of honest life 7 The Monks Looking Glasse 8 Divers sermons 9 A description of his Monastery 10 The lamentation of the blessed Virgin 11 The doctrine of St. Bernard 12 Homilies on them that went to Emaus 13 Of Gods love 14 Of the nature and dignitie of divine love 15 On the Lords Passion 16 A Tract of the Passion 17 St. Bernards Rhetorick 18 Of the manner of living well to his sister 19 Of Conscience 20 Sermons on divers Arguments 15. 21 Vpon that Salve Regina 22 An Epistle to one to shew what God doth require of us 23 Of Burtheâ—s Cardinall Bellarmines judgement of these is this some of these are known manifestly not to be Saint Bernards yet are full of weight and profit Some of them have their Authours names noted some are so slight and not any wayes relishing Saint Bernards stile nor spirit and some are so like his Works that it is hard to make distinction of them those that either for curiosity or satisfaction desire to know may see the Cardinals observation upon each Tract in his booke of Ecclesiasticall Writers pag. 142. 143. An. Christi 1145. Peter Lombard PETER LOMBARD HEaven hath been pleased to send many famous Divines into the world who like Embassadours comming from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ have expounded the Gospell of Salvation and defended it from the schismaticall interpretation of Hereticks As therefore Solomon saith memoria justi cum laudibus the memory of the just is pretious and praise-worthy it must needs follow that the praises of these deceased holy Fathers will encourage others to give God thanks for raising up such worthy instruments in his Church and also in their lives and conversations to follow their example Amongst the other renouned Fathers famous for Learning soundnesse of Doctrine Piety and integrity of life Peter Lombard deserves a prime place For as it is a Divine gift above the nature of man to instruct men concerning God and Religion and to move and incline their minde to piety and sanctimony of manners so it is necessary that Divines should bee furnished with Ecclesiasticke Eloquence and sentences to bring about this great work which famous men even from the first infancy of the Church have endeavoured and laboured to effect And from hence proceeded so many Greek and Latin Commentaries Meditations Homilies Precepts and Ecclesiasticall instructions written by the holy Fathers who that they might by their laborious writings illuminate the Church in mysteries of salvation were all brought up to scholasticke learning that some by Commentaries some by Sermons and some by Sentences might all helpe to edifie and build up the Church of God And this Father the most renowned Peter Lombard of Novaria Bishop of Paris was as Sixtus Senensis and others have written by all Schoole Divines for a certaine singular excellence of Veneration called the Master of the Sentences upon whose compendium of Divinity and Volumes of innumerable disputations the most learned Divines of the most famous Universities in the whole Christian World have elaborately written He was contemporary with Gratian and as hee gathered Canons and was the Master of the Canons so he collected out of the sentences of Ambrose Hillary Augustine Cassiodorus and Remigius suppressing their names most learned sententious Commentaries on all Davids Psalmes and on all Saint Pauls Epistles inserting some things of accompt of his owne The Commentaries on the Psalmes begin Cum omnes Prophetas Sancti spiritus revelatione constat esse locutos The Commentaries on Saint Paul begin Principia rerum sunt inquirenda So that this Peter Lombard being endowed with all naturall qualities improved by education and learning in the schools and being also painfull and industrious to advance Religion to increase spirituall knowledge and to furnish Students in Divinity with most exquisite and mellifluous sentences so sweet so admirable and patheticall hee I say to this end collected the Sayings and Sentences of the Fathers which may be thence gathered and cited to various and divers purposes either to confirme any Doctrine to amplifie matters or to delight the audience Sentences being the Creame of wit the abstract and epitome of words for instruction necessary easie to be retained in memory as briefe rules of Life and Religion How ought then posterity to be thankful to this famous Father Peter Lombard who out of so many learned Divines painfully collected so many Sentences out of their Gardens gathering Divine flowers which are all bound together in his Workes And therefore although Laus est or atio bona alicujus enumerans praise is but the repetition of particular vertues and goodnesse Yet the life of this worthy Father would deserve a whole volume of praises fild with Encomiums and sententious Eulogyes but because they cannot reach his desert both for Piety Religion and Sanctity it will bee his best commendation to read some of his sweet Sayings collected out of his owne Workes Peter Lombard his Sayings Of Sinne. Every sinne that is not speedily by Repentance discovered becomes