made many sermons to the people and did not he compile that worthy piece that is termed Vitiorum Destructorium which is indeed the very undermiâ—er of the Kingdome of sinne and darknesse these workes are so able to defend themselves that I neede not spend time to lend praise to them Fourthly as his learning was great his pains wonderfull his Scholars famous his Workes unreproveable so his life and conversation was as upright and honest Certainly he who did take such labour to kill vice in others would not harbour it in his owne soule Are not those his remedies which hee hath prescribed against the Capitall sinnes demonstration sufficient that his aime was to kill them are not all his arguments against them as so many Engines unresistable who is so ignorant of his pious intention that knowes not the reason why he entred into that strict course of life but that he might be the more free from the snares of the world and that he might have the more time and space to give himself to prayer watching fasting meditation and godly writing and what ingenuous spirit but knowes that writing many books is wearinesse to the flesh as Solomon speakes and did not he write many and those solid ones which must needs take up most part of his time adde moreover the set houres of his publick exercises which could not be performed with that generall applause as they were had not hee in private spent much time in molding them so that these things considered seriously who can finde almost in all his life any time for to be idle or ill imployed in did hee not all his life rather chuse to live poorely as holding that to bee the lesse subject to any incombrances was hee not alwayes a friend to the poore as well knowing whose Members they were and to whom they did belong And as his Life was full of Charity and labour so it was as spotlesse and innocent free from suites and needlesse contentions so that in all his deportments he shewed himselfe a patterne of meeknesse temperance and sobriety And to conclude when it pleased God to call him from earth was not his heart and soule ready to be offered Saint Pauls Cupio dissolvi was his resolution and at his death was he not of all learned pious and devout men generally lamented aswell knowing what a great labourer was then called to rest so after a religious devout humble and laborious life he departed quietly in the Lord being in his time the glory of the Pulpit the Father of scholars and the light and grace of the Schoole-men He departed in the yeare of our Lord 1245. in the reigne of Fredericke the second then Emperour Some of Alexander Alensis his wise and religious Sayings collected out of his Workes Of Charity Charity in the soule of a man is like the Sunne in the Firmament which spreads his beames upwards downewards upwards towards God the Angels Saints downwards to the Creatures especially to the poore that are good and as the Sunne shines upon the good and bad so true charity dilates its beames to its enemies Destruct vitior pa. 7. cap. 12. Num. 3. Of Patience A soule patient for wrongs offered is like a man with a sword in one hand and salve in another could wound but will heale Part. 6. cap. 26. Of Faith What the eye is to the body that is faith to the soule t is good for direction if it be well kept as Flies doe hurt the eye so doe little sinnes and ill thoughts the soule par 6. cap. 32. Of the detestation of Covetousnesse It deserves hate of all men for sixe reasons First because it is a sinne against Nature making the desires of the soule terrene whereas they should be Celestiall Secondly from the many curses that are laid against it in Gods Word Woe to them that joyne house to house Esay 5. Thirdly from the many evills it subjects a man to it is the roote of all evills Fourthly it makes a man a foole Thou foole this night c. Fiftly it causes strifes and contentions From whence are strifes c. Sixtly it brings men into snares which drowne them in perdition Destruct vitior page 44. Of the Sinne of Lying Every lye is odious but that most which is against the poynts of Faith as to say that Jesus Christ was not borne of the Virgin Mary c. Faith must bee defended not opposed Dectruct page 52. Of good Counsellours Such should be holy in their lives true in their words righteously zealous and wise by experience par 4. cap. 44. in Destruct Of the danger of customary sinnes Custome in sinne enticeth and invadeth youth tyes fast and bindes age deceives and infects the affections subverts the judgement and is hardly cured par 5. cap. 2. num 11. Of Humility An humble man is like a good tree the more full of fruit the branches are the lower they bend themselves par 4. cap. 48. num 6. Of teares and weeping Shed teares of compunction of compassion of devotion weepiâ—g availes not if it bee feigned for vaine things immoderate for the dead or the crying of the wicked in Hell torments par 4. cap. 52. num 5. An. Christi 1264. Bonaventura BONAVENTVRVS IN many Authours this Seraphick writer was called Iohn Gerso the Cardinall of Paris thinkes that hee was called Eustachius some have term'd him Eustathius others Eutychius but the most call him Bonaventure the reason why hee was termed Eustathius or Eustachius was because in all his disputations had at Paris with the Grecians he stil was constant and resolved to defend the truth with all solidity and gravity Hee was borne in Etruria of the Greeks called Tyrrhenia one of the most flourishing parts of all Italy called at this day Tuscany his fathers name was Ioannes Fidantius his mother Ritelia both of great Descent wondrous devout and full of charity who had this sonne borne to their mutuall joy in one of the ancientest and renowmedst Cities of all Tuscany called Balneo-Regium in English The Kings Bath This Bonaventure in his youth shewed what he would prove afterwards for as he was mainly addicted to study so he set himselfe to follow that way and those men which were most holy and learned in those times principally Alexander of Hales the glory of that age as also Ioannes Rupellius with many others and for certaine it is that age was as active and full of Disputations as any could be so that Bonaventure could not want occasion or opportunitie for exercise For his feature and proportion of body though as Nazianzen said in the life of Saint Basil his minde was so adorned that hee would passe over all the praise of his outward parts yet he doth plainly say that Saint Basil when he was young was of an able strong constitution comely proportioned gratefull in his behaviour of an heavenly aspect So I may say of this great Doctor though his soule was richly decked
ought not to bee blamed because hee had chang'd his profession But observe his behaviour when he was thus converted to the Faith his owne learned Writings doe sufficiently declare that he was wholly taken up night and day in the reading of the holy Scriptures and did with great paines get most of it by heart so exactly that hee knew each period in his quotations hee did follow the Septuagint and highly prayseth it and did not onely exercise himselfe in the Pentateuch and other Historicall Bookes but in the Prophets nay in all those sacred Oracles And what paines did hee not take in reading many other Authours which any wayes might make for the increase of Faith As Apollonius and Victor Philo and Iosephus whom hee calls Antiquitatum Iudaicarum vernaculum Vindicem that is The naturall Challenger of the Iewish Antiquities Appion and Egisippus Clemens Romanus Polycarpe Saint Ignatius Dionysius Areopagita Papias Pantheâ—â—s Rhodon of Asia Serapion and one Proculus whom hee stiles Eloquentiae Christianae dignitatem The dignitie of Christian Eloquence and divers others Behold here the Effigies of a Christian Bee And it is thought that hee first wrote upon all the History of the Bible in Verse How ever he had an admirable faculty this way and how wisely he wrote against one Blastus who would have had the Christians Easter to have beene kept according to Moses not to Christian prescription Est praeterea his omnibus etiam Blastus accedens qui latenter Iudaismum vult introducere that is There is moreover one Blastus come forth that would have us turn Iews c. but who knows not saith he that the Gospel is made void if Christian liberty be to be reduced to the Law and in this point what good hee did to the Church of God is to this day very remarkable In the yeere of our Lord 195 and the sixth of Severus Empire what a worthy dispute had this Tertullian with a Iew a Proâ—elyte about the spreading of Christs Kingdom throughout the World and what his wisdome was herein who knowes not and did thereupon set out that Book Adversus Iudaeos In quem saith hee inâ—esum â—esum Christum qui jam venit c. In whom doe all the Nations of the World believe but in Iesus Christ who is come and proves it from that place Parthians Medes and Elamites c. and though some nay most of the Roman Officers at the Entrance into their places did exercise their cruelties by the persecution of Christians This Tertullian doth highly praise this Severns the Emperour for he saith Sed clarissimas foeminas clarissimos viros Severus sciens hujus sectaesse c. Severus though hee knew many noble men and women to be of this way did not onely not punish them but did highly commend them and did publikely withstand such as were their enemies And some thinke that the Emperour hereupon set forth that Law called the Law of Severus and Antoninus that no man should be condemned being absent or before his cause was heard which gave the Christians great matter of joy and by the providence of God made way for the enlargement of the Church and propagation of the Gospel And herein who will not say that this Tertullian did performe an excellent Worke to the Church of God And when as the Christians were begun to be vexed by their Enemies did not this Tertullian as Iustinus Martyr had done before write a large Apologie for the defence of the Christians and send it to Rome of which Lactantius speaks that Tertullian had