took all imaginable care that the Roman Religion should not make any progress in Ireland yet it stole in by the negligence of other Bishops insomuch that that Party which maintain'd it did sensibly increase and grow strong It was this that oblig'd King Charles the first to write a Letter to the Primate of Ireland which is to be found in page 38. wherein he authorizes him to write Letters of Exhortation to all the Bishops of Ireland that they shou'd discharge their duty better than they had done About the latter end of the year 1631. Vsher makes a Voyage into England where he publish'd a small English Treatise concerning the Antient Religion of Ireland and of the People which inhabited the North of Scotland and of England he shews in this Treatise how it was in respect to the Essential parts of the same Religion which at present is establish'd in England and which is very forreign to that of the Roman Catholicks The year following our Arch-Bishop return'd into Ireland and publish'd a Collection intituled Veterum Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge whereof the first Pieces were written about the year 1590. and the last about 1180. there one may learn the Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Ireland In 1639. which was seven years after he publish'd his Book intituled Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates wherein he inserted the History of Pelagius and his Sentiments There are to be found the Antiquities of the most distant Churches of Great Britain since Christianity was Preached there that is to say since about 20 years after the death of Jesus Christ. In 1640. Vsher makes a Voyage into England with his Family with design to return very soon into Ireland but the Civil Wars hinder'd him insomuch that he cou'd never return to his Country again T is said that in the year following he brought the King to sign the death of the Earl of Strafford but as to this Dr. Parr speaks very much in his Justification he afterwards shews us after what manner he lost all that he had in Ireland except his Library which he brought into England Strangers very much envyed this great man that his Compatriots shou'd offer him divers Places of Retreat The Heads of the University of Leiden soon gave him a considerable Pension and offered him the Title of Honourable Professor if he wou'd come into Holland The Cardinal Richelieu sent him his Medal and also proffer'd to him a great Pension with the liberty of professing his Religion in France if he wou'd come thither Our Arch-Bishop thank'd him and sent him a Present of Irish Grey-Hounds and other Rarities of that Country Three years after he publish'd a small Treatise intituled A Geographical and Historical Research touching Asia Minor properly so call'd to wit Lydia whereof frequent mention is made in the New Testament and which the Ecclesiastical Writers and other Authors call'd Proconsulary Asia or the Diocess of Asia In this Treatise there is a Geographical Description of Asia Minor and of its different Provinces as that of Caria and Lydia under which the Romans comprehend Ionia and Aeolia Vsher shews there 1. That Asia whereof mention is made in the New Testament and the Seven Churches which St. Iohn spoke of in the Apocalypse were included in Lydia that every one of these Cities were the Chief of a small Province and because of this Division they were chosen to be the principal Seats of the Bishops of Asia 2. That the Roman Provinces had not always the same extension but were often contracted or enlarg'd for reasons of State thus the Empire was otherwise divided under Augustus than it was under Constantine under whom Proconsulary Asia had more narrow bounds than formerly 't is remarkable that under this last Emperor Proconsulary Asia which was govern'd by a Proconsul of the Diocess of Asia from whence the Governor was call'd Vicarius or Comes Asiae or Dioceseos Asianae but this division was afterwards chang'd under his Successors and whereas every Province had but one Metropolis to satisfie the ambition of some Bishops 't was permitted to two of 'em at the same time to take the Title of Metropolitan 3. That under Constantine Ephesus was the place where the Governors of Asia met to form a kind of Council which decided affairs of importance and 't was for this that Ephesus was then the only Metropolis of Proconsulary Asia that the Proconsul which was Governor never submitted to the Authority of the Praetorian Prefect and that there was something so like this in the Ecclesiastical Government that the Bishop of Ephesus was not only Metropolitan of Consulary Asia but also the Primate and Head of the Diocess of Asia 4. That there was a great conformity between the Civil and Ecclesiastical Government in this that the Bishops of every Province were subject to their Metropolitans as the Magistrates of every City were to the Governors of the whole Provinces This was the time wherein Vsher published in Greek and Latin the Epistles of St. Ignatius with those of St. Barnabas and St. Polycarp seven years after he added his Appendix Ignatiana where he proves that all the Epistles of Ignatius are not suppositious and explains many ecclesiastick antiquities he published the same year his Syntagma de editione 70 Interpretum where he proposes a particular Sentiment which he had upon this version 't is this that It contained but the five Books of Moses and that it was lost in the burning of the Library of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus and that Doritheus a Heretick Jew made another version of the Pentateuch and also translated the rest of the Old Testament about 177 years before the birth of Jesus Christ under the Reign of Ptolomaeus Philometor and that the Greek Church preserves this last version instead of that which was made under the Reign of Ptolomeus Philadelphus he also treats in this same work of the different editions of this version which according to him are falsly styled the version of the 70 this Book was published a year after the death of our Prelate with another De Cainane altero or the second Canaan which is found in the version of the 70. and in St. Luke between Sala and Arphaxad This last work of Vsher was the Letter which he wrote to Mr. 〈…〉 the difference he had with Mr. a friend of the Archbishops we shaâ—â— speak of it hereafter Dr. Parr informs us that in the Civil Wars of England Vsher going from Cardisse to the Castle of St. Donates which belonged to Madam Stradling he was extreamly Ill treated by the Inhabitants of Glamorganshire in Wales they took his Books and Papers from him which he had much ado to regain and whereof he lost some which contained remarks upon the Vaudois and which shou'd have serv'd to carry on his Book de Ecclesiarum Christianarum Successione where there is wanting the History of more than 200. years viz from Gregory the 11th to Leo the 10th from the year 1371 to 1513 and
the Gospel Preached unto 'em and Maximianus Herculius violently persecuted the Christians which he found here in the year CCCIII. It 's what Vsher tells us Chap. 7. Where beginneth what we have called the second part of his Work It may be that many things might be added to the precedent which he saith there upon the Faith of the Monks of the great number of Martyrs that Maximianus put to death and of the circumstances of their punishments Howbeit it 's certain that Dioclesian and Maximian having voluntarily quitted the Empire in the year CCCIV. and Constantius Chlorus being declared Augustus he put a period to all violences of what nature soever in the Provinces of his Jurisdiction and England was amongst the rest in which the Monks assure us that he built some Churches but dying two years after at York his Son Constantine who till then had been but Caesar was proclaimed Augustus by all the Roman Army which had lately got a signal victory over the Picts This gives occasion to our Archbishop to seek into the native Country of Constantine and of Helena his Mother in the eighth chapter The Country of this Princess is very doubtful although the Monks affirm she was of Treves yet is it not unlikely to be true that her Son was born in England as it may be seen in our Author who builds his opinion chiefly upon these words of Eumenius in his Panegyrick of Constantia O fortunata nunc omnibus terris beatior Britannia quae Constantinum Caesarem prima vidisti Vsher afterwards sheweth that some Bishops of England assisted at the Council of Arles in CCCXIV and 11 years after at that of Nice likewise at the other Councils called upon the occasion of the antient controversies Notwithstanding that hindered not Arianism to pass into Great Britanny when Gratianus had granted liberty to all the sects of the Christians saving to the Manicheans to the Photinians and to the Eunomians But it seemeth that the Tyrant Maximius that favoured the Orthodox suffered not Arianism to take root in England where he began to Govern in CCCLXXIII some time after he sent hence a great number of Inhabitants which he established in Amorica that is to say Low Brittany which he remitted to one Conan Meriadoc who was the person according to the Monkish History that obtained of Dionot King of Cornwall his Daughter Vrsula in Marriage with 11000 Virgins of noble Birth besides 60000 other Virgins of meaner families All the World are acquainted with the Story of St. Vrsula and of the 11000 Virgins and those that would know who hath refuted it may consult Vsher who relateth it with many reasons to shew it is but an impertinent Fable altho' Baronius maintains the contrary In that time many people went to see the Holy places in Palestine which was the occasion of making known in the West the Books of Origen which were unknown there before Rufinus Amongst others a Priest of Aquila after having lived three years in the East and Studied under Evagrius an Origenist imbib'd not only the sentimeâ—ts of Origen but returning into Italy spread them every where by translating divers of his works It was of him that Pelagius and Celestius learned at Rome this Doctrine whereof we shall speak in the sequel They both were Monks and of Great Britain Celestius of Scotland and Pelagius of England the second was called Morgan in the Language of the Countrey that is to say born of the Sea or in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name given him out of his Countrey If St. Ierom may be believed Pelagius was an ignorant man who could not express himself that was more to be pittied than envied and Celestius a studier of solecisms but St. Augustine speaketh advantageously of their wit in divers places and indeed it is seen by the fragments that remain in his works that they expressed not themselves so ill as St. Ierom saith We have still two pieces of Pelagius amongst the supposed writings of this last whereof one is a Letter to Demetriades and the other is intituled the Symboli explanatio ad Damasum whereas it should have been called Professio fidei ad Innocentium for it was to Innocent that Pelagius sent it This last piece is also found in Baronius and in the first Tome of the Councils of the edition of Cologne in 1606. Pelagius sojourn'd long enough at Rome where he acquired much reputation by his works and his conduct whence it cometh that Augustin Bishop of Hippona spoke honourably of him and writ to him a very obliging Letter before he entered into a dispute with him He calleth him in his Book de peccatorum meritis vir ut audio sanctus nec parvo profectu Christianus bonus ac praedicandus vir He is saith he a man as I am told Holy and much advanced in Piety a man of Merit and Praise worthy Father Petau in his book De Pelagianorum Semi Pelagianorum Dogmatum Historia remarketh that St. Augustin composed the Book in which he speaketh so advantageously of Pelagius after the condemnation of Celestius in the Council of Carthage in CCCCXII Thence he concludeth that it is not of this Pelagius whereof St. Chrysostome speaketh in his fourth Letter wherein he deplores the fall of a Monk of the same name There is no more likelihood that the Pelagius a Hermit to whom St. Issiodorus de Diamette hath written great censures be him that we speak of here whose life was always irreproachable as appears by the Testimony of St. Augustin Rome being taken by the Gothes in the year CCCCX Pelagius who was there departed and Sailed to Africa yet he remained not there but immediately went into the East Notwithstanding his Disciplie Celestius stayed at Carthage and aspired to be Priest of that Church but as he made no difficulty to maintain the Sentiments of his Master he was accused by Paulinus Deacon of the same Church in a Council where Aurelius Bishop of Carthage presided in the year which is already mention'd Celestius was there condemned and excommunicated as having maintain'd these seven Propositions I. That Adam was created mortal and that he should die whether he had sinned or not II. That the sin of Adam was only prejudicial to himself and not to all Mankind III. That the Law opened the entrance into Heaven as well as the Gospel IV. That before the coming of Iesus Christ men were without sin V. That Children newly born are in the same State as was Adam before his fall VI. That all Mankind dyeth not by the Death and Prevarication of Adam as all Mankind riseth not by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ. VII That man is without Sin and that he can easily obey the Commandments of God if he will Celestius answered to these Heads but we have only part of his Answers in the Books of St. Augustine that is to say that we have no other Testimonies of his Doctrine than
