 427. Council of Constantinople in 428. 228 Council of Diospolis in 418. 221 Council of Ephesus in 400 and 401. Conference of Jerusalem in 415. 221 Council of Milevis in 402. 217 The same against Coelestius and Pelagius in 416 222 Council of Ptolemais in 411. 220 Roman Synod under Innocent I. in 430. 216 Council of Ravenna in 419. Council of Zirta in 412. 221 Council of Zella in 418. 224 BIBLIOTHECA PATRUM OR A NEW HISTORY OF Ecclesiastical Writers TOME III. PART I. CONTAINING An Account of the LIVES and WRITINGS of the Primitive FATHERS that Flourished in the Beginning of the Fifth Century of Christianity with Censures upon all their BOOKS determining which are Genuine and which Spurious EVAGRIUS PONTICUS EVagrius Ponticus a Disciple of the Macarii not Evagrius of Antioch mentioned in the Second Volume nor Evagrius Scholasticus was ordained Deacon of Constantinople by Evagrius Ponticus S. Gregory Nazianzen He Sided with the Defenders of Origen and left Constantinople but returned thither in the Year 379 to meet Melanius and there took upon him the Habit of a Monk From thence he retired into the Solitudes of Nitria where he spent the rest of his Life untill about the Year 406. Socrates affirms that he wrote very usefull Books One saith he is intituled The Monk or Of an Active Life the Other The Gnostick i. e. Of a Contemplative Life or for Enlightned Men. This Book is divided into Fifty Chapters The Third is intituled Antirrheticus which is a Collection of Passages out of Scripture against the Temptations of the Devil divided into eight Parts according to eight Sorts of Thoughts He wrote besides Six hundred Gnostick Problems Two Books of Sentences Whereof one is Addressed to the Coenobites and the other to a Virgin Whosoever reads those Books will easily see their Worth and find them to be worthy of admiration Palladius Evagrius's Disciple in the 86th Chapter of his Monastick History speaks much in his Commendation and observes that his Writings were either Books of Piety or Monastical or Polemical Books and this agrees with what Socrates said before S. Jerom in his Second Book against Pelagius says That he wrote to Virgins to Monks and to Melanius and that he composed a Treatise of Apathy i. e. Of freedom from Passion and that the Books of this Author were known in the West as well as in the East because some of them had been Translated by Ruffinus his Disciple Gennadius mentions this Author in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers and says That he had Translated into Latin Evagrius's Treatise against the Eight principal Temptations One hundred Sentences for the Anchorets Fifty for learned Men and some other Sentences that were something obscure He speaks also of certain Rules dedicated to the Monks and Nuns There is a Book commonly ascribed to this Author entituled The Lives of the Fathers and some have believed that Gennadius said so but they misunderstood him for he doth not say that Evagrius was the Author of those Lives but that the Book intituled The Lives of the Fathers did make mention of Evagrius as a learned and pious Man and accordingly we find in the 27th Chapter of the Second Book of those Lives that Evagrius is mentioned and his Learning and Piety are commended whereas it is not likely that Evagrius would have commended himself We have some Fragments of this Author's Works and several of his Sentences in the Code of the Moâ—asticâ— Râ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Livâ—…and â—â—ophâ—â—â—gms of the â—â—tâ—â—rs in the Ascetick Treasure published by
Pâ—… â—nd particularly amoâ—â—st thâ— Wâ—â—ks of S. Nilus where there are several of Evagrius's Writings whether S. Nilus quoted them or whether it happened by the Additions of Transcribers is uncertain Socrates Chap. 7. of the Third Book of his History cites a passage of Evagrius taken out of his Gnostical Treatise wheâ—e it is said That it is impossible to define the Divinity and to expound the Trinity The same Author afterwards cites two passages of Evagrius in the 2â—d Chapter of the 4th Book of his History whereof one is taken out of the Gnostical Book and thâ— othâ—â— out of the Practical Book Maximus S. John Damascene and Anthony quote many Sâ—ntences of thâ—â— Author which â—re found amongst the Works of S. Nilus Cotelierius in the Third Volume of his Monuments of the Greek Church Page 68 c. hath given us part both of the Gnostical and of the Practical Books of Evagrius which he took out of two Greek Manuscripts and out of Authors who quoted those Discourses They begin with a Letter to Anatolius which is aâ— a â—â—eface â—o the whole Work of the two Books This Preface is followed by 71 â—â—aâ—tâ—â—â— or Sâ—â—teâ—ces drawn from the Gâ—ostical Book which are written without â—rdâ—â— and 〈◊〉 one with another There is mâ—re Order in the 100 Chapters drawn from the Practical Book The following Treatise contains eleven Instructions for the Monks And this is what Cotelierius could find of the Works of Evagrius His Antirrhetical Treatise or of the Eight Evil Thoughts is equally imperfect as we have it For that which Bigotius hath given in Greek the Translation whereof was found in S. John Damascene and in the Bibliotheca Patrum before the Book of S. Nilus of the Eight Vices is not the intire Treatise of Evagrius but only an Epitome containing the Titles and the Summ of those Eight Chapters as Bigâ—tius judiciously observes and may be proved by the Testimony of Socrates who assures us That that Book of Evagrius contained several passages of Scripture whereas there is not one in this Some also ascribe to Evagrius the History of an Hermite called Pacâ—n related in Palladius Chap. 29. and to be found amongst the Works of S. Nilus published by Suarez at Rome who observes that this Treatise was ascribed to Evagrius in his Manuscript as well as the following which is a Dogmatical Letter concerning the Trinity the Author whereof refutes the Errors both of the Arians and Macedonians This Letter belongs to Evagrius who writ it while he was at Constantinople with S. Gregory Nazianzen It is very probable also that the Sentences or Maxims which are from Page 543 to 575 of the Writings attributed to S. Nilus are written by Evagrius as Holstenius confesses upon the Authority of Manuscripts The Greek Manuscripts have quoted some of them under his Name and they have great relation to those which Gennadius speaks of To these must be added those which we find under the Name of Evagrius at the latter end of the First Volume of the Bibliotheca Patrum in Greek and Latin of the Year 1624 and a small Treatise of the Names of God which is very obscure published by Cotelierius in the Second Volume of his Monuments of the Greek Church p. 116. MARK MARK the Hermite of whom we are to speak in this place lived about the end of the Fourth Century Palladius and Sozomen speak of him as of a very holy Man He composed Mark some Ascetical Treatises which have been attributed by Bellarmine and some others to one Mark who lived under Leo the Emperour in the Ninth Century But Photius having made a very exact Extract of thâ—se Treatises it is impossible they should be of a Man that lived since him And therefore they must be ascribed to that Mark who lived about the latter end of the Fourth Century This is what he saith of it in the Two hundredth Volume I have read Eight Books of Mark the Monk whereof the First is intituled Of the Spiritual Life it may be profitable to those who have undertaken to lead a Religious life i. e. to be Monks as well as the following in which he shews That they are deceived who think to be justified by their Works shewing that this is a very dangerous Opinion He adds to this Instruction wholsome Precepts that lead to a Spiritual life The Third Book is of Repentance his design here is to shew that this Vertue is of use at all times This Book aims at the same end as the fore-going and the same use may be made of it His Style is clear enough because he makes use of common terms and speaks of things in general but he wants the smoothness of Old Athens If there be some darkness it doth not proceed from the terms he useth but from the things he treateth of which are of such a nature that it is easier to comprehend them by practice than by discoursing Wherefore you shall find the same obscurity not only in the Books now mentioned but also in those that follow and in all the Books of those that have written of the Monastick life and have discoursed of the Motions and Passions of the Soul as well as of the Actions which they produce it being impossible to teach with Words those things that depend upon practice The Fourth Book by way of Questions and Answers shews That by Baptism we have received not only the Pardon and Remission of our Sins but also the Grace of the Holy Spirit and many other Spiritual gifts The Fifth is a kind of Conference of the Spirit with the Soul whereby he proves That we our selves are Authors of our Sins and that we ought to accuse no body else upon that account The Sixth is in the form of a Dialogue between Mark and an Advocate who discourse of these following Subjects That none is to seek revenge for an injury received because the wrong we suffer is to be looked upon as a punishment for our Sins he adds that it is difficult to please Men and that Prayer is to be preferred before any other labour He concludes by explaining wherein the Desires of the Flesh consist He treats of Fasting in the Seventh Book that is not written by way of Dialogue The Eighth is directed to a Monk called Nicolas treating of the ways of appeasing of Anger and of quenching of Lust. There is also a Ninth Book against the Melchisedechians wherein he spareth not his own Father who had been tainted with that Heresie Those that would read usefull Books will not lose their time in reading of this The Order of these Books is not the same in all Copies In some those are found last which we have named first This Observation of Photius is verified by the Latin Edition of these Eight Books which were published by Johannes Picus President of the Inquests in the Parliament of Paris and inserted into the Bibliotheca Patrum The Four first are there in Photius's order but
Combat of the Soul There he describes in Hexameter Verse the Conflict of Vertue against Vice in the Soul of a Christian and particularly of Faith against Idolatry of Chastity against Uncleanness of Patience against Anger of Humility against Pride of Sobriety against Excess of Liberality against Covetousness and of Concord against Dissention Cathemerinon or Poems concerning each days Duty they contain several Odes or Songs about the most ordinary Exercises of Christianity As for example Prayers and giving of Thanks at lying down and rising up before and after Meals about Fasting upon the Death of Kindred or Friends of the Nativity of Christ and upon the Epiphany After these Hymns come several others entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of Crowns because made in Commendation of Martyrs The following Poems regard several Points of the Christian Religion and are therefore entituled Apotheosis or Treatises upon the Divinity In these he refuteth the Errors of the Heathens of the Jews Sabellians Arians and Apollinarians and discourses of the Nature of the Soul of Original Sin and of the Resurrection Hamartigenia is a Treatise concerning the Original of Sin against the Errors of Marcion The two Books against Symmachus oppose Idolatry In the first is shewed the Original and Baseness of false Deities and there is an Account of the Conversion of the City of Rome In the second Petition which Symmachus presented to the Emperors to obtain the Re-establishment of the Altar of Victory and of the Service of the Gods with the Ceremonies of the Pagan Religion is answered The last of Prudentius his Works is an Abridgment of some Histories of the Old and New Testament in Distichs Gennadius speaks of a Book written by Prudentius called Dittochaeon i. e. Double food wherein he had comprised the Historical Part both of the Old and New Testament according to the Person 's names This Book is very like that we now speak of but only written in a looser Style and far from the beauty of his other Works And whereas Prudentius calls the Dittochaeon a considerable Book upon the Old and New Testament this is a small one upon some places only which makes me think that it is simply an Epitome of Prudentius's whole Work b Prudentius his whole Work This Abridgement is ascribed by some to Amoenus and Georgius Fabricius observeth that it goes under his Name in a Manuscript belonging to one of Strasburg It is also printed under the same Name in some Editions of the Bibliotheca Patrum In all the Manuscripts Prudentius is said to be the Author of it and Aldus says that he saw an Ancient one where the Title of it was Dittochaeon or Dyrrochaeon But it is not to be wonder'd at if the Abridgement of Prudentius's Works made by one Amoenus should be taken for the very Work of Prudentius and perhaps this is the Cause of its being lost However Gennadius says that Prudentius wrote a Commentary upon the Hexameron as far as to the Creation and Fall of the First Man But that Book is lost Prudentius is no very good Poet he often useth harsh Expressions not reconcilable to the Purity of Augustus's Age. Prudentius's Works were printed and published at Rome by Aldus Manutius in the Year 1501 in Quarto This Edition was followed by those of Germany and others which are conformable to them where are added Erasmus's Notes upon the Hymns upon Christmas and the Epiphany and those of Sichardus upon the Psychomachia The Edition of Antwerp of 1540. in Octavo contains the Annotations of Antonius Nebrissensis and Sichardus That of 1564. was made after the Notes and Corrections of Putmannus Graffemburgius and Victor Giselinus who added his own Commentaries Most of the late Editions which are numerous have been made after that In 1613. Prudentius was printed at Hanover with Weitzius's Notes and in 1614 the two Books against Symmachus were printed at Paris with the Commentaries of Grangaeus The last Edition of Prudentius was at Amsterdam in 1667 in Twelves with the Notes and Corrections of Nicolaus Heinsius DIADOCHUS IT is well known that Diadochus was Bishop of Photice a City of Epirus but the time wherein he lived is not known Bellarmine and others that mention him place him at the Diadschus End of the Fourth Century but without proof However he is ancienter than Maximus who quotes him in his Answers to Thalassius Photius in the 201 Volume saith That he had read a Book of that Bishop which contained Ten Definitions and One Hundred Chapters and observes that this Book is usefull for those who design to live a Spiritual Life The Ten Definitions prefixed before the Hundred Chapters are not extant These as we learn by the Titles which Photius hath preserved of them were properly Reflections upon the principal Perfections of a Spiritual Life The hundred Chapters of the Spiritual Life were published by Turrianus Spiritual in the Ascetical Style is to be understood of those extraordinary Exercises and Mortifications which the old Monks and Hermites obliged themselves to observe over and above the ordinary Duties of the Christian Life that every Christian was by his Prosession made at his Baptism bound to practise they contain several Maxims concerning a Religious and Spiritual Life they are written with a plain Stile as most Ascetical Treatises are There are several false Thoughts and such spiritual Notions as will not be rellished by every Body AUDENTIUS WHat Gennadius observeth of this Author whom he mentions immediately after Prudentius is this Audentius a Spanish Bishop wrote a Book against the Manichees Arians Audentius and Sabellians and chiefly against the Photinians who are now called Bonosiacks he intituled this Book A Treatise of Faith against all Hereticks He there shews that the Son of God is co-eternal with the Father and that he did not begin to be God when he made himself Man and that he was born of the Virgin Mary SEVERUS ENDELECHIUS WE have a Bucolick or Pastoral Poem of one Severus Endelechius about the End whereof there is a Discourse of the Efficacy of the Sign of the Cross and of the Christian Religion Severus Endelechius to the embracing of which Tityrus exhorts his Companion This Author lived since Constantine but the time is not known His Poem is pretty well writ It is likely he lived about the End of the Fourth or the beginning of the Fifth Century FLAVIANUS FLAVIANUS Presbyter of Antioch having governed that Church during the Arian Persecutions in the Absence of Meletius his Bishop was after his Death in the Year 380 Flavianus chosen by the oriental Bishops to fill that See which was not to be looked upon as vacant since Paulinus Collegue to Meletius was yet alive This Ordination renewed the Schism of the Church of Antioch The Western Bishops who of a long time favoured Paulinus could not endure that a Bishop should be ordained while he lived against the Agreement made with Meletius That the Surviver
Edition Those upon the New Testament were composed first not long after he was returned from his Journey to Rome towards the Year 388. About the same time he writ his Commentaries upon Ecclesiastes and undertook afterwards those upon the minor Prophets beginning at Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai These Works were completed before the Year 392. The Commentaries upon the others held him till towards the Year 400. Afterwards he wrote upon Daniel and having done that he undertook the Commentary upon Isaiah which was ended in 409 in 410. he composed that upon Ezekiel The last of all are the Commentary upon Jeremiah as it is observed in the Preface If we add to these Works already mentioned the Translation of Origen's two Homilies upon the Canticles that are in the Eighth Volume of the Nine Homelies upon Isaiah of Fourteen upon Ezekiel and of Fourteen upon Jeremiah which are among Origen's Works and the Version of Eusebius's Chronicon we have all the Genuine Works of S. Jerom the rest being spurious as we shall shew afterwards As for the Chronicon it should not be looked upon as a mere Translation of Eusebius S. Jerom having added many things to it as he says in his Preface where he observes that what is there from Ninus and Abraham to the taking of Troy is a faithful Translation of the Greek that from the taking of Troy to the 20th Year of Constantine he had added and altered many things which he had collected out of Suetonius and other Latin Authors and last of all That he continued Eusebius his Chronicon from the 20th Year of Constantine to the Sixth Consulship of Valens and the Second of Valentinian that is to the Year 378. of the vulgar Aera We have lost a Commentary of S. Jerom upon the Tenth Psalm and the Six following divided into seven parts which he mentions in his Catalogue Notes upon all the Psalms which he speaks of in the first Apology against Rufinus and a Treatise upon the Book of Job which he mentions in the Commentary upon the Fifth Chapter of Amos. S. Augustin in his Treatise of Heresies to Quodvultdeus saith That he had heard that S. Jerom had composed a Treatise upon the same Subject but that he could not find it The same Saint speaks in the Two hundred and sixtieth Epistle to Oceanus of a Treatise of S. Jerom's which Orosius had brought to Oceanus wherein he treated of the Resurrection Cassiodorus names some other Works of this Father as a Letter to Antius where he saith That he has explained great Difficulties An Exposition upon Salomon's Judgment Notes upon all the Prophets and a Commentary upon the Reveldtions Trithemius mentions a moral Commentary upon the Four Gospels and another upon the Canonical Epistles but these Treatises are not extant neither is it very certain that they were S. Jerom's I have omitted some Books that are in this Volume now mentioned because they are not S. Jerom's tho' they bear his Name Here is the Catalogue of them and a Critick upon them The Questions upon the book of Chronicles and the Books of Kings which are rejected by most of the Criticks as being not S. Jerom's First Because when S. Jerom makes a Catalogue of his Works he speaks only of his Questions upon Genesis but says nothing of his having written the like work upon the Chronicles or the Kings 2. Because the subject and the stile of these latter Questions seems different from that of the former In his Questions upon Genesis S. Jerom sets down often the Hebrew words of the Text and the Greek terms of the Translations of which he examines the differences but in these there is nothing like it In the Questions upon Genesis he seriously searcheth into the Sence of the Scripture and makes solid and useful Reflections These on the contrary are full of useless trifling and fabulous Remarks Wherefore Lyranus thinks they are unworthy of S. Jerom and ascribes them to some newly converted Jew For my part I would not affirm so positively that they are not S. Jerom's They were composed by a Man that understood Hebrew who kept to the Letter of the Holy Scripture who was acquainted with Jewish Traditions all which Characters belong to S. Jerom the stile of those Books is very like his and no Man ought to wonder that in a Treatise of this Nature he hath followed some of the Jewish Fancies This will not hold of the small Treatise which contains the Explication of the Countries and Towns spoken of in the Acts it being evidently written by some other Author besides S. Jerom since he quotes this Fathers Treatise when speaking of Smyrna It is among Bede's Works who probably may be the Author of it The Commentary upon the Lamentations of Jeremiah is a Collection by Rabanus of the thoughts of several Fathers and particularly of S. Gregory It is among that Author's Works and it is cited under his Name by Bonaventure in his Commentary upon the Lamentations The Commentary or Book of Annotations upon S. Mark 's Gospel is altogether unworthy of S. Jerom both for the stile and for the matter The Author knew neither Greek nor Hebrew nor spake very good Latin He is guilty of ridiculous Errors as when he saith That Pascha signifies Passage in Latin and that Phase signifies the offering of a Victim and when he Remarks that Nardus Pistica is as much as to say Mystical He confounds Mary Magdalen with Mary of Bethany an Opinion refuted by S. Jerom in his Commentary upon the Twenty sixth Chapter of S. Matthew Speaking of the Cross he repeateth several Verses out of Sedulius who writ long after S. Jerom. The Commentaries upon the Psalms have not fewer Marks of their being Supposititious for 1. The Author of them had no knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek Tongues 2. His Method in Expounding the Scripture is quite different from S. Jerom's for whereas S. Jerom keepeth to the Historical and Literal Sence he uses only Moral and Mystical Expositions 3. His Remarks are contrary to S. Jerom's as when he Expoundeth the Hundred and fourth Psalm he saith that Cynomia is a Dog-fly But S. Jerom rejects that Notion at the latter end of his Letter to Sunia and Fretella Upon the Eighty sixth Psalm he observes that according to the Hebrew it must be Nunquid Sion dicet Homo S. Jerom renders it Ad Sion dicet Homo He denies that the Eighty ninth Psalm is written by Moses tho' S. Jerom ascribes it to him in his Commentary upon the thirteenth Psalm He saith that a Passage of Scripture cited by S. Paul in the third Ch. of the Epistle to the Romans is taken out of Deuteronomy and S. Jerom shews that it is out of Isaiah 4. This Authour's Stile is far from the Elegancy of S. Jerom's nay it is very sull of Faults Repetitions and Solecisms 5. This Authour's Commentary is made up of common Places and moral Exhortations 6. He quoteth S. Eucherius upon
