Happiness and the Wicked everlastingly Punished They never disquieted themselves in examining wherein the Beatitude consisted but they were perswaded That the Wicked should be punished with Fire and that not Metaphorical but Real They advanced Man's Free-Will very highly and maintained that he might carry himself either to Good or Evil and yet they acknowledged That since the Transgression of the First Man we were naturally inclined to Evil and that we stood in need of the Assistance and Grace of God to determine us to what was Good They did not Philosophize too far about the Nature and several Species of Angels but only satisfied themselves that there were good Angels and likewise bad ones called Daemons They were of Opinion that both the one and the other were Corporeal and imagined that the bad Angels were lost for their love of Women and they positively asserted that the good Ones took care of things below All of them were sensible of the Wounds and Punishment of Adam's Sin but they don't seem to agree that Infants were born subject to Sin and worthy of Damnation Nevertheless this appears to be the common Opinion as is evident from St. Cyprian who says That it was requisite to Baptize Infants before the Eighth day for fear lest if they died without Baptism this delay should prove the occasion of their Destruction They often spoke of the Necessity and wonderful Effects of Baptism and said that the Holy Ghost descended by the Imposition of the Hands of the Bishop They maintained That the Church had Power to reconcile those that repented of their Sins and did not doubt but that the Eucharist was the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and accordingly called it by that Name They extolled Virginity without condemning Marriage they honoured the Saints and Martyrs as the Servants of God they spoke of the Virgin Mary with a great deal of respect and yet with no less discretion and advisedness St. Clement affirms That she continued a Virgin after her Delivery but Origen Tertullian and some others were of the contrary Opinion We find nothing in the Three first Ages of the Church either for or against the Assumption there is a Passage in St. Irenaeus that is not favourable to the immaculate Conception They believed that the Holy Scriptures were written by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost that they contain all the principal Articles of our Faith that though they are obscure in some places yet they are clear enough in many others and that even their Obscurity has its Use and that all Christians might read them provided they made good use of them That it is necessary to believe what the Scripture Tradition and the Church teach us without endeavouring to search too deep into the Mysteries of our Religion and disputing about them They acknowledged no other Books of the Old Testament to be Canonical but those that were received into the Canon of the Jews though now and then they cited some other Books as very good and useful In the New Testament they received as Canonical the Four Evangelists the Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul though some of them questioned that to the Hebrews and many Persons attributed it to another and not to St. Paul the First Epistles of St. John and of St. Peter The Epistles of St. James and St. Jude The Second of St. Peter the Second and Third of St. John were received by some and rejected by others as well as the Apocalypse They sometimes cited the Apochryphal Books but never reckoned them amongst the Canonical Scriptures Thus I have given you a short Summary of part of the Opinions of the Fathers in the Three First Ages of the Church The most part of the Proofs which I have here laid down are to be found in the Abridgment of those Authors that I have made in this Volume and I don 't in the least question but that those Persons who will carefully read over the same Authors will be sensible that I have imposed nothing upon them and that their Doctrine is what I have now represented it An Abridgment of the Discipline WE cannot say of the Discipline of the Church what we have affirmed concerning its Doctrine viz. That it is the same in all Times and all Places because it is an undeniable An Abridgment of Discipline Truth that it has been different in many Churches and has been from time to time subject to change We ought not however to conclude from this Principle that it is unnecessary to study the Primitive Discipline or that we are obliged only to learn that of the Time and Church where we live for besides that those Persons who are ignorant of the Discipline of the Primitive Church cannot pretend to understand the Books of the Ancients this ancient Discipline is the Foundation of ours And though the Exteriour part has been changed yet the Spirit of the Church is always the same It is not therefore an unprofitable Labour as some have vainly imagined to busie ones self in examining the Discipline of the Ancient Church on the contrary it is a Study extremely useful and necessary for a Divine It must be acknowledged that the Discipline that was observed in the Infancy of the Church however Holy it was in its Simplicity yet was not arrived to its Perfection for the Apostles altogether applying themselves to what was necessary at the beginning were content to Preach the Doctrine and Morality of our Blessed Saviour without giving themselves the trouble to regulate what related to the Ceremonies or Discipline of the Church Nevertheless we are not to imagine that they intirely neglected it and St. John who lived longer than the rest of the Apostles seems to have applied himself more particularly to it But the Successors of the Apostles by little and little regulated the Ceremonies that ought to be observed as well in the Administration of the Sacraments as in the Assemblies of Christians and made particular Orders about the Government of Churches the Form of Ecclesiastical Judicatures and many other Points of Discipline These Ceremonies were exceedingly augmented in the Fourth Century when the Church began to enjoy the benefits of Peace and Tranquillity and Publickly celebrated the Divine Service in the time of the Emperour Constantine Then it was that the Bishops met together with Liberty being supported by the Authority of Princes and made abundance of Rules concerning the Government of the Church the Rights of the Bishops of the greater Sees the Forms of Judicature and infinite Numbers of other Matters We have here obliged our selves to speak only of the Discipline that was observed in the Three First Ages of the Church Then it was plain and simple and had scarce any other Splendor to recommend it but what the Holiness of the Manners and Lives of the Christians gave to it They Assembled every Sunday in particular in certain Places appointed and set apart for Publick Devotion where they continued a long
upon the Praises of Shepherds and gives a Catalogue of the Great Men who had kept Flocks Towards the end he makes a Digression against the Arians 't is believ'd that this Mamas suffer'd under the Emperour Aurelian The Panegyrick upon the Martyr Barlaam is a very short Discourse wherein he praises this generous Confessor who had endur'd with Constancy the burning of his Hand rather than suffer the Incense to fall into a little Box which was upon the Profane Altar of an Idol The Ascetical Treatises of St. Basil are very useful not only to the Monks but also to all those that make Profession of Piety and contain the Rules of the Morality of Jesus Christ which agree to all the World The three First Treatises which are at the beginning of the Asceticks are distinct Discourses which have no Reference to them though the First is entituled A Preface to the Asceticks 'T is an Exhortation to those who have embrac'd a Monastick Life wherein he endeavours to persuade them that they are engag'd as Souldiers in a Spiritual Warfare and that they ought to fulfill all the Obligations of it The Second also is An Exhortation to a Monastick Life wherein he represents the Advantages of Celibacy and of the Practices of Religion The Third which is entituled Of a Monastick Life contains many Precepts which concern those who retire from the World These three Treatises are distinct Discourses but the two following of Faith and Judgment are the Preface or the First Book of the Asceticks We must begin with the Book of Judgment and joyn to it that of Faith which ends with a little Preface to the Asceticks and all these make only one Preface to the whole Work He declares there that having been educated in the Christian Religion and instructed from his Youth in the Doctrine of the Holy Books when he came to the Years of discretion he perceiv'd that there was much Union among the Professors of Arts and Sciences but that he found great Divisions in the Church of Jesus Christ that he was sometime in doubt which Party he should choose and that meditating upon this Subject he came to know that the greatest Evil was Schism and Division which proceeded from the Ignorance and Sin of those who did not obey the Commands of God and follow'd not his Law That having afterwards reflected upon the terrible Judgments of God upon these Persons he believ'd himself oblig'd to adhere to the Faith of the Church and to meditate on those Precepts of the Holy Scripture which concern the manners and behaviour of Men That being then persuaded that nothing but Faith working by Love would avail any thing he believ'd that t was Necessary after the Explication of the Faith of the Church and the Doctrine which is to be held concerning the Trinity to write a Book of Manners This Conclusion of the Book of Judgment shews that after it follow'd the Treatise of Faith wherein he says many fine things concerning the Vertue of Faith and then Expounds the Doctrine of the Church and makes Profession of the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit whom he affirms to be of the same Substance with the Father He Exhorts those to whom he wrote to keep to the Simplicity of this Faith which is founded upon the Authority of the Holy Scripture and he prays God that they may always continue inviolably fix'd in it At last having explain'd this Faith he declares That he has collected into one Body many Precepts taken out of the New Testament These Precepts are comprised in 80 Rules divided into several Chapters To these must be joyn'd the 84 Great Rules and the 313 Small ones which are answers to several Moral Questions that comprehend all that is most Excellent in Christian Morality These are they which make up the Body of St. Basil's Ethicks or Asceticks divided into Two Books as we have observ'd They may be consulted concerning all the Offices and Actions of a Christian Life They may be useful to all States and Conditions and one may say that St. Basil has there collected and methodically digested all the Practical Part of the Gospel Upon which Account Photius had Reason to say That whosoever shall follow these Precepts shall undoubtedly be sav'd The Book of the Instructions of Monks and of Monastical Constitutions are two Books distinct from the Asceticks which contain many Precepts and Rules for the Monks that are not so general nor so useful to all the World as the Treatise of Morality To know the Genius and Doctrine of St. Basil we can address our selves to none better than to his Faithful Friend Gregory Nazianzen See then how he speaks of him He compares his Eloquence to a Trumpet sounding in the Air to a Divine Word which shall be spread over the whole Earth to a wonderful Whirl-wind raised after a very Surprizing Manner He says That he has div'd into the most hidden Secrets of the Holy Scripture which he has made use of to Instruct all Men and to make them lose the Relish of things present and fall in Love only with things to come That his Writings are the Object of the Admiration of all Persons and the Pleasure and Study of all Men of worth The Authors that wrote after him says he say nothing but what they have drawn out of his Works The Ancients are neglected and nothing is minded but what he has said anew In a word He alone is sufficient to make an able Man When I read his Treatise of the Creation adds St. Gregory methinks I am present with the Creator when I light upon the Books which he wrote against Hereticks methinks I see the Fire of Sodom which reduc'd those criminal Tongues to ashes when I peruse what he has written of the Holy Spirit I acknowledge the God whom I possess and I make no Scruple to publish boldly the Truth when I read the Explications of Scripture which he has made for the Illiterate I understand the deep Abysses of Mysteries when I hear his Panegyricks of the Martyrs I despise my own Body I fansie my self present with those whom he praises and I feel my self excited to the Combat when I set my self to read the Discourses which he has written concerning Morals and the manner of living Well my Heart and my Soul are purified that they may become the Temple of the Holy Spirit they reform me they instruct me they change me and lead me unto Vertue We are not here to think That St. Gregory Nazianzen in saying all this heightned the Matter as an Orator or flattered him as a Friend what he says is very true and there is not any Author whose Writings make a greater Impression than those of St. Basil He describes things so lively he explains his Reasons with so much force he urges them so vigorously he makes such loathsome Portraictures of Vice such persuasive Exhortations to Vertue he gives so large and so profitable Instructions that
Holy Things They push forward and involve themselves in much trouble that they may have access to the Holy Table not considering it as an Employment that engages them to Vertue but as a means to live at their own Ease In so much that they never think of discharging their Office after an unblameable manner but of exercising such a Dominion as shall be subject to no body Never did this Ambition reign more in the Church of Jesus Christ than it does at present I know it will be in vain for us to endeavour to put a stop to it but I count it a Duty of Piety to testify our detestation and shame of it Afterwards he describes very Eloquently the Difficulties and Troubles of the Episcopal Office He says That this Office is more troublesome and painful than can be imagin'd That 't is a most difficult thing to govern Souls That 't is the greatest and rarest thing in the World to know how to Command well That nothing is more dangerous than an Obligation to answer for others That a Bishop ought not only to be free from Faults but also to be very Vertuous That he ought to be still perfecting himself from Day to Day and that Vertue should be Natural to him for if it be forced it will not continue long That the Science of governing Men without Violence and Fear is the Science of Sciences ars artium scientia scientiarum That 't is infinitely more difficult to Cure Souls than to Heal the Diseases of the Body because the Cure of the Soul depends entirely upon the Will of the Sick That the Physician of the Body has leave to use Iron and Fire and the most violent Medicines for recovering the Health of the Body but the Love which Sinners have for themselves will not allow these sort of Remedies to be us'd when their Souls are under Cure That they shun them That they are are resolv'd to continue in their Sins and are ingenious to hinder their Recovery That they hide their Sins or excuse them or else impudently defend them That the Physicians of the Body know by sensible and external Signs the Diseases which they undertake to Cure but the Physicians of Souls have invisible and hidden Maladies to heal That the End of the Physician for the Body is to restore Health which puts Men in a Condition to enjoy the Good Things and the Pleasures of this World but on the contrary the Design of the Spiritual Physician is to withdraw Men's Affections from this World and fix them upon God That for this End God was made Man and suffered so much upon Earth From all this he concludes That the Profession of a Spiritual Physician is more difficult than the Practice of an ordinary Physician He adds also to prove the same thing the great Diversity of Spiritual Diseases and the different Dispositions of those who are to be cur'd who require an infinite number of different Remedies Some says he will be reform'd by Discourse and others by Example Some must be push'd forward and others kept back Praises are useful to some but others have need of Rebukes Some must be Exhorted and others must be Chid Some must be Reproved in Secret and others in Publick Some must be severely Punish'd for small Faults and others must be gently Handled Some must be Frighted with the fear of the Judgment of the Great Day and others must be Allur'd with hopes of Mercy In a word Great Moderation must always be observed and all Excess avoided Lastly He represents the Difficulties of discharging the Duty of Preaching as we ought which he calls the First and Principal Employment of the Ministers of Jesus Christ. He says That all the World undertakes to Preach and yet 't is a folly to believe that all those who undertake it are Capable of it That this Sacred Ministery requires a sublime Soul a perfect Knowledge of the Doctrines of the Church and a very good discerning Faculty He declaims against those who thrust themselves into this Ministry before they have meditated long upon the Holy Scripture and studied their Religion He proposes as a Pattern to Preachers the great Apostle St. Paul he Collects together a great many Passages of Holy Scripture against False Prophets against Priests that are unworthy of their Function and against those that abuse the Word of God he does not forget the Charge which Jesus Christ draws up against the Pharisees That they were like painted Sepulchres which appear'd outwardly very Fair but inwardly were full of Filthiness and then he makes this Important Reflection This says he is what I think upon Day and Night These are the Thoughts which macerate me which consume and confound me I am so far from dreaming of Governing others that I think of nothing but appeasing the Wrath of God and purifying my self from my own Faults One should be pure himself before he undertakes to Purify others he should be fill'd with Wisdom before he attempts to Instruct others he must have Light that he may be able to Communicate of it to others he must not be far from God who would draw others to him he must be Holy that he may Sanctify others he must be Prudent that he may give them Advice But when shall we be so will the People say that are always ready to Undertake every thing who build those Buildings slightly which presently fall down again When will you place your Lamp upon a Candlestick When will you improve your Talent This is what they say who have more Friendship for me than Piety You ask me when I shall be in a Condition to Guide others I tell you That the Oldest Age is not too long a Term to prepare ones self for so Excellent and so Difficult an Employment That 't is better to be slow than forward in this Case That tho' I have been Consecrated to God from my Infancy tho' I have Meditated from my Youth upon the Law of God tho' I have been Exercis'd in the Practice of Vertue yet I acknowledge my self altogether uncapable of Governing a Church chiefly at a time when the best thing a Man can do is to shun it that he may escape the Tempest wherein all the Members of the Church are divided Charity seems to be wholly extinguish'd Bishops have but the empty Names of Bishops all the World publickly Slights them and some Defame them there is no Fear of God remaining but Impudence Reigns every where and 't is counted a piece of Piety to treat others as Impious Our Judges are Enemies to God Holy Things are trampled under Foot and the Mysteries are laid open to the Prophane Strangers and Infidels who were not permitted to enter into our Churches do now come even into the Sanctuary The Gate is opened to Detraction and Calumny and he that Rails best at his Neighbour passes for the honestest Man The Faults of others are observ'd not to bewail them or bring a Remedy to them
Eternal Father and that his Generation was Eternal but they did not think of explaining how this Generation is made and they confess'd That it is ineffable and incomprehensible Neither did they insist upon a multitude of subtle Questions concerning the Mystery of the most Holy Trinity and they always continued in the Simplicity of the Faith which they established upon the Authority of Scripture and of Tradition They taught also that the Word appeared to the Patriarchs and in this sence they said that he was visible Tho' they treated not so much in this Age of the Mystery of the Incarnation as in the next yet it was explained very clearly and not only the Errors of Arius and Apollinarius were condemned who denied that Jesus Christ had a Soul or Humane Understanding different from the Divinity but even the Errors of Nestorius Eutyches and all the other Hereticks were rejected before-hand who either distinguish Two Persons in Jesus Christ or confound the Two Natures and their Properties They believ'd the Incarnation to be necessary for the Redemption of Mankind and acknowledged that none can be sav'd without Faith in Jesus Christ. Some taught also that Jesus Christ preach'd the Gospel to those in Hell but this Opinion was rejected by many They affirm'd that there were great numbers of Angels and Devils They determined nothing about the Day of Judgment and they did all almost confess that Men are wholly ignorant of it They looked upon what the Ancients said concerning the Reign of Jesus Christ upon Earth for the space of a 1000 Years as a mere groundless Imagination They almost all acknowledged that the Souls which are innocent and purified from their Sins enjoy Happiness before the Day of Judgment and that the Souls of the Wicked are condemned to Eternal Fire immediately after their death Yet they confess'd that after the Resurrection their Happiness or Misery should still be encreased They believed that the Souls of Men were Spiritual and Immortal but they doubted Whether they were immediately created by God or produced by the Souls of their Fathers and Mothers They spoke more of Grace than those who lived in the preceding Ages and yet they ascribed always very much to Free-Will Original Sin begun to be better known They excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven Children who died without Baptism but they did not affirm that they should endure the Torments of Fire They acknowledged the Efficacy and Necessity of Baptism The Imposition of the Hands of the Bishop or the Anointing with Holy Chrism was looked upon as a Sacrament which brought down the Holy Spirit upon the Baptized They maintain'd against the Novatians that the Church had power to impose Penance and to forgive the most Enormous Sins They taught clearly That the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist were changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. They gave the Name of a Sacrifice to the Celebration of the Eucharist and performed it with particular Ceremonies They were persuaded that Men ought to be Ordain'd to make them capable of discharging the Ecclesiastical Functions They approved of Marriage and would have the Persons to be married contracted in the face of the Church and in the presence of a Priest who gave a Blessing They honoured Virginity and commended those who profess'd it and look'd upon those as Sacrilegious Persons who violated that Profession They had much Reverence and Veneration for the Blessed Virgin and for the Saints they prayed to them and also honoured their Reliques They prayed for the Dead We have often taken notice of their Opinion concerning the Authority of Holy Scripture and Tradition They taught that there was but one Catholick Church out of which there was no Salvation and to whose Authority all Men ought to submit because it can neither cease to be nor Err in Matters of Faith Wherefore one may say in general That the Doctrine of the Fourth Age was the Belief of the Church of that Age and so the Church not being capable of changing her Belief it necessarily follows That the Doctrine of that Time is not at all different from that which the Church teaches still at this Day An Abridgment of the Discipline of the Fourth AGE of the Church THE Discipline of the Church consists either in the Government or in the Policy or in the Ceremonies or in the Practices which concern Manners and Christian Perfection It cannot be doubted but these Three Points and especially the Two former were very much improved in the Fourth Age of the Church For before this time the Church which had been continually toss'd and troubled with Persecutions could never settle one constant and uniform Form of Government nor celebrate the Mysteries with the Pomp and Splendor of Ceremonies But when once she was perfectly deliver'd from the Yoke of Tyranny under which she had groaned before and established by the Authority of a Christian Emperour she made Rules and Laws for the Government of her self and join'd to the purity of Faith the Magnificence of Ceremonies Thus tho' there had been some Rules for the Government of the Churches of the First Ages which were establish'd by Custom and Tradition and there were already many Ceremonies practis'd yet it may be affirm'd that these things were very much improv'd in the Fourth Age of the Church as will easily appear by comparing what was Ordain'd and Practis'd in that Age with what was done in the foregoing First as to the Government of the Church It was in the Fourth Age that the Body of the Churches were perfected and that certain Rules were establish'd for Ecclesiastical Decisions The Distinction Distribution and Subordination of Churches were settled for the most part according to the Form of the Civil Government The Civil Provinces form'd the Body of an Ecclesiastical Province The Bishop of the Civil Metropolis was look'd upon as the first Bishop of the Province Some Rights and Prerogatives were assign'd to him and the Care of overseeing the whole Province was committed to him In every Province there was held twice a Year Provincial Councils which the Metropolitan call'd together and over which he presided When a Bishop died all the Bishops of the Province were called together to ordain a Successor in his room He was commonly chosen by the Clergy and People of the Vacant Church The Metropolitan was to be present at this Ordination and he could not do it unless two Bishops of the Province were with him and the rest consented to it As many Civil Provinces made one District which was call'd a Diocess so many Ecclesiastical Provinces made one Ecclesiastical Diocess of which the Bishop of the Principal City was the Head This Bishop had the Rights Prerogatives Privileges of Honour and Jurisdiction over the whole Diocess he enjoy'd also the Right of Ordaining Metropolitans which belong'd formerly to the Bishops of the Province The Whoever has attentively read the foregoing accountof the Controversies by which the Church was
be subject to its own Metropolitan Nothing can be more contrary than the Opinions of Zosimus and Boniface concerning the Dignity and Jurisdiction of the Church of Arles Zosimus is persuaded That the Bishop of Arles ought to ordain all the Bishops of Seven Provinces and Boniface declares That that is a violation of the Canons The former saith That the Bishop of Arles is the sole Metropolitan and the latter affirmeth That none can be Metropolitan of Two Provinces Zosimus is of Opinion That the Pretensions of Hilary of Narbon and of the other Metropolitans of the Seven Provinces that they have a Right to ordain the Bishops of their respective Provinces are extreamly rash On the contrary Boniface maintains That it is a well-grounded Right and that the Pretension of the Church of Arles to ordain in those Provinces is a breach upon the Canons to which opposition must be made The one forbids Hilary of Narbon to ordain the Bishops of his Province when he asks it of him The other enjoins him to do it without asking Can there be a greater contrariety of Opinions betwixt Popes who succeeded each other immediately This made St. Leo say in the Epistle to the Bishops of Provincia Viennensis That the See of Rome had taken away from Patroclus what it had given him by a more just Sentence than that by which it was granted ID IPSUM QUOD PATROCLO A SEDE APOSTOLICA TEMPORALITER VIDEBATUR ESSE CONCESSUM POSTMODUM ESSE SENTENTIA MELIORE SUBLATUM Is it because those Popes thought themselves absolute Masters of these Things If so Why should they alledge the Canons and profess to observe them Is it because they believed that Privileges attended the Persons of Bishops and not their Churches Wherefore then did Zosimus exalt the Dignity and Antiquity of the Church of Arles so high because it was founded by Trophimus We are therefore to conclude That there is no other Reason of that contrariety besides the difference of the Opinions of the Two Popes But which of the Two was in the Right and which in the Wrong is a great Business to be decided which we shall find afterwards sharply debated in the time of St. Leo. In the mean time we may observe That the common Right was on Boniface's side and that we do not see any Privilege authentick enough or any Custom sufficiently established whereby we should allow to the Church of Arles what Zosimus grants to it There are besides Five of this Pope's Letters to Ruffus Bishop of Thessalonica and to the Bishops of Illyricum recorded in the Council that was assembled under Boniface II. in 531. Boniface I. was peaceable Possessor of the See of Rome until the Year 423. though there were still some Christians of Eulalius's Party SYNESIUS SYNESIUS originally of Cyrene a City of Pentapolis a Platonick Philosopher and Disciple of the famous Hypatia having spent part of his Life in worldly Employments Synesius was converted and chosen Bishop of Ptolemais in the Year 420. He was hardly brought to accept of that Office which seemed to him to be contrary to that Philosophical Life wherein he had lived till then Neither could he resolve to leave his Wife nor was he yet fully persuaded of all the Articles of the Christian Religion He believed that Souls were created before Bodies and could not conceive that the World was to have an end He did not believe the Resurrection of the Dead as it is believed in the Church imagining That what is said in the Scripture had some mystical and secret Sence He urges these Reasons in his 105th Letter to prevent their ordaining him Bishop Baronius thinks That he did not really hold such Opinions but that he feigned to have them to avoid the Episcopal Function But this Conjecture is not at all probable because he affirms with an Oath that he expressed his real Sence Wherefore it is better to say with the Ancients that Synesius's Merit and the need which the Churches of Africa stood in of his Protection in a most difficult time superseded these Considerations in hopes that being ordained Bishop he would submit his Opinions to those of the Church It is related in the Pratum Spirituale that when he was Bishop a very remarkable Thing happened to him which shews That he had altered his Opinion concerning the Resurrection of Bodies A Heathen Philosopher one Evagrius Synesius's old Friend came to Cyrene Synesius used all his Endeavours to convert him After several Sollicitations to that purpose this Philosopher declared to him at last That the Resurrection of the Body was one of those Things which he was most displeased with in the Christian Religion Synesius affirmed That whatsoever the Christians taught was true and never left him till he had Converted and Baptized him This Man sometime after his Baptism having given Synesius a Summ of Money to distribute to the Poor demanded a Bond to repay it him again in the next Life Synesius readily gave him one The Philosopher kept it and some time before his Death commanded his Children to put it into his Coffin Three Days after he appeared to Synesius in the Night and bad him come to his Grave and take his Bond because he was pay'd and to assure him of it he had signed a Discharge with his own Hand Synesius not knowing that his Children had put the Bond in his Coffin having sent for them and learned of them how the business had been carried telling them withal what had happened went to this Man 's Grave with his Clergy and the chief Men of the Town and caused the Coffin to be opened where they found the Bond with a Receit newly written in Evagrius's own Hand at the Bottom The Author of the Pratum Spirituale relates this History as having learned it of Leontius of Apamea who came to Alexandria in the time of the Patriarch Eulogius to be Ordained Bishop of Cyrene adding That that Man certified That this Bond was still kept in the Vestry of the Church of Cyrene This may give some Credit to a Story which would deserve none were it solely grounded upon the Testimony of the Author of the Pratum Spirituale who is known to be of no great Authority However Evagrius and Photius affirm That Synesius was no sooner Ordained Bishop but he yielded to the Opinion of the Church concerning the Resurrection Synesius's Treatises are Philosophical Discourses written with great nobleness and loftiness The Catalogue of them is as follows A Discourse of reigning well spoken in the presence of the Emperor Arcadius about the Year 398. when he was Deputy of his own Province that was wasted by the Barbarians Incursions to obtain some Succours and some â—ase of the Emperor Synesius speaks there of Government with a wonderful freedom and declaims openly against Courtiers against the Luxury and Ambition of Princes He lays down most excellent Instructions for Kings He shows what are the truly Royal Vertues and the Qualities of a
Afric 'T is something probable that he compos'd it when the Catholick Bishops were call'd back by King Hildericus However this be it is one of the first and most ancient Collections of Canons among the Latins It is made up of 232 Canons which are not related at their full length but only by way of Extract and Compend They are taken from the Councils of Afric or from those of Ancyra of Laodicea of Nice of Antioch of Gangra and Sardica We have already spoken of two Letters of this Deacon written to St. Fulgentius wherein he proposes to him the Questions which this St. resolves We have also observ'd that St. Fulgentius dying before he answer'd the second of the two Questions which Count Reginus propos'd to him Ferrandus was charg'd with writing an Answer to him Reginus ask'd in the second Question After what manner a Captain should behave himself to live Christianly Ferrandus gave him seven Rules about it which he thought sufficient to make a Souldier a Spiritual Man and a good Christian. The first is to acknowledge the Grace of Jesus Christ as necessary to every action The second is to make his Life serve for an Example to his Soldiers The third is not to wish for Command but that he may do good The fourth to love the Commonwealth as himself The fifth to prefer things Spiritual and Divine to things Earthly The sixth not to exercise Justice with too great rigor and severity The seventh to remember that he is a Christian. These seven Rules he explains at great length This Treatise may be very useful and instructive to Men of Arms. It was written a little while after the death of St. Fulgentius The Letters of Ferrandus to Scholasticus Severus and Anatolius Deacon of the Roman Church are both written upon the same Subject There he defends that Proposition which made so great a noise in the East A or One Person of the Trinity did suffer The principal Reason on which he grounds it is That it is undeniable that Jesus Christ was A or One Person of the Trinity and that he suffer'd and therefore it may be said that One of the Persons of the Trinity suffer'd that 't is good nevertheless to add that he suffer'd in the Flesh which he took He thinks also that it may be said using this Precaution that the Divinity suffer'd He wrote a great Letter to Eugippius about the Trinity but there is nothing remaining of it except the beginning Ferrandus was one of the first who declar'd in Writing against the Condemnation of the three Chapters and particularly against the Condemnation of the Letter of Ibas Being consulted upon this Subject by Pelagius and Anatolius a Deacon of Rome he answer'd them that he did not agree to the Condemnation of the Letter of Ibas which was approv'd in the Council of Chalcedon that this was to impeach the Authority of this Council that if what had been there done was thus repeal'd it was to be fear'd the like might be done to the Decisions of the Council of Nice That General Councils and chiefly those which the Roman Church approv'd had an Authority next to that of the Canonical Books Secundae autoritatis locum post Canonicos libros tenent and that we are no less oblig'd to obey them then to believe the Holy Scripture In short that we ought not to condemn those Persons who died in the Communion of the Church and that as we cannot absolve those who died under Excommunication so neither can we Excommunicate those who are dead That it may be lawful for particular Persons to say and write their Judgment but they ought not to oblige others to subscribe to it not to embrace it with a blind submission since this is a Priviledge peculiar to the Canonical Books and the Decisions of General Councils The Life of St. Fulgentius is also attributed to Ferrandus which was certainly written by an Author cotemporary and a Disciple of this Saint It is like enough to his Style and is found in the Manuscript joyn'd with the Works of Ferrandus Yet it seems to be written by one who had been a longer time and liv'd more constantly with Fulgentius then the Deacon Ferrandus There has been printed under the Name of Ferrandus a Letter address'd to St. Anselm but the distance of time between the one and the other sufficiently discovers the falshood of it The three first Books of Vigilius of Tapsa have been also attributed to him but against all reason The Style of this Author is simple enough and clear his Phrases are not long but they are full of Quibbles and continued Allusion 〈◊〉 Achilles Tutius was the first who publish'd a part of Ferrandus's Works in 1518. Mr. Pitheus has since publish'd the Collection of Canons and F. Sirmondus the two Letters to Fulgentius The Life of this Saint is in Bollandus In fine F. Chiffletius has collected review'd and publish'd all the Tracts of Ferrandus the Deacon which were printed at Dijon in quarto in 1649. His Edition was follow'd in the last Bibliotheque of the Fathers JOHN MAXENTIUS John Maxentius THE Monks of Scythia who maintain'd that it was necessary to say That One of the Persons of the Trinity was crucified had for their Champion an Abbot call'd John Maxentius who defended their Party very vigorously 'T is not well known from whence he was whether he was from Scythia or from some other Province of the East * By the East here is to be understood the Empire of the East whereof Scythia was one Province or whether he was from the West The Party whom he defends would make us believe that he was one of the Monks of Scythia but his Style discovers that he was born or at least that he had his Education in the West I can easily believe that it was so indeed but then he travelled into the East where he settled among the Monks of Scythia He hath written many Discourses in defence of the Party and the Opinions of these Monks He drew up a Petition which they presented to the Legats of Pope Hormisdas wherein they complain'd that they were accused of adding something to the Faith because they maintain'd the Decision of the Council of Chalcedon by the Judgment of the Fathers They confess that nothing can be added to the Catholick Faith because nothing but what is imperfect is liable to addition But they maintain'd that it 's not forbidden to explain and clear it up by such terms as the Fathers used They bring for an instance of this St. Cyril and St. Leo who added to the Creed the Explications of the Fathers to discover the true sence of it They say that they have done the same for maintaining the Council of Chalcedon against those who accused it of condemning the Faith of the Fathers They joyn'd with this Remonstrance a Confession of Faith wherein they explain their Sentiments about the Mystery of the Incarnation and reject the
in 1482 at Basil in 1502 at Venice in 1575 and 1576 and at Cologn in 1622 for we must not make two distinct Works of his Commentary and of his Sum as some have done It is one and the same Work as is plain in the Manuscript of the Library of St. Victor where it is with the Text of the Master of the Sentences and this Title A Sum and Commentary upon the Master of the Sentences So that the Commentary upon the Sentences printed at Lions in the year 1515 with Alexander of Hales's name to it is not really that Author's And I doubt too whether the Sum of the Virtues printed at Paris in 1509 or the Treatise intituled Destructorium Vitiorum which was printed at Nuremberg in 1496 and at Venice in 1582 ought to be ascribed to him It is certain that he composed a Postille upon the whole Bible but the Commentary upon the Psalms printed in his name at Venice in 1496 in right belongs to Hugh of St. Charus and there 's reason to doubt whether the Commentary upon the Revelations published under the name of Alexander of Hales and printed 〈◊〉 Paris in 1647 is really his The Commentary upon Aristotle's Physicks belongs to Alexander of Alexandria Doctor of Barcelona who flourished about 1313. We can give no Judgment of the Commentaries upon the Prophets upon the four Evangelists and upon all the Epistles of St. Paul which go under this Author's Name and are to be met with in the Libraries of Milan and Oxford We have lost the Commentary which he made upon the Statutes of the Minor Friars and a Treatise of the Harmony of Divine and Human Law which Trithemius mentions Lastly we have none of the Lives of St. Thomas of Canterbury or of Richard King of England nor have we a Treatise against Mahomet which some Authors say he wrote and indeed we have none of his Works left us that we can certainly say are his except his Sum which discovers that he had more subtilty than skill in the Antiquities of the Church JOHN of Rochelle of the Order of Minor Friars a Companion of Alexander of Hales John of Rochel if we may believe Trithemius composed a Treatise upon the Sentences a Sum of Virtues and Vices and a Treatise of the Soul Some Commentaries upon the Holy Scripture and some Sermons are likewise ascribed to him ALBERT the Great so called because of his vast Learning descended from the Lords of Albertus Magnus Bolstadt was born at Lavingen in Suabia according to some Authors in 1193 and according to others in 1205. In 1221 he entred himself into the Order of Preaching Friars and having signalized himself by his profound Knowledg upon the Death of Jordan General of his Order he was chosen in 1236 to govern it in quality of Vicar which he did two years and by many Votes was nominated General as was also Hugh of St. Charus but neither of them was chosen Albert was made Provincial of his Order in Germany and made his abode at Cologn where he taught Divinity with no small Reputation Pope Alexander IV. chose him in 1260 for Bishop of Ratisbon but he was soon weary of a Dignity which he never sought and within three years resigned his Bishoprick that he might retire into his Monastry at Cologn where he died November 15. in the year 1280. There is no Author that hath more Works printed under his name than this for they make one and twenty Volumes in Folio published at Lions in 1651. We have nothing to say of what is in the six first because they are only Logick and Physicks The five next are Commentaries upon the Holy Scripture viz. the seventh A Commentary upon the Psalms the eighth upon Jeremy Baruc Daniel and the twelve Minor Prophets the ninth upon the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark the tenth upon the Gospel of St. Luke the eleventh upon the Gospel of St. John and the Revelations The twelfth Tome contains Sermons for all the year and for the Saints Prayers upon the Gospels of all the Sundays in the year two and thirty Sermons on the Eucharist which are among the Works of St Thomas too but 't is more likely belong to Albert and a Discourse upon a Woman of Fortitude The thirteenth is Commentaries upon the Books ascribed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite and an Abridgment of Divinity in seven Books The three next Volumes are Commentaries upon the four Books of the Master of the Sentences The seventeenth and eighteenth contain a Sum of Divinity The nineteenth is a Work intituled A Sum of the Creatures In two Parts the second of which is of Man These that have been mentioned are no body doubts the Works of Albert the Great but the twentieth Volume hath many in it which are doubtful or forged The first is not of that number it is a Discourse in honour of the Virgin with the Title of Marialis upon these words of the Gospel The Angel Gabriel was sent c. but the twelve Books of the Praises of the Virgin which follow it are RICHARD ' s of St. LAURENCE a Penitentiary of Rome Richard of St. Laurence about the year 1240 if we may credit the Manuscripts And there 's as much reason to doubt whether the Bible of Mary the Author of which applys to the Virgin whatsoever is contained in the Scripture which had been printed at Cologn before belongs to Albert the Great The twenty first contains some Works which are not without suspicion A Treatise of the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrament of the Eucharist The Paradise of the Soul or A Treatise of Virtues and the Treatise of cleaving to God It is not certain that these are really his St. BONAVENTURE sirnamed the Seraphick Doctor was born at Bagnarea in Tuscany in the year 1221. He entred himself in 1243 into the Order of Minor Friars and studied in St. Bonaventure the University of Paris where he afterwards taught Divinity and took his Doctors Degree with St. Thomas Aquinas in 1255. The next year he was chosen General of his Order and reformed its Discipline and regulated its Habit. 'T is said that he introduced the Custom of making a Prayer to the Virgin after Compline and of ringing the Bell to call the Faithful together and that he was the occasion of the Institution of Confreries after the example of that which he settled at Rome in 1270. 'T is reported that it was he who when the Cardinals could not agree about the Election of a Pope after the Death of Clement IV. proposed to them the choosing of Theobald Archdeacon of Leige who took the name of Gregory X. This Pope in acknowledgment made him Cardinal Bishop of Albanon in 1274 some while before the second General Council of Lions at the first Session of which he assisted on the 7th of May but died before it rose on the 15th of July the same year He was Canonized by Sixtus the 4th