made a Priest by Innocent the first being retired to Marseilles began to compose Books by which sweetening a little the Sentiments of Pelagius wâ—om he also condemned as a Heretick he gave birth to the opinions to which were since given the Name of Semi-pelagianism His Sentiments may be seen in his Collations or Conferences that St. Prosper hath refuted and maintain'd against the pure Pelagianism Here in a few words is what they were reduced unto I. The Semi-pelagians allowed that men are born corrupted and that they cannot withdraw from this Corruption but by the assistance of Grace which is nevertheless prevented by some motion of the Will as by some good desire whence they said nâ—cum est velle credere Dei autem gratiae est adjuvare to Will to Believe dependeth of me but it 's the Grace of God that helpeth me God according to them expecteth from us these first motions after which he giveth us his Grace II. That God inviteth all the World by his Grace but that it dependeth of the Liberty of men to receive or to reject it III. That God had caused the Gospel to be preached to Nations that he foresaw would embrace it and that he caused it not to be preached to Nations that he foresaw would reject it IV. That notwithstanding he was willing all should be saved he had chosen to Salvation none but those that he saw wou'd persevere in Faith and good Works V. That there was no particular Grace absolutely necessary to Salvation which God gave only to a certain number of men and that men might lose all the Graces they had received VI. That of little Children which died in their Infancy God permitted that those only should be baptized who according to the foreknowledge of God would have been pious if they had lived but on the contrary those that were wicked if they came to a more advanced Age were excluded from Baptism by Providence VII The Semi-pelagians were yet accused to make Grace entirely outward so that according to them it chiefly consisted in the preaching of the Gospel but some of them maintained that there was also an interiour Grace that Pelagius himself did not totally reject Others allowed that there was preventing Grace So it seemeth that the difference that was betwixt them and Pelagius consisted only in this that they allowed Men were born in some measure corrupt and also they pressed more the necessity of Grace at least in words Tho' the difference was not extreamly great he notwithstanding anathematized Pelagius But this they did it 's like in the supposition that Pelagius maintained all the opinions condemned by the Councils of Africk St. Augustine accuseth them to have made the Grace of God wholly to consist in Instruction which only regardeth the understanding when as he believ'd it to consist in a particular and interiour action of the Holy Ghost determining us invincibly to Will good this determination not being the effect of our understanding The other Sentiments of this Father are known opposite either to the Doctrine of Pelagius or that of the Semi-pelagians We may be instructed herein particularly in his Books of Predestination and Perseverance that he writ at the entreaty of St. Proâ—per against the Semi-pelagians and in the works of the latter To come back to the History 't is said that in the year Ccccxxix one Agricola Son of Severiaenus a Pelagian Bishop carried Pelagianism into England but St. Germain Bishop of Auxerre was sent hither by Pope Celestin or by the Bishops of the Gauls and extirpated it suddenly Several miracles are attributed to him in this Voyage and in the stay he made in England as Vsher observes But if what Hector Boetius saith a Historian of Scotland who lived in the beginning of the past Age be true he used a means that is not less efficacious for the extirpation of Heresie which was that the Pelagians that would not retract were burned by the care of the Magistrates But whilst St. Germain purified England the Seeds of Pelagianism that Cassian had spread amongst the Monks of Marseille and in the Narbonick Gaul caused it likewise to grow in France St. Prosper and Hilary had writ of it to St. Augustine and had specified it to him that several Ecclesiasticks of the Gauls looked upon his opinions as dangerous novelties St. Augustine answered to their objections in the books which we lately have named but the support that Hilary Bishop of Arles and Maxim Bishop of Riez granted to the Semi-pelagians hindered any body from molesting them tho' they shewed much aversion for the Doctrine of St. Augustine Iulian and the other Bishops banished as I have already observ'd from Italy were gone to Constantinople where they importuned the Emperour to be re-established but as they were accused of Heresie he would grant them nothing without knowing the reasons why they were banished Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople writ about it to Celestine who answered him after a very sour manner and as if it had not been permitted to be informed of the reason of their condemnation reproaching him at the same time with his particular Sentiments His Letter is dated the 12. of August in the year Ccccxxx. It was at that time that St. Augustine died whose Elogium may be found in our Author who approveth of the praises that Fulgentius giveth him in his 2. Book of the Truth of Predestination where he speaks of him as Inspired A little after his death the Letters of Theodosius that had called him to the Council of Ephesus arrived in Africk whence some Bishops were sent thither In the year Ccccxxxi the 22. of Iune this Council composed of CCX Bishops was assembled for the Condemnation of Nestorius Cyril of Alexandria presided there and whilst it was holding Iohn Bishop of Antioch was assembled with 30. other Bishops who made Canons contrary to those of this Council The particulars were that the party of Cyril and that of Iohn reciprocally accused each other of Pelagianism but the greater part approved of the Deposition of Iulian and other Bishops of Italy that Nestorius had used with more mildness He is accused to have been of their opinion and to have maintained that Jesus Christ was become the Son of God by the good use he made of his Free-will in reward whereof God had united him to the Everlasting Word This was the cause that in this Council Pelagianism and Nestorianism were both condemned together But notwithstanding all this and the cares of three Popes Celestinus Xystus and Leo the first Semi-pelagianism was upheld amongst the Gauls It may be that the manner wherewith Celestine writ to the Bishops of France contributed to it because that tho' he condemned Pelagius with heat and praised St. Augustine he said at the end of his Letter that as to the deep and difficult Questions which were found mingled in this Controversie and which were treated at length by those that opposed the Hereticks that as
fit an infinite number of places of the Antient Councils without having respect to the MSS. which makes Vsher to give him the Title of Contaminator Conciliorum As Hilary and Leontius Archbishops of Arles had favoured Semi-Pelagianism Cesario who succeeded Leontius inclin'd to what the Divines of Marseille called Praedestianism to wit the Sentiments of St. Augustine It was by his direction that the second Council of Orange was held in the year DXXXIX which approved the opinions of St. Augustin and our Author gives us an account of all their entire acts A little while after another Council was held at Valence upon the same matters and which also condemned Semi-Pelagianism Boniface II. approved the acts of this Council by a Letter that he writ to Cesario in the year DXXXI and which Vsher hath inserted in his Works Here it is that endeth the History of Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism which was not nevertheless extinguished among the Gauls nor in England by so many Efforts and Decrees of the defenders of Grace as may be seen by the History of Godescalch written by the same Vsher. What can there be concluded from thence according to the Principles of St. Augustin but that God would not apply his Grace to Anathemas to Confiscations to Depositions and to Banishments whereof the Pious Emperors and Holy Councils made use of against the unfortunate Pelagians We may relate the beginning of the third part of the British Antiquities in p. 268. where the Author begins to speak of King Arthur and of the priviledges pretended to be given by him to the University of Cambridge The rest of the Chapter excepting what there is in it concerning Gildas of whose works Vsher makes long Extracts is but a collection of Fables and Citations of Monks The 15 th Chapter treateth of the Colonies that the Facts a People of Scythia and the Scâ—â—ch that inhabited Ireland sent into England and of the manner how these Barbarous People were converted to Christianity There are also in this place more Fables than Truths seeing if we except some general acts the remainder contains only impertinent fictions in this Chapter are also new Fables concerning St. Ursula which some Monks report to have been Daughter to a King of Scotland The 16 and 17 th Chapters which contain the Ecclesiastick Antiquities of Ireland are of the same stamp as the preceding ones and we may wonder how the Archbishop of Armagh hath had the patience to make such a great collection of Fables and to read such a great number of Works of Monks both Manuscript and Printed Those that are minded to know a great part of their fictions concerning the British Isles from the year DXXX unto the end of the fourteenth Age may have recourse to the Original In the same nevertheless may be found some more certain antiquities touching their firâ—â— Inhabitants and the names of these Islands and some considerable changes that happened in them The Author hath also added at the end a Chronological Index where one may see in what time each thing ought to be related It 's a thing much to be wish'd in other Works which contain such disquisitions of Antiquities where commonly there is a strange Confusion Those that desire to be throughly instructed in the Ecclesiastical Antiquities of England ought to add to Vsher's Work whereof we have given now the extract a Book in Folio of Doctor Stillingfleets Intituled Origines Britannicae or the Antiquities of the British Churches with a Preâ—aâ—e concerning some pretended Antiquities relating to Britain in vindication of the Bishop of St. Asaph Printed at London 1685. The true System of the Church or Analysis of Faith c. by Sieur Jurieu Doctor and Professor of Divinity At Dordrecht Sold by the Widdow Caspar and Theodore Goris 1686 in 8vo THIS piece is chiefly designed to answer Mr. Nicoli but the difficulties that Mr. Arnauld Father Maimbourg and the Bishop of Meaux have propos'd in the chapter of the Church are herein examined with the utmost exactness the whole is reduced to these five general questions 1. What are the essential parts of the Church 2. What is the invisibility and maâ—ks thereof 3. What is its extent 4. What is its Vnity and Schism 5. What is its authority and judgments the exact and profound discussion of these matters take up three Books The first is begun by the comparison of the Church with a Human Body animated and it 's pretended that as the essential parts of man are a reasonable Soul and an Organised Body and the Union of this Body and Soul likewise the essential parts of the Church are Faith and Charity the Profession of Faith the outward practice of Charity and the Union of these four Faith and Charity are the Soul of the Church the outward Profession and Practice the Body and according to this Idea neither the Saints in Paradise nor the Predestinated that are not yet born are any part of the Church which is proved by Scripture after that is examined if false Christians and Heretical Societies make part of the Church and having shewn the prodigious incumbrances whereunto the R. C. cast themselves in maintaining that an ill man may be a true member of the Church and even of those Members on whom God confers the Spirit of infallibility We are taught after what manner the men of the World are in the Church and may be lawful Pastors in it Mr. Nicoli stands here a rude brunt for he pretends that his efforts do make St. Augustin agree with the Scholastick Divines upon the question whether the wicked are true Members of the Church which is full of obvious contradictions As to Heretical or Schismatical Societies it 's needless to prove to the R. C. that they do not belong to the Church for they say it often enough yet without giving good reasons why crimes are more priviledged therein than errors but the incumbrance which may be in this respect hindreth not Mr. Iuricu from fully examining this matter he enters therefore into the discussion of the Unity of the Church He maintains always leaning upon his comparison of human bodies that all the Sects of Christianity belong really to the body of the Church and that in this there is no more absurdity than to maintain that a distemper'd Member is a true part of Mans Body he asks whence comes the Idea of the Unity which excludes from the Church all the Christian Societies but one and he persuades himself that the monstrous errors which are raised in the first Ages have been the true Origin of this Idea in accustoming the Orthodox to think that Hereticks are Members wholly separate from the Body He adds that St. Cyp finding this Idea ready at hand applyed the same to the Novations grounded thereon such strong reasons against the validity of the Baptism of Hereticks that nothing of weight was answered him this occasions the Author to criticise on the Hypotheses of St. Cyprians
Antient People from whence Colonies have fill'd all the World as we are taught by the oldest Histories that remain amongst us It 's true also that to this hath been added a thousand Extravagancies touching the Nature of the Divine Being and the manner of Worship done to him But 't is thus that Judaism was corrupted by the Jewish Doctors and the Christian Religion by that of the Christians which have innovated so many Changes that it was hardly known for some Ages Is it not false say they that these two Religions came from Moses and Jesus Christ The same thing hath happen'd to the first Tradition and Aristotle hath believ'd that in effect it was thus his words are too remarkable to be omitted The most profound Antiquity hath left to future Ages under hidden Fables the belief that there were Gods and that the Divinity was displayed in all the Works of Nature There 's added afterwards That these Fables teach us to perswade the People and render 'em more obedient to the Laws for the good of the State although some say that the Gods resemble Men Animals and other things If we keep to those things only which were spoke of in the beginning to wit that the Gods were the Original of Nature there would be nothing said that is unworthy of the Divinity There is some likelihood that the Sciences having been often found out and as often lost these Opinions were preserved until now as the other Doctrines of the Antients Thus we may distinguish the Opinions of our Fathers from those who lived first upon the Earth 'T would be difficult to make a better proof of a matter of fact and some have even dared to say That in Physicks there is rarely proved an existence of one Cause by a great number of effects which are so great in number so divers so sensible and so certain The harmony which is between the parts of the Universe which conspire all to the same end and always keep the same order shews that this Divinity known to all Mankind is one in Number and the same in Concord as may be seen in a State between persons of different humours which live under the same Laws Thus it appears in the March of an Army which obeys its General and thus the Order and Regularity which is seen in a House proves 't was built by one Architect only This all the World acknowledgeth in spite of the great number of Gods the Heathens have made for they themselves confess'd a Supreme Divinity to whom all others were to submit themselves as the Poets even call him The Father the King the Most High the Greatest the Most Excellent of the Gods c. This much Philosophers have acknowledged which say that even all names that are call'd upon by the People shewed but one Divinity only Quoties voles saith Seneca tibi licet aliter tunc Auctorem rerum nostrarum compellare Tot appellationes ejus esse possunt quot Munera hunc Liberum patrem Herculem ac Mercurium nostri putant c. omnia ejusdem Dei nomina sunt variè utentis sua potestate Sophocles says very often in a Tragedy that is lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In truth there is a God and there is but one who hath made the Heaven the Earth the Sea and the Winds nevertheless there are many Mortals who by strange Illusions make Statues and Gods of Stone of Brass of Gold and Ivory to give them speedy deliverance from their evils they offer Sacrifices and consecrate Festivals vainly imagining that Piety consists in Ceremonies Thus Marcillius Ficinus who translated Plato into Latin and who was willing to renew the old Platonick Tenets believes amongst several more that men were offended because they found in Plato the name of God in the Plural Number but this Philosopher did only mean subalternate Gods or Angels that those says he which are not surprized with the number of Angels are not at all astonish'd with the number of Gods because in Plato so many Gods import no more than so many Angels and so many Saints Dr. Barrow concludes upon the whole that the Universal consent of all Nations does very well prove that there is a God and we cannot doubt but that it is very reasonable One may understand by this that the Sermons of this Author are rather treatises or exact dissertations than pure harangues to please a multitude If we were not resolved to keep within the bounds of an unbyassed Historian we might say that there never was a Preacher comparable to this Author but our particular suffrage or rather that of all England ought not to be a president to all Europe The Life of the most Reverend Father in God James Usher late Lord Arch-Bishop of Armagh Primate and Metropolitan of all Ireland with a Collection of 300 Letters which he writ to the most illustrious men of his time for Piety and Learning and some he received from England and other parts Published from the Original by Richard Parr after his Death to whom he had given the Care of his Papers London Sold by Nathaniel Ranew 1686. in Folio THIS Volume is composed of two Parts whereof the one contains the Life of the famous Vsher written by Parr Doctor of Divinity and the other a Collection of divers Letters that this Illustrious Arch-Bishop hath written to several Learned Men of his Time with some of their Answers 1. There have been already seen several Abridgments of the Life of Vsher but as those who compos'd them had not a memory sufficient for the Work so they have given nothing to the Publick but what was very imperfect 'T was this made Dr. Parr undertake to publish what he knew of this Prelate to whom he was Chaplain thirteen years from 1642 to 1655 he knew him throughly in that time and learn'd many circumstances of his Life which those were Ignorant of who lived at a greater distance Dr. Parr hath also received much assistance from the Papers of Vsher which among others fell into his hands and from the Conversations that he hath had with Mr. Tyrrel his Grandson a Gentleman of an extraordinary merit The Primate of Ireland was Universally esteem'd during his Life and his works are still in so great a reputation that men will not be sorry to see here a little Abridgment of his History Iames Vsher was born at Dublin the fourth of Ianuary 1580. his Fathers name was Arnold and was one of the six Clerks of the Chancery The Family of the Vshers is very Antient altho' the right name is not Vsher but Nevil but one of the Ancestors of our Archbishop chang'd it into that of Vsher because he was Usher to King Iohn who ascended the Throne of England 1199. our Prelate had from his Infancy an extraordinary passion for Learning Two Scotch Gentlemen who advis'd him in his studies entertain'd him with much care The one was nam'd Iames Fullerton the