fully and judiciously handled the whole matter for the generall benefit of the Church of God Wherein hee hath this saying Christianos ad Leones The Christians are laid out for the Lions and saith moreover Externi sumus vestra omnia complevimus Vrbes Insulas Castella c. Wee are all strangers yet wee fill all your Cities Islands Castles Garrisons and yet our reward is nothing but heavy persecutions death it selfe and this persecution came by three false calumnies and slanders imposed upon the Christians at that time as the murdering of Infants eating mans bloud and incest which were all refuted by this onely Instrument of GODS Glory Tertullian Oh admirable Instrument and painfull Laborer how ought thy memory to be kept fresh and precious for these rare performances what shall I terme thee but Christianorum liberator The setter of Christians free who by thy learned Writings didst even in a manner stop the fury of Lions When this worthy Worke was done hee set himselfe to write against the Idolatry of Heathens and the same time was made Priest by Agrippinus Bishop of Carthage in the eighth yeere of Severus Empire and then as some say hee liv'd as though hee had no Wife but gave himselfe wholly to his study and Writing and then set forth his Bookes of Repentanâ—e and Prayer and in the ninth of the Empire of Severus hee perswades the Emperour to favour the Christians in respect of their innocence and shewed how that they prayed for the prosperous successe of the Emperours affaires and imputes the slaughter of Bizantium to the effusion of Christian bloud And in the sixteenth yeere of Severus Reigne there were many Heresies sprung up and spread themselves both ancient and new whereupon this Champion for the Church bestird himselfe and set forth that Aureum Opus so t is called that Golden Worke called de Praescriptionibus adversus haereticos Certaine prescriptions against Heretikes Wherein he shewed as wel his valour as his diligence to suppresse and oppose all growing Vipers Now saith he wee have onely handled them in generall but God willing we will answer them all in particular At the end of the worke hee makes a Catalogue of all the Heretickes that then tore the bowels of the Church He first takes those foure of the Iewes Dositheus the Samaritan the Sadduces Pharisees and Herodians Then five and twenty who proved Hereâ—icks out of the Gospel as Simon Magus Menander Nicholaus Cerinthus Hebion Saturninus Basilides Ophitas Carpocrates Caivets Sethoites Valentinus Pâ—olomaens seoundus Heracleon Marcus Colorbasus Gerdo Marcion Lucanus Apelles and divers others and who will but confesse that it was no small taske to stop all these breaches and cut off all these Hydraes heads In the eleventh yeere of Severus Reigne though then the persecution against the Christians was hot and violent yet hee desisted not from his Labours and Writings against Hereticks especially against Quintilla Who knows not but that many good spirits have hid their heads in a storme yet this daunted not Tertullian t was his worke and hee was resolved to performe it an infallible demonstration of a noble and unconquered spirit not to desist from good actions though times prove dangerous So likewise in the thirteenth of Severus did he not as worthily withstand the proceeding of some Libertines as well at Carthage as elswhere
who strive to corrupt the Christians by their Idolatrous shews then Tertullian wrote his learned Treatise de spectaculis wherein hee handles the case to the full And at the same time how did hee stop an Heresie arising in Affrick called the Apelletians from one Apelles which worke is desired but not as yet enjoyed In the fifteenth yeere of the Emperour Severus did hee not famously write against that great Heretick Marcion and set forth his Book De Resurrectione Carnis And presently after wrote his Booke De Carona Militis worthy here to be spoken of a little upon a Triumph all the Emperours Souldiers for the greater pompe were to weare Crowns made of Bayes but one Christian there was who when he had his Crown given held it on his arme but would not weare it whereupon being demanded why hee alone had refused to set forth the pompe of that day he did boldly answer Non decet Christianum in hac vita coronari A Christian ought not to be crowned in this life a true and a worthy answer And so upon this Tertullian wrote his Book so entituled I read not after this that Tertullian did write any thing for the Church but against it The more is the pitie so great a Scholer should fall so fouly There are many Fathers who have discoursed what might be the cause of this Tertullians revolt Some as Saint Ambrose say it was Envie Vincentius Lirinensis makes a good application of it It was saith he a great tentation and triall The Lord saith Moses tries us whether wee love him or not when there ariseth up one of these false prophets or teachers or dreamers Saint Ierome gives him a great praise for his wit but laments his losse Saint Cyprians phrase was when hee would read Tertullian to say Da Magistrum Give me my Master Trithemius terms him Tam in divinis quà m in saecularibus Scripturis doctissimum The most learned in sacred and secular affaires And that hee taught Rhetorick at Carthage a long time Gloriosè saith he with great glory and credit and againe scripsit Latino sermone penè c. That hee wrote almost infinite Workes in Latine wherein he hath most judiciously confuted and overthrown all the Heresies hee wrote against licet in aliquibus c. and though saith he he erred in some things yet he wrote profitably in many other his Books Hee lived till hee was old and decrepite and so yielded up his spirit after that he had painfully and learnedly studied the Word of God and carefully and discreetly answered all those that proved Hereticks to the Truth I have here not followed Trithemius Catalogue nor yet Bellarmines concerning his Works but as Pamelius hath registred them in the Collen Impression Anno 1617. Hee hath a learned commendation set under his Effigies wherein as Tullius was the Pillar and praise of Rome so Africk glories in her Tertullian His Oratory was famous and Tertullians speech was sweeter then honey as may appeare by some of his Sentences Tertul. de poenitenia If thou be backward in thoughts of repentance be forward in thy thoughts of Hell the flame whereof only the streame of a penitent eye can extinguish and first so thinke on the greatnesse of the punishment that thou mayst not doubt of getting a remedy against it Idem de fuga in persecutione The Legion of Devils could not have conquered a Herd of Swine if God had not given them power farbe it then the Devill should have power over Gods owne Sheepe I may say That even then the bristles of those Swine were numbred before God and much more are the haires of his Saints De Fide Ex personis probamus fidem an ex fide personas Doe wee try mens faith by their persons we should try their persons by their faith Idem de Oratione The remembrance of Gods precepts chalkes out a way for our prayers to Heaven the chiefe of which precepts is That we come not first to make our atonement with God on his Altar before wee have made our atonement with our brother in our hearts For what profit is it to come to the peace of God without peace to come for remission of debts without remission of debts How can he appease his Father that is angry with his brother Idem de Oratione Let us not approach unto Gods holy Altar before wee have made peace with our offended brother for to what end should wee come to the God of peace without peace for the remission of our own sinnes without any intention to forgive one another How can hee that is not pleased with his brother thinke to please the God of his brother seeing that God commands him not to be angry at all but forgive him Hee that then prepareth himselfe on earth shall be sure of his reward in Heaven Tertullians houres of prayer They were the third the sixt and the ninth houres for they are saith he the more eminent part of the day to distribute and distinguish the publike affaires of men so have they beene accounâ—ed the most solemne times for Prayer and Divine Duties in the Church of God For at the third houre were the Apostles met together at their Devotions and were filled with the power of the Holy Ghost GOd Almighty who is the protector and defender of Kings grant to your Sacred Majesty along life a happy Reigne a secure State and habitation a strong Army a faithfull Senate or Councell and a Royall people These were the solemne Prayers of Tertullian for the Emperours and used by the ancient Church De Sanctorum Passione Tertullian saith that Paul thought himselfe unworthy to suffer for his Saviour because hee had no more lives to lose for his sake For hee that lost his life for us that wee might live deserves our lifes and all to bee laid downe for him Whence it is that the Saints have rejoyced in their sufferings not counting their life deare that they might winne Christ. Yea to mee saith Saint Paul in his Epistles to live is Christ and to die is gain And elswhere he saith I beare in my body the marks of the Lord Iesus And indeed the sufferings of the Saints though for the present grievous and hard to bee borne bring forth an hope of reward exceeding great and glorious while wee looke not at the things temporall but at the things eternall And this should encourage us for Christs Name sake to passe through bad report and good report setting before our eyes the example of the Saints and not onely so but with cheerfulnesse to sustain all injurious dealings of men though they deprive us of livelihood and life it selfe for Christ and his Truths sake knowing that it is a good thing to suffer in a good cause and that this shall make our Crown to be glorious and enstate us into blessednesse with eternity to have a period De Christo VERBO Tertullian upon occasion taking a