a new Sinne and the punishment of former sinne Of the Will There can no good dwell in us that cannot will good nor can we perfect good that cannot desire good Of the Law Death is not by the Law but by the fault of man but sinne is the procurer and efficient cause of Death because it turneth that which is good into evill For so Physicke is not the cause of Death though it discovers deadly poysons nor the Law discovering the poyson of sinne in reprobate men There are in us evill concupiscences and desires which are the Devills weapons whereby when God for sakes us he overthrowes us and gives our soules a deadly wound Of Predestination God condemneth none before he sinneth he crowneth none before hee over-commeth but he hath a definitive prescience of every ones will whereby hee shall bee condemned or crowned If God be for us by predestinating us before our being by our vocation when we were enemies by justifying us when we were sinners by glorifying us when we were mortall nothing can hurt us but all things worke for our good Of Gods Love If nothing can separate us from Gods love what more certaine and greater good can there be For he that loveth God cannot dye but it is death not to love God or to preferre any thing before the love of God therfore the love of God is a right affection of the minde which joyneth us to God and God sheweth his love to us in Christ whom for us hee delivered to death Of gifts Let none glory in the gifts of Preachers or men in that they edifie more by them for they are not authors of grace but ministers Of Love The reall vertue of Piety is the love of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned This is vertue which nothing overcommeth no fire or windes of persecution no flames of temptations can extinguish of this vertue it is said Love is as strong as
of Lions Well when he had visited the Churches of Smyrna hee did discourse with and sent Letters to Ephesus and Magnesia Troas Philadelphiae Rome and to Polycarpus himselfe And this Polycarpe doâ—h praise them for he gives this testimony of them complectuntur enim fidem patientiam aedificationem omnem quae ad Christum pertinet That they include and learne Faith Patience and edifying in all things that make to the gaining of Christ and herefore worthy to be had in special esteem in the Churches nay to be publikely and privaâ—ely read and remembred he makes mention of Onesimus in his Epistle to the Ephesians In his Epistle to the Magnesians hee speaks of Damas then Bishop there in his Epistle to the Trallians hee mentions Polybius who then governed it hee intreats the faithfull that were at Rome not to be moved at his sufferings nor to be shaken from the faith which hee had received for hee was ready and joyfull to suffer much for the Name of Iesus and so the Church Historians have kept that Epistle to the Romans with great care and Eusebius mentions it nay records it and so doth La Bigne in his Bibliotheca Patrum and so Saint Ierome Eusebius saith it begins in these words Ex Syriâ Romam versus iter Instituens terrâ marique noctu interdiu cum bestiis confligo decem Leopardis colligatus c. that is As I came out of Syria towards Rome both by Sea and Land both night and day I fight with Beasts and am chained amongst ten Leopards which were the ten Souldiers that did bring me to Rome by Trajans command who though I do many benefits for them yet are they more inhumane and fierce but I am daily better learned by their injuries I could wish that I could see those beasts that must teare mee I would speake fairely to them to dispatch mee quickly which if they shall refuse to doe I will incite them Pardon mee for now I begin to be Christs Disciple All things are of no esteeme in comparison of him Neither feare I what man can do unto mee Ignis Crux Bestiarum conflictationes ossium distractiones conâ—isiones membrorum totius corporis tanquam farinae molitae attritiones omnia denique suppliciorum genera à Diabolo excogitata in me coacerventur si Iesum Christum duntaxat adipiscar Fire Crosse breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my bodie and all the tortures that inhumane man can invent and all the torments of death and the Devill come what will or can come so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his Kingdome for ever when this life is ended What a proffer did this good old man bid for Heaven what a victory was this to his prayse be it spoken to get this victory of himselfe having so many enemies as the World the Devil and the Flesh and inticements of friends which were as so many blocks laid in his way hindering as it were his passage to Heaven When the time of this Ignatius his Marâ—yrdome drew nigh He used a saying which Saint Ierome in his Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall Writers and Saint Irenaeus lib. 5. c. 28. do both remember and it is in the same Epistle namely this Frumentum Deisum dentibus ferarum molar ut munduâ— Dei panis inveniar You may render it in English thus Now I am but Gods Corne when the wilde beasts shall have grinded