other Iames Hamilton They went into Ireland by order of the King of Scotland to form some agreement with the Protestant Nobility of that Country intending thereby to assure himself of that Kingdom in case Q. Elizabeth died suddenly The better to cover their enterprise and to give no Umbrage to a Queen extreamly suspitious they set themselves to teach Latin at Dublin where at that time 't was very rare to find persons learn'd in Humanity Vsher having profited very much by them in a little time seem'd to have a particular inclination to Poetry which he afterwards chang'd into as great a desire of understanding History that which created this inclination in him was reading these words of Cicero Nescire quid antra quam natus sis acciderit id est semper esse puerum his Annals and his other writings sufficiently shew what progress he had made in this study whereof he has given sensible proofs in his Infancy Being in the University of Dublin establish'd principally by the care of Henry Vsher his Uncle Archbishop of Ardmagh He set himself to read the Fortalitium fidei of Stapleton which made him resolve to apply himself to the reading of the Fathers to see if this Author had cited them faithfully he began to put this design in execution at 20 years old and continued this Study without intermission for 18 years obliging himself to read every day a certain task His Father had a mind to divert him from it and engage him to Study the Law to which our Prelate had no inclination but in 1598. he dying soon after left his Son at Liberty to chuse what manner of life was most pleasing to him he was the eldest son of the family and the estate his Father left was considerable enough to make him apply all his time in Domestick affairs This made him resolve to put off this trouble and to remit the Estate to his Brother with orders to give to his Sisters what their Father had left them reserving only to himself what would maintain him in the University with a sufficiency to buy himself some Books Whilst he was at the University and but yet 18 years old he disputed against a Jesuit call'd Fitz-Symmons and overcame him in two conferences which made this Jesuit afterwards in a Book Intituled Britannomachia call him the most learn'd of those who are not Catholicks A-Catholicorum Doctissimum he made so great a progress in the first years that he apply'd himself to Divinity that his Uncle Archbishop of Ardmagh ordain'd him Priest at the 21 year of his Age. This ordination was not conformable to the Canons but the extraordinary merit of young Vsher and the necessities of the Church made him believe it was not necessary to stay till the age mark'd out by the Ecclesiastical Laws of Ireland He preach'd then at Dublin with very great applause he particularly devoted himself to the controversies which were between the Protestants and Roman Catholicks he treated on them so clearly and with so much solidity that he confirm'd many wavering Protestants and prevailed with many Roman Catholicks to embrace the Protestant Faith But amongst those who rank'd themselves in the Protestant Churches there was a great number that were not so sincere as he could have wished them they did all they could to obtain the publick exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion at Dublin that they might insensibly have had the Liberty to make a profession of their true Sentiments Vsher who believ'd that this toleration wou'd be of a very dangerous consequence oppos'd it with all his might and one day as he Preacht upon this matter with great zeal he spoke something which then no notice was taken of but 40 years after it was found to be a true Prophecy he took his Text upon these words of Ezek. ch 4. v. 5. And thou shalt bear the Iniquity of the house of Judah 40 days I have appointed thee a day for a year He applied these days to Ireland and said that he who reckon'd from this year to 40. should find that the Protestants of Ireland should bear the Iniquity of those who were for a toleration in these times this was in 1601. and 40 years were no sooner expired 1641. but the Irish Catholicks made a bloody Massacre upon the Protestants He never wholly discontinued to Preach whilst he was in Ireland altho he was Professor of Divinity in that University but he accustom'd himself to make a Voyage every three years into England where he found a greater variety of Books than in Ireland there he past one part of his time at Oxford another at Cambridge and another at London and carefully visited all their publick and particular Libraries he made collections of what Books he there read and made remarks upon them with a design to make a work that he had resolved to Intitule A Theological Bibliotheque wherein he had treated very accurately of all the Ecclesiastical Antiquities but the misfortunes of Ireland and the Civil Wars of England hinder'd him from finishing it he ordered when he died that it should be put into the hands of Mr. Laugbaine Dr. of Divinity to supply what was wanting and publish them to the World This learn'd man engag'd himself forthwith in this useful work but he died before he finished it 1657. There is yet to be seen in the Bodleyane Bibliotheque his Manuscripts which no man dares undertake to finish In 1615. there was a Parliament in Ireland and an assembly of the Clergy where certain Articles were compos'd touching Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline Vsher who was the chief in it caus'd it to be sign'd by the Chancellor of Ireland and by the Orators of the Assembly of the Bishops and of the Clergy King Iames approved of 'em also altho' there was some difference between these and the Articles of the Church of England some ill dispos'd persons and it may be Roman Catholicks took occasion from that to spread evil reports of Vsher. They accused him of Puritanism which was no little Heresie in the opinion of the King they also made use of this artifice to render those odious who appear'd the most capable of opposing the progress that the Missionaries of Rome endeavoured to make in Ireland Indeed the people knew not what this word signified and wherein Heresie consisted but it was known the King mortally hated Puritans and that was sufficient to make 'em look upon these Puritans as most dangerous Hereticks 't was this that obliged an Irish Divine to write to Vsher who was that time in England that it would not be amiss to desire the King to define Puritanism that all the World might know those who were tainted with this strange Heresie but Vsher had no need to make use of this way to justifie himself some conversations that he had with the King setled so good an opinion of him that the Bishopprick of Meath in Ireland being vacant the King gave it him immediately and
said also that Usher was a Bishop that he had made because that he had appointed him so without being sollicited to it by any person this Election was made in 1620. Returning into Ireland sometime after he was oblig'd to discourse some persons of Quality of the Roman Religion to administer to 'em the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy that they had refused to the Priest this discourse is inserted in his Life he remarks the form of this Oath is compos'd of two parts the one positive in which they acknowledge the King is Soveraign in all cases whatsoever and the other negative in which they declare they acknowledge no Jurisdiction or Authority of any strange Prince in the estates of the King he says afterwards in regard of the first part that the Scripture commands that we submit our selves to the Higher Powers and that we ought to acknowledge that the power the Kings have whatsoever it may be is Supream as they are Kings upon which he cites this verse of Martial Qui Rex est Regem maxime non habeat That one ought well to distinguish the power of the Keys from that of the Sword and the King of England does not exact an acknowledgment of the same power that is possess'd by the Bishops but nevertheless the Kings may interest themselves with Ecclesiastical Affairs in as much as it regards the body since according to the Church of Rome 't is the Magistrates duty to punish Hereticks For that which regards the second part of the Oath where it 's said that we shall not own any strange power as having any Iurisdiction Superiority Preheminence Ecclesiastical or Temporal in the Kingdom He says that if St. Peter were still alive he would willingly own that the King had this Authority in Ireland and that he us'd the same in regard of all the Apostles that the Apostleship was a personal dignity which the Apostles have not left hereditary to any but nevertheless suppose it was so he sees not why St. Peter should leave it to his successors rather than St. Iohn who outliv'd all the Apostles that there was no reason to believe that St. Peter shou'd leave the Apostolical Authority to the Bishops of Rome rather than to those of Antioch this last Church being founded before the first The King writ to Vsher to thank him for this Discourse which produced so good effect He afterwards went into England by the King's order to collect the Antiquities of the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland and publish'd two years after that his Book intituled De Primordiis Ecclesiarum Britannicarum 'T was in that time that the King made him Arch-Bishop of Armagh The Winter following he caused to be brought before him the Order for Toleration of the Roman Catholicks and the Lord Falkland then Deputy for the King in Ireland convocated and assembled the whole Nation to settle this Affair But the Bishops call'd by the Primate oppos'd it with much heat as may be seen by a Remonstrance sign'd by ten Bishops besides the Primate and which is in the 28th page They also spoke of raising some Forces by the Joynt consent both of Catholicks and Protestants to hinder any differences that might arise in the Kingdom the Protestants refus'd to consent thereto and wou'd not hearken to discourse the Primate thereupon in the Castle of Dublin altho' his reasonings were founded upon the principal Maxims of the Government of Ireland and maintain'd by Examples drawn from the Antient and Modern Histories of that Kingdom During the time our Primate stayed in Ireland after he had performed the Duties of his Charge which he acquitted with extraordinary care he employed the remaining part of his time to study the fruits whereof were to be seen in 1631. in the first Latin book which he ever published in Ireland 't is his History of Godescalch Monk of the Abby of Orbais who lived in the beginning of the 6th Age there was soon made a small abridgment of the History of Pelagianism which was then extreamly dispersed through Spain and England when he comes to the History of Godescalch he explains his Doctrine and shews by Flodoard and other Authors of that time that those sentiments whereof Hincmar Archbishop of Rhemes and Rabanus Archbishop of Maynce accused him and which were condemn'd by their Authority in two Councils were the same that St. Remigius Archbishop of Lyons and the Clergy of his Diocess defended openly many opinions and odious consequences according to Vsher were fathered upon Godescalch because that this Monk who maintained the opinions of St Augustine about Predestination and Grace did not at all understand ' em Ioannes Scotus Erygenus wrote a treatise against him in which are to be found the principal heads of Vsher but Florus Deacon of the Church of Lions answers it and censures him in the Name of all the Diocess Vsher gave an abridgment of this Censure as also of divers other treatises as that of St Remigius Pudentius Bishop of Troy Ratramus Monk of Corbi who writ against Scotus for his defence of Godescalch there had been two Councils which established the doctrine of this Monk and condemn'd that of Scotus 'T is true that Hincmar published a very large Book against these Councils which he dedicated to Charles le Chauve as Flodoard reports who shews briefly what it is that this Book treats of but that did not at all hinder St. Remigius and those of his Party to convocate another Council at Langres where they confirm'd the Doctrine established in the former Councils and condemn'd that new one of Scotus These Controversies were still agitated in the National Council of the Gauls where nothing was concluded altho' Barancus and others voted that Godescalch should be condemn'd there On the contrary Vsher maintains that in an Assembly which was in a small time after his Sentiments were approv'd of Nevertheless this wicked Godescalch was condemn'd by the Council of Maynce to perpetual Imprisonment where he was severely treated because he would never retract his Errours There are still two Confessions of his Faith by which one may see there are many things attributed to him which he never believ'd after having made a faithful report of the Sentiments of this Monk and those of his Adversaries Vsher concludes that it were better for men to be silent upon these matters than to scandalize the weak in proposing to 'em such Doctrines from which they may draw bad consequences There has been adds Mr. Parr and always will be different Opinions upon the great and abstruse Questions of Predestination and Free Will which nevertheless may be tolerated in the same Church provided those who maintain these divers Opinions have that Charity for one another which they ought to have That they condemn them not publickly That they abstain from mutual Calumnies and that they publish no Invectives against those who are not of the same Sentiments To return to the Life of our Prelate who altho' he