satisfying Gods Justice and working our salvation Of serving God There are two ways of serving God when wee despise the World and love God onely this is Religion in perfection the other is when wee love God and the world and this is an imperfect affection and profession of Religion The former is perfection without imperfection which is not attainable in this life for since wee bee partly flesh and partly spirit our affections are divided in their operations I sleepe saith the Spouse but my heart waketh her better part was directed towards God her carnall part was lesse capable of heavenly raptures being sluggish and drowsie The good that we would do that doe wee not but the evill we would not doe that doe wee Wee love God and the World here as if the love of God and the World were competible but the good Christian labours as much as hee may to renounce the World to gaine God which is better then 1000 Worlds to lose God is to lose all Tolle meum tolle Deum to lose the World and get God by the losse of it is with Mary to choose the better part which never shall be taken away God is All in All. None but Christ. Of Christs Incarnation Christ that he might shew himselfe unto men and teach them the true way of adoring and worshipping his Father taking on him our nature came downe into the World his first Miracle being to shew God in the shape of a man And surely that was a great miracle farre beyond the reach of our capacitie that the Creatour should so farre stoop to the Creature as to take upon him the nature of man that hee that made woman should be borne of a woman that he whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain should be contained in the narrow wombe of a Virgin that God that made man should himselfe be made man in all things like us sin alone excepted that the Sonne should take upon him the nature of a servant that the King of Kings should be subject himselfe to the meanest vassals that he that was invested with the Robes of the Deity should be clothed with the rags of our humanity A wonder exceeding all wonder a Miracle without a parallell Of the Devils power The Devill doth worke upon the natural inclination and free will which men have unto evill thereby overthrowing States and Cities and by the flattery of pleasures drawing many soules to all kind of wickednesse taking their affections with pleasant and delightfull objects hee doth hold the World in captivity and subjection The Devill cannot compell us to commit sin hee may move externally by propounding objects but the tinder which taketh fire is our own naturall corruption We may thanke our selves for sin and the punishment of sin Eve blamed the Serpent the Serpent beguiled me this made her not excusable had shee not consented to the temptation the Serpent had not deceived her but the occasion of sinning being offered and the will consenting sin is committed and punishment for sinne is admitted Of the Apostles Christ chose illiterate men to convert the whole World which hee did that his divine counsell and power working and operating in them might be manifested and declared It is Gods ordinary proceeding by small or no meanes to bring great things to passe what were a few fishermen for converting the whole World What weake instruments were Rams Horns for the blowing downe of the walles of Iericho Elijahs Mantle divideth Iordan A little barley Cake tumbling downe the Hill overthrows the tents of Midian Thus Gods strength is perfected in weaknesse and his Majestie shines in meannesse and the more contemptible the means the greater is his glory manifested in the meanes that hee that glorieth may glory in the Lord. Of Christs Divinity Christs Divinity shined through his body as light doth through a Lanthorn with beams of humane and divine light illuminating the soules of men No marvell then that his Adversaries confesse saying Never man spake like this man his words argued his Divinity which were socelestiall and void of exception as mans wisdome could not contradict When his Adversaries would have apprehended him they went backwards and fell to the ground another argument of his Deity the rayes whereof confounded the faces and daunted the courage of malicious men When Pilate said Knowest thou not that I have power to condemne thee reply was made thou couldst have none except it were given thee from above My Deity stoops not to thine humanity Of Gods Word The Fountaines of Israel were the words which were delivered to Israel for to them the Oracles of God were first committed whence living waters should be drawn to water the Church of Christ. Therefore Saint Pauls caution was not in vaine that wee should not despise the Iewes they being broken off from the Olive tree wee being graffed in and partaking of the fatnesse of it their ruine is our rising Let us not be high-minded but feare least wee suffer by their example Of Gods Omnipotencie God doth order augment perfect penetrate and move all things in every place yet his nature is not thereby impaired or polluted and thus he becomes a Saviour and Physician to the wicked and as the Musician sheweth his Art in tuning a disordered Harpe so Christ declareth himselfe to be the soules Physician by curing mans discording affections and regulating them by his exemplary Life and Doctrine It is God that is able when and how hee will to dispose of the creature for his owne glory and our good If wee bee so fast bound with chains in prison that wee cannot get out hee turnes our captivity as the Rivers in the South if sicknesse oppresse God is our health Are we hungry God is the bread of Life to feed us thirsty God is water of life to refresh us naked his robes of righteousnesse cloath us he is every way able to relieve us Of Salvation Christ by his precious bloud wrought mans freedome and redemption his desertion by God on the Crosse was either to manifest the dignity of his passion or his miraculous affection to mankind laying downe his soule for mans salvation Admirable was his love to man in so great a worke and in the manner of performing it the worke was wonderfull that enemies should be saved who were to be destroyed and the manner of it as wonderfull that it should be procured with the shedding of his owne bloud a drop whereof is more precious then a thousand Worlds Our sins were of a deepe die which nothing but Christs bloud could expiate It was not the shedding of the bloud of Bullocks or Goats in time of the Law that was satisfactory to God they were types of the shedding of the bloud of the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the World manent actn tolluntur reatu This is Christ our Saviour And as hee was infinitely read in Books of Divinity so
feared not any Tormentors but resolv'd both in life and death to keepe his stedfast faith in the merits and mercies of Jesus Christ. Behold in this Lactantius a true patterne of a true follower of Jesus who despaired not in the depth of his penury and poverty nor yet was daunted or struck off from Heaven by the rage of persecution these two I dare boldly say have made many to deny their Lord that so dearly bought them with the price of his most precious bloud To bee poore by nature is no shame unto a man for we brought nothing into this world with us nor must we carry any thing out of it but to be made poore by any evill or unhappy occasion of our own that we ought to be ashamed of and hate And there is one thing only for which poverty ought to be beloved because that maketh triall and shew of whom thou art beloved for who was poorer on earth then Christ which died for us for he had no where to repose or lay his head But this furious Thunderclap removed not this stout Lactantius but as his name so his nature was firme and fixed his education under such a stout Master was a great motive to him to stand fast for Arnobius whose Disciple this Lactantius was did to testifie to the World his constancie in Religion even in the Reigne of Dioclesian set forth seven Books against the Heathens as Bellarmine avers by which and his Masters example Lactantius learn'd to imitate so noble a vertue It is none of the least testimonies of a pious mind to be spurred on to follow good examples And it is a thing very unfit and inconvenient for any man to carry goodnes in his mouth and have none at his heart I cannot omit to mention likewise thus much of him that when as with much profit and commendation Hee had learn'd of Arnobius that being sheltered by some friends to the Gospell of Christ during the time of persecution as I am perswaded not without the singular providence of God ordering it for the preservation of this man that hee was in his old age as I have said before upon severall proofs called to instruct Crispus the sonne of Constantinus as Saint Ierome Ruffinâ—s and Socrates doe witnesse any man of judgement I suppose will conclude that such a wise religious potent and munificent Emperour as Constantine would never have taken such speciall notice and knowledge of a decrepit old man had he not certainly been informed of or really knowne the worthy parts and pious endowments of this Reverend Lactantius neither could hee have beene admitted into the Emperours favour had hee not beene formerly well approved by the Fathers of the Church and had of them Letters Testimoniall and Commendatory for his integritie and learning nay unlesse he had been well furnished with learning and gravity holinesse of life Constantine would not have committed the Education of his sonne unto him Good Education being the manifest pillar of Nobility and Greatnesse and indeed good and able Tutors are necessarily requisite about the persons of Princes Education indeed alters the whole course of Nature Hence it is said that an ill man by due ordering and good governance is made good as a piece of ground which is full of weeds may by a skilfull and diligent hand be cleere and fruitfull to bring forth fruit So a minde that is full of vices and corruption may by good discipline be made honest and vertuous Education saith one is compared to a Sickle and a Hand and being demanded the reason made this answer that if there was any vice in the soule it would weed it out