S. Jerom. and some others in the last Volume of S. Jerom's Works A Treatise concerning the power of Nature refuted by S. Augustin in the Book of Nature and of Grace Several Books about Free-Will part whereof S. Augustin refuteth in the Book of the Grace of Jesus Christ and a Confession of Faith directed to Pope Innocent e The Confession of Faith directed to Pope Innocent This Confession of Faith was delivered to Zosimus Successor to Innocent who sent it to the African Bishops which is in S. Jerom in S. Augustin and in the second Volume of Councils of the last Edition pag. 1563. This Author's Style is dry flat and barren He was not learned but he was a Man of good Sence His Reflections are short and judicious COELESTIUS COELESTIUS Pelagius his Country-man and Disciple a Coelestius Pelagius his Country-man and Disciple S. Jerom says that he was of Scotland or Ireland that he was a Disciple of Pelagius and afterwards Head of the Pelagians Marius Mercator says that he was of a good Family and born an Eunuch and wanted no Learning was guilty of the same Errors yea he carried them farther and maintained them with greater Boldness He was Coelestius of a subtil and cunning Temper b He was of a subtil and cunning Temper S. Jerom in his Letter to Ctesiphon observes that his Disciples said that he went over the Thorns of Logick He professeth to despise him much and calleth him ignorant Calumniator in his Preface upon Jeremy But S. Augustin in his Book to Boniface Chap. 3. takes notice that he had a great deal of Wit He included his whole Doctrine in six propositions which Hilary of Syracuse sent to S. Augustin who refutes them in the Eighty ninth Epistle They are related likewise by Marius Mercator and were condemned in the Synod of Palaestine where Pelagius himself was constrained to Anathematize them S. Augustin published and withal answered eight Definitions or Reasonings of this Author He presented a kind of Confession of Faith to Pope Zosimus out of which S. Augustin produces some Fragments in the fifth sixth and twenty third Chapters of the second Book of Grace and Original Sin NICEAS THE Account which Gennadius gives of this Author is this Niceas Bishop of some Town in Romania hath written after a plain and easy manner six Books of Instructions Niceas for those that were preparing for Baptism The First is concerning the Dispositions of Catechumens who desired to be baptized The Second of the Errors of the Gentiles He observes that in his time they put into the number of the Gods one Melchidius a House-keeper because of his Liberality and one Gadarius a Peasant because of his Strength The Third Book is of Faith in one only God The Fourth is against Calculating of Nativities The Fifth is concerning the Creed The Sixth concerning the Victim of the Paschal Lamb. The same Author writ a Letter to a Virgin that was fallen into Sin Which Discourse may serve for an Exhortation to all those that commit Sin This Author lived about the beginning of the Fifth Century And this is all that we know of him OLYMPIUS OLYMPIUS a Bishop and a Spaniard by Birth hath written a Doctrinal Treatise against those that ascribe Sin to Nature and not to Free-will Where he shows That not by Nature Olympius but by Disobedience Evil was mingled with our Nature This Bishop was present at the Council of Toledo in 405. S. Augustin commends him for a Man of great repute in the First Book against Julianus Chap. 3d. and 7th and he quoteth his Writings in the 2d Chapter of the same Work BACHIARIUS BACHIARIUS a Christian Philosopher saith Gennadius who was desirous wholly to disingage himself from the World and to fix his Thoughts entirely upon God and therefore Bachiarius often changed his Habitation that he might be the less in love with any It is said that he writ several small Books I have read but One concerning Faith directed to the Bishop of Rome wherein he applauds himself for his way of living affirming That it was not the fear of Men that made him chuse a Pilgrim's life but that he might imitate Abraham when he left his Country and parted with his Kindred There is in the Bibliotheca Patrum a Letter of this Author 's directed to Bishop Januarius written about a Monk who had abused a Nun. The Bishop to whom he writes would receive him no more nor admit him to Penance Bachiarius telleth him that such Severity is contrary to the Scripture and exhorteth the Monk to quit the Nun whom he had abused and doe Penance This is a learned Letter and well written there are many happy Applications of both the Ceremonies and the Histories of the Old Testament Ivo Carnutensis Epist. 64. mentions another Letter of this Author 's upon Solomon's latter end SABBATIUS SABBATIUS a Bishop in Gaul at the request of a Virgin that was Consecrated to God whose Name was Secunda wrote a Book of Faith against Marcion Valentinus Aëtius and Sabbatius Eunomius wherein he demonstrates both by Reason and Testimonies of Holy Scripture That there is but one only God who made Heaven and Earth out of nothing He proves also that Jesus Christ was very Man having had a real Body subject to the same infirmities with our's to the necessity of Eating and Drinking to Weariness Sorrow Sufferings and Death He opposes these Truths to the Errors of Marcion and Valentinus who admitted two Principles and affirmed that Jesus Christ had onely the Similitude of Flesh He sheweth against Aëtius and Eunomius That the Father and the Son are not two different Natures nor two Divinities but that they have but one and the same Essence That the Son proceedeth from the Father and yet is co-eternal with him This is what Gennadius saith of this Author whom he places among those who flourished in the beginning of the Fifth Century ISAAC THis ISAAC is mentioned by none but Gennadius He ranks him among the Authors that lived in the beginning of the Fifth Century and says that he writ a Book of the Trinity Isaac and the Incarnation whose dark Reasonings and intricate Discourses show that he owned Three Persons in one and the same Divinity yet so as that each of them had something proper and peculiar which the others had not Viz. That it was peculiar to the Father to be without beginning and to be the Original of the rest That it was the Property of the Son to be begotten and yet neither created nor posterior to him that begot him And Lastly That the Property of the Holy Ghost was that though he was neither created nor begotten yet he proceeded from another And as to the Incarnation he wrote so as that it appeared that he owned two Natures in one and the same Person Sirmondus published this Book from a Manuscript in Pithaus's Library which tells us that this Author had been
could not do it so well in Latin This Custom was found so reasonable that several Bishops in Africa followed his Example admitting Priests to Preach in their Presence yea they did St. Augustin the Honour to make him Speak in a General Council of Africa held at Carthage in the year 393. where he Expounded the Creed in the Presence of the Bishops who conceived so great an Esteem of his Learning that they judged him worthy of a more excellent Dignity But Valerius fearing lest a Person so necessary for the Government of his Diocess should be taken away from him resolved to make him his Co-adjutor and accordingly two years after he caused him to be Ordained Bishop of Hippo by Megalius Bishop of Calama then Primate of Numidia in the year 395. With much difficulty St. Augustin consented to that Ordination though he did not then know as he afterwards declar'd that it was contrary to the Laws of the Church and to a Canon of the Council of Nice which forbids the Crdaining Two Bishops in the same Church I shall not now give any Account of what he did and wrote whil'st he was Bishop because that will come in in the Abridgment of his Works Neither will I enlarge upon the Praises which may be given him nor upon his Holiness and his Vertues which were known and admir'd by all the World both before and after his Death This is no part of my Design besides the Name only of St. Augustin is the greatest Commendation that can be given him and whatsoever may be said after that can serve only to lessen the Opinion Men have conceived of his rare Merit and his great Piety He died as Holily as he had liv'd the 28th day of August 430. aged Seventy six Years with Grief to see his Countrey Invaded by the Vandals and the City whereof he was Bishop Besieged for several Months St. Augustin's Works make up several Volumes wherein they are divided according to that order which was judged to be most natural We shall follow that which is observed in the last Edition set forth by the Benedictines of St. Germans The First TOME of St. Augustin's Works THE First Volume containeth the Works which he wrote before he was a Priest with his Retractations and Confessions which serve as Prefaces to his Works because the First giveth Tome I. an Account of his Writings and is useful to understand the most difficult places of his Works and the Second discovers his Genius and takes notice of the principal Circumstances of his Life The Book of Retractations is a Critical Review of his Works He tells you there the Title and sets down the first Words of them He gives a Catalogue according to the Time and he observes upon what Occasion and wherefore he writ them he tells the Subject and the Design which he had in composing them he clears those places which seem to be obscure he softens those which he thinks are too hard gives a good Sence to such as seem capable of having a bad one and rectifies them where he thinks that he erred from the Truth In one word He confesseth ingenuously the Errours or Mistakes which he committed The Preface to this Work is very humble He says That his Design is to review his Works with the Severity of a Censor and to reprove his own Faults himself following therein the Apostle's Advice who saith That if we judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. That he is frighted with those words of the Wise-man That it is difficult to avoid committing Faults in much speaking That he is not terrify'd with the great number of his Writings since none can be said to Write or Speak too much when he Speaks and Writes only things that are necessary but he is afraid lest there should be in his Writings many false things or at least unprofitable ones That if now being Old he thinketh not himself free from Errour it is impossible but that he must have committed Faults when he was Young either in Speaking or in Writing and so much the rather because he was then obliged to Speak often That therefore he is resolved to judge himself according to the Rules of Jesus Christ his Master whose Judgments he desires to avoid The Body of this Work is divided into Two Books In the former he reviseth the Works which he writ before he was Bishop And in the latter he speaketh of those which he composed afterwards to the Year 427. which is the time when he made his Book of Retractations I need say no more at present because in discoursing of each of them I shall mention what St. Augustin hath observed in his Retractations His Confessions are an excellent Picture of his Life he draweth himself with lively and natural Shapes representing his Infancy his Youth and Conversion very critically He discovers both his Vices and his Vertues shewing plainly the inward Bent of his Heart with the several Motions wherewith he was agitated As he speaks to God so he often lifts up his Spirit towards him and intermixes his Narration with Prayers Instructions and Reflections He tells us himself That he would have us view him in that Book as in a Looking-Glass that represents him to the Life and that his Design in the Writing of it was to Praise both the Justice and the Mercy of God with Respect to the Good and Evil which he had done and to lift up his Heart and Spirit to God That this is the Effect that it produced in him when he composed it and that which it produceth now when he readeth it Others saith he may have what Opinion of it they please but I know that several Pious Persons have loved my Confessions very much and do St. Augustin Tome 〈◊〉 love them still As indeed all spiritual Persons have ever since read that Work with Delight and Admiration This Book is not full of whimsical Imaginations and empty obscure useless Spiritualities as most Works of this Nature are It contains on the contrary excellent Prayers sublime Notions of the Greatness Wisdom Goodness and Providence of God solid Reflections upon the Vanity Weakness and Corruption of Man proper Remedies for his Misery and Darkness and most useful Instructions to further him in a spiritual Life In one word It may be said that of all spiritual Books there is none more sublime or stronger than this Yet there are some Notions too Metaphysical above the reach of some devout Men and there appeareth too great an Affectation of Eloquence There is perhaps too much Wit and Heat and not enough of Meekness and Simplicity St. Augustin's Confessions are divided into Thirteen Books whereof the Ten first treat of his Actions and the Three last contain Reflections upon the beginning of Genesis In the First Book after an excellent Prayer to God he describeth his Infancy discovering the Sins he committed at that time as well as the evil Inclinations that were in him He
represents with all the beauty and exactness imaginable the things that are incident to Children their Motions of Joy and Sorrow their Jealousie before they can speak how hardly they learn to speak their aversion to Study their love of Play and the fear of Chastisement He charges himself with loving the Study of Fables and Poetical Fictions and hating the Principles of Grammar and particularly the Greek Tongue tho' these Things were infinitely more profitable than those Fables whereof he discovers the danger He says That being fallen dangerously Sick he desired to be Baptized but coming to have some Ease they deferred it fearing he might defile himself again with new Crimes Because saith he the Sins committed after Baptism are greater and more dangerous than such as are committed before In the Second he begins to describe the Disorders of his Youth he says That being returned to his Father's House at Sixteen years of Age he gave himself to debauchery notwithstanding his Mother's Admonitions That he was guilty of Theft by robbing an Apple-tree in a Neighbour's Orchard with his Companions with several Reflections upon the Motives that put him upon that Action In the Third he confesseth That at Carthage whither he was gone to finish his Studies he was transported with the fire of Lust. He laments the love which he had for Stage-Plays and Publick Shows and the Pleasure he found when they affected him at any time with Passion He declares afterwards That he read one of Cicero's Books Entituled Hortensius that inspired him with the love of Wisdom but not finding in that Book the Name of Jesus Christ which remained engraven in his Heart and which he had as it were suck'd in with his Milk he applied himself to the Holy Scripture but that having read it with a Spirit of Pride he relished it not because of the plainness of it's Stile and then he hearkened to the Dreams of the Manichees who promised to bring him to the Knowledge of the Truth He reâ—utes their Errors and speaks with great tenderness of the Prayers which his Mother made and the Tears that she shed for his Conversion He continued however Nine years in that Heresie being deceived and endeavouring to deceive others He taught Rhetorick at Tagasta There he lost one of his intimate Friends whose Death grieved him exceedingly whereof he describeth the Excess in the Fourth Book where he says many fine Things concerning true and counterfeit Friendship There he mentions the Treatise of Comeliness and Beauty which he made at Twenty five years of Age and gives an Account how easily he came to understand Aristotle's Categories And he shews the Unprofitableness of Learning In the Fifth he describes the degrees by which he came to be delivered from the Manichaean Heresie how he discovered Faustus his Ignorance who was the Head of that Heresie He adds That having taught Rhetorick at Carthage he went to Rome with a design to follow there the same Profession but having been disheartened by the unhandsom usage of the Scholars who refused to pay their Masters he obtain'd of Symmachus the place of Rhetorick-Professor at Milan where he heard St. Ambrose Preach who perfectly disabused him of the Errors of the Manichees and made him resolve absolutely to quit that Sect and become a Catechumen He goeth on in the Sixth Book to describe the Progress of his Conversion which was much furthered by the Prayers and Admonitions of his Mother S. Monica who came to find him at Milan and contracted a strict Friendship with St. Ambrose He observes That this Holy Bishop kept her from carrying Meat to the Graves of the Martyrs as she used to do in her own Country He describeth the Manners of two of his good Friends Alypius and Nebridius and the Agitations that were caused in himself by the knowledge of his Miseries and the design which he had to alter his course of Life In the Seventh Book he declares his Condition in the 31st year of his Age how much he was yet in the dark as to the Nature of God and the Spring of Evil how he was perfectly weaned from Judicial Astrology by hearing of the History of two Children that were born at the same moment of time whose lot proved quite different And lastly by what degrees he rid himself of his Prejudices and came to the knowledge of God though he had not as yet those thoughts of Jesus Christ which he ought to have had He declares That he found the Divinity of the Word in the Books of the Platonists but not his Incarnation And afterwards comparing the Books of those Philosophers with the Books of the Holy Scripture which he began to read he observeth that the former had made him more knowing but also more presumptuous Whereas the others instructed him in true Humility and in the way which Men ought to follow to obtain Salvation At last he comes in the Eighth Book to the best Passage of his Life to that which happened in the Two and thirtieth year of his Age which was his Conversion First of all he was wrought upon by a Conference which he had with a holy Old Man Simplicianus who related to him the Conversion of a famous Rhetorick-Professor named Victorinus He was further moved by the Story which Poâ—itiunus told him of another Conversion And at last feeling himself agitated and distracted by several contrary thoughts he withdrew into a Garden where he heard a Voice from Heaven commanding him to open St. Paul's Epistles whereof he had no sooner read some Lines but he found himself wholly converted and freed from the Agitations which till then had troubled him Nothing can be more noble than the Description which he makes in that Book of the Combats and Agitations which that man feels that is engaged in Vice and hath formed a design of being converted to God St. Augustin was no sooner converted but he resolved to leave his Profession The Vacation being come he retired to the Country-House of one of his Friends called Verecundus to prepare himself for Baptism which he received at Easter with Alypius and his Son Adeodatus whom he had by a Concubine This he relateth in the Ninth Book where he discourseth again of the Death of Verecundus and Nebridius and Adeodatus which happened shortly after his Baptism He speaketh likewise of the Original of the Singing in the Church of Milan that was established by St. Ambrose when he was persecuted by Justina an Arian Princess concerning the discovering of the Bodies of the Martyrs St. Gervasius and St. Protasius and of the Miracles done at the time of their Translation of the discourse he had with his Mother S. Monica about the Felicities of the other Life and of the Death of that holy Widow which happened at Ostia when he was returning into Africa of her Burial of the Prayers that were made for her and of the Sacrifice which was offered He concludes this Book by recommending her to the