with this dignity which gave them the Preference because they were the three chief Cities of the World The second Question is whether the Bishop of Carthage was subject to the Patriarch of Rome or Alexandria and answer is made that he was subject to neither because he was a Primaâ—e himself of one of the thirteen Dioceses whereof we have spoken As to Jurisdiction he saith that according to the Canons of the Councils the order of the differences amongst Ecclesiasticks and all that concerned the Clergy was immediately to be carried before the Metropolitan and by an appeal before the Primate without acknowledging the Superiority of the Patriarchs That which makes the difficulty is that St. Augustine said that St. Cicilian in his difference with Donatus appeals to the Bishops beyond Sea But answer is made that that ought to be understood of the Council and not of a particular Bishop as that of â—ome who would draw the honour thereof to himself and attributed that Right to himself from the time that the Vandals under their King Genserick destroy'd all Africk as the Popes have done since in regard to the Greek Church by the fall of the Eastern Empire The third Question is an enquiry whether or no England ever depended on the Patriarch of Rome and it s decided in the Negative It had it's Primate who was the Bishop of York For although London according to the Relation of Tacitus was already famous through commerce notwithstanding the City of York was the Capital the Vicar of the Empire resided there and the Emperor Constance Father of Constantine the Great died there If the Gallican Church hath it's Liberties the English Church is not wanting this is examined in a Treatise which followeth those we have already spoken of but 't is not Vshers The Author establisheth for a Foundation that under the ancient Law the Priesthood and Royalty was joyned together and that when they were separated the whole Authority always remained in the Person of the Prince Which is justified by the example of Solomon who nominated Abiathar to perform the Function of High Priest and by other Examples inserted in the request that was presented to King Philip the Fair by all his Subjects against the enterprizes of Pope Boniface VIII And he thence concludes that the outward Policy of the Church belonged always to the Prince and that it 's he alone who hath the power to convocate Councils and in particular by that of Nice and Constantinople which were assembled by the Authority of the Emperours and confirmed by Constantine the Great and Theodosius the Great For tho' the Intrinsick Authority depended on the Word of God the Extrinsick nevertheless depended on the Imperial Seal to give them the force of publick Law From whence he infers Patriarchs were not erected but by the Councils and Authority of the Emperours and chiefly that of Rome the Author evidently demonstrates this dignity was not attributed to it but by the respect that the Fathers and Councils had for the Capital of the Vniverse which was adorned with the Senate and Empire To convince these who are most prejudic'd in favour of the Court of Rome we shall relate but the terms of the last Council save one The Canon of the Council of Calcedon as it is to be seen in the Manuscripts of the Libraries of M. de Thou and M. Iustel He says that the Priviledges of Rome were granted by the Fathers because it was the Mistris of the World Quod urbs illa imperarèt Neither by Divine nor Apostolick Institution as he observes but a motive purely Temporal Therefore also the same Canon grants to Constantinople new Rome the first rank after old Rome for the same reasons because it was also honoured by the Senate and Imperial Throne After that the Author descends to the Priviledges of the English Church and maintains it did not depend on the Roman Patriarch because it was a different Diocess and that it was not in the number of the Suburbicary Provinces This Verse only is a proof on 't Ad penitùs toto divisos orbe Britannos It 's also further justified by this particular circumstance that the English celebrated the Passover according to the Custom of the East and conformed not to the West Having thus prepared the Mind he shews that the Order of Parliament under Henry the 8. who shook off the Popes Yoak was not a new Law but the re-establishment of the Ancient Laws and Maxims of the Kings of England who have maintained in all Ages that the Excommunications of the Pope were void in England and he brings many Examples to prove it He thence draws this Consequence that the Church of England cannot be aspers'd with the odious term of Schismatick because it hath not raised Altar against Altar that it hath kept it's Ancient Government and can shew a Succession of Bishops not interrupted since the beginning of Christianity and consequently it had sufficient Authority to reform it self There is added to these Treatises the advice of Iohn Barnesius a Benedictine Monk Who much disapproved these flatterers of the Court of Rome who have incens'd the Minds of men in maintaining that the Kingdom of England owes any homage to the Holy See and have caused this breach with the Pope He saith it would be very happy if the Pope for the good of Peace would again receive into his Communion the Kingdom of England without rendering it dependant on him until a Council may cure the evil But the Court of Rome never lets go its hold and it 's long since that Pope Paul the fourth answered to this Proposition of Barnesius For the Embassadors of England under Queen Mary asking him Absolution in the Name of the whole Kingdom he omitted not to demand of them if he might send an Exactor of the Tribute of St. Peter declaring unto them that they should not expect this Apostle should open them the Gate of Heaven whilst they retained his Patrimony upon Earth Barnesius confesseth it 's very hard to be submitted to the Pope who when he pleaseth Arms the Subjects against their King and adds that the Councils of Constance and Basil having declared those Hereticks who hold that the Pope was not Inferiour to General Councils the Modern Popes are in the Case of Excommunication declared by these Councils This he saith not to quarrel with his Holiness but humbly to insinuate unto him the means of bringing back so fine a Kingdom into the bosom of the Church Notwithstanding the good Intentions of this poor Monk have been very ill acknowledged for he was sent out of Paris strip'd of his habit tied like a fierce beast and uncompassionately dragg'd to Rome and there cast into the dark Dungeon of the Inquisition where he miserably expired An Extract of the Letters of Grotius I. PART The Subject Criticks and Divinity WE have not seen until now but a very small Number of the Letters of this Great Man the
for the honour of the Roman Communion they must be Answer'd The Third Column will produce an infinite number of Books of Controversie which may last a long time for Questions of matters of Fact are sometimes an Abyss whereof the bottom is never seen The Philosophers of this Country will be less impatient for these Books than for the Apology for that they hope that the Author of the Apology will teach them many curious things touching the Nature of the Soul and the Easiness of changing Opinions from morning to night for without this their Apology will seem to want one of its most Essential Parts because the Cartesians have made the World experience sensibly the great force of Prejudices that there are but few thinking Men but believe that there would be need of the Adress of the most able Philosopher for two years to persuade all People that Sensible Qualities are only in the Soul that the Earth moves continually that Body and Space are the same thing c. And upon this they imagine some hardness of the Fibres of the Brain for Fâ—ith But in all likelyhood they will be otherwise lookt upon in the Apology and it will be Mechanically Explicated unto them a Method to be instructed in four days which makes People to pass from white to black in Doctrines sucked in with their Milk as of Matters of the greatest and most eminent importance The British Theater or the True History of Great Brittain Written by Gregorio Leti Amsterdam Sold by Abraham Wolfang 1684. 5 Vol. in 12. THe Author of this Book hath made himself known long since by a greaâ— many fine Italian Pieces which have been Translated into divers Tongues and amongst others by Italia Regnante by Itinerario della Carte di Roma by Politica de Principi by il Livello Politico by i Diala hi politici by Vita di Philippi II. and by la vita de Gisto V. Printed lately at Paris being Translated into very fine French The Praise of some of these Works may be seen in the Journal of the Learned Mr. Leti hath published the most part of them at Geneva where he lived several years In the First Book of the second Volume of this Brittish Theater is the reason why he left it He went into France immediately upon it and presented to the King a Panegyrick which he had made upon that Monarch Entituled la Fama Gelo sa della Fortuna The Gallant Mercury of the Month of Iuly 1680. and the Journal of the Learned of the 29th of the same Month speak much in the Commendation of the Person of Mr. Leti and of the Panegyrick which he presented at the same time to the King at Fontainebleau He was very well received by this Prince yet notwithstanding he made no stay at his Court because he saw there was nothing to be done there for Protestants he chose therefore to withdraw into England He was soon known there and honoured with a considerable Present by our King some few days after his arrival Which also obliged him to Compose a Panegyrick upon His Majesty who received it very Graciously He afterwards got leave to carry on the History of England and the Secretaries of State received Orders to fuâ—nish him with the Memoires which he would require This was the reason why this Work was much talkt of As it was one day spoken of at the King 's getting up some one said That he did not believe that a Stranger could succeed in Writing the History of England others maintained That a Stranger would succeed better because he would speak with less Interest and that there ought to be no difficulty made to furnish him with requisites for it rather than to a Native born The King who excells in Reparties said thereupon Let him alone if he doth well it is so much the better if not 't will excite some other to try to acquit himself better The Author knowing what was said of his Work afore-hand neglected nothing of what could be useful to him He visited carefully the Wisest Persons of England and had considerable Memorials of them He informed himself of the Antiquities of the Laws and of the Customs of the State and of all the Particularities of the Countrey It must not be forgotten that he was made a Member of the Royal Society by the Nomination of the Deceased Duke of Norfolk He begun with describing the Antient and Modern State of Great Brittain which he included in two Volumes in 4to He proposed to himself to compose three others for the History it self of the Country Whilst he was about these two first Volumes the King asked him one day If his History would be soon ended He Answered That he feared it would be finished too soon And why reply'd the King Because Answer'd Mr. Leti I fear the Destiny of Historians which is to be recompenced by Exile or Imprisonment You are too Wise reply'd the King to expose your self to that If one was as wise as Solomon answered the Author ones destiny cannot be avoided Well then added the King if you believe there is so much danger in Writing Histories Write Proverbs as Solomon did That seemed to be a Presage of what hapned afterwards but Mr. Leti ceased not to go on in his Work and even to say to the Court when the occasion offer'd That he Writ a History and not a Panegyrick that they should dispose themselves so as to see the Truth there without Flattery as well as without Satyrs As soon as the Edition of these two Volumes were ended he presented them to the King and Queen to whom they were Dedicated to the Duke and Dutchess of York They were very well received and during ten days Mr. Leti was seen at Court as favourably as afore He believed then that seeing the King who was willing to read the Work himself and who stayed up very late some nights to end the Reading thereof said nothing it was a sign the Book did not displease him From that time he made divers Presents to the Ambassadors who were at London and to the Lords of the Court It was it seems through the suggestion of an Ambassador that this Work which the King had read without any apparent dislike passed for a dangerous Book and hurtful to the State as treating too openly and too clearly of such Truths as were thought would be better concealed The Council assembled divers times thereupon and it was at last concluded That all the Copies should be seized which the Author had and that he should be commanded in Ten days to depart England The thing was executed but mildly One may see what Mr. Leti saith thereof p. 16. of the Second Volume He relates in the Preface of the First something a Prelate said to him which deserves to be taken notice of Signior Gregorio saith he unâ—o him a few days afore he left London voi avete fatto l' Historia per altri non
are very curious Particulars There is the Life of famous M rc Antony de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalatro included in a Letter written from Rome The Author had already published it in the Third Part of his Brittanica Politica It is a very curious Piece wherein is seen how this Prelate imbraced the Protestant Religion and how being deluded by the Promises of Dom Diego Sarmianto de Acuna Ambassador of France in England and by that of the Court of Rome he returned into Italy where he unhappily ended his Days without obtaining any thing of what he hoped There also is a Letter of Pope Gregory XV. to the Prince of Wales who was since Charles I. Upon his Marriage with the Infanta of Spain and an Answer of this Prince to the Pope The Fifth Book contains the Reign of the same Prince where his Innocence may be seen and the unheard of Violence of his Subjects described without partiality and all the Proceedings which were made against him The last Volume is composed of Six Books The first contains the History of Cromwell's Usurpation more exact and sincere that it had been heretofore Hitherto have been but Satyrs or Panegyricks thereupon The Creatures of Cromwell have raised him up to the Clouds and his Enemies have omitted nothing that might defame him The Author pretends that he hath been the greatest Politician and the greatest Captain of his time and that he was much more able to Reign than several of those whom Providence hath plac'd upon the Throne by Inheritance But he sheweth on the other side That he was a Cheat and a Tyrant who after having dipped his hand in the Innocent Blood of his Master all his Life cheated the People by a specious Zeal for Religion The Second Book contains the History of Charles the II. until his Restauration In this Book are seen the Honours which were rendred to him in Holland his Magnificent Entry into London his Clemency to those who had bore Arms against him and his Justice towards the Murderers of his Father The same History is continued in the Third Book from the Year M. DC LXI unto the Year M. DC LXXX There is also the Life of the Duke of York until his Marriage with Chancellour Clarendon's Daughter the Quarrel which happened between the Ambassadours of France and Spain about Precedency The subtilty wherewith the Spanish Ambassador carried it the Marriage of the Princess Henrietta and that of the King the War of England with Holland and with France the Peace that was made afterwards with both the others which was followed with a secret Treaty betwixt England France appeared in M. DC Lxxii the Marriage of the Duke of York with the Princess of Modena the Calling Prorogation and dissolving different Parliaments In fine the Discovery which Oates and Bedlow made of a Conspiracy which made so great noise and whereof this Author appears not very much persuaded We find in the fourth Book the sequel of the same Troubles and the History of what passed in the Parliaments convocated in M. DC.LXXX at London and Oxford There is particularly in this Book one thing of very great importance which the Author relates with as much sincerity as if none was interessed therein Which are 1. The Endeavours the Parliament of England made to exclude