Deeds Hom. 30. upon 2 Cor. Hom. 3. upon 1 Tim. Hom. 52. upon the Acts. Of the Love of our Neighbour CHarity saith S. Chrysostom in the Sixth Homily upon the Epistle to Titus is the greatest of all Vertues it brings the Lovers thereof to the very Throne of God Virginity Fasting and Austerities profit only those that practise them but Alms-deeds reach to all and embrace all the Members of Jesus Christ Now there is no Vertue greater than that which reunites scattered and separated parts Charity is the Badge of Christian Religion whereby the Disciples of Jesus Christ are known That is it which cures our Crimes cleanses the spots of our Souls it is as a Ladder to ascend into Heaven and it joyns all the parts of Christ's Body together See the Sixtieth Homily upon S. Matthew the 15th and 78th upon S. John the 40th upon the Acts the 8th upon the Rom. the 32d upon 2 Cor. the 9th upon Ephes. the Second upon the last to Tim. the 33d upon 1 Cor. the 4th upon Thes. the 10th upon the Epistle to the Ephes. the Second upon the Epistle to the Philippians Of Alms-deeds THE first effect of Charity is to give Alms and the Obligation to Alms-deeds is included in the Commandment of Loving our Neighbours as our selves S. Chrysostom recommends this Vertue in so many places that he saith himself in the 89th Homily upon S. Matthew That they upbraided him with speaking of nothing else Giving of Alms saith he in several places renders Men like unto God cleanseth from sin and appeaseth the Anger of God To give to the Poor is to give unto God it is to lend to him upon Use. We are not only advised but commanded to give Alms. Men are not Masters but only Stewards of their Goods God who is the Soveraign Lord hath entrusted them with the rich that they might relieve the poor All other good works are unprofitable without Alms-deeds Alms should be given with Joy and in abundance Men ought not to stay till Death to dispose of their Charity but if they have done nothing in their Life-time it is good to leave to the poor after Death and give them as much as to a Child or at least as to a Servant These Principles and Maxims S. Chrysostom repeateth often in his Homilies as the Thirtieth Homily upon Genesis that upon Psalm 101. the Second Sermon concerning Lazarus the Seventeenth Homily upon 2 Cor. the Sixth upon Titus The 5th 35th 45th 47th 48th 52d 66th 78th 80th 86th upon S. Matth. The 23d 25th 27th 40th 76th upon S. John the Seventh upon Colos. the 11th 15th 18th upon Rom. the 20th 21st and 43d upon 1 Cor. the 5th Homily of Penance the Sermon upon the Petition of the Sons of Zebedee the first Homily of Fasting and in an infinite number of places besides Of Riches and Poverty AS the Luxury of Riches hinders Men from giving of Alms so we ought not to wonder that S. Chrysostom preaching upon Charity declaims vehemently against Riches and speaks in Commendation of Poverty Riches saith he in the Second Homily of Statues are not forbidden if a good use be made of them But what Probability is there that Men should not neglect Jesus Christ who is naked while they build marble Palaces for themselves O wretched Man to what purpose is the Magnificency of thy House This Palace will not but thy good works will follow thee ..... To day rich and to morrow poor I must confess that I cannot forbear smiling when I read in Wills and Testaments I give and bequeath to such a one the Revenue of my Estate for Life and to such a one the Fee-simple To speak Properly we have but the use of things the Propriety belongs not to us and tho' we should possess them all our Life-time yet will they leave us when we die .... Poverty is a singular advantage to those that know how to use it well It is a Treasure that cannot be taken away a support that cannot fail and a Sanctuary that cannot be violated If you ask the Admirers of that foolish Magnificence what is the Object of their Admiration They will answer you that it is either the brave Horse that carrieth this new Croesus or his rich Livery his gilded Clothes or the delicate Meats that are set before him or the Pleasures he enjoyeth This is what is admired and what cannot be too much deplored and yet none of these Commendations are directed to this rich Man they all belong to his Horse his Clothes or his Equipage they admire how well he is mounted they praise his Men his Clothes but they say nothing of his Person Can there be a greater Folly But on the other side if you see a poor Man in want and under contempt despised by those that see him make much of him and by your esteem of him the Beholders will be excited to Vertue They will tell you that he is an indigent Fellow a Wretch but do you say on the contrary that he is a happy Man because he hath God for his Friend because he hath not fastned his Heart to perishing Riches nor defiled his Conscience With such Christian Discourses as these instruct your Brethren let both your Praises and your Contempts have no other Aim than the Glory of the Almighty .... One may commend reprove and be angry for God's sake If you find a Servant a Friend a Neighbour robbing or committing Lewdness If you hear one telling a Lye or Blaspheming If you perceive that your Neighbour is going to prostitute his Soul at a Play call him back check and correct that Sinner These good works will be done to the Honour of God If this Servant or this Friend hath offended you and is departed from his Duty forgive him that will be Forgivness for God's sake make also Friends and Enemies to your selves for God's cause Do you ask how thus it is Never contract that sort of Friendship which is gotten by Luxury Interest or Ambition but seek to make you such Friends as may advise you to Moderation under a great Fortune and Comfort you in Adversity who may prompt you only to Honesty and who by their Counsels and Prayers may unite you to Jesus Christ. If you see a lewd Person one full of dangerous Opinions break off all commerce with him .... If you speak in any Company let your words be Godward He did so often Discourse against Riches and the abuse of them that he saith himself in the Sermon against Eutropius upon Psalm 44 that they accused him of hating rich Men. But saith he why should I not speak continually against them since they cease not to torment the Poor I complain not of them because they are rich but because they use their Riches ill for I make this Profession Never to blame any Body for being wealthy but for with-holding what is not his own .... The present Life addeth he is a Pilgrimage let no man say I
have a Town a House an Estate c. No Man hath any thing here below all the good things of this Life are the Instruments of our Journey we are travelling as long as this Life lasteth Some gather wealth in this Journey and bury Gold in the way and pray tell me when you are come into an Inn do you furnish it with superfluous Houshold-stuff No certainly you are contented to eat and drink there and to be gone as soon as you can This Life is an Inn we are scarce come into it but we are obliged to quit it therefore let us do it readily let us keep nothing here that we may lose nothing in the next Life You are Travellers in this Life and less than Travellers for a Traveller knoweth when he cometh into his Inn and when he goeth out c. In this dreadful Ignorance I lose a great deal of time and while I am laying up of Provisions God calls me and upbraids me thus Thou Fool whose shall these things be which thou hast prepared for this very Night thy Soul shall be demanded of thee .... But what will some Persons say must be done in this Case even this Hate temporal Goods love eternal Life part with your Estate I do not say with all but with what is superfluous do not covet what is another's spoyl not the Widow nor rob the Orphan ravish not the Goods of this World but take Heaven by violence Jesus Christ approves of this violence c. Do not vex the Poor but doe him Right c. See Hom. 4. upon S. Matthew where he proves by the Example of the Three Children that were cast into the Fiery Furnace that Riches are not to be worshipped The 9th Homily upon S. Matthew where he shews that we ought not to be lifted up because of Riches The 20th and 64th against the desire of wealth The 42d against Luxury and Pleasures The 48th against excess in Clothes The 80th and 81st Homilies against Covetousness The 88th against the Luxury of Women And the 19th Homily upon S. John concerning the use that ought to be made of Riches Of Forgiving and against Revenge THE Second effect of Charity towards our Neighbour is forgiving of our Enemies in opposition to a Spirit of Revenge of Enmity and Resentment S. Chrysostom declaims severely against this Vice in an Homily purposely composed on that Subject which is the Twenty-second concerning Statues These are some of his Notions The revengefull Man saith he is not less unworthy of the Communion than the Blasphemer and Adulterer The lewd Person puts an end to his Crime when he has satisfied his impure Desire but he that keeps up an obstinate Hatred sins continually and never makes an end The fire of Lust is spent by enjoyment but that of Hatred feeds it self and is renewed every moment With what face then can we implore the Mercy of God whilst we are full of bitter hatred against our Brethren Your Brother hath done you an injury but doe you not often commit injuries against God Doe you compare the Servant with his Master In the mean time he that wrongeth you was perhaps wrong'd by you before But what wrong hath God ever done you or rather what benefits hath he not taken pleasure to bestow upon you and you in requital return only injuries to him again In a word pretending to be revenged of others you punish your selves The hatred you harbour is your own tormenter to tear your own bowels Is there any thing more unhappy than he who meditates revenge He is a Mad-man that never enjoyeth any rest his Heart being filled with Storms and Troubles He abhorreth all the Actions the Words and the very Name of his Enemy And to what end is this Fury and these Torments We ought to forgive our Enemies to prevent the pains we feel by hating them What folly is it to seek revenge at our own cost to doe our selves a great mischief that another may receive a lesser c. See the 61st Homily upon S. Matthew the 39th upon S. John the 38th upon the Acts an Homily upon the Epistle to the Thessalonians and several other places Of Fasting NExt to giving of Alms Fasting is one of the most powerfull means to obtain pardon for Sin but that Fasting may be profitable it must be accompanied with a regular life This S. Chrysostom takes notice of almost every-where when he discourses of Fasting See how he expresseth himself in the Second Homily of Statues I doe not call Fasting a meer abstinence from Meats but forbearance from Sin For Fasting is not able of its own nature to blot out the pollution of our offences except necessary dispositions doe attend it .... Let us therefore have a care that in Fasting we fall not short of the price and reward that belongs to it But let us learn perfectly to practise it holily Afterwards he sets forth the qualities of a Fast by the example of that of the Ninevites .... He saith our Author offers an injury to Fasting who defines it to be an abstinence from Meats You Fast Brother but shew me your Fasting by your Works but you will ask me what Works I require therefore that when you see a poor Man you be sure to help him in his misery that you reconcile your self to your enemy that another Man's Glory may not excite your Envy and that you shut your Eyes when you meet an handsome Woman For Fasting respects not the Mouth barely but the Ear the Hands the Feet and all the other Parts of the Body Covetous Hands should fast and touch no more other Men's goods the Feet should fast and run no more to profane Shews and the Eyes should fast by turning aside from that beauty whose sight is so dangerous In the Fourth Homily of Statues he lays down the same Maxims again We see saith he nothing but People making merry and saying one to another Victory all is our own Mid-lent is over My advice to these is That they should consider whether the inward Man is in a better condition than it was when the Fast begun For then indeed we have reason to rejoyce when our Fasting does not end with those Vices that it began with and when we are come to the Festival of Easter with a Conscience purified by Fasting I know some who in the middle of Lent do dread already that of the next year .... Can there be a greater weakness But whence cometh it Even from this That we make Fasting to consist only in forbearing of Meats and not in the reforming of our Manners There may be saith he in the 22d Homily several reasons not to Fast but there is none not to correct a vicious habit You have broken your Fast because of a bodily infirmity Well But why doe you not forgive your Enemy Is there any corporal indisposition that hinders Lastly He observeth in the 7th and 11th Homilies upon Genesis that the true Fast is
generated by the Soul of the Parent And whether being so derived by Propagation from the Soul of the first Man it draws Original Sin from him The fifth contains a short repetition of the Matters treated on in the fourth with some Questions and Distinctions such as this Whether the Faculty or Power of the Soul depends only on the Will The sixth inquires From whence proceeds the Opposition between the Flesh and the Spirit spoken of by St. Paul The seventh is about the difference between the Life and Death and Resurrection of the Flesh and Soul The eighth explains the Prophesies concerning such things as shall happen at the end of the World and contains an Explication of some Questions proposed about the Resurrection This Treatise is very Logical and Metaphysical it teaches us as Tertullian had done before That the Soul is Corporeal This Author hath written another Treatise dedicated to a Person named Principius about the contempt of Worldly Things as also a Book of Instructions for Virgins Three Books * De vitâ contemplativâ sive de futurae Vitae contemplatione Vel de actuali conversatione Dr. Cave of the contemplative and active Life and another Treatise of Virtues and Vices This is all that is spoken of this Author by Gennadius and Isidore in their Catalogues of Ecclesiastical Writers We have none of these Works but his three Books of the Contemplative Life which have been †They were also printed alone under Prosper ' s Name at Colen in 1536. 8â— and before in 1487. printed among S. Prosper's Works under whose Name they have been commonly quoted for above 800. Years but the disagreement of Style proves that they are not his and the Testimonies of the two Catalogues above-mentioned oblige us to attribute them to Julianus Pomerius under whose Name they are found in several MSS. We have long since cited an ancient MS. of M. De Montchal Archbishop of Toulouse F. Quesnel hath added another MS. in the Abby of Trappe and we have heard that there is a very ancient one in the Library of the Chapter-House of Beauvais where these three Books of a Contemplative Life bear the Name of Julian Pomerius the true Author of them In the first Book having described the Happiness of the Saints who enjoy the full Contemplation of the Godhead in Heaven which the most Holy Men never have had in this Life and shewed the difference between a Contemplative and Active Life he exhorts the Bishops and Priests to betake themselves to a Contemplative Life sequestring themselves from the Affairs and Business of the World and applying themselves wholly to the Study of Holy Scripture This gives him an Occasion to write against those Bishops whose greatest care it was to increase their Estates and Dignities Who placed their only Felicity in the enjoyment of Worldly Pleasurés Who seek their own Glory more than Jesus Christs Who have greater care of their Honour than Conscience and who place nothing of their Happiness in the hopes of the good things of another Life He excuses himself here that he undertakes to publish the Irregularities of his Superiours but still goes on speaking smartly against ignorant and vicious Bishops who negleÌ„cted the Care of their Flock Who are not at all troubled at the Crimes which they see committed by Sinners nor pleased with the good Actions done in their Diocess Who are very little affected with the sense of good or evil Who are filled with the love of the World living in Pleasures and Debaucheries transported with Ambition full of Injustice dare not preach up contempt of the World Temperance a solitary Life Meekness Charity Justice nor other Christian Virtues which they themselves do not practise In the next place he shews That it is not allowable for a Bishop to leave his Church to acquire his own Ease or to live at Liberty that he ought to reform his Life and become an Example to his Flock instructing them as well by his Manners as his Words that he is obliged to reprove Sinners severely Lastly he gives a Description of a good and wicked Bishop and Preacher He describes a wicked Bishop in this manner He is One that seeks after Honours Preferments and Riches not that he may put them to a good use but that he may live more at his Ease be more honoured feared and respected Who chiefly aims to gratifie his Passions confirm his Authority enrich himself and enjoy his Pleasures Who avoids the laborious and despisable parts of his Office but is rejoyced at the pleasant and honourable Who tolerates Vice and Honours Sinners with his Friendship yea applauds their Crimes for fear of offending them To these Bishops he applies the words of the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 34. Wo to the Shepherds of Israel c. He directs I say these terrible words of the Prophet to these Bishops who have no care of their Flock who think upon nothing but how to get the Milk and the Wool that is to say the Oblations and Tythes with which they enrich themselves Who do not cure the Sick nor strengthen the Weak nor bring back the stray Sheep into the Ways of Salvation Who seek not those that are lost as good Shepherds ought to do nor comfort those that despair of the Pardon of their Sins Who never shew their Authority unless it be in domineâ—râ—â—g tyrannically over their People c. On the contrary he draws the Character of such good Bishops as the Doctrine of the Apostles requires them to be thus They are such as convert Sinners to God by their Preaching and Example Are very humble and free from Pride and Imperiousness Who treat alliche Members of their Flock with the same Love and Kindness Who heal the Wounds of their sick People with mild but effectual Remedies Who bear with the Incurable patiently Who in their Preaching seek not their own Glory but the Glory of Jesus Christ Who employ not their Discourses and Actions to obtain Favour or Thanks of Men but who give God all the Honour that they bestow on them because it is he that lives and preaches in the Bishops Who avoid Praises and Commendations Who comfort the Afflicted nourish the Poor cloathe the Naked redeem Captives lodge Strangers Who bring those that err into the way of Truth Promise Salvation to those that despair Quicken the Zeal of those who are going in the right way Hasten those that linger And who lastly discharge well all the Functions of their Ministry These are the true Successors of the Apostles the true Ministers of Jesus Christ and his Church the Oracles of the Holy Spirit Such Pastors as these appease the Anger of God against his People and instruct the People in the Knowledge of God They defend the Faith of the Church by their Writings and are ready to seal it with their Blood Lastly They hold themselves fast to God only in whom alone they put their trust The difference between a good and
the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the whole Trinity The last Question of Monimus is about the Explication of what St. Paul says That Virginity is a matter of Counsel and not of Command and about Fulgentius's comparing it to the two pence of Supererogation Upon this Subject he relates the different Opinions of St. Ambrose St. Austin and Optatus and shows that it is a matter of small importance after what manner the two pence of Supererogation be understood In the last Book he treats of the true sense of these words The Word was with God and answers the impertinent Difficulties which the Arians started about this passage The Books about Remission of Sins are in answer to another Question propos'd to St. Fulgentius by Euthymius viz. Who those are to whom God pardons sins in this life and whether he pardons them only in this life St. Fulgentius shows in the first Book That none can obtain remission of sins nor be saved who is out of the Church and that none of those who are in the Church can obtain pardon unless he be truly Converted and cease to commit sin and to love the Creature so as to set his heart upon it In the second Book he proves by many Reasons founded upon passages of the Holy Scripture That there is no remission of sins to be obtained but in this life and that all those who dye in a bad estate shall be damned without any mercy Which gives us to understand that he speaks only of mortal sins which deserve damnation But Fulgentius's words are general That all those who dye in a bad estate shall be damn'd which will not admit of this distinction but do plainly overthrow the Doctrine of Purgatory for whatever a man's sins be in which he dies unrepented of and unpardon'd he dies in a bad estate But Fulgentius could not have said that every one who dies in this state shall be damn'd without mercy had he believ'd a Purgatory into which many are thrown who die in a bad estate for their venial sins unpardon'd And this general sense of the words is confirm'd by what he says in his Treatise of Faith address'd to Peter That there is no state wherein a man can deserve well but only during this life and That those who die in a good state shall be happy for ever and others i. e. those who die in a bad estate shall be condemn'd to eternal punishment where he plainly asserts two different states only after this Life without any mention of a third which is now believed to be Purgatory by the Roman Church And to the same purpose he tells us in his Answer to the Questions propos'd by Ferrandus That it is unprofitable to baptize the dead because the Soul cannot obtain remission of its sins after it is gone out of the Body and Flesh alone is not capable of sin which Argument were of no force if the Soul might obtain after this Life remission of venial sins by the Pains of Purgatory for then it might be profitable to baptize the Dead for obtaining the pardon of these sins and delivering Souls out of Purgatory The most part of the Letters of St. Fulgentius were written in the time of his Exile The first is address'd to Proba who was descended of the illustrious Family of the Anicians There he extols Virginity and shows how necessary it is that it should be joyn'd with Humility and he gives also many useful Instructions to a Christian Virgin He address'd also another Letter to her concerning Prayer and Compunction of heart wherein he recommends particularly this last Vertue He compo'd also at the desire of this Virgin two Treatises concerning Prayer and Fasting which are now lost In another Letter he comforts a Roman Lady call'd Galla who was thought to be the Daughter of Symmachus and understanding that she was resolv'd to live a Widow he entertains her with a description of the happiness of that state and the manner in which she should live He wrote to Theodorus a Roman Senator to confirm him in the design he had taken up of quitting his Secular Employments to dedicate himself to God and informs him that this Conversion was owing to the Grace of Jesus Christ. The Letter concerning the Conjugal Duty and the Vow is upon a particular case Some had ask'd Fulgentius Whether a married Person was oblig'd to keep a Vow of Continence For resolving this Question St. Fulgentius makes many Observations concerning the use of Marriage and the Obligation of Vows He remarks upon the first Head That the use of Marriage is allow'd when it is intended for the procreation of Children but when it has no other end but pleasure altho it is not a Crime like Adultery yet it is always a small sin which is blotted out by Prayer and good Works As to the Vow he says That there is no doubt but by it an Obligation is contracted to do the thing which was vow'd But he maintains That the Vow of Continence made by one of the married Persons cannot oblige the other nor dispense with that Person who made the Vow for paying the Conjugal Duty to the other at least unless both parties had concurred in making the Vow Having laid down these Principles he concludes That if the Persons who wrote to him had both made a Vow of Continence then they were oblig'd to keep it and that if they found themselves tempted by Carnal Desires they should humbly pray to God to give them Grace to resist them but if only one of the two had made the Vow of Continence that party was oblig'd to pay the Conjugal Duty to the other who had not made it He concludes with some Reflexions upon the Duties of married Persons and chiefly upon the Education of their Children In the Letter to the Abbot Eugippius he treats very largely of the Advantages of Charity and the Love of our Neighbour He thanks him for his Present and acquaints him that he had sent him his Letters to Monimus St. Fulgentius wrote at the desire of Junilius who was one of his Friends a Letter about Penance to an unknown Woman call'd Venantia There he shows That remission of sins committed after Baptism may be obtain'd in this Life provided one be sincerely penitent From whence he concludes that these sinners ought not to despair but neither ought they to hope without striving and doing of Penance The Treatile of Faith address'd to Donatus contains an exact Explication of the Mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation We have already spoken of the Question started by the Monks of Scythia upon this Proposition One of the Trinity did suffer which they would maintain to be Catholick and oblige others to acknowledge it for such Their Faction was very powerful in the East and they had their Complices in the West They had sent as we have already observ'd Deputies to Rome to maintain their Opinions there and Peter the Deacon was at the Head