Prayers of those that shall read his Confessions Having set forth in the foregoing Books what he was before his Conversion he sheweth in the Tenth what he was at the time of his writing He finds that his Conscience gave an unquestionable Testimony of his love to God He explains the Reasons that oblige Men to love God reckoning up all the Faculties of his Soul that can lead him to know God especially Memory whereof he makes a wonderful Description He says amongst other things that it serves to teach us many things which entred not into the Mind by the Senses and that it may lift us up to God He occasionally speaks of Happiness and of the Idea that Men have of God afterwards he examineth himself about the three main Passions of Man the love of Pleasures of Knowledge and of Glory He sincerely confesseth what was his disposition with respect to these Passions prescribing at the same time excellent Rules to keep our selves from them Lastly He discovers the knowledge of the true Mediatour and of the Graces which he merited for us The Three last Books are about less sensible Matters He waves the History of his Life to speak of the love which he had for the Sacred Books and of the Knowledge that God had given him of them which to show he undertakes to explain the beginning of Genesis upon which occasion he starts several very subtil Questions In the Eleventh he refuteth those that asked what God was doing before he created the World and how God on a sudden formed the design of creating any thing whereupon he enters into a long Discourse concerning the Nature of Time In the Twelfth Book he treateth of the first Matter He pretends that by the Heavens and the Earth which God is said to have created in the beginning we are to understand spiritual Substances and the shapeless Matter of corporeal things that the Scripture speaking of the Creation of these two sorts of Beings makes no mention of days because there is no time with respect to them He affirms That whatsoever he hath said concerning the World's Creation cannot be denied though the beginning of Genesis were otherwise expounded because these are undoubted Truths He treateth here of the different Explications which may be made of the Holy Scripture affirming That there is sufficient reason to believe that the Canonical Authors foresaw all the Truths that might be drawn from their words and though they had not foreseen these Truths yet the Holy Ghost foresaw them Whence he seems to conclude that we are not to reject any sence that may be given to the holy Scripture provided it is conformable to the Truth At last having admired the Goodness of God who standing in no need of the Creatures had given them not only a Being but also all the Perfections of that Being he discovereth in the last Book the Mystery of the Trinity in the first words of Genesis and even the Personal Property of the Holy Ghost which gives him an admirable opportunity of describing the Actions of Charity in our selves He concludes with a curious Allegory upon the beginning of Genesis and finds in the Creation the System and Oeconomy of whatsoever God hath done for the Establishment of his Church and the Sanctification of Men the only end which he proposed to himself in all his Works St. Augustin placeth the Books of Confessions before those against Faustus which were written about the Year 400 in his Retractations from whence we may conclude that these were both written about the same time After these two which serve as we have said for a Preface to all St. Augustin's Works you find in this first Volume the Books that St. Augustin writ in his Youth before he was a Priest in the same order in which they were written The three Books against the Academici are the first after the Treatise of Beauty and Comeliness which is lost He composed them in the Year 386 in his solitude when he prepared himself for Baptism They are written in imitation of Cicero in the form of a Dialogue and directed to Romanianus his Countryman whom he adviseth to Study Philosophy The dispute beginneth betwixt Licentius Son to Romanianus and Trygetius after them Alypius and St. Augustin begin to speak Having observed in the first Book that the good things of Fortune do not render men happy he exhorts Romanianus to the Study of Wisdom whose sweetness he then tasted He afterwards gives an Account of three Conferences which Licentius and Trygetius had had about Happiness Licentius held with the Academici That to be happy it was enough to seek after the Truth but Trygetius pretended That it was necessary to know it perfectly both being agreed That Wisdom is that which makes Men happy they begin to dispute about the definition of Wisdom Trygetius gives several all disapproved by Licentius who asserts That Wisdom consisted not only in Knowledge but also in the pursuit of the Truth whereupon St. Augustin concludes That since we cannot be happy without knowing and enquiring after the Truth our only application should be to seek for it In the Second Book having again exhorted Romanianus to the Study of Philosophy he sets down three other Conferences wherein Alypius produces the several Opinions of both the Ancient and Modern Academicks And because the latter said That some things were probable though the Truth was not known they laughed at that Opinion it being impossible say they to know whether a thing is like the Truth without knowing the Truth it self And this very thing obligeth Men to enquire the more carefully after likely and probable things according to the Principles of the Academicks The Third Book begins with Reflections upon Fortune St. Augustin shews That the Goods of Fortune are of no use to get Wisdom and that the Wise Man ought at least to know Wisdom refuting withall the Principles both of Cicero and of the other Academicks who affirmed That we know nothing and that nothing ought to be asserted He blames the damnable Maxim of those who permitted Men to follow every thing that seemed probable without being certain of any thing He shews the dangerous Consequences of such Principles and endeavours to prove that neither the ancient Academicks nor Cicero himself were of that Opinion These three Books are written with all imaginable Elegance and Purity The Method and Reasonings are just The Matter treated of is well cleared and made intelligible for all Men it is beautified with agreeable Suppositions and pleasant Stories It may be said That these Dialogues are not much inferior to Tully's for stile but much above them for the exactness and solidity of the Arguments and Notions In his Retractations he findeth fault with several places in them which seemed not to him sufficiently to savour of Christianity but might be born with in a Philosophical Work The Book of a Happy Life or of Felicity is a Work of the same Nature written
Reason and That there is a Twofold Authority that of God and that of Men. These may deceive us but God never affirmeth any thing but what is True He treateth afterwards of Reason and having given a Definition of it he shews That all Learning is nothing but Reason occupied in the consideration of different Objects He draws up a Catalogue of all the Sciences and gives a short Account both of the object and use of each of them From thence he passes to the Knowledge of the Soul and of God wherein he places true Wisdom and concludes his Discourse with an Exhortation to Vertue His Two Books of Soliloquies were likewise written by S. Augustin in his Retirement about the beginning of the Year 387. His Design is to grow more perfect in the Knowledge both of God and his own Soul To this end after an excellent Prayer to God he examines his Reason and makes it return Answers In the first Book he treateth particularly of the necessary Dispositions in the Soul to deserve the Knowledge of God He teaches That it arrives to that Knowledge by Faith Hope and Charity and by turning away the Heart and Thoughts from Earthly Things to seek and love nothing but God At the latter end he falls upon the Question of the Immortality of the Soul which he prosecutes in the Second Book He concludes That the Soul is Immortal because it is the Habitation of Truth which is Eternal Which puts him upon making several Reflections both upon Truth and Falshood This lact Volume is not compleat as S. Augustin himself observes in his Retractations where he corrects some faulty Expressions that he used at a time when he was not throughly instructed in Religion Sometime after the Books of Soliloquies St. Augustin being returned to Milan writ the Book Of the Immortality of the Soul Which is saith he in his Retractations as a Memorial which I made to compleat my Soliloquies that were imperfect But I know not how it came to be Publick against my Will so that it is now amongst my Works This Book addeth he is so dark in the beginning both by reason of the Expressions and the brevity of the Reasonings that it wearâ—eth the Reader and requires so great an Attention that I can scarce understand it my self with much Application The reading of it will discover that it is rather Memoirs than a finish'd Work He has Collected several dry barren Arguments to prove the Immortality of the Soul These are some of his Principles Knowledge is Eternal wherefore the Soul which is the Seat of Knowledge is Immortal Reason and the Soul are all one but Reason is Immutable and Eternal Matter cannot be annihilated let it be divided never so much yet it abideth And Who can believe the Soul to be in a worse Condition Nothing can create it self and nothing can annihilate it self Life is the Essence of the Soul therefore it cannot be deprived of it The Soul is not the Disposition of the Parts of the Body seeing the more we endeavour to abstract it from Sense the more easily we comprehend Things Neither can it be changed into a Body for were this Change possible it must be either because the Soul is willing or because it may be forced to it by the Body but both these Notions are equally absurd These are the Principles whereupon St. Austin enlargeth in this Treatise and which he applies to his purpose with great subtilty and fineness This Book is a convincing Evidence of his Skill in Logick The following Treatise is Intituled Of the Quantity of the Soul It is placed here because it treateth of the same Matter with the foregoing for according to the order of time it ought to be placed after that Of the Manners of the Church as St. Augustin observes in his Retractations He gives this Account of this Treatise Of the Quantity of the Soul writ whilst he was in that City Rome A Dialogue wherein I raise several Questions concerning the Soul viz. What is its Original What its Nature Whether it is extended Why it was united with the Body What alterations happen to it either when it comes into or goeth out of the Body But because I undertook to Examine with exactness and curiosity Whether it was extended designing to shew That it is not after the manner of Bodies tho it is some great Thing This only Question hath given the Name to the whole Book which therefore hath been Intituled Of the Quantity of the Soul Evodius is the Person whom St. Augustin introduceth speaking in this Dialogue as he says in the 101st Letter And so iâ— was a Mistake to put in the common Editions the Name of Adeodatus which is not found in the Ancient Manuscripts and with much Reason they have restor'd the Name of Evodius in the Last Edition This Man propounds to St. Augustin Six Questions The First Whence is the Soul St. Augustin answereth That this Question may be taken two ways Where is the Habitation of the Soul And What is the Matter it is made of Evodius desiring to have both these Questions clear'd to him he saith That the Habitation of the Soul is God who created it As for the Nature thereof he declares That he can neither Name nor Explain it because it hath nothing like Corporeal Beings and that it is single in its kind Evodius his Second Question is What is the Quality of the Soul St. Augustin answereth That it is like God The Third Question proposed by Evodius concerns the Quantity of the Soul St. Augustin affirms That the Soul hath no Quantity if by Quantity be understood Corporeal Extention but that it hath if by that Term is meant spiritual Greatness Strength and Power St. Augustin here discusses the Question of the Soul's Extention with care and shews by several Reasons that it hath no Corporeal Dimensions He distinguishes Men's Souls from those of Beasts and grants to the Latter Sense without Reason Afterwards he reckons up the excellent Qualities of Man's Soul which he reduces to Seven Heads whence he concludes That of all Creatures Man's Soul is that which comes nearest to the Nature of God With this he endeth this Treatise without medling with the other Three Questions proposed by Evodius viz. The Fourth Why the Soul was united with the Body The Fifth What it is at the entrance into the Body And the Sixth What becomes of it when it goes out of it This Treatise was composed by St. Augustin in 388. St. Augustin having left his Retirement and being come back to Milan in the Year 381. began to write Treatises upon the Sciences as he tells us in his Retractations He could finish none but a Treatise of Grammar but he began several others of Logick Rhetorick Geometry Arithmetick and Philosophy He did not know himself what was become of these Discourses when he composed his Retractations At the same time he began also the Six Books of Musick which he compleated
the Gospel and believe and persevere in the Faith working out by Love to the end of their lives If they chance to wander from the right way they return and repent of their Sins and it is certain that they shall all die in the Grace of Jesus Christ. Reprobation is not like Predestination God doth not positively cast away any Man he predestinateth none to Damnation he only knows those that are left in that mass of Perdition and are not of the happy number of those whom he will deliver through Mercy These Wretches are at last Condemned either because of Original Sin which is not remitted to them and such are the Children that die without receiving Baptism or for the Sins which by their Free-Will they have added to the first Sin or because they wanted Faith and Righteousness or lastly because they did not persevere unto the end This is an Abridgment of St. Augustin's Doctrine which is set down in his Books against the Pelagians and in several other places of his Works The Supplement to this Volume containeth for the most part Writings that serve to justifie St. Augustin's Doctrine of Predestination and of Grace and some other Treatises upon the same Subject attributed to St. Augustin the Authors whereof are not well known St. Prospers Four Books in Defence of St. Augustin are of the first sort to which they have added his Epigram in Commendation of the same Father Coelestine's Letter the Capitulars that follow it and the Canons of the Council of Orange are likewise Illustrious Approbations of St. Augustin's Doctrine Here one might add several other Treatises about Grace written upon occasion of those Contests raised concerning St. Augustin's Opinion such as the Letter of the African Bishops that were banished into Sardinia The Canons of the Council of Valentia with the Treatises of Florus Lupus Remigius of Auxerre Ratramnus and several other Authors who writ of these Matters in the Ninth Century The other VVorks contained in this Addition do not bear the Names of any Authors The First is a considerable Treatise divided into Six Books and entituled Hypognosticôn Or Reflections and Notes against the Pelagians and Coelestians The Author sets down the main Doctrines of the Pelagians in their own words and then confutes them Although this Book is conformable to St. Augustin's Doctrine yet it hath not his Style That Father among the Benedictines who chiefly looks after the New Edition of St. Augustin having given me notice That he thought it might be Marius Mercator's I have examined it and found that his Conjecture is not ill grounded For in the First place That VVork is of an ancient Author who both liv'd and writ at the same time with Pelagius and Coelestius and he was of St. Augustin's Opinion this agrees with Marius Mercator 2. Marius Mercator usually gives his Treatises the same Title with this for so he entituled his Writing against Julianus 3. The Form of this Treatise is perfectly like that of his other Treatises he lays down there the very Terms of his Adversaries and then refutes them with Notes and Reflections 4. Having compared this Treatise with others of Marius Mercator and particularly with his Book against Julianus I found the Style to be the same One may meet with the same Terms repeated again the same Figures the same Liveliness the same Turn and the same Expressions Lastly St. Augustin in the 193d Letter to Marius Mercator in 418. affirms That this Man had written a Book full of Scripture-Testimonies against the new Hereticks and this can belong to no other of Mercator's Treatises but agrees perfectly with this These are the Conjectures which I thought of and I doubt not but the Benedictines will bring several others much stronger in the mean time these may be sufficient to make their Conjecture very probable The Book Of Predestination and Grace which is among St. Augustin's Works under the Name of an incertain and suspicious Author is attributed by Sirmondus to St. Fulgentius and Printed under his Name among this Father's Works We shall examine whether it be his when we come to St. Fulgentius However this small Discourse of Predestination agrees neither with the Style nor with the Doctrine of St. Augustin These are all this Father's Works His Life will be added in another Volume with the Testimonies of the Ancients concerning him the Commendations that have been given him and very large and useful Tables Though we have given a sufficient Account both of St. Augustin's Character and Genius in speaking of his Works yet it is convenient to say something of them here in general He was a Man of great Extent great Exactness and great force of Mind His Reasonings were very strong His ordinary Method is to lay down extensive Principles from which he draws an infinite number of Consequences so that all the Points of his Doctrine have a great Connexion one with another He argued more upon most of the Mysteries of our Religion than any Author before him He starts several Questions never thought of before and resolves many of them by the mere Strength of his VVit He often left the Notions of his Predecessors to follow a Path wholly new whether in Expounding the Scriptures or in Opinions of Divinity That may be said of him as to Divinity what Cicero said of himself as to Philosophy That he was Magnus Opiniator that is that he advanced several Opinions that were only probable But St. Augustin doth it modestly and with much Prudence without pretending to oblige others to embrace his Opinions without Examination whereas when the Question is about the Doctrine of the Church he proposes and maintains it stoutly and as strongly opposes its Opposers He had much less Learning than VVit for he understood not the Languages neither had he read the Ancients much He wrote with greater Facility and Clearness than Politeness and Elegancy Though he had taught Rhetorick yet either he was not Master of the Eloquence of the Orators or he neglected it nay his Expressions are not always pure for he often uses unproper and barbarous Words He often uses little strokes of VVit and plays with VVords He repeats the same things and insists upon the same Arguments in hundreds of places He dwells long upon the same Thought to which he gives several turns and enlarges frequently upon common places He treated of infinite numbers of Things by laying down Principles and framed if we may so say the Body of Divinity for all the Latin Fathers that came after him They have not only taken out of his Books the Principles they make use of but often they have only copied them The Councils have borrowed his VVords to express their Decisions In short Peter Lombard in the Twelfth Century going about to compose an Epitome of the whole Body of Divinity did little else but Collect Passages out of St. Augustin And though Thomas Aquinas and other Schoolmen followed another Method yet for the most part