mee to powder with their teeth I shall be his white-bread He used also to say and no doubt but hee found it true Nihil praestantius est pace Christi as Damascen relates in the first Booke of his Parallels and â—8 Chapter There is nothing better then the peace of a good Conscience then the peace of Christ. For his Humilitie it was much for hee thought it no disparagement to learn of any that could instruct him for hee went to schoole to learn when hee was thirty yeeres of age Likewise hee thought himselfe so unworthy to bee buried in any sanctified place that hee chose rather to bee buried on a dunghill or some common fields Such was his humility that hee ever thought meanly of himselfe and always subjected his own spirit to the practice of Vertue This Vertue amongst all others though the lowest yet holds the preheminence this Vertue is the safest because it is alwayes at Anchor for it endues the minde of Man with divine Knowledge and ingraâ—iates him with his God And certainly that man lives with most content in his calling that strives to live within the compasse of it Polycarpe said to his Schollers bee yee perswaded by the example of Ignatius Rufus and Zozimus or else by the Apostles themselves to hold fast the faith for these by that means are with the Lord. Hee suffered under Trajan at Rome Anno Christi 102 the remainder of his bones which were left by the wild beasts were sumptuously interred by Theodosius Saint Ignatius his Sayings Of good and wicked men They are like true counterfeit mony the one seemes to be good and is not the other both seemes and is strive therefore both to be and to beare Gods Image for though the other seems good yet prove naught in the fire of triall Of the good Persecution The Lions teeth are but like a Mill which though it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good wheat onely prepares and fits it to be made pure bread let mee be broken by them so I be made pure Manchet for Heaven Of unitie in Prayer Let it be performed in one place in one form in one minde with the same Hope same Faith and same Charitie in Christ Iesus who doth otherwise is seduced with vain Opinions Of Education of Children Parents ought to afford these foure things to their Children Discipline Admonition learning Gods Word and Arts all these preserve them from idlenesse and folly gives them wisdome and learnes them subjection and obedience to their Superiours Of Patience its excellency Other graces are parts of a Christians armour as the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit the Helmet of Salvation but Patience is the Panoply or whole armour of the Man of GOD the Enemy foiles us without it but we foile him by it Of Graces in the Soule Grace flowing from the blessed Spirit of God makes the Soule like a Fountain whose water is pure wholsome and cleere for Grace cleanseth saveth and beautifieth the whole man Ignatius wrote these Epistles following 1 To Saint John the Apostle 2 To the Virgin Mary 3 At Smyrna to the Ephesians 4 To the Magnesians 5 To the Trallians 6 To the Romans 7 At Troas to the Philadelphians 8 To the Smyrneans by Burgus 9 To Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna 10 At Philippi to the Tarsenses 11 To the Antiochenians 12 To Hero the Deacon 13 To the Philippians of Baptisme by Euphranius the Reader An. Christi 71. Polycarpus S. POLYCARPVS THis Polycarpus was Disciple to Saint
the Macedonians by these three the Churches were miserably vexed But foure yeeres after the Councell of Sardis even to the death of Constantius some ten yeeres space this Athanasius was again banished into the Desarts of Libya but the Emperour was sorely vexed at him but Liberius then Bishop of Rome pleaded hard for him in so much that Constantius banished him for it well in the absence of Athanasius Constantius caused councels to be held in severall places that was chiefe against Photinus the Heretike who dispraised both the Orthodoxe and Arrians Against this Photinus both the Orthodoxe Christians and Arrians agreed well But in what troubles was the Church under the Reigne of Constantius who gouerned 24 yeers in which space there were so many Councels and nine contrary Confessions of Faith to that of the Nicene Councell the two first were proposed at Antioch the third by Constantius his Embassadours to Constans the fourth was sent by Eudoxius to the Westerne Bishops the fifth sixth and seventh was at Sirmium the eighth at Seleucia by the Acacians the ninth was at Constantinople to which Vlphilas the Bishop of the Gothes subscribed upon all these hath Athanasius divinely spoken Witnesse his Creed every syllable whereof beares matter of importance answerable to the judgment of so divine an Author whose doctrine in other things was no lesse judicious though not altogether so profitable as in this his compendious abridgment and abbreviation of the Christian faith briefly comprehended in a short Epitome yet not so briefely as plainly dilucidated and expounded to the general benefit and edification of the Church Concerning which it may be