Table with his hand and said jaâ— contra Manichoeos conclusum esse that now the Manichees were foyled He was one that may be a perpetuall patterne for refusing and contemning worldly honours and wealth for though he was young and had great wayes to helpe himselfe yet he regarded them not nay insomuch that when Clement the fourth Bishop of Rome would have made him Arch-bishop of Naples he did refuse it and when great promotions were offered to him his usuall answer was Chrysostomi in Matthaeum Commentarios mallem that is I had rather have the Commentaries of Saint Chrysostome upon Sâ—int Matthew He desired three things principally First that he might not be weary in well-doing Secondly that he might not dislike that calling though with poverty which hee had chosen thirdly what became of his brother Rainaldus who endured such a bloody death for the good of the Church and in this last he said hee was sure that his brother for that temporall death enjoyed eternall life In his teaching hee alwayes strove to frame his speech to the peoples capacity and that hee might avoid all pride and ostentation nay in his disputations he would seeme to yeeld that he might rather shew his humility than height of learning Hee had abundance of Auditors as Doctors Bishops Arch-bishops Cardinalls who counted themselves happy in being his hearers He was of spirit wondrous mild in his corrections and reproofes hee would hate the vice and spare the person When as he was deputed to be at the Councell of Lions hee fell sicke and was carryed on a Mule to Severinum where when he was entred into a Cloyster he writ his Commentaries on the Canticles and perceiving his death to draw nigh received the blessed Eucharist prostrate on the earth After when his sister asked him if he would have any thing answered he should within a little space enjoy all things This was his fiftieth yeare of his age He had many witty sayings as one asking him why he was so long silent under Albertus he answered because he had nothing of worth to say to him Another asked him what was the most pleasant thing to him Hee replyed to understand all he had read One telling him he was not learned as he was supposed hee answered I will study the more to prove his words false A woman reproved him that seeing hee was borne of a woman hee should so shunne them Yes said he even therefore because I was borne of them One asked him how he might live without blame hee told him if he would remember his reckoning to the great Judge of Heaven and Earth So when after great paines and studies hee had approved himselfe to the Church of God he yeelded to Nature and was honourably interred with all the Rites and Ceremonies due to so great a person as he was His Workes are of that value that he who hath them in his study is furnished for all manner of learning His Sayings A day will come when faire dealing shall be found a jewell and false dealing shall come to nothing when a good conscience shall be better than a good purse for the Judge will not then be put off with faire words nor drawne aside with hope of reward He that 's armed for the warres let him consider who it is that gives him strength and teacheth his fingers to fight then let him employ that strength to his glory so that by this means come life come death all 's welcome that God sends In all thy undertaking make much of time especially in that weighty matter of Salvation O how much would that man which now lies frying in Hell rejoyce if there were but possibility to obtain the least moment of time wherein he might compasse the favour of God and so be freed from those torments which seize upon him for evermore Thou that art young hast death at thy back whereas the old man hath it before his eyes and that must needs bâ— a more dangerous enemy that pursues thee than that which marcheth up towards thee face to face Remember therefore thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and remember withall that though God promise forgivenes to repentant sinners yet he doth not promise they shall have to morrow to repent I have set down his Works as Cardinall Bellarmine hath registred according to the Roman Edition Tome 1. Contains his life upon the Perihetmenias and the Analatickes Tome 2. Containes Commentaries upon the 8 bookes of Physicks Vpon the fourth book De Coelo Mundo and of the generation Tome 3. Contains his works upon the books de Meteoris Tome 4. Vpon the Metaphysicks 12 books Tome 5. Vpon the 10 books of Ethicks and upon the 8 books of Politicks Tome 6. Vpon the 1. and 2. books of the Sentences Tome 7. Vpon the third and fourth of the Sentences Tome 8. Vpon Disputaâ—ions and Quodlibets Tome 9. Containes his summes against the Gentiles with the Commentaries of Franciscus Ferrariâ—nsis Tome 10. The first part of his summes of Divinity with the Commentaries of Card. Caietan and the Exposition of divine names by St. Denis Tome 11. Containes primam secundae secundam secundae With Cajetans Commentaries Tome 12. Containes the tertiam partem summae Tome 13. Contains Commentaries on Iob on the 57. Psalme on the Canticles Esay Jeremy Lamentations Tom. 14. Commentaries on St. Matthew and St. Iohn Tom. 15. Contains his golden chain on the 4 Evangelists Tom. 16. On all the Epistles of S. Paul Sermons de tempore and of the Saints Tome 17. Contains 73 little Tracts and a little book upon the foure bookâ— of Sentencâ—s THus farre have we brought the lives of these holy Fathers and Doctors in every Century of yeares wherein they lived downe to our owne Moderne Writers whose vertues have shined on Earth like starres in the firmament by illuminating the darknesse of the blinde world with the light of the Coelestiall Doctrine These holy men I say did willingly and chearefully offer their lives and bodies as a living sacrifice to God not grudgingly or piningly but with alacrity of spirit for though by the hand of envy and tyranny they were judged to death yet they willingly dyed for his cause and yeelded their bodies as a debt due to Nature for they thought so long as the soule was in the body it was no better than in prison for the body at the best is is but a Coffin of the soule as the grave is a Coffin for the body Therefore let us strive by their examples to goe to heaven like them through persecutions tribulations and all worldly temptations for wee ought to desire with ardency as these holy Fathers did that joyfull day which all the Elect have and doe still long to enjoy For when Death and Time shall both cease and tender downe their Sâ—epters of authority as I doe now my self prostrate before God Almighty then shall I and never till then bee truely and really happy