Innocent I. addresses his Third Letter 68 F FAITH The beginnings of Faith of Conversion and of good Inclinations come from God and not from our Free-will 163. Faith stops not at a curious search into Natural things 179. The beginning of Faith and of Good Desires is the Effect of Grace 203. We ought to believe that God is what he hath Revealed to us himself We must not examine his Actions with a Rebellious Spirit but admire them with Faith and Submission 60 The Falls of Great Men should teach the most holy not to be Presumptuous 171 Fast. It is a great Scandal to Fast on the Lord's Day 139. Fast of Lent 20. Fasting ought to be accompany'd with Abstinence from Vice 53. Fasting consists not in a simple abstaining from Meats but also in abstaining from Sins and the Practice of Vertues 42. It concerns not the Mouth alone but the Ears the Hands the Feet and all the parts of the Body ibid. It consists not only in the retrenching our Meals but in the reforming the Manners ibid. We may have a reason for not Fasting but there can be none for not correcting a vicious habit ibid. Fear causes Charity to enter but Charity drives out Fear 174 Flavianus a Priest of Antioch Successor to Meletius in the Bishoprick of that City 6 Florentius Bishop of Tivoli to whom Innocent I. addressed his Eighth Letter 69 Frequent Communion 141 Free-will Vide Will in W. Friends Whom we ought to choose 41 G GAmes of chance are the occasions of Blasphemies Anger Injuries and all sorts of Crimes 46 Gaudentius Bishop of Brescia 59. The Life of S. Philastrius his Predecessor attributed to him ibid. Genesis is the Foundation and Source of all the Truths which are in the Law and the Prophets 53 Gerontius Bishop of Nicomedia driven from his See 8 God To think of the Glory of God in all things 43. God alone is the Sovereign good of our Souls 133 148. God is the Source of a Happy Life and true Vertue consists in the Love of God 154. True Blessedness consists in the knowledge of God 130. The Apparitions of God are made by the Ministring Angels who make use of Bodies to make those Apparitions 194 Goods We ought to consider all that we have received as not belonging to us 54. Men are not the Masters but the Dispensers of their Goods 55 Grace of God Man cannot be deliver'd from Ignorance and the Necessity of Sinning but by the assistance of God 133. The Grace of Jesus Christ necessary to make us good is intirely free 158. Twelve Articles which comprehend all that we are obliged to believe concerning Grace 163 Grace of Jesus Christ. Reasons of the Necessity of it 71 91. To implore it by fervent Prayer 215 Greatness is like Shadows and Fantoms which disappear after they have diverted us a very short time They are as Flowers that wither away of a sudden at once after having spent their lustre 55 H HAbits God hath given to Man Wool and Flax to defend him from the Injuries of the Weather 54 Hatred is as an Executioner that tears the bowels of those that harbour it 41 Heliodorus Priest of Antioch 123 Helvidius Heretick Disciple of Auxentius 124 Heraclides Deacon ordained Bishop of Ephesus 8 Heraclides ordained Bishop of Ephesus by S. Chrysostom deposed in the Council held against that Saint 9 Hereticks Those that return to the Bosom of the Church are put under Penance after they had quitted it to enter into a Sect of Hereticks 70. The example of some ill Catholicks cannot serve as a pretence to Hereticks to separate themselves from the Church 134 Historia Lausiaca vide in L. Honours How fine a Figure soever we make in this World the end is always the Grave which buries all men in eternal oblivion 55 Humility The greatest Action we can do and the most pleasing to God is to have low thoughts of our selves 44. Humility blameable that hath not Faith for its foundation Hypaepae a City of Asia 8 I JEsus Christ. His Divinity 16 19 John of Jerusalem Successor to S. Cyril in the Bishoprick of that City was a great Defender of the Books Opinions and Partisans of Origen 61. His Quarrel with S. Epiphanius ibid. S. Jerom his Birth Education and Studies 73 74. Passes into the East ibid. Receives the Order of Priesthood at Antioch ibid. Goes to Bethlehem ibid. Came to Constantinople and from thence to Rome ibid. Returns to Bethlehem where the Ladies Paula Eustochium and Melania came to him 75. His Death ibid. Censure upon his Works ibid. his Character 103 Impenitence Final is what we are to understand by the Sin against the Holy Ghost 158 174 The Incarnation If we could give a Reason for this Mystery it would no more be wonderfull if an example were to be found of such a thing it would not be singular 155 Injuries That we ought not to revenge them nor condemn those that have offer'd them to us but consider them as a punishment for our sins 3 Injustice It is not a less vertuous thing to suffer Injustice patiently than to give Alms 13 S. Innocent I. Successor to P. Anastasius 67 Interstices that ought to be observd in the conferring of Holy Orders 209 Invention of the Holy Cross Joannites a Name given by the Enemies of S. John Chrysostom to those who remained firm to that Saint during his Persecution 10 Isaac A Christian Author once a Jew 121 The Just God permits them to be afflicted for three Reasons 1. To correct them 2. To purifie them 3. To try them and this severity he exercises against them is the severity of a Father 59 Justice It is not Fear that renders us good but the Love of Justice 54 Justification We cannot be Justified but by Faith in Jesus Christ 159 Justina Empress favoured the Arians and persecuted S. Ambrose 59 K KINGS Wherein their Happiness consists 188 L LAusiaca Historia written by Palladius and addressed to one Lausus 66 Libanius S. Chrysostom's Master in Rhetorick 7 Liberty Evil consists in the ill use of our Liberty 192 193 Life The present Life being nothing but a Journey a Train of Miseries a Banishment from our Countrey we should be most miserable if it had not an end 48 Lord's-day and Festivals should be spent in Exercises of Devotion 38 Love of God is a strong fixing the heart on God which makes us despise all that is not of God 39 Lucian a Priest of Greece 122 Lucian Bishop of Signi to whom the Twentieth Letter of S. Innocent is Addressed 70 Lying is to say a thing which we think not with design to abuse 182. We ought not to tell a Lye neither for our Life or for any other Reason whatsoever 183. Tropes Parables and Figures are not Lyes ibid Lust. To preserve and encrease Charity we ought to oppose and weaken Lust 177 M MAcarius a Monk 123 Manners that young People ought to have 130 Mark the Hermit not he that lived under
shews us the Vanity and Falshood of worldly things and the Third inspires us with the Love of Spiritual Things and represents the Happiness of that Soul that is in possession of them If we should read the Canticles first we might be apt to believe that it speaks of a Carnal and Terrestrial Love but when we are fitted for the reading of this Book by the two other there is no fear that we shall have any such Thoughts for the Mind being furnished with Moral Precepts and loosened from earthly things easily understands that the good Things and Beauties which that Book inspires us with the love of are altogether Spiritual Altho' the Explications which S. Isidore gives to the greatest part of the Texts of Holy Scripture upon which he makes any Reflections do rather respect Morality and Piety than the literal Sence of Scripture yet that hinders not but that he sometimes discusses and resolves Critical Questions As for example He enquires into the beginning of Daniel's seventy Weeks and explains the History of that Prophecy l. 3. 89. He observes upon the Genealogy of Jesus Christ That the Virgin was of the Tribe of Judah as well as Joseph l. 1. 7 478. He proves That the Text of the Gospel of S. Matthew ch 1. 20. Joseph knew her not i. e. Mary till she had brought forth her first-born son doth not prove that Joseph knew Mary after her Delivery Whereupon he produces a great many Examples taken out of Scripture by which he shews That the Particle until doth not signify that the thing was done afterward but on the contrary it denotes that it never was He adds That Jesus Christ upon the Cross recommended the Virgin to S. John because that Apostle was a Virgin l. 1. 18. He asserts That the Meat that S. John the Baptist did eat in the Wilderness called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were not as is commonly believed Grashoppers or a sort of Creatures like Snails but the Tops of Plants or Herbs l. 1. 132. The Sabbath called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the second Sabbath Luke 6. 1. after the first hath always seemed a Place hard to be understood S. Isidore gives an Explication of it natural enough He saith That it is the first Day of Unleavened Bread which followed the Feast of the Passover This was the second Sabbath or second Festival after the first on which the Passover was celebrated l. 3. 110. The three Days and three Nights which Jesus Christ is said to remain in the Sepulchre are very hard to find out S. Isidore gives two explications to solve it According to the first Jesus Christ having been crucified on Friday at Noon we ought to count the first Day from that Hour to the Time when the Earth was covered with miraculous Darkness This Darkness may very well pass for the first Night The Darkness being over and gone about three or four a Clock in the Afternoon the Day returned which may be called the second Day The second Night was from Friday to Saturday The third Day is Saturday The third Night is from Saturday to Sunday This first Explication is not at all natural not only because it gives the Name of Night to the miraculous Darkness but because the Question is not about the Time that was spent after Jesus Christ was fastned to the Cross to the Resurrection but about the Time that his Body was in the Sepulchre We must then rely upon the second The first Day is Friday the second Saturday and the third Sunday in the Morning of which Jesus Christ rose from the Dead These three are not whole Days but ordinarily the Beginning and End of Days are taken for whole Days when many are reckoned together As for example If it be said to a Prisoner on Friday in the Evening Within three Days you shall come out of Prison it is meant That he shall come out on Sunday because whether it be in the Morning or Evening it is true in some Sence to say That he hath been three Days in Prison As for the three Nights it will be more difficult to find them out We can count but two and they are from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday There is neither beginning nor end of the third Night but neither is it necessary because when Jesus Christ said That he should be three Days and three Nights in the Bowels of the Earth as Jonas was three Days and three Nights in the Belly of the Whale it ought not to be understood literally it being the usual way of speaking among the Jews not to distinguish the Night from the Day It is sufficient to prove the Truth of the Prophecy That Jesus Christ was as long in the Sepulchre as Jonas was in the Belly of the Whale l. 4. 114. l. 2. 212. There is a Place which hath much perplexed all our Interpreters 'T is that in which S. Paul speaks of Baptism for the Dead S. Isidore resolves this Difficulty after a very intelligible and rational manner To be baptized for the Dead saith he is to be baptized into the Hopes of being changed into an incorruptible State l. 1. 221. Some have taken great Pains to know What S. Paul means and what we are to understand in the Creed by the Quick and the Dead which shall be judged at the last Day S. Isidore tells us That it is either the Body and the Soul or perhaps the Good and the Sinner or rather those who shall be then alive and those who shall be dead before l. 1. 221. Several Authors have confounded Philip one of the seven first Deacons who baptized the Eunuch of Queen Candace with S. Philip the Apostle S. Isidore is not guilty of that Mistake but distinguishes the two Philips l. 1. 447. The curious enquirers after the Greek Antiquities have taken much Pains to know the Original of the Altar erected to the Honour of the unknown God of which mention is made in the Acts Some affirm saith he That the Athenians having required assistance of the Lacedaemonians their Messenger was stopp'd near a Mountain of Parthenia by a Ghost who commanded him to return home and bid the Athenians be of good Courage for they should have no need of the Help of the Lacedaemonians he would assist them That the Athenians after this having obtained the Victory built an Altar to that Unknown God which had given them that Advice and had helped them Others say That the City of Athens being afflicted with a Rageing Pestilence the Athenians having invoked all their other Gods to no purpose bethought themselves to build an Altar to the Unknown God and immediately the Plague was stayed l. 4. 69. There are a great number of other of S. Isidore's Letters upon several Texts of Holy Scripture But as a Proof of his Acuteness and Ability to interpret Holy Scripture it is sufficient to observe That he gives ten Explications of one Text of S. Paul l.
Book of Answers to the French saith That God hath chosen all the World out of all the World Ex toto mundo totus mundus eligitur There is a parallel Expression in the First Book Of the Calling of the Gentiles Ch. 9. De toto mundo totus mundus liberatus S. Prosper in his Poem relates among the Examples of the unsearchable Judgments of God the differences which are to be found among Men upon the account of their Natural Endowments The Author of the Book Of the Vocation of the Gentiles has a like Comparison lib. 1. ch 14. Lastly S. Prosper and this Author alledge the same Examples of Infants that Die unbaptized of Infidels that are Converted at the point of Death and several others to prove the same things M. Anthelmi who hath undertaken to defend that Opinion which seemed to be cried down among the Criticks urgeth these Proofs more amply and adds also some others taken from the Agreement of Stile Expressions and Opinions of which he produces large Parallels and at length adds to them the Testimony of Photius who speaking of the Writings of the Western Bishops against the Pelagians in Vol. 54. of his Bibliotheca says That Prosper made some Books at Rome against some Pelagians in the Popedom of Leo and after that this Pope suppressed them by the Advice which he had received from Septimius that they would raise new stirs and contests again What Photius says in this place cannot agree to the other Works of S. Prosper which were written before the Pontificate of S. Leo. 'T is then of the Books Of the Calling of the Gentiles of which Photius speaks in this place They who maintain the contrary That these Books are not S. Prosper's say first That the Stile is very different from the Works of this Father This is the Judgment which the most Learned Criticks of our Age have given of them Latius Erasinus Vossius Grotius and many other excellent Criticks and very accurate discerners of such things have been of that Opinion And indeed the Stile of the Books Of the Calling of the Gentiles is much more Eloquent Accurate and Elaborate than S. Prosper's the Sentences are shorter the Parts of it more equal and better proportioned there are more Oppositions and Antitheses both in Words and Sence there are many more Rhimes and it is discernible that the Author of these Books delights to make use of them whereas they are not to be met with in S. Prosper's Works but in such places as they seem to come of themselves 2. The manner in which the Author of the Book Of the Calling of the Gentiles handles the matter he takes in hand doth not agree to S. Prosper who openly declares himself always against the Adversaries of S. Austin praises that Father stands up in his defence highly alledges his Authority and makes use of his Words The Author of the Books Of the Calling of the Gentiles doth not use the same way He professes himself disengaged and addicted to neither Party who has no design to oppose any Man but is desirous to compose matters to go in the middle way that he may bring both sides to an Agreement and find out the Truth without incountring any Man He never speaks of S. Austin nor cites any of his Works Lastly He speaks of that Contest as a Person who had no share in it He delivers his Thoughts as a Man who would try himself and give his Judgment upon a famous Question but would not enter into any dispute concerning it 3. The time when the Books Of the Calling of the Gentiles was written makes it evident that they cannot be S. Prosper's The Author says in the beginning That 't is a great while since the Patroâ—â— of Free-Will and Grace began the Controversie Inter defenseres liberi arbitrii pradicatores gratia Dei magna dudum difficilis vertitur quaestio c. And a little after De hac compugnantia opinionum 〈◊〉 quaerere c. This beginning proves Two things 1. That this Question was not a new one but had been formerly moved 2. That this Author had not written before of that matter So that it could not be S. Prosper for 't is certain he had written upon that Subject in S. Austin's Life time and immediately after his Death 't was a fresh Author who was willing to clear that Question and to settle Peace in the Church 4. The Author of the Book Of the Calling of the Gentiles carries the matter better than S. Prosper for altho' he seems to agree in the substance of the Doctrine yet he explains it in other words He allows of a general Grace given to all Men. It is true That by that Grace he understands nothing but our Natural Abilities but S. Prosper never gives the Name of Grace to those Abilities The Author of the Books Of the Calling of the Gentiles imparts it to Infants who Die without Baptism S. Prosper on the contrary seems to exclude them from the calling to Grace in his Fourth Answer to the Objections of the French Lastly This Author doth not accord with S. Prosper in the several ways of Arguing and Explaining himself Before we go any further we must examine the Answers which M. Anthelmi gives to the Reasons which we have alledged He says in the first place That the Doctrine of S. Prosper and the Book of the Calling of the Gentiles is the same That F. Quesnel did acknowledge it himself and confuted F. Norris who believed the contrary which is true as to the substance of the Doctrine But we hold That this Author's manner of Expression is different from that which S. Prosper always useth We own That the Author of the Books of the Calling sometimes takes the word Grace in the same sence that S. Prosper does for the real Grace of Jesus Christ but we maintain That he hath also given the Name of Grace to Natural Gifts and in that sence it is that he asserts That it is common to all Men. Now we shall never find That S. Prosper hath taken it in that sence He owns this thing he saith That God hath always had a care of Men That he hath called them by the Law by the Light of Nature and by the Preaching of the Gospel but he hath not given the name of Grace to these sort of Advertisements M. Anthelmi brings no Example of it All that he proves is That S. Prosper hath acknowledged That the Light of Nature is common to all Men and that the Providence of God is over all Men but that is not the thing he has in hand He ought to prove That S. Prosper hath given the Name of Grace to the concurrence of God's general Providence that is to say to the Light of Nature Knowledge of the Law and Preaching of the Gospel c. But M. Abbot Anthelmi does not cite so much as one Passage where it is used in that sence For that which comes
he asserts That the Bodily Sense is of the same Nature with the Elements whereas the Soul doth not depend upon them nor was formed out of them but enlivens the matter To confute the Objections of the Book which he undertakes to Answer he says That every thing that is incorporeal is not uncreated That the Angels have Bodies really but they have also a Spirit and Soul He maintains That S. Jerom and the Philosophers likewise were of the same Opinion when they held That Men after the Resurrection would be exactly like the Angels because they would have a Body as thin and subtile as theirs and a Soul He wonders that any Christians should be so very dull as to imagine that they shall see God with their Bodily Eyes Having made some such like Observations he comes to the great difficulty The Soul is in the Body it is in a place Ergo 'T is extended and consequently Corporeal He demands of his Adversary in what part of the Body it is Is it in the whole and in every part If it be in all the Body why doth it exercise its thoughts in one place only oâ— If it may be divided into parts why doth it not lose its strength when my Member is cut off This he says to intangle his Enemy But he must Answer the difficulty and for the perfect resolution of it he distinguishes Motion into Three sorts 〈◊〉 Local◠〈◊〉 that which is performed in no place The First agrees to God only the Second to Coâ—… Creatures and the Last is that which is proper to Spiritual Creatures God wills always the same thing this is a Stable Motion A Body moves from one place to another this is a Local Motion The Soul chuses a thing and again refuses it sometimes Hates sometimes Hates is sometimes Humble sometimes Proud sometimes Meâ—â—y sometimes Sad c. These are the Motions of a Creature which are not Local The effects 〈◊〉 perceived in a place but they are not done in a place As for example If a Man thinks upon a Mathematical Figure and to write some Name his Soul contemplates the Immutable Idaea's of these things his Arm and Hand writes them on the Paper by a Local Motion 'T is not his Soul that is Locally moved but without it his Arm could not perform so regular Motions You will say perhaps That it is that part of the Soul which is in the Arm that is Locally moved if that be so then the Soul is divisible Now that can't be for all things that can be divided may be handled by parts and act according to their parts Now the Soul acts all together in all its Motions it has neither length nor breadth noâ— heighth it is neither moved upwards nor downwards nor in a circle it hath neither inward nor outward parts it thinks perceives and imagines in all its substance it is all Understanding Sense and Imagination and in a word we may Name the Quality of the Soul but no Man knows how to express the Quantity of it Wherefore 't is neither extended nor in a place Having thus settled the Nature of the Soul of Man he shews how it differs from the Soul of Beasts and Plants The main difference is this That these last have no knowledge The Beasts may have the Images of Bodies impressed on their Brain but they know them not nor know the things themselves whereas the Soul of Man knows things Corporeal by the Body and Spiritual without a Body sometime it doth not apply it self to things which make an impression upon its Body I read another hears me and understands what I read but I my self if my Mind be elsewhere know not what I have read My Soul is present to make me perceive the Letters but not to make me understand what I read But may some say The Substance of the Soul is one thing its Operation is another You are mistaken in confounding the Thoughts of the Soul with the Substance of the Soul The Soul is sometimes without Thoughts Besides when the Soul thinks 't is in the Body and by the Body that it thinks They are the Corporeal Images of Objects that make it think and it would never remember any thing if these Images were not impressed upon the Brain This is as far as the difficulty can be urged But Mamertus gives such an Answer as leaves no intricacy behind it The Soul saith he is not different from the Thoughts altho' the things upon which the Soul thinks are different from the Soul it self It is not true that the Soul is at any time without thoughts it can very easily change its thoughts but to be without is impossible and it is wholly there where its thoughts are fixed because it is all thought You are mistaken in distinguishing the powers of the Soul from the Soul it self altho' it be accidental to it to think upon this or that Object yet its Essence is That it is a thinking Substance The same is to be said of the Will it is by accident that it chuses this or that but its Substance is to Will It is all Thought all Will all Love It is said of God that he is Love but he is Essentially Love Essentially Loving that which is Good The Soul is also Love but such a Love as can incline it self to God or the Creatures to Good or Evil. But upon whatsoever Object it is fixed it is always truly said that the Soul is all Love no such thing can be found in the Body Now to prove That the Thoughts of the Soul do not depend on the Body and are not Corporeal our Author makes use of some Examples in Geometry We conceive saith he what a Point Line Circle and perfect Triangle is Can the Corporeal Figures of these things be represented They never have been and never will be Yet the Soul conceives them and knows the properties of them The Soul knows its Thoughts its Desires its Love Is this done by any Corporeal Image No certainly It is the inward Truth which speaks to it which makes it understand that the Thought is distinct from the Speech Lastly The Soul inquires after God knows him hath it any image of the Divine Nature but it self These are the Principles which Mamertus hath laid down in his First Book concerning the Substance of the Soul I have added nothing but kept my self almost always to his Words which I think fit to remark because his Philosophy hath so great a resemblance to the Meditations of a Famous Modern Philosopher that I may seem to have this rather from him than Mamertus or at least that I have put some new Air upon it But 't is no such thing 't is the Truth it self which causes this Agreement between Two Philosophers They had both of them rational and exact Minds they followed the same train of Thoughts and having freed themselves from all Natural and Childish Prejudices they found out the true Nature of the