understand what they answer to the Priest Lastly They reject all the Exorcisms and all the Benedictions of that Sacrament They Likewise reject the Sacrament of Confirmation and wonder that only Bishops are allow'd to Administer it Concerning the Sacrament of the Eucharist they say That the Priests who are in any Mortal Sin cannot Consecrate and that Transubstantiation was not effected in the Hands of him who Consecrated Unworthily but in the Mouth of him who received the Eucharist Worthily and that one might consecrate on a common Table according to what the Prophet Malachy says They shall offer in all Places a pure Offering in my Name They likewise condemn'd the Custom of Christians who Communicated only once a Year because themselves Communicated daily They said That Transubstantiation ought to be made with Words in the Vulgar Tongue That the Mass was nothing because the Apostles never said it and they only said it for their own Interest They receiv'd not the Canon of the Mass but only made use of the Words of Jesus Christ in the Vulgar Tongue They call'd the Chanting of the Church an Infernal Crime They rejected the Canonical Hours They maintain That the Offering made to the Priest at Mass signifies nothing and disapprov'd of kissing the Pyx and the Altar About the Sacrament of Pennance they said That no body could be absolv'd by a Wicked Priest and on the contrary a good Laick has that Power That they remit Sins and confer the Holy Ghost by the Imposition of Hands That it was better to confess one's self to a good Laick than to a bad Priest That they ought not to impose large Pennances but to follow the Example of Jesus Christ who said to the Adulteress Go and sin no more They reject the Publick Pennances and the Annual general Confessions They likewise cast a blemish on the Sacrament of Marriage by maintaining That it was a Mortal Sin for a Man to have to do with his Wife when she was past Child-bearing They did not acknowledge the Spiritual Alliance nor the Impediments of Affinity and Consanguinity appointed by the Church no more than those of Publick Order and Decency They hold That Women have no need of Benediction after their Lying in That the Church was in the wrong in prohibiting the Clergy from Marrying and that they who live continently do not Sin by Kisses and Embraces They do not approve of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction because it was only given to the Rich and ought to be administred by a great many Priests That all the Laicks are as so many Priests That the Prayers of Wicked Priests signify nothing They laugh'd at the Clerical Tonsure They say That the Laicks ought not to pray in Latin that all the Laicks even the Women may Preach That whatever is not in the Scriptures is Fabulous They Celebrate and Administer the Sacraments in the Vulgar Tongue They learn by heart all the Text of the Scriptures and reject the Decisions and Expositions of the Fathers They despise Excommunication and have little or no regard to Absolution They laugh at Indulgences and Dispensations They do not allow of any Irregularity They believe no other Saints but the Apostles and invocate no Saints but God alone They despise the Canonizations Translations and Vigils of the Saints They laugh at the Laicks who make choice of Saints in the Lots which they draw upon the Altar They never say any Litanies They do not believe the Legends They ridicule the Miracles and have no esteem for Relicks They look upon Crosses as Common Wood. They Teach that the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and the Apostles is sufficient to Salvation without being oblig'd to observe the Laws of the Church and that the Tradition of the Church is the Tradition of the Pharisees They do not allow of any Mystical meaning in the Scriptures nor in the Practices or Ceremonies of the Church In the Third place these are the Errors which they held concerning the Usages of the Church They despis'd all the approv'd Customs which are not to be met with in the Gospel such as the Festivals of Candlemass and Palm-Sunday the Reconciling of Penitents the Adoration of the Cross the Festival of Easter with those of Jesus Christ and the Saints They say That all Days are equal and work on Holy-days as well as on other Days They do not observe the Fasts of the Church They despise the Dedications the Benedictions and the Consecrations of Wax-Tapers Boughs Chrism Fire the Paschal Lamb Lying-in-Women Pilgrims Holy Places Sacred Persons Ornaments Salt and Water They would have no Wall'd Church and disapprove of the Dedication of Churches and Altars and their Ornaments the Sacerdotal Habits the Chalices and the Corporals They would not have any lighted Tapers nor any Incense offer'd nor any Holy Water us'd They condemn Images the Chanting of the Church Processions on Festivals or Rogation-Days They find fault That a Priest is allow'd to Say many Masses on one Day They make Merry during the time of Interdiction They go not to Churches and perform the Duties of Christians only in appearance and Hypocritically They Condemn the Ecclesiastical Burial the Ceremonies of Interrments the Masses and Prayers for the Dead and the Confraternities They deny Purgatory and maintain That there are only Two States after Death one for the Good and Elect in Heaven and the other for the Reprobate and Damn'd in Hell They Teach That all Sin is in its own Nature Mortal and that there is no such thing as a Venial Sin They pretend that it is Unlawful to Swear whereupon those that are perfect among them chuse rather to Die than to Swear Those who are not so perfect Swear but do not think themselves oblig'd to keep their Oath and look upon those who exact it of them as more guilty than Homicides They Condemn all Princes and Judges being perswaded That 't is not Lawful to Punish Malefactors Lastly They Condemn the Ecclesiastical Judgments Pelicdorfius who Wrote about an Hundred Years after Rainerius against the Vaudois relates the Original of them after the same manner and observes That at first they only oppugn'd the Discipline and the Ceremonies of the Church without reflecting on the Sacraments but that afterwards they thought â—it to hear Confessions to impose Pennances and to grant Absolution and that within a while after some among them intruded to Consecrate the Body of Jesus Christ and to Communicate to others but that several of their Sect had disapprov'd of that Conduct The Errors of the Vaudois which Pelicdorfius refutes in his Work are 1. That the Sacerdotal Order was sunk ever since the time of St. Sylvester and that the True Faith was obscur'd and only a few Elect in the World 2. That the Priests and the other Clergy of the Church of Rome being Fornicators Usurers Drunkards c. have not the Holy Ghost cannot Confer it and are not to be Obey'd 3. That the Blessed Virgin and the Glorify'd
of John Lailier the rest one nam'd Lailier a Licentiate in Theology of the Faculty of Paris who preaching in the same Year 1486. at Paris advanc'd many bold Propositions against the Authority and Laws of the Church The Faculty equally condemn'd both these Extreams and with no less Constancy opposed the Novelties of Lailier than those of the Regulars Observantines of whom we have already spoken Among the Propositions advanc'd by Lailier they made choice of the nine following The 1st You ought to keep the Commands of God and the Apostles and as to the Commands of the Bishops they are no better than Chaff for they have destroyed the Church by their Reveries The 2d St. Francis is rather in the place where Lucifer is at present i. e. in Hell than in the place where Lucifer was before his Fall i. e. in Heaven The 3d I am not bound to believe that a Man is a Saint because he is canoniz'd since he is canoniz'd for Mony and none are canoniz'd but those who give something for it The 4th If a Priest marry clandestinely and come to me and confess it I would not enjoin him Penance The 5th The Priests of the Eastern Church do not sin in marrying and I believe that neither should we sin in the Western Church if we should marry The 6th Four Hundred Years agoe all Priests were forbidden to marry by a Pope or a Butterfly * D'un Pape ou un Papillon I don't know whether he could do it The 7th I would give two Blancs to him that will produce any passage of Scripture whereby we are obliged to fast in Lent The 8th since the time of St. Sylvester the Roman Church is not the Church of Jesus Christ but the Church of Caesar and of Silver The 9th There is no more reason to believe the Legends of the Saints than the Chronicles of the Kings of France The Faculty by its Conclusion dated June the 6th 1486. condemned these Propositions and apply'd to each the suitable Qualifications of heretical erroneous schismatical scandalous rash c. together with another Proposition which the same Preacher advanc'd in his Sorbonica That a meer Priest can as well consecrate the Chrism and confer Orders as the Pope or the Bishop and that all Priests are equal in the power of Order and Jurisdiction A Censure of the Errors of John Lailier as were also all the Apostles The Faculty resolved at the same time to deny the degree of Doctor to Lailier whereupon he Addressed himself to the Parliament who referred this Affair to the Bishop of Paris to be Examined and Judged by him joyntly with the Inquisitor and by 4 Doctors deputed from the Faculty Lailier presented to the Official of Paris a Writing for explaining some of his Propositions wherein he affirms that he had said First I never found in the Old or New Testament that our Lord or his Apostles Commanded to Fast Corporally in the time of Lent by way of a Precept under pain of Mortal Sin or of Damnation and even the Holy Fathers who speak of it or describe it do not Command it under pain of the great Excommunication or of Mortal Sin they never used these words about it Praecipimus Mandamus Secondly I never said that the Church can oblige under pain of Mortal Sin or cannot in a Sermon but in a Disputation according to the Custom of the School when the Reverend Father in God Monsieur de Meaux was present I argued Pro Contra about it as a Problematical Matter as Mr. John Gerson and Peter de Alliaco have done Thirdly I never said that Priests can Marry after they have received Holy Orders but I said that from the Passion of our Lord to the time of Gregory VII they did Marry i. e. until the year 1073. and that St. Peter and St. Paul St. Philip the Apostle and Deacon St. Fabian the Pope and Martyr St. Hillary the Bishop of Poitiers St. German of Auxerres and many others were Married and 't is now two years since I said this Fourthly that there are some Propositions more bold than mine in Gerson's Treatise about the Spiritual Life of the Soul The Faculty Censured a-new these Propositions except the 2d as to which it declared that it no ways concern'd them The Bishop and Inquisitor did each on their part draw up the Process of Lailier The Inquisitor Communicated the Informations he had made to the Bishop but the Bishop would not Communicate his to him and without Appealing he decided the Cause of Lailier Summarily and after he had caused him to own and abjure the Propositions Censured by the Faculty he gave him Absolution from the Excommunication and restor'd him by his Sentence to his Functions Honours and Dignities and gave him a Right of being promoted to other Degrees and abolish'd all Marks of Infamy This Sentence was given and pronounced by the Bishop of Paris assisted with the Ecclesiastical The Sentence of the Bishop of Paris concerning Lailier and Secular Judges whom he had called together June 23d in 1486. and in pursuance of it on the 29th of the same Month Lailier abjured publickly in a Sermon Preached at the Cathedral Church at a Solemn Procession the Errors contained in the Propositions Censured by the Faculty afterwards he used his Endeavours to be promoted to the Degree of Doctor but the Faculty continued still to deny him and when the Bishop of Paris would force them to grant the Degree according to his Sentence they interposed an Appeal to the Person to whom it belonged by their Act dated November the 6th Pope Innocent VIII being informed of this Affair sent 2 Bulls An Appeal of the Faculty from the Sentence of the Bishop of Paris The Bulls of the Pope against Lailier one Address'd to John Cossart an Inquisitor by which he forbids Lailier to Preach and intrusts this Affair with that Inquisitor the Arch-bishop of Sens and the Bishop of Meaux the other Address'd to the Faculty whose Zeal he commends and approves what they had done against Lailier forbids them to give him the Degree of Doctor makes void and nulls the Sentence of the Bishop of Paris These Bulls are dated the 6th and the 9th of December in 1486. There is no more about this Affair in our Registers but an Extract of some Propositions which Lailier maintain'd in his Act of Sorbonica dated July the 30th in 1484. among which there is one which affirms that Confession is not of Divine Right The other tend to overthrow the Primacy of the Pope and the Episcopal Power and to establish an equality of Power and Jurisdiction among the Ministers of the Church Some time after the Bishop of Meaux presented to the Faculty the 7 following Propositions Some other Propositions Censured in 1486. 1st 'T is a greater Crime to have to do with ones Godmother than their Mother 2d The Bishop canot Absolve from such a Crime 3d A Priest who is a
Edition When we suppose that there have been such publick Scribes we ascribe to them all the Historical part of the Pentateuch and to Moses all that belongs to the Laws and Ordinances and 't is this which the Scripture calls the Law of Moses And so one may say in this sense that all the Pentateuch is really and truly written by Moses because those persons that made the Collection lived in his time and what they did was by his particular Direction He says the very same thing in his 2d Chap. p. 17. 'T is therefore not improbable that there were in Moses ' s time such sort of Prophets who were necessary to the State because they preserved the most considerable Actions that passed in their Commonwealth This being granted we shall distinguish in these five Books of the Law that which was written by Moses from what was written by the Prophets and publick Scribes We may attribute to Moses the Commandments and Ordinances which he gave the People in lieu of which we may suppose these same publick Scribes to have been the Authors of the greatest part of this History In the seventh Chapter p. 50. he adds As for what concerns the Books of Moses such as they now are in the Collection which we have the Additions that have been made to the ancient Acts hinder us from discerning what is truly his and what has been added by those who succeeded him or by the Authors of the last Collection Besides this Compilation being now and then Epitomized out of the ancient Memoirs one cannot be assured that the Genealogies there are set down in their full length and extent From these Principles of Monsieur Simon it follows in the first place that Moses is not the Author of the greatest part of the Pentateuch for the Controversie here is not about some few Passages that are of small consequence but even those that make up the Body and principal Part of the Pentateuch Moses according to his Notions being only concerned about the Laws and Ordinances has no share in any thing besides and so the History of the Creation and of the Deluge in a word all Genesis and whatever has a relation to the Historical part is taken away from Moses It is to no purpose to say as he has done already p. 3. That one may say that all the Pentateuch is Moses ' s because they that made the Collection lived in his time and did nothing but by his order For would it not be a Jest to ascribe to Moses the Works of the publick Scribes of his time If this were really true a Man might ascribe all publick Registers to those Kings and Princes in whose time and by whose order they were compiled But what is a great deal more surprizing Monsieur Simon or at least one of his Zealous Defenders abandons this Hypothesis as not to be maintained and acknowledges that there is no convincing proof to make us believe there weresuch publick Scribes divinely inspired in the time of Moses This is taken notice of in a Marginal Note of the 17th Page of his Critical History and the same Edition that we cited before We find in truth says the Author of that Remark this sort of publick Scribes in the time of the Kings amongst the Hebrews … but we find no Foot-steps of them in the Books of Moses The Author of the Answer to a Letter which Monsieur Spanheim wrote against F. Simon confesses the same thing If you now demand of me what is my Opinion concerning these publick Scribes I answer That it would be very hard to reject 'em totally… In the mean time I don't altogether agree with him as to the time wherein he pretends that these Prophets were Established in the Jewish Commonwealth for the Reasons he brings and indeed the greater part of his Authorities clearly suppose that this happened after Moses If this Letter was Monsieur Simon 's as the World was inclined to believe he cannot possibly excuse himself from having dealt very treacherously in a matter of the highest consequence about Religion since he has established the truth of the Pentateuch upon a supposition which he himself acknowledges to be either false or uncertain But suppose this Letter was not his it shows at least that those persons who are the most favourable to his Hypothesis freely own 't is impossible to prove there were any of these publick Scribes divinely Inspired in Moses's time and consequently that Monsieur Simon who has grounded the validity of the Pentateuch upon this Hypothesis has done it upon a very weak Foundation even in the judgment of those Criticks who stand up the strongest for him Thus Monsieur Simon alledges this Conjecture as only a matter of probability In the second place Monsieur Simon has of himself ruined whatever he says of the Antiquity and Authority of the Pentateuch by confidently asserting as he has done in the third passage we quoted that the Pentateuch in the condition we find it in at present is only an Abridgment of the ancient Acts that were made in the time of Moses and that 't is impossible to discern what is ancient and what is not Is not this formally to deny that Moses was the Author of the Pentateuch and that the Books which we now have are not so ancient as is pretended In a word he establishes the Authority of the Books of Scripture upon the pretended Inspiration of certain Scribes or Keepers of the publick Registers whom he believes to have been from time to time among the Jews Now nothing is more uncertain than the Existence or Inspiration of these publick Scribes as we shall shew in the following Pages b By express Texts of Holy Scripture It is very certain that Moses wrote the Law and that in Scripture we are to understand the Pentateuch by the Law Exod. 24. v. 4. and 7. Moses wrote all the Words of the Law and took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the audience of the People Deut. 31. v. 19 and 22. Moses therefore wrote this Law and gave it to the Priests the Sons of Levi… and to all the Elders of Israel In Exodus ch 17. v. 14. God commanded Moses to write the Law and give it to Joshuah And in the Book of Joshuah ch 1. v. 7 and 8. God tells him That the Volume of the Law which he received from Moses ought to be always in his mind This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night… that thou mayst observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my Servant commanded thee Now tho' the Word Law may indeed be applied to one part of the Pentateuch yet we ought to take notice that it is generally taken in Scripture for the whole Pentateuch And 't is certain that in the 31st Chapter of Deuteronomy where it is said Moses therefore wrote this Law it is meant of all this Book
which cannot be understood of the Son of Jehoiada yy Malachi whose Name in the Hebrew signifies My Angel And this has made Origen and Tertullian believe that he was an Angel Incarnate He is called an Angel by the greatest part of the Fathers and in the Version of the Septuagint but he was Angel by Office and not by Nature as he himself calls the Priests Angels Some Persons as Jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast St. Jerome and several Jews believed that it was an Appellative Name which Ezrah assumed and that he was Author of this Book but this Opinion is established upon very weak Conjectures and besides Ezrah is no where in Scripture called a Prophet St. Jerome proves his Opinion in the first place because Malachi and Ezrah lived at the same time Secondly Because what is in Malachi is very like what we find in Ezrah And lastly Because in chap. 2. vers 7. he seems to point at Ezrah by these Words Verba Sacâ—rdotis custodiunt Scientiâ—m c. â—ut these Conjectures are light and frivolous For the first only proves that Malachi and Ezrah lived at the same time not that they were one and the same The second is not true and if it were it would prove just nothing The Words quoted in the third ought to be understood of Levi and all the Priests of the Law He adds that in Ecclesiasticus chap. 49. where mention is made of all the Prophets the Name of Malachi is not to be found To this it is answered That we ought not to be surprized because he is not Named there since in the same place there is no mention made of Daniel and several others zz The difference of the Style of the Chronology and of the History make it appear The first Book of Maccabees was written by an Hebrew the second by a Greek the second begins the History a great deal higher than the first One follows the Jewish Account the other that of Alexandria which begins Six Months after Some Persons attribute the first to Josephus others to Philo others to the Synagogue and others to the Maccabees The Phrase of the first is Jewish and St. Jerome tells us he had the Hebrew Copy of it It was Intituled The Scepter of the Rebels against the Lord or rather The Scepter of the Prince of the Children of God The second was Written by Jason as it is observed in the Preface Huetius believes that the third and fourth Chapter as well as the two last don't belong to Jason because it is said in chap. 2. vers 20. that he wrote down all that passed under Antiochus and Eupator but then the remainder which is the end and the beginning of that History ought to be understood aaa From a Sentence in Exodus This Sentence is in Hebrew Mi Camacha Be Elim Jehovah Who is like to the Lord amongst the Powers Now taking the first Letters of each Word we make Maccabee Others give a different Etymology of this Name but this is the most probable SECT II. The Canon of the Books of the Old Testament of Books Doubtful Apocryphal and Lost that belonged to the Old Testament WE call the Books of the Bible Canonical Books because they are received into the Canon or the Catalogue of Books that we look upon as Sacred a Opposite to these are those Books we usually call Apocryphal b which are not acknowledged as Divine but rejected as spurious The first Canon or Catalogue of the Holy Books was made by the Jews 't is certain they had one but 't is not so certainly known who it was that made it Some Persons reckon upon three of them made at different times by the Sanedrim or the great Synagogue of the Jews c But 't is a great deal more probable that they never had more than one Canon d or one Collection of the Holy Books of the Old Testament that was made by Ezrah after the rebuilding of Jerusalem and was afterwards approved and received by the whole Nation of the Jews as containing all the Holy Books Josephus speaking of this business in his first Book against Appion says There is nothing in the World that can boast of a higher degree of certainty than the Writings Authorized amongst us for they are not subject to the least Contrariety because we only receive and approve of those Prophets who wrote them many years ago according to the pure Truth by the Inspiration of the Spirit of God We are not therefore allowed to see great numbers of Books that contradict one another We have only Twenty two that comprehend every thing of moment that has happen'd to our Nation from the beginning of the World till now and those we are obliged firmly to believe Five of them are Written by Moses that give a faithful Relation of all Events even to his own Death for about the space of Three Thousand years and contain the Genealogy of the Descendants of Adam The Prophets that succeeded this admirable Legislator in Thirteen other Books have Written all the memorable Passages that fell out from his Death until the Reign of Artaxerxes the Son of Xerxes King of the Persians The other Four Books contain Hymns and Songs composed in the Praise of God with abundance of Precepts and Moral Instructions for the regulating of our Manners We have also every thing Recorded that has happen'd since Artaxerxes down to our own Times but because we have not had as heretofore a Succession of Prophets therefore we don't receive them with the same Belief as we do the Sacred Books concerning which I have discoursed already and for which we preserve so great a Veneration that no One ever had the boldness to take away or add or change the most inconsiderable thing in them We consider them as Sacred Books and so we call them we make solemn Profession inviolably to observe what they Command us and to Die with Joy if there be occasion thereby to preserve them Origen St. Jerome the Author of the Abridgment attributed to St. Athanasius St. Epiphanius and several other Christian Writers do testifie That the Jews received but Twenty two Books into the Canon of their Holy Volumes The Division that St. Jerome has made of them who distributes them into three Classes is as follows The first comprehends the Five Books of Moses which is called The Law The second contains those Books that he calls the Books of the Prophets which are nine in number namely the Book of Joshuah the Book of Judges to which says St. Jerome they use to joyn the Book of Ruth the Book of Samuel which we call the first and second Book of Kings the Book of Kings which contain the two last These Books are followed by three great Prophets viz. Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel which are three different Books and by the twelve minor Prophets which make up but one Book The third Class comprehends those Books that are usually called the Hagiographa or Holy Scriptures the first
eighth Chapter of the first Book of Kings We have not the Book of Enoch so celebrated by Antiquity and cited by St. Irenaeus by St. Clement of Alexandria by Tertullian by Origen by Athenagoras by St. Jerome and several other Fathers But we learn from those passages of it which the Fathers have quoted and which still remain in the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and in the Chronography of Syncellus that it principally treated of the Stars and their Virtues of the Descent of Angels to the Earth to entertain a Commerce with the Daughters of Men of the original of Giants occasioned by this correspondence of Things that were to befal the Jews of our Saviour of the Destruction of Jerusalem of the Dispersion of the Jews and the last Judgment It contains a World of Fictions upon these Subjects For which Reason all the Fathers except Tertullian have look'd upon it as an Apocryphal Book that does not belong to the Patriarch Enoch That which has caused all the difficulty is that this Book seems to have been cited under Enoch's Name by St. Jude in his Canonical Epistle verse 14. And of this says he Enoch the Seventh from Adam Prophesied saying Behold the Lord cometh c. from whence one may conclude That we ought either to reject the Epistle of St. Jude or believe that the Book of Enoch truly belonged to that Patriarch St. Austin avoids this difficulty by saying That the true Book of Enoch cited by St. Jude is lost and that a spurious one has been since Father'd upon him But it is not probable that the Book of Enoch cited by St. Jude is different from that which was known to St. Irenaeus to St. Justin and the other Fathers that lived in the first Ages of the Chuch And therefore St. Jerome after Origen answers That St. Jude might cite an Apocryphal Book if he pleased and that this hindered not his Epistle from being Canonical that even in the other Books of the New Testament we find some passages that are drawn out of Apocryphal Books which ought not to diminish the Authority of the Canonical Books or give any new power to the Apocryphal onâ—â— Some of the Modern Crâ—… have pretended to unravel this difficulty with greater ease by maintaining that St. Jude does not here speak of the Book of Enoch but only of a Prophecy of that Patriarch which he had learnt by Tradition as St. Paul reports the Names of Jannes and Jambres the Egyptian Magicians of Pharâ—… from the common Tradition of the Jews but this Opinion being contrary to the Determination of all the Ancients is in my Judgment very improbable and ill-grounded and we had much better relie upon St. Jerome's Solution The Book of the Assumption of Moses from whence as they pretend St. Jude took the Relation of Michael the Archangel s Disputing with Satan about the Body of Moses is not so famous in Antiquity nevertheless it is cited by Origen l. 3. Priâ—c and by St. Clement l. 3. Strom. who there gives us an account of a Vision of Joshua and Caleb that was taken out of this Book Oecumenius in his Commentary upon the Epistle of St. Jude recites these Words of the Archangel to the Devil the Lord rebuke thee Satan Increpet te Deus O Diabole as quoted from hence St. Jerome tells us it is an hard matter to say from whence St. Jude took this passage only he observes that there is something like it to be found in the Prophecy of Zechariah chap. 3. verse 2. Origen likewise cites a Book Entituled The Assumption the Apocalypse or the Secrets of Elias Syncellus after him pretends that out of this Apocryphal Book St. Paul has taken this Sentence in his Epistle to the Corinthians The Eye hath not seen nor the Ear heard the good Things that God hath prepared for them that love him As also that in the Epistle to the Galatians Circumcision availeth nothing c. Moreover he is of Opinion that this Sentence in the Ephesians Awake thou that sleepest is taken out of the Apocryphal Book of Jeremiah But it may so happen sometimes that like Sentences may be found in two different Books and yet it is not necessary to say that one Author borrowed them from the other Some Jews have Forged and Counterfeited those Books that are by some attributed to the Patriarchs as for Example the Books Intituled The Generations and the Creation ascribed to Adam The Revelation of the same cited by St. Epiphanius 'T is also commonly believed that he composed a Book about the Philosophers Stone and that there was a Book of Magick extant said to have been written by Cham as we find in Cassian's eighth Conference chap. 21. The Abridgment of Scripture that goes under the Name of St. Athanasius makes mention of the Book of the Assumption of Abraham The Author of the Homilies upon St. Luke attributed to Origen in the 15th Homily and some others quoâ—e the Book of the Twelve Patriarchs The same Author in the 35th Homily cites an Apocryphal Book where Angels and Devils Dispute about the Salvation of Abraham The Author of the above-mentioned Abridgment of Scripture speaks of two Apocryphal Books one of which is the Prophecy of Habakkuk from whence as they pretend the History Bel that is in Daniel was taken and an Apocryphal Book that carries the Name of Ezekiel Hermas one of the most ancient Christian Writers in his Pastor ch 2. cites the Prophesies of Eldad and Medad that are mentioned in chap. 11. of Numbers Origen and St. Ambrose cite a Book of Jannes and Jambres the Magicians of Pharaoh that is rejected by Gelasius as an Apocryphal Book There is also a Book of King Og placed in the number of Apocryphal Books by Gelasius The Ebionites have imposed a Book upon the World Entituled Jacob ' s Ladder as Epiphanius testifies Manes composed a Genealogy of the Sons and Daughters of Adam as we are informed by St. Austin and Pope Gelasius In short there were abundance of such kind of Books formerly to be found composed either by the Jews who had an admirable Talent at Fiction or else by the Hereticks who made use of them to give the greater Reputation to their Errors so that it wou'd be an unprofitable as well as a tedious Thing to make an exact Catalogue But I ought not to omit two passages cited in the New Testament as if they were in the Prophets which upon strict search are not to be found there and which have given occasion to some Persons to imagine they were taken from other Books The first is in St. Matthew ch 2. v. 23. Jesus says he dwelt in a City called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet He shall be called a Nazarene Now these Words He shall be called a Nazarene are not to be found in any of the Prophets that we now have which has induced St. Chrysostome to imagine that they are taken
of Ruffinus this Quotation is not to be found which makes it evident that it has been added since f There are no others cited in the New Testament but those that were received into the Canon of the Jews Some Persons say that the Book of Wisdom is cited by St. Paul Rom. 11. in these words Who hath known the Mind of the Lord Or who hath been his Counsellor Which they say are the very same in effect with those in Wisdom Chap. 9. For what Man can know the Counsel of God But this passage cited by the Apostle is to be found word for word in Isaiah Chap. 40. Vers. 13. where the Greek Terms are the same that are used by St. Paul St. Basil L. de Spir. Sancto Ch. 5. Tertullian in his fifth Book against Marcion Ch. 14. St. Ambrose or rather the Author of the Commentaries upon St. Paul that are falsly attributed to him Peter Lombard and several others observe that it is taken out of Isaiah 'T is also pretended that the passage in his Epistle to the Hebrews where it is said that Enoch was translated that he might not taste of death is taken out of that Book But it is in Genesis Chap. 5. Vers. 25. It is likewise said that there are several Allusions in the Gospel and the Epistles of the Apostles to some places in Ecclesiasticus the Book of Wisdom Judith and Tobit Every one abounds in his own sense and can find out what Resemblances or Allusions he pleases but it is not necessary that two Persons that have happen'd upon the same thought should take it one from the other St. Justin and the Ancients don't accuse the Jews for not acknowledging all the Books of Holy Scripture for Canonical Theophilus says that Zechariah is the last of the Prophets and concludes the Holy Scripture with Ezrah g A great part of these are quoted there These are all Books that are cited there Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua the second Book of Samuel the first of Kings Job the Psalms the Proverbs Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Jonah Micah Haggai Habakkuk Nahum Zechariah Malachi h Gregory Nazianzen distributes the Books of Scripture into Historical Poetical and Prophetical This Distribution in my Opinion seems to be the justâ—â—t and most natural i By that of the Roman Council held under Gelasius Anno Dom. 494. There is mention made in this Catalogue but of one Book of Ezrah and one Book of Maccabees although the Number of Books is not exactly distinguished in all the rest For Example Regnorum libri quatuor Esdras liber unus Maccabaeorum liber unus In some Manuscripts Job is not mentioned there and they read Maccabaeorum libri â—uo k St. Jerome who frequently rejects it as Apocryphal and puts it out of the Canon not only of the Jews but the Christians also Every time that St. Jerome treats expresly obout the Canonical Books in his Prologues to the Kings to the Books of Salmon Ezrah and Esther in his Epistles 7 and 103 to Paulinus in his Commentary upon Ezekiel in l. 17. ch 43. he always rejects those Books that are not to be found in the Canon of the Hebrews as Apocryphal and only fit to be considered as such But when he speaks without making any manner of reflection he frequently cites these very Books as parts of the Holy Scripture and attributes the same Character to the Book of the Wisdom of Salomon although it is certain that he believed the contrary In his Prefaces before Judith and Tobit as if he had a mind to restore the Reputation of these Books he speaks very advantageously of them l The Books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus Besides several Allusions to the Scripture which might be produced but don't prove that they were cited from thence St. Barnabas cites a passage drawn out of the Book of Wisdom Chap. 2. Vers. 12. and another out of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 4. Vers. 36. Clemens Romanus in his Epistle to the Corinthians has quoted the Book of Wisdom Chap. 11. Vers. 22. Tertullian likewise has quoted the same Author in his Book against Marcion towards the end and in his Prescriptions Clemens Alexandrinus has also quoted him frequently St. Cyprian very often quotes these two Books and ascribes them to Salomon Origen mentions the Book of Wisdom under the Name of Scripture in Epist. ad Hebr. in his third Book against Celsus and in his eighth Homily upon Exodus as he also cites Ecclesiasticus Tom. 2. upon St. Matthew Treatise the 24th And Eusebius l. 6. of his History Chap. 13. says That although St. Clement cites these Books yet they are for the most part rejected St. Hilary cites them upon the Psalm 104. St. Basil also cites them sometimes and particularly in his fifth Book against Eunomius So does St. Jerome frequently in his Commentary upon Psalm 73. in his 16th Book upon Isaiah and in his 33d Book upon Ezekiel and in his second Book upon Isaiah St. Austin does the same in abundance of places They are likewise cited by the Author of the Book of Divine Names and of the Hierarchy in the last Book Chap. 2. in the first Chap. 4. In the Letter of the Council of Sardica set down by Theodoret Hist. l. 2. c. 8. By Anastasius Sinaita lib. 9. In Exam. Orat. 2. De incircumscripto and Quest. 8. and 10. By Johannes Damascenus l. 4. Of the Orthodox Faith Chap. 16. In his third Oration of the Nativity and in his Sermon of the Dead But to cite a Book as Gretzer observes is not to declare it to be Canonical These Books are thrown out of the Canon by those very Persons that cite them under the Name of Scripture and they that attribute them to Salomon when they cite them at other times formally deny it Some seem to think that the Book of Ecclesiasticus is cited by those who produce this Sentence as from the Scripture Do nothing without advice Such as St. Basil in his short Rules Quest. 104. Eusebius de Praep. Evang. Lib. 12. Cassian Conference 2. Boniface Epist. 98. The council of Ephesus in the Epistle to the Synod of Pamphylia But the same Sentence is in substance in the 13th Chapter of the Proverbs Vers. 16. and is word for word in the 24th Chapter Vers. 13. of the Septuagint Version from whence these Fathers quoted it as well as Isidore Pelusiota who frequently uses it The Proverbs likewise are very often cited by the Ancients under the Name of Wisdom by Melito in his Catalogue Proverbia quae Sapientia for so it ought to be translated and not Proverbia Sapientia by Origen Hom. 17. upon Genesis upon Exodus and Numbers by the Author who has written under the Name of Dionysius of Alexandria against Paulus Samosatenus by the Author of the Constitutions frequently by St. Basil Const. Monast C. 3. and 16 by Gregory Nazianzen Orat. 1. and 26. And by Gregory Nyssene in his Book of The Life of
Moses and in his 7th Book against Eunomius By the Council in Trullo Chap. 64. By the second Council of Nice Act. 6. The Proverbs are also called by St. Clement of Alexandria Stromata By Hegesippus and the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m St. Basil sufficiently observes that he did not own the Books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus for Canonical In his Epist. 406. to Amphilochius he tells us that Philo speaking of the Manna has said according to the Tradition of the Jews that it had a different Taste according to the difference of Palats or Appetites Now this is expresly said in the Book of Wisdom St. Basil therefore believed it was written by Philo if this is the Book whereof he speaks or at least that it was no Book of Scripture for otherwise he would not barely have called an Opinion that is so clearly established there in the 16th Chapter by the Name of a Jewish Tradition The same St. Basil Lib. 2. contr Eunom says that this passage Dominus creavit me initium viarum suarum is only to be found once in Scripture Socrates says the same thing Lib. 4. Chap. 7. If they had acknowledged the Book of Wisdom to be Canonical they ought to have said that this Sentence is twice to be found in the Bible because we read it in the Book of Wisdom as well as in the Proverbs SECT III. The History of the Hebrew Text. Of the Version of the Septuagint and other Greek Versions of the Old Testament THE Books of Moses and a almost all the rest of the Books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew The ancient b Characters which Moses and the other Authors that wrote before the Captivity made use of according to the common Opinion were the Samaritan For after the Division of the Ten Tribes under Rehoboam the Son of Salomon the Israelites preserved the Pentateuch in the same form they received it from Moses and c gave it afterwards to the Men of Cuth who came to settle in their place at Samaria from whence they were called Samaritans The Tribes of Judah and Benjamin also preserved the same Characters till the Babylonish Captivity But being once carried away into Babylon they insensibly used themselves to write and speak after the manner of the Chaldeans Therefore it was that d Ezrah having reviewed and gathered together the Books of the Bible used the new Chaldee Characters as being better known to the Jews than the Ancient which they have used almost always ever since But the Jews not only borrowed their Characters from the Chaldeans but they borrowed their Language also which was the same with that of the Syrians or Assyrians and came very near the Hebrew e It is very certain that at first this Language was not common to all the Jews that they all understood Hebrew and that there were likewise some Persons that spoke it still so that the Chaldee and Hebrew Tongue were at the same time common in Judea f But by little and little they were confounded together and the Vulgar Language of the Jews became the Syriack but mixed with several Hebrew Terms which was afterwards commonly called Hebrew Nevertheless the Sacred Books still continued written in Hebrew and the Jews read them in that Language in their Synagogues but the ancient Hebrew Language being no longer common and beginning to be less intelligible to all the Jews they explained the Original Hebrew in their Synagogues and this perhaps might give the first occasion to the g Chaldee Paraphrases though those we now have seem to be of a later date The Hebrew Text continued in this state without Points till about the Year of our Lord 500 at which time the h Jews of Tiberias invented the Points to limit and restrain the Reading and Pronunciation of the Hebrew Tongue I will not lose any time in endeavouring to prove all these things by any larger Explications since any Man may see them more amply handled by those Persons who have wrote Volumes of purpose upon these Subjects Neither will I discourse of the Oriental Versions of the Old Testament that are all new and besides of a very inconsiderable authority But I cannot forbear to spend some time about the Greek Version of the Bible made by the LXX whom we commonly rank in the number of Ecclesiastical Authors It has been long disputed whether there was not a Greek Version of the Books of the Bible more ancient than the Septuagint St. Clement of Alexandria Eusebius and some other ancient Writers who pretend that Plato and several other Pagan Philosophers have borrowed many passages out of the Books of the Bible were of opinion that they were Translated into Greek before the Seventy undertook that business They that follow this opinion support it principally by the Testimony of Aristobulus related by Eusebius who says that before the time of the Seventy some Persons had explained all that concerned the Laws of the Jews their departure out of Egypt and whatever happened to them after the taking of their Country words that seem to imitate that the Pentateuch had been Translated before the Version of the Septuagint St. Augustin l. 18. De Civit. Dei ch 11. and Baronius after him deny it and assure us that the first Version of the Bible was the Septuagint 〈◊〉 endeavours 〈◊〉 â—â—concile thâ—se 〈◊〉 Opinions by saying that there were only some few fragments 〈◊〉 â—â—e Old Tâ—…ment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sâ—… but that these LXX Elders were the first that made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Version of all the 〈◊〉 Volumes He grounds his Opinion upon the above citâ—d passage of 〈◊〉 which ought to be only understood says he of some parts as the Circumâ—…tion he 〈◊〉 â—â—kes i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well as what he adds that the Law was first entirely translated under Pâ—olomy Philadeâ—… But in case this Book of Aristoâ—ulus should only be the work of 〈◊〉 â—â—elleâ—ist 〈◊〉 as it is exceeding 〈◊〉 this Opâ—nion would become very uncertain Let us go on now to the Vâ—â—sion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the Ancient Fathers have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—sephus and Philo that the Version of the Bible commonly called the â—…int was composed by Seventy or Seventy two Jews sent to Ptolomy Philadelphus who 〈◊〉 to have the Jewish Books in Greek that he might place them in the Magnificent Library which 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 by the care and industry of Demetrius Phalereus an Athenian This has gone a long time for constant matter of fact nor was it ever questioned but in our Age in which some Criticks have been found that have looked upon this History to be fabulous We shall examine the conjectures they generally bring to prove it In the first place they say that this Story is wholly â—ounded upon the Authority of Aristeas and Aristobulus from whom Josephus and Philo have taken all that they say in this matter and that if these two Authors should prove sâ—…s as the greatest part of the Criticks agree they are then