in 1482. See the Judgment that Gerson gives of this Author and his Works in his Treatise about the Books which Monks ought to read In my opinion says he one of the best Authors that a Man can read is Eustachius for so one may translate his name of Bonaventure he is the Man of all the Catholick Doctors not to derogate from the rest that seems to me the most proper and safe for the enlightning of the Judgment and inflaming the Heart To be convinced of this one need not read any more than two of his Works I mean his Breviloquy and his Itinerary which are written with so much art and brevity that nothing can be beyond them and though they are more difficult and scarce than his other Works yet all Christians ought to search and examine them Mystical Theology being proper for the Faithful In another place in his Book of the examination of Doctrines he says That if any one should ask him which of the Doctors he thought most proper for the instruction of the Faithful his Answer should be without detracting from the rest St. Bonaventure because he is solid safe pious just and devout and keeps as far as he can from Niceties not meddling with Logical or Physical Questions which are alien to the matter in hand disguised under Theological Expressions as too many do and because by clearing the Understanding he sets off Religion and Piety in their true Colours which is the reason adds he that the indevout Schoolmen which the more is the Pity make the greater number cast him by though there is nothing more noble more divine more conducive to Salvation and fitter for Divines than the Doctrine of this Author Trithemius makes almost the same Judgment of him in these words St. Bonaventure wrote many very deep and devout Works all his Expressions are full of heat and inflame the Hearts of those that read him as well as inlighten their Minds by a holy Light for his Works surpass all those of the Doctors of his time in their usefulness the Spirit of the Love of God and of Christian Devotion shining through them He is deep without Prolixity subtile without Nicety eloquent without Vanity his words are full of spirit yet not bombastick which is the reason that such as are touched with the Love of God read him with the more safety understand him with the greater ease and remember him with the greater profit Many Authors teach Doctrine and others preach Devotion but there are very few to be met with who have joined these two things together in their Writings But in St. Bonaventure they are united for his Devotion instructs in Doctrine and his Doctrine inspires with Devotion So that whoever desires both Knowledg and Devotion cannot do better than apply himself to the reading of his Works Much of the same opinion is St. Antoninus who remarks That such as desire Divine Knowledg more than Aristotelical Vanity find his Works easy to be understood Indeed the greatest part of St. Bonaventure's Works are mystical and spiritual they make eight Volumes printed at Rome in 1588. The first contains Commentaries upon some Books of the Old Testament viz. A sort of Preface intituled Principles of the Holy Scripture Thirty three Sermons upon the Six days Work or the Creation of the World Explications or Postilles upon the Psalms upon Ecclesiastes upon the Book of Wisdom and upon the Lamentations of Jeremy The second Volume contains Commentaries upon the Gospels of St. Mathew St. Luke and St. John with Conferences upon the last of them The third is Sermons of time and of the Saints The fourth and fifth are Commentaries upon the four Books of the Master of the Sentences The sixth Tome contains the first and second parts of his Opuscula the Titles of which are Of the reducing of Arts to Divinity The Breviloquy The Centiloquy The Quiver An Explanation of the Terms of Theology An Abridgment of the Books of the Sentences Four Books of Sentences in Verse Of the four Cardinal Virtues Of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit Of the three Ternaries of Sins Of the Resurrection from Sin to Grace The Diet of Salvation Of the Hierarchy of the Church Those of the second Part are the Soliloquâ— Meditations upon the Life of Jesus Christ Of the seven Degrees of Contemplation Of the five Feasts of the Child Jesus The Office of the Passion The Elogy of the Cross The Wood of Life The Mirror of the Praises of the Virgin The Crown of the Virgin The Compassion of the Virgin The Nightingale of the Passion of our Lord fitted to the seven hours On the seven Words of our Saviour on the Cross The Great Psalter of the Virgin The Little Psalter on the Salutation of the Angel and the Salve Regina The seventh Tome contains the third Part of his Moral Opuscula which are Of the ordering of a Christian Life Of the Government of the Soul The Mirror of the Soul Of the ten Commandments Of the degrees of Virtues The Itinerary of the Spirit of God Of the seven Paths of Eternity The Spur of Divine Love The Fire of Love The Art of loving The Book of Spiritual Exercises The Fasâ—iculary The five and twenty Memorials The Confessional Of the manner of confessing Of Purity of Conscience Of the Priests Preparation for the Mass An Explication of the Mass Of the six Wings of the Cherubims and the six Wings of the Seraphims The eighth Volume contains the Opuscula which concern the Religious the Catalogue of which I shall set down A Treatise of the threefold Estate of Religiouses The Mirror of Discipline for Novices which some call in question The twenty steps of Novices Of Advancement in Religion Of the Contempt of the World Of the Reformation of the Spirit The little Alphabet of a good Monk which is Thomas a Kempis's Of the Perfection of a Religious Life An Explanation of the Rule of the Minor Friars Questions about this Rule Why the Minor Friars preach Of the Poverty of Jesus Christ That Jesus Christ and his Apostles went barefoot An Apology for Evangelical Poverty A Treatise against the Reviler of the Order of St. Francis An Apologetick against the Adversaries of the Order of Minor Friars A Treatise intituled De non frequentandis quaestionibus Conferences to the Brothers of Tholouse which are not St. Bonaventures A Treatise of the Reform of the Minor Friars address'd to the Provincials of the Order In this Tome there is an Appendix containing An Abridgment of Theology Treatises upon the Essence Invisibility and Immensity of God and a Work of Mystical Divinity The Life of St. Francis related by Surius in October 4. is likewise ascribed to St. Bonaventure St. THOMAS of Aquino Sirnamed the Angelical Doctor of the House of the Earls of Thomas Aquinas Aquino descended from the Kings of Sicily and Arragon was born in 1224 in the Castle of Aquino which is in the Country of Lavoro in Italy
clearing this Point which at first sight seems to be of no great moment whether as it is commonly believed that Tertullian was ordained a Priest within a little time after his Conversion if he married his Wife after he was Baptized and afterwards remained with her it would seem that it might be concluded from thence that in his time it was lawful for Priests to Marry And this is that which has made Pamelius say that Tertullian before he was ordained Priest made a Vow of Continence to his Wife But because it appears in the Books which he directed to her that he still lived with her when he wrote them the Author of the Life of Tertullian and Origen has been obliged to say that he might maintain Pamelius's Opinion that these Books were written by Tertullian immediately after his Conversion Though it is more probable that Tertullian was not Married till after he was Baptized h That he was not Married till after he was Baptized His Wife was a Christian and he does not say in any place of his Works that she was converted with him or that she had converted him it is therefore more probable that he Married her after he was a Christian. For there is no likelihood that while he was a Heathen he should Marry a Christian Woman and if she had been converted with him or that she had converted him he would without doubt have taken some notice of it in the Books which he wrote to her His urging S. Paul's Authority and Command in his second Book to his Wife when he advises her to marry a Christian if ever she married again is a strong presumption that if he married after his Conversion his Wife was a Christian at that time and that he did not write these Books to his Wife till he was old i Till he was pretty well advanced in Years These Books are composed in the form of a Last Will or Testament In the first he exhorts his Wife to preserve That is not a necessary Consequence her Continency after his Death a sign that she had but little regard of it in his Life time In the second he tells her plainly that it is a Duty to endeavour to maintain that Continency in their Widowhood which they could not preserve in their Married Estate Which shews that Pamelius's Opinion is nothing but a groundless Supposition These Books were written by Tertullian towards the end of his Life as may be proved First by the manner of the Composition which is in form of a Last Will or Testament Secondly because a Man seldom troubles himself to write to his Wife what would he have her do after his Death but till he is in years Thirdly because though Tertullian was not a thorough-paced Montanist when he wrote those two Books yet he seems to be leaning very much that way a little before he fell into the Errors of the Montanists There is no Passage in his Writings from whence it can be concluded that he was a Priest of the Catholick Church k There is no Passage in his Writings from whence it can be concluded that he was a Priest of the Catholick Church There is a Place in his Book De Animâ c. 9. whence it may be concluded that he preached in the Church of the Montanists and that they related to him strange Visions But as all the Montanists talked after this rate in their Assemblies it cannot certainly be concluded from hence that he was a Priest and we have only the Authority of S. Jerom for it but S. Jerom affirms it so positively l But S. Jerom affirms it so positively In his Treatise of Ecclesiastical Writers Cum usque ad mediam aetatem Presbyter Ecclesiae permansisset ad Montani Dogma delapsus est that there is no reason to question it It is commonly believed that he was a Priest of the Church of Rome m It is commonly believed that he was a Priest of the Church of Rome That which makes it believed that he was a Roman Priest is what S. Jerom says of his falling into the Error of the Montanists because he was provoked by Envy and the Injuries which he received from the Clergy of that Church But there is no necessity for all this that he should be at Rome since there was a sufficient Intimacy and Correspondence between these two Churches so that it might be easily known at Rome what was said and done at Carthage and though he had been then at Rome yet it would not have followed that he was Priest of that Church None of the Ancients affirm it but on the contrary Optatus calls him a Carthaginian as he calls Zephirinus Urbicus that is the Bishop of Rome And also Victorinus Patavionensis The Praedestinatus of Sirmondus calls him plainly a Presbyter of Carthage But being of Carthage and having almost always remained there he ought rather to be called a Priest of the Church of Carthage than of Rome He was not so happy as to preserve this Dignity to the end of his days for after having continued in the Church for about 40 or 45 years he separated from it in the beginning of the Third Century n In the beginning of the Third Century The Epocha of his Change is certain for we may easily fix it because he says in his Book against Praxeas that this Heretick being come to Rome hindred the Bishop of that Church from acknowledging the Prophecies of Montanus that he wrote against him at that time and had obliged him to revoke his Opinion that afterwards he acknowledged the Paraclet or Comforter Now it is very likely that Victor was this Bishop that rejected the Prophecies of Montanus For Tertullian says that Praxeas hindred him from consenting to these new Prophesies by urging the Authority of his Predecessors who could be no other than the Popes Anicetus and Eleutherus in whose time these new Prophecies of Montanus first began to appear So that Tertullian could not be turned till after the Pontificate of Victo who was Pope from the Year 193 to the Year 201. He was a Montanist when he composed the Books against Marcion which were written in the Year 207. So that Pamelius who fixes his Change in the Year 210 is mistaken to follow the Sect of Montanus and his Disciples As to the Reasons of his Separation some have said that it was Jealousie that carried him to this Excess because Victor was Preferred before him to the See of Rome Others say that he was angry because he could not get the Bishoprâ—ck of Carthage which he put in for and that this made him take up such a Resolution And lastly others have assigned different Reasons o Have given different Causes thereof Baronius is the Author of the first Opinion ad An. 201 n. 9. Pamelius in his Life of Tertullian of the second And there are others besides who have assigned other Causes for his Change which are all
take heed to your selves and you may know that you are Mortal that you are Dust and shall return to Dust. If Anger transports you to do brutal Actions take heed to your selves and you shall presently be asham'd of that Condition to which Anger has reduc'd you In short This Watchfulness which you should have over your selves will make you know God You will find some Footsteps of him in your selves Your Soul will make you know that he is Spiritual you will admire him who has made such an excellent Piece of Workmanship and the more you consider the Perfections of your Soul and Body the more sublime Idea you will conceive of the Greatness the Power and the Wisdom of God The 4th Homily intituled of Thanksgiving is about the Joy which St. Paul prescribes to Christians in these words of his Epistle to the Thessalonians Rejoyce always pray without ceasing giving thanks to God for every thing He explains in what sence Christians ought always to be Joyful He says That in order to their having this Joy they must be like St. Paul that 's to say they must live in Jesus Christ and their Joy must not depend upon changes of Fortune but it must be solid and depend upon their own Good Conscience and their hope of Eternal Happiness which renders those Happy who are most Miserable in the Eyes of the World He shews That the Joys of this World are Afflictions to those that are Good and on the contrary the Afflictions of this World are an occasion of Joy to them He explains in what sence Jesus Christ wept and why the Saints have Power to weep At last he exhorts all Christians to be no more sad for the loss of this World's Goods but on the contrary to rejoyce in the hope of those Good Things that are to come He continues the same Subject in the following Homily which was made upon the Festival of St. Julita the Martyr This Saint had a Law-Suit with a Man which she commenc'd for all her Estate 'T was promis'd her that she should gain her Cause if she would renounce Jesus Christ but she was assur'd that she should lose all if she should not agree to this Proposition She answer'd with Courage You shall sooner take away my Goods and deprive me of my Life than ever make me speak one single Word against my God This Answer caus'd her to be condemned to the Fire wherein she expir'd but her Body could not be burnt by the Flames This is the History which St. Basil relates in this Sermon upon which Occasion he pursues the preceeding Discourse and continues the Explication of the Words of St. Paul He says That the continual Prayer which God requires of us does not consist in a vocal repeating of Prayers but in the Design that one has to do Good So according to him if a Man would pray continually he ought always to be united to God in his Actions and in every thing to follow his Will At last he says That we must thank God and praise him for every thing and that neither Losses nor Diseases nor Wrongs nor Afflictions nor the Death of our Relations nor the other Miseries of this Life ought to hinder us from praising God and giving him thanks continually That in Adversity we ought to thank God because 't is good for us to be humbled and we ought to praise him in Prosperity saying to him in the Words of the Royal Prophet O my God what shall I render unto thoe for all the benefits that thou hast done unto me He recites many Motives of Consolation in Adversity taken from the Mercies of God the Hope of future Happiness the Wisdom of God the Submission that 's due to his Will and the Miseries of others And Lastly he assures us that nothing but Sin should make us weep and that if Charity obliges us to Mourn with those that Mourn that is only by a kind of Condescention which should not last long At the End of this Homily he reproves those who make themselves Drunk to drive away Sadness The three following Homilies are about Riches and against Covetousness The First is upon the Words of the Rich Man mention'd in the Gospel who seeing the Superabundance of his Goods said I will pull down my Barns and I will build larger He begins with this Remark That Men have Two great Temptations in this Life Great Adversity and Great Prosperity That Job overcame the first but the Rich Man in the Gospel was overcome by the last After this he makes Reflections upon the Actions and the Punishment of this Rich Man and says they ought to teach us to be Bountiful towards the Poor and to make good use of our Riches He observes That we are only Stewards of our Riches That all that we have is for others That we should imitate the Earth which brings forth her Fruit for others That the Good which we do will turn to our Profit That 't is more Glorious to give than to receive That 't is an accursed thing to with-hold Corn for a time of Dearth That 't is a piece of Inhumanity to despise the Poor That Riches are unprofitable if they be not distributed That the Thoughts of the Covetous are vain and sensless and that they take a great deal of Pains to heap up Riches which they never enjoy After this he answers the Objections of Covetous Men. One says I will give to Morrow to exempt himself from giving to Day Alas What do you know whether you shall be alive to Morrow in this place Another says I am Poor I have need enough my self of all my Means Yes you are Poor you are destitute but 't is of Charity of Benignity of Faith of Mercy A Third says Whom do I wrong I detain nothing but what is mine own and here St. Basil is angry with this wicked Maxim And I says he demand of you Why do you say that those Riches are your own From whom did you receive them and from whence did you bring them Did not you come naked out of your Mother's-Womb and shall not you return naked to the Dust From whence then did this present VVealth come If you say it came by Chance you are impious if you confess that you received it from God tell me why did it fall to your Lot rather than another's God is not unjust in the unequal Division of Goods which he makes amongst Men. VVhy then are you Rich and why is this Man Poor 'T is that you who are Rich may receive the Reward of difpensing your Goods faithfully and that the Poor Man may receive the Recompence of his Patience And therefore when you appropriate to your self that VVealth which belongs to many particular Persons and of which you are only a Steward you are a Robber you detain that which is none of your own Yea the Bread which you keep to your self whereof you have more than serves for the use of
by a Synod of Western Bishops tho' they were condemn'd in it and explains the Faith of the Church about the Incarnation and plainly rejects not only the Errors of Apollinarius but also those that have been since publish'd by Nestorius by Eutyches and by all the other Hereticks He gives to the Virgin the Name and Title of The Mother of God Afterwards he refutes the Objections of Apollinarius and observes another Error of this Author concerning the Trinity He affirms towards the end of this Letter that we ought not to communicate with this Heretick In the 2d Letter he discovers the Tricks and Subtilties which the Apollinarians used to make People believe that they were Orthodox Towards the end of this Letter he has these excellent Words O strange folly He pretends to preach that Wisdom which has been discover'd since Jesus Christ. What pity ' t is For if the Gospel was not known till about 30 Years ago then the Gospel was of no use for 400 Years that the Church has been establish'd In vain have Christians believ'd and so many Martyrs suffer'd in vain have so many Holy Bishops govern'd the Church The Paraphrase upon Ecclesiastes was written by St. Gregory Thaumaturgus as we have observ'd in speaking of this Father's Works But we must add here to what we have said in that place to prove it that not only St. Jerom testifies in his Book of Ecclesiastical Writers that St. Gregory Thaumaturgus wrote a Treatise upon Ecclesiastes but that he cites this Treatise as his in his Commentary upon the 4th Chapter where he quotes a Passage which is Word for Word in the 4th Chapter of this Paraphrase The Poems of St. Gregory Nazianzen were the Fruits of his last Retirement he wrote them in the last Years of his Life In them is to be found all the Fire and Vigour which one would desire in the Works of a young Man and all the thoughts which the practice of Vertue for the space of many Years could inspire into an old Man of consummate Piety The 1st is a Poem which contains the History of his own Life from his Birth till his departure from Constantinople There never was any thing of this Kind written more pleasantly more elegantly and more naturally than this Life is In the first part he describes his publick and known Actions where he says many things which are very useful to explain the History of the Council of Constantinople and the Divisions of the Eastern and Western Churches and there also he discourses against the Ignorance the Pride and the corrupt Manners of the Bishops of his time In the 2d Part he describes the Dispositions of his Mind The former part relates to History and this to Morality and as there are in the former part many Circumstances that belong to Ecclesiastical History so this contains many Christian and Moral Thoughts The former is written in Iambick Verse the latter in Hexameters In his Poem of the praise of Virginity he handles with much Wit and Eloquence the Question about the Preheminence of Celibacy above Marriage and that he may explain this Question the more pleasantly after he has enlarg'd upon the Praises of Virginity he makes an excellent Prosopopoeia wherein he brings in married Persons and those who observe Celibacy speaking for both their Opinions each of them says all that can be said on their side in favour of their State but the latter have the better The 3d. Poem contains many Precepts for Virgins he recommends to them Silence Modesty Retirement Labour and other Vertues necessary for a Virgin These Two Poems are in Hexameter Verse In the 4th Poem he bewails in general the Misery of Mankind caus'd by the Sin of Adam and relates some Circumstances of his own Life This is in Elegiacks In the 5th having described the Crosses and Sicknesses which he had endur'd in his Life he submits himself to the Will of God and offers to him the remainder of his painful Life The 6th is upon the Vanity and Uncertainty of this Mortal Life In the 7th he bewails his Miseries and prays to God to deliver him from them The 8th is upon the same Subject In the 9th he describes a Dream which he had about the Church of Anastasia In the 10th after having described the Likeness and Hypocrisy of the Bishops of his time he congratulates himself upon his departure from Constantinople The 11th Poem describes the Vices of wicked Bishops and deplores the Division of the Church there he observes that Persecutions encreased the Church but Abundance and Riches have done it great Prejudice In the 12th which is addressed to the Bishops of the Council of Constantinople he describes after what manner he was forc'd away from that City and testifies his joy for that God had recall'd him to his Retirement In the 13th he describes the Misery and Weakness of Humane Nature He continues the same Subject in the 14th wherein he describes the Miseries of Life and the Horror of Death to teach Men to Love nothing but Jesus Christ and to have no Affection for any thing but the Treasures in Heaven The 15th is also upon the same Subject wherein he represents the Uncertainty and Instability of this Mortal Life and of Worldly Riches to convince Men that there is nothing Solid here below but the Love of Jesus Christ. The 16th contains the Beatitudes of the Gospel and the Rules of a Christian Life In the 17th he wishes many Imprecations upon himself if he should wander from the Faith of Christ and the Precepts of the Gospel The 18th is against the Desires of the Flesh. The 19th is against the Devil The 20th is an Exhortation which he made to himself to stir himself up to Conversion The 21st is an Imprecation upon the Devil and an Invocation of Jesus Christ. The 22d is a Prayer to God to be deliver'd from this Life of Sin and Death The 23d is a Reflection upon the Uncertainty of Life and the Contempt we ought to have of it The 24th and 25th is upon the Weakness and Misery of our Nature The 26th is of the Desire of God The 27th and 28th is a Lamentation upon the view of his own Miseries and Sins The 29th is a Prayer to Jesus Christ. The 30th is a kind of Epitaph The 31st is a Prayer of a Penitent Person The 32d is a Farewell to the Devil In the 33d he makes a Catalogue of the Books of the Holy Scripture He distinguishes those of the Old Testament into Historical Poetical and Prophetical he reckons 12 Historical viz. The Five Books of Moses Joshua Judges Ruth the Two Books of Kings the Chronicles and Ezra He reckons Five Poetical the Book of Job the Psalms of David Ecclesiastes the Proverbs and the Song of Solomon and Five Prophetical which are the 12 lesser Prophets that make but one Book only Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel which in all make the number of 22 Books according to the