Manners ibid. they are condemned 247. Council of Constantinop'e under Flavian 219. Council of Ephesus under Dioscorus the unjust Proceedings of that Council against Theodoret 77. Council of Chalcedon its Authority 102. the History of things that preceeded it and for what it was called together 218 c. Council the absolute Authority of a general Council 99 Council of Ephesus History of this Council 196 c. An History of what passed after it until the Bishops returned to their Diocesses 200. the trouble consequent upon it 201 c. the Negotiation for Peace and its conclusion 205. several opposed 207. they were banished and expelled 210. the renewing of the Contest between the Aegyptian and Eastern Bishops ibid. who called it 212. who was President 213. Objections against this Council answered ibid. Councils Provincial the Decree of the Council of Ephesus for the holding of Provincial Councils revived in the Council of Chalcedon 241. Concupiscence is an effect of Sin 13. cannot be eradicated in this Life ibid. Concubine Concubines and Wives forbidden 85. it is a virtuous action and not Adultery to forsake them ib. Confession it ought to be made to a Priest in private and Sinners ought not to be obliged to confess in publick 104. How such as confess their Sins are to be dealt with 185. Confession of secret sins ibid. Constantine or Constantius a Priest of the Church of Lyons the Author of the Life of S. German Bishop of Amisiodonum 144. Constantinople the raising of that See 76 77. the Prerogatives of that Church opposed by S. Leo 96. the rights granted to the Church of Constantinople by the Council of Chalcedon notwithstanding the Opposition of the Popes Legats 241. a Council held in this City in 459. against Simony 248. S. Cornelius Bishop of Imola 119. Causin the President his Translation of Theodoret into French with a Learned Preface 64. Creation of the first Man what the Breath of Life is which was inspired into him by God 32. how he was made in the Image of God ibid. how he became mortal ibid. Creed what we are to understand by the Quick and the Dead in the Apostles Creed 4. a Rule of Faith 14. It is not permitted to make a new Creed nor add any thing to the Nicene Creed 200 226 232. S. Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria for what and by whom reproved 7. his Life and Writings 27 c. Gennadius judges amiss of S. Cyril 156. he opposes Nestorius 191 c. wrote against him to Rome 193. condemned him in a Synod of Egypt 194. was present and presided in his own name in the Council of Ephesus See the History of the Council particularly p. 213. and the foll about the Presidency He was condemned by the Eastern Bishops though absent from the Council V. History of the Council of Ephesus He was apprehended by the Emperors Order but at length dismissed and sent into his Bishoprick ibid. S. Cyril's Doctrine justified 215. his Chapters ambiguous 216. his Disposition 34. his Death ibid. D. DAmiata a City of Egypt 2. Daniel an Abbot 11. Dead Ceremonies used at their Interment 190. Prayers for them how used ibid. Deluge the cause of it 139. Demetrias the Epistle to Demetrias whose 136. Devils their Nature corporeal according to Cassian 12. they cannot constrain or force the Soul of Man to sin ibid. they know not Man's thoughts but only guess at them 11. where we may communicate with Persons possessed 12. they are not Sinners in their Nature 71. Dionysius Books falsly attributed to him 188. Desert a fine Description of a Desert by S. Eucherius 117. Diviners Excommunicated 248. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Explication of it 4. Deaconness none to be Ordained until they be 40. Years old 241. Deaconnesses their Ordination allowed and defended 245. Deacons are the Bishops Eye 6. not to be put to publick Penance 84. not subject to the Law of Continence ibid. what respect they owe to the Priests 247. when obliged to Caelibacy 245 248. Diapsalma what it is 60. Dictinius his Books forbidden 93. Diogenes his Ordination by Alexander Bishop of Antioch though he had two Wives 77. Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria Theodoret's Enemy 76 c. Discipline of the Church Canons about it 85 c. Divorce not allowed but upon the account of Adultery 7. Domnus Bishop of Antioch a Defender of Theodoret 56. History of him 237. The Action of the Council of Chalcedon about Domnus ibid. c. Donatus a Novatian Bishop converted with his People 83. Donec until explained 4. Dorotheus Bishop of Martianople a Bishop of the Nestorian Party deposed in the Council of Ephesus and thrust out of Constantinople the number of his Letters 44. V. the History of the Council of Ephesus Dorotheus a Monk 101. Dorus Bishop of Beneventum 94. Dracontius a Spanish Priest a Censure upon his Poem 142. E. EClane a City situate between Campania and Apulia 38. Easter the Day when it ought to be kept 53. the fittest time of administring Baptism 93. the Differences about the Feast of Easter in the Year 455 99 101. Differences about the Day on which the Easter ought to be celebrated 157. Edesius a Poet 112. Election a new way of electing Bishops 247. Ember-Week why appointed 109 c. Emperors called Bishops by some Councils 98. Evagrius the Author of a Dispute against a Jew 153 a different Person from Evagrius Ponticus ibid. The Eucharist the Vail that covers the Eucharist covers the Body of Jesus Christ 6. It is the Body and Blood of Christ 19. the Ceremonies used at the Celebration of it 189. Qualifications necessary for receiving of it 186. S. Eucherius his Life and Writings 117. his Style and Genius ibid. his Death 118. the Books that go under his Name are not his ibid. S. Blandina's Sermon is apparently his 119. S. Eucherius another holy Man of the same Name different from the Bishop of Lyons 118. Eudocia the Empress her Writings 142. a remarkable accident concerning her 143. Eugenius Bishop of Carthage his Confession 154. Euphemius Patriarch of Constantinople his Endeavors to reunite with Gelasius 175. Euphronius Bishop of Augustodunum 85. S. Euprepius a Monk 40. Eusebius Bishop of Damiata reproved by S. Isidore of the same City 7. Eusebius a Monk 66. Eusebius Bishop of Ancyra 76. Eusebius Bishop of Milan 96. Eusebius a French Bishop Author of a great Number of Sermons 118. Eusebius Bishop of Dorylaeum the Accuser of Eutyches was condemned by Dioscorus but absolved by the Council of Chalcedon V. the History of the Council of Chalcedon an Enemy to Nestorius 41. his Petitions 138 Eusebius the true Author of the Sermons attributed to Eusebius Bishop of Emesa 118 119. Eustathius his Translation of S. Basil's Homilies 153. Eutherius of Tyana his Writings 44. his opposition to the Peace 208. he yielded at last V. the Council of Ephesus Eutrychius the Praefect Eutropius a Priest a different Person from him that made the Abridgment of the History his Letters 153
corruptible if this be understood of alteration and sensible Corruption Death hindred St. Fulgentius from answering the second Question of Reginius Ferrandus the Deacon took upon him to write this Answer The knowledge zeal and easie way of speaking which St. Fulgentius was Master of will not suffer us to doubt but he wrote many Sermons but there are but very few of those that go under his Name that are worthy of him In the last Edition of his Works there are but ten which can be his and also in the Preface the Sermon of St. Vincent is rejected as being full of Allusions unworthy of St. Fulgentius Here follow the Titles of the Sermons 1. Of the Stewards 2. Of the two Births 3. Of St. Stephen the first Martyr 4. Of the Epiphany or of the Murder of the Innocents and Adoration of the Wise-men 5. Of Charity towards God and our Neighbour 6. Of St. Cyprian the Martyr 7. Of the good Thief I doubt very much whether this be St. Fulgentius's as well as the eighth upon Whitsunday The ninth is that of St. Vincent rejected in the Preface The tenth is upon the words of the Prophet Micah I will teach thee O Man what is good This has much of the Air of St. Fulgentius The second upon the Purification is certainly not his for this Festival is later than the Age of St. Fulgentius The other Sermons are not St. Fulgentius's and therefore are justly thrown back to the end of the Book Eugippius These are all which we have at present of the Works of St. Fulgentius We have lost his true Treatise against Pinta his Conference with King Thrasimond his Book of the Holy Spirit to Abragilas his Letter to the Catholicks of Carthage two Treatises of Fasting and Prayer two Letters written to Stephanias in the Name of the Bishops of Sardinia a Letter to a Bishop wherein he asserts That Christian Meekness obliges us not to deliver up a guilty Person to a Secular Judge the whole ten Books to Fabianus and the seven against Faustus The ancient Author of his Life makes mention of these Works The Treatise of Predestination and Grace whatever Theophilus Raynaudus says of it is none of St. Fulgentius's for it has neither his Style nor manner of Writing about Grace The Author of this Book did not fully comprehend the subject matter of it and had no certain Principles some times he asserts such Doctrines as are agreeable to those of Cassianus and some times he adheres to the Doctrine of St. Austin In fine he is very far from that Clearness and Copiousness which is found in the Writings of St. Fulgentius yet this is the Work of an ancient Author St. Fulgentius did not only follow the Doctrine of St. Austin but he also imitated his Style His Words indeed are not so pure but then he is not so much given to play with Words He had a quick and subtil Spirit which easily comprehended things set them in a good Light and explain'd them copiously which may appear unpleasant to those who read his Works He repeats often the same things in different words and turn the Questions a thousand different ways He lov'd Thorny and Scholastical Questions and us'd them sometimes in Mysteries He knew well the Holy Scriptures and had read much the Works of the Fathers and particularly those of St. Austin One part of the Works of St. Fulgentius was printed at Basil in 1556 1566 and 1587 at Antwerp in 1574 at Collen in 1618. F. Theophilus Raynaudus has publish'd them since enlarg'd with some Treatises They have also been printed at Lyons with the Works of the other Fathers in 1633 and 1652 and in 1671. F. Sirmondus publish'd some of them in 1622 and in 1643. Camerarius in 1634 and F. Chiffletius in 1656 and in 1649. But lately all his Works were gather'd together in one Volume in quarto printed at Paris by Desprez in 1684. They were reviewed by many Manuscripts the differences whereof are noted in the Margin or at the end of the Book He that publish'd them cannot be accus'd of the common Fault which those that make Editions are guilty of viz. that they make too long Notes for he has made none at all throughout the whole Book It appears also by the Preface which is done by another Author that he did not place the Works in that Order which should have been observ'd in making this Edition Nevertheless it is exact and correct enough and it will be easie if the Book be printed a second time to enrich it with some Notes and to put the Works in a better Order EUGIPPIUS EUgippius or Egippius Abbot of Villa Lucullana in the Country of Naples wrote to Paschasius the Deacon a Book concerning the Life of St. Severinus He compos'd also a Rule for the Monastery of this Saint which he left him at his death This is what Isidore of Sevil says of him Probably this is the same Eugippius of whom Cassiodorus gives the following Testimony in his Book of Divine Learning ch 23. You must read the Works of the blessed Priest Eugippius which we have seen This man was not very learned but he was fill'd with the knowledge of the Holy Scripture He dedicated to his Mother Proba a Collection taken out of the Works of St. Austin wherein he made Extracts of this Father's Sentiments and Thoughts whereof he compos'd one Book only divided into 338 Chapters 'T is certain that this Book is very useful since he has collected with great exactness into one Book what can hardly be found in a whole Library Sigebert of Gemblours does also mention this Work but he says that this Eugippius who is the Author of it liv'd it the time of Pelagius the Second and of the Emperor Tiberius Constantine i. e. about the end of the fifth Age. This made some Authors think that he is different from the Author of the Life of St. Severinus whom Isidore of Sevil places under the Empire of Anastasius and under the Consulship of Importunus in 511. But it is easie to perceive that it is an Error of Sigebertus since the Author of the Collection of the Thoughts of St. Austin was more ancient then Cassiodorus and his Book was compos'd when Cassiodorus wrote his Book of Divine Learning 'T is very probable therefore that it is the same and that there is no difference between him to whom St. Fulgentius and him to whom Ferrandus wrote as Trithemius has observ'd The Life of St. Severinus was publish'd in part by Bollandus and is publish'd entire among the Works of Velserus The Collection of Passages out of St. Austin was printed at Basil in 1542 and at Venice in 1543. FERRANDUS a Deacon Ferrandus a Deacon FErrandus Deacon of the Church of Carthage surnam'd Fulgentius the Friend and Contemporary of St. Fulgentius composed some Books The most considerable is a Collection of the Canons of Councils for restoring Discipline in the Church of
Trinity and the Incarnation In the third Chapter he describes the Dogmes which a Catholick should reject In the fourth he explains the Oecoâ—… of the Incarnation In the fifth he approves the five first General Councils In the sixth he discovers the Original of the Error of Severus In the seventh he refutes it by the Testimony of the Fathers and in those that follow he opposes it with many Arguments and relates what was said in the Conferences which were held with the Theodosians He objects to himself the Testimonies upon which they founded their Doctrine and the Arguments they made use of which he relates in their own words He answers them first by Reason and then alledges the Passages of the Fathers which may serve for an answer to them In refuting the Gaianites he makes them say That the Eucharist is the Body and not only a Figure of the Body of Jesus Christ. The Orthodox confesses and confirms this Proposition and and from thence concludes that the Body of Jesus Christ was corruptible before his Passion since the Eucharist which is the Body of Jesus Christ is subject to Corruption This Work is very confus'd 't is a kind of Rhapsody of divers Conferences but there is very much Scholastick Subtilty in it 'T is apparent that Scâ—â—lia have been added to it which are inserted into the Text and 't is no less probable that the Work has been interpolated in some places The eleven Books of Anagogical Considerations about the Creation of the World are more coherent and better written but they are fill'd with Thoughts so mystical and remote from the Litteral Sense that it cannot but be tedious to read them Mr. Alix publish'd the twelfth Book of these Anagogical Contemplations which had been hitherto suppress'd in Greek and Latin at London 1682. Cave p. 420. There are five Dogmatical Discourses of the same Author The first is about the Trinity the second about the Immensity of the Divine Nature which can have no bounds the third about the Incarnation the fourth about the Corruptibility and Incorruptibility of Jesus Christ and the last about his Resurrection These Discourses contain many Scholastical Arguments F. Combefis has given us six Sermons in the first Tome of the Addition to the Bibliotheque of the Fathers The first and second is about the Annunciation of the Virgin the third about the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ the fourth about the Holy Communion where he speaks of the Dispositions that are necessary for a worthy Communicant and for assisting him at the Holy Sacrifice and also of the Ceremonies and Prayers of the Oblation the fifth and sixth are upon the sixth Psalm of David The Câ—â—pendiâ—â—â— Institution of the Faith is also reckon'd to be his which was publish'd by Beza of Vezeliâ—câ—â— Gr. Lat. with five Dâ—alogues about the Trinity under the Name of St. Athanasius 1570 and is to be found under the Name of St. Cyril in some Editions of the Bibliotheca Patrum Cave p. 420. There remains only 154 Questions upon the Holy Scripture There is no doubt but these such as they are at present cannot be Anaâ—â—asius's of Sina since the Author there quotes the Canons of the Council held in the Palace of the Emperor after the sixth Council the Works of St. Maximus St. John Climacâ—â— of John Moschâ—s of 〈◊〉 and of Nicephorus besides that he reckons 700 years from Câ—â—stantine's time to his own The Jeâ—â—ite Grâ—â—serâ—s answers That these places have been added but 't is much more probable that this is the Work of another Author Gentianus Hervâ—â—us who publish'd them first pubâ—â—â—h'd them under the Name of Anastasius of Nice There were two of this Name in Antiquity the one was present at the Council of Chalcedon and the other at the fifth Council The Remark that we have made proves that they can be neither the one 's nor the other's 'T is mâ—nifest that it is a Work of some Modern Greek to which the Name of Anastasius Sinaita is prefix'd by mistake for in the Greek Manuscript 't is entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or A Guide to the True Way Now 't is evident that the Work of Anastasius Sinaita which goes under this Title Evagrius has nothing like these Questions The Guide to the True Way of Anastasius Sinaita was publish'd in Greek and Latin by Gretserus The five Dogmatical Discourses are found in Greek in the Manuscripts of Germany but they have been printed only in Latin translated by Tilmanus The Author of the Version of the Anagogical Questions is not known They are cited by Glycas The Book of his De Oeconomia Christi is extant in the Arundelian Library in a Greek Manuscript at Gresham-Colledge Cave p. 420. The Questions upon the Scripture were publish'd in Greek and Latin by Gretserus There are also some other Manuscript Works as a Sermon upon his Enthronization in the See of Antioch cited by Nicephorus another upon his Restauration quoted by the same Author These two together with the Treatise against Philoponus are reckon'd by Dr. Cave among his Works that are lost Cave p. 421. The Answers to the Monks of Scythia a Treatise of the Rule of a Good Life two Books of the Structure of Man a Mystical Contemplation upon the Passion of Jesus Christ. Nicephorus quotes also a Treatise of the same Person against the Book of one Severianus call'd John Philoponus which was entituled The Arbitrator or Judge concerning the Union of the Natures in Jesus Christ. Turrianus has taken from thence a Fragment which is publish'd by Gretserus in the Preface Besides all these there are several other Tracts of his not yet publish'd which are said by Labbee to be extant in the Royal Library at Paris Nov. Biblioth MSS. par 2. p. 82. and two Sermons of his which are said by Possevinus to be extant in the Vatican Library Cave p. 420 421. The style of this Author is very indifferent It is Scholastical dry barren and tedious EVAGRIUS EVagrius was born at Epiphania a City of the second Province of Syria under the Empire of Justinian about the Year 536 After he had studied he follow'd the Bar and was a profess'd Advocate at Antioch This was the occasion of giving him the Name of Scholasticus for then they were call'd so who pleaded at the Bar. He was made Treasurer and Secretary for the Province by the Emperor Tiberius He compos'd six Books of Ecclesiastical History which begin where Theodoret Socrates and Sozomen end i. e. at the Year 439 and end at the twelfth Year of Mauritius which is 594 according to the Vulgar Aera This History is very large and exact enough He relates Matter of Fact from the Authority of the Acts and Historians of the time The style is not unpleasant It has an elegance and politeness in the Judgment of Photius altho there be some times superfluous words in his Discourse He does often also make Digressions and Relations which are not agreeable to