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
because that rain was procured by the prayers of the Christians so that they lived securely and held Councels and did preach freely in his reigne as also in the reigne of Commodus who succeeded Antoninus But divers weedes sprung up againe to disturb the Church of Lions and Rome and the Easterne parts Lions was troubled with the Valentinians and Gnosticks Rome it was molested with Blastus and Florinus and the Eastern Church was disquieted with a great deal of contention about the celebration of Easter but against all these did this Irenaeus proceed he setled Lions refuted Blastus and Florinus follies and was mightily studious to settle the Churches about Easters celebration He lived in Antonius Commodus and Severus Reignes being about 182 yeeres after Christ but this Severus being a cruel man against the Christians rais'd the fifth persecution against them wherein many Martyrs were crowned But most of all it raged at Lions in so much that the blood of slaughtered Christians ran down the streets so that their names could not be told nor numbred but God hath written them in the Book of Life at last this blessed Saint was by the slaughter-man laid out to death with the greatest part of that Citie on the fourth of the Calends of Iuly as Trithemius about the sixtieth yeere of his age other say the ninetieth There is great dispute among Historians about the yeere of our Lord in which he died but it is certaine that he with divers others were set betweene two Hils there being a Crosse on the one and an Idoll on the other being put to choice which way he would goe either to the Crosse and so suffer or to the Idoll and live Hee and all they chose to suffer Martyrdome and so were all put to death His bones as relicks were reserved with great care and laid in rest untill the yeare 1562. they were digd up in that furious and raging cruelty of the Hierognosticks who neither spared dead nor living nor Temples Altars nor any holy things but spoiled all and cast part of his bones into the River and his skull was kicked about the streets as a Ball but a Christian Chirurgion stole it up and kept it two yeers untill Charles the ninth got the City again and restored to Christians their former liberty who hearing where his skull was came and decently with great respect buried it and caused it to be registred in their common Register of the Citie His Sentences I have here placed with his Works Hee used to compare the Hereticks and Schismaticks of his time to Aesops dog that lost the substance of Religion by too earnest gaping after the shadow In a just consideration of the glories and honours of this transitory World What profit is there saith hee in that honour which is so short liv'd as that perchance it was not yesterday neither will be too morrow For such men that labour for it are but like froth which though it be uppermost yet is unprofitablest 1 Against the Gentiles 1 booke 2 Of Discipline 1 book 3 Of Schisme to Blastus 1 book 4 Against Heresies 5 books 5 Of the Monarchie of God 6 Of Ogdoades 7 Of Easter to Victor 8 Of the Apostolicall preaching An. Christi 204. Quinctus Septimius Florens Tertullianus TERTVLLIAN THis Tertullian flourished in the Reigne of Severus the Emperour and lived till the reign of Antoninus Caracalla as himselfe witnesseth in his first book against Marcion as also in other places Pamelius who wrote his life sayes That it was when Victor was Bishop of Rome who was an African borne and when as Septimius Severus was Emperour that then this Tertullian an African was famous also in the Church There have beene those who have striven about two Questions first concerning the knowledge of this Tertullian from one Tertullus a Consul and from one Tertyllianus a Counsellour as also from one Tertullinus a Martyr The second question is about the time wherein this our Tertullianus lived some will have him to be converted to â—e Faith in the yeere of Christ 160. but that is rejected but Eusebius and others do with better judgement place him in the yeere of our Lord 200. I cannot let passe in the first place the cause of the multiplicity of his names All Antiquaries do hold that he was called Quinctus à loco in quo natus from the place in which hee was borne which was his praenomenâ—sed â—sed by the Romans as Onuphrius testifies and cites some so called as Quinct a Septimia a famous Matrone Septimius was added to him à Gente from his stock which was amongst the Romans both Regall Plebeian and Consular So Septimius Mesius rex Aequicolâ—rum Lactantius in his Institutions and Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Fabiola doe suppose this Tertullians stock to be very noble The Cognomen or Sirname of Florens denotes a certain Family of that Race of Septimius As for his name Tertullianus it is a derivative of Tertullus as Octavianus of Octavus and as Septimius of Septimus It is concluded by Eusebius and Saint Ierome that this Tertullianus was an Affrican borne the sonne of a Proconsul which also is affirmed by Isidorus Nicephorus and Beda and