of the Excellency of Virginity He shews That this Vertue comes from Heaven and that God is the Author of it That the Heathens neither knew it nor practis'd it as they ought That the Jews themselves did not esteem it and that it was not common amongst Men till Jesus Christ came into the World Afterwards he gives a Catalogue of the Advantages which Virginity has above the married State by comparing these Two Conditions I do not condemn Marriage says he but I will prove that Virginity is more Excellent Let us compare if you please the more considerable Advantages of married Women with the least Happiness of Virgins The married Woman may boast of her Fruitfulness which makes her happy in Children but the more she brings into the World the more Pain she suffers She may reckon upon the Comfort and Support she shall have from her Children but with this let her balance the troubles they bring upon her What might I not say of the troubles which Mothers must undergo both in Nursing Children and bringing them up and then in marrying of them What is more harsh than that Subjection or rather Slavery to which Wives are reduc'd What is more uneasy than those perpetual Complaisances which they must always use towards their Husbands Fears and Jealousies and a Thousand other Cares render them unhappy The Necessity and Slavery they undergo in dressing and adorning themselves is a perpetual Punishment But you O blessed Virgins know not what all this attiring means you have no other Ornament but Modesty and Chastity you court no other Beauty than that of Vertue a Beauty which cannot be shar'd with others nor taken away by Death nor defac'd by any Sickness you have none to please but God who loveth beautiful Souls tho' they be shut up in deform'd Bodies you are not troubled with the Inconveniences of Child bearing and of bringing forth Children and yet you have a very numerous Spiritual Off-spring St. Ambrose complains that there were so few Persons at Milan who profited by his Instructions whilst a great many Virgins not only from Bologna and Placentia but even from Mauritania came to receive the Veil at Milan He reproves Mothers who hindered their Daughters from coming to his Sermons lest they should embrace Virginity At last he commends those Virgins who devoted themselves to God without their Parents leave and relates the Example of a young Gentlewoman who being press'd by her Mother and Relations to Marry threw her self down before the Altars and would not stirr from thence till she had obtained the Consent of her Parents to her professing Virginity 'T is observable that St. Ambrose says That at length her Relations approv'd her Design and so she was not depriv'd of her Estate In the Second Book he undertakes to Instruct Virgins by some Examples which he proposes to them And because the Virgin Mary was undoubtedly the most perfect of all Virgins her Example is the First and most Illustrious St. Ambrose here proposes her Life as a Pattern which Virgins ought to imitate and represents her Vertues in a most Excellent manner From this Father Preachers and Devoto's may learn how to praise the Virgin in such a manner as is worthy of her without stuffing their Discourses with Apocryphal Stories Excessive Praises and False Notions The Picture which he draws of her represents her as she was and sets before our Eyes her Natural Beauty whereas some of the Devoto's of the latter Ages have changed and disfigured her by vain Ornaments which are no ways agreeable to her neither could she her self endure them St. Ambrose having propos'd to Virgins the Example of the blessed Mary as the Pattern of their Life sets before them also the Example of St. Thecla the Martyr to Instruct them how to die well He sub joyns the Example of a Christian Virgin of Antioch who being carried to the Stews because she would not Sacrifice to Idols was deliver'd from the Danger she was in by a Souldier who chang'd Clothes with her and sav'd her But when this came to be known the Souldier was carried to the place of Punishment where the Virgin also rendred her self and they both receiv'd the Crown of Martyrdom St. Ambrose describes this History in very lively and eloquent Figures and comparing it with the Fable of Damon and Pythias he proves that this Action was much nobler and greater than that which is related of those two famous Friends Towards the End he excuses himself for using so many Flowers and Figures of Rhetorick in relating these Examples of Virgins which he says he did not do to show his Eloquence but to win the Affection of Virgins by the Sweetness and Smoothness of his Discourse and to render their Condition the more Amiable by the Beauty of the Examples which he propos'd to them before he proceeded to the Precepts and Advices which might be less agreeable The Third Book begins with an Exhortation which Pope Liberius made to Marcellina St. Ambrose's Sister when he gave her the Veil at Rome in the Church of the Apostles on Christmas-Day There is no probability that this very Discourse should be Liberius's but it was certainly made by St. Ambrose and contains very useful Advices to Virgins consecrated to God After he has exhorted them to love their Divine Spouse he prescribes Rules concerning their principal Duties he enjoyns them to be very Sober to shun Visits from the People of the World to keep Silence and to be very Modest and Reserv'd in all their Actions When he has given these Precepts under the Name of Liberius he praises the Vertues of his Sister and chiefly her Fastings but he Counsels her to moderate them that she may apply her self more to other Spiritual Exercises and especially to Prayer He says That she should pray in the Morning when she awakes before she goes out before and after Meals towards Night and when she goes to Bed He advises her also to repeat in her Bed the Lord's Prayer and the Psalms either before she falls asleep or when she awakes And he thinks that she ought to repeat every Morning the Creed as the Seal of our Faith He add That she ought to weep and shun excessive Mirth the Pleasures of this World and particularly Dancing And to dissuade Christian Virgins from it he relates the Example of the Dancing of Herodias's Daughter and describes the fatal Consequences of it A fit Example says he to teach Wise and Christian Ladies that they ought not to suffer their Daughters to practise Dancing Lastly St. Ambrose answers the Question which Marcellina had put to him to know what was to be thought of Virgins who kill'd themselves or threw themselves head-long to shun falling into the hands of their Persecutors who sought to deprive them of their Faith and their Virginity He relates the Example of St. Pelagia who kill'd her self and of the Mother and Sisters of that Saint who threw themselves head-long into the
is famous for the several Questions it has occasion'd The most natural Sence that can be given to it is this We Ordain That the Ancient Custom shall be observ'd which gives Power to the Bishop of Alexandria over all the Provinces of Egypt Libya and Pentapolis because the Bishop of Rome has the like Jurisdiction over all the Suburbicary Regions for this Addition must be supplied out of Ruffinus We would likewise have the Rights and Privileges of the Church of Antioch and the other Churches preserved but these Rights ought not to prejudice those of the Metropolitans If any one is Ordain'd without the consent of the Metropolitan the Council declares That he is no Bishop But if any one is Canonically chosen by the Suffrage of almost all the Bishops of the Province and if there are but One or Two of a contrary Opinion the Suffrages of the far greater number ought to carry it for the Ordination of those particular Persons This Canon being thus explain'd has no difficulty in it It does not oppose the Primacy of the Church of Rome but neither does it Only so far as it may by a Negative Argument be hence very strongly concluded That the See of Rome then claimed none but Privileges common to it and other Metropolitical Sees establish it It preserves to Great Sees their ancient Privileges that is the Jurisdiction or Authority which they had over many Provinces which was afterwards call'd the Jurisdiction of the Patriarch or Exarch In this sence it is That it compares the Church of Rome to the Church of Alexandria by considering them all as Patriarchal Churches It continues also to the Church of Antioch and all the other Great Churches whatsoever Rights they could have but lest their Authority should be prejudicial to the ordinary Metropolitans who were subject to their Jurisdiction the Council confirms what had been Ordain'd in the Fourth Canon concerning the Authority of Metropolitans in the Ordination of Bishops This Explication is easie and natural and we have given many proofs of it in our Latin Dissertation concerning the ancient Discipline of the Church The 7th is That since by ancient Tradition the Church of Elias or of Jerusalem has been honoured this Prerogative of Honour shall be continued to it but without prejudice to the Rights of its Metropolis The 8th declares That the Novatians who return to the Church may continue in the Clergy after they have receiv'd Imposition of Hands and made Profession of following the Discipline of the Church That if a Novatian Bishop in a City where there is a Catholick Bishop return to the Church he shall not take the place of the Catholick Bishop but continue in the Presbytery unless the Catholick Bishop will allow him the Name of a Bishop But if he will not this Novatian Bishop shall continue Priest or Suffragan The 9th or 10th Ordains That those Priests shall be degraded who are found either to have Sacrificed or to have been guilty of other Crimes before their Ordination The 11th imposes a Penance of Ten Years upon those who voluntarily renounce the Christian Religion without being forced either by the loss of their Estate or danger of their Life The 12th imposes Thirteen Years Penance upon those who having shown their Zeal for the Faith did afterwards apostatize to obtain Offices Nevertheless it permits this Penance to be shorten'd in favour of those who testify much Grief and Remorse The 13th renews the ancient Law which Ordains That dying Persons shall not be deprived of the last and most necessary Viaticum that is of Absolution but upon condition That if the sick Person recovers his health he shall be placed only in the Rank of those who are present only at the Prayers of the Church It leaves it at the discretion of the Bishop to give or to refuse the Communion to dying Persons who desire it The 14th turns back those Catechumens to the place of Hearers who Apostatized when they were ready to receive Baptism and enjoins them to continue in that place for Three Years before they can be restor'd to the place wherein they were before The 15th forbids the Translations of Bishops and Priests and Ordains That those who shall be Translated shall return to their First Church The 16th forbids the receiving of Priests Deacons or Ministers of another Church without the consent of their Bishop The 17th Ordains That Clergy-men who are Usurers or who take sordid Gain shall be deposed The 18th forbids Deacons to give the Eucharist to Priests because it is against the Canons and contrary to Custom and they have not the power to Offer nor to Give the Body of Jesus Christ to those who do offer It forbids them also to take the Eucharist before the Bishops and advertises them that they are but inferiour Ministers to Priests That they ought to receive the Eucharist after them from the hand of a Bishop or a Priest That 't is not lawful for them to sit in the place of Priests and threatens those who do not obey this Rule with the deprivation of their Ministry The 19th Ordains That the Paulianists shall be re-baptiz'd who return to the Church and that if there be found any who had the Name of Clergy-men among these Hereticks who are worthy of Orders the Bishop shall Ordain them after they have been baptiz'd but if they be not found worthy of Holy Orders they shall be deposed It Ordains the same thing of Deaconesses who are reckoned among the Clergy tho' they never receiv'd Imposition of Hands that they shall be placed among the Laity The last Canon abolishes the Custom of some Churches wherein they kneeled on Sunday and Whit-sunday and Ordains for keeping Uniformity that they shall pray to God standing at this time in all Churches We must add to the History of this Council Two remarkable Stories related by Socrates and Sozomen which Socrates says he learn'd from an old Man who assisted at this Council The First is concerning Acesius a Novatian Bishop who being asked by the Emperour whether he approv'd the Decision of this Council answer'd him That he had receiv'd from his Ancestors the Faith which they had decree'd and that he always celebrated Easter on the Day which they had appointed The Emperour having afterwards ask'd him Why then did he separate from the Communion of the Church He alledg'd the Indulgence which the Church had given from the time of Decius and said that those who had faln into Crimes ought never to be receiv'd into the Communion of the Church and that they ought to expect pardon from God only who only could grant it them The Emperour hearing this Answer answer'd him pleasantly O Acesius take then a Ladder and mount up to Heaven alone The other Story concerns Paphnutius a Bishop in Egypt who oppos'd the Canon which was propos'd in the Council for obliging Bishops Priests and Deacons to observe Celibacy This good Man said that tho' he had
Seventeenth Letter is from Bethlehem in the Name of Paula and Eustochium to Marcella whom they invite to come to them and to visit the holy Places It may have been written about the Year 400. The Eighteenth is written in S. Jerom's Name to the same Lady and upon the same Subject The Nineteenth is a handsome Letter of Thanks to Eustochium for a Present of some Fruits that she sent him upon S. Peter's Day The following Letter to Marcella is likewise to thank him for some Presents which that Lady had sent him from Rome The Twenty-first is written to an Old Man of Spain of 100 Years of Age. S. Jerom congratulates with him that God had given him a fine Old Age freed from the ordinary infirmities common to persons of those Years he commends his Vertues and desires of him the Commentaries of Fortunatianus the History of Aurelius Victor and Novatian's Letters and tells him that he would send him the Life of the Blessed Paul the first Hermite This Letter may have been written in S. Jerom's first Retreat The Two and Twentieth is a Treatise of Virginity to Eustochium Having spoken of the Excellency of it of the Difficulty of preserving and the Danger of losing it he lays down Precepts which a Virgin is to observe to keep her self pure He forbids her to drink Wine he bids her avoid dainty Fare Effeminateness Pleasures and superfluous Ornaments he recommends Solitude to her and the Reading of the Holy Scripture Prayer Renouncing of the Things of this World Fasting Humility and other Christian Vertues He speaks against some Clergy-men who kept devout Sisters in their Houses And who saith he under pretence of Spiritual consolation entertained a carnal commerce He blames those also that courted Ladies and to please them condescended to do several things unworthy of their Character To dissuade Eustochium from reading prophane Books he tells her That being once too earnest in reading Cicero Plautus and other prophane Authors he fell into a violent Fever and by it into a kind of Agony and then was caught up in the Spirit to the Tribunal of Jesus Christ where having been soundly whips for reading prophane Authors too much he was forbidden to read them any more He assures Eustochium that this Story is not a Dream and calls the Tribunal where he appeared and the Judgment that was given against him to attest the Truth of what he says Yet when Rufinus upbraided him afterwards that for all that he had not given over reading prophane Books he laughs at his Simplicity and jests upon him for taking a Dream for a Truth Declaiming against Covetousness he says that a Monk of Nitria having got together One hundred Pence which were found in his Cell after he was dead they buried him with his Money and with this Imprecation Let this Money perish with thee He observes upon that occasion that there were Five thousand Monks in the Solitudes of Nitria dwelling in separated Cells and that there were three sorts of Monks in Egypt namely the Coenobites who lived in common the Anchorets who dwelt alone in the Wilderness and thosethat were called Remoboth who lived Two and Two together and maintained themselves after their own way with the work of their own hands He blames this last sort and describes the manner of living of the Anchorets and Coenobites at large After this digression he concludes with commending the Purity of Eustochium In all likelihood this Treatise was composed at Rome about the latter end of Damasus's Pontisicate about the Year 385. The Two and Twentieth is written to Marcella upon the Recovery and Conversion of Blaesilla Paula's Daughter and Sister of Eustochium This young Widow after the Torment of a violent Fever for Thirty days together had embraced a Solitary life S. Jerom commends her for that generous Resolution and confounds those that blamed her One may find in that Letter a handsome description of the Habit of those ancient Nuns S. Jerom speaks there against the Finery of Women This Letter was written at Rome about the Year 383. The next was written much about the same time it is directed to Paula concerning the Death of an Holy Nun one Lea. S. Jerom shews that they ought to rejoyce for her Death because she enjoy'd Happiness He commends her Vertues and comparing her Death with that of one designed to be Consul which happened at the same time he shows the vast difference betwixt a poor Righteous Man's death and that of a great rich and impious Lord. The Four and Twentieth is a Letter of Consolation to Paula upon the Death of her Daughter Blaesilla who departed this Life four Months after her Conversion S. Jerom shows that we should not mourn for Christians who die in a State of Grace but rather rejoyce for their Happiness He reproves Paula severely because she had given way to excessive Grief This Letter may pass for an exact Pattern of Elegant and Christian Consolation It was composed at Rome about the Year 384. The Five and Twentieth is likewise a Consolatory Letter to Pammachius upon the Death of his Wife Paulina who was also one of Paula's Daughters He saith but little of Paulina's Death but enlargeth much in Commendation of Pammachius who left the World after his Wife's Death and had bestowed great part of his Estate upon the Poor and built an Hospital for Strangers in the Port of Rome S. Jerom says at the latter end of this Letter that so great a number of Monks flocked to his Monastery at Bethlehem that he was obliged to send his Brother Paulinianus to sell the rest of the Estate which he had in his own Country to enable him to support his Undertaking This informs us that this Letter was written at Bethlehem in 398. The Twenty-sixth is a Funeral-Sermon for the famous Paula whose Life he describes and makes her Panegyrick It is directed to her Daughter Eustochium He sets down at the latter end some Epitaphs which he put upon the Grave and upon the Cave where that holy Lady was buried in Bethlehem and he says that she died Febr. 22d and was buried the 24th under the Seventh Consulship of Honorius and Aristaenetus That is after our way of reckoning the 404th Year since the Nativity of our Saviour And this proves that Funeral Oration to be of that same Year The Seven and twentieth Letter to a Spaniard one Lucinius is very remarkable S. Jerom exhorts that Man who had embraced a Monastical Life with his Wife's Consent to prosecute the design which he had to come to Jerusalem He tells him that he had given Copies of his works to those whom he sent to him That he had not translated Josephus his Books nor the Writings of S. Papias and S. Polycarp That he translated only some Treatises of Origen and Didymus That he had corrected the Version of the Septuagint restored the Greek of the New Testament and that he sent to him part of the Canonical
Books which he revised and made conformable to the truth of the Hebrew He afterwards answers two Questions which Lucinius had put to him about Saturday's Fast and a frequent Communion That Answer is too considerable not to be translated here As to what you ask me concerning the Saturday's Fast whether it ought to be kept and about the Eucharist whether it should be received every day as is Customary in the Churches both of Italy and Spain we have upon that Subject a Treatise of Hippolytus a very Eloquent man and several Authors have occasionally treated of that Matter for my part this is the advice I think ought to be given in that Point That Ecclesiastical Traditions not contrary to the Faith ought to be observed after the same manner that we received them from our Ancestors And I am perswaded that the Custom of one Church is not to be aboushed because of a contrary one in use in another Church Would to God that we could fast every day Do we not read in the Acts of the Apostles that both S. Paul and they that were with him fasted in the days of Pentecost and even upon Sunday's Yet for all that they ought not to be accused for Manichees because they did it out of a Spiritual good before which a Carnal one is not to be preferred As to the Eucharist it is good to receive it daily provided there be no prickings of Conscience and no danger of receiving our own Condemnation Not that I would have Men fast on Sundays or in the Fifty days after Easter but I must still return to my Principle That every Countrey ought to follow its own Custom and look upon the Ordinances of their Ancestors as Apostolical Laws This Letter was written about the Year 406. Lucinius to whom this Letter is directed being dead S. Jerom comforts his Widow Theodora in the following Letter in which he citeth there the Books of S. Irenaeus with Commendation S. Jerom's Eight and twentieth Letter is a Funeral Oration in Commendation of a Roman Lady called Fabiola This Lady had a former very lewd Husband and having procured a Separation she was married to another but having acknowledged her fault she did publick Penance and was admitted to the Communion She built at Rome an Hospital for sick Persons whom she had assisted with wonderful Zeal and surprizing Charity S. Jerom commendeth chiefly those generous Actions and speaks of the Journey which she had undertaken to Bethlehem where she remained some time with him This Letter was written in 400 two years after the Funeral Discourse for Paulina and Four years after that for Nepotian as S. Jerom says in the beginning The Nine and twentieth is a Note to Theophilus wherein he excuseth himself that he had not yet translated into Latin that Bishop's Book concerning Easter because of the troubles of the Church that had disquieted him and Paula's Death which had overwhelmed him with Grief So that this Letter was written in the Year 404. In the Thirtieth S. Jerom comforteth a Spaniard one Abigaâ—s for the Ioss of his sight he commends his Piety and desires him to exhort Theodora Lucinius his Widow to continue her Journey to Jerusalem this shows that this Letter was written after Lucinius his Death about the Year 408 or 409. The Thirty first as likewise a Letter of comfort to another Blind man one Castrutius who was S. Jerom's Countrey-man He thanks him for beginning his Journey to come to see him but desires him to undertake the Journey next year The Year of this Letter is not known It is probable that it was written very near the same time with the foregoing In the Two and thirtieth having administred comfort to Julianus one of his Friends for the loss of two Daughters of his Wife and Estate and for the Discontents occasioned by his Son-in-Law he adviseth him to give himself to God and embrace a monastical Life This Letter is written from the Solitudes of Bethlehem about the Year 408. In the Thirty third he exhorteth Exuperantius to forsake the Wars and the World and to withdraw himself with his Brother Quintillian to Bethlehem The Thirty fourth is to his Aunt Castorina with whom he had had some difference he intreats her by this Letter to be reconciled to him this Letter was in all probability written during S. Jerom's first retreat and since he tells her that he had written to her the year before upon the same Subject this must be of the Year 373 or 374. The Five and thirtieth was written at the same time He prays Julian the Deacon to send him News of his own Countrey and gives him thanks for sending word that his Sister continued in the resolution not to Marry The Thirty sixth to Theodosius and the other Monks was written by S. Jerom after his quitting the Desart of Syria in 374. where those Monks dwelt He desires them to pray that God would call him back into the Desart The Thirty seventh to the Virgins dwelling upon Mount Hermon is written from the Desart of Syria about the Year 373. He complains that they had not answered the Letters that he had written to them The Eight and thirtieth is certainly not S. Jerom's and there is nothing in it worth Observation In the Thirty ninth he invites Rufinus Presbyter of Aquileia who was then in Egypt to come to him in his Solitude of Syria where he was alone with Evagrius only after the going away of Heliodorus and the Death of Innocent and Hylas This Letter is of 373 or 374. The Fortieth Forty first Forty second and Forty third are very near of the same time they are written to his old Friends at Aquileia The First to Niceas Deacon of that Town the Second to Chromatius Eusebius and Jovinus The Third to Chrysogonus a Monk of Aquileia and the last to another Monk called Anthony These are of no great Consequence The Forty fourth to Rusticus is more useful He exhorts that Man to do Penance urging several places of Scripture touching Repentance He invites him to visit the Holy places This Letter is not of the same Stile with the rest of this Father's Letters The Forty fifth Letter is a biting Satyr against Virgins and Women who dwelt with Clergy Men that were not of their Kindred The Six and fortieth is a Declamation against Sabinianus a Deacon whose Life had been disorderly both in his own Countrey and at Bethlehem These Three last are written from the Solitude of Bethlehem The year is uncertain The Seven and fortieth is an Historical Narrative of a Woman of Vercelle who having been falsly accused of Adultery and condemned to die tho' she constantly denied the Fact was tortured seven times but could not be put to Death The Stile of this Letter is florid and childish tho' S. Jerom writ it when he was well in years The Life of S. Paul the first Hermite is one of S. Jerom's first Works This man at Fifteen years of Age