the Duke of York from the Crown 2. The Reasons which were alledged for this 3. The manner wherewith the Creatures of this Prince defended his Rights The Author endeth this Book by the Description of Pensilvania without omitting either the Offers which are made to those who will go to inhabit it or the manner they may be established in it The fifth Book begins with the Encomium of the House of Savoy and tells us afterwards with a very great exactness the means which Madam c. made use of in M. DC LXXX and M.DC.LXXXII to obtain of his British Majesty that the Ambassadours of Savoy shou'd be received in London like those of Crowned Heads It is one of the finest places of the whole Work and they who love to read the particulars of a Negotiation cannot read a more curious one nor one better related than this The last contains the Affair of Count Koningsmarc with all its Circumstances which is a very good History and whence the manner may be Learned after what Strangers are judged in England Here it is that the Work endeth The Author promiseth us in his Preface another Volume where all will appear which hath happen'd in England till these latter Years The Style of this History as well as the other Works of Mr. Leti is easy and without Affectation contrary to the custom of most Italian Writers But what is most considerable is that he relateâ— Matters so nakedly and speaks so freely of the Interests of the greatest Princes of Europe that perhaps one day persons will not be easily persuaded that the Author had caused this Work to be printed during his Life and the life of those of whom he speaks if at the beginning the Year had not been marked wherein it was printed Mr. Leti hath since written a Book which treats of all that concerneth Embassies There may not only be seen the modern use of all Courts in this respect but the ancient also so that it will be a History of great concern The Author is not contented to speak of the Duties and Priviledges of all the Ministers which one Soveraign sends to another but of each according to the Degree of his Character he speaks largely also on the Origine of this Function and upon all the Principalities which are formed in the World He relates several Examples of Ambassadours who have committed gross Mistakes and gives Instructions how to manage worthily this Post according to the different Courts wherein they are oblig'd to reside Men will easily believe that a Work which treats of things of this nature and of so great a number of others is worthy of Publication An Examination of the Infallibility and Right which the Roman Church pretends to have in Judging Absolutely in Matters of Controversie 8 vo 1687. 255. WHilst the Romish Church makes use of all the Power of Soveraigns to re-unite to its Communion those who have quitted it Protestants oppose these progresses by coâ—ntaining their Cause with the soundest Reasons which they can think upon Though they differ amongst themselves about several Speculative Doctrines they perfectly agree upon Morality and the Worship which we owe to the Divinity they also in general are of one Mind in those Principles of Religion which they admit in respect to Holy Writ and have all an extream aversion for that Church which pretends to be a Judge in its own Cause and which without delay forceth those it calls Hereticks to a Worship which is against their Consciences Amongst the Protestant Societies there is none who hath declared it self more openly against Human Authority in matter of Religion and against the Constraining and Spirit of
of Solid Piety and very fit to remove the Abuses whereunto Superstition wou'd engage ' em The Bishop of Mysia Suffragan of Cologne the Vicar General of that City the Divines of Gant Malines and Lovain all approved it Nevertheless the Iesuite assures that That Writing scandalized the good Catholicks that the Learned of all Nations refuted it that the Holy See condemned it and that in Spain it was prohibited to be printed or read as containing Propositions suspected of Heresie and Impiety tending to destroy the particular Devotion to the Mother of God and in general the Invocation of Saints and the Worship of Images There are now near 10 Years past since M. Meaux kept us in Expectation of Mr. Noguier and M. Bastides Refutation but at length instead of an Answer in form there only appeared a second Edition of his Book bigger by half than the first by an Addition of an Advertisement in the beginning of it One may soon judge that it does not cost so much pains to compose 50 or 60 pages in Twelves as the taking of the City of Troy did But tho' the time was not very long it was too long to oblige all that time the Pope and the Court of Rome to give their Approbation to a Book so contrary to their Maxims Without doubt the Secret was communicated to them and they were assured That as soon as the Stroke was given and the Hugonots converted either by fair or foul means what seemed to be granted would be recalled Some Roman Catholicks worthy of a better Religion suffered thro' the ignorance of this Mystery A Prior of Gascogne Doctor in Divinity called M. Imbert told the People that went to the Adoration of the Cross on Good Friday in 83. That the Catholicks adored Iesus Christ crucifyed on the Cross but did not adore any thing that they saw there The Curate of the Parish said it was the Cross the Cross but M. Imbert answered No no it is Iesus Christ not the Cross. This was enough to create trouble this Prior was called before the Tribunal of the Arch-bishop of Bordeaux and when he thought to defend himself by the Authority of M. Meaux and by his Exposition what was said against that Book was objected to him that it moderated but was contrary to the Tenets of the Church After which he was suspended from Ecclesiastical Functions the Defendant provided an Appeal to the Parliament of Guienne and writ to M. de Meaux to implore his protection against the Arch-Bishop who threatned him with a perpetual Imprisonment and Irons it is not known what became of it The History of M. de Witte Priest and Dean of St. Mary's of Malines is so well known that I need not particularize upon it Our Author refers us here to what the Journals have said It is known what Persecutions he has suffered for expressing the Popes Supremacy and Infallibility according to M. de Meaux's Doctrine He did not forget to alledge that Bishops Authority and to say That his Exposition required no more of a Christian and an Orthodox but this did not hinder the University of Lovain to judge that Proposition pernicious and scandalous that intimates that the Pope is not the Chiefest of Bishops In the mean time the Reformed did not forget M. de Meaux his Advertisement did no sooner appear but it was refuted by Mr. de la Bastide and Mr. Iurieâ— a little after made his Preservative against the change of Religion in opposition to that Bishops Exposition But all these Books and those that were writ against his Treatise of the Communion under the two Kinds had no Answer this Prelate expecting booted Apologists who were to silence his Adversaries in a little time The Roman Catholicks of England notwithstanding their small number flattered themselves with hopes of the like Success having at their head a bold couragious Prince and one that would do any thing for them They had already translated M. Condom's Exposition of 1672 and 1675 into English and Irish and as soon as they saw King Iames setled on his Brothers Throne they began to dispute by small Books of a leaf or two written according to the method of the French Bishop The Titles with the Answers and the several Defences of each Party may be had in a Collection printed this present Year at London at Mr. Chiswells which is Entituled A Continuation of the present State of Controversy between the English Church and that of Rome containing a History of the printed Books that were lately published on both sides The Gentlemen of the Roman Church did begin the Battel by little Skirmishes but found themselves after the first or second firing without Powder or Ball and not able to furnish scattered Sheets against the great Volumes made against them said at last instead of all other answer that the little Book alone entituled The Papist Misrepresented and there represented a-new was sufficient to refute not only all the Dissertations which the English Divines lately published against Papists but all the Books and Sermons that they ever preached against Catholicks It is to no purpose to take the trouble of Disputing against people that have so good an Opinion of their Cause And in consequence of this the English answer to M. de Meaux's Exposition and the Reflections on his Pastoral Letter of 1686. met with no Answer as well as several other Books But Dr. Wake had no sooner published his Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England but these Gentlemen which know better to assault than to defend made a Book Entituled A Vindication of the Bishop of Condom 's Exposition with a Letter of that Bishop Because we do not design to enter on the particulars of these Controversies we will only take notice as to what past That First M. de Meaux denyed that any Roman Catholick writ against or did design to write against it Secondly That Sorbonne did not refuse approving his Book Thirdly He says his Exposition was reprinted to alter those places which the Censurers had improved and maintains that it was put into the Press without his knowledge and that he had a new Edition made only to change some expressions that were not exact enough Fourthly That he neither read nor knew any thing of Father Cresset's Book Dr. Wake published the Defence of his Exposition about the middle of the same year 1686 where he shews First That the deceased Mr. Conrait a Man acknowledged by both Parties to be sincere had told many of his Friends that he saw this Answer in Manuscript and other persons of known honesty that are still living assured the Author that they had this Manuscript in their hands Dr. Wake justifies his Accusations on the 2d and 3d heads by so curious a History that it seems worthy of being believed He says that one of his Acquaintance who was very familiar with one of Marshall de Turenne's Domesticks was the first that discover'd this Mystery For this
which they quote the Arch-bishop Laud Iackson Feilding Hâ—ylin Hammond and M. Thorndike There is not one but has writ the contrary These are the Points whereon the Enemies of Protestants would make the Church of England pass for half Papists tho there is not one but was taught by other Reformed excepting Episcopacy And this Government is so ancient that even those who think Presbytery better ought not to condemn for some little difference in Discipline a Church that is otherwise very pure unless they are minded to anathematize St. Ignatius St. Clement St. Polycarp St. Irenaeus St. Cyprian and the whole Church of the second and third Age and a great part of the first Without question the Episcopal Clergy of England have the like Charity for Presbyterians I will not alledge the Testimonies of Modern Doctors nor of such as were accused of having favoured the pretended Puritans we see the Marks of its mildness and moderation towards all excepâ—ing some turbulent Spirits amongst 'em which indeed are too common in all Societies If there ever was a time wherein the Church of England differed from Presbytery and had reason so to do it was in the middle of the Reign of K. Iamss the First and notwithstanding you may see how the Bishop of Eli speaks writing for the King and by his Order against Cardinal Bellarmin One may see how much the Protestants of this Country agree by Harmony of their Confessions where each Church acknowledges wherein she agrees with the rest Then lay aside those odious Names seek our Professions of Faith in our Confessions The Reproach you make us concerning the Puritans is altogether absurd because their number is but small and the most moderate among them agree with us in the chief Articles of Religion The Scotch Puritans Confession has no Error in Fundamental Points so that the King might say with reason That the Establish'd Religion of Scotland was certainly true And as for the rest there 's no reason to suspect Dr. Wakes Testimony for the Bishop of London and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury have approved his Books None of the other Doctors contradicted him and some sided with him against Roman Catholicks And these last have not accused him of swerving from the common Doctrine of the Church of England only in the Article of the necessity of Baptism and he proves by several Authorities in his Defence of his Exposition what he therein advanced At the end of this Defence are several curious Pieces 1. A Comparison betwixt the Ancient and Modern Popery 2. An Extract of the Sentiments of Father Cresset and Cardinal Bona concerning the Devotion to the Blessed Virgin 3. The Letter of Mr. Imbert to Mr. de Meaux 4. The Epistle of St. Chrysostom to Caesarius with the Preface of Mr. Bigot which was suppressed at Paris in 1680. and a Dissertation of Dr. Wake upon Apollinarius's Sentiments and Disciples A DISCOURSE of the Holy EUCHARIST wherein the Real Presence and Adoration of the Host is treated on to serve for an Answer to two Discourses printed at Oxford upon this Subject With a Historical Preface upon the same Matter At London 1687. p. 127. in 4to DR Wake Minister of the Holy Gospel at London who is said to be the Author of this Book gives First In few words the History and Origine of Transubstantiation as it hath been ordinarily done amongst Protestants Secondly He names several Illustrious Persons of the Romish Church who have been accused of not believing the Real Presence or Transubstantiation to wit Peter Picherel Cardinal du Perron Barnes an English Benedictine and Mr. de Marca Arch-Bishop of Paris who gave his absolute Sentiment hereon in one of his Posthume Dissertations tho' in the Edition of Paris the places wherein he said it have been changed or blotted out But it could not be hindered but that this Work having appeared before Persons took notice of these Sentiments some entire Copies thereof have fallen into the hands of Protestants who got it printed in Holland in 1669. without cutting off any thing To these Authors are joined F. Sirmond the Iesuite who believed the Impanation and who had made a Treatise upon it which hath never been printed and whereof some persons have yet Copies M. de Marolles who got a Declaration printed in form in 1681. by which he declared that he believed not the Real Presence and which was inserted here in English And in short the Author of the Book Entituled Sure and honest means of Converting Hereticks whom we dare not affirm to be the same who published a Treatise of Transubstantiation which the Fifth Tome of the French Bibliotheque speaks of p. 455. The Cartesians and several others are suspected of not believing the same no more than the Protestants So that if the Catholicks cite some Reformed for them Protestants also want not Catholick Authors who have been of their Opinion Thirdly The Author sheweth the dangerous Consequences which arise according to the Principles of the Romish Church from the incredulity of so many Men of Knowledge be it in respect to Mass or in respect of the Infallibility and Authority of the Church The Treatise it self is divided into two parts The first contains two Chapters and an Introduction wherein is expounded the Nature and Original of the Eucharist much after the Ideas of Lightfoot In the first Chapter Transubstantiation is at large refuted by Scripture by Reason and the Fathers We shall make no stay at it because this Matter is so well known The Second Chapter is imployed to refute what Mr. Walker said concerning the Opinions of several Doctors of the Church of England upon the Real Presence Dr. Wake at first complains That his Adversary in that only repeats Objections which his Friend T. G. had before proposed in his Dialogues and which a Learned Man had refuted in an Answer to these Dialogues printed at London in 1679. As to what concerns the Faith of the Church of England which he maintains to have been always the same since the Reign of Edward He reduces it to this according to the Author who refuted T. G. viz. That she believes only a Real Presence of the invisible Power and grace of Iesus Christ which is in and with the Elements so that in receiving them with Faith it produces Spiritual and real Effects upon the Souls of Men. As Bodies taken by Angels continueth he may be called their Bodies whilst they keep them and as the Church is the Body of Iesus Christ because his Spirit animates and liveneth the Souls of the Believing so the Bread and Wine after the Consecration are the Real Body of Iesus Christ but spiritually and mystically He gives not himself the trouble to prove the solidity of this comparison by Scripture and when he comes to the Examination of the Authors that Mr. Walker hath quoted he contents himself to produce other Passages where they do not speak so vigorously of the participation of the substance of Iesus