said maximum in minimo that the greatest thing is in the least the most matter in fewest words And albeit in the Apostles Creed there are not many words yet the words might appeare unto some not sufficient for restrayning Heretikes from their opinions and hence this Father advisedly undertooke the penning of this his Creed for explication of those articles which others wrested and perverted to their own and others destruction which had it bin sooner written in all probability those their errors had bin nipped in the bud never germinated to the scandal and annoyance of the Church of God So that as it is said of the good woman by the Son of Syrach Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all so may we say of this learned and reverend man many have written Creeds of the Christian faith but thine the Apostles onely excepted is inferiour unto none yea superiour being compared with others Upon these occurrences Constantius died sorrowing for three reasons The first that hee had furthered his Kindreds death the second because hee had nominated Iulian the Apostate Emperour the third that he had too much approved those new and Hereticall Arrian points But now the case of the Church under Iulian was deplorable who strive to put downe all Christianity But for all this Athanasius receives his charge at Alexandria where while he staid he called the Bishops together and they strengthened the Nicene Confession and they condemned the Arrians Eunomians Macedonians and the Audaeans and Apollinarians with the Sabellians but now the Church increasing at Alexandria by Athanasius presence the great Philosophers Magicians Wisards and South-sayers cry out that they can do nothing unlesse this Athanasius be removed So Letters were granted not onely to take him but to kill him upon this Athanasius leaves Alexandria and intends to go by ship to Thebais his friends grieving at his departure he told them Nubecula est â—ito transitura It was a cloud that would soone be over and so it came to passe for the yeere after Iulian died fearfully but how ever he sent after Athanasius to apprehend him but they were deceived that sought him for hee came presently back to Alexandria and kept close till Iulian was dead Then Iovianus succeeding in the Empire recall'd the banished Orthodox Bishops and embrac'd them highly Athanasius writ an Epistle to this ' Emperour of the Nicene Faith but this good Iovianus after seven moneths raigne died at Bythinia so Valentinianus and Valens succeeded him different these were for Valentinian was Orthodoxe but Valens was an Arrian and did persecute the Easterne Churches so that Athanasius was forced to hide himselfe in his Fathers Monument the space of foure moneths yet for all this stir this Emperour was in a manner forc't to give leave to Athanasius to reside in Alexandria so long as this Athanasius liv'd the Church of Alexandria was quiet but this good Father died in the seventh yeere of Valens his Raigne peaceably and in his old age having been Bishop 46 yeeres of Alexandria This Father is commended of all Ecclesiasticall Writers Gregory Nazianzen stiles him Tubam ingentem columnam Ecclesiae The great Trumpet of the Church and the Churches Pillar and further he calls him Oâ—ulum Orbis Doctorem Certaminum vocem magnam fidei sustentaculum secundum Christi praecursorem Lampadem Epiphanius calls him patrem rectae fidei Theodoret stiles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bulwarke of Truth Saint Basil praises this Father highly so doth Iulius the Roman Bishop in his Epistle to the Alexandrians So doth Constantine the younger in his Letters to the said Citizens So doth Saint Hierome Ruffinus lib. c. 14. So doth Cassianus lib. 7. de Incarnat cap. ult and Vincentius Lirinensis and Cyrillus of Alexandria and divers others and so this Father having finisht his course and kept the faith expects the second comming of the Lord Jesus Athanasius his Sayings Of Faith The religious forme of godlinesse is above every forme and is knowne only by Faith For it is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternall salvation for without it no man can come neere the number of the sons of God and without it all the endevoâ—â— of man is of none effect So the Apostle Paul declares himselfe saying ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Againe his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine to life and Godlinesse 2 Pet. 1. 3. To believe rightly in God and also of the whole Trinity is to direct all our hope unto God and with sure trust to depend only upon his truth and goodnesse These are the works of faith saith he namely a quiet and good conscience the love of God and the blessed Trinitie and the hope of things to come a boldnesse to come to the Throne of grace prayer true worship confession of the truth obedience perseverance in yielding up of the spirit and to goe immediatly to God Saint Athanas. de meditatione Let the Sun when it riseth in the Firmament see the Psalter or thy Prayer book in thy hands that so the Sonne of righteousnesse may shine into thy heart by faith in thy heart Saint Athanas. de meditatione Be instant at prayers with God and worship him that hung upon the Crosse