and if there was no vertue as yet in the soule it would plant some in These things aforesaid seriously considered doe not a little set forth the lustre and glory of our Lactantius and to adde this one thing to what hath been said all the Historians do not mention any thing of his removeall from his great charge but by all probabilitie he continued his place with repute and a generall approbation as well of the Emperour as of his sonne For his carriage in the place or how long hee continued it nor Saint Ierome nor Eusebius Ruffinus nor Nicephorus nor Bellarmine or Baronius do once mention and therefore we may safely suppose that Lactantius was upright and vertuous If we may give credit to Saint Ierome this Father also was an industrious man for his Writings of which there were many penned that are not now extant And wee may believe that though the Author did escape the great persecution yet many of his works perished in the flames when as the enemies of the Church did not spare to burne the Word of God and of those that are extant Cardinall Bellarmine hath censured some of them to be none of Lactantius Especially the Verses and those of the Phaenix his words are these Et quidem opera omnia quae extant exceptis carminibus sine controversiâ Lactantii sunt carmen de Phaenice Ethniei hominis videtur esse and carmen de Resurrectione Paschate de Passione ambiguum est an Lactantii sint that is and truly all the Bookes that are extant except the Verses without controversie are of this Lactantius making the Verses of the Phaenix seeme to be an Heathens as also the Verses of the Resurrection of the Passeover and Passion are doubtfull whether they be his or not neither do I certainly finde the time of his death nor yet the manner but all agree that he lived till he was very aged an argument that God saw him necessary for the benefit of his Church His Sayings I have added some of the famous Sentences of this Lactantius that you may by them perceive what a learned man he was in his Treatise of false Religion against the Gentiles in his third Chapter of the Governance of the World to prove one God hee saith Deus ergo quia perfectus est non potest esse nisi â—nus ut in eo sint omnia that is God being a perfect substance must needes bee one that all things may bee in one All vices are temporary nor can alwayes be and therefore the followers of them are vain in the prosecution De divino praemio lib. 7. cap. 10. The followers of righteousnesse are contemned here but their reward is great hereafter Godlinesse alwayes enriches the possessour Lib. 7. de divinâ— praemio cap. 11. No righteousnesse no wisdome no knowledge of God no way to curbe our unruly affections and to suppresse sin without Religion Lib. de ira Dâ—i cap. 12. Every man is mortall because corporeall for every body is soluble and corruptible they are but unwise therefore who trust upon long life when at any time they may be dissolved Lib. de opific. Dei cap. 4. There is no conquest but there is also a battaile nor no vertue but hath its enemy God would have our graces proved and known not
sick and maimed if thou dyest uncured it is thy own fault his mercy and goodnesse is open freely to thee as to Mary Magdalen and the penitent Thiefe His Workes are contained in three Tomes which containe matters of severall subjects all full of Divinity printed at Antwerpe 1619. Bellarmine doubts of many of them Trithemius doth thus record them 1 Of the Holy Ghost one book 2 Of compunction of heart one book 3 Of Contrition one book 4 Of Penitence one book 5 Of the strife of this World one book 6 Of the Day of Iudgment one book 7 Of the Resurrection one book 8 Of the blessednesse of the Soule one book 9 Of Thoughts Homily one 10 Of the difficultie of preaching one book 11 Of celebrating the mysteries one book 12 Lamentations for the Citie of Edissa An. Christi 370. Sanctus Basilius Magnus S. BASILIVS THe life of this great St. Basil is of worth and rarity that it is not only fit for imitation but also admiration and therfore I have excerpted it partly out of his owne works and partly out of those funerall Sermons which have beene made for him by St. Gregory Nyssen and Gregory Nazianzen the one his halfe brother the other his most faithfull and worthy friend as also out of St. Hierome Amphalochirs Bishop of Iconium and Helladius Bishop of Caesarea and successor to St. Basil I also take some passages out of Metaphrastes Suidas and Cardinall Baronius A Writer saith of this St. Basil that he wel deserv'd the name of Great for he was Magnus ingenio Magnus Eloquio Magnus Sapientia Magnus Sanctimonia Magnus Divina gloriae propugnande propagandaeque Zelo Magnus adversus Hareticos Constantiâ Magnus dein omnibus rebus negotiis idest Hee was great in Wit great in Eloquence great in Wisedome great in Sanctity great in defending great in propagating Gods glory great inconvincing Heriticks and great in all his imployments and undertakings He was born in Helleno-Pont in the Iland of Pontus of Noble Wealthy and Holy Parents his Fathers name was Basil his Mothers Emilia they had ten Children whereof the eldest was called Maâ—rina who dyed a Religioâ—s Virgin such as the trees were such were their fruit for all their off-spring are commended for piety and holinesse His grand-father and great grandfather endured heavy miseries and afflictions for Christs sake under the reigne of the Emperour Galerius Maximâ—s a sworne enemy to the Christians in his time these kept close in Desarts and Caves and endured all hardnesse as well for their lodging apparell diet as also expecting each moment when they should have beene apprehended and at last suffered constant Martyrdome for Religion So you see this St. Basil proceeded from an holy and religious progeny and what more is he was a grace even to them He was of a rare wit and grave judgement sweetly composed behaviour wondrously modest he got learning first at Caesarea then at Constantinople then he went to Athens where he gain'd and held the love of Gregory Nazianzen Well he was wholly bent to the study of Theology â—nd therefore left Athens and went into Aegypt to see and heare one Porphyrius read Divinity and here hee stayed one whole yeare He was of an excellent constitution but with much watching praying reading fasting and spare diet he did much wear down his strength He left this Porphyrius and travailed to see Ierusalem He converted his Master Eubulus to the Faith of Christ so that he travaild with him to Ierusalem where lodging at Antioch at one Libanius his house a great rich man this Saint Basil expounded to this Libanius some of Homers verses wondrous difficult to bee understood with such readinesse and wit that hee even astonished this Libanius so that hee made them a great banquet but Eubulus and Basil feasted with nothing but meere bread and water and this St. Basil strived to have wonne this Libanius from Idolatry to Christianity but could not so deepe was his wilfulnesse but he gave admirable directions and instructions to the young men concerning their behaviour and deportment in their studies and so tooke leave of Libanius and were wondrous kindly entertained of the Bishop of Ierusalem and were by him baptized Having ended this jâ—urney they returned to Antioch where Meletius the Bishop made this Basil a Deacon and being ordered he shewed by his able parts what a Prelate he in time would prove for Antioch was fild with his fame so that he went to Caesarea a City of Palaestine where Hermogenes the Bishop consecrated him a Priest who presently dying all mens expectations were upon Basil to have succeeded him but Factions arising one Eusebius a Catholike Christian but puft up with envy and vaine-glory succeeded Hermogenes and this Eusebius perceiving the admirable parts of Basil and withall the peoples affection to him began to hate him so that Basil retreated into Mataria beyond the River Iris a solitary place of Pontus Here he stayed some certain years with Gregory Nazianzen where they led such holy and godly lives that they were esteemed rather divine than mortall St. Gregory in his 8. Epist. hath lively described his life with S. Basil. Here they were both driven to that exigency that if it had not bin for S. Basils mother Emilia they had there perished Here St. Basil gain'd many schollers and was famous as well for his Doctrine as his pious example and in this place they had matter enough to exercise their patience not onely from their poverty but also from their adversaries for it happened that Musonius Bishop of NeoCaesarea dying when there were publick meetings for the election of another Bishop that might be worthy the place as St. Gregory Thaumaturgus was they all pitched their thoughts upon this Basil which so gald the Hereticks of that place who knew his Doctrine would overthrow theirs his life shame their doings that they presently with all the policy they could rais'd slanders and opprobrious disgraces against this man But Basil like another Lampe had so enlightned all Pontus with his vertues that though Valens the Empeperour favoured the Hereticks and though they did waste the Easterne Churches and daily accuse this Basil nay though this Basil was hated of Eusebius before and seemed to be well content with a solitary life yet as if stayed up at this time by God he reconciles himselfe to Eusebius who ever after highly loved and esteemed him and being departed this life all men concluded that there was none so worthy of this place as St. Basil so by their choyce and by the advice of Gregory Nazianzen he yielded to their requests and proved a worthy shepheard to that flocke as well by truely feeding them as by driving away all Hereticks which were as Wolves to devoure the Church But scarce was he setled in this Bishoprick but there arose a mighty famine in this City the rich and Merchants would not part with their provision so that there were miserable