22. The Archbishop of Rhemes was call'd Romulphus and not Flavius as he is here set down The Bishop of Soissons was call'd Droctegifilas in 592. Greg. Tur. B. 9 c. 37. Ansericus was in the time of the Synod of Rhemes under Sonnatius in 630. Lastly King Theodoricus whose Subscription is here was then but two years old and his Father Childebert was yet alive There is one Peter who sign'd and is said to have seal'd this Instrument whereas at that time no sealing was in use In fine the Year 594 is us'd for the date of this Lâ—tter but we do not see that St. Gregory ever us'd this date and that which renders it suspicious is that the Jurisdiction which is subjoyn'd answears to the Year 593 and not to 594. All these Reasons prove invincibly the Forgery of this Instrument which deserv'd not to be plac'd among the Works of St. Gregory The Letter which is at the beginning of St. Gregory's Morals on the Book of Job informs us of his Design in composing this Work of the method in which he manag'd it and how he put it in execution It is address'd to St. Leander Bishop of Sevil with whom he had contracted a very close Friendship at Constantinople when he was there about the Affairs of the Holy See and when St. Leander was sent thither as Ambassador by the King of the Wisigoths St. Gregory puts such Confidence in him that he acquaints him with the disposition of his heart and the troubles of mind he had endur'd and disco vers to him that tho God had inspir'd him with the desire of Heaven and he was perswaded that it was more advantageous to forsake the World yet he had delay'd his Conversion for many years That nevertheless he was at last deliver'd from the Entanglements of the World and retir'd into the happy Harbour of a Monastery but he was quickly drawn from thence to enter into Orders which engaged him anew in Secular Affairs and oblig'd him to go to the Court of the Emperor at Constantinople That nevertheless he had the comfort to be attended thither by many Monks with whom he had daily Spiritual Conferences Then it was that they urg'd him with much importunity and St. Leander did even force him to explain to them the Book of Job after such a manner as they desir'd i. e. by subjoyning to the Allegorical Explication of the Historoy a Morality supported by many other Testimonies of Holy Scripture This was the occasion which mov'd St. Gregory to undertake this Work He repeated the beginning of it in the presence of his Monks and dictated the rest in divers Treatises Afterwards having more leisure he added to it many things cut off some reduc'd the whole Work into better Order and made it uniform by changing the Discourses and Treatises to the same style He divided this Work into 35 Books which were distributed into six Tomes He confesses that he sometimes neglected the Order and Coherence of the Exposition which he undertook and apply'd himself wholly to Contemplation and Morality But he excuses himself by saying that whosoever speaks of God ought necessarily to enlarge upon that which is most instructive and edifying for the Lives of those that hear him and that he thought it the best method he could observe in his Work to make a Digression sometimes from its principal subject when an occasion presented it self of procuring the welfare and advantage of his Neighbour He adds that there are some things which he handles in a few words according to the truth of History other things whose allegorical and figurative senses he enquires after and others from which he only draws Morality and lastly others which he explains with great care in all these three ways He affirms also that there are some places which cannot be explain'd literally because if they should be taken precisely according to the sense of the words instead of instructing those who read them they would mislead them into Error or confirm things that are contradictory Lastly he excuses the defects of his Work from his continual Sickness and declares that he did not hunt after the Ornaments of Rhetorick to which the Interpreters of Scripture are never oblig'd At the conclusion of this Letter he remarks that he ordinarily follows the late Version of the Scripture but yet he takes the liberty when he thinks it necessary to quote passages sometimes according to the Old and sometimes according to the New-Version and that since the Holy See over which he presided us'd both the one and the other he also employ'd them both indifferently to authorize and confirm what he asserted in his Work In the Preface of this Work having said that some thought Moses to be the Author of the Book of Job and others attributed it to the Prophets he looks upon it as a thing very needless to enquire in what time Job liv'd and who wrote his History since 't is certain that the Holy Spirit dictated it altho 't is very probable that Job himself wrote it After these few Historical Remarks he enters upon General Reflexions of a Moral Nature about the Patience of Job the Afflictions of the Righteous the Pride of Job's Friends the Conformity of Job to Jesus Christ. This is what the Preface contains The Body of the Commentary is agreeable to the Idea which he gives of it i. e. that he does not insist upon the litteral Exposition but upon the Allegories and Moralities which he applies to the Text of Job whereof a great part may be applied to every other place of Holy Scripture But he does not so much labour to explain the Book of Job as to amass together in one Work an infinite number of Moral Thoughts And indeed it must be confess'd that altho these Books are not a very good Commentary upon the Book of Job yet they are a great Magazine of Morality 'T is incredible how many Principles Rules and proper Instructions are to be found there for all sorts of Persons Ecclesiastical as well as Secular for those who converse with the World as well as for those who live in Retirement for the Great and for the Small in a word for all sorts of States Ages and Conditions We shall not here undertake to give a particular account of them for if we should make Extracts from such kind of Allegorical and Moral Commentaries our Work would grow infinitely big This is written with much simplicity and clearness but it is not so very brisk and sublime yet it was very much esteem'd in the Life-time of St. Gregory and admir'd after his Death We learn from himself that the Bishops caus'd it to be read in the Church or at their Table altho he would not suffer it to be done in modesty and all those who have spoken of it since his death have commended it as a most excellent Work There is a Relation which says That sometime after his Death the Original which he had
is the same as to the Substance Property and Virtue of its true Nature and not the same if we consider the Species of Bread and Wine After the same manner Algerus does reconcile the Fathers who seem to differ in their Opinions on this Matter The Holy Fathers says he have observed this Duplicity not of Substance but of Form when speaking of the Body of our Lord in the Eucharist they say that it was the same which was born of the Virgin and in some sense not the same the same in Substance and not the same in Form Fulbertus Bishop of Chartres makes the same Distinction in his Epistle to Einardus But we ought to observe that Paschasius's mode of Expression was not new as his Adversaries affirmed Witness * Many of the Ancient Fathers speak as Paschasius It is confessed that many of the Ancients did use many Hyperbolical Expressions about the Sacrament much like Paschasius's but it was to stir up Reverence to their Holy Mysteries and convince Men that the Elements were not mere Bread and Wine not dogmatically to assert a Carnal Presence for in their Doctrinal Discourses about it they speak only of a Spiritual and Figurative Presence many of the Ancient Fathers who speak in the same manner As amongst the Greeks S. Ignatius Athanasius Chrysostom Cyril of Jerusalem Cyril of Alexandria the Fathers of the Council of Ephesus Anastasius Sinaita S. Gregory of Nice S. John Damascene and amongst the Latins S. Hilary S. Ambrose and S. Austin himself in his Discourse to the Neophites besides many others who deliver Propositions equivalent to that of Paschasius So that Paschasius cannot justly be charged with Innovation either in the Thing it self or the Way of expressing it And his Adversaries seem to have fall'n upon him undeservedly the more because he rejected the Conclusions they drew from his Expression and owned that the Eucharist was both Figure and Reality and that it contained the Body of Christ under the Veil and Species of the Bread and Wine Another famous Question about the Eucharist was started in this Age viz. Whether any part of the Eucharist be evacuated as our other Food They who stood for the Affirmative being called The Question of Stercoranism by the odious Name of Stercoranists To understand clearly the state of this Question we must remember the Eucharist consists of two Things one inward and hidden the other outward and sensible The first is the Body and Blood of our Saviour which are present in the Sacrament after an invisible manner and the other consists of the Species of Bread and Wine which appear to our outward Senses None ever did believe that the invisible Body and Blood of Christ was subject to the same Conditions with our other Nourishment or produced the same Effects But because the Species of Bread and Wine under which 't is contained feed our Bodies we say without any scruple that the Body and Blood of Christ are converted into our Substance and feed our Body This Expression was ever used in the Church And some Fathers have proved the Resurrection of our Bodies Because it is not to be thought says S. Irenaeus that our Flesh being fed with the Body and Blood of our Saviour should remain for ever in a state of Corruption But if the Body of Christ has a nourishing property 't is not the Body it self by its own proper Substance but it is by the outward Signs the Bread and Wine which nourish us by the Matter which God hath made as it were a Vehicle to us of the Body and Blood of Christ which in our Faith and Minds took up before the place of the material Bread and Wine But notwithstanding that the Church has made no scruple to say that the Body and Blood of our Saviour is converted into our Substance and nourishes us by the Species of Bread and Wine it was ever thought indecent even to think much more to assert that it was liable to the same Evacuation as our common Food and that any part of it should go into the Draught The first that seems to have took notice of this Question is Origen whose Decision of it is in these Words that this Food consecrated by Prayers and the Word of God goes down into the Belly and so into the Draught as to the Matter it does consist of meaning the Species of Bread and Wine not as to what it is made by Prayer The Author of the Sermon of the Eucharist which is in the fifth Volume of the Greek and Latin Works of S. Chrysostom seems to differ in his Opinion Is that Bread says he which you see with your outward Eyes Is that Wine Has that food the same fate as other sorts of food God forbid and let none of you have such Thoughts of it This Author seems to affirm that the Body of our Lord is the very Species that we see and does formally deny it to be liable to the same Condition with our common Food S. John Damascene embraces this Opinion in the 14th Chapter of the 4th Book of the Orthodox Faith adding however that the outward Species of the Eucharist is converted into our Substance Paschasius is of the same Opinion and says 't is a Weakness to think that any part of this Mystery is under the same Laws with other Food Frivolum est ergo says he Chap. 20. sicut in Apocrypho Libro legitur in hoc Mysterio cogitare de Stercore ne commisceatur in alterius cibi digestione And he asserts that all passes into our Flesh and Substance without any Evacuation Ratramnus indeed does own that the spiritual Body of our Saviour is not under the same condition with other Food and will not so much as have it said that it feeds our Bodies seeing it is Food for our Souls But he affirms according to his Principles that the visible and outward Species are under the same Laws with all other Food This is all that is said by those Authors upon that Question But Amalarius treats of it on purpose in his Letter to Gontardus a Monk who took Exception at Amalatius his Opinion upon the Question of Stercoranism his spitting presently after his receiving of the Eucharist supposing he might then spit out some part of our Saviour's Body the fear of which kept other Priests from spitting at such a time To which Amalarius answers that being a phlegmatick Man he could not long forbear spitting and that he hoped that for his Infirmity sake God will not deprive him of the Body of Christ his Saviour as the Nourishment of his Soul if it be but pure and humble before him and that what he must needs eject for the Health of his Body will be no prejudice to his Soul These are his Words Et quod exeundum est propter Sanitatem Corporis faciat exire sine dispendio Animae To justifie himself more at large he thoroughly handles the Question and makes
accused of Bribery but very unjustly He aggravates the Cruelty exercised by Pope Stephen against Formosus whose Corpse he took up and brought it to a Council where having stripp'd him of his pontifical Habits he caused a Lay-Garb to be put on him and having cut off two Fingers of his Right-Hand he caused him to be Buried in the Church-Yard for Strangers from whence he was aftèr thrown into the Tiber. Auxilius says that they that exercised this piece of inhumanity upon him acted like Savage Beasts That this their Action was contrary to Heathen Morality which obliges us to spare the Dead That although the Translation of Formosus had been contrary to the Laws of the Church it ought to have been tolerated with a Christian Compassion and not aggravated with an unheard of Cruelty That all that could have been done had been to have called a Council to forbid the Peo whatever else is necessary to Celebrate Divine Service He acquaints him that he had gotten Schools of Singers who are so very excellent in their Art and are able to Instruct others That he has Readers who not only Read Publickly but are fit to Expound and Interpret That he has caused a great many Ecclesiastical Authors to be Transcribed Rebuilt and Beautified a great many Monasteries and other Religious Houses and likewise erected a Cloyster for the Canons and Prebendaries and many other things both of Use and Profit The Second Letter of Leidradus is Consolatory to his Sister upon the Death of her Son and Brother The Works of Leidradus are in a plain and natural stile but have nevertheless a great deal of good Sense and very Christian Thoughts These two last Letters are in the Bibliotheca Patrum Tom. 10. p. 232. Papyrius Massonus and M. Balusius have joyned them to the Works of Agobardus to whom Leidradus resigned his See to retire into the Monastery of St. Martin at Soissons There are other Anonymous Answers given to the Questions proposed by Charles the Great in his Letter All these Authors give an Account of the Ceremonies of Baptism and put a Mystical Sense upon them for the Instruction and Edification of Priests and Believers Lewis Sirnamed the Kind or Godly was not less Curious than his Father in endeavouring to understand the Ceremonies of the Church Amalarius a Deacon of Mets to whom is also given the Amalarius Title of Abbot in Ancient Manuscripts and whom some have called Suffragan Dedicated to him Four Books of the Ecclesiastical Office in his Preface of which he gives him great Commendations concluding it with many wishes for his long and happy Life In these Books he relates the Ceremonies and Customs of the Church according to the Roman Establishment and gives Mystical Reasons for them which are in no wise to be thought the true Reasons for the Institution of these Ceremonies but Humane Inventions and for the most part groundless Suppositions and which I do not think my self obliged to give any Account of therefore shall only take notice of a few Points of Discipline in them which are the most considerable The First Book is about the Service of the Church from Septuagesima to Pentecost Where he teaches us that from Septuagesima to Easter neither Hallelujah nor Gloria in Excelsis were sung in Churches that Lent began the Wednesday after Quinquagesima That on Holy-Thursday they Consecrated Oyls for the Sick for the Catechumens and those that were Confirmed That these three Oyls had three different Consecrations That they mingled Balm with that used for Confirmation That on Good-Friday they worshipped the Cross and after they had brought out the Body of Christ reserved the day before they mixt it with unconsecrated Wine which they thought sufficiently consecrated by this Mixture and so gave it immediately to the People But he takes notice at the same time that in the Church of Rome the Priests only Communicated That the Service of Saturday was for Saturday Night till Sunday and that they blest the Wax Candle He speaks of some of the Ceremonies of Baptism made use of at that time and principally of the Unction which was pour'd by the Priests on the top of the Novice's Head He seems to disapprove of the Fast upon Rogation which he says was Instituted by St. Mamertus and was never in use with the Eastern Churches In the Second Book he Treats of the Twelve Lessons of Divine Service of the Fast of the Four Ember Weeks of the several Orders and * Of the Habits of Priests see Durand Ration l. 3. Habits of Priests of which he gives very Mystical significations The Priest's Vest signifies the right management of the Voice his Albe the subduing of the Passions his Shooes upright Walking his Cote Good Works his Stole the Yoke of Jesus Christ the Surplise Readiness to Serve his Neighbour his Handkerchief Good Thoughts and the Pallium Preaching The Third Book Treats of the Method observed in Celebrating Mass. Of the Habits of the Office of the Singers of the manner of the Bishop's going to the Alter of the Place where he sits of the Presenting of the Chalice by the Acolythus to the Subdeacon who receives it Of the mixing of the Sacramental Bread with the Consecrated Wine and lastly of the Kiss of Peace He Discourses at the same time of the Prayers which are said viz. †Concerning these parts of the Mass 533. if any desire to be exactly informed let him consult Durand Ration lib. 4. Of the Introitus the Kyrie Eleison the Gloria the Collects the Tractus the Responses the Hallelujah the Offertory the Secret Prayers the Preface the Canon the Lord's Prayer the Agnus Dei and the Blessings which are given at the end of the Mass. He also adds some Reflections upon the Masses and Service used on All-Saints-Day the Advent Christmas-Day and the Purification upon the Hour of Celebrating Mass and the differences between the Masses for the Dead We may thereby Learn that the Practice in his Time of Celebrating Mass was not different from what it is at present But the Mystical Reflections he makes upon these Ceremonies and Prayers are so far-fetched and incongruous that there is no great use to be made of them He has one particular Observation to himself about the Body of Jesus Christ which he divides into three states or conditions 1st Of Jesus Christ risen again represented by that part of the Eucharist which is put into the Chalice 2. Of Jesus Christ upon Earth represented by that which is consumed by the Priest And 3. The Body of Jesus Christ in the Tomb represented by that part which remains on the Altar The last Book is upon the other parts of the Divine Service ‖ These hours of Prayer and the Reasons of their Institution are at large explained by Durand in his Rationale Divin Off. l. 5. c. 3 10. As the Prayers for the First Third Sixth None hours Vespers Complectorum and Night-Office as well for