of Alexandria a Martyr so also was that St. Cyrill which was a Deacon then also by their difference of Times this of Ierusalem being in the yeare 365 the other in 430. But St. Cyrill the Deacon was in the same time with this worthy instrument yet they are easily distinguished for this Saint was Bishop of Ierusalem the other did defend the faith in Phaenicia in Heliopolis whose Martyrdome as Theodoret in his Ecclesiasticall Historie relates it was no lesse famous than Cruell perpetrated by the Gentiles under Constantine the Emperour for in that this St. Cyrill did breake some of their Idols and Images they not onely killed him but ript up his belly and eate his Liver upon whom God did speedily manifest a terrible revenge for the Teeth first and then the Tongues of all that tasted his Entrailes fell out putrid and fetide then their Eyes and so all presently miserably dyed Now this St. Cyril though he had divers bloudy malicious Enemies who would if they durst have acted as much upon him yet he was by the all-ruling Providence and protection of God preserved from their fury So these two things being cleared let us proceed to write the actions of this worthy Saint Constantius reigning who was sonne to Constantine the great this Cyrill succeeded Maximus who was Patriarch in the same Metropolis A man magnae Sanctimoniae Doctrinae Prudentiae qui successit ob praeclaras rarasque animi corporisque Dotes id est Of great Sanctimony Learning Wisedome who did succeed Maximus for his rare and excellent endowments both of body and minde who endured many heavy things for the testimony of Faith and a good Conscience being often forced to forsake his place and yet after all these storms raised by the Devils agents he slept quietly in the Lord. Of whose undefiled faith the Synod of Sardis writing to Daâ—asus have given a large and evident Testimony which is to be seene in Theodoret which because it is so prevalent to remove all the scandals of his adversaries I have here set downe We have exhibited to the Church of Jerusalem which is the Mother of all other the most reverend and most Holy St. Cyrill which was appoynted and approved by all the Bishops of the Provinces as saith the Canon and also waged many famous Combats with his Adversaries the Arrians with admirable successe and renowne He is said to have governed the Church singularly well and it is knowne that he got the hatred of many for his great Charity and Compassion towards the poore for this made him famous and envyed for in the time of a great famine when as the poore were destitute of all helpes and meanes and knew not where to finde reliefe they flocked all to this holy Patriarch as to their utmost refuge Hee was so liberall to them that he gave them all he had nay so full of pitty and compassion was this Father that when he had nothing left him of his owne hee tooke the Vessells and Church ornaments and sold them to relieve the necessity of the indigent so that hee feared not to spoyle the Temples Materiall so that the Temples Spirituall might be furnished imitating in this his action the examples of St. Ambrose St. Augustine and others and even for this act he wanted not many adversaries yet for all their proceedings he justified the act and was beloved of all pious and good men Nicephorus saies of this Father that inter veteres Ecclesiae patres c. St. Cyrill is reckoned amongst the ancient Writers of the Church and is reputed famous amongst the Defendors and Champions of the Catholike and Apostolicke Doctrine for he was not onely equall to very many of those strong Pillars of the Church but their Senior and held the Catholicke Doctrine sincerely and as hee is mentioned of most Historians as Socrates Theodoret Zozomen Nicephorus and others So none speak of him but with singular and honourable account and when as Nicephorus speaks of learned and judicious men as Paâ—lus of Constantinople Athanasius of Alexandria Anthonius of Egypt Eusebius Bishop of Emissen Titus Bostrensis Basilius of Ancyra Eudoxius Acacius the successor of Eusebius of Caesarea and St. Cyrill who succeeded Maximus and Ephrem Syrus saith he T is also said that St. Cyrill was not onely endowed with parts requisite for the adornment of such a great Patriarch but also with the Spirit of prophecy For when as Iulianus the Emperor had given command to have the Temple of Ierusalem rebuilded and the charges thereof to be disbursed out of the common stocke St. Cyrill being at that time Bishop of Ierusalem remembring the prophecy of Daniel and what our Saviour had confirm'd in his holy Gospell and told it to many how that one stone should not be left upon another which should not bee throwne downe said presently all what is here foretold shall come to passe the Bishop said it and in one night there was such a terrible earthquake in Ierusalem which parted the very stones of the foundation and so all the upper building