makes Demetrius give the King a Petition that they might have the Books of the Jews He describes the Table and the other Presents which King Ptolomy offer'd to the Temple at Jerusalem very fabulously In a word there is scarce one single Circumstance in the whole Narration that does not look very like a fable These reasons and many others which may yet be brought have made several Criticks reject these Books that are attributed to Aristeas and Aristobulus and what is yet more material there are some Persons that doubt whether there were ever any Version composed by the 70 Jews that were sent to Ptolomy Philadelphus As for my self although I am heartily persuaded that these Books of Aristeas and Aristobulus are spurious yet nevertheless i I am of opinion that we cannot absolutely deny that there was a Greek Translation of the Bible made in the time of Ptolomy Philadelphus But I dare by no means affirm that this business was done perfectly after the same manner as we find it related in the Book attributed to Aristeas Now as the Jews are fruitful in Fictions so they are not content with retailing those that are to be found in this Author but they have likewise added abundance of more extraordinary passages in supposing that these 72 Persons were shut up severally each Man in a particular Cell and that they all of 'em translated the Scripture in the same manner insomuch that all their translations were found conformable to each other not only in the same Sense but even in the same Words and Expressions Upon this foundation they pretend that they were inspired by God and that their Version ought to be considered as wholly Divine Some of the Fathers that were extremely inclined to value the Authority of this Translation readily believed this Fiction of the Jews k but St. Jerome who had examined these things more exactly and who preferred the Hebrew Text to the Translation of the Septuagint laughed at this Story with reason since neither Aristeas nor Philo nor Josephus who were the first Persons that gave us the History of this Version spoke a word concerning these little Cells but on the contrary Aristeas or the Author of the Book that bears his name tells us that the Seventy when they made this Version concerted matters amongst themselves and conferr'd together 'T is upon the Testimony of the same Author that St. Jerome assures us that the Seventy only translated the five Books of Moses Aristeas Aristobulus and Philo tell us that they translated no more than the Law a word which ordinary signifies the Pentateuch only And though we might understand it of all the Books of the Old Testament which is not true yet Josephus utterly excludes this Explication by telling us that this Law was that of the Legislator of the Jews which passage can only agree to Moses and his Books The Talmudists are of the same Opinion On the the other side St. Justin and the greatest part of the ancient Fathers believed that the Seventy translated all the Bible because in their time the Greek Version of the Books of Scripture that are joyned to the five Books of Mâ—ses went under the name of the Septuagint But it is far more probable to believe that the Seventy only translated the five Books of Moses and that the following Books were from time to time translated by other Authors as the difference of the style that is to be observed between the several Versions sufficiently shews since we have not the positive Testimonies of the Seventy to the contrary But though the Greek Version of the other Books of the Bible joyned to that of the LXX was not performed by them yet we must acknowledge that it is very ancient and that the Jews had no other before our Saviour was born But after the Christian Religion was setled as the Christians supported themselves by the Authority of the Version of the LXX so some of the Jews resolved to make a new Translation of the Books of the Bible which as they pretend should be more conformable to the Hebrew Text and less favourable to the Christians l Aquila the Jew who lived in the time of Adrian was the first Man that thought of this design and after put it into execution by translating the Hebrew Text into Greek word for word Afterwards Theodotion m a Disciple of Tatian who after turned Marcionite and at last a Jew and flourished in the time of the Emperor Commodus made another Greek Version of the whole Bible in which as he does not confine himself so closely to the Letter as Aquila did so neither does he depart so 〈◊〉 from it as Syâ—… n the Author of the third Version who lived in thâ— time of the Emperor 〈◊〉 He had formerly been a Jew and at last went over to the Sect of th◠〈◊〉 which câ—… up very near to 〈◊〉 His Version is much freer and he only concerns â—…self to render the 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 at the words o In the time of the Emperor Caraâ—…a there was another Verâ—… of the Books of the Bible â—ound or at least of one part thereof and liâ—…wise a sixth under â—…r the Son of Mâ—… which is called the Nicopolitan Lastly Origen added a Seventh Version but that reached the Psalms only The Hexapla and Tetrapla of Origen were composed of these Versâ—… In the Hâ—… they were joyned to the Hebrew Text written two ways that is to say in 〈◊〉 Characters and in Hebrew Characters and this composed the two first Columns of the Work In the third Column â—…od Aqâ—…'s Translation which was joyned to the Hebrew Tâ—… 〈◊〉 following the lâ—…r more religiously than any of the rest The Version of the Sepâ—… was â—…d between thâ—… of Syâ—… and 〈◊〉 and so these three Versions composed three Columnâ— the two other Versions were ranked in the two last Columns and the Seventh which was of the Bâ—â—k of Psalms in the ninth Column I think that this Work ought rather to be called Octapla than Hâ—… being composed of eight Columns and therefore some have believed that the Hexapla did not conâ—… the fifth and sixth Version but only the other four and that these two Versions having been added since Origen they then made Octapla of them But Eâ—sebius and p St. â—erome with several of the ancient Writers make no distinction at all between the Octapla and Hexapla but only between the Tetrapla and the Hexapla and plainly affirm that both the fifth and sixth Version were in the Hexapla of Origen and even the seventh of the Book of Psalms Therefore we must either say that they counted not the two Columns of the Hebrew Text or else that the fifth and sixth Versions were â—nly of some particular Books of the Bible and that thus the same Work of Origen had six Columns in some places in others eight and even nine in the Psalms but that they were called Hexapla either because there were generally but six Columns or because the
that all the four Evangelists except St. Matthew wrote in Greek The Latin St. Mark which we now have is certainly a Translation of the Greek i St. Luke a Physician by profession St. Paul in his Epistle to the Colos. Luke the beloved Physician greets you Nicephorus l. 2. c. 43. of his History affirms that he was an excellent Painter and some People say that he drew the Picture of the Virgin Mary but these are fictions k He was neither of the number of the Apostles nor of the Disciples This is certainly true because he tells us that what he wrote he learnt from others St. Irenaeus l. 1. c. 2. St. Jerome upon ch 65. of Isaiah St. Austin and several others positively say that he was not a Disciple of Jesus Christ. They are only some few modern Authors that are pleased to bestow this Character upon him l Cujus laus est in Evangelio per omnes Ecclesias We cannot certainly tell whether the word Evangelium in this place signifies a Book of the Gospel or whether we are not rather to understand it thus The Brother who deserves praise for having preached the Gospel That which follows afterwards and who was ordained to be the Companion of our Travels made Baronius believe that it is Silas of whom we are to understand this passage But St. Jerome and St. Ambrose in his Preface upon St. Luke do understand it of this Evangelist m He afterwards changed his name of Saul for that of Paul after having converted and baptized the Proconsul Sergius Paulus The Author of the one and thirtieth Sermon attributed to St. Ambrose tells us that he changed his name at his Baptism but this is but a groundless fancy for in his time they gave no name to any body at their Baptism Others say that he changed his name when he changed his profession and some pretend to affirm that he had two Names The most probable opinion is that he took the name of Paul after the conversion of Sergius Paulus for till that time he is constantly called Saul in the Acts of the Apostles and afterwards he is always called by the name of Paul It was the custom of the Romans to give their own names to others in testimony of friendship Josephus for example received the name of Flavius from the Emperor Vespasian by way of Honour Or rather because having been once his Prisoner he set him at Liberty it being usual for freed Men to take their Patrons Praenomen n Some Authors pretend that he went into Spain but this is very uncertain St. Athanasius in his Epistle to Dracontius St. Cyril Cat. 17. St. Epiphanius Haeres 27. St. Chrysostome in Ep. ad Hebr. and in Matth. 76 and Homil. de laud. Pauli Theodoret in Ep. ad Timot. c. ult Hier. in 11. Is. Greg. moral l. 3. c. 22. Isidore Bede Ado c. are of this opinion All these Authors lived after the third Century but before that time nothing is written concerning it and besides they don't speak of it as a certain thing but only as a probable conjecture St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans c. 15. v. 24. promises that he would go into Spain but though it follows from thence that he had a design of going thither yet we cannot rationally conclude that he was ever there Pope Gelatius and Innocent the first tell us that he did not perform that promise and it is very certain that the Gospel was preached somewhat later on this side the Alpes o In the year 61 according to the vulgar computation All Authors are agreed that St. Paul was beheaded at Rome but however they are not agreed about the year Some of them tell us that he suffered Martyrdom with St. Peter others place it a year and some two years lower some pretend that this happened in the last year of Nero's Reign which was the sixty eighth of our Blessed Saviour but most Men think that St. Peter and St. Paul suffered Martyrdom at the time of Nero's Persecution which began in the fourth year of that Emperor after the burning of Rome Anno Dom. 63. and therefore according to this account these two Princes of the Apostles suffered Martyrdom in the 64th year of the Vulgar Aera p The most received opinion is that it was written by St. Paul This opinion seems to be the most probable The Epistle to the Hebrews does not belong to St. Barnabas having a different Title from that of this Apostle There is no reason to attribute it to S. Luke The style and the thoughts very much resemble those of St. Clement in his Epistle to the Corinthians and upon this account I am apt to believe that we ought to attribute the Composition or Translation of it rather to him than any other although it is written in the name of St. Paul and by that Apostle for it was written at Rome by a Person that enjoyed his liberty and who had Timothy for his Collegue These three Characters shew plainly that it was written by St. Paul who did not put his name to it for fear of offending the Jews who were prejudiced against him Grotius believes that it was written after the taking of Jerusalem because it is observed says he in the third Chapter that there were certain Christians who supposed the Day of Judgment was very near an Opinion that was not common till after Jerusalem was taken but this is a bare conjecture upon weak grounds St. Jerome answers the usual Objection about the diversity of stile that is alledged to prove that this Epistle was not written by St. Paul by saying that it was occasioned either by him that composed it under St. Paâ—d or else by the Interpreter But i◠〈◊〉 Lowth's Opinion be true the Controversy must be aâ— an end For in his Vindication of the Authority of the H. Scriptures against the five Letters published by the Answerers of Mr. Simon p. 24. He says that St. Peter quotes the 37th Verse of the 10th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews in the 15th Verse of the 2d Chapter of his 2d Epistle where he says that St. Paul often said those things which the unlearned and unstable wrest as well as the other Scriptures to their own destruction q In Hebrew to the Hebrews St. Clemens Alexandrinus is of another opinion as also St. Jerome Theodoret Oecumenius and several others Estius and some of the moderns believe that it was written in Greek 1. because the Scriptures there cited follow the Septuagint and not the Hebrew 2. because there is no probability that the Copy should be lost These reasons are exceeding weak for suppose the Citations are not to be charged upon the Interpreter yet why might not St. Paul when he was writing in the Syriack Tongue translate the Septuagint into that Language rather than cite the Hebrew Text since the Septuagint was more familiar to him This may serve by way of answer to the first Reason The second is yet
the Churches of Christ otherwise the Treatise of Hermas and the Epistle of St. Clement ought also to be inserted in the Catalogue of Canonical Books Therefore it is a very weak Argument to affirm that the Epistle of St. Barnabas doth not appertain to this Apostle because that if it were certainly his it would have been reckoned in the number of the Canonical Writings since before a Book can be owned as Canonical it is necessary whosoever is the Author thereof that it should be acknowledged by the whole Church because there are Books written by the Apostles or their Disciples that were not heretofore and are not as yet placed in the Rank of Canonical Writings and on the contrary there are others the Writers whereof are not certainly known that have been formerly and are now inserted in the Canon of Holy Scripture as in the New Testament the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Revelation and several Books in the Old the true Authors of which cannot be positively shewn Besides though it were true that all Books are Canonical which we know to have been written by Men who had Authority to make them so yet who hath assured us that St. Barnabas ought to be included in this number rather than St. Clement or Hermas The Catholick Church hath a Right to declare it and since she has not done it this is a sufficient warrant to reckon his Epistle amongst the Apocryphal Writings though it be really his Furthermore it hath been objected that this Epistle is unworthy of St. Barnabas and that it is not credible that so great an Apostle who was full of the Holy Ghost and the Colleague of St. Paul should be the Author of the most part of those things that are therein contained such are the forced Allegories the extravagant and incongruous Explications of Holy Scripture the various Fables concerning Animals and several other Conceits of the like nature that are comprised in the first Part of this Epistle To this I answer That notwithstanding these Defects St. Clement Origen Eusebius and St. Jerom attributed it unto him and I am of the opinion that it is a very great piece of Impudence for any one to imagine himself to be more clear-sighted in this matter than those exquisite Criticks of Antiquity They lived much nearer the time of the Apostles than we do They had a great number of Books composed by their Disciples which are now lost and consequently they were more capable than we are of judging of the Style and manner of Writing of the Apostles and their Companions and Disciples If then they have found that the Allegories Mystical Explications and Fables that are found in the Epistle of St. Barnabas might be his with what right can we positively assert that they cannot be his Certainly they must needs have but a very little knowledge of the Genius of the Jewish Nation and of the Primitive Christians that were Educated in the Synagogue who obstinately believe that these sort of Notions could not proceed from them on the contrary this was their Character They had learned of the Jews to turn the whole Scripture into Allegory and to make Remarks on the peculiar Properties of those Living Creatures that were prohibited to be eaten therefore it is not to be admired that St. Barnabas being by Nation a Jew and writing to his own Countrymen hath allegorically explained divers Passages of the Old Testament in applying them to the New and found out several Moral Reflections upon the Proprieties of those Creatures that were not permitted to be eaten by the Jews The Epistle of St. Clemens Romanus and the Stromata of St. Clemens Alexandrinus are full of this kind of Allegories and Figurative Expressions The History of the Phoenix related by St. Clement in his Epistle to the Corinthians so much celebrated among the Primitive Christians seems to be more Fabulous than that which is alledged by St. Barnabas in this Epistle concerning the Properties of certain Animals and the Allegory of the Blood of Jesus Christ typified by the Scarlet Thread of the Harlot Rahab in the Epistle of St. Clemens Romanus is as far fetch'd as the greatest part of those of St. Barnabas But what necessity is there to produce farther Proofs of a Matter of Fact that is so evident since it is sufficiently known to all Men that the Writings of the Primitive Christians are generally full of such Fables and Allegories Lastly the Author of this Epistle is accused for representing the Apostles as the most flagitious Persons in the World before their Conversion but his Words have been taken in too strict and literal a sense for he intended not to say that they were the wickedest Men in the World but only that they were great Sinners g That they were great Sinners Thus the following Words ought to be interpreted Super omne peccatum peccatores Many very devout Persons have often used this Phrase I am the greatest Sinner that ever lived in the World and other Expressions of the like nature which are not to be understood Literally It is not known to whom the Epistle of St. Barnabas is directed because we want the Title it appears from the Body of this Letter that it was written to some converted Jews that adhered too much to the Law of Moses It is divided into two Parts in the first of which he shews the unprofitableness of the Old Law and the necessity of the Incarnation and Death of Jesus Christ producing divers passages of Scripture relating to the Ceremonies and Precepts of the Old Law which he explains Allegorically when he applies them to our Saviour and the New Law The second Part comprehends particular Moral Instructions containing several Rules and Directions concerning what ought to be done and what ought to be avoided This Epistle was first published h Was first published in Greek c. It is said that there was an older Edition than Menardus's printed in England by the order of the Learned Usher but that the whole Impression was burnt We may add to these another Edition of this Epistle published by Maderus in Germany at Helmstadt There have been two other Editions of this Epistle one at Oxon 1685. in Duodecimo wherein all that is in the old Latin Version that is not in the Greek as also all that is in the Greek that is not in the old Version is printed with Red Letters Lastly Mr. Le Moyne has set it out in his Vari◠Sacra with large Comments at Leyden in Quarto 1685. in Greek together with the ancient Version by Menardus and this Edition was printed at Paris by Piget in the Year 1645. Afterwards the famous Dr. Isaac Vossius caused it to be reprinted with the Epistles of St. Ignatius revised and corrected from three Manuscripts Anno Dom. 1646. Lastly Cotelerius published it adding a new Translation è Regione together with the old Version entire and certain Critical Remarks at the end It is prefixed
should soon be destroyed 948 years after its Foundation and many other Things that could never be asserted by later Christians who would have been very far from admitting such Notions when they were convinced of the falsity of these Predictions Upon the whole matter it ought to be concluded that the Books of the Sibyls were certainly forged in the Second Century but it is difficult to determine the precise time and by whom this was done all that can be alledged as most probable is that they began to appear about the end of the Reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius m They began to appear about the end of the Reign of Antoninus Pius Possevinus affirms that these Books were written under the Reign of Câ—mmodus but he is deceived in taking the Conflagration mentioned in Book V. for the Fire of the Temple of Vesta that happened in the time of that Emperor for the Temple of Jerusaleus is to be understood in this place which is called the desirable House and the Guardian Temple of God We have already shewn that the Author had seen Lucius and Marcus but that he knew not the later Emperors All the Fathers that have quoted the Sibylline Books wrote either under the Reign of Antoninus Pius or after that time Josephus indeed and Hermas cite the Sibyls but in general Terms and there were possibly some Verses extant under their Names even in the time of Josephus who produceth one of them concerning the Tower of Babel Lib. 1. Ant. c. 5. M. Vossius in his last Book gives us an Hypothesis of the Sibylline Oracles somewhat different from this he acknowledgeth that the ancient Writings of the Sibyls which were preserved until the burning of the Capitol were entirely prophane and differed from those that are cited by the Fathers But he maintains that among those that were brought from Greece by Octacilius Crassus there were some Prophecies inserted that had been received from the Jews who pretended that they were written by the Sibyls in which the Coming of the Messiah was foretold and that these were cited by the Fathers under the Name of The Books of the Sibyls which Title was actually attributed to them This Hypothesis which is well enough contrived yet lies liable to many Difficulties for first the Collection of Oracles ascribed to the Sibyls that was made after the burning of the Capitol related no less to the Pagan Superstitions than the ancient Verses ascribed to the Sibyl of Cuma Secondly Since the Predictions concerning Jesus Christ expressed in the passages of the Sibylline Books and quoted by the Fathers are clearer than those that were contained in the Prophecies of the Jews there is no probability that they could proceed from any of that Nation Lastly The Doctrine comprised in the Books of the Sibyls seems rather to be that of a Christian than of a Jew since the Coming of Jesus Christ is therein manifestly foretold the Resurrection of the Dead the Last Judgment and Hell Fire are expresly described in plain Terms and mention is made of the Millennium of the appearing of Anti-Christ together with many other Things of the like nature which could not be related but by one that had been instructed in the Christian Religion Therefore it is much more probable that the Writings attributed to the Sibyls were forged by a Christian rather than by a Jew However none ought to be surprised that we reject those Books as supposititious which have been quoted by the Ancients as real and it must not be imagined that we thereby contemn the Authority of the Fathers or that we impugn the Truth on the contrary we should do an Injury to it if we should endeavour to support it by false Proofs especially when we are convinced of their Forgery The Fathers are to be excused for citing the Sibylline Verses as true because they had not examined them and finding them published under the Name of the Sibyls they really believed that they were theirs but they that are certainly informed of the contrary would be inexcusable if they continued to rely on such Testimonials or refused ingenuously to confess what the Truth obliged them to own And indeed it ought not to be admired that the Fathers did not examine these Books critically it is sufficiently known that they wholly applied themselves to Matters of the greatest Consequence at that time and that they often happened to be mistaken in prophane Histories and to cite fictitious Books such are the Works of Hystaspes and Mercurius Trismegistus which they almost always joyned with those of the Sibyls as also the Acts of Pilate Apocryphal Gospels divers Acts of the Apostles and a great number of other Records that have been undoubtedly forged But altho' the most part of the ancient Writers cited the Oracles of the Sibyls yet there were even then many Christians that rejected them as Counterfeit and could not be perswaded to approve the practice of those that made use of their Testimony whom in derision they called by the Name of Sibyllists This is attested by Origen in his Fifth Book against Celsus Celsus says he objects that there are Sibyllists amonst us perhaps because he hath heard it reported that there are some amongst us who reprove those that affirm that the Sibyl is a Prophetess and call them Sibyllists St. Augustine hath likewise acknowledged the falsity of these pretended Oracles and as often as he makes mention of them he declares that he is not convinced of their Truth particularly in Lib. 18. c. 45. De Civit. Dei. Were it not says he that it is affirmed that the Prophecies that are produced under the Name of the Sibyls and others concerning Jesus Christ were feigned by the Christians And in cap. 47. It may be believed that all the Prophecies relating to Jesus Christ that are not contained in the Holy Scriptures have been forged by the Christians Wherefore there can be nothing more solid in confuting the Pagans than to alledge those Prophecies that are taken from the Books of our Enemies But the Heathens say they doubted not of the truth of the Predictions of the Sibyls that were urged by the Fathers they only put another sense upon them nay they even proceeded so far as to own that the Sibylline Verses foretold the Nativity of a certain new King and a considerable Revolution This is mentioned by Tully in divers places moreover when Pompey took the City of Jerusalem it was commonly reported that the Sibyl had foretold that Nature designed a King for the People of Rome the Senate was likewise astonished at it and by reason of this Prediction refused to send a General or an Army into Egypt Lentulus according to the Testimony of Cicero and Sâ—llust flatter d himself that he should become this King that was intimated by the Sibyl Others have interpreted this Prophecy with respect to Julius Câ—sar or Augustus as is observed by Cicero and Suetonius Virgil in his Fourth Eâ—logue produceth the Verses
famous Opinion or rather Dotage of Antiquity This was the opinion of S. Justin Athenagoras S. Irenaeas S. Clement Tertullian Lactantius and many other ancient Writers concerning the Temporal Beign of Jesus Christ which they fansied should happen on Earth a thousand years before the day of Judgment when the Elect should be gathered together after the Resurrection in the City of Jerusalem and should enjoy there all the Delights imaginable during these thousand years S. Irenaeus produceth a fragment taken from the fourth Book of Papias wherein he endeavours to prove this Opinion by a passage of the Prophet Isaiah And Eusebius having cited a Paragraph of his Preface to these Books in which he shews the great care that he took to be informed of the Doctrine of the Apostles by interrogating their Disciples adds That this Author hath set down many things which he pretended to have learnt by an unwritten Tradition of which sort there are several new Parables and Instructions of our Saviour Jesus Christ that are not contained in the Gospels together with other fabulous Histories among which we may reckon the Reign of Jesus Christ on Earth during the space of a thousand years after the Resurrection of the Body That which led him into this Error continueth Eusebius is that he understood the Discourses and Instructions of the Apostles too literally not understanding that a mystical sense ought to be given to this sort of Expressions and that the Apostles only made use of them as Illustrations for â—e was a Man of a very mean capacity as appears from his Books who nevertheless gave occasion to many of the ancient Fathers and among others to Irenaeus to follow this Error which they maintained by the authority of Papias Eusebius in the same place relates two Miracles the account whereof Papias declares that he had received from the Daughter of Philip the Deacon who resided at Hierapolis That a dead Man was raised at that time and that Barsabas sirnamed Justus Elected to be an Apostle together with S. Matthias having swallowed deadly Poison was not hurt by it Moreover he assures us that Papias had collected in his Books divers Explications on some words of Jesus Christ composed by Aristion a Disciple of the Apostles and the Traditions likewise of the venerable Elder S. John but omitting these things he is content only to recite a passage wherein this ancient Writer affirms that S. Mark compiled his Gospel from what he had heard S. Peter tell of the Actions and Discourses of Jesus Christ and this is the reason that he hath not observed an Historical Method That S. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew and that it was afterward Translated into Greek Lastly Eusebius affirms that he cited the first Epistles of S. Peter and of S. John and that he explained the History of a Woman that was accused before our Saviour of several Crimes which was found in the Gospel according to the Hebrews Thus we have given an account of all that is recorded by Eusebius concerning Papias Andreas Caesariensis and Oeoumenius have likewise produced some Passages d Andraeas Caesariensis and Oécumenius have likewise produced some Passages Andraeas Caesariensis in Serm. 12. in Apocalyps cites a Passage of Papias wherein he says that the disposing of Sublunary Things was committed to the Care of the Angels that are round the Earth but that they did not perform their Duty as they ought to do Oecumenius upon the Acts observes that Papias believed that Judas did not end his Life by hanging but that he was run over with a Chariot which is the Opinion of Theophylact Euthymius and Oecumneius of his Works in their Commentaries on the Holy Scripture but it is not certain whether they were Papias's or no. The Judgment that ought to be given concerning him is that which hath been already given by Eusebius that is to say that he was a good Man but very credulous and of very mean Barts who delighted much in hearing and telling Stories and Miracles And since he was exceedingly inquisitive and inclined to believe every thing that was told him it is not to be admired that he hath divulged divers Errors and extravagant Notions as the Judgments of the Apostles and hath given us fabulous Narratives for real Histories which shews that nothing is so dangerous in Matters of Religion as lightly to believe and too greedily to embrace all that hath the appearance of Piety without considering in the first place how true it is e Without considering in the first place how true it is This is conformable to an excellent Passage of S. Augustin Non sit Religio nostra in Phantasmatibus nostris melius est enim qualecumque verum quà m omne quicqùid pro arbitrio fingi potest melior est vera stipula quà m lux inani cogitatione pro suspicantis voluntate formata De ver Rel. c. 55. QUADRATUS and ARISTIDES THese two Defenders of the Faith presented Apologies for Christians to the Emperor Adrian The first was a Disciple of the Apostles a A Disciple of the Apostles Hieron Ep. 84. ad Magnum This appears from the Fragment that is set down afterward We must not confound this Quadratus with another of this Name who was Bishop of Athens and the Successor of Publius mentioned by Eusebius Lib. 4. cap. 23. S. Jerom makes no distinction between them in his Catalogue nor in his Epistle to Magnus and they are likewise confounded in the Menâ—logium Graecâ—rum But Valesâ—us clearly proves that they are different for the first was not a Bishop as appears from the Testimony of Eusebius Lib. 3. c. 37. and Lib. 4. c. 3. Besides the former Quadratus was a Disciple of the Apostles and lived in the time of the Emperor Adrian whereas the other never saw the Apostles as being Contemporary with Dionysius Corinthius under the Reign of Antoninus And it cannot be doubted but that it was the Elder who presented the Apology to Adrian and it is said that he had the Gift of Prophecy Quadratus Aristides b It is said that he had the gift of Prophecy Eâ—sebius Lib. 3. cap. 37. assures us that he was endued with the Gift of Prophecy as were the Daughters of Philip the Deacon and Miltiades in Euseb. Lib. 5. cap. 17. reckons him in the number of the Prophets of the New Testament Eusebius assures us that the Apology of this Author was extant in his 〈◊〉 and that it shewed the Genius of this Man and the true Doctrine of the Apostles But we have only a small Fragment produced by Eusebius in the fourth Book of his History chap. 3. wherein the Author declares that none could doubt of the Truth of the Miracles of Jesus Christ because the Persons that were healed or raised from the Dead by him had been seen not only when he wrote his Miracles or whilst he was upon Earth but even a very great while after his Death So that there
Eusebius cites a Fragment of this Book by which it appears that the subject and occasion which induced Serapion to write it was a Contest that arose in the Church of Rhossus in Cilicia about the truth of that Gospel that Serapion happening to be there permitted them to read it but that afterwards being convinced that those Persons who defended it were secret Hereticks and that Marcion who was the principal Asserter of it received it from some Hereticks named the Docâ—tâ— who believed that Jesus Christ did not really suffer but only in appearance he wrote this Letter to them till he could go to see them himself to acquaint them with the falsity and errors of that Gospel St. Jerome takes notice that in his time there were some short Epistles of the same Author that were conformable to his austere rigid way of living but they are wholly lost This Bishop governed the Church of Antioch till the first year of the Emperor Caracalla and the year of our Lord 203. Antoninus succeeded him and was the Ninth Bishop of Antioch after the Apostles RHODON RHodon though he was of Asia studied at Rome and had Tatian for his Master He wrote many Books and amongst the rest a Treatise against the Heresie of Marcion dedicated to one Callistion He likewise wrote a Piece upon the Hexaëmeron St. Jerome attributes Rhodon to him a Book against the Montanists a Fragment of which as he supposes Eusebius has cited But since Eusebius says nothing of its being written by Rhodon and since it is certainly of a later date we may be sure that it cannot be his So that we have nothing of Rhodon's left save only a passage or two cited by Eusebius taken out of his Book against the Heresie of Marcion wherein he observes that this Heresie in his time was divided into several Sects that one Apelles acknowledged but one Principle but that the rejected the Prophecies that some others as Potitus and Basilicus acknowledged two and others introduced three Natures He also tells us that he had a Conference with Apelles and that he himself being convinced of several Errors in their Conference said That we are not obliged to examine what we believe and that all those who place their hope in Jesus Christ crucified would be saved that the question about the Nature of God was exceeding obscure that he in truth believed there was but one Principle but that he was not assured of it and that the Prophecies were contrary one to another Lastly Eusebius adds that Rhodon says in this Book that he was Tatian's Disciple at Rome that Tatian had written a Book concerning the most difficult questions of Scripture promising to explain them but that having never done it he himself endeavoured to perform it And this is all we know of this Author he flourished under the Emperors Commodus and Severus PANTAENUS PAntaenus a Stoick Philosopher a Born in Sicily Some have thought that he was an Hebrew but they are mistaken for St. Clement speaking of the Master he had in Aegypt who was our Pantaenus Lib. 1. Strom. calls him the Sicilian Muse which shews that he was a Sicilian for otherwise he would as soon have called him the Attick Muse. That Master of his whom he calls an Hebrew was another Person that instructed him in Palestine born in Sicily about the beginning of the Reign of the Emperor Commodus b Presided Eusebius lib. 5. c. 10. and St. Jerome in Catalogo presided over the celebrated School of Alexandria where from the time of S. Mark the founder of that Church they had always a Divine that was eminent for Pantaenus his Learning and Piety to explain the Holy Scriptures and to instrust them in Human Learning He was obliged for a time to leave this Employment to undertake another far more excellent For the Indians having sent to the Bishop of Alexandria to furnish them with a Divine to instruct them in the Christian Religion Demetrius sent Pantaenus thither who undertook this Mission with Joy and behaved himself very worthily in it 'T is reported that he found that the Indians had already some Tincture of the Christian Religion which had been infused by St. Bartholomew the Apostle and that he met with the Gospel of S. Matthew amongst them written in Hebrew c Which that Apostle had left there S. Jerome tells us that Pantaenus brought it with him and that it was in his time preserved in the Library of Alexandria I cannot easily prevail with my self to believe this Story and indeed I should rather believe that this was the Gospel according to the Hebrews which the Nazarenes owned which might pass for that of S. Matthew for why should S. Bartholomew leave an Hebrew Book with Indians which that Apostle had left there After Pantaenus was returned to Alexandria he re-assumed the Government of the School of that City which in his absence he in all probability had committed to the care of his Disciple S. Clemment a Presbyter of Alexandria He continued to explain the Holy Scripture publickly under the Reign of Severus and Antoninus Caracalla and as S. Jerome tells us was more serviceable to the Church by his Discourses than by his Writings Nevertheless he published some Commentaries upon the Bible where he has discovered as Eusebius says the Treasures of the Scripture We may judge after what manner he explained the Sacred Text by the like performance of St. Clement of Alexandria Origen and the rest that were brought up in that School They abound in Allegories they find mysteries and instructions in every thing and scarce ever follow the literal sence and fill their Annotations generally with a great deal of Learning A Man ought to have abundance of Wit and Eloquence to keep up this way of writing Commentaries and to render it advantageous and entertaining to the People otherwise it will degenerate and grow flat and tedious The Commentaries of Pantaenus are all lost We only know that he was the Author of that Rule which has been ever since followed by all the Interpreters of Prophecies that the Prophets often express themselves in indefinite terms and that they make use of the present time instead of the past and future Theodotus has related this Opinion of Pantaenus but he speaks of it as if he had rather said it than writ it S. CLEMENT of ALEXANDRIA SAint Clement a S. Clement He was called Titus Flavius Clemens S. Epiphanius in the Heresie of the Secundians says that he was called Atheniensis by some and Alexandrinus by others which has been the occasion that it was generally believed that he was of Athens and that he was called Alexandrinus from the name of the Church whereof he was a Priest but his Country is not certainly known He was of the Sect of the Stoicks a Presbyter of Alexandria and Disciple of Pantaenus b Disciple of Pantaenus S. Clement had several Masters as he tells us himself
Christ. Which he evidently makes out from the Prophets who foretold the time of his Coming and the circumstances of his Life and Death He observes that the Original of the Jews mistake arose from their confounding his last Coming wherein he will appear in great Power and Glory with his first Coming wherein he was seen in great Humility and took upon him the mean Condition of other Men. Although the Book of Praescriptions against the Hereticks is not in the order of Time the first that Tertullian has written against them yet it is so as to the Order of the Matters which it contains because it is designed against all Heresies in general whereas the others are only against some particular Heresie This Book is entituled Of Praescriptions or rather Of Praescription against the Hereticks because herein he shews that their Doctrine is not to be admitted by reason of its Novelty Before he enters upon the Matter he endeavours to obviate the Scandal of those who admire how there could be any Heresies in the World how they could have been so great and so powerful and how it comes to pass that so many considerable Persons in the Church have been seduced to embrace them by shewing that Heresies have been foretold that they are necessary Evils for the Tryal of our Faith and that we must not judge of Faith by Persons but of Persons by their Faith Ex personis probamus fidem an ex fide personas After having given this necessary Caution he lays down the first Principle of Prescription We are not allowed says he to introduce any thing that is new in Religion nor to chuse by our selves what another has invented We have the Apostles of our Lord for Founders who were not themselves the Inventors and Authors of what they have left us but they have faithfully taught the World the Doctrine which they received from Jesus Christ. Heresies have risen from Philosophy and humane Wisdom which is quite different from the Spirit of Christianity We are not allowed to entertain our Curiosity nor to enquire after any thing that is beyond what we have been taught by Jesus Christ and his Gospel Nobis curiositate opus non est post Christum Jesum nec inquisitione post Evangelium And when we have once believed we are to give credit to nothing any farther than as we have already believed And here it is that he Answers the Objection of the Hereticks who urged this Passage of Scripture Seek and you shall find by telling us that it is not permitted to seek when we have once found that it would be a Labour to no purpose to seek for Truth among all the Heresies and lastly that if it be permitted to seek it is after having admitted the Rule that is to say the principal Articles of Faith which are contained in the Creed But as the Hereticks did often alledge the Holy Scripture in Defence of themselves he proves that the Church was not obliged to enter into a Discussion of those Passages which they quoted that this way of confuting them is very tedious and difficult because they do not acknowledge all the Books of the Scriptures or else they corrupt them or put a false Interpretation upon them which renders the Victory that is to be obtained over them uncertain and difficult He says then that it is to better purpose to understand perfectly who it is that is in Possession of the Faith of Jesus Christ who those Persons are to whom the Scriptures were committed in Trust and who are the first Authors who have given an Account of our Religion He goes back even to Jesus Christ who is the Source and Original of this Religion and to the Apostles who received it from him He shews that it is impossible that the Apostles should preach any other Doctrine than that of Jesus Christ and that all the Apostolical Churches should embrace any other Faith than that which the Apostles had delivered to them from whence he concludes that it must of necessity follow that that Doctrine which is Conformable to that which is found to be the Faith of all the Churches must be that which was taught by Jesus Christ and that on the contrary that that which is opposite thereto must be a Novel Doctrine He farther confounds the Hereticks by the Novelty of their Opinions It is evident says he that the most ancient Doctrine is that of Jesus Christ and by consequence that alone is true and that that on the contrary which had not any Date till after his Ascension must be false and supposititious Having laid down this infallible Rule he proves the Doctrine of the Hereticks to be of a later Date than that of the Church because the Authors of the Heresies were after the Establishment of the Church from which they have separated themselves That the several Sects of the Hereticks cannot reckon their Original from the time of the Apostles nor shew a Succession of Bishops from their Times as the Apostolical Churches can with whom they do not communicate That though they could pretend to such a Succession yet the Novelty of their Doctrine condemned by the Apostles and the Apostolical Churches would convince them of being Cheats and Impostors and that what they have added taken away or changed in the Books of the Holy Scripture does farther discover that they invented their Doctrine after these Books were composed That lastly their Discipline and Conduct which is absolutely Humane and Earthly without Order and without Rule renders them every way contemptible I have exactly set down the Reasonings of Tertullian in this Work because as he himself observes they are not â—nly proper to confute the Heresies that were in his Time but also to disprove all those that sprang â—p afterwards or that should arise hereafter even to the end of the Church I shall not enlarge so much upon the Works which were written against those Heresies which â—re now extinct The most considerable is that which he composed against Marcion which is disided into Five Books This Heretick maintained that there were two Principles or two Gods the â—e Good and the other Evil The one Perfect and the other Imperfect that this last is the God whom the Jews worship who created the World and delivered the Law to Moses whereas the first 〈◊〉 the Father of Jesus Christ whom he sent to destroy the Works of the Evil One that is to say â—e Law and the Prophets which Marcion rejected He affirmed likewise that Jesus Christ was not â—loathed with true Flesh. And by consequence that he did not suffer really but only in appearance â—hese are the Errors which Tertullian confutes in this Work In the First Book he shews that the unâ—nown God of Marcion is only a Fantastical and Imaginary Being In the Second he proves that â—…at God the Creator of the World whom the Jews worshipped is the Only true God and the Auâ—â—or of all Good After having demonstrated this