he lived under Arcadius and that he was likewise a Recluse from that Time since he wrote two Letters to that Emperor about the Banishment of S. Chrysostom which happened in 405. which are Letter 279. lib. 3. and 265. lib. 2. He must needs be pretty ancient since he had been Governor of Constantinople He was about Fifty Years Old when the Monastery of Sinai was afflicted by the Incursions of the Barbarians as he himself says Now this must needs happen about the Year 410 or 411. He could not then live to the Empire of Mauricius which did not begin till the Year 583. Wherefore we must correct the Menologiâ—s where it is said That he lived under or to the Empire of Maurice and put the Name of Marcian instead of that of Maurice Allatius affirms That he lived in the Sixth Age because in Let. 70. lib. 1. directed to Tribunus Zozarius he proves That the Kingdom of the Jews is destroyed for ever because there have passed Five hundred Years since the Death of Jesus Christ and yet it hath not been re-established nor have the Jews had any Help But S. Nilus doth not precisely say that the Five hundredth Year was passed but that it drew near 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Lo it draws apâ—ce to Five hundred Years Four hundred Years are quite pass'd and we are going on in the Fifth Age. We have placed this Author after Isidore and Cassian because he hath written upon the same Matters The Works of this Holy Religious Man known and esteemed by the Ancients have been printed several Times as well by themselves as in the Bibliotheca Patrum and not long since were published in Greek and Latin by the Care of Suarez at Rome 1673. The First is a Treatise of the Monastick Life which had been translated already by Zinus and was printed at Venice with some other Works of the same Author anno 1657. and since put into the Bibliotheca Patrum S. Nilus in this Tract reproves the Vices and Disorders of the Monks of his Time which he describes in a very smart manner He condemns those who were ambitious to be Superiors and Governours of others not having acquired by long Exercise such Vertues as were necessary to discharge that Office well He also gives them many very useful Precepts and Instructions which he delivers by Allegories He exhorts the Religious to renounce their Estates wholly and all worldly Pleasures and to practise the Vertues that are becoming Monks recommending in an especial manner Retirement and Solitude This Treatise is written with much Fervor and Acuteness and is full of very Judicious Observations What he says in the beginning concerning the Rise Perfection and Decay of the Monastick State is well worth our Consideration Having shewed That neither the Heathens nor the Jews had any true Philosophers nor perfect Sages That Jesus Christ is the First who manifested to Men the true way of Vertue and Wisdom and that the Apostles and First Christians imitated their Master in all things and following his Steps have given us Examples of a most Wise and Regular Life and Conversation He Adds That the Zeal of Christians who should follow that Example being cooled some Persons have taken up a Resolution to abandon the perplexing Business of the World and the Tumults of the Cities to retire themselves in Solitude that these Persons have exactly imitated the Apostles in curbing their Passions and renouncing the Riches and Pleasures of the World in contenting themselves with meer Necessaries in living in great Union and having all things in Common but that at length this Profession so Holy in the Original had degenerated by degrees and was now become clear another thing That the present Professors of it disgraced their State and the Memory of their Predecessors by their Disorders and Irregularities The Second Treatise dedicated to the Monk Agathius is entituled Peristeria from the name of a noble Lady whom Agathius had propounded to S. Nilus as an eminent Example of Vertue and Piety in an Age which he affirmed to be as Corrupt as his This Treatise contains in it several moral Considerations about Temperance Humility Prayer Contempt of the World and the Obligation of doing Alms. He describes the miserable condition of the Worldly-minded Man when he comes to the Point of Death He advises them that are Rich to distribute to the Poor their Estates rather than Bequeath or Leave them to their Heirs He bewails the Misery of those who being at the Point of Death think of nothing but Worldly Business He derides the Folly of those Persons who give the Poor Legacies after their Death but enjoy their Estates as long as they live without bestowing any thing on them He enveighs against the Luxury Covetousness and Injustice of the Rich Men of his Time The rest of his Discourse is about the Life of Good Men and the Temptations Persecutions and Misfortunes which they must endure And he gives us several Famous Examples of this taken from the Old and New Testament The Third Treatise of S. Nilus is a Discourse of Voluntary Poverty dedicated to a certain Deaconess of the Church of Ancyra called Magna It treats at large on the Happiness of those who have forsaken their worldly Possessions for the Service of God He commends that Estate and recites many Passages of Holy Scripture in praise of it but many of them do not at all prove what he designs He also recommends Obedience Concord and Humility The Following Discourse is a Sermon of Morality whose Subject is no special Matter and in which there is nothing remarkable The Manual of Epictetus which follows in the Roman Edition is nothing like the Works of S. Nilus He that published this Edition affirms That this Manual was extracted out of Epictetus's Works by S. Nilus but he brings no Proof of it And Simplicius assures us That it was Arian that made this Manual We have already observed That the Book call'd Pachâ— and another Dogmatical Discourse belong to Evagrius Ponticus The Treatise which begins at Page 377. is upon this Question viz. Whether the Life of the Anchorites or Hermites which S. Nilus also calls Hesicasts or Quietists who dwell in Solitude is to be preferred before the Life of thâ—se Religious who dwell in Cities This is a very Curious Question about which the Judgment of the Spiritual Men is much divided S. Nilus takes the affirmative for the Hermites but many others as he confesses were of a contrary Opinion There are Reasons of both sides They who preferr the Religious who live in Communities in Cities before the Anchorites say That they have more Worth because they meet with more Opposition whereas they that live in Solitude being at Queit and not subject to Temptation have not so much Vertue S. Nilus answers to this Reason which seemed very plausible That there are as many Temptations in Solitude as in Cities and that the Reason why some Persons argue
Greek and wrote Latin well enough S. Jerom accuses him for using Jingling Words verbis tinnulis emendicatis This appears chiefly in the two Letters which serve as a Preface to the Translation of S. Chrysostom's Homilies He flourished in the Beginning of the Fifth Age but we must not confound him as Sigibert hath done with him that wrote the Theodosian Code in the Time of Alaricus at the beginning of the Sixth Age. JULIAN JULIAN born in Apulia a Born in Apulia S. Austin lib. 6. op imperf c. 18. Non enim quia te Apulia genuit Because Apulia brought thee forth Fulgentius says That he was a Person of Quality about the Year 386. the Son of Memor or Memorius b Memorius S. Austin in let 30. Paulinus in the Epitaph of Julian M. Mercator This last upbraids Julian as unworthy to be the Son of Memor and Julienna and treats him as a Bastard He also observes That he had two Sisters The Ancients do not tell us of what City Memorius was Bishop who is thought to have been Bishop of Capua and Julienna married the Daughter of Aemilius Bishop of Beneventum named Ja. Afterward he became a Clergyman He was a Deacon when S. Austin wrote his Thirtieth Letter to his Father Where he gives a Commendation of Father and Son He was ordained c Ordained M. Mercator says That it was S. Innocent that ordained him In 408. he was no more than a Deacon He was young but it is probable that he was Ordained before 416. for Innocent died in 417. in 416. by Pope Innocent Bishop of Eclane d Of Eclane Some have read Celane but it is Eclane The Testimony of Mercator fully determines this Point of History This City was near the Lake Ampsanctus between Campania and Apulia distant from Beneventum about Twenty Miles It is called at this Time Fringent a City situate between Campania and Apulia So long as this Pope lived Julian did not discover his Opinions but soon after his Death he declared himself for the Doctrine of Coelestius and Pelagius Gennadius assures us That before this he passed for one of the most learned Doctors of the Church but he doth not take notice of any of his Works in particular and 't is not certain that he had then composed any However that be we have none of his Works but what might have been composed before he declared himself against S. Austin But we have considerable Fragments of the Writings which he made against the Church In the Popedom of Zosimus he began to maintain the Opinions of Coelestius in his Discourses which he held at Rome He then set himself to cry down by Writing the Doctrine of S. Austin and the Church concerning Original Sin The First thing he did was to write in his own Name to Pope Zosimus We have some Fragments of this Letter in M. Mercator Not long after he addressed a Second Letter to him in the Form of a Profession of Faith written in the Name of Ten Bishops of that Age F. Garner hath put out this Julian owns That he was the Author of it as well as of that which was directed in the Name of the same Bishops to Rufinus Bishop of Thessalonica 'T is this which S. Austin recites in his Three last Books to Bonifacius These Letters were written in 418. The First Book of S. Austin concerning Concupiscence and Marriage falling into the Hands of Julian he wrote in 419. Four Books dedicated to Turbantius against the First Book of S. Austin A little after he was banished out of Italy by the Force of the Emperor's Edict and was compelled to retire into the East He went into Cilicia to find Theodorus of Mopsuesta and there made if we may believe M. Mercator Eight Books dedicated to Florus Bishop of Beneventum against the Second Book of S. Austin concerning Concupiscence and Marriage Sometime after he withdrew from Cilicia and if we give credit to what Mercator says he was condemned after his Departure in a Synod of the Province of Cilicia It may be he returned into Italy but being again banished from thence he retreated to Constantinople where he was rejected by Atticus and afterward by Sisinnius But Nestorius a Scholar of Theodorus being chosen Bishop of Constantinople favoured them and sent two Letters in their behalf to Coelestine At this Time it was that M. Mercator presented his Memoir against Coelestius Julian and his Companions and obtained thus much by his Sollicitations that they were banished from Constantinople They went to the Council of Ephesus where they were received by John Bishop of Antioch But the Council condemned them and confirmed all that had been done against them in the West so that Julian always remained excluded from the Church and banished from Italy He used his utmost Endeavours to gain Entrance into them under Pope Sixtus but all in vain Gennadius says That he died under Valentinian i. e. before the Year 455. after he had given all his Estate to the Poor to relieve them by that means in a Famine and so drew over several Persons to his Party Some hold That he was in Sicily where he spent the last part of his Life in teaching a School and that this Inscription was put on his Tomb. Here lieth in Peace JULIAN an Orthodox Bishop Which Epitaph was to be seen in the Ninth Age. These are the Works of Julian of which we are now coming to speak Some Fragments of the Letter to Zosimus in M. Mercator lib. subn c. 6. n. 10. c. 9. n. 3. He owns in these Fragments That Death entred into the World by the Sin of Adam A long Profession of Faith published by Father Garner in Dissert 5. Par. 1. of the Works of M. Mercator This Profession of Faith hath Four Parts The First contains the Articles of the Creed explained among which he placeth the Necessity of Baptism for all Ages The Second is an Abridgment of his Doctrine about Grace and Free-will Which may be reduced to Five Propositions 1. That Man is absolutely free to do Good or Evil. 2. That to do Good he hath need of Grace but that Grace is never wanting to him 3. That the Nature of Man is good and perfect 4. That there is no such thing as natural Sin or by whatever Name else it may be called 5. That the just Men of the Old Testament were justified by their Works and by Faith in Jesus Christ. The Third Part rejects the Errors of the Arians Sabellians Eunomians Macedonians Apollinarists and Novatians to whom are joyned the Jovinianists such as assert That Man justified by Baptism can never sin Next he comes to the Manichees with whose Errors he confounds the Doctrine of the Orthodox which he exposes after an odious Fashion They saith he who defend natural Sin affirm That the Devil is the Author of Marriages That Children that are born of them are Children of the Devil That all Men are born in his possession
that many Persons had built Oratories to interr their Bodies therein after their Death he engaged his Scholar Eusebius by an Oath to bury him in a Place where no Body knew for a long Time where he was Eusebius executed his Order faithfully and no Body knew where the Body of this Holy Monk was till after all the other Oratories were consecrated by the Relicks of the Martyrs In the Fourth Chapter Theodoret describes the Vertues of Eusebius and his Colleague Marcian and of their Scholars who had dwelt near Antioch In the Fifth he describes the Life of Publius a Native of the City Zeugma the Head of many Monks which he caused to take up their Abode in the same Monastery As his Society was made up of Greeks and Syrians he made the Divine Service to be sung in Greek and Syriack Theodoret also speaks in this Chapter of Theotimus and Aphthonius the Successors of Publius The History of Old Simeon is full of extraordinary Events He conducted the Jews by the Lyons he put out a Fire sent from Heaven which had taken a Village He undertook a Voyage from Mount Sinai by the way he found a Man in a Cave who had dwelt there a long Time and was fed by a Lyon which brought him Dates Simeon continued a whole Week in Prayer upon Mount Sinai without taking any Food after which he heard a Voice which bad him eat and he found Three Apples which he did eat Being returned he built Monasteries Palladius the Friend of Simeon made a dead Man tell him who slew him Aphraâ—tes the Persian professed a Monastick Life but spent great part of his Life at Antioch in opposing the Arians It seems very strange that he performed a Miracle to cuâ—â— the Emperor's Horse by giving him Water to drink on which he had made the Sign of the Cross and rubing his Belly with consecrated Oyl Petrus a Native of Galatia lived Fourscore and nineteen Years and passed Ninety two of them in the Exercises of a Monastick Life His first Years he spent in his own Country and came into Palaestine to worship Jesus Christ in the very Place where he died for us From thence he went to Antioch where he shut himself up in a Tomb drinking nothing but Water and eating Bread only and that but once in Two Days He freed many that were possessed with Devils and healed many diseased among others the Mother of Theodoret who was troubled with a Distemper in her Eyes after he had advised her no more to adorn or paint her self He cured her also of a dangerous Sickness which she had after Child-Bearing Theodosius a Monk of Cilicia was forced by the Excursions of the Barbarians to retreat to Antioch The most remarkable Things in his Life are his continual Labors and Mortifications He was interr'd in the Tomb of Aphraâ—tes and had for his Disciple Helladius who after he had passed Sixty Years in the Exercises of a Monastick Life was Ordained Bishop of Tarsus Romanus imitated the Life of Theodosius He abode near Antioch lived upon nothing but Bread and Water loaded himself with Chains lying on the bare Ground He was a very pious Man and did many Miracles Zeno an Officer of the Emperor Valens forsook the Court to pass his Life in a Tomb near Antioch without Fire without a Bed without Houshold Goods He came on Festivals and Sundays to the Church and there heard the Instructions of the Bishops and approached the Holy Table He disposed one part of his Estate to the Poor while he was alive and left the rest to Alexander his Bishop to be distributed as he pleased Macedonius the Monk lived Forty Years in Solitude near Antioch eating nothing but Barly-bread Towards the end of his Life he began to eat ordinary Bread fearing to render an account to God concerning his Death if he did not do whatsoever was necessary for the Preservation of Life Flavian having caused him to come to Antioch upon pretence of an Accusation ordained him Priest without his Knowledge When the Mass was over some Body telling him of it he was very angry with all that assisted but chiefly with Flavian so that they had much-a-do to pacify him And on the next Lord's Day when they invited him to come to the Feast he replied to those that came to intreat him Would you make me a Priest the second Time They had a great deal of Trouble to perswade him that it could not be done again and it was a long Time before he would come to Antioch For all this Simplicity he was not wanting in his Endeavours to prevent the Execution of those Orders which the Emperor had given against the People of Antioch being provoked that they had beaten down his Statue That which he says thereupon to the Captain who was to execute the Orders is very Divine We can easily enough said he raise those brazen Statues again which we have beaten down but 't is not in the Emperor's Power to raise the Dead Can it then be reasonable for him to destroy the Images of the Living God for Statues of Brass and Copper Theodoret afterwards relates many Miracles of this Monk Theodoret passes over in silence a great number of other Monks at Antioch that he may speak of those of his own Country Cyrus The First is Maisymas whom he makes Governour of a small Borough He never changed his Habit contenting himself to stitch the Pieces on to it again as it was torn It is said That he had Two Vessels one of Corn the other of Oyl which were never empty although he was always giving out of them to the Poor Acepsimas was an Hermite of the same Province who passed Sixty Years in one Cell without seeing or speaking to any Man They carried him Lentils and Water which he took through a Hole made slooping that no Man might see him He used sometimes in the Night to go out to seek Water one Day he was met by a Shepherd who believing him to be a Wolf fâ—ung Stones at him but his Hand and the Boughs kept them off from him Another Time a certain Person had the Curiosity to get upon a Tree that he might see what this Hermite did in his Cell but he became suddenly lame in half his Body and could not be recovered till the Tree was cut down by his means Acepsimas having foreseen his own Death opened his Cell Fifty Days before his Death and suffered himself to be seen of all that would visit him His Bishop being come to him ordained him Priest by imposing his Hands upon him in his Cell He suffered him because he had but a few Days to live There was also in the same Country an Hermite eminent for Vertue called Maro who did a great many Miracles and was the Author of the Monastick Life in the Country of Cyrus But he was not more admirable than Holy Abraham who converted a Village and was afterwards ordain'd Bishop of Carrae without lessening
by saying That he might Answer That he is Ignorant of the reason and that it belongs not to him to unfold the hidden Counsels of God nor give a reason of his unsearchable Judgments that it is sufficient for Christians that the Holy Scripture hath clearly taught this point insomuch that they cannot doubt of it That they ought to content themselves with what the Apostle says That in this World we must suffer Persecutions But because many believe that worldly good things are due to them as a reward of their Faith he saith first of all That there are very few Men that can truly pretend that they have Faith and are through-Christians We are made Christians saith he by the Law by the Prophets by the Gospel by Baptism and by Chrism Now what Man is there that lives conformably to this Calling Who is there that observes the Commands of Christ in the literal sence Who loves his Enemies heartily Who utterly forsakes all Who bears Injuries patiently c. False Oaths Murthers Lusts and many other Sins reign in the World His way of handling this subject convinceth us that his main end was to declaim against the Manners of his Age which he doth in all the rest of this Work He therein describes with all the Strength and Elegancy possible the most common Irregularities He inveighs particularly against the Uncleanness of the Theatres and Prophane Sights He gives a terrible description of the Corrupt Manners of the People and especially the Africans and â—e affirms That as great as the Calamities of Africk and other parts of the Empire of Rome were in being made a Prey to the Barbarians they were nothing like to those Punishments and Chastisements which the Crimes of Men deserved In this Work he speaks of the taking of Carthage by Gensericus which happened in 439 and of the War of Lotharius against the Visigoths in the same Year as of things newly done which helps us to fix the time when these Books were written The Four Books of Salvian Dedicated to the Catholick Church under the Name of Timothy contain a Satyr against Rich and Covetous Men and some important Precepts about the Obligation of giving Alms. He bewails in the beginning the general Corruption of Christians That blessed time of the Primitive Church is gone and past saith he That time wherein all that believed in Jesus Christ did freely offer the Corruptible Goods of this Life to obtain Eternal Riches in Heaven changing the possession of the things of this Life for the hopes of the good things of another and purchasing immortal Riches with present Poverty But now Covetousness Lust Theft and other Vices which accompany them such as Envyings Hatred Enmities Roughness Lasciviousness Drunkenness have come in their place the Vices of the Church are increased as much as the Members The Number of Christians is greater but their Faith is less for where is now the singular Beauty of all her Members Where is the time wherein every one minded not his own things Further Having described the eager desires which the Christians of his time had to gather great Riches he confutes the plausible Reasons and ordinary Pretences which the Rich Men made use of to excuse their desires of Wealth The first says he are those that say That the Love which they bear to their Children obliges them to gather Wealth and get Riches as if it were impossible to love their Children without being Rich. Must Avarice be the Bond and Knot of Kindness If this be so I must not condemn Covetousness but that Love which inclines you to it How so Do you condemn the Affection which Fathers have for their Children I am so far from that that I say That we must Love them above all things but we must Love them as God commands us by giving them a good Christian Education and making them Rich in Vertue and Piety Salvian after he hath rejected this foolish pretence by which Rich Men attempt to cover their desire proves That it is not allowed to Men to make such use of their Riches as they please That they are but Stewards of what God hath given them and he will require an account of the Management and use they have made of it and condemn them to Eternal Flames for the misuse That it is dangerous to put off our Conversion or Alms to the Poor till we come to Die because there is a great likelihood that we do not abstain from Sin out of choice but because we cannot do otherwise That Alms-deeds are of no use to them who live ill and hope to buy off their Sins by the Legacies which they give at their last Gasp but may be very helpful to those who having fallen thro' frailty or ignorance are really touched with a sincere Repentance when they know their fault That he can say nothing of those who continue in their Vices to the last Moment That he can promise them nothing That it were Cruelty indeed to forsake them altogether and hinder them from applying the last Remedies but it would be also rash to promise any thing seeing they offer themselves so late to be cured That all the Remedies that can be used to cure their Sins is nothing but Alms-giving which must then be applied to them That they ought to be advised to offer their Wealth for the deliverance of their Soul but to do it with Tears Grief and Sorrow because God doth not regard the Offering so much as the disposition of the Heart of him that Offereth That also when they Offer their substance to God they must do it not with the Confidence of a Person that brings a Present but with the Humility of a Debtor who would pay what he owes Salvian having thus shewn in the first Book That Sinners are obliged to give Alms he demonstrates in the Second That this Obligation reaches to the Righteous also 1. Because there is none of all those many Benefits of Nature or Grace which we are not beholding to God for and more especially for the Death of Jesus Christ. But are then the Widow Virgin Consecrated to God the Monk and Clergy-Man obliged to give all their Goods to the Poor Did not the Law permit the Holy Men to preserve their Estates The Law saith Salvian was perfected by the Gospel all that was allowed then is not so now Under the Law there was more liberty Eating of Flesh was then commended to us but now Abstinence is wholly Preached up there were few Fasting-Days now all our Life is a continued Fast. Revenge was then lawful but now we must suffer c. Let any Man read the Precepts of the Gospel The Apostle will not have a Widow to live in Pleasures and Delights how can it then be permitted her to be Rich Such Virgins as give but a part of their Goods are Fools for the Lamp goes out because there is not Oil enough It is needless to demonstrate that Clergy-Men and Bishops are