more specially to be of the Citie of Carthage For his Institution he was happy for it was excellent and hee was as industrious to adde what could be had by study his Works against the Gentiles testifie his able parts which according to Saint Ieroms words Cunctam saeculi continent disciplinam that is they containe all sorts of Learning He was well read in Poets Grammarians Histories and Lawes Hee was well seene in Physicks and Philosophy Lactantius says hee was in omni genere doctrinae peritus well skild in all kinde of Learning Eusebius stiles him Peritia rerum legum Romanorum clarum He knew well and dexterously the affaires and Lawes of the Romans Saint Ierome sayes he was Acris vehementis ingenii vir eruditus quo nihil eruditius c. That hee had a sharpe and pregnant wit that there was none more learned than himselfe Saint Austine stiles him Disertissimum a most discreet man Nicephorus calls him Eloquentia acrem pollentem powerfull in his Eloquence and Oratory but hee that will see his large prayse let him read Vincentius Lyrinensis His words I have Englished Inter Latinos omnes hic facile princeps judicandus that is Amongst the Latine Writers hee is chiefly accounted of for what learning greater then his Who more exercised in all divine and humane knowledge For he was expert in all Philosophy He knew all Sects their Authors Defendors Abettors Arguments Fallacies hee was full of all History his wit was able to decide any Controversies and that with forcible Arguments hee convinced any Opposite hee undertook judiciously who can sufficiently blazon his prayses Each word is a Sentence all his constructions victorious He wrote many Workes that were necessary for Christians which are all
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
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
with Learning of all sorts chiefely addicting himselfe to the study of Rhetoricke in which he gained such an eminency that none of the ancient Fathers doe in this kinde exceede him He writ an admirable book against Eunomius as also another no lesse famous of the Creation of Man and many excellent Sermons did he make but that Treatise of the Soule which hee writ to his sister Macrinia deserves the prayse of all Learned men in succeeding ages Cardinall Bellarmine sayes that he writ in the fourteenth of Theodosius his Reigne and that he was present at the first Councell of Constantinople as Nicephorus doth report it he writ the Symboll of Faith set forth in the same Councell Sayings out of Saint Gregory Nyssen Of Vsury A Usurer that lends his money out is like a man who stands by another â—icke of a burning Fever who desires to drink water to ease him the other doth reach him it but it does him no good but a great deale of further mischiefe to increase his pain so hee though for the present he seemes to relieve his want yet he afterwards doth mainly torment him Against the same sinne Hee loves no labour but a sedentary life the pen is his plough parchment is his field Inke is his seed Time is the rain to ripen his greedy desires his sicle is calling in of Forfeitures His house the Barn where he winnows the fortunes of his Clients Hee follows his Debtors as Eagles and Vultures do Armies to prey upon the dead Corps Of the same sinne Men come to Usurers as Birds to heapes of corne they desire the corne but are destroyed in the nets laid for them so borrowers for a time may flourish and come and goe but at last lose all For Usurers are as fishers assoone as they have caught fish in one place let downe their nets in another Of relieving the poore There is no excuse to be found for hard heartednesse against the poore for where can the rich cast their eyes but they may behold them He therefore that despiseth the poore despiseth his Maker His Works as they are set forth in the Edition of Basil 1562. I have here set downe 1 An Epistle of a Christians name 2 Of the Lords prayer one book 3 Of the 8 Beatitudes on Mat. 5. 4 Sermons of the Nativity 5 Of Saint Stephen 6 Vpon the sixth Psal. 7 Of Easter 8 Of the Assumption of Christ. 9 Of the Trinitie and that the Holy Ghost is God 10 That there are not three Gods 11 Of the difference of the Essence and Hypostasis 12 Of the faith in the Trinitie 13 Vpon that of the Apostle Then shall the Sonne himselfe be subject unto him 1 Cor. 15. 14 Of Sleepers 15 Of Infants taken away 16 Of the Resurrection foure Sermons 17 Authour of the Lords Assumption 18 Vpon Matth. 25. As much as yee have done it to one of these you have done it to me 19 Disputation of the Soule and of the Resurrection 20 Of the Trinity against the Iews 21 Of holy Baptisme 22 Commendatory speeches upon Saint Basil 23 Vpon the 40 Martyrs 24 On Pulcheria 25 On Placilla 26 Gregory of Naeo-Caesarea 27 On Theodore a Martyr 28 On Meletius 29 Vpon the Creation of Man A supplement to his brothers Hexameron 30 Of Philosophy eight Books 31 Of the life of Moses one booke Here as Bellarmine observes want his books against Eunomius These are therefore in the Edition of Paris added in the yeere 1573. 1 Eight Sermons on Ecclesiastes 2 An explanation upon the Canticles 3 Of the form of a perfect Christian. 