Victor II. and threw him under the protection of the Holy See He was at first under the Government and Tuition of the Empress Agnes his Mother who had the administration of the Empire in her Hands But the Princes and Grandees of Germany being weary of the Government of this Woman took Henry away from her and committed the Charge of his Royal Person to Anno Arch-bishop of Cologne who had likewise the greatest share in the Government These Lords to retain their Authority the longer left Henry to his liberty of doing what he pleas'd and to live in the Debaucheries common to Youth and in the mean time Govern'd Absolutely under his Name and dispos'd as they saw fit of the Offices Revenues and Affairs of the Empire Henry was in this kind of dependency upon them till he came to be Eighteen or Twenty years old At which time he began to take Cognizance of the Affairs of his Estate and to Govern them himself It was then that he began to be sensible that a great many things had been done contrary to Justice and that the Grandees abusing the Confidence which he had repos'd in them were advanc'd by indirect means and regarded more their own private Interests than those of the State It was then he revok'd part of what they had caus'd to have been done prohibited the Exactions and Outrages which they had been guilty of re-estabish'd the Course of Justice and the Force of the Laws and punish'd the Offenders The measures which he took made several of his Lords to become Malecontents for they being us'd to do what they pleas'd themselves without fearing to be check'd for it could not be easie under this new Yoke Thereupon they conceiv'd an Aversion to King Henry which they continued for ever after and they took up a Resolution either to Kill him or to Out him of the Empire The Saxons were the first who openly Rebell'd against him they set upon him with such an Advantage and with so great Numbers that he was forc'd to fly for it He return'd with an Army and the Saxons were twice defeated but still kept to their Resolution They enter'd into a Confederacy with several Lords of Lombary France Bavaria and Suabia and finding themselves not strong enough to make open War against him they charg'd him with several Crimes before Pope Gregory and intreated that Pope to turn him out of his Throne and to put up another King in his place whose Conduct and Wisdom should be answerable to his Dignity Gregory VII had formerly begun under the Popedom of Alexander II. to form a Process against King Henry and had caus'd him to be cited to Rome upon the account of Simony and other Crimes lay'd to his charge But after Alexander's Death he thought it would redound to his Interest to manage him that he might be the more inclinable to confirm his Election Some Authors say That he secretly threaten'd that Prince to Prosecute him in case he would not approve of his Election but this Matter of Fact is not prov'd by any Authentick Testimony What is more certain is That before his Ordination Gregory sent word to Beatrice and Matilda That he had a design of sending some pious Persons to King Henry to give him some wholsome Advice about his Conduct and to persuade him to return to that Obedience which he ow'd to the Church of Rome At the same time he advises these Princesses not to communicate with the Bishops of Lombardy who were either guilty of Simony or favour'd those who were so This Letter of Gregory which is the Eleventh of his first Book bears date May 25 1073. The Persons guilty of Simony of whom he speaks in this Letter are the Bishops of Lombardy and particularly Godfrey Arch-bishop of Milan who was as Gregory says advanc'd to that Dignity by Simony and even whilst Guy Arch-bishop of that City was Living He and his Adherents had been Excommunicated for this by the Pope in a Council of Rome but this Excommunication had no other Effect upon him than to Incense him and entring into a League with all the Bishops of Lombardy they conspir'd together against the Holy See Gregory VII being advanc'd to the Papal Chair had nothing more in his Thoughts than to bring them to submit and to cause the Excommunication issued out against them to be put in Execution as appears by the Letter which he sent on that Subject to all the Faithful of Lombardy bearing date July 1 1073. which is the Fifteenth of the first Book King Henry on the other hand protected the Arch-bishop of Milan and the Bishops of Lombardy and continued in Communion with them and this gave the first Rise to the Contest betwixt him and Pope Gregory The first of September in the same year the Pope advis'd Anselm Bishop of Lucca Elect not to receive the Investiture of his Bishoprick from King Henry till such time as he had given Satisfaction for his holding Communion with Excommunicated Persons and till he was reconcil'd to the Holy See which he hop'd would be effected by the Mediation of the Empress Agnes of Beatrice and Matilda Countesses of Tuscany and by Radulphus Duke of Suabia who had undertaken the Accommodation The same day Gregory wrote to that Duke telling him That he had no particular ill Will to King Henry but on the contrary wish'd him well as he was oblig'd to do because he had acknowledg'd him for King because he had receiv'd several signal Favours from his Father Henry and because that Prince upon his Death had recommended him to Pope Victor II. But for as much as this Concord between the Empire and the Church ought to be pure and sincere it was requisite in the first place that he should manage the Affair with him with the Empress Agnes with the Countess Beatrice and with Reginald Bishop of Cumae that for this purpose he desir'd a Conference with him and pray'd him to come to Rome He wrote likewise at the same time to this Bishop of Cumae telling him That he wish'd with all his Heart that the King were Master of all that Religion and Piety which he ought to be Master of and that he were in Union and Amity with the Holy See and to bring this about he pray'd him to be ready to come to Rome with the Empress Radulphus and the Countess Beatrice that so all things might be adjusted That he might hold Conferences with the Bishops of Lombardy but that he ought not to Communicate with them These three Letters are the Nineteenth Twentieth and the One and twentieth of the first Book In the Four and twentieth written to Bruno Bishop of Verona bearing date September the 24th he declares that he retains the same Love and Tenderness for King Henry as ever he did This Prince replies to the Pope's Civilities in a very submissive Letter wherein he declares That for as much as it was requisite that the Empire and the Papacy should
Arch-bishop of Milan and against Guilbert Arch-bishop of Ravenna and suspended them from all Episcopal and Sacerdotal Functions He therein depos'd without any hopes of being re-establish'd Arnulphus Bishop of Cremona who was there present and had own'd himself guilty of Simony and excommunicated him till such time as he should do Pennance He therein likewise depos'd Rowland Bishop of Trevisi for having acquir'd his Bishoprick by taking upon him the Deputation of the Assembly of Worms which had been the cause of the Schism between the Empire and the Papacy and excommunicated him for ever if he did not do Pennance He serv'd after the same manner Cardinal Hugh of S. Clement as one Condemn'd thrice by the Holy See First For having favour'd and supported the Schism of Cadalous Secondly For having joyn'd himself when Legat with Hereticks and Persons Condemn'd by the Holy See for Simony And Thirdly for having stir'd up Schisms and Dissentions in the Church He therein renew'd the Excommunication issu'd out by his Predecessors against the Arch-bishop of Narbonne and after he had thus determin'd Matters with relation to Bishops he orders with reference to the Affairs of Germany that two Legats should be sent into that Country to hold there an Assembly of Prelates and Grandees of the Empire wherein they should endeavour to bring things to an Accomodation or to pass a definitive Sentence in favour of him who had the best Title And that no Person might disturb the Execution of this design he excommunicates all such as shall oppose it and shall hinder his Legats from going into Germany He therein likewise excommunicates the Normans of Pozzuolo and interdicts all the Bishops who did not appear at his Synod Lastly He prohibits under the penalty of Excommunication the detaining of those who had been cast away at Sea or seizing of their Effects He therein declares the Ordinations made by excommunicated Persons to be Null and absolves from the Oath of Alliegance all such as had taken it to excommunicate Persons and prohibits them from paying any Obedience to them But that the great number of Excommunications might not be the cause of the Damnation of those who by ignorance simplicity fear or constraint were oblig'd to communicate with excommunicated Persons he exempts out of the Excommunication all Women Children Servants and other Subjects who had no hand in the Crimes which the others committed and in general all those who communicated with excommunicated Persons without knowing them to be so He likewise gives Travellers leave who are in the Country of excommunicated Persons to buy what they want of them and he does not hinder any Man from assisting or shewing any Acts of Charity towards the excommunicate These Decrees are of the third of March in the Year 1078. This Council being broke up the Pope wrote to the Bishops Princes and other Lords of Germany sending them word what had been resolv'd upon with relation to the Affairs of Germany And after having excommunicated all those who should hinder the Execution thereof he gave them to understand that the Bearer of his Letter shall agree with Udo Arch-bishop of Treves who is of King Henry's party and with some other Bishops of the party of Radulphus about the time and place of their Assembly that so his Legats may be there with safety He wrote likewise in particular to that Arch-bishop recommending to him the making up of the Peace and the putting in Execution what had been enjoyn'd in the Council of Rome and that he might take such measures as were most equitable he advises him to consult with him who should be chosen Mediator of the other party These two Letters dated March 9. in the Year 1078. are the Fifteenth and Sixteenth of the fifth Book The Pope wrote and disturb'd himself in vain about the holding of this Convention Henry would not agree to it and prepar'd himself for carrying on the War and even those of the party of Radulphus suspected the Pope's Sentence Thereupon he wrote another Letter dated the first of June into Germany wherein after he had declar'd that all the care or pains which he had taken to procure Peace were in vain because the Enemies of God and the publick Good who only minded the gratifying of their Ambition by destroying the Empire and ruining Religion hinder'd the holding of the Convention which was propos'd He injoyns all the Germans not to assist these Enemies of the publick Peace and not to communicate with them giving them to understand that they were excommunicated Lastly he assures them that he would never favour the party which was unjust and prays them not to harbour any such thoughts of him whatever might be said or written to them about it for he was one who fear'd God and who suffer'd every day for his sake This Letter is the First of the sixth Book In the mean time King Henry without minding all these Excommunications being march'd into Germany at the Head of an Army and became Master of the Countries of Bavaria and Suabia which Radulphus hhd left to retire into Saxony Radulphus did there raise some Forces and came before Wirtzburg and besieg'd it Henry being come to its Relief gave Battle to him which did not prove successfull to him for several of the Horse who pretended to be on his side falling upon him to kill him put his Army into confusion The Cavalry fled the Infantry were cut in pieces and the Town was taken but Henry re-took it within a short time after About the end of November Gregory held a Council at Rome wherein he excommunicated The Council of Rome December 1078. Nicephorus Botoniatus who had seiz'd upon the Empire of the East after he had outed Michael Ducas The Envoys of Henry and Radulphus took an Oath in the Name of their Masters that they would not hinder the Legats of the Holy See from holding an Assembly in Germany to put an end to their Contests Lastly The Pope made in this Council twelve Canons concerning Benefices and Ecclesiastical Revenues In the First he excommunicates all Laicks who were possess'd of Ecclesiastical Revenues and in particular those who had seiz'd upon the Revenues belonging to the Monastery of Mount Cassin This Decree was made upon the account that Jordanes Duke of Capna had taken away from that Monastery a Sum of Mony which had been deposited there by the Bishop of Roscella The Second imports That having understood that several Laicks granted in several places the Investitures of Churches contrary to the Constitutions of the Holy Fathers and that this was the cause of great Disturbances he orders that no Ecclesiasticks shall receive Investiture of any Bishoprick Abby or Church from the hands of an Emperor or a King or any other Laick whatever and declares that if any shall receive it his Investiture shall be Null and Void and he shall be excommunicated till such time as he has given satisfaction for his offence The Third imports
this Abbot was minded to take a Church He prohibits him from giving that Monastery any disturbance and orders him if he thought he had Reason for what he did to come to the Synod held in November with the Abbot of the Holy Cross. This Letter is dated March the 14th in the Year 1074. By the Sixty sixth Sixty seventh Sixty eighth Seventy second Eighty first Eighty second Letters of the same Book by the Fifteenth Seventeenth Forty sixth Fifty ninth Sixtieth and Sixty first of the second Book by the Twenty fourth Twenty fifth Thirty first and Thirty third of the sixth Book by the Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth and Twenty fourth of the seventh Book and by the Sixth Seventh and Twenty ninth of the ninth Book he vindicates the Privilege of several Monasteries against the Bishops or any other Persons who seiz'd on their Revenues and had done any prejudice to their Rights or Immunities Thus have we given you a full Account of the Actions Conduct Life Writings Sentences and Determinations of Gregory VII during his Pontificate extracted out of his Letters wherein he has describ'd his own Character and discover'd what his Sentiments and Designs were They are in all 359. which Compose a Register divided into Nine Books containing all the Letters which he wrote from April 1073 to the Year 1082. 'T is observ'd that there was a Tenth Book but 't is lost That which is call'd the Eleventh contains only one entire Letter and the Fragment of another which may be connected with Seven or Eight other Letters extracted out of Lanfrank and S. Anselm or other Authors The Judgments which have been pass'd on the Person Conduct Manners and Genius of The various Judgments pass'd upon Gregory VII Gregory VII have been wholly contrary to each other His Partisans have represented him to us as a Man very Religious and Pious Just Equitable Humble Patient Unblameable both in his Life and Morals a learned Canonist and a good Divine Zealous for the Welfare of the Church a Lover of Discipline an Enemy to Vice a Protector of the Innocent an undaunted Defender of the Ecclesiastical Rights and Privileges and a faithful Imitator of Gregory the Great in his Pastoral Care His Enemies on the contrary have made him pass for a cruel ambitious and perfidious Man who having seiz'd by force on the Papal Chair had put the whole Church into Confusion to gratify his Ambition and to attain to his Designs who without respect to the Royal Majesty or to the Sacerdotal Dignity had a Mind to make Kings his Slaves and Bishops his Creatures by depriving the one of their States and by unjustly Condemning the others that he might afterwards give them Absolution Who had utterly overturn'd the Discipline of the Church by being willing to establish in his own Person a Monarchy or rather Tyranny over things both Spiritual and Temporal Who had advanc'd this unheard of Error so far as to maintain that Popes might by Excommunicating Kings and Princes divest them of their States and absolve their Subjects from the Oath of Alliegance taken to them Who had thunder'd out so many Excommunications and extended them so far that there was scarce a Man in his time who was sure of not being excommunicated I omit speaking of the other gross Enormities with which they charg'd him such as his being guilty of Sorcery of holding a dishonest Familiarity with the Princess Matilda and of being in the same Error as Berenger was about the Eucharist There is no doubt to be made but that the Zeal of the One and the Passion of the Others carry'd them both into Extreams To pass therefore a right Judgment upon him it must be acknowledg'd that this Pope was a great Genius capable of great Things constant and undaunted in the execution of his Designs well vers'd in the Constitutions of his Predecessors Zealous for the Interests of the Holy See an Enemy to Simony and Libertinism Vices which he strongly oppos'd full of Christian Thoughts and Zeal for the Reformation of the Manners of the Clergy and there is not the least Colour to think that he was tainted in his own Morals But it must likewise be confess'd that he was advanc'd to the Papal Chair a little too Precipitately That his Zeal to promote the Grandeur of the Holy See catry'd him to undertake such things as were unreasonable and beyond his Power That he was the Cause of great Disturbances both in the Church and in the Empire That he assum'd to himself a Power over Kings and their States which he never had And that he carry'd the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Holy See beyond its due Bounds This is the Judgment which we suppose every one will pass upon him who shall read over his Letters with a disinterested and unprejudic'd Mind In short they are penn'd with a great deal of Eloquence full of good Matter and embellish'd with noble and pious Thoughts And we may boldly say that no Pope since Gregory I. wrote such strong and fine Letters as this last Gregory did We find among his Letters after the Fifty fifth of the second Book a piece Intituled DICTATUS PAPAE i. e. An Edict of the Pope or Papal Decisions which contains Seven An Examen of the Decree said to belong to Gregory VII and twenty Propositions concerning the Rights of the Holy See some Feign'd and some True The Summary of them is as follows 1. That the Church of Rome ows its Foundation to none but God alone 2. That no other Person beside the Pope of Rome has a Right to be call'd UNIVERSAL BISHOP 3. That 't is he alone who can depose Bishops and re-establish them 4. That his Legat ought in Council to preside over all Bishops even tho' he be inferior to them in Dignity and that he may pronounce a Sentence of Deposition against them 5. That the Pope may depose even absent Bishops 6. That no Man ought to live in the same House with them whom he has excommunicated 7. That 't is Lawful for him alone to make new Laws when Times require it to found new Churches to turn a Canonship into an Abbey to divide a Rich Bishoprick into two and to consolidate Poor ones 8. That 't is he alone who can wear the imperial Robes 9. That all Princes should kiss the Pope's Feet and that 't is to him alone they ought to pay this Honor. 10. That his Name alone is to be repeated in the Churches 11. That there is no other Name but his in the World that is according to some that to him alone belongs the Name of Pope an Explication which seems to be very much strain'd 12. That 't is lawful for him to depose Emperors 13. That he has the Power of Translating Bishops from one Bishoprick to another when there is a necessity for it 14. That he can ordain a Clerk in any Church whatsoever 15. That a Clerk whom he has ordain'd may enter into another Church
the death of Pope Eugenius III. The Four Hundred and Thirty Eighth is a Letter of Bartholomew a Monk of Foigny who had been Bishop of Laon Address'd to Sampson Arch-Bishop of Rheims by which he justifies himself against his being accus'd that he had embezelled the Goods of the Church of Laon while he was Bishop there The Four Hundred and Thirty Ninth is a Letter from Turstin Arch-Bishop of York to William Arch-Bishop of Canterbury containing a Relation of what had happened to him when he had endeavoured to introduce the Customs of Cisteaux into the Monastery of St. Mary at York The Four Hundred and Fortieth is a Letter of Fastrede the Fourth Abbot of Clairvaux to an Abbot of his Order whom he blames for going too richly dress'd and living too delicately He therein renews the Maxim of St. Bernard That a Monk ought not to make use of any external Remedies The Four Hundred and Forty First is written by Peter de Roye a Probationer of Clairvaux to the Provost of the Church of Noyon in which he shews the difference between the Life led in Clairvaux and that which is led at large in the World The Four Hundred and Forty Second is a Letter of a General Chapter of the Province of Rheims who were call'd the Black Monks to Pope Adrian IV. whereby they beg that Godfrey Abbot of Lagny may be suspended The Letter following is from the same Address'd to Pope Alexander III. upon the same Subject Lastly the Four Hundred and Forty Fourth is a Letter from an unknown Hand Address'd to the Abbot of Reatino which contains nothing remarkable The Second Tome of St. Bernard's Works comprehends divers Treatises whereof the first is Entituled Of Consideration divided into V. Books and Address'd to Pope Eugenius III. to serve him for Instruction The Consideration he treats of in this Work is as himself desires it the Thoughts which he employs in search after Truth and more particularly relating to the Duties of his Profession In St. Bernard's Treatise of Consideration the first Book he shews that the Condition of a Sovereign Pontiff would be but very unhappy had he no regard to himself for it would be a very indiscreet thing of him to spend all his time in hearing and deciding other Mens Differences and all the while neglect to employ himself sometimes in Contemplation He exclaims against the great number of Causes that are brought into the Ecclesiastical Courts as likewise against the many Abuses committed there He shews that this is more consistent with the Secular Power than the Ecclesiastical He says he would not have Eugenius follow the Examples of his Predecessors who applyed themselves more to Business than Contemplation but that he should imitate St. Gregory who when Rome was threatned to be besieg'd by the Barbarians labour'd on an Exposition of the most difficult passage of the Prophet Ezckiel He there proves that Consideration serves to form and employ the four Cardinal Virtues Lastly he takes Notice of the unbecoming Bickerings at the Ecclesiastical Bar and exhorts Pope Eugenius to endeavour after a Regulation In the second Book after having justify'd himself for advising the expedition of the Croisade which had been unsuccessful he admonishes Pope Eugenius to consider as to his Person who he is and as to the Dignity of his Profession what he is First he is to reflect whence he is descended which may serve to abate his Pride He gives him to understand that he is not set over others to domineer over them but to be their Minister and watch over them that if this Dignity has procur'd him great Riches he is not to think they belong to him by the right of Apostleship since St. Peter had no power to dispose of what he never enjoyed That he indeed had given him the charge of all Churches but not an arbitrary Dominion over them which he expresly forbids and the Gospel disallows That the same Person cannot well execute the Civil Government and the Papacy and therefore he who grasps at both ought justly to lose both In a word he advises him particularly to avoid being haughty on account of his Supremacy for says he you are not supreamly perfect by being supream Bishop and take notice that if you think your self so you are the worst of Men. But let us consider you as you stand in the Church of God and what Figure you make You are the Chief Priest the Sovereign Pontiff the first among the Bishops the Heir of the Apostles Abel in Priority Noah in Government c. 'T is to you that the Keys of Heaven have been entrusted and to whom the Care of the Flock has been committed but there are other Door-keepers of Heaven and other Pastors besides you yet you are so much the more above them as you have receiv'd the Title after a different manner They have every one a particular Flock but you are superintendent over them all you are not only Supream Pastor over all the Flocks but likewise over all the Shepherds He establishes this Privilege upon the Words of our Saviour in the Gospel and he adds some Lines afterwards Others are but call'd to a part of the Care when the full Power is confided to you Their Power is limited when yours extends even over those who have a power over others for it is your Business to excommunicate a Bishop and suspend him if you see occasion This is what you are at present by your Office to remember also what you were and who you are Personally for you are still what you were once and the Dignity which has been superadded to you has not been able to divest you of your Nature You were born a Man you have been made a Sovereign Bishop yet you are still a Man so that you ought to consider your self as a Man draw the Veil which covers you disperse the Clouds that environ you and you will find your self to be no better than a Poor Naked Wretched Creature that is dissatisfy'd with his Nature that is asham'd of being Naked that grieves for being Born that murmurs at being destin'd to Labour and not to Ease and in a word that is born in Sin with a short Life abounding in Miseries and full of Fears and Complaints From these two Considerations he passes to a Third which is to consider his Manners and Conduct wherein he Counsels Eugenius to make a serious Reflection upon those things He admonishes him in the Conclusion of this Book to be constant in Adversity and humble in Prosperity to fly sloth and unprofitable Discourse and to practise no manner of Partiality in his Judgments In the Third Book he Treats of the Consideration that the Pope ought to have towards those that are under him and they are the Faithful over all the World He admonishes him again not to affect an arbitrary Power over them which he repeats says he because there is no Poison nor Arms that he ought to dread