Penitents and leave none in the Church but such as are worthy to behold the Holy Mysteries and Communicate That some of the Deacons remain at the Doors of the Church which are fast shut and others are employed in the Church That the chief and most eminent Deacons carry the Bread and Cup to the Altar with the Priests after all the Clergy have sang Praises to God That the Bishop prays with them and pronounces Peace to all the Faithful who kiss each other Then they recite the Hymn called †The use of this Hymn in the Sacrament proves the Author to have lived after 445 when it was first appointed by the Synod of Vasio to be universally used Hosp. ex P. Diacono c. Durandus makes Sixtus I. the Institutor of it Du Rat. the Trisagion After the Priests and Bishops have washed their Hands the Bishop comes alone to the middle of the Altar having about him the Priests and some of the Deacons and having praised the Works of God they consummate these most Divine Mysteries and place before their Eyes the things which they have praised when they set the Signs upon the Altar Having then shewn these Holy and Divine Gifts he Communicates and invites all the rest to participate with him The Communion is concluded with Hymns of Praise and Thanksgiving The †Holy Office of Confirmation Sacrament of Unction comes next the Holy Eucharist and as they put out the several Ranks of the less-perfect during the Consecration of the Eucharist so also when the Bishop consecrates the Oyl the Temple is perfumed with the Odours and with the Incense And after they have rehearsed the Psalms and read the Scriptures the Bishop takes the Oyl and puts it under the Altar and while they sing the Prophetical Hymns he finishes the Ceremonies of its Consecration He afterward makes use of it almost in all the Episcopal Functions From the Sacraments he comes to the Ordination of the several Degrees of the Clergy The Bishop is the first and chief it belongs to him alone to Ordain and Consecrate the Oyl The Priests are subject to the Bishop but partake of the Priestly Functions and have their particular Offices They shew the Effects of their Power in the Holy Signs and Sacraments which they shew to those that draw near to them and then make them Partakers of the Holy Mysteries and Sacred Communion The Order of Deacons is to prepare and single out such Persons as may be allowed to approach the Holy Mysteries The Ceremonies used in the Ordination of these several Orders are these The Bishop presents himself upon his Knees before the Altar bearing the Holy Bible upon his Head and another Bishop layeth his Hands on him and Consecrates him by Prayer When a Priest is Consecrated he also kneels upon both his Knees before the Altar and the Bishop lays his Right Hand upon him making Prayers The Deacons bend but one Knee before the Altar and in the mean time the Bishop puts his Hands upon them and Consecrates them also with the ordinary Prayers He also signs every one of them with the Cross gives them some Instructions and concludes by giving them the Kiss of Peace which they receive not only of the Bishop but of all the Clergy So that the Bishops Priests and Deacons have this in common in their Ordination to present themselves before the Altar kneel and receive the Imposition of the Bishops Hands the Sign of the Cross Instruction and a Kiss The Bishops have this peculiar to them that the Holy Bible is laid upon their Head and the Deacons bend but one Knee As there are several Orders of the Clergy so there are also several Degrees among the Laity He distinguishes them into three sorts 1. Catechumens which are not as yet cleansed 2. Penitents who having lost their Innocency have need of Purifying The Deacons are employed to perfect and purifie these two Ranks of Christians that they may make them fit to behold and partake of the Sacraments from which they are excluded The 3d is Harmless and Chaste People who are admitted to the Holy Communion But the most excellent Estate among the Laicks is the Holy Monks which our Ancestors called Ascetae or Monks because of their solitary and contemplative Life which unites them to God Upon this account another sort of Consecration is honoured which is not indeed performed by the Bishop but by the Holy Priests after this manner The Priest standing before the Altar rehearses those Prayers which use to be said at the Consecration of a Monk The Person to be Consecrated is standing behind him for he neither kneels nor has the Bible put on his Head but he is only near the Priest who recites the Prayer When that is finished he goes to him that is initiated and asks him Whether he forsakes not only a Worldly Life but also all Hankerings after the World He tells him what a perfect Life he embraces and assures him that he must excel the Life of all ordinary Christians And when he hath promised to do all that he requires of him the Priest having made the Sign of the Cross upon him cuts off his Hair invoking the Holy Trinity gives him another Habit and having embraced him and caused all the Pious Persons there present to embrace him he gives him the Communion Lastly As to the State of the Dead they who have lived well being come to the end of their Race they know more clearly after their Death and see nearer at hand that Eternal Happiness which they are sure one Day to be possessed of the very thoughts of which fills them with inexpressible Joy The Relations of the Dead share in this Joy praising and giving Thanks to God in their Prayers because he died a Conqueror of this World they carry his Body to the Bishop who receives it and performs the usual Ceremonies about it in this manner Having assembled the Clergy if the Dead Person were in Orders he places his Body before the Altar and begins to pray to God and give Thanks unto him But if he were a Monk or Lay-Man they place him at the Door of the Church and makes a solemn Prayer about him Then the Deacons having recited the Promises of the Resurrection delivered to us in Holy Scripture they sing those Psalms which have relation to it The chief Deacon then dismisses the Catechumens and then commemorates those who have died a Religious Death among whom he puts the Name of the Person lately deceased and exhorts all the Faithful to beg of God an Happy End The Bishop then drawing near to him makes some very pious Prayers over him which being done he embraceth him and all that are present do the same Then he anoints him with Oyl and having prayed for all present they carry his Body into a Sacred Place and there Interr it among the Bodies of the other Saints One of the Prayers which the Bishop makes to God is
Conference with the Arian Bishops The King told him with a stern Countenance If your Religion be good why do not you hinder the King of the Franks your Soveraign from making War upon me Avitus answer'd That he did not know the Reasons which his Prince had to make War upon him butif he would submit to the Law of God he did not doubt to obtain a Peace for him The King answer'd That he did acknowledge the Law of God but he would not acknowledge three Gods Avitus gave him to understand that the Catholicks do not acknowledge but one God only and then he fell prostrate at his Feet The next day the King told them That his Bishops were ready to enter into a Conference with them but that it must not be held before the People but only in his presence and before such Senators as he should choose To Morrow is appointed for the day The same Night the Lessons were read which mention'd the hardning of Pharaoh's heart and of the Jews which was a bad Omen When the time for the Conference was come the Bishops of both Parties were present at the Place appointed Avitus explain'd the Faith of the Church about the Mystery of the Trinity and prov'd it by Testimonies of the Holy Scripture Boniface being the Arian Bishop that was to speak answer'd nothing to Avitus's Discourse but only propos'd many subtil and entangling Questions about the Mystery of the Trinity and then broke forth into reproachful Language The King respited the Answer of Boniface till to morrow An Officer call'd Aredius would have perswaded the Catholicks to retire telling them That this sort of Conferences did nothing but exasperate mens minds Bishop Stephen answer'd him That on the contrary it was the only means to clear up the truth and to reconcile men to one another and bring them to a good understanding But notwithstanding this Admonition the Catholick Bishops entred into the Place King Gondebaud seeing them came to meet them and spoke reproachfully of the King of the Franks whom he accused of solliciting his Brother against him The Bishops answer'd him That the way to make Peace was to agree about the Faith and that they themselves would be Mediators for it and then every one took his place Avitus being desirous to wipe off the Calumnies of Boniface who had accus'd the Catholiks of worshipping many Gods prov'd that the Catholicks acknowledg'd one God only Boniface instead of answering continued still to reproach them The King seeing that this would not put an end to the difference rose up with indignation Avitus insisted that he should either answer his Reasons or yield But to shew clearly on whose side the Truth was he propos'd That he should go immediately to the Monument of St. Justus and ask the Saint about the truth of the one and the other's Belief and then report what he had said The King approv'd this Proposal but the Arians refus'd it saying They would not do as Saul did who had recourse to Charms and Divination that the Scripture was sufficient for them which was much more powerful then all other means The King going away carried with him to his Chamber Stephen and Avitus and bidding them farewel he embraced them and intreated them to pray to God for him Which discover'd to them says the Author of this Relation what a perplexity he was in But because the heavenly Father had not drawn him he could not come to the Son that this word of truth might be fulfill'd 'T is not he that willeth nor he that runneth but God that sheweth mercy After this day many Arians were converted and baptiz'd some days after and God exalted our Faith by the Intercession of St. Justus These are the very words of the Acts of this Conference ENNODIUS Bishop of PAVIA MAgnus Felix Ennodius descended of an illustrious Family among the Gauls a Descended of an illustrious Family among the Gauls says in many places of his Works that his Parents were Gauls He was a Kinsman to the greatest Lords in his time as to Faustus â—oetius Avienus Olybrius Senarius Florianus c. was born in Italy b In Italy 'T is certain that he pass'd his first years in Italy in the Year 473 c In the Year 473. In the Panegyrick which he made upon Theodoric he declares that he was sixteen years old when that King entred into Italy in the Year 489. Having lost at the Age of Sixteen an Aunt who gave him Maintenance and Education he was reduc'd to low Circumstances in the World but by marriage to a rich Fortune he was restor'd to a plentiful Estate He enjoy'd for some time the Advantages and Pleasures which Riches afford but knowing the danger of them he resolv'd to lead a more Christian Life He entred into Orders with the consent of his wife who for her part embrac'd a chast and religious Life 'T was at this time that he became famous for his Letters and other Writings He was chosen to make a Panegyrick upon King Theodoric and undertook the Defence of the Council of Rome which acquitted Pope Symmachus For his Merits he was promoted to the See of Pavia about the Year 510 d About the Year 510 Father Labbe says that he was made Bishop of Pavia in 490 but this cannot be since he was not then seventeeen years old He was not yet Bishop when his Book was approv'd in the Synod of Rome in 503 for the Title of Bishop is not given him After this he was made choice of to endeavour the Re-union of the Eastern to the Western Church Upon which occasion he made two Journeys into the East the first in the Year 515 with Fortunatus Bishop of Catana and the second in 517 with Peregrinus Bishop of Misena These Journeys had not the success which he desir'd but they discover'd his Prudence and Courage For the Emperor Anastasius did all he could to seduce or corrupt him but not being able to compass his design after many affronts at last he caus'd him to put to Sea in an old rotten Vessel and forbad all persons to suffer him to land at any Port of Greece whereby he was expos'd to manifest danger Nevertheless he arriv'd safe in Italy and return'd to Pavia where he died a little time after on the first day of August in the Year 521 aged 48 years There are many Writings of this Author which have no relation to Ecclesiastical Matters Among his 297 Letters which are divided into nine Books there are but very few from whence any weighty observation can be made about the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church The fourteenth Letter of the second Book is one of this number It is written to the Christians of Africk whom he comforts under the Persecution which they had suffer'd for a long time and the loss of their Bishops Fear not says he to them because you see your selves destitute of Bishops you have amongst you him who is both
in Arles and from receiving the Church Revenues till he receive his tryal before the Bishops Council VIII of Toledo THIS Council of 52 Bishops of Spain was called by an order from King * Receswinthe in the year 653. Its Constitutions are in the form of Acts very obscure written in a Council VIII of Toledo barbarous Stile and full of false Notions They begin with King Receswinthe's Letter to the Bishops of the Synod wherein he exhorts them to follow the Faith of the first 4 general Councils to provide against the Disorders that would happen if they should execute the Oath they had taken of putting all those to death that should be found to be concerned in At Recesuind any Conspiracy against the Prince or State to re-establish the discipline of the ancient Canons and to regulate those Matters that shall be brought before them The Bishops obeying the King's Order professed themselves to hold the Decisions of the Councils and the Fathers they read the Creed which was then recited in the solemn Service of the Churches of Spain which is that of the Council of Constantinople to which they had super-added That the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father and the Son Then they made a long Discourse upon Oaths and cited many Places of the Scripture and the Fathers to shew that Men ought not to keep nor execute the Oaths wherewith they have sworn to commit wicked Actions and prejudicial to the State The third Canon is against those that use Intreaties and Prayers to obtain the Priesthood They are declared Excommunicate and those that do confer or receive Orders thus are deprived of their Dignity these last are likewise put to Penance in a Monastery The three next Canons are made to keep the Clergy pure and chaste The 7th is against an Abuse by which some Persons ordained Bishops or Presbyters did think themselves free to leave the Priesthood under pretence that in their receiving it they had said that they would not receive it The Council declares That this cannot be done and that as Baptism conferred on Persons unwilling to receive it and on Children who know nothing of it is valid so likewise Ordination ought to subsist being as indelible as Baptism the Holy Chrisme and the Consecration of the Aâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who after theiâ— Ordination shall 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—e 〈◊〉 out of 〈◊〉 Church and shut up in a Monastery to dâ—â—enanâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 The 8 〈◊〉 Constitution prohibiâ—â— ordaining hereafter any Clâ—â—â— that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pâ—… the Anthems the Hymns in use and the Ceremonies of Baptism and that if any oâ— them that are ordained be ignorant of these things they shall be constrained to learn them The 9th forbids eating Flesh in Lent and orders That those that have need of eating of it shall ask the Bishop's Leave The 10th Constitution is concerning the Election of Kings and the Qualifications they ought to have The 11th confirms the ancient Canons of Councils The 12th confirms the Decree of the Council of Toledo held under King Sisenand about the security of Kings They conclude with pious Wishes for King Receswinthe and with a general Confirmation of the preceeding Constitutions The Acts are subscribed not only by 52 Bishops but by 9 Abbots besides and 10. Presbyters or Deacons Deputies of Bishops and 16 Lords Moreover there is another Decree of this Council about the disposing of Kings Revenues which is confirm'd by an Edict of King Receswinthe The Jewish Converts presented a Petition to this Council wherein they bound themselves sincerely to renounce the Jewish Doctrine and Ceremonies Council IX of Toledo TWO Years after the same King Receswinthe called a Provincial Council the Bishops whereof willing to renew the ancient Discipline and to publish the Canons of the Councils Council IX of Toledo thought they ought to begin by making Laws to reform themselves for say they in the Preface It would not become Superiors to go about to judge their Inferiors before they have judged themselves by the Laws of Justice itself Judgments are more just by far when the Life of the Judges is well ordered and when their Vertue is known their Judgment is better submitted to Therefore they 1st forbid the Bishops and others of the Clergy to appropriate to themselves the Lands given to Churches and give leave to the Relations and Heirs of the Legatees to apply themselves to the Bishop or Metropolitan to hinder the Lands given by their Relations from being converted to private uses Secondly to prevent the ruine of Parish-Churches and Monasteries they give leave to those that built them to take care of them and to recommend to the Bishops some Persons to govern them whom he shall be bound to ordain if he finds them capable of that Office This was one beginning of Lay-Patrons Thirdly It is ordered That if the Bishop or any other of the Clergy to pay the Churches Debts alienates some part of his Church-Lands under the Titles of Patrimony he shall be bound to set down in the Deed the cause of his doing so to the end that it may appear whether it be done justly or fraudulently Fourthly they decree That if Bishops have but a small Patrimony the Purchases they make ought to be for the Profit of the Church but if the Revenue of their own Patrimony be found to be as great as that of their Bishoprick their Heirs shall divide their Estate in half or according to the proportion of their own and the Church Patrimony Lastly that they may during their Life dispose of what falls to them by Donation but if they do not dispose of it after their Decease those Donations shall belong to the Church In the Fifth they declare That the Bishop that will build a Monastery in his Diocess shall endow it only with the fiftieth part of the Revenue of his Bishoprick and with the hundredth if it be but a Church only In the Sixth That he may forgive Parochial Churches the third part of the Revenues which they owe him and that such Release shall be perpetual and irrevocable For the more punctual execution of these Canons by the Seventh Constitution they forbid the Heirs of the Bishop to enter upon their Inheritance without the Consent of the Metropolitan or if he be a Metropolitan before he hath a Successor or there be a Council assembled And likewise they forbid the Heirs of Presbyters and Deacons to take possession of their Inheritance without the Cognizance of the Bishop In the Eighth Canon they declare That the Prescription of thirty Years shall not be reckoned against the Church as to the Lands alienated by any Bishop but from the Day of that Bishop's Death and not from the Day of the Date of the Deed. In the Ninth they forbid a Bishop who cometh to bury his Brother to take above the value of a Pound of Gold if the Church be rich or of half a Pound if