ratione That cadaver comes à casu That in the Greek there is an Article Homily 22 and Homily 25. Answ. These Explications are put in by the Interpreter There are the like in those Books which we have at present in Greek and which are undoubtedly his and in the ancient Translators as in him that interpreted S. Irenaeus c. Secondly It is objected That the Holy Ghost is there called the Third Person Ans. Origen often said That the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost were 3 Hypostases and the Latins have translated the word Hypostasis by that of Person for example Ferrarius translated that passage of the second Tome in Joan. after the same manner Third Objection He makes a Dialogue between the Devil and Jesus Christ and makes them hold long Discourses together Ans. This is exactly Origen's way Fourth Objection He makes use of the Authority of Isaiah and the Psalms against the Sadducees in the 39th Homily whereas Origen said that the Sadducees admitted only the Law and by consequence he would not have made use of any other Books against them Answ. Origen never said that the Sadducees did not admit the Prophets but only that they did not make use of them to prove the Doctrines of Faith Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Romans which were to the number of 15 Tomes according to Ruffinus in the Preface to his Version or twenty according to Cassiodorus A Fragment of the first Tome of the Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans chap. 24. of the Philocalia Another taken from the 9th Tome in the 9th chap. of the Philocalia Ruffinus translated 15 or 20 Tomes of Origen's Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Romans 8 8 Ruffinus â—bridg'd them into â—alf the compass as he acknowledges in his Preface Some attribute this Version to S. Hierom but unjustly for in the conclusion he strikes at S. Hierom in these words Some perhaps may ask me why I put my Name and may enquire why I have not set down for example The Commentaries of Hierom upon the Epistle to the Romans And he adds That he translated the Books of S. Clement and that we should not think that it was done by Hierom he puts the Name of Clement in the Title which shews that this Translation was done by Ruffinus We have also two Latin Passages taken from the Apology of Pamphilus Some Commentaries upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians Hom. 17. in Luc. Hier. Ep. 52. Some Commentaries Homilies and Scholia upon the Epistle to the Galatians S. Hierom in Proaemio Commentar Ep. ad Galat. Ep. 89. ad August Three Tomes upon the Epistle to the Ephesians Lib. 1. Apol. ad Ruff. 4 5.    A Commentary upon the Epistle to the Câ—lâ—ssiâ—â—s Apolog de Pampâ—â—lo  Fragments of Commenâ—â—ries upon 〈◊〉 Epistles 〈◊〉 the Colossians and to Tâ—tus in the Apology of 〈◊〉  One upon the Epistle to the Thessalonians Hiâ—r Ep. 52. One upon the Epistle to Titus Apolog. Pamph.  S. Hierâ—â— in the Epistle to Miâ—â—erius Alexander â—elâ—â—â—â— a Fragment of the Commentaries of Origen upon the Epistle to the 〈◊〉  Some Commentaries and Homilies upon the Epistle to the Hebrews He promised a Commentary upon the Apocalypse Tom. 3 in Matth. Eâ—sâ—bius lib 6. cap. 25. relates a Fragment upon the Epistle to the Hebrews Lastly There are some Fragments of a Commentrry upon the Epistle to the Hebrews in the Apology of Pamphilus   All these Greek Fragments are exactly collected by Huetius in the two Volumes which he has published containing all that remains in Greek oâ— Origen's Works upon the Scripture and 't is to him that we are indebted for almost all the Remarks that are here He has not inserted the Fragments which are in the Câ—â—enae because he believes they are not of any great Authority   The other Treatises of Origen are not near so many in Number as his Works upon the Holy Scripture and yet they were very considerable for not to mention his Commentaries upon the Philosophers which Eusebius speaks of in the 6th Book Chap 18. of his History he wrote s He wrote two Books of the Resurrection S. Hierom in Ruâ—â—in lik 2. Invect says That Origen composed two Books and two Dialogues of the Resurection The same in his 6th Epistle cites the 4th Book of the Resurrection Methodius wrote against this Work 2 Books of the Resurrection the Treatise de Principiis divided into 4 Books 10 Books of Stromata t The Treatise de Principiis divided into four Books and ten Books of Stromata This last Book was composed in imitation of that of S. Clement of Alexandria witness S. Hierom Ep. 84. who says That Origen compared therein the Opinions of the Philosophers and Christians and proved our Doctrines from Plato Aristotle Numenius and Cornutus In the tenth Book he explained the Epistle to the Galatians and some Passages of Daniel witness the same Eusebius Chap. 24. The Book of Martyrdom mentioned in the 28 Chapter The 8 Books against Câ—â—sus in the 36 Chap. The Letter to Africanus concerning the History of Susanna to which we may add the Dispute which he had with Beryllus which was extant in Eusebius's Time u And some Discourses and Letters which Eusebius had collected Eusebius has related a Fragment of that which he wrote to his Father being then very young lib. 6. cap. 2. Item of another against those who accused him of applying himself too much to the Study of Human Learning Chap. 19. He makes mention in the 28th Chapter of the Letters which he wrote in the time of the sixth Persecution afterwards in the 36th Chapter of a Letter to the Emperor Philip and of one to Severa his Wife and lastly of one to Fabianus and of several others cited at large in the 39th Chapter S. Hierom in his Catalogue cites the three last together with a Letter to Beryllus Ruffinus cites a Letter to his Friends Lib. de Adult lib. Origenis where he complains that some had falsified his Writings In the 13th Chapter of Philochalia there is part of one set down to Gregory Thaumaturgus â—edrâ—nus and Suidas have preserved a Fragment of another Letter and some Discourses Letters which Eusebius collected and divided into three Books as he declares in the same 5th Book Chap. 36. S Hierom mentions almost all his Works and besides these two other Dialogues of the Resurrection and a Treatise explaining the Hebrew Names of the New Testament which he added to that of Philo concerning the Explanation of those of the Old x Concerning the Explanation of those of the Old S. Hierom in Praefat. ad lib. Hebr. Nom. The Author of the Orthodox Questions attributed to S. Justin Quest. 82 and 86. And also in the Apology of Pamphilus there is mention made of a Treatise concerning Prayer composed by Origen Theodoret often cites our Author against divers Heretick y Theodoret
equal to the Father and that he was in him from all Eternity but because the Son derives his Divinity from the Father who is the Source of the Godhead As to what he says That the Son is the Minister of the Father That the Father made use of him in making the World and that the Son was created These are Expressions that are too common amongst the Ancints to be particularly objected to Origen as a Crime S. Hierom accuses Origen for saying That the Son in comparison Epist. ad Avitum of the Father was not Goodness it self but only the Image and Representation of Goodness and Huetius confirms this to have been Tom. 2. in Joan. p. 56. Tom. 6. p. 130. Lib. 5. contra Celsum Tom. 15. in Mat. Origen's Opinion by some of his Greek Passages The same S Hierom upbraids him also for affirming that the Son in comparison of the Father was a lesser Light That he was not the Truth but the Image of the Truth That he was Visible and the Father Invisible but we may easily discern that these Expressions as harsh as they may seem being considered separately were meant by Origen in a good sense he having no other Design than to prove that the Father was the Source and Original of Goodness and Truth and that the Son received it from him and that in this sense he was the Image of the Father's Goodness the Brightness of his Godhead Expressions which in this sense are very Orthodox As to what he says that the Father is Invisible and the Son Visible we have shewn in other Places what the Ancients meant by this way of speaking Lastly It is easie to answer what S. Epiphanius and several others object to Origen That he denied that the Father was Visible to the Son and to the Holy Ghost for he affirms so expresly in so many places That the Father is perfectly Tom. 20. in Joh. p. 292. known of the Son and even of the Holy Ghost that he must of necessity have had some other meaning when he seems to assert the contrary Ruffinus answers this Objection That he denied that the Father was visible to the Son as Bodies are visible to Bodies that he might confute the Error of the Valentinians who believed that God was Corporeal and he cites a Passage of Origen where he distinguishes betwixt Seeing and Knowing and affirms That we may say that the Son knows the Father but that we cannot say that he sees him because Seeing is the Property of a Body I shall not make any Answer to other more trivial Objections because it is easie to satisfie them as well by what we have just now said as by what we have observed upon the other Fathers a Lib. 1 cont Celsum lib. 2. lib. 3. lib. 4 Com. in Joan. in Mat. passim lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Apol. Pamphili Vide Tom. 1. in Joan. p. 3. Tom. 20. p. 307. lib. 6. Lib. 1. cont Celsum Lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophil Ep. 2. Paschal Hier. Ep. ad Ruffinum lib. 1. cap. 5. Ep. 61. ad Avitum c. 4. Sulpit. Severus Dial. 1. c. 3. Bern. Serm. 44. Albert. in Ep. 8 Dion Hom. 40. in Lucam Hom. 1. in Levit. Lâ—b 5. in Ep. ad Rom. T. 1. in Joh. p. 32 38. T. 2. p 69. t. 1. in Mat. p. 313. 〈◊〉 15. in Mat. 313 L. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 3. Lib. 5. in Ep. ad Rom. Justin. Ep. ad Mennam Hier. Ep. ad Avitum Vide Hom. 1. in Levit. in Luc. c. 2. Hom. 12. in Lev. 8. Hom. 20. in Luc. lib. 2. de Princip c. 3. Tom. 1. Com. in Johan Tom. 2. p. 320. There are no very considerable Objections made against Origen's Doctrine concerning the Incarnation for though he be accused of several Errors he affirms so positively in all his Works That the WORD had taken a Body and a Soul like ours in the Womb of a Virgin by the Operation of the Holy Ghost That Jesus Christ had true Fesh That he really suffered That he is altogether God and Man in that the Human Nature was united with the Divine Nature in one and the same Person That it is impossible to accuse him of any Error concerning the Mystery of the Incarnation Perhaps as he was of Opinion That the Souls were in Heaven before they came down into their Bodies he might think the same thing of the Soul of Jesus Christ. But this was only a particular Error for which he was not very earnest He is accused of believing that the Death of Christ was of Advantage to all reasonable Creatures as Angels Devils and even insensible things and 't is certain that he does assert this wild Notion in several places of his Works He has feigned a Spiritual Death of Jesus Christ in the other World which has given occasion to tax him for holding that Jesus Christ died several times He believed that Christ did not come out of the Virgins Womb by Penetration and he accuses the Virgin Mary of Distrust But these are but slight Errors and common among the Ancients As he believed that the only Point of Faith relating to the Angels was That there were such Beings and that neither Scripture nor Tradition had determined any thing as to their Nature and their Number so he has taken the Liberty to deliver his own Thoughts hereupon He imagines that they are Corporeal though invisible having nevertheless a Spiritual Soul He says That the good Angels have a finer and the Evil ones a grosser Body The Principle from whence he has drawn this Conclusion is That all intelligent and spiritual Creatures having been created in Heaven with a perfect Freedom of Will they have been afterwards for a Punishment of their Faults confined to Bodies more or less gross according to the Quality of their Crimes and ranked in such and such Orders or Degrees of Creatures inferior one to another yet so nevertheelss as that after having suffered this Exile if I may so say for some Ages they may by living vertuously return to the Place from whence they were banished b This is the Principle of the Platonists Theophilus Justinian S. Epiphanius Methodius and an anonymous Author in Photius ascribed it to Origen He plainly asserts it in his first Book of Principles C. 6. Tom. 15. 13. in Matt. And going upon this Principle he affirms That men may become Angels and Angels Men That the Angels being free do often commit Faults That the Devils shall one day be delivered That the Angels are guilty of several Offences in their Administration of things here below for which they are immediately rebuked and for which they shall be judged in the Day of Judgment All these Fancies and several others are the Consequences of Plato's Doctrine to which Origen was wonderfully addicted We must nevertheless acknowledge that he does not propose these things as Doctrines of our Religion but
Hom. 35. Luc. 3. per. He says however concerning that to the Hebrews that the Thoughts of this Epistle are St. Paul's but that it was Composed by some other Person and that there is none but God who knows the Author of it though some attribute it to S. Clemens others to S. Luke He says that there is but one Epistle of S. Peter which was received by all the Churches but that we may grant the Second likewise to have been his He says the same thing of the Two last Epistles of S. John He cites the Epistles of St. Jude and St. James in his Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans He likewise quotes the Revelations and attributes them to St. John Besides these Books he often cites Apocryphal Writings as the Gospels according to the Aegyptians and according to the Hebrews the Book of Hermas the Epistle of S. Barnabas the Book of Enoch and even some Heretical Books as the Apocalypse of S. Paul a Book conterning the Twelve Apostles the Doctrine of S. Peter the Acts of S. Paul the History of Isaiah and and some others Origen had very quick Parts a very strong and Extensive Phancy but he relied too much on the Vivacity of his Genius and often lost himself out of too great earnestness to fathom and subtilize every thing He had a very happy invention and a much more happy delivery of what he had invented But he had not that exactness in his Inventions nor all that Gracefulness in the Delivery as might be wish'd He carried on his Work with so great ease that he is said to have Dictated to Seven or Eight Persons at a time and he was so ready in Expressing himself that he made the greatest Part of his Homilies Extempore Upon which account his Style was not very Correct nor Coherent He had a vast Memory but he often trusted too much to it He was a Person of most profound Learning and he particularly Studied Plato's Philosophy which he understood to Perfection and indeed he was too much addicted to it for a Christian. He understood likewise the Maxims of the other Philosophers He had apply'd himself mightily to the Study of Humane Learning He was neither Ignorant of History nor Mythology and he had as great knowledge in all the Profane Sciences as those who had Studied nothing else all their whole Lives But he particularly excell'd in the knowledge of the Holy Scripture to the Study of which he entirely addicted himself He had Learned it all by heart and that he might not neglect any thing which might be of use for the understanding the Letter thereof he carefully Examined all the Versions of the Bible which were in his time and compared them all together with the Hebrew Text adding thereto a Literal Commentary upon the most difficult Places He was not very well skill'd in the Hebrew yet he knew enough of it to understand it and to observe the Differences of the Text and the Translations but he did not keep to the Literal Explication of the Bible He thought it necessary for the setting off of the Holy Scripture to the best advantage which appeared but plain and simple to the Heathens and for the rendring it of greater use to all the World to give Mystical or Allegorical Interpretations of every thing in it And herein imitates the way of Philo and Aristobulus and followed the Genius and Manner of the Platonists We have already taken notice that Hippolitus explained the Scripture Allegorically and that it was in imitation of him that Origen undertook this way of Writing St. Clement of Alexandria his Master is also full of Allegories and 't is not to be denied but that the Hellenistical Jews and the Primitive Christians made very frequent use of them But Origen has carried on an Allegory as far as it can possibly go and he has furnished Matter to all the Greek and Latin Fathers who have imitated him and have hardly done any thing else than copy him This way of explaining the Holy Scripture by continual Allegories seems to me to be very defective For though it may be good sometimes to awaken if I may so say the Auditor and to direct him by such kind of Allegories yet they become useless and tedious when they are perpetual and the Mind which requires great Application for the comprehending of them is tired and soon looses the Consequence both of Reasoning and Thought Besides that by minding only the Allegorical Sense we neglect the Literal which is oftentimes more excellent and of greater Advantage than all the Allegories in the World that divert the Mind without instructing it and strike the Imagination without affecting the Heart Lastly If in explaining the Holy Scripture we should only stick to the Allegory as Origen has done it might give occasion to believe that the Scripture taken barely in the Literal Sense would be but of very little Advantage which is a very great Error 'T is therefore a very ill way of defending Origen in this Point to say with a modern Author that he seems to have been excusable in this because he had learned by Experience that the Letter of the Scripture was but of little use for Instruction For this is to make him assert a thing which is very false the Letter of the Scripture being of exceeding use for Instruction and even more profitable than any Allegory which is not to be us'd but only now and then to awaken the Auditors Origen's Books against Celsus are an excellent Work and stored with extraordinary Learning He answers the Objections of Celsus who of all the Heathens that have written againg the Christian Religion had made the most cunning ones and proposed them the most maliciously very solidly He establishes by convincing Proofs the History of Jesus Christ his Miracles his Divinity and Resurrection He confutes the Calumnies and Impostures of Celsus and of the other Heathens against the Chri-Christians and Lastly he proves the Truth and Excellency of the Doctrine and Religion of Jesus Christ. This Book is written very Politely and with great Care and Exactness 'T is not only the best of Origen's Works but also the most accomplish'd and best Composed Apology for the Christians which we have of all the Antients The Books of Principles were likewise written with great Care and they had been of very great use if he had contented himself to explain the Principles of Religion according to Scripture and Tradition without mixing therewith his own Philosophical Notions His Commentaries upon the Scripture are more Polite than his Homilies they are full of Learning but they are not very Exact and we may observe therein a great many Fancies which are useless obscure and perplexed Often after having begun one Explication he passes to another without finishing the first His Homilies are plainer and intelligible but their style is less Elegant The Treatise concerning Prayer is an Excellent Piece of Devotion It contains a great many
a double mistake for neither does St. Athanasiu's say that there be but few Priests or Bishops married nor does he speak a word of Priests Monks were not constantly Ordain'd in those days St. Anthony their great Master was a Lay-man and in this very Letter to Dracontius St. Athanasius amongst other Arguments to persuade him to accept the Bishoprick to which he was Canonically Elected tells him That if the Monks desired to have Presbyters among them to Instruct them in their Duty they ought not to envy others who for the same Reason were earnest to have Dracontius for their Bishop and we have seen Monks married In a word 't is permitted to every one in whatsoever State he is to use such abstinences as he pleases He concludes with exhorting him to return to his Bishoprick before Easter that his People might not be abandon'd and oblig'd to Celebrate that Feast without him and with earnest Entreaties that he would not hearken to their Counsels that would hinder his Return They would says he have Priests among themselves Why then are they unwilling that the People should have Bishops In the Letter to Ammon the Monk he refutes the Error of some Monks who condemn'd the use of Marriage and shows by the Scripture that 't is permitted and that 't is an Impiety to condemn it tho' Virginity is a more perfect State and deserves greater Rewards The Life of St. Anthony may be reckon'd among his Moral Writings for it contains excellent Instructions for all Monks We must also place among the Moral Works of St. Athanasius his Homily of Circumcision and the Sabbath There he treats of the Institution of the Sabbath and thinks that the principal end of its Celebration was not merely to rest but that it was Instituted to make known the Creator that the Reason why 't is abrogated in the New Law and the Feast of Sunday establish'd in its room is because the first Day was the end of the first Creation and the second was the beginning of the New For the same Reason he believes that Circumcision was appointed on the eighth Day to be a figure of that Regeneration which is made by Baptism Lastly That I may say something of the Treatises of St. Athanasius upon the Holy Scriptures the Abridgment of the Scriptures is the most useful of them There you may see in one view an Enumeration of all the Canonical Books of the Old Testament according to the Catalogue of the Hebrews which contains but 22 and he adds those that are not Canonical but yet are read in the Church to the Catechumens which according to him are the Books of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Esther Judith and Tobit with this Observation That some plac'd the Books of Esther and Ruth amongst those which they esteem'd Canonical In the Catalogue of the Canonical Books of the New Testament he places all those which we acknowledge at present After he has given us these Catalogues he makes a very faithful Abridgment of what is contain'd in every Book and gives the Reason why 't is call'd by such a Name and Discourses of the Author that wrote it Afterwards he gives a Catalogue of those Apocryphal Books which are of little or no use at all He speaks particularly of the Four Gospels their Authors and the Places where they were compos'd he treats in a few Words of the Greek Versions of the Old Testament and at last gives a Catalogue of some Books cited in Scripture that are lost The Fragment of the 39th Festival Letter is upon the same Subject and it contains also a Catalogue of the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament and of those that are useful tho' they be not Canonical which he distinguishes from these Apocryphal Books that have been forg'd by Hereticks and here he follows the same Catalogue which is in the Abridgment But he adds to the number of these Books that may be read to the Catechumens The Doctrine of the Apostles and the Book entituled Pastor The Book to Marcellinus upon the Psalms is also of the same Nature St. Athanasius shows there the Excellency of the Book of Psalms and relates the Subject of many of them those that are Historical and those that are Moral He observes there That the Book of Psalms referrs to all the Histories of the Old Testament That it includes all the Prophecies of Jesus Christ That it expresses all the Opinions which we ought to have That it contains the Prayers that should be made and comprizes all the Precepts of Morality He observes That there are some Psalms Historical some Moral some Prophetical besides those that consist of Prayers and Praises all which he distinguishes and places in their proper Rank and Order He shews that the Psalms represent to every one of the Faithful the State of his own Soul that every one may see himself there represented and may observe from the different Passions there express'd what he feels in his own Heart and that in whatever State any one is there he may find Words suitable to his present Disposition Rules for his Conduct and Remedies for his Troubles Wherefore he divides the Psalms according to the different Matters of which they treat that every one may make use of them according to his Necessities and according to the different States that he falls into He adds That those who Sing should be of a free and quiet Spirit that the Melody of their Song may agree with the Harmony of their Spirit And last of all He would not have any Words of the Psalms which may appear simple chang'd under pretence of making them more Elegant The Treatise upon these Words of Jesus Christ Whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Spirit his sin shall not be forgiven him neither in this World nor in the other is an Explication of this difficult place of Scripture wherein he first observes that Origen and Theognostus thought That the Sin against the Holy Ghost was the Sin of those who after they were baptiz'd lost the Grace of Baptism by their Crimes But St. Athanasius maintains That this Explication is not Natural because those that violate their Vows of Baptism sin no more against the Holy Spirit than against the Father and the Son in whose Name Baptism is administred And to shew that this Opinion of the Ancients is not defensible he observes That these Words of Jesus Christ were address'd to the Pharisees who were never baptiz'd and yet sinned against the Holy Spirit by saying That Jesus Christ cast out Devils in the name of Beelzebub He adds That if this Explication were admitted it would give up the Cause to Novatus He explains the Passage of St. Paul to the Hebrews where the Apostle says 'T is impossible that those who were once baptiz'd should be renew'd again which does not exclude says St. Athanasius Repentance after Baptism but only a second Baptism After he has rejected this Explication he advances a New one
Monastick Life In short 'T is obvious to every one that reads them That the Writer was a much better Christian than a Scribe one that understood better the Maxims of Christianity than the Precepts of Eloquence and was much more fill'd with the Unction of the Holy One than with Humane Science and Learning St. Athanasius or the Author of the Life of St. Anthony which is attributed to this Father sets down a long Exhortation of St. Anthony to his Monks which contains many Instructions very useful for them and wholesome Advices about the Temptations of the Devil There are also found in this Writing ingenious Answers of the same Saint to the Philosophers and some other Persons and a Letter to the Emperour There is moreover a short Rule attributed to St. Anthony set down in the Collection of Rules made by St. Benedictus Anianensis who liv'd towards the Year 820 from the birth of Christ which contains many Moral Precepts and prescribes some Monastical Observations Besides these Gerard Vossius has given us under the Name of St. Anthony a Sermon which is a Declamation against the Vices and Excesses of the Men of the World at the End of which he Exhorts Men to do Penance by representing unto them the Judgment of God and the Pains which the damned suffer after the Resurrection 'T is hard to say whether this Discourse be truly St. Anthony's or whether it be only put out under his Name as a Discourse that would agree exactly to one so retir'd from the World as he was Be that as it will it has much of the Stile of this Saint's Letters though more Elegant and Sublime Lastly There were two Books of Latin Sermons attributed to St. Anthony in the time of Trithemius but now all the Criticks agree that they are none of his neither can be since they cite St. Basil St. Gregory Nyssen St. Chrysostom St. Nilus and Photius Authors that liv'd and wrote after St. Anthony The Letters of St. Anthony were printed apart and are since inserted into the Bibliothecae Patrum His Rule is in Benedictus Anianensis's Code publish'd by Holstenius from the Copy of a Manuscript which was in the Monastery of St. Maximin near Triers at Rome in 1661. and re-printed in Quarto at Paris by Billaine in 1663. St. PACHOMIUS THough St. Anthony was the Institutor of a Monastick Life yet St. Pachomius ought to be consider'd as the Author of a Coenobitick Life because he was the first that appointed regulated St. Pachomius Societies He was Born in Thebais of Gentile Parents and did for some time bear Arms in the War of Constantine against Maxentius When this War was ended he who had been always a Christian in his Heart was baptiz'd and retir'd with an Hermit nam'd Palemon under whose Conduct he led a very austere Life He stay'd afterward in Tabenna a Country of Egypt situated on the Brink of the Nile in the Diocess of Tentyra where he Founded a Monastery in obedience as is believ'd to the Admonition of an Angel and in Conformity to a Rule which he is thought to have received from it Be this as it will for though this Story be related by many Authors I do not think that any Man is absolutely oblig'd to believe it Be this as it will I say the Monastery which he Founded in Tabenna was fill'd in a very little time and he was oblig'd to build many more of them so that he peopl'd all the Upper Thebais with Monasteries of his Order 'T is reported in the Greek Acts of his Life publish'd not long since in the great Collection of the Lives of the Saints by Bollandus and Papebrochius that he was accus'd at a Synod of Diospolis because he Divin'd the most secret Thoughts of Men but he was Absolv'd by the same Synod where were two of his Disciples after he declar'd that God of his Grace reveal'd to him the most hidden things He died about the Year 400. We have in the Life of St. Pachomius a Rule which is thought to have been given him by the Angels but there is another also which bears the Name of this holy Abbot in the Collection of the Oriental Rules in the Bibliothecae Patrum and at the End of some Editions of Cassian which is much larger and seems to have been drawn up at different times It contains many Rules concerning the Habits the Diet the Employments and the Discipline of Monks 'T is thought to have been translated by St. Jerom and there is at the beginning a Letter which imitates the Stile of this Father well enough There are also some Moral Precepts publish'd under his Name by Gerard Vossius printed at Mentz in the Year 1604. and in Benedictus Anianensis's Collection there are Eleven Letters a Eleven Letters These were written as Gennadius observes to the Superiours of the Monasteries of his Community who are design'd by the Letters of the Alphabet there is One to the Abbot Hyrus One to the Abbot Cornelius One to all the Superiours to advertise them to come and Celebrate the Feast of Easter at a Monastery call'd in the Egyptian Tongue Baâ—â—m and this is cited by St. Cyril of Alexandria in a Letter cited by Bucherius There is another to the same persons giving them notice to meet on the Day of Remission i. e. at the General Chapter which was held in the Month of August and another to the Brethren who were gone out of the Monastery to Work of the same Author written with much Simplicity which are cited by Gennadius and a Letter of Theodorus his Disciple concerning Easter Gennadius calls St. Pachomius a Man truly Apostolical in his Discourses and Actions His Rule is very Judicious and comes down to all the Particulars necessary for the Government of a Monastery ORSIESIS ORSIESIS was Successor to Pachomius after Petronius who govern'd the Monastery of Tabenna but a few days He has written a Spiritual Treatise of the Doctrine or Institution of Orsiesis Monks which he left when he was a Dying to the Religious of his Monastery 'T is an Exhortation that he made to them to Watch over themselves and to discharge their Duties exactly and is fill'd with many Passages of Scripture which he applies to his Subjects very properly Upon this account 't was that Gennadius said that this Treatise was season'd with Divine Salt Divino sale conditus 'T was printed apart by Gymnicus at Cologne in the Year 1536. and afterwards inserted into the Bibliothecae Patrum 'T is found also in Benedictus Anianensis's Code that was publish'd by Holstenius THEODORUS THEODORUS a Presbyter one of the Principal Disciples of St. Pachomius and his Successor in the Government of the Abby of Tabenna if we believe Gennadius wrote Letters to Theodorus other Monasteries which are almost wholly made up of Passages of Scripture and yet there he often mentions his Master St. Pachomius and proposes his Example and Doctrine for their Instruction He admonishes
not really so and that those who believ'd themselves to be arriv'd at the highest degree of Perfection have oftentimes faln into Sin I pass over the 38th because that is entire among the little Tracts of Mark the Hermit In the 39th he says 'T is to no purpose to read the Scripture if we do not make Improvement by it In the 40th he proves That there is a concatenation of Vertues one with another and that there is the same in Vices He answers also three Questions and in his Answers he says That there are different degrees of Damnation and that greater Sinners shall be more punish'd than those that have not committed so great Crimes That the quiet state of some Souls does not hinder them from exercising Charity That Grace and an Inclination to Sin may be found together in one and the same Soul at the same time In the 41st he describes the Improvements of Grace in a Soul and makes it appear that none can preserve this Disposition of growing in Grace without Humility In the 42d he says That nothing but the Actions of Men can be hurtful or useful unto them In the 43d he speaks of the different Improvements of those that strive against Sin but 't is so obscure that hardly any thing can be understood in it The 44th is of the Change that Jesus Christ wrought in us and the manner how he heals our Souls He continues the same Subject in the following Homily and explains by many Comparisons the Union of the Soul with God In the 46th he says That a sick Soul may have recourse to a Physician to pray and request his help and when the Heavenly Physician comes to its assistance he joins himself to it to enlighten and conduct it and make it his Spouse The 47th contains many Allegorical Explications of the Law of Moses which he applies to the different states of the Soul In the 48th he says That those who have a true Faith of Heavenly things ought not to have their Affections fix'd on things of this Earth and that those who retire from the World ought not to be sollicitous or anxious about the things thereof In short he would not have the Monks make use of any Medicines to help them in their Diseases but to put their whole Trust in Jesus Christ. In the 49th he shows That 't is not enough to have abandon'd the World but we must also ardently seek after Eternal Happiness In the 50th and last he observes That God was the Cause of all the Miracles which the Saints wrought and from this Remark he draws a Moral Reflexion that we cannot command the Devil but by the Assistance of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit He adds That he that considers his Infirmity his Weakness and Wounds and does not withal consider the Aids of the Holy Spirit which strengthens him is an Indiscreet Man And on the contrary He that so much thinks upon the Divine Aids as to forget his own Weakness and so fansies that he can never fall does miserably deceive himself After this manner does this Author always reconcile these two Fundamental Doctrines of Grace and Free-Will that we ought always so to labour as if the whole depended upon our own Endeavours and yet to acknowledge that we can do nothing without God And if Men had always contented themselves with this Simplicity without nicer Philosophical Enquiries How many Questions had been ended without Noise How many Differences compos'd What Disputes had been Abolish'd What Arguments Superseded How many Books had been â—â—ifâ—ed But to return to our Author there are besides Seven Spiritual Treatises of his which have been publish'd in Greek and Latin by Possinus The 1st is concerning Watching over our Heart The 2d Of Perfection of Mind The 3d. Of Prayer The 4th Of Patience and Discretion The 5th Of the Elevation of the Mind The 6th Of Charity The 7th Of the Freedom of Spirit and some Apophthegms of the Fathers 'T is plain That the Author of the 50 Homilies is the Author of these Treatises for there is the same Genius in them both He has the same Notions and the same Stile He Discourses after the same manner of Grace and Free-Will and he maintains in these Seven Treatises as well as the Author of the Homilies That Angels and Souls are Bodies But 't is not so certain that these are the Works of Macarius the Disciple of St. Anthony and I think 't is more probable that they were made by a later Monk Whoever was the Author his Stile is simple and one may see that he was a Good Hermit who speaks from his Heart without Affectation and Ornament and oftentimes even without Order He allegorizes all and expresses a great many mystical Thoughts which are very hardly intelligible and for the most part makes use of Comparisons which are not just and fit In a word Some things have escap'd him which cannot altogether be reconcil'd to good sence so difficult a thing it is in Spiritual Matters not to wander sometimes The Rules which bear the Name of Macarius are of another Author Those that are found under the Name of Macarius only in Benedictus Anianensis's Code are attributed to Macarius of Alexandria i. e. the Abbot of Nitria Disciple of St. Pachomius and Master of Evagrius There is a certain passage in them which seems to be taken out of St. Jerom's Letter to Rusticus which makes me think either that this was added or that St. Jerom imitated St. Macarius However this Rule is ancient and is cited by the Author of the Life of St. Philibert who says That this Saint read the Rules of St. Macarius St. Benedict and St. Columbanus The other Rule which is found in the same Code compos'd by the two Macarii St. Serapion and St. Paphnutius is made in the Form of a Dialogue and probably is nothing else but some Conferences of theirs which some Monks had gather'd together as the two Rules which follow in the same Code are a Collection of the Speeches of 34 Abbots There is also found a Rule in the same Code which bears the Name of the Abbot Isaiah which is proper for Hermits and especially younger Regulars 'T is full of Moral Precepts and therefore had the Title of The Precepts and Advices of the Abbot Isaiah This Abbot is probably he whom Ruffinus and Palladius mention and call the Abbot of Syria There are also under the Name of the same Isaiah some Remarks upon a Religious Life publish'd by Possinus At the same time there liv'd one Mark a Hermit who dwelt in the Desart of the Cells and liv'd almost an Hundred Years to whom some Books are attributed which probably belong to another Mark who liv'd long after I shall say nothing at present of the Discourses the Answers and Admonitions of the other Hermits of this time because they may be seen in Ruffinus Palladius and other Authors who have written their Lives
ungodly and who hath not walk'd in the way of Sinners and who hath not sate in the Chair of Infection According to the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The First degree is Not to be of the Number of the Impious and the Hereticks The Second is not to be of the number of the Wicked as the Covetous the Drunkards the Incontinent the Proud the Detractors the Robbers c. who observe not the Discipline of the Church The Third Is not to sit in the Chair of Infection By this Chair he understands the Cares and Affairs of the World which corrupt Men by an Infection that is almost unavoidable For though says he some Persons that enter upon Secular Offices and engage in the Affairs of the World have a Holy and Religious Will yet they are often corrupted by those Affairs in which they are oblig'd to employ themselves and the Rules of this World do not permit them to live according to the Maxims of Christianity He adds That those Three Degrees ought to be crown'd with a Fourth which is continual Meditation in the Law of God That this Meditation as well as Prayer does not only consist in Reading or reciting the Holy Books but in the Practice of those things which are prescrib'd and taught in them and that 't is not sufficient to do it out of Fear but our Practice must proceed from Love and Good-will He applies the rest of the Psalm to Jesus Christ and observes That he restores unto Man that Immortality which the First Man had lost by his Sin That the Impious shall be as it were annihilated by the Fire of Hell He confesses That they shall rise again at the Day of Judgment but he maintains that they shall not there be judg'd at all because they are already condemn'd and that the Judgment shall be only for those who having had Faith did not live up to the Laws of Christianity This Opinion is very singular and we may believe that he took it from Origen His next Observation is much more reasonable which is this That when it is said in Scripture That God learns any thing we must not understand it as if he were ignorant of it before but only that he then gave to Men the Signs of his Knowledge As when he says to Adam Where art thou This does not imply that he wasignorant of it before but only that he had a Mind to put him to shame And so again when he says to Abraham Now I know your Faith this does not signifie that he knew it not before but only that he had now prov'd it He begins his Commentary upon the Second Psalm with this Observation That this Psalm is call'd the First by St. Paul Act. 13. because in the Hebrew it is one continued Psalm with the First though it has been since distinguish'd from it in the Version of the Septuagint In the common Editions of the New Testament this is quoted as the Second Psalm by St. Paul and in the common Editions of the Hebrew Bible the Second Psalm is always distinguished from the First He says That this Version was made in the time of Ptolomy and that its Authors were the Successors of the Seventy appointed by Moses who entrusted to them secret Mysteries which he would not commit to Writing in his Books That their Successors instructed by this Tradition have translated the Psalms according to those Notices which they had and fix'd the sence of many Hebrew words which before were undetermined That therefore the Version of the Septuagint ought to be of great Authority and is to be preferr'd before all other Versions which have been made by such Persons as were ignorant of the Tradition which Moses left to the Synagogue After he has made these Remarks whether they be just or no this is not a place to examine he applies all that 's said in this Psalm to Jesus Christ and his Church He thinks that the first words are spoken in the Person of God the Father and that the following words beginning at these Let us break their Cords asunder agree to the Apostles understanding by these Cords the Cords of Sin He observes in this Psalm That God has no need of any of his Creatures so that God did not create them for himself but for themselves That when he requires Men to Love and to Fear him this is not for any Profit that he can draw from their Service but only that this Love and Fear may be serviceable to their own Salvation He establishes Free-Will and says That Justice is the Consequence of our Good Will and Happiness is the Reward of our Merits and that Hell is the Punishment of Sins freely committed That God does not put himself in a Passion to punish us being no ways Subject to Change but that his Justice produces those Effects of Vengeance which Men attribute to Anger So that he appears not to be Angry but when he would bring us to Repentance He says upon these Words Hearken O ye Kings of the Earth That the true Royalty of a Man consists in conquering his Passions and that the Kings of the Earth who are estranged from the Commandments of God are Unhappy Kings He observes That the Motives of Fear and Joy are intermix'd in this Psalm That Fear may retain Men in Reverence and Devotion and that Joy may temper this Fear At last he assures us That after Death the Impious are reserv'd in a place of Torment unto the Day of Judgment and that the Just are conducted by the Angels to the Mansions of the blessed in Abraham's bosom In the Fragment of a Commentary upon the Thirteenth Psalm he Discourses of the Necessity that Mankind lay under of having a Saviour and a Physician In his Commentary upon the Fifteenth Psalm he says That this Psalm is nothing else but David's Prayer which he made to God to beg of him the Knowledge of what a Man ought to do in order to the obtaining of Eternal Blessedness By the Tabernacles which he desires we must understand says St. Hilary the Multitude of those Churches that have been Establish'd since the coming of Jesus Christ who is this Mountain that David seeks after He says That Good Works avail nothing without Faith in Jesus Christ. He seems to approve a Lye as Necessary upon some Occasions but he absolutely condemns Usury and chiefly that which tends to the Ruin of the Poor If ye be Christians says he Wherefore do ye draw a Temporal Profit from your Silver Wherefore do ye not rather lay up for your selves a treasure in Heaven If ye be Christians wherefore do ye expect from Men a recompence of your Liberality I do not say that you should give them your Goods but at least ye should be content to demand back again what you had Lent without Robbing him of more And remember ye that he from whom ye exact this Usury is a Poor Christian for whom Christ was willing to be