appeared as it were a bright fire entring into his mouth and his face presently was as white as snow which so amazed Paulinus that hee could not write what came from Him the Captaine Stilicho had a servant possessed and Saint Ambrose healed him but hee after writ many false things and Stilicho should have punished him Ambrose hearing of it â—ad the servant to bee brought to him to whom Saint Ambrose said he should be delivered to Satan which came to passe immediatly Hee healed likewise Nicetius of the pain of his feet After he had ordained one Priest of Ticinum he fell sick and Stilicho hearing said That all Italie would be ruined when so pious a man died Foure Deacons in his sicknesse discoursing softly who should succeed him one answered Symplicianus and Ambrose by inspiration answered presently Senex sed bonus that is He is an old man but a good man at which they were affrighted which came to passe for Symplicianus did succeed him and Venerius succeeded Symplicianus Foelix governed the Church at Bononia Castus and Polemius bred under Saint Ambrose continued Deacons in Millaine before hee died hee was instant in prayer those that stood by heard him pray with his hands lifted up and so he departed this life and was buried in a Church called by his name with the confluence of abundance of people of all sorts and ages hee was another Elias and feared not to speak the truth before Kings and Emperours so that hee got the title Irrefragabilis Ecclesiae Doctor and is reputed amongst the most famous Fathers of the Latin Church Baronius and divers others have writ his life Saint Augustine prayseth Him highly so doe all grave Historians His Works that follow will prayse him in the gates Hee flourished under Grâ—tianus and Theodosius Emperours and died the third yeere after Theodosius which as Baronius says was in the yeere of our Lord three hundred ninety seven Sentences out of Saint Ambrose Against covetous desires and pride Men that are carried away with insatiable covetousnesse are as it were hurried to Hell with unbridled and untamed Horses What wealth or faculties hadst thou oh man at thy first entrance into the World what shalt thou have at thy departure why doest thou therefore torment thy selfe Against neglect of grace Gold is offered to thee thou doest not say I will come tomorrow and take it but art glad of present possession thou shunnest delayes and puttest aside all excuses but salvation is promised offered to our souls and few men haste to obtain it Confession of sins To accuse our selves is to acquit our selves he that confesseth his sins acknowledgeth Gods righteousnesse Confession takes off Gods anger Against anger Anger is the fire-brand of all evill resist it if you can if not keepe thy place the best station is thy patience Liberalitie It is not to be so much enquired how much thou givest but with what heart that is not liberality when thou takest by oppression from one and givest it to another Of Virgins The victorie of Virgins exceeds that of Angels for they live out of the flesh these live in it Ambros de officiis Victorie is most glorious after a combat difficult and laborious The circle of goodnesse is to use Justice in seeking wisdome in inventing fortitude in prosecuting and temperance in possessing that there may be Justice in the affection wisdome in the understanding fortitude in effecting and temperance in using We have all things in Christ and Christ is all in us If thou desirest to be cured of the wounds of sinne hee is thy Physician if thou art in a hot Fever of worldly affections hee is thy cooling Fountaine if thou art loaden with iniquitie he is thy Justice in necessity he is thy helper if thou fearest death hee is thy life if thou would shun darknesse he is thy light if thou seekest Heaven hee is the way if thou desirest spirituall food he is thy heavenly Manna Selfe accusation for sinne is the beginning of Justification for hee that declareth his owne transgression glorifieth Gods Justice by his confession Ambros. super Beati immaculati A cleere conscience should not regard slanderous speeches nor thinke that they have more power to condemne him than his owne conscience hath to cleere him He that giveth counsell to another should be exemplary in good works in learning in integritie in gravity that his speech may be wholsome and irreprehensible his counsell profitable his life honest and his opinion gracious Comfort should be given with milde gentlenesse not with rugged harshnesse that so it may rather pacifie sorrow and mitigate the fury of passion than stirre up in the minde any commotion Christ took upon him the nature of man that he might confirme man Again Christ suffered himself to be overcome that hee might overcome by his sufferings Againe saith this Father wee owe God all that we have for our creation O then what do we owe him for our preservation Again he saith what have wee that we have not received yes saith hee sins of all sorts and degrees His Works in the Pariâ—ian Edition 1549 are by Cardinall Bellarmine registred In the reading whereof you shall finde no lesse judgement then eloquence well beseeming such a Father Tome 1. 1 Of Offices 3 books 2 Of Virgins three books 3 Of the Institution of Virgins one book 4 To a devout Virgin one book 5 To a falne Virgin one book 6 Of Widdowes one book 7 Of Penitence two books 8 Exhortation to penitence one book 9 Of forsaking the World one book 10 Of the good of Death one book Bellarmine takes that book to a falne Virgin not to be St. Ambroses Tome 2. 1 Of the calling of the Gentiles two books 2 Of Faith to Gratianus five books 3 Of the Holy Ghost three books 4 Of Faith against the Arrians one book 5 Of the Incarnation one book 6 Of the Mystery of the Pasche one book Bellarmine allows not that of the calling of the Gentiles to be this Fathers Tome 3. 1 A Funerall Oration at the death of Valentinian 2 Another on Satyrus 3 Of the Resurrection 4 On the death of Theodosius 5 Ten books of Epistles 6 Sermons to the people 92. Bellarmine doubts some Epistles to be his and some Sermons Tome 4. 1 His Exameron six books 2 Of Paradise one book 3 Of Cain and Abel two books 4 Of Noe one book 5 Of Abraham two books 6 Of Isaac and the soule one book 7 Of Jaacob and a blessed life two books 8 Of Joseph one book 9 Of the blessings of the Patriarchs 1 book 10 Of Naboth one book 11 Of Eliah and fasting 12 books 12 Of Tobiah one book 13 Of Job and David three books 14 Of Davids Apologie one book 15 Of Solomon one book 16 Of Mysteries one book 17 Of the Sacraments six books 18 Of the dignitie of the Priesthood one book 19 Prayers before Divine Service 1 book 20
now sordescere coeperunt postea illos ut novos detestabatur that all were farre short nay in respect of this one man hee detested all new Writers and to speak truth as I do verily think one mayne reason why Factions and Schismes have such great growth of late is because most of our younger wits and hottest Preachers doe not tie themselves to the reading of the Primitive Fathers but slightly content themselves others with conversing onely with some few Geneva Writers of late or think to carry it away with the strength of their owne braine by which meanes many of them know but the shell of Theologie when as if my advise might take place I would have them enquire of the Ancients Moses doth invite them to the same for saith he Aske thy Father and hee will shew thee aske the Elders and they will tell thee Deut. 32. 7. They they I say are onely the ancient Bulwarks of Truth they onely and chiefely have maintained Gods truth against Heretiques and they are the pure Wells out of whom our Divines might exhaust wholsome Waters Give thy selfe to reading was Saint Pauls Councell to Timothy and it is not unfit to be practised of many young Zelots in our Church but to returne to our occasion Many and admirable are the writings of this Father He writ to Theodosius to prove the dangerousnesse of Nestorius Heresie Photius stiles this Cyril thus when amongst many other Fathers as he stiles Athanasius strenuus Praeful Infractus Ambrosius Decus Ecclesiae Basilius Verborum flumen Nyssenus fortis Athleta Cyrillus Athanasius that stout Prelate Irrefragable Saint Ambrose Saint Basil the grace of the Church Gregory Nyssen a River for copiousnesse of words and that valiant Champion of the Church St. Cyril nay hee is stiled Beatus Cyrillus twice for condemning the Nestorian Heresie He is also called Perstrenuus Cyrillus multis modis pietatem corroborans Cyrillus that is Cyrill who so many wayes confirmed and strengthened piety upheld religion established Councells confounded Heretiques defended the Orthodox Christians And Eulogius his Scholar praised him calling him Doctum pium minimeque vacillantem Cyrillum Learned godly and not fearefully hearted in the cause of truth And Photius hath registred his praise Leguntur Cyrilli Thesauri refertus est liber pugnat valide ac varie cum Arii Eunomii furibunda rabie etenim Logicis argumentis sapienter illorum destruit amentiam quibus dum sacrae scripturae adnectit adtexitque testimonia quà m sit doctrina illa futilis omni ex parte divulgat adhibet idem quoque nuda Sacrae scripturae testimonia ut quò se fastuosi vertant obsepti undique atque conclusi non habeant Est autem inter omnia ejus Scripta liber hic maximè perspicuus ijs potissimum qui Logicorum argumentorum sensum capere possunt which is in English thus much that Booke of Saint Cyrils which is stiled his Thesauri is plentifull and abounding with wit and learning and fights valiantly and diversly with the fury and madnes of Arius and Eunomius for he doth by force of Logicall arguments wisely â—verthrow and destroy their folly to which while hee joynes and annexeth the testimony of the holy Scriptures he doth divulge to the eye of the world how empty and weake their Doctrines are and by using those testimonies of the Scriptures he doth so hedge those Heretiques in that they know not which way to turne or winde themselves off or out from shame This booke of his is so perspicuous for learning that it is highly esteemed of all pious and judicious scholars and more specially of those who can apprehend