who was a French Man to have been an Hypocrite in his Youth to have made People believe That an Angel from Heaven had brought him some Relicks from far by which means he could obtain whatever he desired of God That afterward he had given Mony to be ordain'd by some ignorant Bishops That at last he equal'd himself to the Apostles That he would consecrate no more Churches to the honour of the Apostles or Martyrs That he condemned Pilgrimages to Rome to visit the Sepulchres of the Apostles That he had consecrated Altars in his own Name That he had set up little Crosses and small Chappels in the Country where he kept Assemblies That the People crowded thither and forsook the Churches That some had been so impudent as to say S. Adalbert's Merits shall help us and that he had the Face to give some of his own Nails and Hair to be honoured and carried with S. Peter's Relicks That the People flocking to him to cast themselves down at his Feet ready to confess their Sins he told them There was no need for them to do it that he knew all they had done that their Sins were forgiven them and that they might be assured of it As for Clement who came out of Ireland That he did reject the authority of the Canons That he would not receive the Writings of the Fathers and maintain'd he might continue Bishop after having had two Bastards That he gave leave to marry the Brother's Wife that he affirmed That Christ being descended into Hell had delivered all those that were there whether Believers or Unbelievers Jews or Pagans Worshipers of the true God or Idolaters These Accusations brought to the Synod of Rome provoked the indignation of the Bishops against those two wicked Villains Yet the Pope put off the judging of this Matter to another meeting on the same day They read in this the Proofs of the Facts alledg'd in Boniface's Letter the Life of this Adalbert a Letter which he affirmed to have fall'n from Heaven and to be found by S. Michael and brought to Rome by another Angel These Follies became a Laughing-matter to the Council The next day they read a Prayer of Adalbert's making wherein he called upon the Angels Uriel Raguel Tubuel Michael Incar Tubicas Sabaoc Simiel The Council hearing all this declared That all these pretended Angels except S. Michael were Daemons That they knew the names but of 3 Angels Michael Raphael and Gabriel They required Adalbert's Writings to be burnt but the Pope judg'd it better to secure them in the Library of the Roman Church After this the Council declared That Adalbert whose Acts had now been read who made himself be called Apostle and his Nails and Hair be honoured as Relicks who had seduced the People into several Errors and invoked Daemons for Angels ought to be deposed and put to Penance They pronounced the same Sentence against Clement upon the Accusations brought in Boniface's Letter This is the sum of the Acts of this Council in the end of which is the Letter of Gemmulus Deacon of the Roman Church to Boniface about the condemnation of those two false Bishops The Council of Cloveshaw THIS Council was held in England at Cloveshaw Septemb. 1. 747. Altho' it was composed but of 12 Bishops it may pass for a National Synod of England because besides the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Rochester there was the Bishops of the Mercians Saxons both East and West Angles and Council of Cloveshaw some other People of England present at it They read a Letter which Zachary wrote to the Church of England to exhort them to restore the Discipline After which they made 30 Canons In the 1st the Bishops are exhorted to do their Duty to discharge their Ministry with Zeal and Vigilance to give themelves wholly to it and to entangle themselves no more in secular Affairs but apply themselves to the Service of God and the Church to instruct their People and to set them a good Example by leading an examplary Life The 2d recommends Peace and Union to them The 3d. prescribes them to visit their Diocess every year and to abolish the remainder of Heathenish Superstitions The 4th to warn Abbots and Abbesses to live regularly to be Examples to the Monks and Nuns under their Government and to take care of them The 5th enjoins them not wholly to neglect the Monasteries held by Seculars to visit those that dwell therein and to put a Presbyter in them The 6th forbids them ordaining Presbyters before they be assured of their unblameable Life The 7th ordains That there shall be Lectures in the Abbies both for Men and Women and that they take care to instruct the Youth therein The 8th enjoins Presbyters to leave their secular Businesses to apply themselves wholly to the Service of the Church to read Divine Service with attention to look to the Church and the Ornaments of it to addict themselves to Reading Praying celebrating the divine Office to admonish and reprove those under their Tuition and to draw them to God by their Words and Example The 9th enjoins them to administer the Sacraments and to live without scandal The 10th imports That they shall know how to perform their Functions and shall be able to explain the Creed the Lord's Prayer the Prayers of the Mass and of Baptism That they shall also take care to learn the signification of those Ceremonies and Sacraments The 11th That they shall all administer Baptism in the same manner and shall explain the Ceremonies and the Effects of this Sacrament The 12th That the Priests shall not read the Prayers aloud but shall sing them with a sweet and agreeable Melody and if they cannot do this they shall only pronounce them distinctly The 13th That in Festivals they shall follow the Roman Rites The 14th That the Abbots and Parsons shall not fail to read Divine Service in their Churches every Sunday and Holy-day The 15th commands them to sing the 7 Canonical hours of the day and the night and forbids intermixing unusual Prayers which are neither out of the Scripture nor according to the Roman usage The 16th appoints That Rogations or Litanies shall be made by the Clergy and People on the usual days namely on the 26th of November and 3 days before the Ascension on which they shall fast till the ninth hour of Prayer and say Mass. It prohibits mixing prophane Songs with this Ceremony and will have nothing to be carried in ll Procession This piece of Devotion which for the time was both seasonable and solemn when it was first instituted by Claudius Mamertus in a time of a general Earthquake at Vienna wherein all the People walking two by two through the Streets and Fields of the City did sing Litanies imploring Gods Mercy in averting that Judgment being found a successful means to obtain the Blessing desired was ever after continued in the Church and in this Age with other things
Service all Ravishers and Man-slayers till they shall submit to a course of Penance The Fifth enjoyns all wandring Clergy-men and Monks which are out of employ because their Churches or Monasteries are burnt by the Normans to betake themselves to their Duties and submit themselves to their Abbots or Bishops We have spoken about the contest between the two Hincmarus's concerning these Canons the Arch-bishop of Rheims mantaining that they were not made by a Council and that he did not sign them the Bishop of Laon affirming the contrary It is probable that Hincmarus Arch-bishop of Rheims composed the Large Letter but that not being liked some others digested the Five Canons which were signed by several of them This Council order'd Hincmarus to Write to the Arch-bishops of Bourges and Bourdeaux and Bishops of their Provinces about the Affair of Earl Raimond which we have explained in the History of Hincmarus's Work And because we have also spoken of the Councils of Aix la Chapelle Metz and Rome held about the Divorce of Lotharius and Thietberga we shall pass them over here as also those held about the business of Rothadus Hincmarus of Laon Ebbo Wulfadus of which we have spoken in the History of the Controversies in which Hincmarus was chiefly concerned The Council of Worms IN 868 in June Lewis King of Germany Assembled a General Council of his Kingdom at The Council of Worms Worms in it the Bishops first of all composed a Confession of their Faith in which they asserted the Procession of the Holy Ghost form the Father and the Son and rejected the Opinion of those who affirmed That it proceeded from the Father by the Son or from the Son onely They deliver That the Resurrection shall be in the same flesh in which we live and that the Catholick Church shall Reign with Jesus Christ for ever After they had made this Confession of Faith they composed or rather revived several Canons The 1st Imports that Baptism shall be solemnly Administred onely at Easter and Whitsuntide The 2d that it belongs to the Bishop onely to Consecrate the Chrism The 3d that a Bishop shall not require any Present for the Consecration of Churches and that they shall use nothing but Bread and Wine mingled with Water in the Sacrament of the Altar The 5th contains a Rule of S. Gregory's about Dipping once or thrice in Baptism The 6th that the Disposal of the Church Revenues belongs to the Bishops and not to the Founders The 7th that they shall divide the Church Revenues into four parts The 8th is an Extract of the Seventh Canon of the 2d Council of Seville The 9th contains a Law of Caelibacy for all in Sacred Orders The 10th concerns a Bishop accused of a Crime The 11th declares that Priests who have been guilty of carnal sins ought not to enjoy their Dignity The 12th that they that are accused of that crime but can't be convicted shall clear themselves by their Oath The 13th that Bishops shall not Excommunicate any Man for small faults The 14th that if they do their neighbouring Bishops shall not communicate with them till a Synod shall meet The 15th orders that if there be any Robbery done in any Monastery and the Author is not known all the Brethren shall communicate at one Mass that by that means it may be known that they are innocent The 16th Excommunicates the Bishops that refuse to come to a Synod or withdraw before 't is ended The 17th forbids Clergy-men keeping Hunting-dogs or Hawks The 18th orders that strange Clergy-men shall not be suffer'd to exercise their Ecclesiastical Functions unless they have a Letter from their Bishop The 19th says that those that will not obey their Bishops nor execute their Ministery diligently in the Church which shall be allotted them shall be Excommunicated and Degraded The 20th appoints that those Women who are devoted to God by the Sacred Veil and fall into any carnal crimes shall not leave their profession but shall be put to severe penance The 21st obliges those Widows who have taken the Veil and have Prayed in the Church among the professed Nuns offer'd Oblations with them and promis'd to continue in that Estate never to leave it The 22d holds that it is not lawful for them who have by their Parents been put into the Monasteries in their Infancy and have been brought up in a Regular Discipline to leave or forsake that sort of Life when they are come to a Riper Age. The 23d Revives that Maxim of the Councils of Spain That a Man may be made a Monk either by the Devotion of his Parents or by his own proper Profession and declares That both ways equally oblige and those that are made so either way may not return to a Secular Life The 24th is against them that doe any Injury to Clergy-men or Churches The 25th Commands Priests to impose penances proportionable to Mens Crimes and agreeable to the Laws of the Church The following Canons contain the punishments of different sorts of Manslaughter The 31st gives Lepers a liberty of receiving the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ but not with those that are in perfect health The 32d says that the number of Children which a Man may have can't be determin'd yet no Man may Marry his near Relations The 33d forbids Marrying Two Sisters The 34th a God-mother or God-daughter The 35th condemns to the penance of Murtherers those Women who cause Abortions in themselves and those to something less punishments who smother their Children in their sleep though not thinking of it The 36th subjects to penance and separates him from his Wife who hath layn with his Wife's Daughter by another Husband The 37th imports that Marryed persons though under penance are not to be parted The 38th and 39th impose penance upon those that kill their Slaves The 40th appoints that a Bishop who ordains a Slave knowing him to be such without the consent of his Master shall pay double the worth of him to his Master but if he were ignorant of it the Sum shall be paid by them who were Witnesses for him The 41st orders that they shall be Excommunicated who live in Enmity and will not be reconciled The 42d constitutes that no Man shall be Condemned who is not formally Convicted The 43d sentences them to Deprivation of their Goods and Excommunication till Death who side with the Enemies of the State The 44th condemns Adulterers to a Seven years penance These are the 44 Canons which are all but the 40th in an ancient MS. under the Name of the Council of Wormes There are also 36 other Canons that bear the Name of this Council But since they are not to be found in any ancient MS. and some of them are already among the 44 preceeding and Labbé hath assured us that the order of the first is very different in a MS which he hath consulted And there are some Canons cited by Ivo Caarnutensis under the Name
Monastery but the enjoyment of them only in common with the other Monks In the 53d Epistle he presses King Charles vigorously to restore him this Revenue and the better to engage him to it he informs him That his ancient Monks have observed and heard of their Predecessours that all that have ever done any considerable damage or wrong to their Monastery have been punish'd either by the loss of their Estates their Health or their Lives He exhorts him to perform the Vows he has made and moreover threatens him with the Judgments of God if he doth not In the 55th Letter to Marcuadus Abbot of Provins he entreats this Abbot to come to Court to assist him in obtaining the Restitution of the Revenue of S. Josse He informs him that he came thither the last of November and has continued there with a great deal of expence and trouble That the King endeavours to elude his Demands and always delays him because that Odulphus who then was possest of St. Josse was absent and sick as he was inform'd but not very grievously says he so that this sickness may serve to humble and correct him Nor so dangerously as to be the cause of his death for which he should be sorry because 't is certain he would be damn'd if he should die in the unjust possession of the Revenue of the Church At length Lupus after many delays and put offs obtain'd the Restitution of the Revenue of S. Josse as it appears by the 61st and 62d Letters The 64th Letter is an Instruction to King Charles concerning his duty The 79th contains an Extract of a Letter written to Hinomarus by which he recommends his Kinsman Hilmeradus to him who was named by the King to be Bishop of Amiens affirming that tho' he had not much Learning yet he might be made serviceable to the Church by following his directions And that if he was not well fitted for Teaching the Word of God yet he might do Works that might save him and those that should imitate him M. Balusius in his Notes declares himself of a different Opinion with his Author and says That in this he has hearkned more to the Sentiments of Nature than the Principles of Reason The 81st Letter is written in the name of Wenilo Archbishop of Sens and Count Girard who were sent to Amolo Archbishop of Lions by the King's Orders to command him to Ordain Bernus Bishop of Autun They represent to him That 't was not a new thing for the King to make Courtiers Bishops of the principal Churches That Pepin had had in the like Case the Consent of Pope Zachary in a Synod where Boniface Bishop of Mayence assisted They also desired the same thing of him for Godeseldus named by the King Bishop of Chalons The 82d Letter is written to Wenilo in favour of a Priest Accused and Suspended from the Exercise of his Function Lupus desires Wenilo to give him liberty to exercise his Duty till a Synod were call'd in which he hoped to clear himself of the Charge brought against him The 84th is a Synodical Epistle of a Council held in the Year 849 consisting of the Metropolitans of Tours Rheins Rouen and about twenty of their Suffragans whose names are set down at the beginning of this Letter directed to Nomenoius Duke of Breton about the Disorders he had committed They reprove and blame him for having laid waste the Lands belonging to the Christians for having destroy'd pillag'd and burnt several Churches together with the Reliques of Saints for seizing upon the Revenues of the Church which are the Vows of the Faithful the Satisfaction of Sins and the Patrimony of the Poor for having taken away rich Mens Estates and kill'd and enslaved a great number of Christians Of driving the Bishops from their Churches and robbing them of their Goods c. But principally for having slighted the many Letters of Leo the 4th Successor to S. Peter to whom God hath given Supreme Power over all the Church Of having entertained Lambert Count of Nantes a Rebel against the King They exhort him to do Penance and to satisfie that which the Pope write to him about And finally they declared those Excommunicate that shall Communicate with Lambert The 93d is an Instruction to King Charles to whom he proposes Trajan and Theodosius as two Patterns worthy of his Imitation In the 94th he shows That Afflictions and Sufferings are advantageous to good men The 98th is a Letter written in the name of the Cathedral Church of Paris of the Abbies of S. German S. Dennis S. Geneva S. Maurus des Fossez and other Monasteries to Wenilo Archbishop of Sens and to the other Bishops of that Province acquainting them that after the death of their Bishop Ercanradus they had chosen Aeneas who had been nam'd to them by King Charles whom they desired them to Ordain as soon as they could This Letter is followed by an Answer written in the name of the Bishop of Sens and his Suffragans testifying their approbation of their Election of Aeneas The 100 Letter is an Admonition to the People wherein they are exhorted to do Penance to avoid Rebellions and Factions to embrace a Peace to sorbear Robberies and Plunder to think of nothing but Publick Good and to live in Union with one another The 101st is a Letter of Recommendation written in the name of Wenilo to the Bishops of France and Italy in favour of two Monks of Ferrara who went to Rome desiring them to afford them an Hospitable Reception by the way This is followed by a Letter written in the name of Lupus upon the same account By the 103d Letter he recommends these two Monks to Pope Benedict to whom he sent them He entreats him to Instruct them in the Customs of the Church of Rome and to send him the Commentaries of S. Jerom upon Jeremiah from the sixth Book to the end being not able to find them any where in France He adds to this the Book of Cicero's Book of Oratory Quintilian's Institutions and Donatus's Commentaries upon Terence c. In the 105th he promises to receive and deal mercifully with a Monk that had quitted his Habit and Order provided he would amend and behave himself better for the future In the 108th he thanks Lotharius for sending him this converted Monk And excuses himself for not letting him be his Secretary because there was no likelyhood that a Monk who had not all imaginable diligence would ever be able to do his duty in the midst of the affairs and hurries of the World Quoniam propositum nostrum vix mediocriter intrà Claustra Monasterii custoditur ne dum inter tumultus Mundanos à quolibet praesertim non satis cauto valeat adimpleri The following Letter is also about the return of this Monk It is to be noted that Lupus says in the first Letter upon this Subject that he could not receive him without the consent of his Brethren In the
the Hands of the Rabble The latter immediately wrote to King William about the Affair and the Monks did the like on their side This Prince order'd that the Arch-bishop should reconcile the Church and upon his refusal caus'd it to be done by the Bishop of Auranches nevertheless to give Satisfaction to the Arch-bishop some of the Monks were put into Prison and others were dispers'd in divers Monasteries The Council of Rouen held A. D. 1074. IN the Year 1074. the same Arch-bishop John held onother Council at Rouen with his The Council of Rouen in 1074. Suffragans in which he publish'd Fourteen Canons The First imports That to extirpate Simony 't is forbidden to buy or sell any sort of Benefice whether it be an Abbey Arch-deaconry Deanery or Cure of Souls and to exact any thing for admission into Orders The Second That Abbeys shall only be bestow'd on those who are well vers'd in Matters of Church-Discipline by the means of a continu'd practice of it for several Years The Third That the ancient Constitution shall be observ'd which prohibits to entertain any Clerk without a Letter of recommendation from his Diocesan The Fourth That several Orders shall not be receiv'd on the same day The Fifth That the Sub-deacons Deacons and Priests shall not be ordain'd but upon making a solemn Profession according to the Injunctions of the Council of Toledo The Sixth That Monks or Nuns who have fallen into any publick notorious Enormity shall be excluded for ever from the exercise of their Functions The Seventh enjoyns That the Monks and Nuns take care exactly to observe St. Benedict's Rule The Eighth That Clergy-men who are ordain'd shall be instructed in those things which are express'd in the Eighth Canon of the Eighth Council of Toledo The Ninth That Christian Burial shall not be deny'd those Persons who die suddenly if they do not actually lie under the guilt of some notorious Crime nor to Women with Child or newly brought to Bed The Tenth That no Credit shall be given to the Depositions of those Persons who under a colour of a scruple of Conscience declare that they have had to do with the Sisters or Relations of their Wives to have a pretence to leave them unless they bring sufficient Proof of the Matter of Fact The Eleventh That they shall likewise be oblig'd to the same thing who give it out that they did not receive all the inferiour Orders when they were ordain'd Priests on purpose to get an opportunity to quit the Sacerdotal Functions The Twelfth That Clergy-men degraded for their Misdeameanours shall not have the liberty to lead a secular Life as Laicks The Thirteenth That those Persons whose Marriage is declar'd Null because it was contracted with near Relations shall live continently till they be married to others The Fourteenth That the Christians shall not have any Jews for their Slaves nor any Jewish Women for their Nurses Some time after this Arch-bishop of Rouen falling Sick of a Palsey King William the Conqueror demanded a License of Gregory VII to substitute another Clerk in his room This Pope gave orders to Hubert Sub-deacon of the Church of Rome his Legat with the Bishops and Abbots of the Province and the Clergy of the City of Rouen to enquire whether John de Bayeux their Metropolitan were really capable any longer to perform the Episcopal Functions and in case it appear'd so that they should exhort him to consent to the Election of another Arch-bishop but if his Distemper hindred him from giving such Consent they might proceed to the Choice of a Person worthy of being advanc'd to that Dignity Upon mature deliberation John being found uncapable was oblig'd to make a Resignation in due form and retir'd to one of his Country-Houses The King caus'd William Abbot of St. Stephen at Caen the Son of Radbodus Bishop of Sees to be chosen to supply his place Pope Gregory disapprov'd this Election because he was the Son of a Priest but notwithstanding his Prohibition William was ordain'd A. D. 1079. whilst John was as yet living who died some time after The Council of Lillebonne held A. D. 1080. WILLIAM I. sirnam'd the Conquerour King of England and Duke of Normandy caus'd The Council of Lillebonne in 1080. a Council of the Prelats of Normandy to be held at Lillebonne in his presence A D. 1080. William Arch-bishop of Rouen presided in this Synod and divers Constitutions were made therein against those who married their Relations against Clergy-men who had Wives to prohibit Simoniacal Practices and Exactions for the performance of Ecclesiastical Functions concerning the restitution of Revenues usurp'd from the Churches the Rights of Bishops and Arch-deacons the maintenance of Priests to serve the Churches that belong to Monks and about the Punishments to be inflicted on Criminals and the Infringers of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws The Councils of the Province of Aquitaine The Council of Narbonne held in the Year 1054. GEFFREY Arch-bishop of Narbonne held in that City A. D. 1054. a Council consisting The Council of Narbonne in 1054. of ten Bishops and made a large Ordinance concerning the Laws of Peace and Truce in which he marks the Days on which it is forbidded to make War as also the Persons and Goods that ought to be free from Insults even in the time of War who are more especially Clergy-men Husband-men and Merchants with the Effects belonging to their respective Qualities The Council of Toulouse held A. D. 1056. POPE Victor II. having given Orders to Rambaldus Arch-bishop of Arles and to Pontius The Council of Toulouse in 1056. Arch-bishop of Aix his Vicars to call a Council for the extirpation of Simony and the restauration of Ecclesiastical Discipline They met together A. D. 1054. at Toulouse with the Arch-bishop of Narbonne and divers other Bishops of France and drew up thirteen Canons In the First it is Decreed That those Persons who receive Ordination for Mony shall be degraded from their Dignity as well as they who ordain'd them In the Second That a Bishop Abbot or Priest shall not be ordain'd till the Age of thirty Years nor a Deacon till he has attain'd to that of Twenty five In the Third That nothing shall be taken for the Dedication of Churches In the Fourth That nothing shall be given to obtain Ecclesiastical Benefices In the Fifth That they who turn Monks with a design to get the Government of an Abbey shall never be promoted to that Dignity In the Sixth That the Abbots shall govern their Monks according to St. Benedict's Rule and that they shall not suffer them to enjoy any private Estate nor to hold a Provostship or Superiority without their consent The Seventh enjoyns Priests and Deacons to lead a single Life The Eighth That Lay-men shall not have any Spiritual Livings The Ninth That the Estates and Goods of deceased Persons shall not be pillag'd but that they shall be dispos'd of according to their