than he Spoke What has been said of him may be seen Tome 8. p. 228. and Foll of the Vniversal Bibliotheque The Learned have much Disputed to know if there really had been Hereticks who may be named Predestinarians Some believed they were but Semi-Pelagians who turn'd the Sentiments of St. Augustin into Heresie and consequences of 'em into another Name and others have said that really there were some who had indeed drawn from the Doctrine of this Father this consequence That there was no Free-will and consequently that God would not Iudge Men according to their Works Our Author proves there have been Men who maintained these strange Opinions though there was not enough to make a Sect. After that Dr. Stillingfleet returns to St. Germain and Loup who established Academies or Schools in England and who also introduced here the Gallican Liturgy Upon this Subject he seeks for the Origine of the most antient Schools of England and speaks of the Gallican Liturgy which he compares with the Roman He shews finally the Conformity of the English Church of this time with the Antient British Liturgy and concludes that the Non-Conformists are in the wrong to accuse the Episcopal Church of having received its Liturgy from the Roman Church It sufficeth to speak of this briefly because there are almost none but the English who can be curious of these sorts of things V. The same reason obligeth us to make this use of it in respect of the 6th and last Chapter where the Author treats of the fall of the British Churches He sheweth 1. That all Great Britain was never Conquer'd by the Romans and that the Picts and Scots being not subdued made Excursions upon the Britans 2. That what is said of Scotch and Irish Antiquities is no more assured than what Geoffrey of Monmouth hath published of those of England 3. That as soon as the Barbarous Nations of the North had some knowledge of Sciences they would have Histories as they saw the most Polite Nations had and to descend from some Illustrious People such as the Trojans were the Greeks and the Aegyptians whence an Infinity of Fables hath taken birth 4. That the Evils of the British Churches came from their being exposed to the Fury of the Scots and Picts upon the Declining of the Empire of the West which was no more in a way of helping them and that several times there were Walls or Retrenchments made betwixt Scotland and England to preserve the latter from the Incursions of these Barbarous People 5. That the Britans being afterwards divided one of the Parties called to its help the Saxons whose Origine is here sought for that they repented it soon after and that the Britans were obliged to make War against them whereof divers events are described drawn from the Monastick Histories full of Lyes and at the same time very defective 6. That Armorick Britain was Peopled by a British Colony towards the end of the Fourth Age. There it was that Gildas Writ his Letter where he Addresses himself to Five Kings amongst whom England was divided and describes at large the Vices of the Britans to induce them to Repentance Lastly The Bishop of Worcester Relates the manner how the Prelates of England received the Monk Augustin who was sent hither towards the end of the Sixth Age by Gregory Bishop of Rome This Augustin being made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury by the Pope desired to have a Conference with the British Bishops to whom he represented that they ought to embrace the Unity of the Catholick Church viz. to submit to him and the Pope All that he could obtain is that they asked time to consult and offered afterwards to Answer him in a greater Assembly There were Seven British Bishops and several Learned Men chiefly of the Monastery of Bangor whereof one named Dinot was Abbot The Result of the Assembly was That the Britans altogether refused to submit to the Church of Rome or to Augustin as their Arch-Bishop It is what Beda whose Authority is indisputable in these matters relates of this Conference It is yet found more at large in a M. S. published in the Collection of Mr. Spelman an Antient Britan in English and in Latin As there have been some objections made against this History and this M S. Dr. Stillingfleet Answers 'em at the end of this Chapter Thence he concludes that the British Churches are in the same case in relation to the Dispute they have with the Bishop of Rome as the Churches of Cyprus were in regard to the Bishop of Antioch who would fain be their Patriarch against their Antient Rights according to which they had a particular Metropolitan As the Council of Ephesus condemned the Bishop of Antioch who would extend too far the limits of his Jurisdiction If the pretentions of the Pope upon England be this day judged by the antient Canons he shall infallibly be condemned for striving to extend his Patriarchship in places where he hath not been acknowledged for above 600 years All the WORKS of James Alting Professor of Divinity in the Academy of Groningen Fifth Vol. in Fol. at Amsterdam Sold by Gerard Borstius 1687. THose that have read the Schilo of this Author his Treatises upon the Sabbath the Conversion of the Iews and his Theological and Philosophical Dissertations will not wonder that Mr. Becker Minister of Amsterdam hath taken care to Print all his Works Posthumâ— It hath been thought that the Style of Mr. Alting which is simple enough and sufficiently disengag'd from the terms of Schools would not be ill received in an Age where neatness is so much loved and wherein great words are no more taken for great things This is what may be judged by a general view of the Subjects to which this Divine hath applyed himself and by an Essay that shall be given here of his Method 1. We find in the First Tome an Analysis and Notes upon the Four first Books of Moses and upon the 24 First Psalms a larger Commentary upon Deuteronomy from the first Chapter until the XIX Vers. 11 and Lessons upon all the Prophet Ieremy The 2d contains besides the Parallel of divers Prophecies of the Old Testament cited in the New very ample Commentaries upon several passages of the Old Testament whose sense is given and whose use is shewn in Religion and Morality The 3d and 4th Volumes comprise Expositions of the same nature upon the whole Epistle to the Romans and divers Texts of the New Testament an Analysis of this Epistle and of that to the Colossians with Lessons upon the Epistle to the Hebrews from the beginning to the Ninth Chapter Vers. 10. In the 5th there are the Dissertations which have been already Printed with a very long Treatise upon the Nature of the Sabbath where 't is shewn it was altogether Evangelick Notes upon the Catechism of Heidelberg a Method of the Didactick Divinity Five Heptads of Theological and Philosophical Dissertations the First
the Earth it must fall not being able to keep up being pointed at the end like a Sugar-loaf and the wooden Bowl being rais'd up by the Water will make its Ring to disengage from the small Iron Spike and then it will ascend with such proportion of swiftness as I believe to be unknown Thus without other Artifice one may it seems do the same thing supposing the bottom was firm and that there should be no Vessel As for the other Invention of drawing Water from the bottom of the Sea it is so darkly expounded that it can scarcely be understood one must guess that there were Pails at the two Handles that they were moveable and made like a Spring But without all this ado I have done the same thing before now with a Brasen Pump of about a foot long which I let fall into the Sea with a Cord and which had the same effect as your Pail with its Lead and all its Apparel for the lower Pipes opened themselves in descending and shut themselves in ascending and brought up Water from the bottom of the Sea But I have always found this Water Salt for five or six Fathom deep having made no Experiment lower And certainly if Experience and good Physicks were consulted the Sea should be more Salt in the bottom than at the Surface seeing the Salt being more heavy than the Water it wou'd stay at the bottom and the lightest and sweetest wou'd always rise uppermost as we see by the Rain by Lembicks and by all sorts of Evaporations and I do not believe that one can doubt of this For the Authority of Iohn Hugh van Linschoten a Hollander which says in Chap. 6. of his Voyages that writ in his own Tongue not in English That in the Isle of Baharem which is in the Persian Gulph there is fresh Water found four or five Fathom below the Salt We shou'd doubt this to be Matter of Fact had it not been related by this Author For he knows it not by Experience and relates it by Hear-say as he doth many other false Things were it nothing but what he saith of the Tomb of Mahomet whom he pretends to be in a Coffin of Iron suspended in the Air by a Vault of Stones made of Loadstone which all the World knows to be false But tho' fresh Water shou'd be found at the bottom of the Sea near the Isle of Baharem four or five Fathom under the Salt Water it follows not that one should find it elsewhere For the cause related by Texeira in his Relation De los Reyes de Harmuz where he saith That the Isle of Baharem hath much Water whereof the best is that of certain Wells very deep in the midst of the Isle and that there are great Veins of pure and fresh Water which spring in the next Sea where the Divers go for it above three Fathoms or thereabouts and that they are of Opinion these Fountains were in times past in fiâ—m Ground pretty far from the Sea which hath since covered them So you see that it is a Fact altogether particular from which we ought to not conclude That under 4 or 5 Fathoms of Salt-Water there is commonly sweet Water found but only by such Causes or by the Springing up of some Rivers which are lost under Ground and come out into the Sea by Subterranean Chanels which are sometimes to be found An Extract of an English Iournal Communicated by Mr. Hook how to cause a Plano-convex Glass of a small Sphere to retort the Rays of the Sun upon a Focus of a greater distance than its Convexity requires TAKE two Glasses whereof the one is perfectly flat on both sides the other of one side only and Convex of the other of what Sphere soever so that the flat Glass may be a little larger than the other Afterwards take a Ring of Brass made very round in which you must cement these two so that their Superficies may be exactly parallel and the Convex side of the Planeconvex Glass may be turned inward yet without its touching the flat Superficies of the other Glass Being thus well cemented in the Ring all round pour into a little hole that must be at the brim of the Brass-ring some Oyl of Turpentine Spirit of Wine Salt and acid Liquors c. and having filled the empty Space which is betwixt the two Glasses stop this hole with a Vice and according to the different refraction of the Liquors put betwixt the two Glasses the Focus of this Prospective shall become either longer or shorter Mr. Hook adds That he wish'd he had examined a Tryal among several which may be made upon the possibility of making a Glass wrought in a little Sphere to serve a Prospective of a very great length tho' for fear of promising too much he ought to add That among the Spherick Objects those which are greatest and whose Matter hath a greater Refraction are the best It 's long since that Mr. Hook proposed to Mr. Azout this Problem to lengthen the Focus of Prospectives Mr. Azout gave them a general Solution of it for every length given by the disposition of a second Glass whose Figure he determined as may be seen in his Letters printed by I. Cusson and whereof mention was formerly made in the French Journals But Mr. Hook having inform'd him that the Invention which he had found was very different from what was before thought upon Mr. Picard very understanding in these sorts of Matters proposed about five Months ago the means of lengthning the Focus of Prospectives by Liquors after the same manner as hath been seen in the Journal of England Notwithstanding the Glory of this Invention is always due unto Mr. Hook who hath had the first Thought thereof It 's true there will not be much use drawn from it yet it is very Fine and Curious An Extract of a Letter written from Oxford May 12. 1666. by Mr. Wallis and inserted in the Iournal of England about a Visit to a dead Body struck with Thunder THERE was here a frightful Thunder the 10 of May wherewith two Scholars who were alone in a Boat without a Water-man were unhapily struck and cast out of the Boat into the Water One of them was killed out-right and tho' he was taken out of the Water where he scarcely stayed one Moment yet there appear'd no mark of Life Sense or Motion in him The other was very well yet fallen down in the Boat without being able any way to help himself and as immoveable as a Stake but there appeared no Wound in his Body and all the harm he had was that he remained so troubled in himself that he could not remember how he fell into the Water and whether it was the Thunder or some Lightning which was the cause He remained in this State the Night following and I know not what became of him since As for him who dyed as soon as he was drawn up we endeavoured to bring him to