Fire All that I can do is to exhort you 't is your part to Labour and God's to Perfect Raise up your Minds direct your Intentions prepare your Hearts it is for your Souls that you fight and they are Eternal Treasures which you hope for The First Lecture is also an Exhortation to those that are to be baptiz'd to prepare themselves by a Holy Life and by Good Works that so they may receive the Grace of Baptism It is compos'd upon a Lesson taken out of the First Chapter of Isaiah Verse 16. which begins with these words Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings c. He exhorts them wholly to put off the Old-man sincerely to renounce all Sin and to spend in the Exercises of Piety the 40 Days that are appointed to Prepare them for Baptism The Second is concerning Sin and Penance He teaches them That Sin is committed voluntarily by the bad use we make of our Free-Will That the Devil was the first Sinner that afterwards he made the first Man sin That by the Sin of the first Man all Men fell under Blindness and Death That he who rais'd Lazarus rais'd our Souls and deliver'd them from Sin by his Blood That therefore we ought not to despair whatsoever Sins we have committed but to trust to the Mercy of God and to have recourse to the Remedy of Repentance He relates many Examples of God's Mercy towards the greatest Sinners He alledges also the Example of the Angels to whom he thinks God pardon'd many Faults He adds towards the end the Example of St. Peter and concludes with these words These are my Brethren the many Examples of Sinners whom God hath pardon'd as soon as they repented Do you also Confess your Sins unto the Lord and you shall obtain the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy the Heavenly Reward together with all the Saints in Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever The Third Lecture is concerning the Necessity of Baptism and of Penance which ought to precede it You must prepare your selves says he by Purity of Conscience for you ought not to consider the External Baptism but the Spiritual Grace which is given with the Water that is Sanctified by the Invocation of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost The Water washes the Body but the Spirit sanctifies the Soul that we being purified may become worthy to approach unto God You cannot be perfect unless you be sanctified by the Water and the Spirit So if any one be baptiz'd without having the Holy Spirit he receives not the Grace of Baptism and likewise if any one receive not Baptism though his Conversation were never so well order'd he shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This Discourse is bold but it is not mine but Jesus Christ's who has pronounc'd this Sentence when he said Except a man be born again of Water and the Holy Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven He proves this Truth by the Example of Cornelius then he shows the Necessity of Baptism by Water and says That none but Martyrs only can enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven without being baptiz'd The Ancients generally believed that Martyrdom was that Baptism by Fire which John Baptist fore-told Mat. 3. 11. and that was the Cup which our Saviour foretold Zebedee's Children that they should drink and the Baptism wherewith they were to be baptized He teaches That since Jesus Christ was baptiz'd to sanctifie the Waters of Baptism we must descend into the Water to be sanctified and as the Holy Spirit did then visibly appear so now he descends likewise though after an invisible manner upon those that are baptiz'd if they be well prepared for it In short he still exhorts those to whom he speaks to prepare themselves in the remaining part of Lent that so they may obtain by Baptism the Pardon of their Sins and the Grace of the Holy Spirit St. Cyril begins in the Fourth Catechetical Discourse with the Explication of the Articles of our Faith He says in his Exordium That the Worship of God consists in two things in the belief of those Doctrines that Religion teaches us and in the practice of Good Works That Faith is unprofitable without Good Works and that Good Works will prevail nothing without Faith He observes That the Articles of Faith are opposed by Pagans Jews and Hereticks and therefore it is necessary to propose it and explain it to those that enter into the Church He says That before he explains them more largely he will first give a summary of them and prays those that are already instructed to hear with Patience his Catechetical Discourses Afterwards he summarily explains the chief Doctrines of our Religion He instructs them concerning the Divinity That there is but one God only the Creator of all things who is every where present who knows all things who can do all things who never changes who will reward the Good and punish the Wicked c. He adds That we must believe also in Jesus Christ our Lord the only Son of God God begotten of God like in all things to him who begat him who was from all Eternity who sitteth now at his right hand and reigneth with him That we must not believe that the Son is of another Nature than the Father nor confound the Persons of the Father and the Son That he is the Word and the Word of God but a Word subsisting which is nothing like to the Word of Men That this Word was truly and really united to the Humane Nature That he assum'd real Flesh from the Virgin That he was truly Man subject to Humane Infirmities and to Death it self That he was crucified for our Sins That he was buried in the Grave and that he descended into Hell to deliver the Just who had been shut up there a long time with Adam That he was truly risen from the Dead That being ascended into Heaven he was worship'd by all the World and that he shall come again to Judge the Quick and the Dead and to establish an Eternal Kingdom Concerning the Holy Spirit he teaches That we ought to have the same Notions of him as of the Father and the Son That he is One Indivisible and Almighty That he knows all things That he descended in the form of a Dove upon Jesus Christ That he spoke by the Prophets That he Sanctifies the Soul in Baptism and that he ought to be honoured as the Father and the Son being one and the same Divinity He Exhorts his Auditors to hold fast this Creed and gives them Notice That he will prove it in the following Discourse by Testimonies of Scripture For says he we ought not to teach any thing concerning Divine Mysteries but what we can confirm by the Testimonies of Scripture Do not believe what I say if I do not prove it by the Holy Scriptures St. Cyril after having inform'd those whom he instructs what they ought
to believe concerning the Divinity acquaints them with the Knowledge of their own Natures teaching them that they are compos'd of Body and Soul That the Soul is Immortal because of Jesus Christ who has given it Immortality That it is free and has the power of doing Good and Evil That it did not Sin before it came into the World That the Souls of Men and Women are of the same Nature That the Body is the Work of God That it is not Wicked by Nature That when it meets with a holy Soul it is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and that we ought to be very watchful lest we defile it by Uncleanness He occasionally takes Notice That Virginity is the more perfect state but that we ought not to blame Marriage That Married Persons may hope for Salvation provided they use Marriage aright That in Order to their living holily in this state they must abstain sometimes from the use of Marriage to give themselves unto Prayer and that their Intention should not be to satisfie a brutal Passion but to have Children He adds That we ought not to condemn even those that proceed to Second Marriages and that this weakness should be pardon'd in those who stand in need of this Remedy to avoid Fornication As to what concerns Abstinence from Meat St. Cyril says That Christians do abstain during their Fasts from Flesh and Wine but that they have no aversation to those things as if they were in themselves Abominable That they do not abstain but to Merit the more by despising what is agreeable to our sense that they may enjoy the heavenly Feast He absolutely forbids the Eating of things Sacrificed to Idols and things Strangled As for Clothes he desires that they may be modest and such as may serve not to adorn but to cover the Body and defend it from the Injuries of the Weather He speaks afterwards of the Resurrection and brings Examples to show that it is not impossible The Holy Scripture is the last thing of which he treats in this Lecture He says That the Old Testament is part of the Holy Scripture and exhorts them not to read the Apocryphal Books He informs them That there are but 22 Canonical Books of the Old Testament and observes That they have been translated by the LXX He believes that this Translation was made by Inspiration and that the Seventy Interpeters being shut up in separate Cells all their Versions were found to agree together He recommends the Reading of the Canonical Books and Meditation upon them He reckons amongst this Number in the Old Testament the Book of Ruth that of Esther Job and Baruch but he does not reckon those other Books which are not in the Hebrew Canon The Canonical Books of the New Testament are according to him The Four Gospels the Acts of the Apostles the Seven Canonical Epistles and the Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul which in his time and in his Country were at the End of the New Testament after the Canonical Epistles He says nothing of the Revelation He condemns Judicial Astrology Necromancy Publick Spectacles Games Usury Covetousness the other Superstitions of the Jews and Pagans and the Assemblies of Hereticks In the Fifth Lecture after he has prov'd by many Examples the Necessity and Vertue of Faith he says That we must continue in that Faith which we have received from the Church and which is fortified with the Testimony of Holy Scripture But says he because Men cannot read the Scripture some being hindred by their Ignorance others by their Worldly Business therefore all that we are oblig'd to believe is compriz'd in a few words I pray you then to remember to fix it upon your Minds and to be fully perswaded that this is the only true Faith Afterwards at your leisure ye may search for the Proofs of it in the Holy Scripture But at present do you acquiesce in the Doctrine which you have learn'd by Tradition engrave it upon your Hearts that you may persevere in it with Piety for if you remain in doubt and uncertainty 't is to be fear'd that the Enemy will work your Perdition and that Hereticks will overthrow that Doctrine which I have taught you The Sixth is concerning the Monarchy or the Unity of God against Pagans and Hereticks He describes the Errors both of the one and the other and more particularly enlarges upon the Heresie of the Manichees and gives an account of its Original Progress and Impiety He produces a Fragment of the Dispute of Archelaus against the Heretick Manes He observes That Men cannot comprehend the Nature and Essence of God In the Seventh he explains how the Name of Father agrees to God He observes that he has only one Son by Nature who is Jesus Christ and that Men are his Children by Adoption He takes occasion from hence to Exhort his Hearers to live worthy of the Title of the Sons of God and to honour him though of his good Pleasure he chose them to be his Children At the same time he admonishes them to have a Reverence for their Fathers and Mothers In the Eighth he shows That God is Almighty because he can do all things and all things depend on his Power The Ninth is upon these words the Creator of all things visible and invisible There he shows what cause we have to admire the Greatness and Beauty of God's Works The Tenth is upon these words in Jesus Christ our only Lord. He says That in order to the Pious Adoration of the Father we must adore the Son also He explains all the Names that are given him He maintains That 't was the Son who appear'd to Adam and Moses He makes Moral Remarks upon the Name of Jesus and that of Christ. He produces many Proofs concerning Jesus Christ and places in this number the Wood of the Cross which says he is seen to this day amongst us and with those who having taken of it here have fill'd the whole World almost with it The Eleventh is concerning the Divinity of the Word and his Eternal Generation There he refutes the Error of the Arians and proves that the Word is of the same Nature with the Father That he was from all Eternity and that he made all things There he calls St. Peter the Prince or the Chief of the Apostles and the Sovereign Preacher of the Church The Twelfth is concerning the Incarnation where he shews by many Testimonies of Scripture That Jesus Christ was made Man for the Salvation of Mankind He quotes some of the Prophecies that foretold the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and shows That the time of the Messias's coming the place where he was Born his Condition and the manner of his coming into the World were foretold he praises Virginity and observes That those who perform'd the Sacerdotal Office observ'd Celibacy In the Thirteenth he relates the Prophecies which concern the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ. He recommends to the Faithful the signing
and Germinius to thank them because by their means the Bishops of the West had embraced their Doctrine Of the COUNCIL of Ancyra THE greatest part of the Eastern Bishops opposed this Design of Eudoxius and could not endure Of Ancyra 358. that he should make so publick a Profession of the Impious Doctrine of Aëtius George Bishop of Laodicea wrote a Circular Letter upon this Subject wherein he exhorted his Brethren to join together for defending the Faith of the Church Basil of Ancyra presented this Letter to many Bishops who were assembled in his City for Dedicating his Church about the Feast of Easter in the Year 358. These Bishops wrote a Synodical Epistle related by St. Epiphanius wherein they First confirm'd the Creeds of the Eastern Bishops made at Antioch at Sardica and at Sirmium and then condemned the Heresy of Aëtius and professed to believe the Son of God to be like his Father There follow after their Creed 18 Anathematisms wherein they condemn these following Impious Dogmes viz. That the Son of God is not like to his Father That he is unlike in Substance That he is a Creature That he is another God than God the Father c. At the end of these Anathematisms there is one against those who say That the Father and the Son are Consubstantial St. Hilary who explains the others makes no mention of this last because the Deputies of this Synod durst not bring it to Sirmium Of the Fourth COUNCIL of Sirmium SOON after the Council of Ancyra there was a Council held at Sirmium wherein the Bishops Of the Fourth of Sirmium 358. of Italy and the West were present Therein was made a Collection of the Creeds of Antioch of the First of Sirmium of that of Sardica and of that of Ancyra which Eustathius Bishop of Sebastea and Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum presented to be sign'd by all the Bishops who made no Scruple to do it Of the Fifth COUNCIL of Sirmium COnstantius having appointed Two great Synods one in the East at Seleucia and the other in the Of the Fifth of Sirmium 359. West at Ariminum some Eastern Bishops before they went to Seleucia met together at Sirmium where they made a new Confession of Faith which was dictated by Marcus of Arethusa after a long Conference with the other Bishops and was sign'd by those that were present Therein they make Profession of believing the Son of God to be in all things like to his Father but they reject the name of Substance as a Term that ought not to be us'd in speaking of the Trinity because it is not found in Scripture and is not intelligible by the People Nevertheless Basil of Ancyra added in his Subscription That the Son of God was in all things like to his Father not only by the consent of Will but also in Substance and Essence This Creed has the Names of the Consuls at the beginning which displeased many Of the COUNCIL of Ariminum WHile these things were a-doing in the East the Western Bishops assembled from all Parts Of Ariminum 359. to Ariminum The Emperour had sent his Letters Mandatory for them and provided for them publick Carriage and Money for performing their Journey but the Bishops of France and Britain thought it below them to accept of these Offers and chose rather to travel at their own Expence There came about 400 to the Synod which began about the Month of July in the Year 359. Ursacius and Valens proposed there the Creed which was made a little before at Sirmium but the Council confin'd themselves to that of Nice and would not receive any other This it declared by a solemn Decree which was sign'd by all the Bishops and to it they subjoined Anathematisms against the Error of Arius which are related at the end of St. Hilary's Fragments Ursacius Valens Germinius and Demophilus refusing to acquiesce in this Definition were condemn'd by the unanimous consent of all the Bishops Matters being thus determined in the Council to the advantage of the Faith of the Church the Bishops sent Deputies to Constantius with a Letter wherein they give him an account of what they had done But on the other side Ursacius Valens and their followers sent also Deputies to the Emperour and having much greater Interest in the Emperour they prepossess'd him and hindred him from giving audience to the Deputies of the Synod And so he did nothing but write back to them that he had not time to hear the Twenty Deputies which the Synod had sent to him because he was obliged to go against the Persâ—…s and that he had given them Order to wait till his Return to Adrianople because he would examine Matters of Religion with a Mind calm and disengaged from all other Business The Council answer'd him That they would never depart from what they had done and they earnestly prayed him to permit the Bishops to return to their Churches before the rigour of the Winter In the mean time the Deputies of the Council assembled at Nice a City of Thrace and declared all that was done at Ariminum null and void Ursacius Valens and Germinius approved a Confession perfectly like that of Sirmium wherein they declare That the Son of God is like his Father in all things and reject the Terms of Substance and Hypostasis Ursâ—cius and Valens recited this Confession oâ— Faith at Ariminum and the Emperour sent his Commands to the Governour that he should not suffer any Bishop to go away till he had Sign'd it and gave Order to lend those into banishment who should continue Obstinate provided they were no more than Fifteen At first they all testified much Constancy but by little and little they suffer'd themselves to be overcome through Emulation and the greatest part of them Sign'd the Confession of Faith There were but Twenty that held out to the last but in the end they were overcome also and Sign'd as well as the others Nevertheless some of them as Phegadius Bishop of Tongres added Professions of Faith to their Subscriptions wherein they expresly condemn the Heresy of Arius When all the Bishops had Sign'd the Confession of Faith they wrote to the Emperour that they had fully satisfied his Commands by agreeing with those of the East and rejecting the Word Substance and therefore they prayed him earnestly to give Order to the Governour to suffer them to go to their Churches The Emperour gave them leave And thus ended this Council whose beginning was Glorious and end Deplorable Of the COUNCIL of Seleucia WHile these things were doing in the West the Eastern Bishops assembled at Seleucia and Of Seleucia 359. there raised Disputes which they maintained with extream Heats There came to this Synod 160 Bishops of two different Parties altogether opposite to one another One of them were pure Arians who maintained That the Son of God was not at all like in Substance to his Father There were about 40 of this Party The
the Divine Nature is so high and unsearchable that it is not possible to comprehend it and pursues this Reasoning so far that he sticketh not to say that Seraphims and Angels themselves do not see the Substance of God but only an Emanation of his Divine Light This passage Ib. Orat. 1 hath made some modern Greeks suppose that the Saints do not see the Substance of God but only a Corporeal Light such as they say appeared upon Mount Tabor This also hath exercised the Subtilty of our Divines who constitute Happiness in the Vision of the Substance of God And yet S. Chrysostom hath respect in this passage neither to that Light of the Modern Greeks not to the Disputes of the Schoolmen his only design is to shew against Aetius that the Divine Nature is not to be comprehended and that evident Reasons of the Mysteries are not to be given It is not necessary to inlarge upon the Opinions of S. Chrysostom concerning the Mystery of the Trinity it is certain that he maintained the Faith of the Council of Nice and that he proved the Divinity both of the Son and of the Holy Ghost yet it ought to be observed that he was of Meletius's opinion concerning the Signification of the word Hypostasis and that he owned Three Hypostases and one Nature in God As to the Mystery of the Incarnation tho' he was equally contrary to the Errour Ep. ad Caesarium Homil. de Consub in lib. Quod Christus sit Deus V. Theodor. in Dialog of those who distinguished two Persons in Christ and that of those who confounded the two Natures and their Properties yet he in several passages of his Writings declared against the latter Opinion very eagerly In his Panegyricks of the Saints he ascribeth to them all manner of Felicity Homil de B. Philog Hom. de S S. Homil. 39. in ep 1. ad Cor. Hom. 28. in ep ad Hebr. Hom. 29. Matth. he places them in Heaven in the same Rank with Angels and Archangels of Prophets and Martyrs and yet in other places he seems to affirm that their Happiness is referred to the Day of Judgment but these may agree well enough if we say that he spake in the latter of a perfect and consummated Happiness Angels if we believe S. Chrysostom are so called because they declare the Will of God unto Men for which cause the Scripture representeth them with Wings Homil. 3. de Incompreh Hom. 3. in ep ad Coloss. Hom. 14. in ep ad Hebr. They take care of Men are present at Divine Services and every Christian hath his Guardian Angel The Devil is not wicked of his own Nature but is become such by Sin God permits him to tempt Men for their good It is a Childish thing to believe that Hom. de Diabolo tentatore Hom. 22. in Genesim those are Angels which the Scripture calleth the Children of God in Genesis and of whom it is said that they conversed with the Daughters of Men since they are of a spiritual and incorporeal Nature He Confesses in several places that the Fall of the first Men was prejudicial to the whole Race which ever since is become subject to Pains Sicknesses and Death from which it was free before Sin He acknowledgeth that an inclination to Evil and Lusts are Consequences of the first Man's sin but he seemeth not to have owned Original sin after the same manner that S. Austin doth at least it cannot be denied that he hath given another Sence to those places of S. Paul which seem to prove it most As for Example when he expoundeth that famous passage Rom. 5. 12. By One man sin entred into the World c. He understandeth of Death what S. Paul saith of Sin because it is the Wages of Sin and upon those other words of the same Chapter As by the disobedience of one many are become Guilty c. This Sentence saith he seems to have much of Difficulty for how can it be that one only Man having sinned many should be made guilty by his sin We may easily conceive that the first Man being become mortal it was necessary that his Off-spring should be mortal likewise but what Likelihood and what Reason is there that a man should be a Sinner because of anothers disobedience ... What then signifyeth the word Sinner In my Opinion it signifyeth nothing else but a condemned Man subject to Pain and Death This is a way of speaking which does not agree with S. Augustin's Doctrine Tho' it is not hard to defend S. Chrysostom by saying That tho' he spake thus yet he admitted all that Divines own concerning Original sin For what is Original sin according to them It is either a Privation of Original righteousness or Lust with the guilt of Sin or pain and Guilt together But S. Chrysostom acknowledges all these for in the first place he Confesseth that by the first Man's sin all men were deprived and spoiled of the State of Innocence that they are become not only mortal and subject to Pain and Grief but also inclined to Evil. Thus in his Opinion Lust is an effect of the first Man's sin and that Concupiscence in men makes them unworthy of eternal Life if the Grace of Jesus Christ saveth them not by Baptism He ascribes much to the strength of Free-will He always speaks as if he believed that it depends upon our selves to do good or evil and affirms that God always gives his Grace to those De verbis Jer. Hom. 1. Hom. 2. in 1. ad Cor. Hom. 41. in Genesim Hom. de tribus pueris Hom. 12. in ep ad Hebr. 8. in ep ad Phil. 19. ibid Hom. 17. in Joan. Hom. 18. in ep ad Rom. 12. in ep 1. ad Cor. In Matth. Hom. 83. Hom. 45. in Joan. In orat de S. Pelagia Serm. de Zachaeo Hom. 34. in Matth. Hom. 80. in ep ad Rom. Hom. 16. 18. in ep ad Rom. Hom. de obscur Prophet Serm. 5. de Lazaro Hom. 45. in Matth. who on their side doe all they can That we must begin and God makes an end That he followeth the motions of our Wills and giveth them their Perfection yet he owns the necessity of Grace to do good but submits it still to our Will So that according to him We are to will and chuse the good and God gives us the necessary Grace to fulfil the same he prevents not our Will that our Liberty may not be prejudiced he worketh good in us but that is when we are willing when our Will is determined he draweth to himself but only those who do all their endeavours to come near to him Those Principles about foreknowledge and Predestination agree very well with these Conclusions God did not predestinate men but as he foresaw their merits foreknowledge is not the cause of the event of things but God foresaw them because they shall happen He calls all men Jesus Christ died
a Jew for this Treatise is intituled of Isaac's Faith who had been a Jew It contains those things whereof Gennadius hath made an Extract There are very subtil Reasonings upon the Mysteries of the Trinity and of the Incarnation PAULUS OROSIUS PAULUS OROSIUS a Spanish Priest of Tarracon S. Augustin's Disciple flourished under the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius Paulus Orosius S. Augustin sent him into Palaestine in the Year 415 to desire S. Jerom's Opinion concerning the Original of the Soul He brought from thence S. Steven's Relicks The City of Rome having been taken in the Year 410 by Alaric King of the Goths the Heathens willing to render the Christians odious accused them of being the cause of that misfortune and of all the other calamities that oppressed the Roman Empire To defend them against that reproach Paulus Orosius at S. Augustin's request undertook to write the History of the greatest Events that occurred from Jesus Christ to his own Time to show that great Calamities had happened from time to time in the World and that the Roman Empire had never been so free as since the Nativity of Jesus Christ. This Work is intituled Hormesta in some Manuscripts and is cited under that Name by some Authors the Original and Explication of which Title is very uncertain It is a kind of Universal History divided into Seven Books which may be of some use It is not ill written but not exact It has many faults against History and against Chronology He had not read the Greek Historians and easily credited whatsoever might help his Subject without examining whether it was well attested or not This Author hath written besides a small Treatise intituled An Apology for Free-will against Pelagius which was Printed with his History in the Colen Edition of the Year 1582. By a mistake they inserted several Chapters of S. Augustin's Treatise of Nature and Grace which were separated by Andreas Schottus in his Edition of it in the Bibliotheca Patrum There is also among S. Augustin's Works before the Treatise against the Priscillianists and Origenists a Letter of Orosius to S. Augustin concerning these Hereticks Some upon the credit of certain Manuscripts ascribe to him a Commentary upon the Book of Canticles which is amongst Origen's Works and a Treatise of Illustrious Men but this was because they put Orosius's Name for Honorius's S. Augustin in his 166th Letter saith That Orosius had great liveliness of spirit a wonderfull facility of speaking and a servent zeal Vigil ingâ—nio promptus eloquio flagrans studio His Style is close and his Language pure enough Orosius's History was Printed at Paris in 1506 by Petit. The Apology for Free-will was Printed by it self at Louvain in 1558. The best Edition of both these Works is that of Colen of the Year 1582. The latter is found in the Bibliotheca Patrum and the former in the Collections of Historians LUCIANUS AVITUS EVODIUS SEVERUS THese four Authors are to be joyned with Orosius because they writ concerning a particular Circumstance of his Life that related to the Relicks of S. Steven Lucianus Avitus Evodias Sâ—veras The First is a Grecian Priest one Lucianus who writ an History of the finding of S. Steven's Relicks His Book was Translated into Latin by Avitus a Spanish Priest Orosius's friend the Second of those Authors we are now speaking of The Third is Evodius Bishop of Uzala in Africa One of the Five that writ to Innocent the First the 95th Letter in S. Augustin he wrote a small Treatise concerning the Miracles of S. Steven's Relicks which Orosius had brought into the West He is likewise the Author of a small Treatise of Faith or the Unity of the Trinity against the Manichees which is in the Eighth Volume of S. Augustin's Works as Sirmondus proves upon the credit of MSS. S. Augustin mentions Evodius's Book touching S. Steven's Miracles in the 8th Chapt. 1. 22. Of the City of God and Sigebert placeth Evodius amongst the Ecclesiastical Writers The last Author here named is one Severus a Bishop of the Island Minorca who wrote a Circular Letter of the Jew's Conversion in that Island and of the Miracles wrought in that place by S. Steven's Relicks which Orosius left there Lucianus's Book and Avitus's Letter are printed by Surius upon the Third day of August Both these Books attributed to Evodius are none of his since they doe not bear his Name as the Author but only because they are directed to him Baronius published Severus's Letter from a MS. in the Vatican Library These Relations are so incredible that were they not authorized by the Testimonies of S. Augustin and Gennadius we should scarce give any credit to them They are all at the end of the Seventh Volume of the new Edition of S. Augustin MARCELLUS MEMORIALIS THis Author wrote the Acts of the Conference held at Carthage betwixt the Catholicks and the Donatists in the Year 1411. Part of them were printed by Papirius Massonus and printed Marcellus Memorialis with Optatus and in the last Collection of the Councils but Baluzius printed them more exactly in his new Collection of Councils EUSEBIUS THis Eusebius is not much known Gennadius doth not tell us whence he was nor what he was but only observes that he writ a Treatise of the Mystery of the Cross and of the Constancy Eusebius which the Apostles and particularly S. Peter had by virtue of the Cross. He places this Author among those that flourished in the beginning of the Fifth Century URSINUS URSINUS the Monk wrote a Treatise against those who affirm That Hereticks are to be re-baptized wherein he teacheth That those ought not to be baptized again who were baptized Ursinus in the Name of Jesus Christ or the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost though they that baptized them were in an error because it is enough to have been baptized either in the Name of Christ or in the Name of the Trinity to give a right to receive the Imposition of hands from the Bishop This Treatise is among S. Cyprian's Works I am apt to believe that the Author of it is more ancient than to agree to this place MACARIUS GEnnadius mentions one Macarius a Monk who writ a Treatise against Astrologers in Rome Wherein saith he he sought the help of the Scripture by the labours of those of the East This Macarius Macarius is he probably to whom Rufinus addresses his Apology and his Translation of the Books of Origen's Principles of whom S. Jerom saith in his Second Apology Had you not returned from the East this able Man would yet have been among the Astrologers His Book is not extant HELIODORUS HELIODORUS a Priest of Antioch wrote an excellent Book of Virginity grounded upon Scripture-testimonies Gennadius Chap. 29. Heliodorus PAULUS PAULUS a Bishop saith the same Gennadius Chap. 31. wrote a small Treatise of Repentance wherein he maintains That Sinners are not so to afflict themselves for
Prayers of those that shall read his Confessions Having set forth in the foregoing Books what he was before his Conversion he sheweth in the Tenth what he was at the time of his writing He finds that his Conscience gave an unquestionable Testimony of his love to God He explains the Reasons that oblige Men to love God reckoning up all the Faculties of his Soul that can lead him to know God especially Memory whereof he makes a wonderful Description He says amongst other things that it serves to teach us many things which entred not into the Mind by the Senses and that it may lift us up to God He occasionally speaks of Happiness and of the Idea that Men have of God afterwards he examineth himself about the three main Passions of Man the love of Pleasures of Knowledge and of Glory He sincerely confesseth what was his disposition with respect to these Passions prescribing at the same time excellent Rules to keep our selves from them Lastly He discovers the knowledge of the true Mediatour and of the Graces which he merited for us The Three last Books are about less sensible Matters He waves the History of his Life to speak of the love which he had for the Sacred Books and of the Knowledge that God had given him of them which to show he undertakes to explain the beginning of Genesis upon which occasion he starts several very subtil Questions In the Eleventh he refuteth those that asked what God was doing before he created the World and how God on a sudden formed the design of creating any thing whereupon he enters into a long Discourse concerning the Nature of Time In the Twelfth Book he treateth of the first Matter He pretends that by the Heavens and the Earth which God is said to have created in the beginning we are to understand spiritual Substances and the shapeless Matter of corporeal things that the Scripture speaking of the Creation of these two sorts of Beings makes no mention of days because there is no time with respect to them He affirms That whatsoever he hath said concerning the World's Creation cannot be denied though the beginning of Genesis were otherwise expounded because these are undoubted Truths He treateth here of the different Explications which may be made of the Holy Scripture affirming That there is sufficient reason to believe that the Canonical Authors foresaw all the Truths that might be drawn from their words and though they had not foreseen these Truths yet the Holy Ghost foresaw them Whence he seems to conclude that we are not to reject any sence that may be given to the holy Scripture provided it is conformable to the Truth At last having admired the Goodness of God who standing in no need of the Creatures had given them not only a Being but also all the Perfections of that Being he discovereth in the last Book the Mystery of the Trinity in the first words of Genesis and even the Personal Property of the Holy Ghost which gives him an admirable opportunity of describing the Actions of Charity in our selves He concludes with a curious Allegory upon the beginning of Genesis and finds in the Creation the System and Oeconomy of whatsoever God hath done for the Establishment of his Church and the Sanctification of Men the only end which he proposed to himself in all his Works St. Augustin placeth the Books of Confessions before those against Faustus which were written about the Year 400 in his Retractations from whence we may conclude that these were both written about the same time After these two which serve as we have said for a Preface to all St. Augustin's Works you find in this first Volume the Books that St. Augustin writ in his Youth before he was a Priest in the same order in which they were written The three Books against the Academici are the first after the Treatise of Beauty and Comeliness which is lost He composed them in the Year 386 in his solitude when he prepared himself for Baptism They are written in imitation of Cicero in the form of a Dialogue and directed to Romanianus his Countryman whom he adviseth to Study Philosophy The dispute beginneth betwixt Licentius Son to Romanianus and Trygetius after them Alypius and St. Augustin begin to speak Having observed in the first Book that the good things of Fortune do not render men happy he exhorts Romanianus to the Study of Wisdom whose sweetness he then tasted He afterwards gives an Account of three Conferences which Licentius and Trygetius had had about Happiness Licentius held with the Academici That to be happy it was enough to seek after the Truth but Trygetius pretended That it was necessary to know it perfectly both being agreed That Wisdom is that which makes Men happy they begin to dispute about the definition of Wisdom Trygetius gives several all disapproved by Licentius who asserts That Wisdom consisted not only in Knowledge but also in the pursuit of the Truth whereupon St. Augustin concludes That since we cannot be happy without knowing and enquiring after the Truth our only application should be to seek for it In the Second Book having again exhorted Romanianus to the Study of Philosophy he sets down three other Conferences wherein Alypius produces the several Opinions of both the Ancient and Modern Academicks And because the latter said That some things were probable though the Truth was not known they laughed at that Opinion it being impossible say they to know whether a thing is like the Truth without knowing the Truth it self And this very thing obligeth Men to enquire the more carefully after likely and probable things according to the Principles of the Academicks The Third Book begins with Reflections upon Fortune St. Augustin shews That the Goods of Fortune are of no use to get Wisdom and that the Wise Man ought at least to know Wisdom refuting withall the Principles both of Cicero and of the other Academicks who affirmed That we know nothing and that nothing ought to be asserted He blames the damnable Maxim of those who permitted Men to follow every thing that seemed probable without being certain of any thing He shews the dangerous Consequences of such Principles and endeavours to prove that neither the ancient Academicks nor Cicero himself were of that Opinion These three Books are written with all imaginable Elegance and Purity The Method and Reasonings are just The Matter treated of is well cleared and made intelligible for all Men it is beautified with agreeable Suppositions and pleasant Stories It may be said That these Dialogues are not much inferior to Tully's for stile but much above them for the exactness and solidity of the Arguments and Notions In his Retractations he findeth fault with several places in them which seemed not to him sufficiently to savour of Christianity but might be born with in a Philosophical Work The Book of a Happy Life or of Felicity is a Work of the same Nature written
which was then vacant by the Demission of his Brother Maximian who for Quietness sake being obliged to quit the Bishoprick had generously done it as appears likewise by a Canon of the Council of Milevis in the Year 402. which is the 88th in the African Code The 71st 72d 73d 74th and 75th of St. Augustin to St. Jerom and of St. Jerom to St. Augustin are about that Dispute that was between them Of which we gave an Account in the Abridgment of St. Jerom's Works The 76th Is an Exhortation in the Church's Name to all Donatists which contains the most prevailing Motives to make them return to the Church It was written after the Donatist Bishops had refused a Conference that was offered in pursuance of the Order of the general Council of Africa in the Year 403. The 77th and 78th are concerning a Scandal that happened in the Church of Hippo. One Spes of St. Augustin's Monastery had been accused of Uncleanness by Boniface a Priest This Man charged the Crime upon the Priest affirming That he was the guilty Person St. Augustin finding no Proof to Convict either of them remited the Judgment to God But Spâ—s desiring to come into the Clergy and being denyed by St. Augustin insisted That if he might not be admitted because he had been accused neither was Boniface to continue in the Order of Priesthood St. Augustin thought fit to oblige them both to go to the Grave of St. Felix of Nola that God might be pleased to discover the Truth by some Miracle Now he intended that this should be kept Secret but the Thing taking vent St. Augustin wrote about it to the Clergy of Hippo and to Two private Men That none ought to be disturbed at the Scandals happening in the Church That no Man should be rashly Condemned That there was no 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Condemned nor 〈◊〉 before 〈…〉 〈◊〉 to let the Name of 〈◊〉 be 〈…〉 〈◊〉 convenient not to scandalize the 〈…〉 but little to Boniface not to have his 〈…〉 if the Impurity of his Conscience did 〈…〉 〈…〉 Priest who is thought to be that Felix with whom St. Angustin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 whom he challenges to Answer that Difficulty 〈…〉 Fortunatus 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to explain more clearly than he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How it may be known what that is which God â—…th of us since we are 〈…〉 This was written in the Year 405. The Eighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 of Complement from St. Jerom to St. Augustin concerning the Dispute that was betwixt them He exhorts him to give over such Questions and to exercise himself about the Scriptures The Fighty second is the last of St. Augustin's Letters to St. Jerom about their Contests He insists especially upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians having deâ—â—red That 〈◊〉 valued 〈◊〉 but Canonical Books so far as to believe that the Authors of them were never deceived And as for other Authors how holy soever they might be he doth not think that what they say is a Rule to him because they believed it to be true out that 〈◊〉 dependeth no further upon them than the Reasons and Authorities of Canonical Books which they lean upon persuade him that their Assertions are conformable to Truth Having laid down this Principle he proves That St. Paul's correcting of St. Peter was serious because St. Paul saith it in his Epistle to the Galatians at the beginning of which he declares that he lyâ—â— not and takes God to witness what he saith He endeavours to answer St. Jerom's chief Reason grounded upon this That it is incredible that St. Paul would reprove in St. Peter what he did himself by showing that the Circumstances were very different He maintains That the Ceremonies of the Law being of themselves indifferent neither good nor bad the Use of them becomes good or bad according to Times and Occasions That they were necessary to the 〈◊〉 before Christ came That they signified That he being come it was not convenient immediately to forbid them as Sacrilegious and that it was sufficient to let them die and go out of themselves but that they were now neither to be looked upon nor practised as necessary 〈◊〉 solvation That St. Peter's Fearfulness having made him observe Legal Ceremonies in such Circumstances as might have persuaded others that he believed them necessary St. Paul was in the right to accuse him of not walking uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel and to oblige the Gentiles to Judaize whereas St. Paul could not be reproached with the 〈◊〉 Fault since he had kept them only to shew that they were not to be condemned as Câ—…inal Superstitions And yet That it is not now permitted to observe these Ceremonies under any 〈◊〉 oâ— for any purpose whatsoever he does not examine the case of an officious Lye and doth not decide whether it is permitted to tell a Lye at any time He leaves to every Man to take what Side he pleases provided that this be believed and laid down as an unalterable Principle That there is no Lye in the Authors of the holy Scriptures He sets St. Cyprian and St. Ambrose against the Authors that St. Jerom had alledged to justifie his Opinion but chiefly he citeth St. Paul against them who saith and declares at the beginning of his Epistle That he lyes not and That God is Witness of the Truth of what he affirms He concludes his Argument with a Complement and Expressions of the high Esteem and Respect that he had for St. Jerom He approves of his Translations of the Scripture prâ—…sing withal some Objections concerning the Correction of the Hebrew Text representing the difficulty of having his new Translation publickly read to People who were accustomed to that from the Septuagint which was authorised by the Apostles themselves who made use of it The Argument of the Eighty third Letter as it is explained by the Translator is this The Men of Thiana having renounced the Donatists Schism they wanted a Priest to govern them One Honoratus was Chosen and for that purpose taken out of the Monastery at Tagasta and was Ordained Priest of Thiana The Custom was That those who enter'd into Monasteries did begin with parting with all they had for the benefit of the Poor or of the Monastery it self That if any offer'd to come in that was not yet in a Condition to dispose of his Estate they refused him not provided he was sincerely resolved to execute the Order as soon as he could Honoratus was in this Condition and Owner of his Estate when he was Ordained Priest of Thiana The Question was Who should have this Estate The Men of Thiâ—… pretended to have it by the Rule of those Times That the Goods of such as were Ordained Priests of any Church should be converted to the Use of that Church Alypius on the contrary pretended That Honoratus's Estate belonged to the Monastery of Tagasta and was afraid that if the Church of Thiana had it