Church or to augment its Grandeur In the Second written to Hugh Prior of the Knights Templars he declares That he does not exhort him to make War with the visible Enemies of the Church but to oppose its invisible Enemies and that he would advise him to subdue Vice rather than to attack the Infidels In the Third he comforts Pope Innocent II. and exhorts him not to be surpriz'd at the Efforts made against him by the Schismaticks avouching at the same time that there can be but one Pope and that the whole World ought in a manner to be look'd upon as his Diocess In the last he writes to the Monks of the Carthusian Convent at Durbon near Marseilles That he had caus'd a Collection to be made of St. Jerom's Letters and had corrected a great number of Faults which had crept into them declaring also That he retrench'd from that Collection those Letters which the meanness of the Style or the difference of the Conceptions made it appear to be unworthy of that great Man He likewise makes a Catalogue of the latter and passes a very judicious Censure upon them which shews that Solitude and the practice of Piety do not hinder a Man from applying himself to Study and that the Art of Critique is not incompatible with Morality and Spiritual Exercises St. NORBERT ST NORBERT a Native of Santen a Village of the Country of Cleves the Son of Herbert and Hatwiga was educated in the Palace of Frederick Arch-bishop of Colen and St. Norbert afterwards brought to the Court of the Emperor Henry V. He was admitted among the Clergy and receiv'd the Orders of a Deacon and Priest on the same day He was made a Canon in his native Country and enjoy'd divers other Spiritual Livings But being afterwards transported with an extraordinary Zeal he addicted himself to Preaching with the Permission of Pope Gelasius II. and having quitted his Benefices and distributed his whole Estate to the Poor he embrac'd a more regular Life He converted by his Preaching many Hereticks and a great number of Sinners Upon his arrival at Laon being entreated by Bartholomew Bishop of that City not to leave his Diocess he was prevail'd upon by the request of that Prelate and chose for the place of his abode a dismal solitude call'd Premontre where he retir'd A. D. 1120. and there founded the Order of Regular Canons which bears that Name and which was confirm'd five Years after by Pope Honorius II. in 1126. Some time after St. Norbert was sent for to Antwerp to confute Tanchelin or Tanchelm accus'd of Heresie and was constrain'd the next Year to accept of the Arch-bishoprick of Magdeburg He assisted in the Council held at Rheims A. D. 1131. in favour of Innocent II. took a Journey to Rome when that Pope was re-established by the Emperor Lotharius and died in 1134. There is only extant a small moral Discourse written by him in form of an Exhortation and directed to the Monks of his Order STEPHEN HARDING Abbot of Cisteaux ROBERT Abbot of Molesme who first founded the Monastery of Cisteaux A. D. 1098. with Robert Abbot of Molesme 21 Monks of his Abbey whom he brought into that Solitude had not long the Government of it for the next Year he was oblig'd by the Pope's special Order to return to his own Monastery Alberic who succeeded him and govern'd Cisteaux during nine Years and a half gave no other Rule to his Monks but his Example Afterwards STEPHEN HARDING Stephen Harding Abbot of Cisteaux descended of a noble Family in England one of the 21 Monks who came from Molesme with Robert being chose Abbot of Cisteaux apply'd himself to the compleating of that Order and may justly be reputed the Founder of it For he was the first that held general Chapters of the Convents of the Cistercian Monks and made a kind of Rule which was common to all those Monasteries He call'd it the Charter of Charity and publish'd it in 1119. It was approv'd by Pope Calixtus II. It is divided into Thirty Chapters which contain the particular Rules to be observ'd by those Monks and is compriz'd in the Monologia Ordinis Cisterciensis printed at Antwerp in 1635. and in the Annals of the same Order printed at Lyons in 1642. There are also extant in the Bibliotheca Cisterciensis a Treatise call'd The small beginning of the Cistercian Order A Sermon on the Death of Alberic And a Discourse made to St. Bernard when he receiv'd the Monastick Habit which bear the name of that Abbot of Cisteaux BRUNO Bishop of Segni BRUNO of Asti Canon of the Cathedral Church of that City and afterwards of that Bruno Bishop of Segni of Sienna went to Rome in the time of Pope Gregory VII in whose presence he disputed against Berengarius and by way of recompence was made Bishop of Segni He retir'd to Mount Cassin under Paschal II. who was offended at his retreat and drew him out of that Monastery to send him in Quality of his Legate into France and Sicily He govern'd the Abbey of Mount Cassin for some time but afterwards return'd to his Bishoprick and died there A. D. 1123. The Works of this Author were publish'd by Maurus Marchesius a Monk of Mount Cassin who caus'd them to be printed in two Tomes at Venice in 1651. The First contains his Commentaries on the Pentateuch on the Books of Job Psalms and Canticles and on the Revelation of St. John in which he adheres more to the Moral than to the other Senses of the Text. In the Second are compris'd Forty five Sermons on the Gospels of the whole Year the greatest part of which were printed under the Name of Eusebius of Emisa and St. Eucherius A Treatise on the Song of Zachariah Another of the Incarnation and Burial of Jesus Christ in which he enquires how long our Saviour continued in the Sepulchre A Tract to prove the use of Unleaven'd Bread against the Greeks An Explication of certain Ceremonies of the Church The Life of Pope Leo IX A Treatise about the Corruption of the Age proceeding as he says from Simoniacal Practices in which he discourses of the Invalidity of Ordinations made by Simonists and of those of Persons guilty of that Crime The Life of St. Peter of Anagnia Two Letters viz. One directed to the Bishop of Porto and the Other to Pope Paschal Six Books of Sentences or Moral Discourses on divers Subjects which some have attributed to St. Bruno Founder of the Carthusian Order and which Marchesius restor'd to Bruno of Segni upon the Credit of Petrus Diaconus by reason of the conformity of the Style and in regard that the Author of these Discourses makes it appear that he observ'd St. Benedict's Rule and that he wrote on the Apocalypse To these Works are annexed a Commentary on the Book of Psalms by ODO a Benedictin Odo a Benedictin Monk of Asti. Monk of Asti dedicated to Bruno of Segni The
be given by others were very much us'd in those Times They were wont to eat only once a Day on the Days of Abstinence but they began to break their Fast at the Hour of * One of the Canonical Hours None in 〈◊〉 and at Noon at another time Fridays Fast was observ'd more regularly than that on Saturdays The Participation of the Eucharist under both Kinds was customary during the whole Century although in the beginning of it some took the Two Species both together by steeping that of the Bread in that of the Wine and in the end of the same Century some took only one The Term of Transubstantiation was then us'd by certain Writers to express the Change of the Elements of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Then also the Priests receiv'd Alms for their Masses but it was forbidden to demand any and although they offer'd the Sacrifice for certain Persons in particular yet it was not doubted but that it was offer'd by them at the same time for all the Faithful to which purpose see a remarkable Passage of Arnulphus of Lisieux which we have related in the Account of the Works of that Prelate Constitutions were published about the time during which the Hosts might be kept but the Ordinations and even the Consecrations made by Schismaticks or by Hereticks were reputed to be void and of none effect To say somewhat in like manner concerning the Monastick State we shall observe that the Remarks on the Monastick Life Benediction of Monks which was first introduced in the Eastern and afterwards in the Western Churches became as it were necessary and that an express Profession was enjoyn'd which till then was never requir'd This Benediction was usually given by a Bishop or by an Abbot nevertheless a simple Monk might also perform the Ceremony and it was not forbidden to be re-iterated When a Monk was made Abbot he receiv'd the Benediction from his Diocesan yet such Benediction was not judg'd absolutely necessary It appears that it was customary in those Times both in the Levant and in the Western Countries that the Monasteries should receive Money or Goods of those Persons who were to be admitted into them but that it was prohibited to exact any Thing on that account The Cistercian Order which was small and poor in the beginning soon became so Numerous and Rich that it gave some cause of Jealousy to that of Cluny and to all the other Black Friers There arose several Contests betwixt them as well by reason of the Difference of their Customs as upon account of Temporal Interests and more especially because the Cistercian Monks receiv'd those of the Order of Cluny who were desirous to pass over to them It likewise fell out sometimes that the Cistercians retir'd to Cluny and were there entertain'd but they procur'd a Dispensation from the Pope for that purpose and it does not appear that those of Cluny who went to Cisteaux observ'd the same Formality This Custom of passing thus from an Order of a moderate to another of a more austere Discipline began to be introduced in the Twelfth Century The greatest part of the Monasteries obtain'd Exemptions of the Popes to withdraw themselves from the Bishop's Jurisdiction an Abuse that was condemned by St. Bernard and which the Prelates were afterwards oblig'd to restrain in the Third General Council of Lateran Some considerable Abbots were permitted by the Pope to wear the Episcopal Ornaments viz. the Mitre the Dalmatick the Gloves the Sandals and even the Crosier Although those who were of a more moderate Temper disliked this Custom nevertheless it became so frequent that many Abbots usurped that Right without any Licence from the Pope and it was necessary that the Third General Council of Lateran should forbid it them as well as the simple Monks who were not in Orders the wearing of Maniples Monks were likewise prohibited in the First General Council of Lateran to administer the Sacraments and to exercise any of the Functions of Curates but this Prohibition did not hinder but that many were taken out of Monasteries to be made Bishops and Cardinals It was also very Customary for Bishops to retire in the end of their Life into Monasteries and having spent the remainder of their Days in pious Exercises to die in those Places of retreat The Order of Grandmont was founded in the beginning of the Century by Stephen Muret this Society being compos'd of Hermits dwelling in little Cells which were separated and shut up within the same Inclosure The Rule which he enjoyn'd them to follow was very judiciously compos'd and approv'd of by the Popes Urban III. and Clement III. It is also affirm'd That the Order of the Carmelites began to be established in the Year 1121. by certain Hermits of Mount Carmel whom the Patriarch of Antioch got together to form a Religious Society They were Lay-men who were wont to say the Office of the Virgin Mary and were oblig'd to no other Vow but that of Obedience The Regular Canons were employ'd in administring the Sacraments and in exercising the Regular Canons Functions of Curates when they were authoriz'd to that purpose by their Bishops But some Prelates made a Scruple to admit them to such Employments and the Regular Canons themselves were not very willing to be taken off from their Solitary Life At that time there arose a kind of Contrast between them and the Monks about the Preeminence and Dignity of their Stations The Order of Regular Canons was augmented by a new Congregation of which St. Norbert was the Founder A. D. 1120. They were call'd Canonici Tunicati by reason of their Habit whereas those who bore the Name of St. Augustin were styled Superpelliceati With these Regular Canons may be joyn'd the Military Orders which became very numerous in that Century and were under the same Conduct and Rule The most Ancient were those of St. John of Jerusalem or the Knights Hospitallers instituted in the beginning of the Century to entertain the Pilgrims who were travelling to that City The Second are the Knights Templars who had their Institution in the Year 1118. and whose Office it was to provide for the Safety of the Pilgrims by encountering those who disturb'd them in their Journey The Knights of the Teutonick Order who professed â—o perform both these Employments were established some time after Lastly in imitation of these Orders those of St. James and of Calatrava were instituted in Spain for the Pilgrimages of St. James in Galicia and some others in other Countries FINIS CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES And other Necessary Indexes and Tables  Popes Western Emperors and Kings Eastern Emperors Ecclesiastical Affairs Councils Ecclesiasticol Writers 1100 Paschal II. I. The Death of Guibert the Antipope Albert d'Atella chosen Antipope in his Place is taken at the end of Four Months by Pope Paschal's Party and shut up in a Monastery Theodoricus afterwards made Anti-pope by the Inhabitants
Gand speaks of this Author HUGH a Regular Canon of the Order of Premontre in the Abby of Floreff in the Diocess Hugh of Namur wrote about the year 1230 by order of his Abbot the Life of St. Ivetta a Widow and Recluse of Huy that died in 1227 published by Bollandus in the 13th of January and those of St. Ida of Nivelle and of St. Ida of Leurve two Nuns of a Monastry of the Order of Citeaux in Brabant CONRADE of Marpurg a Religious a German of the Order of Preaching Friars Conrade wrote about the year 1230 a History of the Life and Miracles of St. Elizabeth Princess of Thuringen whose Confessor he had been dedicated to Pope Gregory IX published by Allatius in his Collection of Pieces printed at Cologn in 1653. PHILIP of Greve Professor and Chancellor of the University of Paris flourished about the Philip. year 1230. He composed 300 Sermons upon the Psalms of David which were printed at Paris in 1523 and at Bresse in 1600. They were mightily lookt upon in their time and the Preachers made a common use of them to that degree that there was a Sum made out of them which is in Manuscript in Monsieur Colbert's Library In the Libraries of England are likewise to be seen two Commentaries of this Author one upon Job and the other upon the Gospels THOMAS de CELANO of the Order of Minor Friars composed about the year 1235 Thomas a Book of the Life and Miracles of St. Francis approved by Gregory IX We have already spoken in the foregoing Century of JAMES of Vitry and his History of James the East and West all that we are to observe now is that besides this Work and the two Letters there mentioned he composed Sermons upon all the Epistles and Gospels of the year upon the Feasts and upon the different Estates of Men part of which were printed at Antwerp in 1575 and that he likewise wrote the Life of St. Mary of Oignies related by Surius in the 23d of June LUKE Deacon of the Church of Tuy in Spain after having travelled into Italy Grece and Luke Palestine and gained the Friendship of Cardinal Hugolin afterwards Pope under the name of Gregory IX was at last made Bishop of that Church He composed three Books of Controversies against the Albigenses printed at Ingolstadt in 1612 and in the last Bibliotheca Patrum and a History of Spain from the beginning of the World to the year 1274 of the Spanish Aera that is according to our account 1236 into which he inserts the Chronicle of St. Isidorus which he continues down to his time and makes divers Additions to and Alterations in Lastly he is the Author of St. Isidore's Life related in Bollandus in the 4th of April and in the second Benedictine Age of Father Matillon He was no more than Deacon when he wrote his Chronicle which plainly shows he was not made Bishop till after 1236 but how long he remained so or when he died we cannot tell We shall have occasion to speak of this Author's Works against the Albigenses when we treat of those Hereticks GODFREY Monk of St. Pantaleon of Cologn composed an Historical Chronicle from the Godfrey year 1162 to the year 1237 which is in the Collection of the German Writers by Freherus EDMOND RICH born at Abington in England after having gone through his Studies St. Edmond at Oxford gave himself wholly to Divinity and Preaching and taught Philosophy with applause in the University of Oxford He was then made Canon of Salisbury and lastly Archbishop of Canterbury in 1234 by the recommendation of Gregory IX When he came to his Dignity he thought it was his Duty vigorously to check the Irregularities of the Courtiers which procured him the hatred of them and of King Henry the third to that degree that he was fain to get himself to Rome for security from them He did not there meet with all the satisfaction he could desire and so returning into his own Country he went into a voluntary Exile some while after and in 1240 retired to the Monastry of Pontigny in France and two years after into the House of Regular Canons at Soisy where he died on the 16th of November 1246. He was canonized the next year by Innocent IV. He wrote a Treatise of Piety intituled The Mirror of the Church printed in the Bibliotheca Patrum He treats therein of a spiritual Life and of the Perfection of a Christian of the Articles of the Creed of the seven Sacraments of the seven mortal Sins of the seven Beatitudes of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit of the four Cardinal Virtues of the seven Works of Mercy of the seven Petitions in the Lord's Prayer of the Mysteries of our Lord of the Godhead and of the Trinity of the different degrees of Contemplation of the Love of our Neighbour and of Humility He speaks of all these things without entring upon any Controversy in a very edifying way and proper to instruct ordinary Believers Linwood has given us twelve Ecclesiastical Constitutions of this Arch-bishop ROBERT GROSTESTE or GROSTEAD born at Stratbrook in the County of Robert Grostead Suffolk after having studied at Oxford and Paris was made Archdeacon of Leicester and in the year 1235 succeeded Hugh of Velles in his Bishoprick of Lincoln He stoutly opposed the Designs of the Court of Rome and of the Monks about the Jurisdiction of Ordinaries and had a considerable Dispute with Innocent the Fourth about a Mandate which that Pope had granted to a young Italian named Frederick of Lavania his Nephew who was under age for the first Canon's place that should be vacant in the Church of Lincoln This Mandate was directed to the Archdeacon of Canterbury and to Innocent the Pope's Secretary in England who sent to Lincoln and gave notice of it to Robert who by a Letter answered them that he would with all submission and respect obey the Orders of the Holy See but that he would oppose whatsoever was contrary to Orders that were truly Apostolick and that no one could account those Apostolick Orders which were contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and his Apostles as the things contained in the Letter to him manifestly were First Because the Clause non obstante which was in this Letter and many others of the like nature was an Inundation of Uncertainty Boldness and Temerity and an Inlet to Falshood and Deceit Secondly That there was no greater crime in the World setting aside that of Lucifer and Antichrist nor any thing Robert Grostead more contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel and of the Apostles nothing more displeasing to Christ Jesus more detestable and abominable than destroying Souls by robbing them of the care of their Pastors which is done when such People receive the Incomes appointed for the subsistence and maintenance of Pastors as are not capable of executing their Offices that it was impossible
without a name in 1499 and at Lions in 1556. This we find in Manuscript with the name of this Monk to it in the Library of Citeaux GILES a Monk of Orval of the Order of Citeaux in the Dutchy of Luxemburg composed Giles of Orval about the year 1246 a History of the Bishops of Leige published by Chapeaville and printed at Leige in his Collection in the year 1613. BERNARD Priest and Sacrist of the Church of Compostella was in favour with Pope Innocent Bernard of Compostella VI. who made him his Chaplain He composed a Commentary upon the first Books of the Decretals printed at Paris in 1516 and a Treatise of notable things and Cases upon the five Books of Decretals printed at Nuremberg in 1493 and at Strasburg in 1498 not to speak of his Collections of the Popes Bulls and of the Chronicle of the antient Kings of Spain which is in the fourth Volume of Hispania Illustris CONRADE Bishop Coadjutor or Vicar of the Archbishop of Mentz composed a Chronicle Conrade of the History of Mentz from the year 1140 to the year 1250 printed at Basil in 1535 1569 and among Urstitius's Historians of Germany He likewise made a Chronicle of the former times printed at Francfort in 1584. ALBERT a Monk of Stade in the Archbishoprick of Bremen was chosen Abbot of that Albert. Monastry in 1232 but desiring to put in execution a Bull which he had obtained of Pope Gregory IX for the Reform of it to the Order of Citeaux and the Monks refusing to comply with him therein he removed into the Order of Minor Friars in the year 1240 of which he was afterwards General He made a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the year 1256 taken from the best Authors whose Words he relates and clears from a great deal of false History which the Authors of that Age used carefully to collect This Work was published in 1587 by Reinerius Reineccius and printed at Helmstadt and since reprinted at Wittemberg in 1608. DAVID of Augsburg of the Order of Minor Friars flourished about the year 1250. He is the Author of three little Pieces of Piety the first intituled The Novice's Formula for the David of Augsburg Reformation of the outward Man the second A Formula for the inward Man and the third A Mirror of the seven steps of Religious The two first were printed by themselves at Augsburg in 1593 and the last under the name of St. Bonaventure at Antwerp in 1591. They are all three with the name of David of Augsburg to them in the Library of the Fathers of Cologn and in the last Trithemius assures us that this Author made many Sermons which have not yet seen the light ALBERICK VERUS or VERE of the Family of the Earls of Oxford and Clare a Alberick Verus Regular Canon of St. Austin flourished about the year 1250. He composed a Treatise of the Eucharist the Life of St. Osithus and the Antiquities of his Monastry which bore the name of this Saint The Life is in Surius in the 7th of October WALTER of the Order of Minor Friars and Bishop of Poictiers flourished about the Walter year 1250. He composed a Sum of Theology upon the Books of the Master of the Sentences quoted by St. Thomas in his Sum of Quodlibetick Questions and Sermons for the whole year written by order of Pope Alexander IV. ROGER wrote a History about the year 1250 of the piteous Estate of the Kingdom of Hungary Roger. ruined by the Tartars which is at the end of the Chronicles of Hungary CONSTANTINE of Orviâ—to flourished about 1250. There 's no other Work ascribed Constantine to him but the Life of St. Dominick ENGELBERT Abbot of the Order of Citeaux who flourished about the same time wrote Engelbert the Life of St. Edwiga related by Surius in the 15th of October ROBERT RICH of Abington Monk of Pontigny and ROBERT BACON an Robert Rich and Robert Bacon Oxonian Doctor wrote the Life and History of the Translation of St. Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury who died in 1240. Their Work was written ten or twelve years after It is in Surius in the 16th of November JOHN de DIEU a Spaniard Doctor in the Canon Law in the University of Bologn and John de Dieu Canon of that City flourished about the middle of this Century and composed many Treatises of the Canon Law and a Penitential addressed to the Bishop and Chapter of Bologn None of these Works have been yet printed The late Monsieur Le Feron Canon of Chartres and Doctor of the Faculty of Paris whose Learning and Piety are well known to the Learned World had a Manuscript of it from which Monsieur Petit the Publisher of the Penitential of Theodore took those Extracts which he hath put at the end of it 'T is likewise in Manuscript in the Cambridg Library The other Works that Trithemius mentions of this Author are His Sum of otherwise A Sum of the Government of Life The Ordinary or The Alphabet of a Religious Life A short Discourse of the Worth and Abuse of Philosophy Another Discourse of the four Cardinal Virtues of the antient Princes and Philosophers An Abridgment of the Lives of the famous Philosophers printed at Lions in 1511 A Sum of Conferences printed at Paris in 1516 and 1561. The Morals to the Fables of Ovid printed at Paris in 1509 not to speak of the second Collection of Decretals which we have already mentioned There are many other Manuscript Works of this Author GILBERT or GUIBERT of Tournay of the Order of Minor Friars flourished in the Gilbert of Tournay University of Paris about the year 〈◊〉 He wrote at the desire of John Bishop of Tournay the Life of St. Fleutherius the first Apostle of that Country published by Bollandus in the 10th of February There are in the Library of the Fathers two Treatises of this Author's one of the Functions of a Bishop and the Ceremonies of the Church and the other of the peace and tranquillity of the Soul He is likewise the Author of many Sermons printed at Paris in 1518. Lastly Henry of Gand assures us that this Author made the History of the first Voyage of St. Louis into the Holy Land He died before the year 1293 for Henry of Gand who died in that year mentions his Death RALPH BOCKING of Chichester a Monk of the Order of Preaching Friars wrote Ralph Bocking about the year 1270 the Life of St. Richard Bishop of Chichester the Abridgment of which is in Surius in the â—d of April and was published by the Bollandists on the same day He composed some Sermons JOHN GENES de la CAILLE of the Order of Minor Friars wrote a Treatise of John Genes the City of Jesus Christ printed at Reggio in 1501 and at Rome in 1523. He flourished about the year 1270. WILLIAM of Sandwich an Englishman of the