Procession of the Holy Ghost Publish'd by Allatius in the first Tome of his Graecia Orthodoxa He likewise Compos'd an Abridgment of Aristotle's Logick Printed in Greek at Paris in the Year 1548. in Latin at Basil 1560. and in Greek and Latin at Oxford in the Year 1666. with several Pieces of Rhetorick which are in Manuscript in the French King's Library of which Allatius has given us a Catalogue The same Allatius observes that the Style of this Author is uncorrect and his way of Writing is too much like the Writings of the Ancient Tragick Poets which is too bombastical for History that his Syntax is obscure and perplex'd but yet that he is smooth and Wise enough for an Age wherein the greatest Extravagancies pass'd for Wisdom Allatius in his Graecia Orthodoxa has likewise given us a little Treatise of Pachymeres against those who maintain'd that it was said That the Holy Ghost had his Essence from the Son because he is of the same Nature with the Son JOHN VECCUS Patriarch of Constantinople Study'd these Points the most of any Greek of his time John Veccus Patriarch of Constantinople and was one of a very piercing Genius and Wrote well This made Nicephorus Gregoras say That there might be some Greeks who had a greater insight into Profane Learning than John Yet they were all Children when compar'd to him with respect to the subtilty of Genius to Eloquence and penetration of Thought in Ecclesiastical Points He was at first very much wedded to the Opinions of the Greeks and as we have already hinted very strongly oppos'd the Design of the Union set on foot by Michael Palaeologus But the Emperor having shut him up in a frightful Prison where he order'd the Works of Nicephorus Blemmidas to be put into his Hands he chang'd his Opinion and Collected a great many Passages of the Greek Fathers which favour'd the Doctrines of the Roman Church about the Procession of the Holy Ghost of which he made an advantageous Use in defending the Union which he maintain'd by several Tracts Allatius has Publish'd several of them of which this is the Catalogue Two Books concerning the Union of the Churches of Old and New Rome wherein he Proves the Opinion of the Latins about the Procession of the Holy Ghost by the Testimonies of the Greek Fathers and Refutes the Arguments which Photius John Furnes Nicholas of Metona and Theophylact make use of to Oppose it A Tract containing Twelve Chapters about the Procession of the Holy Ghost wherein he handles the several Questions and explains a great many Passages of the Greek Fathers on that Subject A Letter to Alexius Agallianus Deacon of the Church of Constantinople upon the Procession of the Holy Ghost A Synodal Decree wherein it is Ordered that the Preposition Ex should be Writ over again in a Manuscript of a Tract of Saint Gregory Nyssene which had been Eras'd by the Chancery-Clerk of the Church of Constantinople a profess'd Enemy to the Latins His Last Will and Testament wherein he persists in his Doctrine of the Procession of the Holy Ghost A Treatise of the Agreement of his with the Doctrines of the Fathers A Discourse upon the Injustice which had been done him by turning him out of his Patriarchial See An Apology of that Discourse against the Injustice which he had suffer'd wherein he Derects the false Glosses of a certain Scribe Another Apology wherein he Proves That the Re-union did not destroy the Customs of the Greeks Three Books to Theodore Bishop of Saddai about the Procession of the Holy Ghost Four Books upon the same Subject directed to Constantine Two Discourses against the Writings of George of Cyprus and against his new Errors The Refutation of the Remarks of Andronicus Camatera on those passages of Scripture relating to the Procession of the Holy Ghost Thirteen Heads or Remarks on the Words and Thoughts of the Fathers These Works are to be met with in the first and second Tome of Allatius's Graecia Orthodoxa who makes mention of several other Tracts of Veccus in the second Book of the Agreement between the Greek and the Latin Churches Chap 15. Veccus had for the Companions of his Fortune of his Exile and of his Studies GEORGE METOCHITA George Metochita Deacon Constantine Meliteniota Arch-Deacon of the Church of Constantinople Deacon of the Church of Constantinople and CONSTANTINE MELITENIOTA his Arch-Deacon who Compos'd several Works in the defence of the same Doctrine and of the same Cause The former whose Style is harsh has compos'd a Treatise on the Procession of the Holy Ghost divided into five Dissertations of which Allatius has given us a Fragment in his Book of Purgatory taken out of the Fifth Book and another Fragment out of the same Book in his Treatise against Hottinger And Father Combefis has given us a Fragment taken out of the Fourth Book in his Additions to the Bibliotheca Patrum A Refutation of three Chapters of Planuda the Monk Publish'd by Allatius in the Second Tome of his Graecia Orthodoxa The Refutation of what Manuel Nephew of Cretois wrote Publish'd by the same Author in the same Tome A Dissertation containing the History of the Union of the two Churches of which Allatius has given us some Fragments An Anti-heretical Dissertation against the Writings of George of Cyprus Another Dissertation of what was the Consequence of the two foregoing The Latter viz. Constantine Meliteniota has left behind him Two Treatises One concerning the Union of the Greeks and Latins and the other about the Procession of the Holy Ghost Publish'd by Allatius in the Second Tome of his Graecia Orthodoxa About the same time SIMON a Native of Crete of the Order of Preaching Friars Compos'd Simon of Crete of the Order of Preaching Friars Three Treatises for the Latins in the form of Letters about the Procession of the Holy Ghost the First directed to Manuel Olobola the Second to Sophronia and the Third to John Keeper of the Archiâ—es Allatius who has seen them has only left us part of this Last in his Treatise against Hottinger The Greek Schismaticks had likewise their Champions who wrote in defence of their Doctrine at the head of whom we may place GEORGE of Cyprus Sirnam'd GREGORY Patriarch of Constantinople who was a Man of Spirit Eloquent and Polite in his Discourse of great Learning and Parts and pretty well Vers'd in the Ecclesiastical Points His chief Piece call'd The Synodal Tome George of Cyprus Sirnam'd Gregory Patriarch of Constantinople which he styles The Pillar of Orthodoxy was writ against Veccus He likewise compos'd other Works against the Latins divers Panegyricks and several Letters which are to be met with in Manuscript in Libraries GEORGE MOSCHAMPER Register of the Church of Constantinople was likewise one of the George Moschamper Adversaries of Veccus against whom he wrote several Tracts which that Patriarch refuted CONSTANTINE ACROPOLITA LOGOTHETES signaliz'd himself likewise by
Library shews The Books of the Imitation are only in Manuscript but there are other Books at the end of which 't is observ'd that they were written in 1472. with the hand of Muthias and another which is a Soliloquy of Hugo in 1475. As to this Witness 't is said that he may do very much hurt to Thomas a Kempis but can do him no service because this Matthias Farinator liv'd under the Pontificate of John XXII who sate in the Holy-See from 1316. to the year 1334. by whose Order he undertook to Compose the Book of the Light of the Soul Possevin and Simlerus place him at the same time If it be thus and that he Transcrib'd the Book of the Imitation then it could not be Thomas a Kempis's since this Farinator must be dead before the year 1406. wherein Thomas became a Regular Profess'd To this 't is Reply'd that Matthias Farinator was not of the Fourteenth but of the Fifteenth Century as the Date of his Manuscript shews that Trithemius has not put him in the Catalogue of his Writers which ends at the year 1494. nor Arnold Bostius in his Catalogue of the Writers of the Order of Carmelites which was finish'd about the same time That Possevin and Simler were deceiv'd because they thought that Matthias Farinator wrote his Book by the Order of John XXII for there is no such thing said in the Preface as these Authors thought That Farinator Compos'd this Book by the Order of Pope John XXII but That this Book was written in the time of Pope John XXII and after it had remain'd a long while conceal'd and in obscurity he had put it into better Order divided it into Chapters and Paragraphs and made a Table to it Here follow the words Liber Meralitatum jussu Joannis Pontificis Maximi Lumen Animae dictus quem post diutinam occultationem cum adhuc informis esset Simplicioribus rudis obscurus appareret frater Matthias Farinatoris de Vienna Sacri Ordinis B Dei Genetricis Virginis Mariae de Monte Carmeli Lectorum Sacrae Theologiae minimus in Titules Titulos in Paragraphos distinxit Moralitates omnes pariter Naturales per binas Tabulaturas â—…gnans editus est anno 1477. 'T is therefore very probable that Matthias liv'd at the end of the Fifteenth Century and that he did not Compose but put in Order Correct and Publish the Book of Moralities If this be so it may be said that supposing he had written the Imitation of Jesus Christ under the Name of Thomas a Kempis yet he was impos'd upon by some Manuscript which was taken from that of 1441. which made some believe that this Book was Thomas a Kempis's I say suppose he had written it under his Name for there is no such thing in this Manuscript yet it may be that the Author of the Catalogue having drawn it up at such a time as Thomas a Kempis was commonly believ'd to be the Author of the Book of Imitation might add this Name to it tho' it was not in this Manuscript Lastly Since we have not the Original written with Farinator's own hand we can lay no great stress upon this The Third Witness which is produc'd for Thomas a Kempis is the Anonymous Author of his Life who ascribes to him the Book of the Imitation and in the Body of the Life he says that we may see in his Treatise of the Interior Conversation of Jesus Christ with the Soul Ch. 2. what he said to the Lord in his Solitude and in the Ancient Catalogue which concludes his Life Against this Witness 't is alledg'd that he was not Cotemporary to Thomas a Kempis that he had neither seen nor known him since he says that he learn'd what he wrote of his Life from the Friars of his Convent who were still alive A Fratribus illius Conventus qui adhunc vivunt and that he speaks of the time when Thomas became a Regular as a thing that was past many years ago Tunc temporis fuit Consuetudinis ut sic per sex annos probentur priusquam investiantur And therefore we must not wonder that he speaks according to the Common Opinion in Germany of the Book of Imitation That besides this Life was Interpolated and that neither the Catalogue noâ— the last words wherein he promises it are to be found in the Editions of Venice in 1568 and 1576. That the Catalogues of the Works of Thomas a Kempis do neither agree among themselves nor with that of Trithemius Lastly That the Continuator of the Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes who wrote the Life of Thomas in 1477. says nothing like this which is in the Life of the Anonymous and speaks not any ways of the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ but only observes that he Compos'd some Tracts for the Edification of younger People in a plain and easie Style but very considerable for their Sense and Force The Fourth is Peter Shot a Canon of Strasburg who Publish'd in 1488. an Edition of the Works of Gerson wherein he observes that he has not added here those Treatises which had been sometimes ascrib'd to Gerson and who have certainly another Author as the Book of the Contempt of the World which as is manifest was writen by one Thomas a Canon-Regular quem constat esse a quodam Thoma Canoico Regulari editum But that which seem'd manifest to Shot will not appear so to those who ascribe this Book to Gerson The Fifth is John Kunne of Dunderstat who printed in 1489. a Book of the Elevation of the Soul to God wherein he ascribes the Book of the Imitation to Thomas a Kempis The Sixth is John Mauburne an Abbot of Livry the Author of the Spiritual Rosary printed at Basil in 1491. who quotes in this Work the Book of the Imitation under the Name of Thomas a Kempis and who in another Manuscript Work of the Ecclesiastical Writers of the Order of Canons-Regular ranks in this Number Thomas a Kempis upon the account of the Books which he Compos'd among which he names that which begins with these words Qui sequitur me which some have falsly ascrib'd to Gerson This Author wrote not this till towards the end of the 15th Century He owns that from this time this Book had been ascrib'd to Gerson nevertheless he thinks that it was Thomas a Kempis's but he gives no manner of proof of this Opinion and so his Testimony is not decisive in the Case The seventh at last is Trithemius who in his Book of Ecclesiastical Writers which was finish'd in 1494. places the Imitation of Jesus Christ which he entitles De contemptu Mundi beginning with these Words Qui sequiturme at the Head of the Works of Thomas a Kempis who flourish'd about the Year 1410. But the same Author in his Book of the Illustrious Men of Germany written some time after distinguishes two Thomas a Kempis's both Canons-Regular of Mount-Saint-Agnes of Zwoll whereof one was more
Tota vita Christi Crux fuit martyrium l. 2. c. 12. n. 7. Saepe videtur esse Charitas magis est Carnalitas l. 1. c. 15. n. 2. Vita boni Monachi Crux est sed dux paradisi l. 3. c. 56. n. 4. The other Works of Thomas a Kempis NON vestis pulchra perfectum facit Religiosum sed perfecta secuii abrenunciatio vitiorum quotidiana mortificatio Serm. 14. ad novit n. 9. Quid prodest altus status sine humilitate charitate ibid. Si non potes parva vincere non poteris graviora superare Hort. Rosar c. 15. n. 2. Saepe valde parva res est unde homo valde graviter tentatur ibid. Beata Agatha ingenua virgo spectabilis genere ait mens mea solidata est in Christo fundata Ama nesciri pro nihilo reputari Opusc. 5. p. 686. Quocunque te vertere disponis dolores semper invenies taedia multa nisi fueris ad Creatorem conversus Soliloq anim c. 12. n. 10. Omnia pereunt praeter amare Deum Man Par. c. 7. alibi saepius O Domine Jesu quid sic facis quid est iste ludus O Pie Jesu c. Soliloq anim c. 13. n. 4. Christus multos habet amatores sodales mensae sed paucos sectatores abstinentiae Hort. Rosar c. 7. n. 2. Dixit quidam expertus quicquid boni tacendo colligo hoc fere totum lâ—quendo cum hominibus dispergo Serm. ad novit 13. n. 8. Qui foris saepius evagatur raro inde melioratur c. Hort. Rosar c. 10. n. 2. Tota vita Jesu Christi Crux fuit Martyrium in Cant. Spir. Cant. 8. Saepe putatur esse Charitas est magis Carnalitas libenter c. de Discip. Claustr c. 11. n. 2. Vita boni Monachi Crux est sed dux Paradisi Opusc. 12. Thus it appears that many of the Thoughts and Sentences are certainly alike but it may be said That we must not wonder at this since these are Sentiments of Piety and Devotion which come from the Spirit unto all those who write spiritual Books and that the like Sentences are to be met with not only in the Works of Thomas a Kempis but also in those of St. Bernard of Ludolphus the Saxon of John Rusbroek Denis the Carthusian and many other Spiritual Writers besides That Thomas a Kempis being entertain'd a long time with the Thoughts and Sentiments of the Book of Imitation 't is no surprizing thing that he should draw from thence some Sentences as he often does from the Books of Holy Scripture Some Authors and among the rest Rosweidus and Heserus have taken a great deal of pains to collect together all the Flemish or Teutonic Phrases which they thought were to be met with in the Book of Imitation others on the contrary have imagin'd that they see in it a multitude of Italian Phrases but neither the Remarks of one nor the other are a convincing Proof for the greatest Part of the Phrases which they have observ'd as Teutonisines or Italian Phrases are the ordinary ways of speaking which are us'd by those who do not speak good Latin Nevertheless there is one which is wholly Flemish Scire totam Bibliam exterius i. e. To get the Bible by heart for the Flemings say To get a thing without instead of To get a thing by heart But this Expression also is not to be found in the greatest part of the Italian Manuscripts and therefore it may have been added by Thomas a Kempis in his Copy The Doctrin the Spiritual Advices and the Sentiments of the Book of the Imitation are agreeable to the Spirit and Rules of the Congregation of Canons-Regular of Gerard le Grand to which purpose this Book has been compar'd with the Letter of John of Huesden one of the first Priors of Windesme wherein the same Maxims are to be found Here follow some Instances of it The Letter of John of Huesden QUI perseveraverit usque in finem hic salvus erit Dilecte frater habeas praescripta verba ante cordis tui â—culos persevera usque in finem in sancta cruce Poenitentiâ— i. e. in vita religiosa monastica quam propter amâ—rem Jesu Christi suscepisti Initio Epist. Eorum inspice multiplices pergraves labores quam perfecte Deo obtulerunt amicos cognatos omnes possessiones temporalia bona mundi honores ibid. Si ad breve tempus perseveraveris in hoc exercitio Sanctissimâ— Vitae Passionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi ista praecepta multo majora tibi scribi poterunt quiete cito adjicientur p. 3. Quid dulcius O dilecte frater quid securius quid simplici Columbae salubâ—ius quam in Petrae foramine heâ— est in Christi Jesu vulneribus delitescere requiescere ibid. Ad externa Officia nullatenus frater dilecte aspires nec aliquam Praelaturam affectes p. 21. Libenter cum potest fieri solus sis p. 22. Nhihil penitus agas sine consilio plus semper expertis quam tibi ipsi credas p. 23. Ama nesciri ab aliis contemni opta p. 26. The Book of the Imitation DOmine suscepi de manu tua Crucem portabo eam usque ad mortem sicut imposuisti mihi Vere vita Monachi Crux est sed dux paradisi Eia fratres propter Jesum suscepimus hanc Crucem propter Jesum perseveremus in Cruce l. 3. c. 56. n. 4. 5. Intuere sanctorum Patrum vivida exempla O quam multas graves tribulationes passi sunt Astoli Martyres Confessores Virgines reliqui omnes omnibus divitiis dignitatibus honoribus amicis cognatis renuâ—ciabant l. 1. c. 18. n. 1 2 3. Religiosus qui se intente devote in sanctissima passione Domini exercet omnia utilia necessaria sibi abundanter ibi inveniet nec opus est ut extra Jesum aliquid melius quaerat O si Jesus Crucifixus in Cor nostrum veniret quam cito sufficienter docti essemus Requiesce in Passione Christi in sacris vulneribus ejus libenter habita si enim ad vulnera pretiosa stigmata Jesu devote confugeris magnam in tribulatione confortationem senties l. 2. c. 1. n. 4. Multo tutius est stare in subjectione quam in Praelatura l. 1. c. 9. n. 1. Pete secretum tibi ama solus habitare tecum l. 3. c. 53. n. 1. Cum sapiente conscientioso viro consilium habe quaere potius instrui a meliori quam tuas adinventiones sequi l. 1. c. 4. n. 2. Ama nesciri pro nihilo reputari l. 1. c. 2. n. 3. Lastly The Canons-Regulars of the Congregation of Gerard were call'd by the particular Name of Devoto's Devout Clerks the Congregation of the Devout This is the Name which Thomas a Kempis himself gives them in the Lives of Gerard le Grand