fell downe and with the fall ruined all the contiguous houses and whereas many of the Iewes came to behold what was done suddenly there came downe fire from heaven and consumed all the Instruments and Tooles of the workmen So that what St. Cyrill had said did come to passe Nicephorus saith that there was a Crosse seen in the heaven of almost all the Iewes by which this St. Cyrill did convert maâ—y to believe on IESVS the Saviour of the world who dyed upon the Crosse and this St. Cyrill mentions in his Epistle to the Emperour Constantius and others affirme that GOD did by this signe add Confirmation to this worthy man and gave efficacy to his Doctrine So that what he preached of Iesus which was crucified was readily and chearefully embraced Theodoret saith that Macarius being dead and Maximus that followed him Cyrillus alacris promptus doctrinae Apostolicae propugnator in Episcopatus gradulocatur id est Cyrill the lively and prompt Champion of the Apostolicall Doctrine was placed in that preferment Whereupon the Arrians knowing and indeed finding his undaunted spirit and courage for the opposing of all Heresies and defence of Piety and Truth as Sozomen relateth raised sundry Calumnies and spread abroad divers disgracefull reports of him insâ—much that they thought to have possessed the Orthodox Bishops of these his scandalous acts and to have utterly eclipsed his glory yet for all these projects and pretences the Catholike Bishops being 150 which held a Councell at Seleucia would not any wayes confirme or ratifie his deposition as Theodoret testifies nay they were so farre from doing any thing against him that they did resolve to proceed against his chiefest adversary who was called Acacius and excluded him from the Synod and as Nicephorus who did write the Acts of the Seleucian Synod and of this Acacius and his Favorites
love or hate of God weareth away through age of the body and so at length comes to nothing Life is of its owne nature a grievous thing most miserable and full of innumerable cares O life saith a wise man how may a man get from thee without Deaths helpe thy evils be infinite and yet no man is able either to avoid nor yet to abide them And if any good thing happen to a man in his life he feeleth also therewith tribulation and sorrow as sometime no other which maketh our joyes little and our life deplorable For the manner of his life it was solitary for he would say by this meanes Ex turbulentis hujus saeculi perturbationibus ac procellis liberari c. that is He was freed out of the turbulent turmoiles and stormes of this World that hee did sweetly enjoy his thoughts without distraction that hee was the more fit for divine Contemplation and studie Yet hee often remov'd but it was still to doe some notable service for the Church of Christ. Hee went to the Citie of Edissa to visit the Churches and to meet with some learned Father to conferre but by the providence of God he met with an Harlot who was impudent yet witty this Ephraem presently turnd his eyes away not willing to behold her but she the more earnestly lookt him in the face to whom hee spoke Oh woman why doe you so greedily gaze on mee to whom shee readily replyed Ex te viro ego sumi I am come from your loines why then doe you cast your eyes upon the earth out of which you were taken and neglect me well he rejoyced that GOD had sent him good counsell from the wicked But not staying here hee went to Caesarea of Cappadocia where hee both heard and saw that sweet Trumpet of Gods glory Saint Basil whom he entirely reverenced here he desired of God to give him abilitie of utterance to preach to the people which God gave him abundantly he did not any wayes affect prayse so his will runs Nulla Ephraem cecineritis carmina c. that is sing no Verses in commendation of Ephraem bury mee not with any lofty Linnens or Ointments rayse no Monuments or Tombs for I am a sojourner and a stranger here as all my Fathers were Psal. 39. He was wondrously mercifull to the poore for though hee had not of his owne to give yet by his sweet and attractive Sermons he stirred up the hearts of others to relieve them he was of so Angelick an Aspect that his Dove-like simplicity his compassion and integritie was easily decyphered in his countenance Gregorius Nyssenus compares him with Abel for offering sacrifice to God which was his soule and body as an acceptable sacrifice to Enoch for his constant walking with God to Noah for his never making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience To Abraham for leaving his owne and going forth by Gods promises To Isaack being willing to lay down his life for the Gospel To Iaakob for supplanting Esau so hee the Hereticks and for blessing the people at his death To Ioseph for Chastitie and especially for distributing the pure wheat of GODS Word wiâ—ely to the famishing soules in many things to Moses for striking the Rocke and bringing forth water from the flinty stone so he by the Rod of Gods Word did fetch teares from hard-hearted men and brought many to repentance To Iosuah