also a Letter The 188th Letter to Juliana the Mother of Demetrias is a warning given to that holy Widow by St. Augustin and Alypius not to suffer her self to be surprized by the hidden Poison in the Letter to Demetrias whereof they did not yet know Pelagius to be the Author He shews her That this Letter ascribeth all to Free-Will whereas the Principle of Christian Piety is to attribute all to God In the 189th St. Augustin lays down several very useful and edifying Rules to Boniface to live Christianly in the Profession of Arms recommending to him above all things Charity towards God and towards his Neighbour as the Foundation of all Vertues He shows That to be a Soldier is no unlawful Profession and that a Soldier may be a good Christian if he be desirous of Peace and goes to War with no other design but that of procuring it And that Necessity alone ought to put him upon taking away his Enemy's Life and that his own Will ought not to have any hand in it That he ought to do no Injustice nor Violence nor get Wealth by wicked means At last he advises him to remember That every good thing cometh from God It is not certainly known in what Year this Letter was written The 190th to Optatus contains St. Augustin's Opinions touching the Original of the Soul First of all he supposes Original Sin as an indubitable thing Then he saith That whereas he had written that we may without danger be ignorant of the Soul's Extraction it is with this Proviso that we certainly hold 1. That it is not of God's Substance but a Creature 2. That it is a Spirit and not a Body 3. That it is not placed in the Body for a Punishment of Sins committed in another Life He saith afterwards That no Man can be justified but by Faith in Jesus Christ and that it was that Faith which justified the Patriarchs He enlargeth also upon the free Predestination of God's Elect which is the choice that God made of them to take them by his Grace out of the mass of Perdition and upon the eternal Death of Children dying before Baptism Lastly He endeavours to prove That if we reject Tertullian's gross Opinion who supposed the Soul to be Corporeal the Notion of the Propagation of Souls agreeth best with Original Sin though it hath some Difficulties He observes That it was the most general Opinion in the West and he believes it more probable than that of constant Creation yet he dares not decide any thing upon this Matter neither will he condemn the Pelagians for holding this latter Opinion But because they draw from it a Consequence against Original Sin he speaks of the Condemnation of Pelagius's Doctrine by the Popes Innocent and Zosimus and quotes a Letter of the latter which is not extant St. Augustin writ this Letter at Caesarea where he dwelt some time after the Council of Carthage in the Year 418. There are these two curious Sentences The first We make our selves unworthy of Knowledge if we desire that others should believe that we know them when we are ignorant of them The second It is rashness to decide by Conjecture what Reason doth not discover and what the Holy Scripture doth not clearly teach In the 191st Letter St. Augustin congratulates Sixtus the Priest afterwards Bishop of Rome who was suspected to have been a favourer of the Pelagians because he declared himself for Grace He desireth him to beware of those who not daring to set forth their Doctrine openly did notwithstanding sow it secretly praying him to reclaim those with Meekness whom Fear kept in deep silence but preserved still the same Venom in their Hearts In the 192d he entertaineth Coelestinus the Deacon afterwards Bishop of Rome with the Duties of Christian Charity He saith That this Vertue is not of the Nature of those Things which cease to be after performance for the more a Man performs Actions of Charity the more Charitable he is That no Man ought to want this Duty towards his Friends since all Men are obliged to exercise it towards their Enemies That Charity towards Enemies is the way to make them Friends for it makes us desire that they should become vertuous which they cannot be unless they be in Charity with those that wish them so much good even the same Charity that others have for them That it is not with Charity as it is with Money for the less we think to be re-imbursed the more we love those that we give Money to whereas the more desirous we are that those should prove Charitable towards us to whom we shew Charity the more we love them One may plainly see that this Letter is a Christian Complement wittily written It was sent at the same time with the two next to Albinus after St. Augustin's return to Hippo whither he did not come till the 20th of September of the Year 418. for it appeareth by the Acts of the Conference which he had with Emeritus that he was then in Mauritania The 193d Letter lately Published out of a Manuscript is directed to Mercator who is thought to be the same that writ against Pelagius and the Nestorians St. Augustin having excused himself that he had not given him an Answer sooner by reason of his Journey into Mauritania shows him here That since the Pelagians own that Children in Baptism believe through other Men's Faith they may own likewise That Original Sin is remitted to them by reason of others believing He addeth some proofs of their being born in Sin and that they cannot enjoy Eternal Life without being Baptized He holds Death to be a Punishment for Sin and answereth the Objection of some Pelagians who to prove the contrary alledged the Examples of Enoch and Elias who died not St. Augustin answereth That it is probable that they shall die some time or other but if they die not it is by the special grace of God who is able to remit the Punishment of Sin no less than Sin it self This Objection raises another that is better grounded How can the Penalty of Sin remain after the Sin is remitted St. Augustin doth not resolve it here but referrs us to his Book of Infant-Baptism What followeth concerning the Resurrection is taken out of St. Augustin's Answers to Dulcitius his Objections The next which is the Second Letter to Sixtus Presbyter of Rome was written some time after the former He relates there the Pelagian Errors which he refutes by confirming the contrary Doctrine These Errors are 1. That Free-Will can do no Good without God's help 2. That God were Unjust if he shew'd Mercy to some and not to others 3. That God doth indeed afford help but that is only to Merit 4. That Faith which is the beginning of Justification depends upon Mens Free-Will St. Augustin opposes to these Opinions St. Paul's Doctrine in the Epistle to the Romans from which he concludes That all Men are in the State of
Sence as in his other Treatises but makes very learned and judicious Remarks which serve very much to clear the Text of the Bible The Notes upon Job are a very imperfect VVork St. Augustin had writ them in the Margin of a Copy of the Book of Job from which some body took them and compiled them into a Book by themselves which makes him say That he knew not whether it was to be called his VVork or theirs who had thus collected and reduced them He findeth there much Obscurity proceeding from their great Brevity and because they added some Notes to those words of the Text to which they do not referr In one word He found so many Faults in that VVork that he had suppressed it had he not known that there were several Copies of it abroad This is the Account which he gives of it in the 13th Chapter of the Second Book of his Retractations Yet this Treatise is not so contemptible it is a kind of Paraphrase or literal Explication of the Book of Job which explains it and discovers such Notions as may be further improved The Looking-glass taken out of the Scripture is neither a Commentary nor a particular VVork upon the Scripture but barely a Collection of Passages out of the Old and New Testament containing Precepts and Instructions for Manners Possidius affirms That St. Augustin wrote a Book of this Nature and Cassiodorus recommends the reading of it It is not certain whether this is that which St. Augustin wrote The Preface is in his Style but in the Body of the Book the Scriptures are cited according to St. Jerom's Translation Perhaps the Text used by St. Augustin was changed and the more common Version was put in the room of it For I can hardly believe that St. Augustin would quit his Old Translation to make a constant use of St. Jerom's Father Vignier hath also published A Looking-glass taken out of Scripture attributed to St. Augustin But this relates to Doctrine more than to Manners which doth not agree with what Possidius saith of St. Augustin's These are all St. Augustin's Treatises upon the Old Testament which make up the First Part of the Third Tome The Second contains Treatises upon the New Testament and begins with a Harmony betwixt the Four Gospels divided into Four Books In the First having spoken of the Number Authority and of the Style of the Gospels he refuteth those who refuse to give Credit to the Gospel because it was not written by Jesus Christ himself but by his Disciples whom they suppose to have receded from their Master's Doctrine that so they might persuade the VVorld that he was God and thereby destroy the VVorship of the Gods He observes That Two of the Four Evangelists were Apostles St. Matthew and St. John and Two were not St. Mark and St. Luke that so none might say that there was a difference betwixt those who had seen with their Eyes Christ's Actions and those who wrote them upon the Relation of those who had seen them He addeth That other Men's VVorks who undertook to write the History of Christ were not received by the Church as Canonical because the Authors of these Histories were not to be believed having stufft their Works with false Relations and Errors contrary to the Rule of the Catholick and Apostolick Faith and to sound Doctrine He believes That the Four Gospels were composed in the same Order as we see them in at present That St. Matthew's Gospel was written in Hebrew and the others in Greek That each Evangelist hath observed a particular Order yet without obliging himself not to speak any thing that had been spoken by another That St. Matthew designed particularly to give an Account of Christ's Royal Descent and to represent him according to that Humane Life which he led among Men That St. Mark did little else but abridge St. Matthew That St. Luke apply'd himself to set forth Christ's Priesthood which is the reason why he doth not reckon his Genealogy from King David by Solomon as St. Matthew doth but by Nathan and for the same reason he takes notice That the Virgin Mary was a-Kin to Elizabeth who was of the Sacerdotal Race and Wife to Zacharias the Priest Lastly That St. John taketh his Subject above Christ's Humane Actions to speak of his Divinity and to discover the Equality of the Word with his Father So that it may be said that the Three First Evangelists are more for the Active Life and St. John for Contemplation After this St. Augustin makes Application of the Four Beasts in the Revelations to the Four Evangelists and having made these Remarks he answereth those who found fault that Christ had written nothing He proposes to them the Examples of Socrates Pythagoras and of the wisest Heathen who left to their Disciples the care of committing to Writing both their Doctrine and their Instructions He shews That Christ cannot be said to have written Magical Books or that he approved the Worship of False Deities He particularly enlargeth upon this last Head shewing That the Apostle's Doctrine touching the Worshipping of One only God is conformable to that of the Prophets who fore-told That the Messiah should preach the same upon Earth and that it should be published and received throughout the VVorld The Three other Books are a Harmony of the Evangelists In the Second and Third he followeth the Text of St. Matthew's Gospel and compareth the three other Gospels with that In the last he takes notice of what the three other Evangelists have peculiar to themselves He doth not only compare the Text of the Evangelists but makes them agree together and resolves the seeming Difficulties and Contrarieties that are betwixt them as to the Order and Manner of their relating both of the Words and Actions of Jesus Christ. This Work was very difficult and laborious and it was finished by St. Augustin with great exactness It was composed about the Year 400. After this Treatise we find in this Volume the two Books of St. Augustin upon the Sermon of Christ in the Mount written about the Year 393. They contain Moral Reflections with Instructions and Precepts contained in Christ's Sermon recorded by St. Matthew in the 5th 6th and 7th Chapters of his Gospel St. Augustin likewise clears the Difficulties that he meets with in the Letter of the Text. Among the Passages of this Treatise which he reviseth in his Retractations there are Two of Consequence The former is about the Divorce allow'd by Jesus Christ in case of Fornication He had extended what is said of Fornication to all those Crimes that set us at a distance from God Here he retracteth this Opinion and confesseth That this Notion is not very certain He saith also That it is a very hard Question VVhether a Man may Marry another VVife having been Divorced from a former The Second Point of any importance taken notice of in his Retractations is touching an Expression he had used when
shews us the Vanity and Falshood of worldly things and the Third inspires us with the Love of Spiritual Things and represents the Happiness of that Soul that is in possession of them If we should read the Canticles first we might be apt to believe that it speaks of a Carnal and Terrestrial Love but when we are fitted for the reading of this Book by the two other there is no fear that we shall have any such Thoughts for the Mind being furnished with Moral Precepts and loosened from earthly things easily understands that the good Things and Beauties which that Book inspires us with the love of are altogether Spiritual Altho' the Explications which S. Isidore gives to the greatest part of the Texts of Holy Scripture upon which he makes any Reflections do rather respect Morality and Piety than the literal Sence of Scripture yet that hinders not but that he sometimes discusses and resolves Critical Questions As for example He enquires into the beginning of Daniel's seventy Weeks and explains the History of that Prophecy l. 3. 89. He observes upon the Genealogy of Jesus Christ That the Virgin was of the Tribe of Judah as well as Joseph l. 1. 7 478. He proves That the Text of the Gospel of S. Matthew ch 1. 20. Joseph knew her not i. e. Mary till she had brought forth her first-born son doth not prove that Joseph knew Mary after her Delivery Whereupon he produces a great many Examples taken out of Scripture by which he shews That the Particle until doth not signify that the thing was done afterward but on the contrary it denotes that it never was He adds That Jesus Christ upon the Cross recommended the Virgin to S. John because that Apostle was a Virgin l. 1. 18. He asserts That the Meat that S. John the Baptist did eat in the Wilderness called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were not as is commonly believed Grashoppers or a sort of Creatures like Snails but the Tops of Plants or Herbs l. 1. 132. The Sabbath called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the second Sabbath Luke 6. 1. after the first hath always seemed a Place hard to be understood S. Isidore gives an Explication of it natural enough He saith That it is the first Day of Unleavened Bread which followed the Feast of the Passover This was the second Sabbath or second Festival after the first on which the Passover was celebrated l. 3. 110. The three Days and three Nights which Jesus Christ is said to remain in the Sepulchre are very hard to find out S. Isidore gives two explications to solve it According to the first Jesus Christ having been crucified on Friday at Noon we ought to count the first Day from that Hour to the Time when the Earth was covered with miraculous Darkness This Darkness may very well pass for the first Night The Darkness being over and gone about three or four a Clock in the Afternoon the Day returned which may be called the second Day The second Night was from Friday to Saturday The third Day is Saturday The third Night is from Saturday to Sunday This first Explication is not at all natural not only because it gives the Name of Night to the miraculous Darkness but because the Question is not about the Time that was spent after Jesus Christ was fastned to the Cross to the Resurrection but about the Time that his Body was in the Sepulchre We must then rely upon the second The first Day is Friday the second Saturday and the third Sunday in the Morning of which Jesus Christ rose from the Dead These three are not whole Days but ordinarily the Beginning and End of Days are taken for whole Days when many are reckoned together As for example If it be said to a Prisoner on Friday in the Evening Within three Days you shall come out of Prison it is meant That he shall come out on Sunday because whether it be in the Morning or Evening it is true in some Sence to say That he hath been three Days in Prison As for the three Nights it will be more difficult to find them out We can count but two and they are from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday There is neither beginning nor end of the third Night but neither is it necessary because when Jesus Christ said That he should be three Days and three Nights in the Bowels of the Earth as Jonas was three Days and three Nights in the Belly of the Whale it ought not to be understood literally it being the usual way of speaking among the Jews not to distinguish the Night from the Day It is sufficient to prove the Truth of the Prophecy That Jesus Christ was as long in the Sepulchre as Jonas was in the Belly of the Whale l. 4. 114. l. 2. 212. There is a Place which hath much perplexed all our Interpreters 'T is that in which S. Paul speaks of Baptism for the Dead S. Isidore resolves this Difficulty after a very intelligible and rational manner To be baptized for the Dead saith he is to be baptized into the Hopes of being changed into an incorruptible State l. 1. 221. Some have taken great Pains to know What S. Paul means and what we are to understand in the Creed by the Quick and the Dead which shall be judged at the last Day S. Isidore tells us That it is either the Body and the Soul or perhaps the Good and the Sinner or rather those who shall be then alive and those who shall be dead before l. 1. 221. Several Authors have confounded Philip one of the seven first Deacons who baptized the Eunuch of Queen Candace with S. Philip the Apostle S. Isidore is not guilty of that Mistake but distinguishes the two Philips l. 1. 447. The curious enquirers after the Greek Antiquities have taken much Pains to know the Original of the Altar erected to the Honour of the unknown God of which mention is made in the Acts Some affirm saith he That the Athenians having required assistance of the Lacedaemonians their Messenger was stopp'd near a Mountain of Parthenia by a Ghost who commanded him to return home and bid the Athenians be of good Courage for they should have no need of the Help of the Lacedaemonians he would assist them That the Athenians after this having obtained the Victory built an Altar to that Unknown God which had given them that Advice and had helped them Others say That the City of Athens being afflicted with a Rageing Pestilence the Athenians having invoked all their other Gods to no purpose bethought themselves to build an Altar to the Unknown God and immediately the Plague was stayed l. 4. 69. There are a great number of other of S. Isidore's Letters upon several Texts of Holy Scripture But as a Proof of his Acuteness and Ability to interpret Holy Scripture it is sufficient to observe That he gives ten Explications of one Text of S. Paul l.
make use of the Parable of Lazarus and Dives S. Cyril maintains That the Judgment ought not to be passed till after the Resurrection and that it is absurd to say That the Good or Sinners have received their Reward already And that what is said of Lazarus and Dives is a Parable which signifies only that Merciless Rich Men shall one Day be grievously punished This doth not at all agree with the particular Judgment and Blessedness of Souls after Death The Sixteenth How the Angels if they have no Bodies can have any Carnal Knowledge of Women as it is said in Genesis S. Cyril answers That they are not Angels which are spoken of in Genesis but the Posterity of Enos who had Commerce with the Daughters of Cain And for this Reason it is that Four Interpreters who have translated this Place after the LXX have rendered it Sons of the Mighty or Princes and not Sons of God That in Sum it is a great Weakness to think That the Angels can have Children The Seventeenth and Eighteenth are against those who affirm That the Person of the Son being made Man and descending to the Earth was not united to his Father nor did inhabit in Heaven In the Nineteenth S. Cyril explains his Opinion about the Incarnation and holds That it may be said That the Flesh of Jesus Christ did Miracles because the Word and Man being united in the same Person and in the Son only both the Divine and Humane Operations may be attributed to him In the Twentieth it is said That Jesus Christ is ascended into Heaven with the Flesh which was united to him but for all that it cannot be said that the Body of Jesus Christ was mingled with the Trinity In the Twenty first he treats also of this nice Question In what Sence the Flesh of Jesus Christ may be said to do Miracles and explains it by this Example although it be the Soul that moves the Body in all its Operations yet we call it the Action of the Body as well as of the Soul The same â—…ay be said of the Miracles which the Word doth by his Humanity In the Twenty second he says That the Humane Nature in Jesus Christ was subject to Sin certainly because he came to deliver Man from Sin The Twenty third Question is this Why the Word was not made Man at the beginning of the World Why staid he till these last Times S. Cyril answers That he acted the part of a good Physician who does not undertake the Cure of a Disease in its beginning but waits till the Disease plainly discovers it self So did the Word wait till the Sins and Wickedness of Man had fully manifested themselves The Twenty fourth imports That the Head of the Infernal Dragon shall not be entirely broken till after the Resurrection This puts me in mind of the Title of a very fantastical Book A Treatise of the broken Head of the Infernal Dragon I believe the Author had not read this Place of S. Cyril The Twenty fifth is a very obscure Comparison between the Flame that appeared to Moses in the Flaming-Bush and the Mystery of the Incarnation In the Twenty seventh he saith That Zacharias was slain between the Temple and the Altar for suffering Mary to enter into that Place where the Virgins only had a Right to enter The last explains in a few Words the Causes of the Joy which the Angels shewed at the Birth of Jesus Christ. The following Treatise about the Holy Trinity is written by an Author more modern than S. Cyril although it comes very near his Doctrine and his Method and Principles but it is easy to discern that he lived after the Rise of the Heresy of the Monothelites for he throughly discusses this Question Whether there are Two Wills and Two Operations in Jesus Christ. He confutes those that hold the contrary and explains the Sence of the Ancients who taught That there was in Jesus Christ but one incarnate Nature and one Operation as God-man The Collection of Expositions upon the Old Testament is not wholly taken out of the Works of S. Cyril only but also of S. Maximus and several other Interpreters So that it must not be looked upon as S. Cyril's Work Balthazar Corderius published 19 Homilies upon Jeremiah printed at Antwerp in Greek and Latin in 1648 Octavo which bear the name of S. Cyril * But are found to be Origen's Care As for the Moral Fables put out by the same Author in 1631. under the name of S. Cyril they belong to a Latin Author The 16 Books upon Leviticus which were heretofore among S. Cyril's Works are Origen's It is nothing to the purpose that some have doubted whether the Treatise of the Adoration in Spirit be S. Cyril's since it is his Style and Photius attributes it to him Nor is there greater reason to doubt of the Letter to Coelosyrius nor of the other Works of which we have spoken He made Commentaries upon all the Prophets but they were never yet printed His Commentary upon S. Matthew cited several times in the 6th and 7th General Councils and that upon the Epistle to the Hebrews cited by Theodoret are lost If we may believe Cassiodorus he made Commentaries upon all the Books of Holy Scripture Gennadius mentions two Treatises of S. Cyril's which we have not viz. A Treatise of the Defect of the Synagogue And a Book of Faith against the Hereticks The same Author assures us That he composed divers Treatises upon various Subjects and a great number of Homilies which the Grecian Bishops got by Heart to preach to the People So that tho' the Works of S. Cyril which we now have make up at present 7 great Volumes yet we should have several others if we had all that he hath written It is very wonderful That a Bishop of so great a See as that of Alexandria busied with so many Affairs and engaged in so great a Contest as that with the Eastern Bishops was should have time to compose so many Works But S. Cyril was wonderfully ready at Composing and applyed himself to a way of Writing which it is easie to furnish out for either he copyed out Texts of Scripture or made large Discourses or expounded Allegories It is easie to make great Works of this Nature in a little time especially when we bestow no time to polish our Discourse nor keep it within certain bounds and we resign up our Hand and Pen entirely to all the Notions that come into our Heads After this manner did S. Cyril write and he was so much accustomed to this way of Writing that he had as Photius observes a Style altogether particular which seemed contrary to others and in which he extreamly neglected the exactness and cadency of his Expressions He had a Subtle and Metaphysical Genius and readily spake the finest Logick His Wit was very proper for subtle Questions which he had to do with upon the Mystery of the Incarnation He
not willing to forsake their Errors to make those Charitable Severities which are made use of to recover them to pass for insupportable Violences and unheard of Cruelties by aggravating them and representing them in such an odious manner as is proper to stir up Indignation The Principles which he lays down in the following Part are very agreeable with those of the Protestants In the First Article he opposes those who will have it determined where the Truth is by the Judgment of the greater Number Jesus Christ saith he is the Truth as Tertullian hath a long Time since affirmed and 't is he that we ought to consult This being so are they not to be pitied who judge of the Force and Authority of a Doctrine only by the Number of those who approve it without considering that our Lord Jesus Christ chose ignorant and poor Men whom he made use of to convert all the World He required that Millions of Men should yield themselves up to the Doctrines of these Twelve Thus hath the Truth always triumphed although it were among the smallest Number and whosoever he be that despairing to prove what he affirms to be true flies to the Authority of the Multitude he confesses himself vanquished The great Number may affright but cannot perswade There are but few that shall be saved S. Stephen Phineas Lot and Noah had the Multitude against them yet who had not rather be on their Side than on that which did oppose them 'T is not saith the same Author that I bear not a due respect to the Multitude but it is to that which proves what it teacheth and not to that which will not suffer us to examine and search out the Truth 'T is to that which doth not condemn with Severity but correct with Gentleness not to that which loves Novelties but to that which preserves the Truth which they have received from their Ancestors But what is this Multitude which you object against me It is the Throng of Men corrupted by Flatteries and Prisons 'T is the Number of ignorant Men who have no Understanding to guide them It is a crowd of weak and fearful Men who suffer themselves to be conquered They are the Souls which preferr the Pleasures that Sin affords us in this Life which are momentary before Eternal Life and Glory So that when you object to me this Multitude to gain Credit to a Lye you do but discover the extent of Wickedness and the great Number of the Miserable The Second Chapter is of like Nature with this First In it he opposes those who maintain That it is needless to search the Holy Scripture that we may know what we ought to believe either because it is sufficient for every one to believe what his own Reason teacheth him or because in searching for the Truth in Scripture we meet with more Obscurity and Uncertainty Our Author cannot approve of this Advice He saith That being perswaded of the Truth of the Mysteries and trusting in the Help of Jesus Christ who hath promised to those who seek after the Truth that they shall certainly find it he seeks after the Truth in the manner that he ought he shall find it without mistaking that he puts himself into a Condition of proving what he teacheth of instructing the Faithful confuting Hereticks and convincing himself of the Truth and confirming the Doctrines so as none can doubt of them Would you have me saith he neglect the Study of Holy Scripture whence then will you have Knowledge necessary to support your Faith It is dangerous for this Life to be ignorant of the Roman Laws and 't is no less dangerous for another Life to be ignorant of the Oracles of our Heavenly King The Scripture is the Nourishment of the Soul Suffer not then the inward Man to die with Hunger by depriving him of the Word of God There are too too many who inflict mortal Wounds upon the Soul suffer them to seek Medicines for their Maladies and Griefs But there are say you things which pass our Understand I own it but the Scripture teaches us That we must search and that there are things that we cannot comprehend And as it would be a kind of Impiety to desire to throughly comprehend it so it is to have a kind of Contempt for the Divine Truths to lay aside wholly the search into them Every one ought to know what it is he adores as it is written We know what we worship But it is a Madness to enquire how much After what manner By what Means and where we must adore him In sum they who discourage others from reading and studying the Holy Scripture under a Pretence That they ought not to dive into Things too profound do it because they are afraid that they should be convinced of their Errors by it So when they find themselves pressed by convincing Testimonies of Holy Scripture they give a Sence clear contrary to the Words and if they find but one Word which can be brought to their Opinion although it be nothing to the Sence of the Place they must use it as an invincible Demonstration We must own that these Principles are not ill although Men may offend in the Application they make of them In the other Chapters he answers the Objections which the Aegyptians made against the Eastern Bishops and opposes some of their Expressions such as these The Word hath suffered in an impassible manner The Word hath suffered in the Flesh. He hath delivered several Expressions agreeable to those of Nestorius In sum He hath written with much Elegancy and Reason This Work is a Doctrinal Treatise and not a Collection of Sermons It is in Tom. 2. of Athanasius's Works under the Name of that Father and since it hath been printed at the end of Tom. 5. of Theodoret's Works put out by F. Garner at Paris in 1684. There are also some of this Bishop's Letters in F. Lupus's Collection THEODOTUS Bishop of Ancyra THEODOTUS Bishop of Ancyra a City of Galatia whom Gennadius calleth Theodorus was one of the greatest Adversaries of Nestorius He was present at the Council of Ephesus Theodotus of Ancyra where he courageously delivered his Opinion against him Gennadius says That he made a Treatise on purpose to confute him and that that Work was very Logical but that it was not sufficiently grounded upon the Authority of Holy Scriptures but lays down several Arguments before he comes to Scripture-proofs This description agrees well to the two Sermons of Theodotus upon the Feast of the Nativity preached in the Council of Ephesus and which are recited in the Acts of that Council where he proves by several Arguments That Jesus Christ is God and Man and that it is truly said That God is born of a Virgin There is also a 3d. Sermon preached at Ephesus upon S. John's day where he likewise speaks against the Errour of Nestorius The beginning of it is remarkable wherein he compares a Bishop to
Cartenna But F. Labbe observes That in two ancient MSS. this Tract is attributed to Victor Bishop of * Tunnua in Africa Cave Tunna Author of the Chronicon and not Victor of Cartenna Nevertheless I believe 't is more likely to be this Victor's for 1. Gennadius assures us That this last made a Book of Repentance 2. That he prescribes Rules of Repentance in it conformable to Holy Scripture which absolutely agrees to this Book for he gives very useful Rules and Instructions to Penitents which he confirms by several Texts of Holy Scripture Lastly this Treatise is in the same Stile and written after the same manner as the Treatise of Consolation to Basil which can't be attributed to any other Victor but this We have nothing particular of these two Books In the Discourse of Consolation he demonstrates by Examples taken out of Holy Scripture That God permits Men to be oppressed by Misfortunes and Afflictions either to punish them for their Faults or to try them or to heal them of their Sins and Passions yea for what Reason soever he sends them 't is always for our good He derides the Opinion of those who afflict themselves for their Diseases or for the loss of their Members because they imagine that they shall be raised in the same condition that they died One-ey'd Lame or Leprous c. This is a silly Thought the Resurrection shall deliver us from all our Maladies In the Treatise of Repentance he exhorts Sinners to acknowledge their Sin before God desire Pardon of him to be touched with sincere Regret and to do Penance He discourages no Man but invites the greatest Sinners to Repentance He confirms all he says with Testimonies and Examples of Holy Scripture as in the other Treatise S. PROSPER PROSPER of Ries in Aquitain altho' he was a meer Lay-man a Prosper of Ries altho' he was a meer Lay-man He was neither a Priest nor Clergyman when he wrote to S. Austin as appears by his Letter In his Letter to Rufinus and the People of Geneva he assumes to himself the Title neither of Bishop nor Priest All the Ancients who have spoken of him give him neither of these Titles Victorius Aquitanus in the Preface of his Chronicon having given Eusebius the Title of Bishop and Jerom of Priest calls S. Prosper Vir venerabilis a Reverend Person This was written a little after S. Prosper's death Pope Gelasius gives him no other Title but Vir religiosissimus altho' he calls Austin Bishop and Jerom Priest Gennadius who never omits the Titles of the Authors he speaks of says of S. Prosper only That he was Homo Aquitanicae regionis S. Fulgentius in his Book to Moâ—imus ch 30. Prosper Vir eruditus Marcellinus and Ado in their Chronica call him also Hominem Aquitanicae regionis Hincmarus Florus Prudentius Rabinus never give him the Title of Bishop or Priest None but Honorius Augustodunensis or rather some Ignorant Scribe hath called him Episcopum Aquitanicae regionis by changing Homo into Episcopus Trithemius makes him Bishop of Ries but that cannot be because Maximus was Bishop there in S. Prosper's Life-time and he had for his Immediate Successor Faustus who out-lived S. Prosper This appears by Sidonius's Eucharistical Poem dedicated to Faustus where he says That Faustus succeeded Maximus twice once in the Abbacy of the Monastery of Lerins another time in the Bishoprick of Ries It is ridiculous to say that he was of Rhegium in Italy There were two Prosper's Bishops in France but one was Bishop of Orleans to whom Sidonius's 15th Letter of his 8th Book is directed and the other subscribed the Councils of Vaison and Carpeniras did yet concern himself in Theological Questions and was one of the most zealous Defenders of S. Austin's S. Prosper Doctrine He wrote a Letter to him in 429. which is among S. Austin's Epistles in which he propounds to him the Objections which the Priests of Marseille made against his Doctrine and declares to him their Opinions and prays him to answer their Objections and confute their Opinions S. Austin satisfied him by writing his Books of the Saints Predestination and of the Gift of Perseverance The Letter of S. Prosper to Rufinus concerning Grace and Free-will was also written in S. Austin's Life-time Who this Rufinus was is not known but it appears by the beginning of that Letter that he had been much disturbed at the Reports which the Enemies of S. Austin's Doctrine had spread abroad to cry it down and wished That upon this occasion it might be cleared S. Prosper desirous to satisfie him fully explains to him what were the Reports which the Enemies of S. Austin's Doctrine had divulged and upon what account they did it He saith then that one of the Fundamental Errors of the Pelagians is That Grace is bestowed according to Deserts and that they made use of this Principle to revive their Doctrines That at first they had maintain'd openly That Man may fully perform a good Action by the proper strength of his own Free-will without the Assistance of Grace But this Opinion being visibly contrary to sound Doctrine and having been condemned by all Orthodox Christians they had owned That Grace was necessary for the beginning continuance and final perseverance in Goodness but yet had withal declared That by it they understood nothing else but a certain general Grace which makes use of the Freedom of the Will and which informs and convinces the Mind by Exhortations by the Law by Instruction by Contemplation upon the Creatures by Miracles and by the Fear of Gods Judgments Grace which hath no other Operation than to admonish a Man of his Duty and which differs not from the Law and that Preaching which teacheth all Men insomuch That they who desire to believe need no other helps to believing and by believing they receive Justification upon the account of the deserts of their Faith and Free-will Whence it follows That Grace is given according to Man's Merit and consequently is no more Grace That this cunning design of the Children of Darkness had been discovered by the Judgment of the Eastern-Bishops by the Authority of the Holy See and by the Vigilance of the African Bishops That S. Austin who was then saith S. Prosper one of the most excellent Bishops Praecipua portio Domini Sacerdotum had fully confuted it in his Books of Controversie and entirely vanquished that Heresie but that he did hear That there were some Christians in France which spread abroad scandalous Speeches against his Doctrine and Writings daring to averr That it destroyed Mans Free-will and under the Name of Grace introduced a fatal necessity and that he would make us believe that Man is compounded of two different Natures That if it were so they ought to appear openly against it and publickly confute these Errors by writing and not disperse them secretly against a Person whose Doctrine concerning Grace agreed so well with that of the
Men do is evil The light of Nature is not sufficient to believe Faith is the Gift of Grace it is Grace which increaseth it 't is Grace which preserves it Having laid down these Principles he gives Four Rules for the Explaining of such general Expressions of Holy Scripture as concern the Salvation of Men. 1. That the Holy Scripture speaking of the Good and Evil the Elect and Reprobate uses such general terms in speaking of these Two sorts of Persons as if it would comprehend all Men in particular under this Universal Expression 2. That the Scripture speaking of the Men of one and the same Nation useth such general terms altho' it intends to speak some time of the Elect and sometime of the Reprobate 3d. Rule That the Scripture speaks of Men of divers times as if they were the same Men and of the same time The 4th That the word All is often taken for all sorts of Persons of all Ages Sects and Countries and that it is in this sence that these words of the Apostle may be understood God will have all Men to be saved As to the general Prayers of the Church he observes that that 's the reason of Praying for all Men but that these Prayers are not heard with respect to every particular altho' they be with regard to others that the reason of this difference depends on the secret Judgments of God and that it cannot be said that it is the Merit of the Will which is the cause of this distinction That Grace is given to the Good and denied to Sinners That the Examples of Infants and of such Wicked Men as are Converted at the Hour of Death prove the contrary In fine That Grace is an Act of the Divine Liberality That we ought not to enquire into the Reason why God gives it to some and denies it to others Why he chooseth some and doth not choose others That this Question is unsearchable and that we ought not to have recourse to Free-will for the Explication of it After he hath rejected in the first Book that which was the subject of the Contest he finds out Three Truths which he Establishes in the Second 1. That God Wills that all Men should be Saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth 2. That we cannot come to that knowledge but by Grace and that Merits contribute nothing to it 3. That the Mind of Man cannot comprehend the Judgments of God Let us now see the Consequences which he draws from these Principles That we cannot give the Reason why he puts off the Calling of some and gives not his Special Grace to all those whom he Calls That all Men have had a part in the general Calling the Gentiles by Nature the Jews by the Law but they who have pleased God have been separated from others by Faith and Grace which altho' more rare and secret was not denied in the first times That at present 't is not equally disposed to all the World That those to whom it is given have not Merited it That he that hath received it must expect all his growth and proficiency from the same Grace That nevertheless Man doth Merit by persevering because he hath power to fall away That one convincing Proof That Men are beholding to God's Special Grace for their Conversion and not to their Natural Goodness is this That since the Flood God hath continually Called Men by Miracles Signs and Prophecies and that nevertheless no Man hath turned himself That on the contrary The Apostles have Converted all the World by their Preaching Were Men better in the times of the Apostles than before Nay Do we not know that Iniquity then was greater This is it that shews the Efficacy of Grace That when it is said That Jesus Christ Died for all Men i. e. for all Nations it was for that end that God had permitted that the Roman Empire was so very much enlarged that the Christian Religion might spread it self the more easily that it so happened and that Rome was become more Glorious by Religion than Temporal Power Amplior arce Religionis quam solio potestatis That all other Nations have been or will be Called every one in their time That in the Old Testament the Grace of Jesus Christ was hidden from the Gentiles and yet it is not a whit less true to say That God will have all Men to be Saved in all times But if God will have all Men Saved Why are so many Damned Our Author Answers 1. That that is a Question which depends upon the secret Judgments of God which are unsearchable to Men. 2. That all Men deserve Damnation upon the account of Original Sin 3. That no Man may complain that he Dies too soon because it is the property of Humane Nature ever since Adam sinned to be subject to Death 4. That God exempts from this general Misery those whom he pleaseth and that he by that means moderates the Punishment which all the Posterity of Adam have deserved That others cannot complain that God hath not delivered them out of a State of Damnation because he owes that Grace to no Man 5. That he hath imparted to all Men certain general Graces which consist as we have said in outward helps That Infants themselves are not deprived of it because God hath given them to their Parents who ought to be serviceable to them to procure them Salvation That it is true that beside this general Grace there is a special Grace both for the Adult and for Infants who are of the Number of the Elect but God owes it to no Man 6. That this special Grace doth not exclude the Will or consent of Man but produces it in him makes him to Will Believe and Love That it doth not nevertheless take away the changableness of the Will for if it did then no Man could fall That those that will and do come are called by this Grace and they that do not come resist it by their own Will That those that Perish are inexcusable and those that are Saved have no cause of boasting of their own Abilities 7. That in all times there have been general Graces for all the World and special for the Just That among these last some have more some less yet no Man may complain of the Mercy of God since he owes nothing to any Man Nor can we more reasonably complain of his Justice since all that Perish deserve Damnation 8. That the particular Election of some doth not render our Labour Prayers or Good-works needless because God hath ordained them from all Eternity because this Grace is given for Prayer and because Election is perfected by Prayer and Good-works 9. That it ought not to be said of any Man before he is Dead that he shall certainly be of the Number of the Elect and that we ought not to despair of any Man's Salvation because the more Holy may yield to Temptation and the greatest Sinners be Converted That