4 A Catechisticall speech 5 Against those that deferre the Baptisme of Children 6 Of avoiding fornication 7 Against those that will not be reprehended 8 Vpon the woman sinner 9 Of loving the poor 10 Of true Virginitie 11 An Epistle to Flavianus Concerning which Bellarmine doth give good observations for distinction of them Briefely this famous man was studious and well learned being excited by his brother Saint Basil lived gloriously and died piously in the yeer of Grace 380 Valentinian and Valens then swaying the Roman Eagle An. Christi 388. Theodoretus S. THEODORETVS NIcephorus the Historian hath taken the greatest paines and travell amongst all others to describe the life of this Theodoret at large and therefore I shall principally follow his steps This Theodoret saith hee was born at Antioch a famous place and an ancient Citie and renowmed for many things but specially for that in that the Disciples were first called Christians in this place as also for the Apostles determining that great question about Circumcision sent their resolutions to this place by Paul and Barnâ—bas with Iudas and Silas The Apostles and the Elders with the Brethren unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and in Syria and Cilicia c. so that this Citie is ennobled in this respect and as the place of his birth did grace him yet more did his parents Nobilitie and Religion for they were both great personages and both addicted to Christian Religion but his Mother as my Authour testifies was grieved in minde deeply because she was barren and was without any hope of issue to inherit their large possessions so that they both resolv'd to bequeath all their Revenues to the mayntenance of Christians and to Monasteries whereof there were many in Syria but by her prayers shee was heard and God did not deny her the request of her lips but did grant her her hearts desire and fulfilled her requests and sent her a sonne which shee said should be dedicated to God and shee was as good as her word for his name imports as much as a gift of God or Theodoret well this her sonne by the provident care of the parents and by the acutenes and excellencie of his own wit in a short time profited so in pietie and letters that though as Procopius testifies juvenis consecratus Episcopus Cyri c. hee was very young yet hee was chosen and consecrated Bishop of Cyrus which is a Towne of Syria of the Iews which was builded by Cyrus King of Persians and was by him enfranchised and endowed with many priviledges what hee did being now seated in this Reverend place you will by the sequell perceive what a worthy worke did he presently set forth call'd the Historie of the Lovers of God was hee not as vigilant to find out and discover nay to expell Heretikes out of the Church or reducing them to it At the same time there were whole Parishes in his Diocesse infected with the pestilent Heresie of the Marcionites and did not he by his sole wisdome and labour even to the hazard of his owne life bring them backe into the bosome of the Catholike Church which thing alone shews him to be an able and learned Prelate for it is a taske of tasks to learn men to swim against the streams of their own perverted wils and to make
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
is it safe to search too farre when as wee are commanded to honour and feare him It is not the wisest course to gaze too much upon this resplendent Sun lest we be justly by his glorious beams beblinded it is easie to collect by the words and advise of this Epistle to judge what a singular man for Learning this Peter Chrysologus was Baronius saith that having with great pains long governed the Church and having beene always studious of his wayes hee died in December the second day which saith he hath a faire probability of truth in that because Leo then Bishop of Rome in the Consulship of Martianus a yeere after this is said to have sent Letters to Leo this Peters Successor as appeares in the Epistles of Leo hee was by all likelihood an upright man and of courage in matters of Religion For hee and Laurentius the Bishop of Millain would not communicate with Symmachus lest they should bee suspected to side with him against the other Orthodox Bishops when the Councell was held in Rome and Cardinall Baronius shall conclude all in a word Sed qui post Laurentium sequitur ordine Petrus Ravennas Episcopus his temporibus eximia sanctae vitae nituit claritudine that is but amongst those other worthy men after Laurentius in order is to be reckoned Peter Archbishop of Ravenna who in these times exceld for the conspicuous fame of his holy life and because many Students may the easier find upon what subjects Chrysologus hath written knowne to be all his owne Labours and not fathered upon him by them that were admirers of him I have here set them downe in order as they are registred in the Parisian Edition in the yeere 1623 which you shall find after his Sayings Chrysologus his Sayings Of an unprofitable Servant Hee is like the fig-tree that was well looked to by the Master yet was unfruitfull onely cumbred the ground suckt vertue from others troubled and grieved the Master was a disgrace to the Garden and at last cut down for the fire and what else is hee who hath Natures endowments the benefit of Reason of Sense of Judgement of good Education and Example but yet brings forth no fruites of a sanctified life but as that Tree who hindred others and hurt it selfe Of uncharitable Rich men Remember that Thou Foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule perplexe not thy selfe what thou shalt leave behinde but bee sure to send thy almes before thee bee rich in good Works Let not thy care be to have thy hands alwayes full and the poores alwayes empty The onely way to have full Barns is to have charitable hands Vpon Mildnesse and Meeknesse The Apostle Saint Paul hath I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God A good man uses intreaties rather than commands the heavenly Physician rather cures our wounds with divine salves than makes them with his punishing rods God had rather men should love him than feare him He had rather be called Father than Master Hee winnes by mercy that Hee might not punish by Justice If thou wilt be like thy Father doe likewise Of the meanes to grow in grace As neither in the flint alone nor in the steele alone any fire is to bee seene nor extracted but by collision and conjunction fire and light is brought so nor by faith alone nor by good works alone is salvation attaind but if ever you intend to come to that infinite light joine both