for bringing many into the spirituall Canaan to Samuel for devoting his youth to God To Elias for reproving false Teachers to Elizeus for abundance of the spirit to Saint Iohn Baptist for living in the Wildernesse and teaching men to repent To Saint Paul for his manifold sufferings and indeed it is hard to say wherein hee was defective at the time of his death hee denied to have any cost bestowed upon him but willed them to give it to the poore And a great man having prepared a rich Vestment for him said That pietie should be respected before povertie and so did not give it as Ephraem had willed him but hee was presently sorely visited and could not be released till this old man imposed his hands on him and blessed him and then said to him Perfice Homo quae dudum promisisti Perfect that which whilome ô Man thou diddest promise and so he was restored to health Well this Father gave the people comfortable directions at the time of his death so that it was rather Transitus quà m mors a sleeping in the Lord quietly and comfortably in fulnesse of dayes and was buried by the Monkes that were his Disciples I could bee tedious if I should largely and particularly expresse the prayses that many Writers afford Him Basil the Great sayes of him that distabat à mundana sapientia He affected not worldly wisdome Saint Ierâ—me sayes that He came to be of that fame that next to the Scriptures his Works were publikely read Theodoret stiles him a most admirable man an excellent Writer in his fourth booke Chap. 29. Zozomen saith of him that about that time there liv'd one Ephraem Syrus a man excelling others and a singular ornament to the Catholike Church the Tripartite History calls him a man admirable for knowledge and writing So also doth Simeon Metaphrastes Anastasius Synasta Photius Cedrenus Nicephorus Trithemius and others so as I have said He flourished under Constantine the Great and died under Valens Ephraem Syrus his Sayings Of the excellencie of Faith As the body is more worth then the raiment so the soule more worth than the body and faith in Christ more excellent than all get therfore that in thy soule which may get him who is the rich clothing both of soule and body Vpon earnest though late repentance Despise not an old man who desires to come to the haven though he comes late yet he comes in time God rejected not those that come at the eleventh houre thou knowest not but that hee may have his penny as well as the first Of perseverance in Grace The resolute Traveller knowes that his journey is long and the way durty and dangerous yet goes on in hope to come home to his house so let the Christian though the way to Heaven be narrow and difficult though it be set with troubles and persecutions yet let him goe on till hee hath finished his course with joy for Heaven is his home Of the neglecting the Soules welfare Hee that feasts his body with banquets and delicate fare and starves his soule for want of spirituall food is like him that feasts his slave and starves his own wife therefore rejoyce rather with thy wife and keep under thy servant and so all shall be safe Of comming to Christ. Stay not away o my soul from him though thou beest wounded for hee came to heale though thou beest lost for he came to seek let not thy diseases affright thee from the Physitian for hee calls those that are
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
with graces his body did not want it's persections for he had a proper stature a grave pleasing and winning countenance and he was so healthy by nature that seldome or never did any disease or sicknesse torment him But I passe from all those outward decorements and will take a view of the gifts of his minde Being entred into a devout course of life who can but admire his innocence and integrity of life it was so eminent that Alexander Alensis would say Non videri Adam in Bonaventura peccasse that is that Adam seem'd not to have sinned in Bonaventure And was not his meeknesse and humility as great which indeed is the Basis and ground-worke the Mother and Mistris of all vertues and that he might not forget the practice of it did hee not ingrave in his study that sweet saying of our LORD JESUS Learne of me for I am humble and meek Doth he not in all his Writings lively expresse it for with what simplicitie is his stile composed off only for that hee writ for the good of simple men as he saith and was not hee as carefull to keepe his conscience unspotted and pure Did he not use ordinarily to say He could not forget his appearance before the great and terrible Judge And they that please may reade the commendation that Gerso Chancellor of Paris gives him for the care he had of it Nay such was his study of humility that lest at any time his mind should swell with pride or ambition he would put himselfe to servile and inferiour offices as to sweeping of roomes washing of vessels and making of beds which many thought too base to be performed by such an holy and Religious man yet nor any nor all these seem'd so to him hee knew how to bring good