Good Mantuan 157 Zara in Dalmatia The Pope's Invectives on the taking of this City by the Croisade-Men 45 Abbey of St. Zeno at Verona The Church of St. Proculus Subjected to this Abbey 22 Zoan Bishop of Avignon The Council which he held ar Alby 116 FINIS A NEW Ecclesiastical History Containing an ACCOUNT of the CONTROVERSIES IN RELIGION THE LIVES and WRITINGS OF Ecclesiastical Authors AN Abridgment of their Works And a JUDGMENT on their STYLE and DOCTRINE ALSO A Compendious HISTORY of the COUNCILS AND All Affairs Transacted in the Church Written in FRENCH By Lewis Ellies du PIN Doctor of the SORBON VOLUME the TWELFTH Containing the HISTORY of the FOURTEENTH CENTURY LONDON Printed for TIMOTHY CHILD at the White-Hart in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIX PREFACE THE Fourteenth Century furnishes us with many Subjects very Pleasing for it represents to us the Contests between the Regal Dignity and Priesthood or rather the Kings and Popes for the Kingly Function and Priesthood do always fully Agree although the Men who are raised to those Great Dignities differ much about the bounds of their Power the Destruction of a famous and powerful Order the Church of Rome divided by a Schism of Forty Years continuance the decay of the Greek Empire endangering the Ruin of it the Greek Church disturbed with frivolous Questions the Order of Franciscan Monks torn in pieces by odd Opinions and extravagant Practices Divers Errors taught by Divines and condemned by the Bishops or Universities and several Disorders suppressed by the Constitutions of Councils and Bishops The Divines which flourished in this Age followed the Method of the Schools as their Predecessors had done The Commentators upon Holy Scripture the Preachers and Monks produced nothing great nor excellent and the Historians nothing exact or perfect But the Study of the Civil Law came to its Perfection almost and Humane Learning which had been a long time neglected was much studied and improved about the middle of this Age by a certain number of ingenious Men who by imitating the Ancients were eminent for their Skill in Languages Oratory and Poetry and brought again into the World a Desire of Antiquity and a Love of Profitable and certain Sciences A TABLE of the CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE History of the Quarrels of Philip the Fair King of France and Boniface VIII as well under the Pontificate of that Pope and Benedict XI his Successor as during the Vacancy of the Holy See and the beginning of the Papacy of Clement V. Page 1 The Election of Benedictus Cajetanus named Boniface VIII Ibid The Beginning of the Broil of the Pope with that King upon the account of the Earl of Flanders Ibid The Bull of Boniface forbidding to raise any Taxes upon the Clergy 2 That King's Prohibition to carry any Silver out of his Realm Ibid The Pope's Bull against that Prohibition Ibid The King 's Manifesto against the said Bull Ibid The Letter of the French Bishops to the Pope about his Bull 3 An Embassy to continue the Truce Ibid The Explication of the first of the Pope's Bulls Ibid The Pope's Proceedings against the Colonni and their Condemnation Ibid Boniface's Bull in favour of the Earl of Flanders 4 The Appointment of a Jubilee by Boniface Ibid Boniface quarrels afresh with the King Ibid The Bishop of Pamiez sent to the King to whom speaking ill he is Arrested Ibid A Bull against the King's Prerogative 5 Bulls about the Supremacy of the Pope and against the Right of the Kings Ibid An Assembly of the States against the attempts of Boniface Ibid The Answers of the King and States to the Pope 6 The Replys of the Pope and Cardinals to the King and States Ibid Writings against the Pretences of the Pope 7 The Petition of William de Nogaret against the Pope Ibid The Publication of the Bull Unam Sanctam Ib. The Propositions of Cardinal Lemoine the Pope's Nuncio in France Ibid The King 's Answer to the Articles proposed by the Nuncio 8 Bulls against the King Ibid An Assembly of the States at the Louvre Ibid Accusations brought against the Pope Appeals to a Council 9 The Pope taken by Nogaret at Anagnia Ibid The Deliverance of the Pope and his Death Ibid The Letters of Boniface VIII Ibid The Election of Benedict XI Ibid The Accusation of Boniface before Benedict XI Ibid The Revocation of the Bulls of Boniface VIII against France and the Colonni 10 The Excommunication of Nogaret and those who assisted him in taking Boniface Ibid The Death and Letters of Benedict XI Ibid The Petition of Nogaret and the French against the Memory of Boniface Ibid The Election of Clement V. Ibid The Revocations of Boniface's Bulls by Clement V. 11 A Rule of Process against the Memory of Boniface VIII Ibid The Judgment of the General Council of Vienna concerning the Affair of Boniface 12 CHAP. II. THE History of the Condemnation of the Templars 12 The Original Progress and Decay of the Templars Ibid The Accusers of the Templars Ibid The Templars arrested and their Goods seized 13 Informations against the Templars Ibid The Crimes of which they were accused Ibid The Pope forbids the Bishops and Inquisitors meddling with the Cause of the Templars 14 The Answer of the Doctors of Divinity in Paris about the business of the Templars 15 The Pope himself questions the Templars Ibid The Promises of the Pope to proceed against the Templars Ibid The Informations taken by three Cardinals at Chinon Ibid Bulls against the Templars Ibid Judges Commission'd by the Pope to proceed against the Order of the Templars 16 Informations taken by the Pope's Commissioners Ibid A Provincial Council held at Paris against the Templars 17 The Execution of the Templars at Paris 18 Prosecutions against the Templars in several Kingdoms Ibid The Judgment of the Pope in the Council of Vienne against the Templars Ibid The Execution of the Grand Master and a Templar at Paris 19 The Use which the Templars Estates were put to in divers Nations Ibid Objections alledged in Justification of the Templars 20 Reasons to prove the Justice of the abolishing the Order of the Templars Ibid CHAP. III. THE History of the Popes that had their Residence at Avignon from Clement V. to the Death of Gregory XI and what Remarkable Things happened in the Empire Italy and the Church in their Papacies and among other things the Contest of Lewis of Bavaria with the Popes The Contest of the Grey-Friars with John XXII and the Question about the Happy estate of Souls after this Life moved by that Pope 21 The Election of Pope John XXII Ibid The Elections of Archbishopricks and Bishopricks by John XXII 22 The State of the Empire and Italy Ibid Nicolas V. Antipope 24 The Death of John XXII Ibid The Contest of the Grey-Friars about the fashion of their Habits Ibid The Disputes of the Grey-Friars concerning the Property of such
A Material Exposition of what Divines say of God A Manuscript Work c. The greatest part of his Sins while he was a Palamite MANUEL CALECA or CALECEAS Flourish'd under the Empire of Palaologus His Genuine Works c. A Treatise against the Greeks about the Procession of the Holy Ghost A Treatise of the Essence and Operation of God A Manuscript Work A Treatise of the Trinity ISAAC ARGYRA A Greek Monk Flourish'd about the Year 1373. A Genuine Work c. A Kalendar MAXIMUS A Greek Monk Flourish'd about the same time His Genuine Works c. A Letter about the Procession of the Holy Ghost for the Latins S. BRIDGET Flourish'd about 1360 and died in 1373. Her Genuine Works c. Eight Books of Revelations Six Sermons and A Rule GREGORY XI Pope Consecrated and Crown'd Jan. 4. 1371 and died March 27. 1378. His Genuine Works c. Letters set down by Waddingus and Bzovius Bulls in the Register of Bulls JOANNES BALISTARII General of the Carmelites Flourish'd under the Papacy of Gregory XI and died in 1374. Works Lost. See the Titles of them p. 81. S. CATHARINE of SIENNA A Nun of S. Benedict Born in 1374 Flourish'd about 1370 died in 1380. Her Genuine Works Letters Six Treatises of Providence A Discourse of the Annuntiation of the Virgin Mary The Divine Doctrine of the Eternal Father JORDANUS SAXO An Hermite of S. Augustine Flourish'd about 1360 and died in 1380. His Genuine Works c. A Summary of Sermons A Treatise of the Translation of the Roman Empire to the Germans Works in Manuscript A Treatise of the Four Communions A Collection of Daies for the Hermites of S. Augustine Works lost A Commentary upon the Revelations An Apology for his Order JOANNES RUYSBROKIUS A Canon Regular Abbot of Wavre Flourish'd about 1470 Died in 1381 being 88 Years old His Genuine Works c. Treatises of Piety Translated out of the German Language into Latine by Surius Of which see the Catalogue p. 74 75. JOHN de HILDESHEIM JOANNES GOLENIUS HENRY DOLENDORP and JOHN FUSTGIN Carmelites Flourish'd 'till about 1380. Works lost See the Titles p. 81. RALPH de PRAELLES Councellor and Masters of Request to the King of France Flourish'd in the Reign of Charles V. King of France His Genuine Works c. A Treatise of the Ecclesiastical Power A Translation of S. Augustine's Books De Civitate Dei A Work lost The Pacifick King PHILIP de MESERIIS Knight Flourish'd about the same time His Genuine Work c. A Treatise of the Ecclesiastical and Secular Power under the Name of Philotheus Aquilinus PHILIP CABASSOLAS Cardinal Made Bishop of Cavaillon in 1334. Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1336. Cardinal Priest the same Year and Cardinal Bishop of S. Sabina in 1370. Died 1382. A Manuscript Work The Life and Miracles of S. Magdalene GERHARD GROOT or GRAND A Canon Regular Flourish'd from 1360. And died in 1384. His Genuine Works c. An Explication of the way of Preaching the Truth Conclusions and Propositions A Treatise of the Study of Scripture Works in Manuscript See the Catalogue of them p. 74. PHILIP de LEYDIS Canon and Great Vicar of Utrecht Flourish'd about 1370. And died in 1386. A Genuine Work c. A Treatise of the Care of a Common-wealth and the State of Sovereign Princes ARNOLDUS de TERRENA Sacrist of Perpignan Flourish'd about 1360. Works in Manuscript A Treatise of the Mass and Canonical Hours Theological Questions MATTHIAS or MATTHEW de CRACOVIA A Doctor of Prague Flourish'd about 1370. Works in Manuscript or lost See the Catalogue of them p. 72. GALLUS Abbot of Konigsaal Flourish'd about 1370. A Genuine Work c. A Book call'd The Pomegranade HENRY A Monk of Rebdorf Flourish'd about 1375. A Genuine Work Annals from 1275 to 1372. HUGELIN MALEBRANCHIUS An Hermite of S. Augustine Bishop of Ariminum and Patriarch of Constantinople Chosen General of his Order in 1368. Made Bishop of Ariminum in 1370. And died after 1372. His Works in Manuscript A Commentary upon the Sentences A Treatise of the Trinity A Treatise of the Communication of Idioms THOMAS STOBBS or STUBBS A Preaching Frier Flourish'd about 1375. A Genuine Work c. A Chronicle of the Arch-Bishops of York MATTHEW FLORILEGUS A Benedictine Monk of Westminster Flourish'd to 1377. A Genuine Work Flowers of History JOHN SCADLAND A Preaching Frier Bishop of Hildesheim Flourish'd about 1360 died in 1377. Works in Manuscript A Treatise of the Estate of the Cardinals A Treatise of the Estate and Dignity of Bishops ALBERT of STRASBURG Flourish'd about 1370. His Genuine Works c. A Chronicle from 1270 to 1378. The Life of Bertholus Bishop of Strasburg BONADVENTURE of PADUA Cardinal Chosen General of the Hermites of S. Augustine in 1377. Made Cardinal by Urban the VIII in 1378. And died in 1386. A Genuine Work c. The Mirrour of the Virgin Mary Works in Manuscript or lost See the Catalogue of them p. 75. WILLIAM of WALLINGFORD FRANCIS MARTIN and STEPHEN of PETRINGTON Carmelites Flourish'd about 1380. Works lost See the Titles of them p. 81. CONRADUS d'ALTZEY A German Flourish'd in 1380. Works lost See the Catalogue of them p. 81. BERTAMUS A Preaching Frier Bishop of Thesius Flourish'd about 1380. And died in 1387. Works lost See the Catalogue of them p. 81. PHILIP RIBOT A Carmelite Chosen Provincial of his Order in 1368. And died in 1391. A Genuine Work c. The Mirrour of the Carmelites Works lost A Treatise of the Illustrious Men of his Order Sermons MARSILIUS d'INGHEN Treasurer of the Church of Colen Flourish'd about 1380. And died in 1394. A Genuine Work A Commentary upon the Sentences WILLIAM of WODFORD or WILFORD A Grey Frier Flourish'd at the end of the Century And died in 1397. A Genuine Work c. A Treatise against Wickliff Works in Manuscript An Apology against Richard of Armagh And other Works GERHARD de ZUTPHEN A Canon Regular Flourish'd about the end of the Century And died in 1398. His Genuine Works c. Two Ascetick Treatises NICHOLAS EYMERICK A Preaching Frier Flourish'd from 1350 to the end of the Century And died in 1399. A Genuine Works c. A Directory for Inquisitors Works in Manuscript See the Catalogue of them p. 76. LEONARD de GIFFON Cardinal The 24th General of the Grey Friers Made Cardinal in 1378. Died after 1394. in which Year he was present at the Election of Pope Benedict XIII Works Lost See the Catalogue of them p. 81. NICHOLAS ORESMIUS bishop of Lisieux Made Head of the House of Navarre in 1356. Treasurer of the H. Chappel at Paris in 1361. Sent to Urban V. in 1363. Made Bishop of Lisieux in 1377. Died in 1384. His Genuine Works A Discourse before the Cardinals against the Irregularities of the Court of Rome A Discourse about the Change of Money Works in Manuscript See the Catalogue of them p. 73. 74. URBAN VI. Pope Elected April 9. 1378. And Crowned April 17. And died in
Challon upon the River Soane in the Year 603. in which Arigius Bishop of Lyons presided But perhaps it might be some other Council For this was assembled about the Business of Desiderius Bishop of Vienna This Letter is written before the foregoing S. Columbanus's Letter has lately been attributed to S. Gregory who is mention'd in the Two preceeding Letters There he does very confidently set down the Authorities he depends upon to shew that Easter should always be celebrated by the twentieth of the Moon in March before the Equinox and creats the Cycle of Victorius with a great deal of Contempt And does alsâ— refute Pope Victor's Opinion That Easter is not to be kept at the same Time with the Jews He exhorts the Pope to alter his Opinion and Practice about that and then asks him Whether he should communicate with those who are ordain'd Bishops contrary to the Constitutions and Canons by Simony or having committed some Crimes in the Time they were Deacons In fine he consults him what is to be done with Monks who depart from their Monasteries without their Abbot's Leave renouncing their Vows He lets him know he would gladly have come to Rome to see him He commends his Pastoral and prays him to send him some of his Works and chiefly those upon Ezekiel He acquaints him that he hath perused the Six Books of S. Hierom on that Prophet but that that Father hath not explain'd half of it S. Columbanus's Fourth Letter is written to Pope Boniface IV. of that Name upon the Motion of Agilulphus King of Lombardy By this Letter it appears That that Prince assisted the Defenders of the Three Chapters and that he had persuaded S. Columbanus that there was some cause to suspect the Church of Rome of Error That the Pope himself was consenting to it or at least permitted it That Vigilius dyed an Heretick and that the Fifth Council ought to be rejected S. Columbanus entertaining these Opinions writes a vehement Letter to Boniface wherein he exhorts him to watch over his Flock and condemns Vigilius's want of Vigilancy He saith he died an Heretick and wonders they should put his Name in the List of Catholick Bishops He exhorts the Pope to clear both himself and his Church from the Suspicion of Heresy by calling a Council to make an exact Exposition of the Catholick Faith and to condemn all those that swerved from it He believes that the Fifth Council approved Eutyches's Error and confounds the Two Natures and yet he says at his coming into Italy they wrote to him That Communion with Rome ought to be shun'd because they there held Nestorius's Heresy Which shews he was not rightly informed of the Fact he wrote of It had been better for him to have only exhorted the Pope as he does to endeavour to suppress the Schism and Division in Italy about the Business of the Three Chapters by tolerating those that defended them 'T is said that S. Columbanus had written some Letters to King Theodorick but we have none of them Jonas speaks also of a Letter directed to Clotharius but it is lost as well as his Book against the Arians mention'd in the same Author his great Treatise of Easter Two Letters to S. Gregory and his writing to Arigius upon the same Subject They say more-over He had made a Commentary upon the Gospels but it is not mention'd in ancient Authors They ascribe yet to him a little Treatise of Penances for Monks Clerks and Laicks but it does not seem to me to be his Father Flemingue an Irish Franciscan hath collected the Works of this Father and printed them at Louvain in the Year 1667. since which they have been printed in the last Edition of the Bibliotheca Patrum at Lyons with the Works of Two other Irish Writers The First of which is a Tract of S. Aeleran or Ereran containing a Mystical and Moral Interpretation of the Names recited in the Genealogy of Christ which are applyed to our Lord's Qualities or Precepts This Aeleran sirnamed the Wise was Presbyter it is said he also wrote the Life of S. Patrick There is another Ereran an Irish Abbot who wrote a Monastical Rule The Second Tract added to S. Columbanus's Works in this Edition is a very large Penitential of one Cumianus or Cuminus an Abbot in which there are several remarkable Things and amongst others That there are twelve principal Means of obtaining Pardon of our Sins grounded upon Testimonies of the Holy Scripture viz. 1. Baptism 2. Charity 3. Alms-giving 4. Tears 5. Confession 6. Mortification of the Flesh and Spirit 7. Change of Manners 8. Intercessions of the Just 9. Faith 10. Converting of others 11. Forgiving of Enemies and 12. Martyrdom That e Confession of secret Sins and Thoughts was in use Confession of Sins private and publick to God is absolutely 1 Joh. 1. 9. necessary to obtain Pardon of them and where we have done any Mat. 5. 23. Wrongs or Injuries to Men we must acknowledge them and making Restitution endeavour Reconciliation And Matt. 3. 6. if still there remain any Doubts and Scruples in our Consciences it is convenient to discover our Griefs to the Ministers of God's Word that we may receive from them Ghostly Counsel and Advice In these Cases no doubt the Confession of Cyprian Serm. de laps Tertul. de poenitentia Origen in Ps. 37. Secret Sins Thoughts and Desires was ever in use in the Church But as to that Auricular and Sacramental Confession which seems to be insinuated in the Words of this Father as it was not in use in the First Ages of the Church so can it pretend to no other Ground for the Use of it than the Lateran Council under Innocent the Third anno 1215. or the Council of Trent which is of much later date Confession of secret Sins was ever approved and used never generally imposed nor made necessary to Absolution till Popery prevailed Confession of Secret Sins and even of Thoughts and Desires was in Use in that Time that great Crimes were also subjected to long Penances that lesser Faults were punished with many Days of Penance that eating of strangled Beasts and of Blood was as yet forbidden that the Fast of Lent was commanded that all kind of Pollutions were punish'd with Penances that the f Caelibacy of Clerks commanded Altho' the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament do no where disallow the Marriage of Priests but give them an equal Liberty in that kind with the Laity Athan. epist. ad Dracon Socr. hist. eccl l. 9. c. 38. Tertullian Jerom. Ambrose insomuch that all the Apostles except S. John were married Men as also the greatest part of the Clergy of the first Times But yet some there were of the most eminent Bishops and most zealous Christians who having imbibed the Philosophers Opinions and Prejudices against Marriage as an Estate in it self unclean and so troublesome that it was utterly inconsistent with an Holy and
Speculative Life did ever retain such an Antipathy against it especially in the Clergy that they were ever inveighing against them that were married insomuch that they brought it into a general Dislike At length a Decree was made against Conc. Elib Can. 33. Socr. hist. eccl l. 1. c. 8. Conc. Ancy Can. 9. Priest's Marriage in the Council of Eliberis anno 305. Can. 33. And the like was attempted in the first Council of Nice but was suppressed by the Authority of Paphnutius And not long after the Canon made at Eliberis was as it were reversed by the Council of Ancyra Can. 9. Indeed Pope Syricius anno 380. and Innocent enforced the same Prohibition in the West and were seconded by the Second Council of Carthage but were opposed by the Synods of Agatha and Tyron So that tho' the Celebacy of the Clergy was commanded and practised in some Churches especially in the West to which this Author referrs himself yet it was never universally imposed nor received especially in the East till Gregory VII's Time anno 1074. and then was thought to be establish'd by no Law Ecclesiastical or Divine and was opposed by the Clergy unanimously as a Doctrine of Devils as S. Paul 1 Tim. 3. 4. and all good Men esteem it Coelibacy of Superior Clerks and of profess'd Monks was commanded that it was forbidden to marry on Sunday that it was wish'd that married Persons would abstain from the Use of Marriage three Days before Receiving the Communion that Men were put to Penance for Bigamy and Usury also yea and even those that did not use Hospitality nor give Alms that Clerks that did not give their Superfluities to the Poor were Excommunicated that whosoever did Communicate with an Heretick was Excommunicated that those that had been ordained by Hereticks were re-ordain'd that those were re-baptiz'd that had been baptiz'd by such Hereticks as had erroneous Opinions about the Trinity that they put those to Penance that let the Sacramental Bread or the Cup fall to the Ground or were guilty of any other Irreverence at the Receiving of the Sacrament out of Negligence or by Accident that among the Greeks they received the Communion every Sunday and that those that did not Receive for Three Sundays together were excommunicated but that among the Latins every one had liberty to communicate or not to communicate that the * Vide p. 5. e Sacrifice of theMass was offer'd for the Dead and that they did even fast for them that Women might receive the Sacrament with a black Veil on that Bishops were permitted to give Confirmation in a Campagne that a Priest might in one Day say two Masses at the same Altar that in Case of Necessity Confession may be made to God that the most usual Penances were Fasting Separation from the Church entrance into Religious Orders CUMIANUS or CUMINUS THERE are 〈◊〉 CUMINUS's in Ireland This probably is he of whom there is still â—â—tant a Letter to Segenius Abbot of Hi publish'd by Cumianus or Cuminus Bishop Usher in his * Epistolarum Hibernicaruâ—… Sylloge Collection of Letters of Irish Men wherein he would persuade the Irish That they ought to leave their Custom of keeping Easter and conform to that of the Roman Church The Author of the Penitential is of the same Opinion and therefore may be believed to be the same Man but it is not known who nor whence he was Some believe 't is Cuminus Abbot of Hi but it is not likely seeing the Letter is written to Segenius who was Abbot of Hi many Years before this Cuminus took Possession of it I should rather think 't is Cuminus surnam'd Fada that is the long Son to King Fiachna who also is supposed to be Author of an Hymn which begins with these Words Celebra Juda festa Christi gaudia He was born if one may believe the Annals of that Country in the Year 592. and died 662. the Letter now mention'd was written about 634. HESYCHIUS AUthors are much divided about this Author's Age and Profession whose chief Work is a Commentary upon Leviticus Cardinal Perron ascribed it to Hesychius Bishop of * A City in Dalmatia Salone Hesychius who lived under the Empire of Honorius in the Time of Pope Zosimus and of S. Austin because there is a Letter of that Pope directed to this Hesychius Bishop of Salone and a Letter of that Bishop to S. Austin Trithemius and Sixtus Senensis did believe that this we now speak of was a Disciple of S. Gregory Nazianzen Bellarmin Possevin and Miraeus ascribe the Works bearing Hesychius's Name to Hesychius Patriarch of Jerusalem to whom the Fourth Letter of the First Book of S. Gregory's Letters is directed The most common Opinion is That this Hesychius was a Priest only and of Jerusalem but some place him in the Fifth others in the Seventh Century which is plain for 1. The Author discovers himself to be so in the Preface and Book which he wrote at Jerusalem a Which he wrote at Jerusalem These are his Words in the Preface Deprecare ut fiat oblatio verbi mei acceptabilis non solâ—â— in Jerusalem sed in omni terra And in the Sixth Book Quod manifest at Templum civitas haec Jerusalem And in the Seventh Book Cognoscis autem ea quae ipsis Judaeis eveâ—erunt ex Josephi historia quorum plurima etiam nunc nostris ad cernendum adjacent visibus And 2. in an old Manuscript of the King's Library it is observed in the Title That this Hesychius was of Jerusalem and the Title of the Letter which is instead of a Preface shews he was but a Priest It is worded thus To the Deacon Eutychianus Isychius a Sinner Servant of Jesus Christ and Presbyter Notwithstanding which he might possibly have been afterward raised to the dignity of Patriarch of Jerusalem but there are no other Proofs of it but the Authority of some Manuscripts and some new Authors in the Title of which he is called by the Name of Bishop which is not very convincing And Photius who made some Extracts of this Author's Sermons calls him no other than Presbyter As for the Time in which he liv'd there 's no question but he is much later than the Bishop of Salone seeing he writes against the Eutychians and Nestorians Nay he seems to have lived after S. Gregory because he maketh use of S. Hierom's Translation but he was before the Ninth Century because his Commentary is quoted by Amalarius l. 14. of Divine Offices c. 36. and by Rabanus in his Preface upon Leviticus as well as by Freculphus and Strabo yea and before the Eighth if he be the same which Photius quoteth as very likely he is Which makes me think he lived in the End of the Sixth or in the Beginning of the Seventh Century It is true there was one Hesychius Priest of Jerusalem in the Fifth Century in the Time of S. Cyril mentioned in Euthymius's Life