the sence and vigour of Logicke and his scholar Eulogius stiles him thus againe accuratissimus autem Doctor Cyrillus singulâ—s Haereticorum pariter execratus est sententias duas in Christo naturas concurrentes indivisas inconfusas planissimè demonstrat And again Cyrillus rerum divinarum sciens And Ardens ille â—eritatis studiosus Cyrillus and Sapiens Cyrillus Cyrillus homo divinus in English that most accurate and smart doctor Saint Cyril hated the positions of all Hereticks and did most plainly demonstrate the two Natures in Christ undivided and unconfused Cyril had true knowledge of holy things he was studious and zealous for the truth and full of wisedomâ— a man plainly divine nay it plainly appeares that his authority was great to whom Councells yielded to for his learning for it is said of him Sic Concilium Cyrillus so the Councell holds and so doth Cyrillus too Cardinall Bellarmine calls him Virum Sanctissimum Doctissimum ac praesertim circa mysterium Dominicae incarnationis a Deo doctum Nestorium Haeresiarcham primum scriptis deinde etiam authoritate damnavit a most holy man and learned and especially hee was taught and instructed of God in the mystery of Christs Incarnation He condemned as is said before Nestorius the Heretique who was then Bishop of Constantinople first by his famous Writings then by his authority This â—Nestorius Doctrine was That the Blessed Virgin Mary was the Mosher of Christ c. Christ as he was Man but not as God thereby most impiously inverting that great Mystery of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God this being taught at Constantinople by Nestorius and his Disciples was a great trouble to the people and so much the more because he had ingratiated himselfe into the Emperours favour so that no meanes was left for redresse but the calling of a Councel yet in the interim this good man tooke pen and inke and wrote a briefe and modest Epistle to Nestorius wherein hee admonished him of the peoples discontents and what great danger was in all likely-hood to fall upon the Church through his still obstinacy and indiscretion but all in vaine the answer return'd was rather reprehensory than otherwise The Bishop in tendernesse of his dignity and as he was Caesars friend writes againe and againe but still answered with the same successe as before if not worse hereupon several Councels were called one at Rome the other at Alexandria but that Oecumenicall one at Ephesus called by the Emperour Hit the Naile on the head where the reverend Prelate of Alexandria sate as President amongst two hundred Fathers of the Church much ado there was on all sides and there wanted not some that sided with Nestorius in his errors but such was the grave carriage of our reverend Father and strength of argument there used that the very sinewes of Nestorius Doctrine were againe cut in sunder he himself deprived from all spiritual promotion digraded from all Ecclesiasticall function and his positions condemned as most blasphemous against the Sonne of God Christ Iesus Thus the Councell closed but with applause unanimously conferred on their learned President Blessed for ever be the memoriall of Cyrill Arch-bishop of Alexandria many were the Epistles commendatory sent unto this renowned Prelate
16 Of the two wils in Christ. 17 How we are created in the Image of God 18 Of Images three speeches 19 St. Stephens life 20 A dispute of a Christian and Saracen 21 A fragment of Sentences 22 Of the eight naughty thoughts by Euagrius 23 Of the same by Nilus 24 Of the day of judgment 25 Damascens History 26 Of the holy Sabbath 27 An Oration by Damascen Cardinall Bellarmine amongst his Ecclesiasticall Writers calls him a man of great Holinesse and Learning And as Beda was admired in the West so was he in the East Hee suffered many things for the Faith under Constantinus Copronymus wrote many famous things before he died whom the Master of the Sentences and all the Schoole Doctours have imitated for his worth and wit An. Christi 828. Sanctus Nicephorus NYCEPHORVS HAving drawne the pictures of so many famous Fathers eminent in the Church for their piety sanctity and learning it is necessary leviter tantûm vitam S. Nicephori adumbrare lightly to shadow out the life of St. Nicephorus for indeed what praises can reach the height of his perfection who like a bright lampe of learning and of religious life shined forth in the Horizon of the Church in the yeare 840. for then he lived in his brightest lustre like the East starre leading both the vulgar by his Doctrine and the wise men by his writings to the knowledge of Christ for sapientes faciunt loquuntur sapienter omnia wise men doe and speake all things wisely and Nicephorus being really religious must needs bee wise in words wise in actions and which is the highest wisedome wise to salvation Neither was he inferiour to most of the Fathers for profound judgement and learning both in Humanity and Divinity having read much and spent many houres to adorne his soule with Art and Grace that so he might informe others in the Doctrine of Salvation and illuminate the world then being in great darknes and under the shadow of sin and death He was a Physitian to cure the miseries of humane life and especially those which are incident to the soule namely tenebras intellectus errores mentis vitia appetitus irrectitudinem voluntatis the errors of the understanding the viciousnesse of the appetite and the crookednesse of the will for all these maladies of the soule he cured by his powerfull Doctrine and religious exemplary life so that those that were blind through spiritual ignorance he made them see and abhorre their sinne the lame in Charity and good workes hee made chearefull and forward to doe good the stubborne hee convinced and confuted by Arguments the weake he comforted and instructed And as the Sunne doth with his chearefull beames soften waxe refresh the drooping flowers and cherish the new sowne seeds so with the beams of his life and learning hee did warme and soften the obdurate hearts of men refreshed wearied soules groaning under the burthen of their sinnes and by his Doctrine cherished the seeds of Grace to bring forth in others the fruits of good life and conversation The Philosophers were derided quia in librossnâ—s quos de gloria contemnenda scripserunt nomina sua inscripserunt because to those bookes which they writ of contemning glory they set their owne names shewing themselves thereby most vaine-glorious But Nicephorus Workes are a glory to his name living to eternity in his learned Volumes If therefore his great wisedome and learning which attracted generall admiration may deserve commendation If the gifts and graces of his soule were so wonderfull and divine If his life were so sanctimonious and exemplary hee being a spirituall Physitian and a Sunne to illuminate the ignorant world if all these may render his life perfect and glorious then Nicephorus may be acknowledged amongst the most famous Fathers of his time who after this Pilgrimage of life peregrè constitutus properabat in Patriam regredi being a stranger on earth made haste to returne to heaven leaving to the world his Sentences and Workes He lived in the time of the Emperour Andromicus senior to whom he dedicated his Ecclesiasticall History containing eighteen Bookes and survived after the yeare of our Lord 1300. not long after exchanging this life for eternall glory His Sayings Of Example The naturall man cannot attaine to the height and perfection of active vertue or contemplative unlesse he propose unto himselfe our Saviours example as perfect God and man equall in power and vertue to God the Father and beseech him to give him the power of operation and contemplation Of Security He that liveth in security is so farre from thinking of appeasing Gods just anger towards him that he heaps sinne on former sinnes as if God did not behold them and would not require an accompt of them Of Providence God doth behold and moderate our actions using the scourge of affliction for our castigation and conversion and after due correction sheweth his Fatherly affection to those that put their trust in him for salvation Of the Scriptures The Scriptures rightly conceived make us cheerefull and active in the performance thereof also good just quiet upright and conformable to our great example of righteousnesse Christ Jesus Of Christ. The Wisedome and Divinity of Christ was seene by his words and actions drawing his Disciples to divine contemplation and imitation and working Miracles for their Faiths confirmation so bringing them to perfection which consisteth in the love of God Of Martyrs The ancient Martyrs would not be so called though they suffered Martyrdome yet they would not bee called Martyrs ascribing that title onely to Christ and so by their humiliation deserved a glorious exaltation Of Faith None of the ancient Fathers and Patriarchs did please God but by Faith in Christ as appeareth by Abraham his faithfull obedience being his justification Of Peters denyall Christ asked Peter three times if he loved him not for his own knowledge or information but that by his three-fold profession he might help and heale his threefold negation of him These are those things which he writ Namely his Ecclesiasticall History which hee composed both for style and words in elegant Greeke Also a Synopsis of the whole divine Scripture digested into Trimeter Iambicks wherein he briefely contained the arguments of all the bookes This Worke beginneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Gulielmus Esingr in his Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall Writers doth adde that he did write of the Acts done after the Maccabees even to Christ and the destruction of Ierusalem The Genealogy of the Patriarchs unto David Of Mosaicall Rites A Catalogue of the Iudges of Israel A description of tbe Kings of Israel and of the Patriarchs of Constantinople The Genealogy of Christ. Of our Saviours Miracles according to the foure Evangelists An. Christi 1071. Sanctus Theophylactus THEOPHILACTVS THe birth place of this Father was the famous City of Constantinople which once was the glory of the Roman Empire and the bulwarke of Christendome against the Turkes but