out of them for he would say they kept his body from pride and idlenesse Who when hee thinks of Bonaventures care for the poor and sick but will admire him how cheerfull was hee in ministring to them how diligent in visiting them though their diseases were noysome and in some sort dangerous it may be said of him as Gregory Nazianzen said of Saint Basil qui hominum leprâ laborantium vulnera curavit osculatus est that is who both healed the Lepers and kissed their sores hee spent much time in these actions yet perform'd the houres at his study so that he seem'd to be one who had a care to redeeme the time if he knew any troubled in minde hee would not leave him till he had given him comfort if any was poore what care would hee have to get him provision where any was falling from the truth how earnest would he be to recover him To come to his spirituall exercises of Meditation Contemplation and Prayer Did hee not make his head a fountaine of teares Was it not his chiefest care in all his Meditations to inflame the hearts of his Readers to kindle the fire of devotion in their breasts Hath hee not shewed the vertue matter forme end and distinction of Contemplation and Meditation Hath hee not laid forth the parts effects fruits times of prayer And in all his labours is that saying true of him that his words were not inflantia but inflammantia that is not high swelling puft up but inflaming such as moved compunction stird up zeale did work mortification and produced repentance in the hearts of his auditors What might not I say of his patience in bearing injuries Of his true valour in undergoing labours Of his contentednesse in refusing great Honours Of his wisdome in managing himselfe in all publike meetings Of his prudence in government But let us take a short view of excellent learning and admired Scholership who in this kind flowed more than he it is without all question that he attained not to such an height onely by his labour but also by the helpe of the blessed Spirit of God Yet his labour was great and constant he hated idlenesse He read over the whole body of the Fathers and made that famous piece which hee cals his Pharetra by the Works and Sayings collected out of Saint Gregory Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Hierome Cyprian Chrysostome Isidore Anselme Bernard Cassiodore and divers others hee was so diligent in holy Writ that he did write two Bibles out with his owne hand hee was so conversant in the sacred Scriptures that he had most of them by heart One of his Bibles is at the place of his birth kept as a treasure in the Church the other reserved in a famous Library as a testimony to future ages of his labour Now observe his happy progresse which hee made in Paris and indeed how could such a diligent Bee as Bonaventure was but gather honey from such able Instruments as there then was to omit many others these two were of note Albertus Magnus and Alexander Halensis so that by the Learning of these men Paris was to Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure as once Athens was to Saint Basil and Nazianzen After the studie and paines of three yeeres in Paris Bonaventure was by the good liking of all held fit to be publike Reader in Divinitie there which hee so divinely performed that Gerso sayes of him thus Nescio si unquam talem Doctorem ac Bonaventuram habuerit studium Parisiense I know not saith he whether ever the Universitie of Paris had the like Doctour as Bonaventure was The first Worke hee set out at Paris was Expositions and Comments on the bookes of the Master of Sentences Hee also made an Hexameron on the first Chapter of Genesis which all men lament that hee brought it not to perfection but it was so well liked that hee had the Archbishopricke of York in England offered him for his labour which Dignity he modestly refused when as he was made and appointed Chiefe of his Order hee stopt the mouthes of all Adversaries by his example wisdome moderation learning and good constitutions hee was meeke and courteous to all rather working men to obedience by faire exhortations and entreaties then by force and rigour His generall Learning is divided into three parts his exposition of Scriptures his Tracts his interpretation of the Sentences In all his Works appeare Learning study exercise Tri-themius sayes of him to his eternall prayse that he was matter not words subtile not curious eloquent not phantasticall His actions were as renowmed as his Works what journies did hee undertake to relieve the poore to profit the Churches to reconcile differences this I cannot omit that when as by the death of Clement the fourth at Viterbium there was no Pope but a great dissention amongst the Cardinals for three yeeres together when as they had so ordered that the choice of the Pope should be put to Bonaventures choice hee contrary to all their expectation chose a stranger a man of excellent parts one Theobald Archdeacon of Leige whereby he stopt a great quarrell and withall shewed his great
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