together Against Drunkennesse and Gluttony Variety and satiety of dainty meates and drinks weakens the vitals spoiles the stomacke corrupts the bloud poisons the humors kindles choller ends in the scar-fire of burning feavers as the clouds darkens the Heavens so intemperate banquetings the minde as the violence of wind and waves drowne and sinke a ship into the bottome of the sea so doth drunkennesse and gluttony our souls and bodies to the depth of Hell Who sinn'd more grievously then Paul who offended more grievously than Peter yet they by repentance deserv'd not onely the ministery but also the mastery in holiness remember there is mercy with the Father in the Gospell shewed to the prodigall sonne returning home judge not therfore before the time before the Lord come c. for men know not the judgments of God for that which they praise hee doth condemne and that which they condemne he doth praise In God piety is not without justice nor justice without piety nor equity without goodnesse nor goodnesse without equity Vertues being separated are annihilated and perish For equity without goodnesse is severity and justice without piety is cruelty Some have lived commendably before their attaining to dignity but being set upon the Candlesticke of the Church they turne their light into darknesse and their fame into infamy and it had beene better for such Lights to have beene still hidden under a Bushell than with disgrace to have got into the Candlesticke for their wickednesse which was obscured by their poverty was manifested and divulged by their dignity As they increased in dignity so they did also in disgrace and infamy A private sinner is often spared but if a Prelate offend all tongues are sharpned to speak his disgrace Discretion should be used in making promises for a vain promise doth often make friends become enemies Where greatest losse is feared there greatest warinesse should be used Chrysologus his Workes 1 Homilies for Christmasse day 2 Vpon Saint Stephens day 3 Vpon Innocents day or Childernmasse day 4 Vpon New-yeares day 5 Vpon Twelfth day 6 First Sonday after Epiphany On the Second third and fourth Sondayes after Epiphany 7 Vpon the Septuagesima 8 Vpon Ash-wednesday 9 Vpon the first Sonday in Lent 10 Vpon all Lent Sondayes 11 Vpon Good-friday 12 Vpon Easter-day 13 Vpon all the Sondayes till Whitsontide 14 For Ascention day 15 For Sondayes after Whitsontide 16 Vpon St. Andrews day 17 Vpon St. Thomas day 18 Vpon our Lady day 19 Vpon St. John Baptists day 20 Vpon Saint Peters day 21 Vpon St. Mathews day 22 Vpon the beheading of Saint John Baptist 23 Vpon St. Luke the Evangelist 24 Vpon some Martyrs 25 Vpon one Confessor 26 Vpon a Virgin Martyr 27 Vpon the day of the Dedication of the Temple 28 A booke against the Heretique Eutyches 29 Some learned Epistles The time of this Fathers Life was long hee did as Trithemius reports of him flourish principally under Martian the Emperour and dyed in the yeare of Jesus Christs Incarnation 500. His body as was fitting was with great solemnity and lamentation buried hard by the body of that renouned Martyr Cassianus and doth with him expect a glorious resurrection amongst the just and upright men His Works are of great esteeme amongst the learned and are to bee reserved in the Church of Christ as Monuments of his great labour and learning An. Christi 445. Sanctus Prosper S. PROSPER THis famous Writer was of the same
blasphemiae that name of blasphemy How did he wisely stop the fury of the Longobards and reduced them to peace by writing his book to Theudalinda the Queene in a word having with great care and piety amongst a world of troubles governed the Church thirteen yeers six moneths and ten days in the spight of all oppositions he died quietly and comfortably rendred up his soule into the hands of his Maker in the second yeere of Phocas the Emperour and was buried in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Peter in which Leo Simplicius Gelasius and Symmachus were formerly interred with a large Epitaph in commendation of his labours and studies His Deacon is highly to be praysed for preserving some of his Workes from the fire even to the hazard of his owne life Heare but what a man he was by the testimony of Paulus Diaconus Iisdem diebus sapientissimus ac beatissimus Papa Gregorius Romanae urbis Episcopus c. that is In these dayes that most wise and blessed Father Saint Gregory Bishop of the City of Rome which when he had written many things to the profit of the Church composed foure famous bookes of the lives of the Saints which he called his Dialogues which books he sent to Theodelinda the Queen whom he knew to be a Protector of the faithfull and which did much good to the Church for shee perswaded her husband to give meanes and Revenues to the Church and caused those Bishops which were in misery and cast out to be restored and peace was by her meanes procured to Gods people Sabinianus was the man that did succeed him in his Bishopricke and as one testifies there was a great dearth the next yeer after his death and hee saith debuit enim mundus famem sitimque pati c. The world must needs suffer a famine and thirst when such a Doctor as was both spirituall food and drink to their souls was taken away He wants not divers to afford him commendations and indeed there was a cloud of Witnesses who doe extoll him Isidore cals him timore Dei plenus humilitate summus that is full of the feare of God and chiefe for Humility endued largely with the gifts of the Holy Ghost and saith thus in conclusion Foelix tamen nimium foelix qui omnium studiorum ejus possit cognoscere dicta that is Happy is hee nay thrice happy that can know all his Works and Sayings Honorius Augustodunensis termes him no lesse then Organum spiritus Sancti c. that is The Organ of the blessed Spirit Incomparable for his wisdome who writ many things more