the one side and the paines of hell on the other side and that he must of necessity bee cast upon one of them that he had rather bee thrust into hell without sinne where the drowned are tormented than goe to heaven cloathed with sinne where the Saints onely enjoy everlasting life Idem de Venatione Diaboli Cap. 183. The Devill goes out every day a hunting First he seizeth on them that never sorow for their sinne but he begins to let them goe that he perceiveth to be cast downe in the sight of their offences yet there 's a third sort that upon repentance are healed from their sinnes those hee looseth altogether Let the first sort lament and mourne let the second grieve on still but let the third rejoyce for evermore Id. de quadrato lapide Cap. 173. de similitud Every foure square stone hath sixe equall sides let it fall upon which it can it lyes fast so must a just man persist in his integrity for hee hath sixe sides to fall upon too Prosperity Adversity Liberty Subjection Private and publicke employment Now upon which of these soever the Dye turnes let him stand fast and immoveable maugre the Devill and all his opposition Id. de Iustitia Justice is the freedome of minde giving to every one his due To betters reverence to equalls love to inferiours instruction to God obedience to it selfe sanctity to enemies patience and to the poore workes of compassion Such was the detestation which this good man had of sinne that hee would use to say If I could see the horror of sin and the dolour of hell both with my bodily eyes before mee and must of necessity passe through one of them I would rather chuse Hell than sinne Another saying of his was I had rather enter Hell being free from sinne if it were possible than reigne in Heaven with the pollution of sinne upon me Likewise humane frailty made this good man thus to crye out O durus casus Heu quid perdidit homo quid invenit perdidit beatitudinem ad quam factus est invenit mortem ad quam factus non est O hard hap alas what did man lose what did he find He lost the blessednesse to which he was made and found death to which he was not made His Workes are thus registred by Cardinall Bellarmine Three Bookes 1 Of Truth 2 Of Free-will 3 Of the fall of the Devill then 3 more of 1 Grammar and prose 2 Enarrations on St. Matthew Explanations on some of the Evangelists Vpon the Canticles Tome 2. Vpon all the Epistles of St. Paul On the Apocalypse Tome 3. Of the contempt of the World Hymnes 4 Soliloquies 5 For an unwise man 6 Against an unwise man 7 Of the Incarnation 8 Why God was made man 9 Of the Virgins Conception 10 Of the Sacrament 11 Annotations on the same 11 Of the proceeding of H. G. 12 Of Similitudes 13 Of Gods will 14 Of the concord of Praescience and Predestination 15 Of mans misery 16 Of members and actions attributed to God 17 Of the measuring the Crosse. 18 Of Meditations 19 A meditation of our Redemption 20 Of the Passion 21 Pricks of divine Love 22 Homilies on Saint Luke 23 Of the Virgin Maries excellence 24 Of the Image of the World 25 Dialogues containing the summe of Christian Religion Tome 4. Divers Epistles in three bookes An. Christi 1119. Sanctus Rupertus RVPERTVS HE that reades this mans life must expect that nor my pen nor any other can compleatly in each particular act fully delineate it but yet as Authours have publikely blazoned his worth it hath beene my care to register it in our native tongue and I hop◠not in vaine for good examples prevaile much and are to an ingenuous spirit as a whetstone or patterne to imitate To begin therefore with his parents He was borne in Germany as Trithemius and Cocleius doe testifie but they were not so able for wealth as vertue they had an especiall care that this their sonne should be vertuously educated our birth-places nor our parents cannot diminish the worth that wee practise the house is never the worse for being little in Israel the Family disparages not so there be a David in it wee are not bound to answer for other mens faults neither is it to be concluded because our Fathers have halted that therefore wee should be lame Vertue deserves commendation as well in the Cottage as in the Court and many times is not accommodated with the affluence of worldly endowments The greatest Rivers flow from Springs and the Tree is not to be disliked because it is low if the fruit be good it makes not whither it grows on an Hill or a Valley According to that of Ausonius Non obstare locum cum valet ingenium Question not the Tree When the minde you good doe see This Rupertus was in his youth brought up in all offices of pietie and duty in the Monastery of Leige under the tuition of Heribrandus an upright and prudent man of whom hee acquired the principles of those Arts that were fitting his age and it seems his Tutor did not neglect his charge but finding him to be an ingenuous youth mildly imposed some duties of Religion upon him which he performed as carefully and reverently an admirable patterne the onely way to have men prove absolute is to have them well at first seasoned seldome fals that fruit by stormes which is cherished by a milde spring There are few that faile in age whose youth have been accustomed and inured to pious performances being by this good Instrument so fitted now hee proceeds to higher actions hee made godlinesse the very food of his soule and profited in the practice of it daily more and more so that following that he gained knowledge and reputation as it is said I bone quò virtus tua te vocat I pede fausto Grandia laturus meritorum praemia That is Proceed ô Goodman with an happy pace In tracks of vertue take th' rewards with grace He was not carelesse of any kinde of Learning that might conduce to Religion so was hee admirable for divine poetry as may appeare by his expressions of the Holy Ghost in excellent Verse as also the life of Saint Augustine and Odolia a Virgin as also his Hymnes upon Severus the Confessor so likewise hee alwayes thought upon that of Saint Paul give attendance to reading Did hee not also restore the Greeke Tongue at this time almost decayed in Italy nay did he not fairly recover them from their Barbarismes that were then encroaching upon the Latine so that it appeares this Rupertus was not onely famous for Poetry and the Greek tongue but also for Oratory in the Latin phrase a rare thing living in those barbarous times to restore Languages to their Genuine beauty And if I should but a little digresse it would not be an errour a little to insist upon the praise of Divine Poetry if there were nothing
sayes they did not nor should professe the faith Catholike nor would they suffer any objections to be brought in against this famous Cyril nay moreover those that were invited to the hearing the cause of Saint Cyrill decided who had also determined his deposition were not onely not there nor was there any who answered for them yet as Baronius reports St. Cyrill was driven from his place by the Arrians in the Councell of Constantinople Mark saith Nicephorus the admired integrity of this Cyrill who appeared to defend his innocency notwithstanding all his enemies bravadoes and menacings nay he was so farre from being daunted that he affrighted the hearts of all his enemies so that they durst not maintain their forged accusations before so many famous and learned Judges But when as they found the Emperour infected with their heresie then they grew potent and impudent and Cyrill being removed Heraclius was brought in and after him Hillarius as Nicephorus maintaines for they two administred the affaires of that Church untill the reigne of Theodosius and then Cyrill was again restored and how reverently and piously hee determined all affaires belonging to that place is easily seene And Epiphanius who was the Hammer of Heretiks gives this Cyrill a worthy Encomium in these words Qui praeter Acacium Arrianum cum multis aliis illius sectae Episcopis contendere religionis ergô non dubitavit that is who not onely not feared to encounter Acacius the Arrian but did Christianly and faithfully oppose divers other Hereticall Bishops nor is Saint Ierome wanting to commend him for Cyrillus saith he Fâ—rtissimus Christi athleta orthodoxae fidei Assertor constantissimus c. That valiant Combatant of Iesus Christ that most constant Mayntainer of the Orthodoxe faith for many yeeres together strove for the propagation of Divine Truth suffered various and heavy persecutions exercised in these dangers from the beginning almost of Constantius Reigne to many yeeres of Theodosius yet all this while in these manifold grievances kept his first resolution and died in the faith at last Thus he And saith Nicâ—phorus though the Arrians at that time by their flatteries policies and suggestions had corrupted the minde of the Emperour though the Court was also all of that Sect yet this Cyrill startled not which was an infallible demonstration that he preached not Christ out of vain glory or in hope of reward at Court noâ— yet that hee was desirous to follow the times but that thee strove to keepe the â—aith in a pure conscience as knowing that would be his recompence at last Cardinall Bellarmines testimony of him shal briefly conclude my discourse of this laborious and constant Embassadour in the cause of Christ. Saint Cyrill saith hee after he was made Bishop of Ierusalem for his singular parts and Learning the state of the Church at that time requiring faithfull Dispensers of Gods Word was often driven by the Arrians from preferment yet did hee hold the faith till his death which was under Theodosius the Emperour Hee preached every Sunday and all the Lent every day with great pains and profit These are some of his Sayings Sanctus Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus Praefatio in Cat. Be not curious in things of vanity seeke not to know what 's done in the Citie what the King doth at the Court what the Bishop in his Consistâ—ry what the Priest in his Parish it is high time to looke into thy selfe and then up to Heaven from whence thy salvation commeth Idem 16. Some come to Church for fashion others to meet their friends this man upon one pretence that man upon another yet it s better to come so then not to come at all in the meane time the net is cast out the Word being preached draws in them which came with no intent to be caught at all being thus taken they shall be preserved for it is Christ that hath catch'd them not that hee may destroy them but that being dead hee may bring them to life eternall Idem Cat. 16. Let every good Christian say thus within himselfe certainly now the mystery of iniquitie is wrought the rumour of warres affrighten mee the Schismes and divisions of the Church are ready to distract me the difference amongst brethren make me amazed surely the end is not far off Lord when thou commest let me be prepared for it Idem Cat. 16. What though thou suffer for Christs sake suppose that fire and swords racks and torture be now ready to seize thee harken what the blessed Spirit of God the Comforter saith unto thee Trust still in God those are but flea-bitings continue but a while and thou shalt be in Heaven for evermore Here follow the Treatises of his which are called his Catechismes by the Paris Edition Anno 1631. 