and also brings some new Reasons to prove it but he denies that they were Esseans He will have them to be a sort of Jewish Philosophers who all applied themselves to Contemplation Reading of the Law and the Prophets and to Prayer He brings several Reasons thereof which may be seen in the Original Mr. Bruno undertakes in this Dissertation to refute Scaliger and Mr. Valois He maintains that the Contemplative Esseans who were near Alexandria were converted by St. Mark contrary to these two Learned Men and endeavors to shew that Mr. de Valois in particular was mistaken when he said that the Contemplatives were no◠Esseans As to this last Opinion we shall make no stay at it because it is particular to Mr. Valois and the Refutation can be read in Mr. Bruno in half a quarter of an hour He is of the Opinion that the Therapeutes of Philo were converted to Christianity 1. Because we find in the Lausiack History of Palladius a Description of a Place wherein the ancient Christian Monks of Alexandria kept themselves exactly like that which Philo gives of the Habitation of the Therapeutes and that there is no appearance that 200 Years after the time of Philo the Christian Monks could have driven the Jews from this Place seeing in that time the Iews were more powerful than they were in Egypt There is much more likelihood that St. Anthony and some other Solitaries of Thebes joined themselves to the Christians who before lived very austerely and introduced thereby the Rules for a Monastical Life a little time before Palladius lived 2. It being very certain that in the time of Iosephus there were three Sects amongst the Iews Pharisees Sadducees and Esseans and that these Sects were not immediately lost it 's very strange that from that time there should be no mention of the Esseans But the Wonder will cease according to Mr. Bruno if it be acknowledged that these Esseans embraced Christianity Scaliger following the Opinion of this Author proved that the Esseans remaining Esseans viz. Iews could not be Christians but hath not proved that they were not become so by abandoning Judaism He speaks more largely in the Refutation of Mr. de Valois This Learned Man said particularly that Philo observed that the Therapeutes had Writings from some ancient Authors of their Sect who interpreted the Law after an Allegorical manner which did not agree with Christians who then had no Ancient Author of their Sect. Mr. Bruno answers to that that they might have been some old Jewish Authors who since the time of the Ptolomy had expounded the Law allegorically and had thus rendred the Iews more proper to receive the Gospel than if they were kept only to the Letter of the Law Such were Eleazar and Aristobulus whereof Eusebius speaks in his Evangelical Preparation Book 8. c. 9. It may be that St. Mark sent the Essean Converts to these Books to convince themselves of the Truth of the Gospel by seeing the Law was expounded therein after a manner conformable to what he told them Mr. Bruno believes even that it was these Books that Jesus Christ had respect two when he said to the Iews Search the Scriptures they are they which speak of me Because to take Prophecies according to to the Letter of the Word it would not be easie to form a clear Idea of the Messia It was necessary that the Christians should be satisfied at that time with the Books of the ancient Iews seeing that under the Emperor Claudius the Books of the New Testament were not as yet published We shall say no more concerning the Dissertation of Mr. Bruno it is so short that those who have a mind to examin his Opinion may read it in less than an hour 3. Mr. Colomie added to the end of this Volume a Collection of Fifty five Letters of divers Learned Men both of the past and present Age there are several which never were Printed and it is certain that those which have already appeared either are more correct in this Edition or such as were become so scarce that it was not easie to meet with them There is no Question treated on in these Letters but some Events of the Times are spoken of in which they were written or some Circumstance about the Life of these great Men or other Places which will divert those who love to be instructed in the least things which concern Manners or the Genius of those whom their Knowledge or their Employments have rendred Illustrious There is for Example a small Address of Father du Moulin in the Fifteenth Letter to Lancelot Andrews Bishop of Winton Father du Moulin writing to this Bishop calls Episcopacy a thing received since the Age which followed that of the Apostles Rem à saeculo Apostolis proximo receptam but as the Bishop reproached him with it he immediately writ à saeculo Apostolorum from the Age of the Apostles After that he blotted out the word Apostolorum and substituted those of Apostolis proximo yet so that what he writ at first might be read The Bishop suspects him to have made this Correction in favour of those who inclin'd to the Opinion of the Presbyterians and of having but half blotted the word which he at first writ to make People suspect that he was not a zealous Presbyterian seeing this word slipt from him before he was aware For the Letter otherwise is so short that it was easie to transcribe it which he undoubtedly had done to a Person of the quality of Bishop Andrews if he had not the design we observed All these Letters are short and there are a great number which were written by English men Amongst others the XLII Letter which is directed to Mr. Anthony de Dominis It 's Ioseph Hall who writes to him and testifies that he is very much scandalized through the Reports which ran then concerning this Arch-Bishop and which were found to be true afterwards It is that he would not quit England but to return into the Bosom of the Roman Church This Letter is very fine and worthy to be read although it had then no effect Some others will be found which are not less curious as the LI tho it treats ill enough of St. Augustin under the name of Traducianus A New Bibliothique of Ecclesiastical Authors Containing the History of their Lives the Catalogue Crisis and Chronology of their Works the sum of what they contain a Iudgment upon their Style and Doctrin with an Enumeration of the different Editions of their Works By Mr. Ellis Du Pin Doctor of the Faculty at Paris and Royal Professor in Philophy Tome Second of the Authors of the Fourth Age of the Church Octavo at Paris 1687. Pag. 1060. THE Design and Method of Mr. du Pin in this new Bibliotheque of Ecclesiastick Authors is very largely treated on in his first Tome an Abstract of which is to be found towards the latter end of this Book which
brings Lazarus and his Sisters at the same time into Provence The strongest reason to persuade us that the Gospel was so soon Preached in England is drawn from a passage of Gildas's which was not well understood Interea glaciali frigore rigenti Insulae veluti longiori Terrarum Recessu soli visibili non proximae verus ille non de firmamento solum Dr. Stillingfleet reads Sol sed de summa etiam those who read Solum for Sol have also added this Etiam for the clearing of the sense coelorum arce tempora cuncta excedente universo orbi praefulgidum sui coruscum ostendens tempore ut scimus summo Tiberii Caesaris quo absque ullo impedimento ejus propagabatur Religio comminata senatu nolente a Principe morte dilatoribus Militum ejusdem radios suos primum indulget id est sua praecepta Christus These words of Gildas were taken until now as if he meant that the Gospel was Preached in England towards the end of Tiberius's Reign But thus the Bishop of Worcester understands them Jesus Christ the true Sun who as 't is known made his Light to shine over all the Vniverse towards the end of Tiberius 's Reign at which time his Religion was propagated without hinderance in spight of the Senate because this Prince threatned those with death that should accuse the Christians Jesus Christ I say made his Sun-beams to shine to wit his Precepts not from the Firmament but the highest place of the Heavens and which was from all Eternity upon this frozen Island distant from the visible Sun Gildas speaks of two several times wherein the visible Sun appeared the one towards the end of Tiberius's Reign at which it shined to the view of the whole World and the other that it particularly appeared in England and which he marks by the Particle interea This word relates to the time whereof he speaks to wit that in which Suetonius Paulinus Conquered the Queen Boadicea which happened towards the middle of Nero's Reign about Twenty years after that Claudius had sent A. Plautius to reduce England into the form of a Province The Monks of the last Ages fruitful in Ancient Histories affirmed that Ioseph of Arimathea came from Glassenbury where he founded a Monastery Preaching there the Gospel In a time wherein all that came from these pious Lyars was believed this Fabulous History was taken for an ancient Tradition but the Bishop of Worcester easily shews it is supported only by the Authority of such Men and actions as are very suspicious and accompanied with ridiculous circumstances Nevertheless he believes it may be proved by good Authorities and maintained by probable circumstances that Christianity entred into England in the time of the Apostles Eusebius positively affirms that these Holy Men Preached the Gospel in the British Isles Theodoret reckons the Britans amongst those People Converted by the Apostles St. Ierome saith that St. Paul after his Imprisonment Preached the Gospel in the West in occidentis partibus by which he seems to understand England as well as St. Clement who saith that St. Paul went to the farthest part of the West Terms which Dr. Stillingfleet proves to have been commonly taken for Great Britain He shews after that by the History of St. Paul's Life that this Apostle had time to come into England and that he might have been persuaded to have taken this Journey because this part of Great Britain was then reduced into a Province There is also some likelihood that Pomponia Graecina Wife to Plautius was a Christian Tacitus assuring us that she was accused of a Strange Superstition and that she lived in a continual Melancholy If this Lady was a Christian she might have inform'd St. Paul what state England was in and encouraged him to come hither He might likewise have been instructed by those whom Plautius led Prisoners to Rome True it is that it has been said that St. Peter and some other Apostles were in England but these Traditions appear altogether Fabulous and if any came it was undoubtedly St. Paul according to the Testimony of St. Clement of whom we have spoken II. To pursue the Ecclesiastical History of England our Prelate undertakes in the 2 d. Chapter to Collect what is found in the Antients about the space of time from the Apostles to the First Council of Nice The Principal Proofs from whence we conclude there were Christians in that time in England are the Testimonies of Tertullian and Origen which the Author defends and Expounds at length Many of the Writers of the last Ages said that a King of England named Lucius was Converted to Christianity in the time of M. Aurelius and Lucius Verus But suppose this true in the Main there are divers circumstances which are really false as when this Lucius is made King of all England which was at that time a Roman Province Our Prelate believes there might be a Christian Prince of that Name in some place of England and whom the Romans suffered to Reign because he was of their side such as might have been the Descendants of one Cogidunus who favoured them That this place of England perhaps was the County of Sussex where there is no Monument of the Romans This being so it may easily be conceived that Lucius had heard Discourses of the Christian Religion by some antient Britans or Soldiers of the Army which M. Aurelius brought hither and which had been delivered from an eminent danger by the Prayers of the Christians that were in it as the Emperor himself said in one of his Letters After that Lucius might send as Tradition has it Messengers to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome to be better Instructed because of the great Commerce which was betwixt England and Rome If Persons had been satisfied to have related this History after this manner it may be none would have called it in question but the Lyes wherewith it 's stuft the better to maintain it have rendered according to the Remark of the Author doubtful and suspicious that which may be true in it Others will not fail to add to this that in the Conjectures that are always made in the Enquiry after these Antiquities founded upon the Traditions of as great Lyars as the Monks of the past Ages that in these Conjectures I say Si trapassano i confini del vero per scrivere negli ampii spatii del possibile cose incerte non seguite according to an Italian Author And also the silence of Gildas who inform'd us of all he knew of the Antiquities of England yet speaks not one word of this Lucius which renders this History very suspicious even in what appears most possible in it Our Prelate proves there were Christians in England in the time of Dioclesian and that several suffered Martyrdom in it though the Persecution could not last long here seeing Constantius Father to Constantine stopped it Constantius dying at
York and his Son being declared Caesar by the Army the Christian Religion was secure we find the Names of Three Bishops of Great Britain who Subscribed to the Council of Arles in CCCXIV The Author believes there were a great many more and that those Three were sent by the Bishops of the Three Provinces for all were never at any of the Councils which wou'd have been too numerous if every one had gone thither He believes also that there was a continual Succession of Bishops in England from the Apostles till that time Some Monks have thought that Bishops were Established in England in imitation of the Flamines and Archiflamines of the Heathens but Dr. Stillingfleet shews 't is but a Dream and that the first Pagan Hierarchy was established by Maximinus after the Model of the Christians which was much more Antient. Speaking of the Council of Arles the Author shews that its Canons were sent to the Bishop of Rome not to Confirm them as Baronius maintains but to Publish them Quae decrevimus say these Fathers in Communi Coneilio charitati tuae significare ut omnes sciant quid in futurum observare debeant To this he joyns the Canons of the Council which he reduces to certain Heads and expounds in a few words particularly the Third De his qui arma projiciunt in pace who ought to be suspended from the Communion If an Allegorical sense might be given to these words our Bishop believes they may be expounded of the Christians who in the time wherein the Persecution ceased grew more indifferent as to their manner of living and less conformable to the Discipline which they had kept before But if they are understood Literally they may refer to the Christian Soldiers who would leave the Army when there was no fear of being constrained to any Idolatrous act in serving the Emperor as they had been under the Heathen Princes Constantine offered to dismiss all the Soldiers that desired it The Fathers of the Council might fear that all the Christians wou'd abandon his Armies and that afterwards it should be supply'd with Pagans which could have been fatal to Christianity So the Bishops assembled at Arles and thought they ought to prevent this accident in suspending from the Communion such Christian Souldiers as quitted the Service III. After having shewn That there were Bishops in England before the Council of Nice the Author speaks of the State wherein the Churches of the same Island were after this Council to that of Rimini Although in the Subscriptions which we still have of the Bishops who assisted at the Council of Nice there is none of any Prelate of England it is very probable there were some of them 1. Because Constantine did all he could to assemble a great number of Bishops 2. Because there is no likelyhood this Emperor should forget the Bishops of England where he was born and proclaimed Caesar. 