precious than the refined Gold Trithemius cals him Theologorum princeps splendor Philosophorum Rhetorum lumen vitâ conversatione integer sanctissimus c. the Prince amongst Divines the beauty of Philosophers and the light to Rhetoricians of life and conversation most upright and holy And to shut up all heare but what Ildephonsus of Toledo saith of him Vicit sanctitate Anthonium Eloquentia Cyprianum Sapientia Augustinum that is he exceeded Saint Anthony in Sanctitie Saint Cyprian in Eloquence and Saint Augustine in Wisdome and so heare onely what Cardinall Bellarmine relates of him who calls him Doctorem eximium meritò magnum that is a most egregious Doctor and well deserving the name of Great Hee died in the yeere of Christ Iesus 604. Sentences out of Gregory Magnus Of Poverty Hee is poore whose soule is void of grace not whose coffers are empty of mony the contented poverty is true riches Of the holy Scriptures The holy Scriptures are direct and right for admonition lofty for promises terrible for threatnings Of God God is never absent though the wicked have him not in their thoughts where he is not by favour he is by punishment and terrour Of conversion to God Every convert hath a beginning a middle a perfection in the first there is sweetnesse to allure him in the second bitternesse to exercise him in the third fulnesse of perfection to confirme him Of the Incarnation Will you observe our Saviours motions hee came from Heaven into the wombe from the wombe to the cratch from the cratch to the crosse from the crosse to the Grave from the Grave to Heaven On the Crosse of Christ. Christ shewed patience in his passion commended humility fulfilled obedience perfected Charity those were the four Jewels that adorn'd his Crosse. Charitatis Humilitatis jubar These are onely true riches which make us rich in vertue therefore if thou desire riches love true riches If thou aspire to honour seek the Kingdome of Heaven If thou affect glory strive to bee enrolled in the high Court of Angels Hee that loves this present pilgrimage in the midst of sorrow knows not how to shew sorrow for the words of a just man are full of sorrow for in regard of present sufferings his speech and sighs aspire to heaven He is most perfect in piety that doth most perfectly feele anothers misery The best eloquence and expression is to declare the mind by good action for conscience doth not check the speaker when his life is better then his speech Hee that lives obscurely and doth not profit others by his example is like a burning coal but hee that imitates holinesse shewing the light of uprightnesse to others is like a lampe burning to himselfe and shining to others True Faith doth not onely consist in verball profession but in actuall operation The fortitude of the Just is to overcome the flesh to contradict the will to forsake the delights of this life to love affliction for an eternall reward to contemne prosperity and to overcome adversity Joy doth discover the mind but adversity as it doth outwardly oppresse so it doth inwardly suppresse the thoughts and make us more close and cautious Gregory Magnus would say of himselfe that hee could never reade those words in the Scripture which Abraham spake to Dives Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst good things without horrour and astonishment lest having received such good things of this World meaning such dignities and honours as he had he should be excluded from having any part and portion in the happinesse or good things in the world to come Of Gods Word Saint Gregory saith and wishes all men that heare the Word of God to taste the Word of God with the palate of their hearts Not to have a slavish feare Feare not man who must die nor feare the sonne of man who is but grasse Of godly Desires Our desires saith this Father do sound more powerfully in the secret eares of God than our words Againe the more earnestly God is desired of us the more sweetly is he delighted in us Saint Paul saith Hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the minde of the spirit Rom. 8. I have here set downe his Works as they are set
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
till hee was very old and in this his old age he did with abundance of teares lament and bewail the vanities of his life still desiring God to pardon his sins to omit his errors to make him one of those of whom it is said Come yee blessed children of my Father c. all his desire was to be loosed from the Tabernacle of corruption so that it appeares he had hopes of a better possession in that Citie whose builder and maker is God So in fulnesse of dayes after many tedious labours and travels hee was struck with a Fever of which he died with great expressions of joy and comfort that at the day of accompts hee should rise to live with the just and upright men made perfect I have here set downe his Workes as they are registred before his books printed at Mentz in the yeer of our Lord 1631 in two Tomes Tome 1. Commentaries of the Works of the sacred Trinitie in fortie two books 1 On Genesis nine books 2 On Exodus foure books 3 On Leviticus two books 4 On Numbers two books 5 On Deuteronomy two books 6 On Josuah one book 7 On Judges 1 book 8 On the Kings five books With the Psalmes annexed 9 On Esay two books 10 On Jeremiah two books 11 On Ezekiel one booke 12 On Daniel one booke Haggay Zachary Malachy being added 13 On the foure Evangelists one booke 14 On the Works of the Holy Ghost nine books 15 Commentaries on the twelve lesser Prophets one and thirty books 1 On Osee five books 2 On Joel one book 3 On Amos foure books 4 On Abdiah one booke 5 On Jonah two books 6 On Micha three books 7 On Nahum three books 8 On Abacuck three books 9 On Zephaniah two books 10 On Aggee one book 11 On Zachary five books 12 On Malachie one book 13 Of the Canticles of the Incarnation seven books 14 On Ecclesiastes one book 15 On Job one book These are of late annexed Tome 2. 