and was Ordained Bishop of Rome * Sept. 15. Nov. 28. Anno. 496. The first thing he did was to write to the †Anastasius Emperor to endeavour the Re-union of the Church He exhorts him therefore in the first ** This Letter is in Tom. 4. of Councils p. 1278. Letter and earnestly intreats him to hinder that the Name of Acacius which gave so much offence should not be recited in the Church and by that means procure the Churches Peace At the same time he advertiseth him that this would not derogate from the validity of the Ordinations which Acacius hath conferred or Baptisms which he hath administred because the Holy Spirit works by evil Ministers and Sinners who administer the Sacraments hurt none but themselves nâ—…r do hinder the effect of the Sacraments Anastasius sent * Germanus Bishop of Capua and Cresconius Bishop of Tuder two Legats to Constantinople to Negotiate the Peace and at the same time Festus a Senator of Rome went about some publick affairs There was also then at Constantinople a Priest and another Clergy-man Deputies for the Church of Alexandria who being desirous of a Re-union with the Church of Rome presented a †It is extant in Tom. 4. p. 1283. of the Councils Memoir to the Pope's Legats and Festus wherein they deliver themselves to this Effect That the Churches of Rome founded by St. Peter and of Alexandria planted by St. Mark have always had the same Faith and Doctrine and were so firmly united that when any Councils were held in the East the Bishop of Rome made choice of the Bishop of Alexandria to act in his stead and hold his place in them but there began a Division between these two Churches in the time of St. Leo because his Letter against the Impious Heretick Eutyches being falsified by Theodoret and some other Bishops of the Nestorian Party who Translated it into Greek and by the Authority of that Corrupt Translation had maintained the Doctrine of Nestorius had given the Church of Alexandria occasion to think that the Church of Rome was of that Opinion and upon that account to separate from her Communion On the other side the Bishop of Rome being persuaded that the Aegyptians opposed the Doctrine which he had received from the Apostles had also separated them from his Communion That they had sent Deputies to Rome to justifie that their Church had no other Sentiments than those of the Fathers of the Council of Nice but there was then at Rome a certain Man of their Countrey an â—…my to the truth by whose means they were denied Reception and Audience Insomuch that they returned without effecting any thing but they understood since by Photinus a Deacon of the Church of Thessalonica who was sent by his Bishop to Pope Anastasius that this Pope did not approve of the Additions and Alterations which had been made in the Version of St. Leo's Letter That the Legats of this Pope sent to Constantinople having assured them of the same thing they implored them to receive their Confession of Faith that if it were found agreeable to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome these two Churches might be Re-united In this Confession of Faith having asserted with most serious Protestations that they did receive the Doctrine of the three first General Councils and the Anathema's of St. Cyril without mentioning the fourth Council They confess that Jesus Christ is consubstantial with the Father according to the Divine Nature and with us according to the Humane that there is but one Son that the Actions and Sufferings of Jesus Christ are proper to one Son only They condemn those that divide or confound the Natures or introduce a mere Phantom because in the Incarnation there is no multiplication of Sons and the Trinity of the Persons in the Godhead still remains although one of the Divine Persons be Incarnate They pronounce an Anathema against Nestorius and Eutyches But they declare that the Doctrine of Dioscorus Timotheus and Petrus their Patriarchs was such as that they do still follow it and are ready to justifie it Lastly They conjure the Popes Legats to present this Confession of Faith to him that he may approve it and receive them into his Communion Festus also was Commissioned by the Emperor to negotiate the Re-union of the Church of Constantinople and he promised to sway Anastasius the Pope to Subscribe Zeno's Henoticon But when he came to Rome Anastasius was dead having been in the See of the Church of Rome but two years wanting six days There is another * It is extant in Tom. 4. Council p. 1278. Letter of Anastasius to Lewis the French King wherein he congratulates his Conversion to Christianity Lastly M. Baluzius in Tom. 1. of his new Collections of Councils hath published some fragments of a Letter of Anastasius to Ursicinus upon the Incarnation Platina says that he wrote some Books De Trinitate De Libero arbitrio de Regulis Fidei adversus Pelagianam Haeresin and many Sermons but we know not upon what grounds The Letters of this Pope are full of Moral Observations and Applications of Texts of Holy Scripture PASCHASIUS a Deacon of the Church of Rome THIS Deacon flourished in the Popedom of Anastasius and Symachus under this last he Paschasius a Deacon of Rome favoured the Party of Laurentius the Anti-Pope and some hold that he was put into Purgatory upon that Account where Germanus Bishop of Capua saw his Soul if we may believe the Relation which St. Gregory gives us in his Dialogues He made two Books concerning the Godhead of the Holy Spirit * Against Macedonius commended by St. Gregory in which he hath not omitted any Material proof which the Holy Scripture affords us to prove the God-head of the Holy Spirit This Treatise is Written in a very good Method and with much Elegancy It hath been Printed at Collen in 1539 8vo and at Helmstadt in 1613. and put into the Biblioth Patr. Tom. 8. p. 806. Some think that it is to this Paschasius that Eugippius hath Dedicated the Life of St. Severinus JULIANUS POMERIUS JUlianus Pomerius a Native of Mauritania and Ordained a Priest in France lived about the end of the fifth Age. He composed a Treatise by way of Dialogue between Julian a Bishop Julianus Pomerius and Verus a Priest * Dr. Cave takes them for an Abridgment of Nemesius ' s 8 Books Dé Animâ about the Nature and Qualities of the Soul divided into eight Books In the first he tells us what the Soul is and in what sense it is said to be made in the Image of God In the second he examines whether it be Corporeal or Incorporeal In the third he enquires how the Soul of the first Man was made In the fourth he discusses this Question Whether the Soul which is about to be infused into the Body be created anew and without Sin or whether it be
several Authors but chiefly by Eusebius Caesariensis and Rufinus whom he makes a Roman Priest and whom he says falsly to have been present at that Council And indeed this History is nothing almost but a Collection of Treatises and pieces taken out of Eusebius Socrates Sozomen and Theodoret. That which is not taken out of these Authors is either dubious or manifestly false as all that is related from Chap. 11. to Chap. 24. of the second Book about the Disputes of the Philosophers upon the Trinity and the Divinity of the Holy Spirit It is manifest that these Disputes are a mere Fiction and 't is certain that the Question concerning the Divinity of the Holy Spirit was not moved in the Council of Nice There are many other faults in his History There is neither Order in his Relation nor Exactness in his Observations nor Elegancy in his Expressions nor Judgment in the choice of Things nor good Sense in his Sentences So that this Historian must be accounted a bad Compiler who hath collected without any Judgment whatsoever he found concerning the Council of Nice whether bad or good not examining whether it were true or false Which being so 't is no wonder that he hath said That Hosius supplied the place of the Bishop of Rome in the Council of Nice and that it was he that called that Council though both are contrary to the Testimonies of the Letters of the Council it self and of the Authors that lived at that time This Work is divided into three Books the two first contain the History of the Council the third is made up of three Letters of the Emperor Constantine It hath been published in Greek and Latin by Robert Balforeus a Scotch-Man with his own Notes and printed at Paris by Morellus with some Works of Theodorus a Priest of Raithu in the Year 1595. 1599. ca. and in 1604. by Commelinus Since it hath been put into the Councils of Rome in Binius's second Edition as also in Louvre's and the last Editions It would be better to leave it wholly out in the first Edition of the Councils that shall be hereafter published The Author of the Books Attributed to S. DIONYSIUS The Authors of the Books attributed to S. Dionysius the Areopagite the Areopagite THis is a fit time to speak of the Books attributed to S. Dionysius the Areopagite For * Dallée's Opinion comes near our Authors but Dr. Cave and the Learned Bishop of Chester Dr. Pearson place him sooner viz. about the Year 362. since they first appeared in the beginning of the sixth Age it is very probable that they were composed at the end of the fifth We will not repeat here what we have said in the first Part of this History but content our selves to observe whatever is most useful in them The Book of the Coelestial Hierarchy is full of Metaphysical Remarks about the Number and Distinction of Angels He divides them into three Hierarchies and nine Orders to which he appropriates different Names and Offices But in all that he says upon this Subject there is nothing either solid or profitable His Book of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy is more useful because they teach us after what manner the Sacraments were administred in the Church in the time of this Author Let us begin with Baptism The Bishop having preached and instructed the Catechumen he sends for him into the Congregation of the Faithful where he recites with all the Church an Hymn taken out of Holy Scripture and having kissed the Holy Table he goes to the Catechumen and demands of him Why he is come thither He having answered him Because he loves God and believes the Truths which he hath heard of him The Bishop gives him a Description of the Christian Life and then asks him If he will live after this manner After he hath promised it he lays his Hands on him and orders the Priests to write down the Name of this Man and of the Person that hath answered for him When this is done he goes on to rehearse some sacred Prayers when they are finished he causes him to be stripped by his Deacons and having caused him to turn and stretch forth his Hands toward the West he commands him to breathe three times against Satan and to make the ordinary Renunciations viz. of the World Flesh and Devil three times Then he turns him to the East and causing him to lift up his Hands towards Heaven he enjoyns him to profess that he believes all that Jesus Christ hath taught and whatsoever is contained in the Holy Scriptures This being done he causes him to rehearse the Confession of Faith three times Then he makes some Prayers blesses him and lays his Hands on him Then the Deacons strip him quite and the Priests bring the Oyl of the Holy Unction and the Bishop having begun to anoint him by making the Sign of the Cross thrice upon him he leaves it to the Priests to anoint his whole Body From thence he brings him to the Sacred Font and having sanctified the Water by the Invocation of the Holy Spirit and having consecrated it by putting in Oyl in the form of a Cross three times while they recite some Prophesies he commands them to bring him to the place where he is to be Baptized The Priests call him and his Godfather by their Names They bring him to the Bishop who takes him by the Hand and the Priests having read his Name he dips him three times in the Water and invokes the Name of the Holy Trinity every time as he goes into and come out of the Water When this is done the Priests carry him away and lead him to his Godfather After he has put on his Cloaths they conduct him again to the Bishop who having anointed him with that Oyl which renders Men Holy he commands him to receive the Sacrament which hath a particular Power to perfect Holiness Thus this Author describes the Ceremonies of Baptism and then makes some Mystical Observations upon them which we shall pass over that we may come to what he says about the Eucharist which he calls the most perfect of all the Sacraments He says That we have Reason to give it the Name of Communion ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Eminence because this is the Sacrament which unites more particularly and that it is for this Reason that it is not permitted to execute any Function in the Hierarchy unless it be consummated by the Communion After this Reflexion he returns to the manner of the Ceremony and says That the Bishop being returned to the Altar sings some Psalms and all the Clergy sing with him Then the Deacons read the Holy Scriptures and when they have done reading they put out the Catechumens * Lunaticks Persons at certain seasons vexed with unclean Spirits These were kept from the Sacrament though Baptized ob mentis inconstantiam for the levity and inconstancy of their Minds Enurgumeni and
give this reply to those that accuse them of troubling the Church and not submitting to their Bishop That 't is their Bishop that is the cause of this trouble and scandal because he teaches strange Doctrine In the next place he complains of his behaviour towards him and of the Calumnies they made use of to defame him He says that he is ready to defend himself before any Judicature but yet he was not against Peace provided the Orthodox Faith be secured Lastly He tells them that he had sent them again the Petition which they had sent to him but he had changed and mollified the terms lest Nestorius should say that he had accused him before the Emperor That in that which he had framed he had rejected Nestorius as being his Enemy He desires them to present this Petition if need be and says that it Nestorius goes on still to persecute him he will send some Wise and Prudent Persons to deâ—end his own and the Churches cause being resolved to suffer the utmost rather than abandon it He wrote also at the same time two Letters to justifie himself that he had engaged in this affair against Nestorius because he thought himself obliged to do it for the defence of the Faith He says that 't was not p. 1. c. 10. 11. he but Nestorius that was the Cause of the trouble and that 't was not he but Nestorius that had hindred that Peace was not again restored to the Church Nestorius not receiving an Answer from Pope Caelestine wrote another Letter to him in which he earnestly desires him to give him an answer about the Case of those Bishops of whom he wrote to him He speaks also of those pretended Hereticks who confounded the two Natures in Jesus Christ and attributed to the Manhood that which agrees only to the Divine Nature and to the Godhead that which belongs to the humane Nature only This Letter was carried to Rome by Count Valerius Caelestine had not returned an Answer to Nestorius's first Letter because he thought it necessary to Translate and Examine the Sermons which he sent him It is probable that this task was imposed upon Cassian and indeed the Books of this Author against Nestorius were made about this time and are written as we have observed against one of Nestorius's first Sermons Saint Cyril suspecting that Nestorius might have written to Rome sent Possidonius thither with a Letter p. 1. c. â—4 in which he relates all that had passed to that time in the business of Nestorius About the end of the Letter he tells S. Caelestine that he did wait for his Judgment to determine whether he should receive Nestorius to Communion which for that reason he had neither hitherto granted him nor absolutely refused Lastly He exhorts him to let them know his Opinion in the East that all the Churches might be United and joyn together in one and the same Doctrine With this Letter he sent some Papers which contain'd the principal heads of Nestorius's Doctrine Besides this he gave Possidonius a Paper of Instructions which is published by M. Balugius in which he lays down Nestorius ' Doctrine after this manner The Doctrine or rather the Nov. Col. Conc. tom 1. p. 378. Heresie of Nestorius is to believe That the Word of God foreseeing that the Person who was to be Born of Mary should be Holy and Great did therefore make choice of him to make him to be born of a Virgin and bestowed such Graces upon him as that he was rightly called the Son of God Our Lord and Christ that he made him Dye for us and then raised him from the Dead that this word was Incarnate because he always was with the Man as he also had been with the Prophets but in a more special manner That Nestorius confessed that he was with him in the Womb of the Virgin but he will not acknowledge that he was a God by Nature but he was called so upon the account of the extraordinary favour which God had always shewed him and that it was the Man that died and rose again After this manner S. Cyril delivers Nostorius's Doctrine which being done he thus explains his own We believe and confess that the Word of God is Immortal yea Life it self but he became Flesh and being united with a Body * enlivened animated with a Rational Soul suffered in the Flesh as the Scripture says and because his Body suffered we say that he hath suffered although he be of a Nature * impossible incapable of sufferings and because his Body is risen we say He is risen But Nestorius is not of that Judgment for he says that it is the Man who is raised and that it is the body of the Man which is offered to Us in the Holy Sacrament We believe on the Contrary that it is the Flesh and Blood of the Word that giveth life to all things He says afterward that Nestorius had suborned Caelestius to accuse Philip of being a Manichee but Caelestius not daring to appear Nestorius had found out another pretence and Deposed Philip for having Celebrated the Sacrament in his House although all the Clergy of Constantinople said that it was a thing ordinarily done as often as occasion required Possidonius departed to go to Rome with these Instructions but had order not to deliver Saint Cyril's Letter to the Pope unless he understood that Nestorius's Letter was come to his Hands Before Passidonius was arrived at Rome S. Cyril wrote to Acacius Bishop of Beraea that his Friend p. 1. c. 22. Nestorius had given Scandal to all the Church by suffering Dorotheus to deny that the Virgin was the Mother of God and maintaining that Doctrine And that because he would not abet that error Nestorius had declared himself against him and filled the World with Calumnies against his Reputation He tells Acacius that he was sorry that such a subtle and difficult Question had e'er been started and Preached to the People for which Moral Discourses and Instructions were much more suitable Acacius answered that he approved of this Judgment of Saint Cyril and that he was as throughly persuaded as himself that such things ought not to be disputed but he advised him not to reprove with so much passion a word which Dorotheus had Ibid c. 23. spoken unawares and inconsiderately for fear of embroyling the Church and desires him to appease this Quarrel by his Silence intimating to him that it was the Opinion also of John Bishop of Antioch Possidonius being arrived at Rome Pope Caelestine who had received Instructions from both sides 1. A Council at Rome had assembled a Council in August Anno. 430 in which after they had read and examined Nestorius's Writings his Letters and S. Cyril's they disapproved Nestorius's and approved Saint Cyril's Doctrine We have a fragment of the Acts of this Council related in Arnobius's conâ—eâ—erence with Serapion which contains some part of St. Caelestine's
had accused him He shows that these Hereticks calumniate this holy Pope and charge him with such Doctrines as he never held by taking out some words out of the places where they were and cutting off that which might serve to justifie them This is prov'd at large in the Extract related by Photius Vol. 225. He did undertake the Defence of St. Leo in another Work against Theodosius and Severus wherein he also explains the sense of this Expression of St. Cyril That there is but one Nature of the Word Incarnate Lastly Photius speaks also of an Invective which this Author wrote against one of the Disciples of Theodosius and the Gaianites wherein he shows that the Agreement they had made amongst themselves was falsâ— and indefensible because it tended only to oppose the Truth There was also in this Tome a Letter which Eulogius wrote when he was yet a Priest to Eutychius Archbishop of John the Faster Constantinople which contains an Exposition of the Orthodox Faith JOHN the Faster John of Cappadocia surnam'd the Faster upon the account of his great Abstinence was Ordain'd Bishop of Constantinople in the Year â—8â— and govern'd that Church until the Year 596. St. Isidore of Sevil assures us That he wrote a Letter about Baptism to his Predecessor Leander wherein he said nothing that was new but only collected and repeated the Opinions of his Ancestors about the three Dippings He compos'd also some Homilies which perhaps are among those of St. Chrysostom That about Penance is the most famous Father Morinus has publish'd two Penitential Books of this Bishop He was not a Man of a very sublime Wit but he was one of great Piety and Charity and lov'd Order and Discipline He was sharply reprov'd by St. Gregory for taking upon him the name of Oecumenical Patriarch because this Pope look'd upon this Title as a sign of Ambition altho in the sense of the Greeks it was innocent and signified nothing less then St. Gregory thought The Greeks perhaps reprov'd this Bishop more justly for contributing to the Relaxation of Discipline by moderating the Rigor of the Canons This is objected to him by the Bishops of a Council held in the time of Alexâ—s Comnenus yet it does not appear that he fell into any Excess of Relaxation for he only permitted the time of Penance to be shortned in favour of those who were more servent and appear'd more contrite JOHN of Biclarum John Abbot of Biclarum originally of the Race of the Goths of the Province of Portugal after he had studied at Constantinople came to Spain where he was persecuted by King Leuvigildus who John of Biclarum being an Arian would force him to embrace his Religion He was banish'd to Barcelona where he suffer'd very much for the space of ten years When this was ended he settled a Monastery call'd Biclarum situated in the Valleys of the Pyrenees and afterwards he was chosen Bishop of Gironda He wrote a Chronicon which begins at the Year 566 and ends at 590 and which serves as a Continuation to that of Victor of Tunona He made also a Rule for his Monks which is very useful for all the World if we may believe Isidore ANASTASIUS SINAITA ANastasius a Monk of Mount Sinâ— ascended the Throne of the Church of Ancioch in the Year 561. He was forced from it and banish'd in the Year 572 by the Emperor Justinus the Anastasius Sinaita Younger but at last he was restor'd under the Emperor Mauricius in the Year 595. He died about the Year 599. He had another for his Successor who went under the same Name which gave occasion to confound them 'T was the first of these two who was the Author of some Treatises The first and most assured Work of his is a Treatise entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Guide to the True Way written against the Acephali Anastasius begins this Book which was compos'd for an Inâ—truction about the Faith with laying down some Maxims and Rules which the Faithful ought to follow for their good Conduct and to prevent Falling into Error These Rules are useful and rational Here follows the Translation of them 'T is necessary for a Man above all things to lead a pure and innocent Life and to have the Holy Spirit in him After this he must know the Definitions that are most necessary and have an exact Knowledge of the Doctrines of his Adversaries and read their Writings that he may be able to oppose them and confound them from themselves He must not amuse himself with disputing about the Faith every moment against the first Comer but read the whole Scripture with a Spirit of Submission and Fear with simplicity of Heart and without crafty Designs he must not desire to conceive what surpasses our Understanding or to distinguish that which is to be understood litterally from that which is a Metaphor He must be perswaded that the Church has Traditions about these things which are not in the Holy Scripture as for instance That one ought to be fasting when he receives the Holy Eucharist that he should turn towards the East in the time of Prayer that the Mother of Christ continued a Virgin after she had brought forth a Child that she brought forth Christ in a Cave Besides this he must accustom himself to two ways of Disputing against the Hereticks one by proposing the passages of Holy Scripture and another by making use of the Proofs drawn from the thing it self This last way of Disputing is solid if we may believe him and more effectual for 't is easie to corrupt the sense of the words of Scripture and to oppose anâ—ther passage of it as the Hereticks and Jews do every day 'T is better therefore to make use of Internal Proofs 'T is necessary to be skill'd in Chronology to know at what time the Father liv'd and when such and such a Hereâ—â—â— arose He must take good heed leâ—t when his Adversary is nonpluss'd and cannot answer he make a transition to another Question 'T is convenient before the Dispute to require of his Adversary an Oath that he will say nothing against his Conscience and also to purge your self from all the Suspicions he may have of you by condemning the Errors that may be charg'd upon you He must tell the Mâ—â—â—physites that he must not insist upon the Council of Chalcedon but engage to dispute from the more ancient Fathers whom they themselves acknowledge for Catholicks He must observe that the Mâ—â—â—physites may be reprehended from the Oblation of the Chalice because they offer only * Here the Cup is called Wine after Consâ—cration Wine without any mixture of Water Anastasius the Siâ—â—ita having laid down these Maxims practises according to them in his Work For having said that the Catholicks acknowledge two Wills and two sorts of Operations in Jesus Christ in the second Chapter he gives many Definitions of Terms which he uses for explaining the Mysteries of the
Filings of the Chain of St. Peter if the Priest who is appointed for filing them could have any for this File will not take hold when those who desire them do not deserve to receive them B. 3. Ep. 30. He sent every where some of these Filings enchas'd in Keys See B. 1. Ep. 25 29 30. B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 33 47. B. 5. Ep. 6. B. 6. Ep. 20 23 25. B. 7. Ind. 1. Ep. 34. Ind. 2. Ep. 54. 126. 111. B. 10. Ep. 7. B. 11. Ep. 45. He desires the Reliques of other Saints B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 9. He makes use of Reliques for Consecrating of Churches B. 5. Ep. 45 50. B. 7. Ind. 2. Ep. 73 74 85. B. 9. Ep. 26. Of the Use of Images SErenus Bishop of Marseilles having broken and thrown down the Images of his Church because he observ'd that the People ador'd them the Pope commends his Zeal that he had hindred him from worshipping them but he does not take it well that he had broken them because they serve for Books to those who cannot read who learn by looking upon them with their eyes what they cannot discovery by reading of Books He thinks that he should have let them stand and only have instructed the People that they should not worship them B. 7. Ind. 2. Ep. 110. Serenus receiving this Letter doubted whether it was St. Gregory's or no. This first assures him that it was his and speaks to him of this Action in these very words We praise you says he to him for hindring the People from worshipping of Images but we rebuke you for breaking of them Tell me my Brother where is the Bishop that ever did thâ— like If nothing else could hinder you from doing it yet ought you not to have refrain'd for the very singularity of the thing Should you not have been afraid to make People believe that you thought your self the only wise and prudent person There is a great deal of difference between worshipping an Image and learning whom we ought to worship by the historical Representation of a Picture for what the Scripture teaches those who can read the Picture informs such as have eyes to look upon it The unlearned see in it what they ought to follow it is a Book to them who know not a Letter and therefore it is very useful for Barbarians for whom you ought to have a particular regard who live amongst them and not give them offence by an indiscreet Zeal You ought not to break that which is plac'd in the Churches not to be worshipped but to give Instruction to the Ignorant Ancient Custom permitted the Pictures of Sacred Histories to be set up in Churches and your Zeal if it had been attended with discretion would never have tore them nor have occasion'd such a Scandal as has driven away a part of your People from your Communion You ought therefore to call them back again and declare unto them that Images ought not to be worshipped that you would not have broken them but that you saw the People adore them and that you will permit them to continue for the future provided they be made use of only for * This is expresly contrary to the Council of Trent Sess 25. which declares that Images are to be plac'd in Churches and to be worship'd there and to the common Doctrine of Romish Writers now who allow at least of Relative Worship to be given them Instruction Do not forbid Images but hinder them from being worshipped in any manner whatsoever and stir up your People to Compunction and the Adoration of the Holy Trinity by looking upon the Pictures of Holy Histories B. 9. Ep. 9. Of divers Ceremonies of the Church of Rome ST Gregory having appointed certain new Rites in the Church of Rome was reprov'd for it by some of his Friends who were disgusted with him for following the Customs of the Church of Constantinople which he design'd to humble in every thing They blam'd him chiefly for four things 1. For saying Hallelujah at Mess on other days besides Whitsunday 2. That the Sub-deacons were not in their Habit when they perform'd their Office 3. For singing Kyrie Eleison Lord have mercy upon us 4. For ordering the Lord's Prayer to be repeated immediately after the Canon of the Mess. St. Gregory answers in general That in none of these Heads he had follow'd the Custom of any other particular Church That as to the Hallelujah it came from the Church of Jerusalem from which St Jerom took it and introduc'd it into the Church of Rome in the time of Pope Damasus That in obliging the Sub-deacons to minister without their Habit he had renew'd an ancient Custom that had been abrogated by a Pope whose name be knew not That the Sub-deacons do only wear Linen Albes in the Church of Syracuse which has receiv'd the Customs of the Roman Church its Mother and not in the Greek Church That formerly Kyrie Eleison was not wont to be said and at present it is not said after the manner of the Greeks who repeat it altogether whereas at Rome the Clergy begin it and the People respond to it and as often as they do Christe eleison is said which Practice is not us'd among the Greeks That in the daily Messes something is omitted of what us'd to be said at Mess but then Kyrie eleison and Christe eleison is sung for a much longer time As to what concerns the Lord's Prayer he adds That it is us'd immediately after the Canon post Precem because the Apostles had a custom of Consecrating the Sacrifice of Oblation with this Prayer only ad ipsam solummodo Orationem and that it did not appear to him proper to repeat over the Oblation a Prayer which had been made by a Civil Lawyer and not to repeat over the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that Prayer which himself compos'd And besides that among the Greeks the Lord's Prayer is pronounc'd by all the People but at Rome the Priest only says it B. 7. Ind. 2. Ep. 64. The Clergy of Rome would not have the Clergy men of the Church of Ravenna to wear the Mappulae St. Gregory grants the use of them to the Deacons only while they are administring their Office The Bishop of Ravenna maintains that all the Clergy-men ought to wear them B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 55. A Song was sung in the Church of Ravenna on the Easter Wax-Candle B. 9. Ep. 28. St. Gregory ordains Processions or Letanies in the time of War B. 9. Ep. 45. He permits Messes to be said in Houses B. 5. Ep. 42 43. The Roman Church had not in his time any other History of the Martyrs but what is in Eusebius She us'd only a Catalogue of the holy Martyrs for every day of the year which noted barely the time and place of their Martyrdom B. 7. Ind. 1. Ep. 3. He forbids to travel on Sunday but he does not think it unlawful to bathe on
inserted with Turrianus's Version in the First Volume of the Auctuarium Biblioth Patrum Tom. I. p. 319. PETER of Laodicea WE know nothing in particular of this Author of whom we have a short and a bad Peter of Laodicea Explication of the Lord's Prayer It is believed he lived in the Seventh Century THALASSIUS a Monk WE have 400. Moral Maxims or Truths of this Author's famous only for his strict Friend-ship and Concerns with Maximus to whom he did also propound many Questions Thalassius upon the Holy Scripture Printed in Bibliotheca Patrum Tom. 12. ISAIAH Abbot ABbot ISAIAH's Precepts are much of the same kind they are Advices Considerations and Instructions useful for Monks It is also thought he lived in this Century Isaiah Abbot THEOFRIDUS Abbot TWO Homilies upon Relicks are attributed to this Abbot of whom we know nothing in particular Theofridus DONATUS DONATUS the Son of Valdelenus Duke of the Country between Mount S. Claude and the Alpes was brought up in this Religious Life by Columbanus and was afterwards Donatus made Bishop of Besancon toward the Year 630. where he founded two Monasteries the one for Men the other for Virgins He made Rules for both That which he made for Monks is in the second part of S. Benedict of Aniana's Rules and is entituled Capitula to serve instead of Advertisements to the Friars of S. Paul and S. Stephen that is to the Monks of the Monastery of S. Paul for the Monastery founded by him at Besancon was called so and to the Canons Regular of the Cathedral Church which had S. Stephen for its Patron This Rule contains nothing in it but some particular Advices The other Rules of Donatus for the Monastery of Nuns founded by his Mother Flavia is larger well-penned and contains very wise Constitutions taken out of the Rules of S. Caesarius S. Columbanus and S. Benedict It is found in the third Part of the Rules of Benedict of Aniana that Bishop was present at a Council of Challon upon the River Saone in the Year 650. VITALIANUS VITALIANUS was chosen Bishop of Rome August 29th 656. and governed that Church fourteen Years and six Months He hath left us some Letters Vitalianus The 1st is directed to the Archbishop of Creet upon the Bishop of Lappa's Complaint against the Judgment which that Bishop had given against him Vitalianus saith He hath examined that Matter in a Council where the Acts of that Process were exhibited and that the Bishops acknowledged the Cause had been illegally managed and that the Bishop of Lappa had been wrongfully condemned That they were greatly troubled that he had put that Bishop into Prison and hindred him from coming to Rome to clear himself Therefore he declareth null and void all the Proceedings of the Council of the Archbishop of Creet against John Bishop of Lappa and at the same Time pronounceth that Bishop to be innocent and as such absolveth him In the 2d he intreats Vaanus the Emperor's Officer to procure that Bishop's Restauration In the 3d. he orders Paul Archbishop of Creet to cause his Churches to be given him again He complains That a Deacon had married a Wife since the Time of his being in Orders and that he did minister in two Churches He prays him to put a stop to that Disorder and to follow no longer Eulampius's Counsel he being a wicked Man sowing Divisions among them for his own Profit In the 4th Letter he desires George Bishop of Syracuse to be favourable to John of Lappa and to endeavour his re-establishment The 5th Letter alledged by Bede is directed to the King of Northumberland in England He commends his Zeal and answers him about the Time of keeping Easter He promises him to send him a Bishop when he hath met with one fit for it and willing to go over into England He thanks him for his Prayers and sends him some Relicks The 6th is directed to the Benedictine Monks of Sicily He acquaints them how grievous it is to him that their Monasteries and Estates have been spoiled by the Incursions of the Barbarians He tells them He sends them some Monks of the Congregation of Mount-cassin and exhorts them to obey them and to labour with them for the resettling of their Monasteries and Lands S. ELIGIUS S. ELIGIUS born near the City of Limoges a Goldsmith and Friend of King Dagobert was ordained Bishop of Noviodunum or Noviomum Noyon in 646. and died in 663. S. Owen who wrote S. Eligius his Life tells us he made Exhortations to his People every Day with unwearied Labor that his Sermons were very short but they contained important Instructions and wholsom Advices That Author collected them into one Discourse containing the most usual Instructions which Eligius gave to his People They are for the most part drawn out of S. Caesarius's Sermons which Bishops did then make use of to preach to their People This Discourse was printed among S. Austin's Works and now is in the end of the sixth Volume 'T is an Abridgment of the principal Duties of a Christian. In the first place he shews the Obligation laid upon Pastors to instruct their People He exhorts them to remember often their baptismal Vows and to meditate on the last Judgment He shews them that it is not enough to bear the Name of a Christian but that we ought to act and live suitable to it He endeavours to create in them an Abhorrence of profane Superstitions and the Relicks of Idolatry Then he gives them sundry wholsome Advices to honour God to love Enemies to give Alms to frequent Divine Service and Sunday-Sermons to q Cross themselves often with the Sign of the Cross. After the Cross was admitted into the Church and became an Object of Worship it was accounted of wonderful efficacy to sanctify all things to cleause and bless our Food confer Grace consecrate Sacraments procure Remission of Sins preserve from the Malice of the Devil and what not So that Eligius thought no better Advice could be given to the Christians than to cross themselves often with the Sign of the Cross that they might thereby be shielded and defended from all Evils and sanctified throughout though the Effect proved it to be but an idle Conceit cross themselves often with the sign of the Cross to give to the Church the Tenths of their Gain or Possessions to avoid r Mortal Sins i. e. More heinous and notorious Guilts for tho' no Sin be so venial and trivial Bellarm. de amiss grat statu p c l. 1. c 4. Matt. 5. 22. 7. 5. 1 Jo. 5. 16. Gal. 3. 10. Ezek. 8. 4. Featly Ser. p. 653. Field of the Church p. 148 277. as the Romanists teach with one Consent as neither to offend God nor deserve Damnation in its own Nature and so only subject them to temporal Punishments yet all Protestants disallow a Stoical Parity and equality of Sins and hold that some are
Body and Blood of Christ with a clean and pure Heart The 8th prohibits breaking the Fast of Good-Friday before Sun-set excepting only Children Aged and Sick Folks The 9th orders That on Easter-eve they shall bless the Lamp and the Taper Some Churches of France did not observe this Practice wherefore they are enjoyned to observe it for the future In the 10th they are reproved who never said the Lord's Prayer but on Sunday They prove by the Testimonies of S. Cyprian S. Hilary and S. Augustin that this Prayer is to be said every day and judged this Practice so necessary that they threaten to depose the Clerks that shall omit saying that Prayer every Day in their Publick or Private Office This shews that Clerks did even then recite their Office in private The 11th Canon prohibits singing Hallelujah during the whole Lent because it is a Time of Mourning as well as the Kalends of January in which they abstain from Flesh as in Lent to feed only on Fish and Herbs It is observ'd That some did likewise abstain from Drinking Wine In former Time Abstinence from Wine was as strictly commanded as Abstinence from Flesh. The 12th Constitution decrees That the Laudes shall not be said after the Epistle but after the Gospel These Laudes are some Verses which they recited before the Offertory The 13th rejects the Opinion of those who believed That the Hymns of Humane Composition made in the Praise of the Apostles and Martyrs were not to be recited as not being drawn out of the Canonical Scriptures nor authorized by Tradition They observe That if it were not lawful to recite any thing in the Divine Service but what is from the Scripture they should retrench the most part of the Masses Prayers Collects Recommendations and most of the Prayers said in the Confirmation The 14th orders That the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace shall be sung in the Pulpit at the Mass on Sundays and Holy Days The 15th orders That in the End of the Psalms they shall not only say Glory be to the Father but Glory and Honour be to the Father In the 16th it is observed That some do not say the Gloria after the Responses because it is not proper to what was said Gloria is to be said when the Subject is joyful and cheerful and the beginning of the Response to be repeated when it is sad and mournful The 17th Canon pronounces Excommunication against them that will not receive the Revelation of S. John as a Divine Book or that will not read it in their Churches from Easter till Whitsunday in the Time of Divine Service The 18th orders That after the reciting of the Lord's Prayer and the mingling of the Bread with the Wine in the Cup they shall bless the People before the Distribution of the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood It says also That Priests and Deacons ought to receive the Communion at the Altar the rest of the Clergy in the Quire and the People without the Quire The 19th forbids advancing to the Priesthood the following Persons them that have been convicted of any Crimes or that having confessed them have done Penance publickly Them that have been Hereticks or baptized in an Heresy or rebaptized Them that have made themselves Eunuchs or have lost some of their Limbs Them that have had many Wives or have married Widows as also those that have had Concubines Those of a servile Condition Neophytes Laymen or those that are entangled in Businesses The Ignorant and Unlearned those that are not yet 30 Years old and have not passed through the Ecclesiastical Degrees Them that seek to be ordained by Bribery or to buy that Dignity Those that are chosen by their Predecessors Those that have not been chosen by the People and the Clergy nor approved by the Metropolitan and the Provincial Synod That he that hath all these Qualifications is to be consecrated on a Sunday by all the Bishops of the Province or at least by three Bishops with the Consent of the others in the Presence and by the Authority of the Metropolitan and in the Place which he shall chuse The 20th forbids making any persons Deacons before 25. Years of Age and Presbyters before 30. The 21st recommends to the Bishop a chaste and innocent Life that they may offer the Sacrifice with Purity and pray to God for others The 22d exhorts them not only to keep a pure Conscience but moreover to have a care of their Reputation and to have always in their Chambers some persons of probity with them which may bear Witness of it The 23d enjoyns the same thing to the Presbyters and Deacons that do not live with the Bishop The 24th commands That young Clerks shall dwell all together in the same Hall under the Conduct of an Elder The 25th Recommends to Bishops the Knowledge of the Holy Scripture and the Canons The 26th shews That the Presbyters put into Parishes ought to receive from the Bishop a Book containing the Service of the Church and instructing them in the manner of administring the Sacraments and when they come to the Council or in his Visitation they ought to give an account to the Bishop how they celebrate Service and administer Baptism The 27th That the Presbyters and Deacons put into Parishes are to promise to their Bishop that they will live regularly and orderly The 28th That if a Bishop a Presbyter or a Deacon have been unjustly condemned and their Innocency be acknowledge in a Second Synod they cannot be what they were before till they have received before the Altar and from the Bishop's hands the degrees which they were fallen from If it be a Bishop he shall receive the Stole the Ring and the Staff If a Priest the Stole and the Chasuble If a Deacon the Stole and the Albe If a Sub-deacon the Chalice and the Patine or Cover of it and so of the other degrees which shall receive again what was given them at their Ordination The 29th is against the Clerks who consult Diviners or use Sorcery It is ordered they shall be deposed and shut up in Monasteries to do Penance the rest of their Life The 30th Forbids Bishops bordering upon the Enemies of the State to receive any order from Strangers The 31st Forbids Bishops to be Judges between Princes and their Subjects who are accused of High-Treason till they have promised to pardon the guilty The 32d Warns the Bishops not to suffer the Magistrates and Men of Power to do unjustly and oppress the Poor to reprove them if they perceive them to do so and when they will not amend to complain to the King The 33d Forbids Bishops to take to themselves above the Third part of the Revenues of Churches Founded in their Diocess tho' it leaves them the whole Administration thereof The 34th appoints That between the Bishops of the same Province Thirty Years possession shall be a valid Title to keep the Churches which they