3. Because they having been at the Council of Arles which was held before and at those of Sardis and Rimini which followed that of Nice there was no reason to suppose that they should be forgotten in this latter This being granted Dr. Stillingfleet believes that we may learn from the Canons of the Council of Nice the Rights and Priviledges of the British Churches Therefore he relates and expounds these Canons but makes the longest stay upon three which concern Ecclesiastical Discipline The fourth is conceived in these Terms That a Bishop ought chiefly to be established by all the Bishops of the Province but if that be too difficult either because it requireth more haste or that the Proceedings of the Bishops wou'd make it too long there must at least be three present and they have the consent of the Absent to consecrate him But the Confirmation of all that is done in the Province ought to be reserved to the Metropolitan By this Canon the Rights of the Metropolitans are established after an uncontestable manner but that which creates difficulty is to know whether by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to establish which is at the beginning must be understood the Right of choosing a Bishop was devolved on the Bishops of the Province or whether the Question be only of Conservation which should be done by the Bishops upon the Election made by the Suffrages of the People Several Interpreters of the Canons understand by the Word to establish to elect and Dr. Stillingfleet sheweth That all this may be proved by a place of the Synodal Letter of the same Council to those of Alexandria where it 's said That the Meletian Bishops which the People should choose should be received and that in the time of the Council of Nice the People named the Bishops which hindered not but that they were elected by their Brothers and confirmed by the Metropolitan without which the nomination of the People signified nothing So that all that can be concluded from thence is that the People had the Right of Nomination which they have since deservedly lost by Seditions and Tumults and which they cannot recall unless it is shew'n whether it is a Divine and unalterable Right which will never be adds our Author and which even those who strive to win the favour of the People in defending it's Rights do not endeavour to prove upon the Principles of the first Ages It will not be denyed but that the People had then the Right of Opposing the chosen Persons by shewing That they were not worthy But in this case the People were heard as Witnesses and not as Judges If the Bishops who had chosen him who was opposed judged that the Accusations which were against him were just they proceeded against the Accused according to the Canons and then they came to a new nomination whereof notwithstanding the Synod of the Province was to judge The Author expounds thereby the 16 Canon of the Council of Antioch and the 12 of that of Laodicea where mention is made of the popular Election not to mark the Preferment of some one to the Episcopacy but the choosing of a Bishop already ordained to be Bishop of some Church The fifth Canon of Nice informs us That he who shall be excommunicated by one Bishop shall not be received into Communion by another If any one complained of being unjustly excommunicated the Provincial Synod judged thereof and if this Synod revoked not the Sentence of this Bishop every one was to hold him Excommunicated 'T is for that the Council of Nice orders That there should be every where held Provincial Councils twice a year at Easter and Autumn Our Author maintains that the Council of Nice doth not ordinarily acknowledge in her Procedures any other Tribunal than the Provincial Synods except in places whose ancient Customs were different as it appears by the following Canon So that all strange Jurisdiction is forbidden by the Fathers of Nice as the Churches of Africk maintained it boldly against the Popes Thence it 's concluded
the Twenty fifth of December some the Twenty sixth of December some the Twentieth of April some the Seventeenth of April and some the Sixteenth of May. There was yet another Feast amongst them called by us Epiphany mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus The Author observes they kept no other Saints days nor did they call 〈◊〉 Apostles Saints but plain Matthew 〈◊〉 c. only they celebrated the Anniversaâ—â— of their own Martyrs praising their Actions and exhorting one another to Imitation the Place of their Meeting was at their Graves and Tombs Lastly our Author observes that their Festivals were not times of Revelling Drunkenness Gluttony c. but in Acts of Piety Charity and Religious Employments X. In the Tenth and last Chapter our Author comes to consider the Ceremonies of the Primitive Church for instance when they Baptized in some Churches the new Member had Milk and Hony given to him and in some Places before they prayed they washed their Hands they had Exorcism before Baptism and Unction after and innumerable more such Ceremonies which crept in partly by a Misunderstanding some Texts and partly by being amongst the Superstitious Heathens Yet the Churches retain'd their own Liberty and Customs without imposing or being impos'd upon by one another I shall give only one of those many Instances that our Author has brought for his Purpose 't is out of a Fragment of an Epistle written by Irenaeus and other Bishops of France wherein they affirm that Victor was in the right with respect to the time of Easter that it ought to be celebrated as he said on the Lords Day but that yet he had done very ill to cut off from the Unity of the Church those that observed it otherwise that it had never been known that any Churches were Excommunicated for a disagreement in Rites an Instance of which there was not only in the time of Easter its self but in the Fast that preceded it Some fasted one day others more some forty hours which variety of Observations began not first in our Age but long before us in the times of our Ancestors who yet preserved Peace and Unity amongst themselves as we now do for the Diversity of Fasts commended the Unity of Faith And as for this Controversie concerning the time of Easter the Bishops which governed the Church of Rome before Soter viz. Anicetus Pius Higynus Telesphorus and Xystus they never celebrated it the same time with the Asiaticks neither would they permit any of their People so to do but yet they were kind and peaceable to those who came to them from those Parishes where they did otherwise observe it and never any for this Cause were thrown out of the Church even their Predecessors though they did not keep it yet they sent the Eucharist to those that did keep it and when in the times of Anicetus blessed Polycarp came to Rome and there were some Controversies between them they did not separate from one another but still maintained Peace and Love And though Anicetus could never perswade Polycarp nor Polycarp Anicetus to be of each others mind yet they Communicated one with another and Anicetus in Honour to Polycarpus permitted him to Consecrate the Sacrament in his Church and so they departed in mutual Love and Kindness and all the Churches whether observing or not observing 〈◊〉 same Day retained Peace and Unity amongst themselves Apud Euseb. Lib. 5. Cap. 24. Pag. 192 193. After all our Author concludes with a most passionate Exhortation to Love and Peace amongst our selves protesting that in this Treatise he has not been byass'd by any Party or Faction whatever but has endeavour'd a plain full and impartial discovery of Truth leaving every one to their Liberty as to the Judgment they shall make of it He says he has left out many Ancient things and handled mostly those Points that are now in dispute amongst us He has taken a great deal of pains in citing his Authorities all along In short he has out-done all that ever have Wrote in this kind before him and yet with a Spirit of so much Modesty and Humility that every Party may see their Errors without having any cause to be angry withe their Exposer He has given a Table of the Fathers Names which he has made use of as also their Ages and Countries that we may thereby be able to ghess at the Original of some Customs amongst them and the Places where they were chiefly practised St. Clementis Epistolae duae ad Corinthâ—os Interpretibus Patricio Iunio Gottifredo Vendelino Iohan. Bapt. Cotelerio Recensuit Notarum Spicilegium adjecit Paulus Colemesius Bibliothecae Lambethanae Curator Accedit Thomae Brunonis Canonici Windesoriensis Dissertatio de Therapeutis Philonis His subnexae sunt Epistolae aliquot singulares vel nunc primum Editae vel non ita facile obviae London Impensis Jacobi Adamson 1687. in 120. Pag. 377. 1. THese Epistles of St. Clement which were known only by some Citations of the Ancients were published the first time more than forty Years ago by Patricius Iunius who found them joined to the end of the New Testament in the famous MS. of Alexandria This Learned Man added to them a Latin Version and Notes William Burton Translated them into English in 1677 and added likewise Remarks of his own much larger than those of Iunius The Edition of the latter being soon become scarce it was imitated at Helmstadt in 1654 and Iochim Iohn Maderus added to it a new Preface since that time the Edition hath appear'd in Twelves by Dr Fell Bishop of Oxford and that of Mr. Cotelier in Folio Here is a fifth which we owe to the Care of Mr. Colomies who hath compared the precedent Editions with the MS. whence they have taken them and hath shew'd that the Learned Iunius was some times mistaken and had in the Reading this MS. put a wrong Sense upon many things we shall give an Example hereof after we have made some little mention of a small Dissertation which Mr. Colomies placed before St. Clement Entituled De Clementis ejus Epistolarum tempore Vandelini Divinatio This Vandelin was Tutor to the famous Gassendus and died Chanon of Ghent He believes that St. Clement was near the Age of St. Iohn the Evangelist and lived as long as he dying the third Year of the Reign of Trajan at Chersone in Pontus whither he was banished The Ancients all agree that St. Clement was Bishop of Rome but they do not agree upon the time he was so nor upon the Order which ought to be given him in the List of the first Bishops of this City Baronius himself confessed that he was not well assured of the order of the Succession of these Bishops until the Year CLXXIX Vandelin undertakes in this Dissertation to resolve the Difficulties by the means of the old Breviaries and Martyrologies after which he speaks of the time in which the Epistles of St. Clement were written As his
Dissertation is extremely short the Reader is desired to consult it We shall only Remark that according to this Author St. Peter being upon the point of parting from Rome for England in the Year of our Lord LV he established Linus to govern the Church of Rome in his absence whither being returned in LXVI he found it without a Pastor Linus being dead during his absence A little time after being cast into Prison he established Clement in the place of Linus towards the time of the Pass-over in LXVII a few Months before his Death St. Clement held the See nine Years and eleven or twelve Days after which great Contestations arose in the Church of Rome which obliged St. Clement to quit the Episcopacy It would not be permitted if we believe Vandelin that St. Clement should succeed in the See of Rome by virtue of St. Peter's Testament fearing lest this Example might render the Episcopacy Hereditary and St. Clement having declared That if it was upon his account that these Contestations happened he was ready to retire in what place of the World they would have him he was taken at his word and Cletus was chosen in his place to whom Anacletus Evaristus Alexander Telesphorus c. succeeded in the order we have named them Vendelin believes that the first Epistle of St. Clement as it is commonly called was written by this Holy Man not in his own particular name but in that of the Clergy of Rome in XCV after the death of Anacletus and during the Vacancy of the See though according to him Evaristus had been nominated to succeed Anacletus so that this Letter was written during the most violent Persecutions of Domitian But Vendelin pretends that which is called the Second was written in a time wherein the Christian Church enjoyed an entire Peace in LXXV after which account the second would have been written twenty Years before the first He grounds what he says chiefly upon a Letter of Denys Bishop of Corinth to Pope Soterus written about the Year CLXVII where Denys speaks thus to the Church of Rome We have celebrated Sunday this day in which we have read your Letter which we always read for our Instruction as well as the former that Clement writ to us He believes the latter to be that which is called the second of St. Clements and that the other is the first which Clement of Alexandria calleth according to the Remark of Mr. Colomies the Epistle of the Romans to the Corinthians After the Dissertation of Vendelin are the two Epistles of St. Clement in Greek and Latin the first of the Version of Iunius and the second translated by Vendelin Mr. Colomies hath joined to it little Notes where 1. he corrects some places of the Text which Iunius had ill transcribed from the Original For Example from the first Page there is according to the Edition of Iunius That Grace and Peace which come from God-Allmighty through Iesus Christ be abundantly poured upon you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. upon every particular Person amongst you and upon one towards another We have thought most dear Brethren a little later then we should have done upon what you have demanded of us by reason of the evils and accidents which happened to us c. but according to the MS. of Alexandria the Phrase is much more clear since there it is That Grace and Peace c. be given to you abundantly by reason of the unforeseen Evils and Accidents which have happened to us one after another we have thought c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Colomies Remarks also in a place or two wherein the Original was not observed but these Passages are not of the same Importance with that which we have cited 2. Some Conjectures are in these Notes and varieties of Reading taken from Clement of Alexandria who has several times cited St. Clement of Rome which places are all marked here as well as the rest of the Ancients who have cited the latter Clement 3. Mr. Colomies in some places corrects the Latin Version 4. He Expounds divers words of the Original 5. Upon the occasion of St. Clement he makes some critical Observations about Ecclesiastical History Thus also upon what St. Clement saith § 21. of the death of St. Peter and St. Paul he affirms that the time of their death is not certain A Council held at Rome under Pope Galasius says that the Hereticks pretend that St. Peter and Paul received the Crown of Martyrdom in divers times nevertheless it was the Opinion of Iustin Martyr and St. Irenaeus who said St. Paul died five Years after St. Peter Philastrius also reckoned amongst Hereticks those who give the names of the Seven Planets to the days of the Week though St. Ignatius and Iustin Martyr followed the received Custom therein St. Clement in Chapter 28th cites a Passage of the Psalms under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writing upon which it 's remarked that Mr. Vossius was mistaken when he saith that this word was found out by Aquila and that seems to teach us that the word Chetoubim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Writings to mark the Psalms Proverbs Iob and the other Books which the Iews comprise this day under this name is not new 2. There have been in England several Learned Men who having consumed all their Life in the study of Antiquity seem to have studied only for their particular Satisfaction without caring to impart to the publick their admirable knowledge therein Such was Richard Thomson Gerard Langbaine and Matthew Bustus whose few Writings which remain amongst us serve for almost nothing but to discover to us what these great Men might have done had they been willing Mr. Colomies adds Thomas Bruno Chanon of Windsor who left several Collections with his Friend Mr. Vossius but of which there is scarcely any thing that is fit for the Press The Dissertation which we have of it here De Therapeutis Philonis adversus Henr. Valesium was by good Luck ended and it is to Mr. Vossius who communicated it to Mr. Colomies that the Publick is indebted Amongst the Works of Philo is found a Treatise of a Contemplative Life where he describes the Esseans manner of living who dwelt near Alexandria and solely applied themselves to Contemplation There were Esseans spread through all Egypt who sent the most virtuous amongst them to inhabit a Hill which is near the Lake of Maria in a Place agreeable enough and which is not far from Alexandria They lived there after a Devout manner and very austere and Eusebius thought that when St. Mark went to Preach the Gospel into Egypt he converted them to the Christian Faith Ioseph Scaliger hath very bitterly reprehended Eusebius for saying so and many times that these Therapeutes as Philo calls them never were Christians but only Essean Jews Mr. Valais in his Annotations upon Eusebius holds with Scaliger that the Therapeutes did not embrace Christianity