1 On Saint Matthew of the glory of the Sonne of God thirteen books 2 Of the Trinity nine books 3 On Saint John thirteen books 4 On the Apocalypse twelve books 5 Of the victory of Gods Word thirteen books 6 Of divine Offices twelve books 7 Of the misery of his Monastery one book 8 Of the meditation of death two books 9 The life of Heribet Archbishop of Collen To these now are added 1 Of the losse of Virginitie one book 2 Of the Divine will one book 3 Of the Omnipotencie of God one book These are the demonstrations of the Labours of this man which are large enough to prove him an eminent man and so I end and shut up my discourse of him desiring those that reade his Life or his Works both to imitate his Learning and Holinesse that they with him may receive comfort at the second comming of our blessed Saviour Happy are they then when our Lord shall come shall be found so doing An. Christi 1130. Sanctus Bernardus S. BERNARDVS IT is not fitting that this great Light which God did set up should be hid under a bushell but that his pietie and vertues should be celebrated to all posteritie Hee was borne in those parts of Burgundie in which his Father held much land and large possessions His parents were noble and religious His Fathers name was Tecelinus a great Souldier and such a one as Saint Iohn wish'd others to be laid violent hands on none but kept himselfe within the bounds of civility and sobriety and so followed his Commanders here that hee did not neglect his chiefe Commander in Heaven his mothers name was Aleth sprung from a Towne not farre from the mountaine called Barrus shee following the rule of the Apostle was subject to her own husband and ruled her family with wonderful care and religion shee bare to her husband six sonnes all devoted to God and religion and one daughter which was also addicted to pietie all these shee lovingly did give suck to from her own brests the third of these was this Bernard whose Life I will now set forth In his minority hee was very obedient and dutifull to his parents wonderfull apt to learn and quick to conceive of an admirable memory accute wit ready apprehension ingenious of nature flexible to discipline of an excellent feature comely personage sweete behaviour courteous meeke all these shewing what a rich Harvest this Spring would produce when he was young he was troubled with a great pain in his head which a woman having long time used that way was brought to him who said she would remove that pain by certain verses by way of enchantment but when shee came before him hee utterly rejected her and her devise rather being willing to endure the hand of God then the hand of the Devill and God in short time after in great mercy did acquitt and free him of this pain and did comfort him and confirme him as he did Samuel in Shiloe being put forth to learning he was not onely as forward as the rest but exceeded and even in his youth did learne to mortify his head-strong affections he was as well by education as nature addicted to a solitary life hee was also full of charity for if hee had any money hee would privately give it away to the poor his master dyed in his youth and was honourably interred this Bernard was to be admired for his chastity and for quelling of lustfull thoughts so that hee did often use that speech of Iob I have made a covenant with mine eyes not to looke upon a maid which will appeare if you consider those two eminent demonstrations of it the one was thus by the instinct and suggestion of the Devill there was a young beautifull maid laid in bed which thing when Bernard perceived though then in height of bloud and she an object to incite him to violate his chastity yet hee never so much as tooke any notice of her but lamenting her impudencie lay on the other side remote from her and so kept himselfe continent to the astonishment of that bold intruder And the other passage is this It so fell out that Bernard with some other of his associates should lodge at a Matrons house but the woman being overcome with tentation viewing the comely countenance of Bernard and the beauty of his eyes and graceful deportments of his person when night came did prepare a more sumptuous Chamber for him than for the rest and shee burning in lust towards him in the middle of the night came to his bed which thing Bernard suspecting suddenly cried out as if there had beene Thieves in his Chamber so the people awaking and the woman fearing to be taken fled well they all goe again to rest but the woman not being daunted with this approached the second time but he as before cryed Thieves so the houshold rose again but found non nay shee was so impudent that shee adventured the third time but being by
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
by way of Commentaries and Illustrations on them hee composed many Volumes therein following Origen of whom he was a diligent admirer and imitator Hee flourished under Constantine the Great and Constantius about the yeere of our Lord 320. And after a long and studious life hee surrendred his soule into his Makers hands His Life was written by Accacius his Successour and Eusebius Bishop of Emesen His Apologie is to be found in his Workes sacr a lib. 2. hist. there collected Now appertaining to the understanding of the divine Scriptures are these Works following 1 All the Canonicall Books of the old Testament translated into Greek 2 Of Hebrew places one Book 3 Of the description of the Holy Land one Book 4 Of the doctrine of the Ancients and another of collections of Divinitie 5 Learned Commentaries literally and mystically on the whole Psalmes 6 Fifteene Bookes of Commentaries on Isaiah the Prophet 7 Thirty Volumes in defence of either Testament opposed by Porphyrie in fifteen Books 8 Of Evangelicall preparation five Books 9 Of