1 An introductory to Baptisme and his Lecture out of Esay upon that Lavamini 2 Of Repentance and of remission of sin of the adversary of man Lectures upon that of Ezechiel Justitia justo 3 Of Baptisme Lectures upon that of the Romans Know ye not c. 4 Lectures upon that of the Colossians Cavete ne quis vos c. 5 Of faith out of that to the Hebrewes Chap. 11. 6 Of the soveraignty of God of Heresies and Lectures out of Esay upon that Turn unto mee ye Isles 7 Of the Father Vpon the Ephesians for this cause 8 Lectures upon that of Jeremy Deus magnus fortis 9 Lectures upon Job upon that who is he 10 Vpon that and in one Lord Jesus Christ. 11 Vpon that the onely begotten Sonne of God Vpon that of the Hebrews Multis multifariam 12 Vpon that Hee was incarnate and was made flesh 13 Lectures upon that He was crucified 14 Lectures on Christs Resurrection 15 Lectures upon that He shall come again to judge the quicke and dead And of Antichrist out of Daniel Aspiciebam Throni c. 16 Lectures upon the Holy Ghost Vpon the first of the Corinthians 17 Lectures upon the holy Catholicke Church the Resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Out of Ezechiel And the hand of the Lord was upon me 1 Lectures to those who are newly baptized out of that of Saint Peter Be yee sober and watchfull c. 2 Lectures upon the body and bloud of Christ out of that of the Corinths What I have received of the Lord c. 3 Lectures upon that of Saint Peter Cast away therefore c. These were the pious and learned Works of this Father which the Church hath always kept as a solid buckler against Hereticks and as a restorative to the faithfull members of our Lord Iesus Christ. An. Christi 368. Sanctus Ephraem Syrus S. EPHREM SYRVS IT is not fitting that such eminent Lights should be hid under a Bushel but that their renowmed and pious actions should be blazon'd to the World for admiration and imitation the time in which he died in the Church was under Valentinian and Valens He
led a Monastick course of life and was over the Church of Edissa as Trithemius reports in his booke of Ecclesiasticall Writers He was made Priest by Saint Basil the Great borne he was of Christian parents in the time of Constantine the Great a Syrian hee was by Nation even from his childhood abstemious and shunned the appearance of evill His parents in a Vision saw a fruitfull Vine branch spring forth of Ephraems mouth and they saw it spread as it were into most parts of the world and though all the fowles of Heaven came and eat of the fruit yet still there remayned a great quantity this as they verily judged shewed how his doctrine of the true Vine Iesus Christ should be so copious and delicate that all Nations in all ages might out of his Works gather nourishment and yet there would be store enough for others that should come after and certain it is that this man had admirable endowments whom all the worthy Fathers of the Church have so highly commended it will not therefore seeme false what here is recorded of this Father if so many worthy Writers may be credited and it hath alwayes been the custome of the Church to celebrate the memory of pious and religious men especially of those who did as this Ephraem optabat enim non videri sed bonus esse he did not onely desire to seeme but to be really good whose minde was as a golden Ring all enchased and decored with rich jewels heare therefore what a man he was of whom Gregorius Nyssenus speaks thus Celebrandus est mihi igitur Ephraem ille qui cunctis Christianis versantur in ore that is That Ephraem the Syrian must be praysed of me who is well known to all Christians in the World neither is hee ashamed of his Kindred whose Vertues are as a generall light to all whose life and doctrine have made most men wonder at him there are none but such as be ignorant of great Saint Basil but know him And as the same Father speaks the prayses which he gives this man are not small or such onely as are worldly neither doth hee speake of his education or forme of bodie or comelinesse of his person but as hee witnesseth they were Actio Contemplatio Fides Spes Charitas Pietas erga Deum c. that is Action and Contemplation Faith Hope and Charitie Pietie towards God Meditation on the holy Scriptures puritie of minde and bodie strict Mortifications privacie of life diligence in prayer often changing his place by trials and hardnesse a flying from evill being instant in preaching no lodging but the cold earth an incredible austeritie of life poverty with singular Humility mercifull in a manner beyond humane condition opposing and indeed not enduring the Broachers of Heresies in a word furnished with all the gracious endowments that should bee in the man of God how zealously did He in His Writings by sundry places of Scripture and severall undeniable arguments detest those furious and mischiefe working Hereticks as Sabellius Arrius Apollinarius Anomius Novatus and others in so much that He was stiled the Pancratiastes or the unconquered Souldier of Iesus Christ For his great love to God and his Neighbours the words of his own will do sufficiently declare which deserve to be engraven in Golden Characters Nullo modo in tota mea vita contra Deum contumeliosus extiti nec sermo stultus è labiis meis egressus est Neminem in tota vita maledict is onerari nec cum ullo Christiano homine contentiosum me praebus that is By no means in all my life saith hee have I reproached God or suffered foolish words to flie out of my mouth never did I burthen any man with curses nor did I ever shew my selfe contentious with any so that it doth plainly appeare what circumspection hee had over his wayes Hee was wondrous studious in the Word of God and made divers very comfortable and learned Commentaries and he was wonderfull eloquent to perswade men to embrace the Word of God hee kept his bodie and minde chaste and pure as doth appeare by repelling the shamelesse behaviour of a lewd woman which being instigated by the Devill thought to have entic'd him to lust but this grave Father what with his exhortations admonitions and divine speeches caught and overcame the Tempter so that shee which had beene light of behaviour by his fatherlike advise prov'd a grave modest religious Matron He would very often weep for and bewaile the calamities of men the losse of time his inbred corruptions Hee that reads but that one Tract of his of Humilitie seriously will if endued with any sparke of grace remove all pride and self-conceit and will with that King and this Father confesse That hee is a worme and no man corrupted with sinne and iniquitie Indeed Humility for her excellency should be the sister of true Nobility for God hath more respect unto them that with humblenesse of heart can cast themselves lowly before the presence of his Majesty For as the lowlinesse of heart maketh man highly in favour with God even so meeknesse of words maketh him to sinke into the hearts of men such was this our Ephraems condition of humilitie Who shall read his booke of Divine Love whose heart will not be inflamed For the greatest argument of godly love is to love that which God willeth and commandeth and contrariwise not to love that which God loveth not And the true lover of God which is properly the charitable person is under no rule but he is Lord above all inventions all precepts and all commandements that God hath given to man for love is not confined or limited within any bounds Who shal read his Tract of Chastity Virginity wherin it is praysed but wil studie to keep his body and soule free from adultery and lust and say as Saint Paul did that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost For Chastitie is the beauty of mans life consisting either in sincere Virginity or in faithfull Matrimony For chastitie puritie of life continencie or refusing the corrupt pleasures of the flesh and of this witty wicked world are precious in the â—ight of our Creatour and doe possesse such as keepe their bodies cleane and undefiled and in life and conversation refraine from evill And who is hee that hath any sence in him or faith meditating his Divine Sermons of the last judgement and Christs second comming but will speedily prepare himselfe to appeare and strive ever so to live as if he was presently to give an account of his whole life for our whole life is nothing else but as it were a glue which in a man fasteneth the soule and body together which proceedeth of the temperament of the Elements whereof the bodie is made which if it bee not violently melted before through our owne distemperance or loosed with the moysture of our owne merits or suddenly consumed with the