Evangelicall demonstration twenty books 10 Of the dissonance of the Evangelists one Book 11 Of Evangelical Canons one Book 12 Commentaries on the first Epistle to the Corinths An. Christi 330. L. Caelius Lactantius Firmianus LACT FIRMIANVS I Doe not finde any mention of the parents Countrey or education of this Father nor is his fame and reputation therefore diminished seeing that hee is registred and numbred amongst the ancient Pillars of the Church for his Pietie and Learning and hee is sufficiently praysed by those pens whose worth and veritie have been approved in all ages It is no small credit to be enrolled amongst a cloud of so divine and pious Fathers I finde by the testimony of Saint Ierome that hee was the Scholer of Arnobius who in the Reigne of Dioclesianus the Emperour was together with Flaviâ—s the Grammarian cald to preferment and that hee publikely taught Rhetorick in Nicomedia Hee addicted himselfe to writing Bookes amongst other his workes Saint Ierome speakes these words of his Treatise of Gods Anger Edidit Lactantius librum qui inscribitur Grammaticus pulcherrimum de Ira Dei that is Lactantius set forth a booke called the Grammarian and another beautifull and faire piece of Gods Anger and indeed his subjects which hee treates of and the stile in which he writes are both excellent divine and fluent savouring of a minde that was truly mortified and intended to bring his Auditors to a resolved course of sanctification and pietie For piety and holinesse is the true knowledge of God it was never yet saith hee rewarded with punishment or shame For true piety preserveth and defendeth every vertuous man from shame The party to whom he dedicates the most of his Workes addes no small testimony to his parts and learning for most of them were inscribed to no lesse person than to Constantine the Great an Emperour whose fame doth and will for ever flourish in the Church if for no other cause than even for his pietie and studie to preserve the professors of the Gospell and for his bounty and liberality to the Bishops of his time as also for his building of Churches for divine worship and his valour and heroicke constancie in opposing Hereticks and Schismaticks who began to grow potent And Saint Ierome leaves him not thus but proceeds further in his divulging his prayses in the translation of Eusebius under Constantinus the Emperour in these words Lactantius quasi quidam fluvius Eloquentiae Tullianae Crispum filium Constantini Latinis literis â—rudivit vir omnium suo tempore eruditissimus that is This Lactantius flowed with Eloquence and was as abounding as Tully himselfe and as famous for his stile of Latine Hee was Tutor to Crispus the sonne of Constantine and learned him the Latine tongue A man in his time of all others the most learned and dexterous for the education of Princes and well and deeply seene in the points of Divinity and againe Lactantium propter eruditionem hic legendum that is Lactantius therefore is approvedly read for his singular Learning Quis mihi interdicere potest ne legam institutionum ejus libros quibus contra Genies fortissimè scripsit quos silegeris stylum Ciceronis excerptum reperies that is who can forbid me to reade his Bookes of Institutions which with such a noble and valorous resolution Lactantius published against the Heathens which if you doe reade you shall finde a pure elegant and eloquent phrase no whit inferiour to that of Cieero Platina gives this Lactantius also a faire commendation in these words and to the same effect His verò temporibus floruisse Firmianum Lactantium constat Arnobii Discipulum c. that is about these times flourished Firmianus â— actantius Arnobius his Scholler who taught Rhetoricke in Nicomedia who upon some disturbance left that profession betaking himself to writing in which hee was so excellent that next to Cicero he bore away the name from any other Writer Hee writ many famous Treatises full of judgment and discretion so that in his old age hee was for his rare parts appointed to be Tutor to Crispus the sonne of Constantinus the Emperour a place of great weight and estimation and of no lesse carefulnesse and wisdome which arguâ—â—h this Lactantius to be able in his parts or else hee would scarce have beene admitted to a place of that dignity Saint Augustine and Ierome in severall places are not sparing to commend this Lactantius the latter of them speakes that although his parts were great and his preferments eminent and large yet he died very poore and so lived not gaping or greedily pursuing worldly preferments of honour and riches but as one who was willing to count all as dung and drosse so that hee might gaine the eternall inheritance For a quiet and peaceable life ought to be preferred before all other things and should be the chiefest study and care of every man so that hee might passe his life time in joy and tranquillitie that his soule might bee free from anguish and trouble at his death For it is impossible for that man to be excellent both in riches of this world and in the practise of godlinesse Honour and riches are the occasions of all kindes of mischiefs for they doe draw and seduce a man out of the right way In the time of the great persecution of the Church of Christ under Dioclesianus the Emperour begun against the Christians as Eusebius relates it in the nineteenth yeere of Dioclesian in which there was cruell demolition of Churches and sacred Temples burning of holy and godly Books inhumane tortures and torments inflicted against the Christians so that where any were found that were pious and Christian they were fetcht and most severely martyred for the truth as Cardinall Baronius averres and indeed all other Ecclesiasticall Historians that though the Tempest raged horribly yet this worthy constant Father retain'd his piety and
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