Faith the Cross and the Worship due to it of the custom of praying towards the East of the Holy Mysteries in which we ought not to doubt but Christ gives us his Body and Blood * Spiritually to feed us the Bread and Wine being ‡ In their Use not Nature changed into Christ's Body and Blood and being but one and the same thing He tells us with what Purity we ought to receive such a Holy Sacrament He establisheth Mary's perpetual Virginity both in and after the Birth and reconciles the two Genealogies of Christ after the same manner with Africanus Then he proves that Saints ought to be honoured and their Relicks reverenced He would also have the Images of Saints and of Christ to be honoured and believeth them to be very useful to remember us of them He confesses they do not worship the Matter whereof the Cross or the Images are made but only that which is represented thereby He says That this Custom is established by an ancient Tradition and thereupon he quotes the Fabulous Story of the Image sent by Christ to King Agbarus He takes notice that no Image of God ought to be made He maketh a Catalogue of the Sacred Books of the Old Testament agreeable to the Canon of the Hebrews To the Books of the New he adds the Canons of the Apostles which he thinks to have been collected by St. Clemens Having treated of all these Things he comes again to some Questions he had forgotten He explains how many ways they speak of Christ. He proves God is not the Author of Sins and that there is but one Principle of all Things He renders a Reason why God created some Men who would Sin and not Repent He shews what 's the Law of Sin and the Law of Grace He gives some Reasons of the Observation of the Sabbath and Circumcision He extols the State of Virginity He concludes with some Reflections upon Antichrist the Resurrection and the Last Judgment Whereupon he says That Hell Fire shall not be material as that among us but such as God knows Non materià hujusce nostri constantem sed qualem Dein novit This Work is in Greek and Latin in the Basil Edition in 1548 and 1575. St. John Damascene wrote many Tracts more upon some particular Doctrines A Dialogue between a Christian and a Saracen about Religion Another Dialogue under the Name of an Orthodox and a Manichee in which he disputes against the Errors of those Hereticks A Treatise of the two Natures against the * The Acephali or Monophysites a sort of Hereticks Dr. Cave Monothelites who did admit but one Nature in Christ made up of two A Treatise of the Trisagion against the Sedition of Peter the Fuller wherein he explains several forms of Speech about the Trinity and the Inoarnation A Treatise of the two Wills in Christ against the Monothelites Another upon the Trinity and the Incarnation To these Tracts may be added the last Article of his Logick wherein he explains what is the Hypostatick Union and his Institutes containing an Explication of the Terms used by him in speaking of the Mysteries as Essence Substance Person Hypostasis c. The three Orations upon Images belong to the Doctrinal Tracts He distinguisheth two sorts of Worship and Adoration the one Supreme belonging to God only the other a Worship of Honour and Respect only He says The matter of Images is not worshipped but what is represented by them that they are in stead of Books to the Ignorant and that in worshipping of them they worship the Saints of whom they are the Images He cites St. Basil to Authorize this use of them He objects to himself St. Epiphanius's Letter and answers Either that that Letter is supposititious or that he caused the Picture he speaks of to be buried only for some particular Reasons like as St. Athanasius caused the Relicks of Saints to be buried to condemn the Profane Practice of the Egyptians He cites several Passages of the Fathers to prove that the Images of Saints are to be honoured but there is hardly one word proving directly what he maintains though he relates a great many Passages in those three Orations He owns the worship of Images cannot be established from Holy Scripture and that it is authorized by the Tradition of the Church only Lastly he confesses no Image ought to be made of the Trinity nor of Things purely Spiritual The Prayer for the Dead is another Point which also is not proved but by the Tradition of the Church S. John Damascene defends it in an Oration made for that purpose In it he affirms that the Prayer for the Dead is from the Tradition of the Apostles He adds That the Church does do nothing but what is useful and pleasing to God from whence he concludes that by those Prayers they obtain the Remission of those Sins which remain to be expiated by the Dead He relates the Fable of Trajan's Deliverance and a Story that happen'd to St. John the Alms-giver We may moreover add to these Tracts two very short Treatises the one in what consists the Image and Similitude of God in which we were created and the other of the Last Judgment Besides we may add to these two Letters about the Mass and the Consecration but I do not believe them to be of St. John Damascene's The Historical Works of S. John Damascene are fewer in number We have a Treatise of Heresies which bears his Name but the twenty four first are nothing but the Abridgment of S. Epiphanius The rest beginning at the Nestorians were added by S. John Damascene He joins to the Hereticks already known viz. the Nestorians Eutychians Monophysites Aphthartodocites Theodosians Jacobites Agnoetes Donatistes Monothelites Saracens and Iconoclasts He joins I say to these other unknown Sects of Persons that had extraordinary Opinions and Practices namely the Semidalites who taste of the Paste brought to them by Dioscorus's Scholars and believe this is to them instead of Sacrifice the Orchistae which are Monks dancing when they sing God's Praises the Gnosimachi who will not have Men to Write or Study a good Life being sufficient the Heliotropites who believe there is a certain Vertue in the Herb called Turnsol or Heliotrope the Thnetopsychites who believe Men's Souls to be like to the Beasts and that they die with them the Theocatochestes who find fault with some Expressions in the Scripture the Christolites who believe that Christ hath left his Body and Soul in Hell and that the Godhead only ascended up to Heaven the Ethnophrones who retain some Pagan Superstitions the Ethiproscoptes who find fault with ancient Usages and introduce new ones the Parermeneutes who interpret several places of the Old and New Testament according to their own fancy and the Lampetians living after their own fashion It is plain That S. John Damascene gave what Names he pleased to those he thought to be of these Opinions and Practices
Saturday and Sunday says Their Practice is not well-timed because Celebrating the Mass at the Third Hour which is the time appointed to Offer this Sacrifice they cannot keep the Fast till the Ninth Hour Afterwards he quotes some Canons to prove the Unreasonableness of this Custom and justifie the Practice of the Greeks who Offer this Sacrifice on Saturdays and Sundays onely at the Third Hour and Communicate on other days at the Ninth Hour upon the Presanctify'd Elements So that Nicetas does not say positively That the Fast is broken by the Eucharist and though he should say so it would not follow that he believ'd it subject to the same Laws and Contingencies as our usual Food for that one might believe that to ease one from the trouble of Fasting and feed the Body in any manner of way is ipso facto to break the Fast which is not the Thing insisted on by Nicetas or the Greeks Who believed the Celebration of the Sacrifice broke the Fast for that it is an Action full of Joy and Solemnity This is the Reason given for 't by Balsamon upon the Fourth Canon of the Council of Laodicea To offer Says he the Sacrifice is to Celebrate a Feast and express the Solemn Joy of the Church and to do this is not to weep or fast Besides Nicetas does suppose that presently after the Celebration of the Mass it is lawful to eat and consequently that the Latins having finished in the Morning that Celebration of the Mass broke the Fast presently after In which particular he errs for the Latins did not Celebrate Mass in Lent at the Third Hour but in the Evening and so broke their Fast but late However neither Nicetas nor the Greeks did ever say That the Body and Blood of Christ were under the same Laws as common Food nay 't is probable they did not believe that the Species of Bread and Wine went into the Draught their great Doctor S. John Damascene having Taught the contrary As for Algerus he accused them of Stercoranism only upon the Credit of Humbertus whose words he does but Transcribe And Humbertus charges Nicetas with it by a Consequence that has failed and which does not necessarily follow It does not appear that there has been since that time any farther Contest with them upon this Point and amongst the Errors which the Latins afterwards condemned in Michael Cerularius there is no mention made of this Therefore this Error can by no means be proved upon the Greeks Now to come back to the Latins we have sufficiently proved that there was no difference amongst them about the Flesh and Blood of our Saviour contained under the Species that none was The State of the Question amongst the Latins so much Infatuated as to think that that Mystical Flesh and Blood were subject to the same Laws and Contingencies with our usual Food but that they had debated amongst them this Scholastical Question What becomes of the Species of Bread and Wine and that many of them being of Opinion That it was Indecent to conceive that they were subject to the same Laws and Contingencies with our common Food would not have it thought that any part of it were converted into Excrements or voided out of the Body and therefore conceived that they were either Annihilated or Converted into the Substance of our Flesh to be Raised again from the Dead This Opinion which had the Vogue in this and the following Centuries has been since rejected by our Schoolmen who doubt not but that the Species of the Eucharist may be corrupted and converted into another Substance God by his Infinite Power producing another * Another Matter What a many Transubstantiations must follow upon the first Forgery Transubstantiation on the Altar creates another in the Belly least Christ's Body should be subject to Indecent Evacuations So necessary it is to fall into many Absurdities to maintain one wilâ—l Error To what is said in Page 78. Paschasius is of the same Opinion and says 'T is a weakness to think that any part of this Mystery is under the same Laws with other Food this Note the Author hath added at the end of the Book viz. This is not without difficulty for Paschasius says well Frivolum est ergo sicut in Apocrypho libro legitur in hoc mysterio cogitare de stercore But this will bear two Interpretations That it is a frivolous opinion to believe That the Essential part of the Eucharist passes or returns or It is a frivolous question to trouble our selves about whether it passes or not since we need not to fear its mingling with other Aliments I rather think that Paschasius is of the latter opinion for though he Asserts That the Eucharist nourishes our Body â—e does not intend that we should by that word understand a Carnal Nourishment of our Bodies but a Spiritual Nutriture of our Souls See the intire Passage in Paschasiuâ—s Treatise Chap. 20. and the 71 Page of this Work Matter in stead of that which is Converted into the Body and Blood of our Saviour CHAP. VIII The History of the Controversie about the Manner in which the Virgin Mary brought forth Christ. PAschasius and Ratramnus had another Controversie about the Manner in which our Saviour Ratramnus his Opinion of our Saviour's Birth came out of the Virgin 's Womb. Ratramnus being informed There were some in Germany that maintained Our Saviour did not come out of the Virgin 's Womb per virginalis januam vulvâ—e sed monstruose de secreto ventris incerto tramite he thought such an Opinion dangerous conceiving it followed from thence that Christ was not truly Born but Issued from the Virgin quod non est nasci sed erumpi He therefore opposed it in a small Treatise Entitled De partu Virginis published by Father Dacherius in the Second Volume of his Spicilegium wherein he owns it as an undoubted Truth That Mary lived all her life-time a Virgin ante partum in partu post partum but confutes those who believed That our Saviour came not into the World per Semitam Vulvae but some other Way He brings in against them several Places of Scripture and Passages of the Fathers which prove That Christ came out of the Virgins Womb yet he owns withall that he came out per Vulvam clausam as he came into the Place where his Disciples were met through the Door and not through the Wall yet without opening the Door Paschasius Ratbertus who had been Abbot of Corbey and who was then but one of the Private Paschasius his Opinion of our Saviour's Birth Monks as appears by the Title he assumes in his Epistle Dedicatory thinking that Ratramnus heretofore his Monk but who perhaps had before this quitted that Abbey had deliver'd in his Treatise such Things as seemed prejudicial to the perpetual Virginity of Mary and that he had disposed Men to believe That she had brought forth our Saviour
Subjects and that they would have paid their Respects to him had they not been prevented by an Express Order from the Emperour He complains That they preferred the Order of their Prince before their Respect due to him and maintains that the Matter of Fact was not true for they had notice of his Arrival before they had any such Command from the Emperour He adds That they ought to know that the Spiritual Government of Souls is more excellent than the Temporal Government of Princes as S. Gregory Nazianzen boldly told the same Emperour That they ought to imitate the Liberty of Gregory the Great who told the Emperour That he was one of his Sheep and that he ought to hear and believe him in things that belong to the Faith That in stead of those foolish flatteries which The Works of 〈…〉 the one an Epitaph upon Charles the Great 〈…〉 Reliques 〈…〉 Cyprian S. Speratus and â—… Agohard Writes â—… but something flat and without Ornament 〈…〉 Citations long passages of Scripture and Fathers 〈…〉 Argues very rationally about the Matters he Treats of and Writes 〈…〉 in the Doctrin of the Fathers and Discipline of the Church His Works are published by 〈◊〉 Massonus and Printed at Paris in 1605 in Octavo out of a MS. which he found by chance in a â—…ers-Shop at Lyons which he designed to use as Wast-paper and which his Brother after his Death put into the King's Library But though Massonus was a very Learned Man yet he left many Faults in his Edition which have been since Corrected by M. Baluzius in his Edition of Agobard's Works Printed by Maguet at Paris 1666 in Two 〈◊〉 Octavo Revised by the same MS. with great exactness who hath added a Treatise of Agobard's to it against the Book of Offices made by Amalarius taken out of a MS. which was communicated to him by F. Chiffletius This Edition is put into the last Edition of the Biblioth Patrum Tom. 14. p. 2â—4 Amolo Amulo or Amulus a Deacon of the Church of Lyons under Agobard succeeded him in 841. He was in great Reputation and Favour with Charles the Baâ—… He was President in a Amulo Council held at Lyons 845. We have already spoken of this Letter to Gotteschalcus about the Question of Predestination and Grace But we must here give an Extract of another Letter Written to Theobaldus or Theobaldus Bishop of Langres who consulted him about some Abuses committed in the Church of S. Benignus at Dijon as to the Relicks shewed then Two Monks had brought some Bones of a pretended Martyr which they said came from Rome and some other place of Italy but that which was most pleasant was that these impudent Monks were not ashamed to say That they had forgotten the Name of the Saint As if says Amulo it were credible that they could be ignorant of the Name of a Saint famous in the place from whence they had him or could forget his Name in the way whom they looked upon as their Patron and whom they ought continually to Pray to The Bishop of Langres used much prudence upon this occasion and imitating S. Martin in a like Case determined That they ought not to receive those Relicks which were not well-Attested but yet they might not use them with contempt Then he thought it â—it to oblige those who had brought them to procure Authentick Proofs from the place where they had them Indeed one of them went away with a pretence to get some proofs but never returned and the other died a little time after at Dijon Nevertheless they laid up these pretended Relicks in the Church by the Body of the Holy Martyr and affirmed they did many Miracles No Sick persons were cured by them but on the contrary some Women fell upon the ground beat themselves if they were Plagued by them This brought many to that place Amulo observes that there were many persons who were seized with the same Distemper and upon that account were obliged to stay in the Church or to return again as soon as they were gone out of it That this Distemper happened in other places particularly in the Village of 〈◊〉 in the Dioces of Autun where the Bodies of the Holy Martyrs Andochius Thyrsus and Felix lay Amolo hereupon advises the Bishop of Langres to remove these Bones out of the Church and Bury them in some decent place at a distance from it in the presence of some few persons for sayâ—… They are the Bones of some Saint we ought not to deprive them of all Respect but yet we ought not to give an occasion to the People to fall into an Error and Superstition Nor may we fear adds he least our scrupulousness be the cause of Scandal since God hath commanded us to be sincere and prudent in things which concern his Service Whereupon he 〈◊〉 the Example of S. Martin and the Decree of Pope Gelasius He says That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miraculous Câ—â—es done in the Church of S. Benignus they ought to be attributed to God and the Merits of his Saints without approving other Signs done in the Church or â—…where That it is likely that the fallings and beatings of Men and Women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the wickedness of those miserable Beggars who pretended themselves to be so afflicted onely to get Money That he never heard any such Miracles spoken of as to make Sound-Men Sick part Daughters from their Parents and Women from their Husbands by obliging them to continue in the Church and hindring their return to their Houses That these things are the effect either of Humane Malice or Diabolical Illusions Upon this occasion he relates two Examples of things of like nature which happen'd under his Predecessor Agobard of which he found out the Cheat. He advises the Bishop of Langres to banish that Superstition out of his Diocess to perswade the people from it and exhorts them earnestly not to assemble so unprofitably in that place but every one to remain in his Parish and frequent the Service of that Church where he received his Baptism as well as the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ where he useth to hear Solemn Masses from whose Priest they receive Penance are assisted in their Sickness and are Buried after their Death to whom they pav their Tithes and bring their Offerings to which they go to hear Saving Instructions That in these Churches it is they must meet to pay their Vows and Prayers to God to beg the Prayers of the Saints to give Alms to the poor Widows and Orphans That this is the Lawful and Regular Discipline of the Church and the ancient practice of the Faithful That if it happens that Christians fall into any Weakness or Sickness they ought to follow the Command of St. James to call the Priests to Pray over them and anoint them with Oil in the Name of the Lord. He doubts not but if this were put in practice all these pretended Miracles would cease And he
two Sacrifices the one General for all Men and the other particular only for the Saints That the first is the death of Jesus Christ and the second the Prayers of the just which are united to the Sacrifices of the Angels This Treatise of Agobard seems imperfect Rabanus or Herbanus sirnamed Maurus and Magnentius has made himself very famous by his Rabanus Works which he has Written concerning the Ceremonies and Discipline of the Church He was born at Mayence in the year 788. He was put very young into the Monastery of Fulda where he was brought up from thence he was sent to Tours where he Study'd some time under the famous Alcain He returned afterwards into Germany to his Monastery where he was entrusted with the Government of the younger Monks and was afterwards ordain'd Priest in the year 814. and at last chosen Abbot of Fulda in 822. After having managed this charge twenty years he voluntarily quitted it to satisfie his Monks who accused him that he applied himself too much to Study and neglected the affairs of the Monastery He retired to the Mount of St. Peter and was at last chosen Arch-Bishop of Mayence in the year 847. He held a Council the same year for the Reformation of Discâ—pline be Condemned Gotescalcus a Monk of Corbey in another Council and sent him to Hincmarus Arch-Bishop of Rheims he dyed in the year 856. He excell'd all in the common Learning of those times such as expounding the Principles of Arts as the Rules of Grammar and Rhetorick in a readiness of Collecting from the Fathers of the Church common places upon the Holy Scriptures In Inventing Allegories upon the Histories of the Bible in the Exposition of the Mystical Reasons of the Ceremonies in a knack of turning Prose into Verse and in the manner of reducing his common places into Precepts and Instructions All the Works of Râ—banus are of this kind I shall not speak of the Grammar that is attributed to him and which is nothing else but an Extract of Priscian because these kind of Works do not relate to our Subject and that those that have writ his Life and the Catalogue of his Books have not mentioned it His Treatise De Universo or of the signification and propriety of Words composed for Haymon Bishop of Halbâ—rstat and sent to Lewis the Godly is nothing but a Collection of common Places about a great number of things It is divided into twenty two Books of which there are but the five first which have any relation to Ecclesiastical Affairs the others being all about the Sciences and profane Arts. The firâ—â— Book is concerning the three Persons in the Godhead in the first Chapter he explains the several names of God and gives the sence of such Expressions in the Scripture as attributes the Members and Actions of Man to him In the second he considers the different Names which are given to the Son of God in the Old and New Testament In the third he explains what relates to the Holy Ghost which he affirms to proceed from the Father and the Son In the fourth he treats of the Mystery of the Trinity and in the last of the Names of Angels and of their different Orders In the second and third Book he searches into the Significations of the Names of the Patriarchs and Prophets and other remarkable Persons in the Old Law The fourth concerns the Church only he there Explains the Names and Parables in the New Testament he takes Notice of the Signification and Etimology of the Words which are made use of in the Affairs of the Church such as Clerk Bishop Martyr c. Also he distinguishes the different sorts of Monks he speaks of Heresies and concludes with an Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church which is taken or rather Copy'd out of the Treatise of Gennadius upon Ecclesiastical Opinions In the fifth he Discourses of the Books of the Holy Scriptures he makes a Catalogue of them and adds moreover to those the Church has received as Canonical some that have not been allowed by the Canon of the Jews He sets down those that he believes to have been the Authors of the Old and New Testament and makes an Abbridgment of their Works He speaks also of the Restoration of the Holy Books by Esdras of the Libraries of the Version of the Septuagint and of other Versions of the Holy Scriptures â—e extreamly commends that of St. Jerom and prefers it before all others as being the most literal and clear Verboram tenacior perspicuitate Sententiae Clarior He Treats also in the same Book of other Ecclesiastical Writings of Canons or of Concordances of the Evangelists of Definiâ—ions of General Councils and of Ecclesiastical Offices He comes at last to the Sacraments and other means of Sanctifying us He says That Sacraments are things which ought to be received Holily That Baptism Chrism the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are called Sacraments because the Divine Grace works in them by the Visible Signs that they have their Effect whether they be Administred by good or bad Men that Baptism remits Sins that there are several sorts of Baptisms as that of the Holy Ghost and that of Martyrdome c. That there are in the Church other means of purifying our selves from our Sins and principally Confession Penance and Tears that Chrism or Unction Sanctifies us and that the Priest lays his hands upon us to endue us with the Holy Ghost That as to the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ God has chosen Bread and Wine to shew us that his Body and his Blood is for our common Nourishment That the Sacraments gâ—ve Life to some and Death to others because all receive them tho few have the virtue and benefit of them He speaks lastly of Exorcisms the Creed the Lords Prayer Lent publick Penance and Littanies or Processions Rabanus's Work in Praise of the Holy Cross is of a very particular kind it must needs have cost him a great deal of pains and study tho it be but of little use The body of the Work is composed 〈◊〉 letters divided from one another and range over against one another in lines In reading from the right hand to the left every line contains an Hexameter Verse These Letters thus rang'd in lines make a sort of a draught or platform on which there are Figures or Simbols of the Cross Painted the letters enclosed in these Figures make also Verses which have some relation to the Figure There are 28 Figures in 28 Tables the Verses are Copy'd entire afterwards at the end of every Table and the Mystery explained in Prose The first Table contains the Image of Christ extending his Arms in the form of a Cross. The 47 Verses read long-ways from the right Hand to the left show the several Names that have been given to Christ in the Old and New Testament The Letters compriz'd in the draught of the Figure Compose other
de Lyra. him the Hebrew Tongue but being converted he became a Monk in the Monastery of Grey-Friars at Verneuill in 1291. and having stayed some time there he went to Paris where he read Lectures several Years upon the Holy Scripture in the Great Covent of Cordeliers at Paris where he died Octob. 23. 1340. He made use of the Learning which he had gotten when he was a Jew to explain the Holy Scripture literally and made Postills upon all the Holy Books He began this Work in 1293. and ended it in 1330. In them he shews a great deal of Jewish Learning and makes a very good use of the Comments of the Rabbies and among others of Rabbi Solomon Isaac or Jarchi The first Edition of this Work was put out at Rome under the Papacy of Sixtus IV. in 1471. by the Care of John D' Allena It has been since printed at Basil in 1508. and at Lyons in 1529. But the most perfect Edition is that of Francis Feuardentius John Dadreus and James de Cuilly at Lyons in 1590. which they put out after they had compared it with the MSS. It is printed since in the Bible with Glosses at Doway in 1617. at Antwerp in 1634. and in the great Bible of Father Le Haye in 1660. He hath also Composed some Moral Comments upon the Holy Scripture which were printed at Venice in 1516. and in 1588. Large Postills or Explications upon the Gospels of all the Sundays in the Year We have also a Treatise of his concerning the Person that Administers and him that Receives the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which has been printed in Germany without Date with a Work of S. Thomas upon the same Subject A Disputation against the Jews printed at Venice with his Commentaries A Book against a Jew who made use of the New Testament to oppose the Doctrine of Jesus Christ printed with the Edition of his Postills in 1529. Waddingus attributes to him a Writing of the Life and Actions of S. Francis but because no other Authors mention it I believe it is not his Trithemius makes mention of his Sermons and we meet with some Large Commentaries upon the Holy Scriptures in Libraries which bear his Name Some Authors say That he made some Comments upon the Books of the Sentences Some Quodlibetical Questions a Treatise upon the Beatifick Vision An Exposition upon the Ten Commandments and some other Works PETRUS BERTRANDUS a Native of Annonay in Vivarois the Son of Matthaeus Bertrand and Peter Bertrand Agnes the Empress after he had Professed the Civil Law with great Reputation in the Universities of Avignon Orleans and Paris was made in 1320. the Chancellor of Joanna Queen of France and Dutchess of Burgundy who made him Executor of her Will and a little time after was made Bishop of Nevers from whence he was translated in 1325. to the Bishoprick of Autun The Conference that he had in 1329. with Peter de Cuguieres in which he defended the Rights of the Church in the presence of Philip de Valois King of France got him Abundance of Reputation He was made Cardinal of the Title of S. Clement in 1331. by John XXII through the recommendation of the King and Queen of France He Founded the College of Autun at Paris in 1341. and died June 24. 1349. in the Priory of Monsault which he had built near Avignon He reduced into Writing the Acts of the Conference held in 1329. in the King's Presence between the Bishops of the Realm the Chief of whom was Roger then nominated to the Arch-bishoprick of Sens and Peter de Cuguieres the King's Advocate who spoke for the King's Officers and Judges about the extent of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Jurisdiction The occasion of this Conference were the Complaints which the Prelates Officials and all the Clergy made against the Judges and King's Officers and against the Barons pretending that they encroached upon their Jurisdiction The King to support them and maintain a good Intelligence among all his Subjects as well Ecclesiastick as Civil gave a Command by his Letters dated Sept. 1. as well to the Prelates as Barons of the Kingdom to meet at Paris upon the Octaves of the Feast of S. Andrew to propose whatever they had to alledge against one another that they might live orderly for the future The Archbishops of Bourges Ausche Rouen and Sens met accordingly together with the Bishops of Beauvais Chalons Laon Paris Noyon Chartres Coutances Angiers Poictiers Meaux Cambray S. Flour S. Brieu Chalon upon Saone and Autun The King being come also thither with his Council and some Barons Peter de Cuguieres Knight and Counsellor of State spoke for the Rights of the King taking for his Text these words Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are Gods from whence he proved two things 1. That due Honour and Reverence ought to be paid to the King 2. That the Spiritual Authority ought to be separated from the Temporal of which the former belongs to the Prelates and the latter to the King and his Lords which he proved by several Reasons drawn from Fact and Right and in the end concludes That the Bishops ought to be contented with the Spiritual Power and the King ought to Protect them in Matters which are Subject to him This Discourse being finished he said in French That the intention of the King was to put himself in Possession of the Temporal Power and presented several Articles containing the Grievances and Attempts which he affirmed to be done by the Prelates and Clergy of the Realm of France or their Officers against the Temporal Jurisdiction of the King Barons and other Lords The greatest part of these Articles respect the Encroachments which the Ecclesiastical Judges had made upon Civil Justice in taking upon them the Cognizance of Civil and Real Causes under divers Pretences and presuming to forbid the Lay-Judges The Prelates desired time to consider before they gave their Answer and obtained till Friday following when Roger the Archbishop of Sens Elect carried word to the King who was at the Castle of S. Vincent and after he had protested that what he was about to say was not with an intention to submit himself to the Judgment of the King but only to instruct his Majesty and the Conscience of his Attendants he took for his Text these words of the First Epistle of S. Peter Fear God Honour the King and shewed from them that Fear and Love was due unto God which engage Men to give Liberally to him to Honour him reverently and give him all his Dues Secondly That all Men are obliged to obey their Prelates and that the Kings of France who had honour'd them more than other Princes have been always most happy Thirdly That we must render to God what is really his and in this Point he opposed what Peter de Cuguieres had said of the two Jurisdictions maintaining that though they were distinguished yet
going to the Council of Pisa wherein he congratulates them that they were going to this Council to endeavour after the Peace of the Church exhorts them to make a Peace and shews them the means of procuring it There is a Trialogue of his about the matter of the Schism wherein he introduces Zeal Good-will and Discretion disputing together about the means of putting an end to Contention a Letter in the Name of the University of Paris against the Letter in the Name of the University of Tholouse and a Letter in the Name of the King of France to justify his Substraction of Obedience from Peter de Luna After these Works follow many Sermons preach'd at Constance during the time of the Council In the second he sets himself against the Partizans of the Duke of Burgundy who would hinder the Council from Examining and Condemning the Errors of John Petit and shews by many Reasons that 't is very necessary to be done At the end of this Sermon there is a small piece wherein he recollects divers Errors chiefly about this Precept of the Decalogue Thou shalt not kill against which some had advanc'd many cruel and sanguinary Propositions prejudicial to the Security of Princes and about the Validity of Confessions made to Friars Mendicants The Duke of Burgundy having caus'd the Proposition of John Petit to be maintain'd by Peter Bishop of Arras That it was lawful to kill Tyrants Gerson reply'd to him in the Name of the King of France in a long Discourse spoken in an Assembly of the Fathers of the Council on the 5th of May 1416. and made two other Sermons wherein he searches this Matter to the bottom and refutes at large the Propositions of John Petit and relates the Censure of it made at Paris both by the Bishop and the Doctors The three following Treatises are not concerning the Affair of the Schism but the Principles of Faith The first is entitled a Declaration of the Truths which must be believ'd and according to him they are as follow First All that is contain'd literally in the Canonical Books Secondly All that is determin'd by the Church and receiv'd by Tradition from the Apostles not all that it tolerates or permits to be read publickly but only what it defines by a Judgment condemning the contrary Thirdly The Truths which are certainly reveal'd to some private Persons Fourthly The necessary Conclusions of Truth which are establish'd upon the preceding Principles Fifthly The Propositions which follow from these Truths by a probable Consequence or which are deduc'd from a Proposition of Faith or any other suppos'd to be true Sixthly The Truths which serve to cherish and maintain Devotion though they be not perfectly certain provided they be not known to be false From these Propositions he draws the following Corollaries First That 't is false and heretical to affirm That the literal Sense of Scripture is sometimes false Secondly That 't is Blasphemy and Heresie to maintain That nothing that is evidently known can be of Faith Thirdly That 't is also Heretical and Blasphemous to say That the Precepts of the Decalogue are not of Faith and that the contrary Propositions are not Heretical Fourthly That the Learned are obliged to believe with an explicite Faith many Propositions that are the Consequences of the prime Truths which the common People are not oblig'd to believe Fifthly That the Pastors Doctors and other Persons plac'd in Ecclesiastical Dignity are oblig'd to believe explicitly the Precepts of the Decalogue and many other Points of Faith which other Christians are oblig'd to believe only implicitly The second Treatise is entitled Of Protestation or Confession in Matters of Faith against Heresies where he treats of Protestations both general and particular and of Revocations and Retractations which we are oblig'd to make in Matters of Faith and shews that a general Protestation is not sufficient to justifie a Man when he is guilty of particular Errors that a particular Protestation which is conditional and express'd in these Words I would believe this Truth if it were known to me to be so does no justifie neither before God nor Men. He that revokes an Error which he hath held ought no to satisfie himself with making a particular Protestation of the contrary Truth but ought to mention that he retracts the Error which he maintain'd and this Revocation does not hinder him from being an Heretick before Yet this is not necessary with respect to those who have been in Error but did not know it nor maintain it obstinately Lastly A Retractation does not hinder but he who has made it may still be suspected of Heresie if he discovers by external Signs that his Revocation is not sincere The third Treatise coâ—tâ—iâ—s the Characters of Obstinacy in Matters of Heresie In it he defines Obstinacy a Depravation of the Will caus'd by Pride or some other Vice which hinders him that is in Error from seeking carefully after the Truth or embracing it when it is made known to him The Signs of Obstinacy are these when he who is in Error suffers Excommunication when being Cited he does not appear when he defends an Error contrary to the Truth which he is oblig'd to believe with an explicit Faith when he hinders the explaining and defining of the Truth when he declares himself an Enemy to those who would have the Matter decided when he denies a Truth which he had formerly taught when being requir'd to explain the Truth to the Doctoâ— or Judges he will not follow their Advice when he stirs up Wars and Seditions because the Truth has been explain'd when he declares That he would rather die than change his Opinion when he defends or maintains a Heretick knowing that he is in an Error lastly when one does not oppose an Error as he may or ought either by his Office if he be a Judge or from brotherly Charity These according to Gerson are the 12 Signs of Obstinacy The Treatise upon that Question Whether it be lawful to appeal from the Judgment of the Pope in Matters of Faith was compos'd by Gerson after the Election of Martin V. upon occasion of that Pope's refusal to condemn the Propositions of which the Polanders desired the Condemnation There he maintains the Affirmative because the Judgment of the Pope is not infallible as that of a General Council is wherefore in Matters of Faith no judicial Determination of any Bishop or even of the Pope himself does oblige the Faithful to believe a Truth as of Faith although it oblige them under pain of Excommunication not to be Dogmatical in affirming the contrary unless they have evident Reason to oppose against the Determination founded on the Holy Scripture or Revelation or the Determination of the Church and a General Council but in every Case as we may appeal from the Judgment of a Bishop to the Pope so we may appeal from the Judgment of a Pope to a General Council The following Pieces are concerning
consecrate or baptize 5. That when a Man is contrite as he ought to be his External Confession is useless 6. That there is no Foundation in the Gospel to believe that Jesus Christ established the Mass 7 That God is obliged to obey the Devil 8. That if the Pope is a Reprobate and a wicked Man and consequently a Member of the Devil he has no Power over the Faithful except perhaps by the Emperor 9. That we ought not to acknowledge any Pope since Urban VI. and that every Nation ought to live as the Greeks do according to their peculiar Laws 10. That it is contrary to the Holy Scripture that Ecclesiasticks should have Temporal Revenues The Propositions Erroneous are these 1st That a Prelat ought not to excommunicate any Person whom he does not know to be excommunicated by God 2. That he who excommunicates otherwise is a Heretick and excommunicates himself 3. That a Prelat who excommunicates a Clergy-man that appeals to the King or his Council is a Traytor to the King and Kingdom 4. That those who abstain from Preaching or Hearing the Word of God upon the Account of Excommunication from Men are indeed excommunicate and shall be treated as Traytors at the Tribunal of God 5. That a Priest or Deacon has Authority to preach the Word of God tho they have no Power from the Holy See or a Bishop 6. That those who are in Mortal Sin are no longer Bishops or Prelats nor so much as Temporal Lords 7. That Temporal Lords may take away the Temporal Revenues from Ecclesiasticks who live in a Custom of Sin and that private Persons may correct their Superiors when they commit a Sin 8. That Tithes are pure Alms That the Parishioners may detain them upon the account of the Sins of their Pastors and need not pay them but when they please 9. That private Prayers applied to a Person by the Ecclesiasticks or Regulars are no more to the Advantage of that Person than General Prayers 10. That those who enter into a particular Monastery render themselves more incapable of observing the Commands of God 11. That the Saints who instituted Regulars whether they be Mendicants or such as are endow'd did sin in making such a Foundation 12. That the Regulars who live in private Houses are not at all of the Christian Religion 13. That the Regulars are oblig'd to get their Livelihood by the Labour of their hands and not by begging 14. That those who give Alms to the Regulars who preach and who admit them are excommunicate These Propositions being censur'd in the Assembly held June 12st Mr. Nicholas Herford and Philip Rapington a Canon-Regular Professors of Divinity were summon'd to appear to give their Opinion about them After they had made a General Protestation that they would submit to the Decisions of the Church and obey the Archbishop of Canterbury they acknowledg'd that these Propositions were heretical and erroneous at least in some sense which they determin'd in their Declarations Thâ—se Restrictions did not please the Archbishop of Canterbury who requir'd of them a pure and simple Condemnation and caus'd tell them by the Doctors there present at the Assembly that the Answers of these Two Divines were insufficient heretical deceitful erroneous and malicious In pursuance of this Declaration he summon'd the accus'd to answer purely and simply and they being unwilling to do it off hand he gave them time till the 27th of the same Month. The like Admonition he gave to John Aisthon Master of Arts in Oxford who was also cited but he answered more insolently than the Two former The Acts of the Council do not inform us what these Divines did afterwards but there are some Historians who relate that Herford and Aisthon persisted in their Errors and that Rapington renounc'd them â—…d that Wicklef himself when he came to this Council made a Confession of Faith wherein he retracted his Errors and own'd the real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist Howsoever this be the Council condemn'd the Errors of Wicklef and his Disciples and obtained a Declaration of King Richard a Declaration against all those who should teach or preach this Doctrin wherein he permits the Archbishops and Bishops to cause them to be apprehended In pursuance of this Proclamation the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other Prelats caus'd those among the Wicklefites to be seiz'd who publish'd new Doctrins or wrote for them with greater Warmth In the mean time Wicklef died a little while after at Lutterworth Dec. 31th in 1384 and left many Books behind him for the establishing of his Doctrin The chief of them is his Treatise entituled A Trialogue wrote in form of Dialogue between Alethia i. e. Truth Pseudis i. e. a Lye and Phronese i. e. Wisdom which is divided into 4 Books In the 1st he treats of God in the 2d of Men and Angels in the 3d of Vertues and Sins of The Trialogue of Wicklef Grace Liberty and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ 4. in the last of Signs or Sacraments and of the Four Ends of Man The principal Errors contain'd in these Books are as follow That God cannot but do but what he does that every thing which happens comes to pass by Necessity that God could not hinder the Sin of the â—irst Man nor pardon it without the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ and that it was impossible but the Son of God must be incarnate make Satisfaction and die That God acts by Necessity that he cannot hinder Sin that he can save none but those who are actually sav'd that he he wills Sin to bring good out of it As to the Sacraments he admits the number of Seven but he does not think that this Name agrees to them all universally i. e. according to the same Idea he denies Transubstantiation and the real Presence of the Body of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and maintains that the Substance is really Bread and the Body of Jesus Christ sacramentally and figuratively he believes that Infants may be sav'd without the Baptism of Water and those that are damned suffer the Pain of Sense The Sacrament of Order is not univocally so with the other Sacraments 't is a Power and not a Sacrament He says That in the time of St. Paul and the Primitive Church there were but Two Orders he condemns the Riches and secular Power of the Ecclesiasticks and the Foundations which are made for Perpetuity He admits the Sacrament of Marriage to come under the general Idea of a Sacrament but he pretends that it is only made by the internal Consent of the Parties and that it were as good nay better to express it by Words de futuro than by Words de praesenti He believes that external Penance and the Confession which is made to a Priest are not necessary and that they may be left off he observes that Extreme-Unction has not much Foundation in Holy Scripture After this he declaims against the Institution of the
Orders of Friars Mendicants against Mendicity against Fraternities and Indulgences The Style of this Work is dry and Scholastical there is but little Solidity and much Heat and Passion in his Arguments This is almost the only Work of Wicklef which has been printed There appeared in Germany The Works of Wicklef in 1525 written in English with this Title The Little Gate of Wicklef compos'd against Transubstantiation and printed at Nuremberg in 1546 and at Oxford in 1612. It is a Work of some of his Disciples since it was not written till 1395. There was also Two Books of Wicklef in English publish'd by James and printed at Oxford in 1608 viz. a Request to Richard II. and all the Orders of the Kingdom that they would reduce the Friars Mendicants to their Duty and a Memorial containing 50 Articles of Errors or Crimes whereof he accuses them There are also in Historians and Acts of Council some Propositions and Declarations of Wicklef He translated the Bible into English and his Version is to be found in M. S. in some of the Libraries of England as also a Commentary upon the Psalms and the Canticles upon the Epistles and Gospels upon some select Passages of Scripture an Harmony of the Evangelists Sermons for the whole Year and many other Treatises of Doctrin or Morality While the Works of Wicklef were spreading after his Death and his Diciples continued still to publish their Errors Thomas Arundel who succeeded William Courtnay in the Archbishoprick of A Council at London against the Wicklesites Canterbury held a provincial Council at London in 1396 wherein he condems 18 Articles drawn out of the Trialogue of Wicklef Whereof the 1st is That the Substance of Bread continues upon the Altar after Consecration and that it does not cease to be Bread the 2d That as John was Elias by a Figure and not personally so the Bread is figuratively the Body of Jesus Christ and that without doubt these Words This is my Body are a figurative way of speaking like that John is Elias the 3d That in the Chapter Ego Berengarius it was determin'd that the Eucharist is naturally true Bread the 4th That those who determine that the Children of the Faâ—… die without Baptism are noâ—â—…d are presumptuous and foolish the 5th That the conferrâ—… of the Sacrament of Confirmation is not reserv'd peculiarly to the Bishop the 6th That 〈…〉 time of 〈…〉 Paul and the Apostles there were but two Orders iâ— the Church that of Priests and that of Deacons and that there is no difference between the Pope the Patriarchs and the Bishops 〈…〉 would be sufficient if there were only Priests and Deacons and that it was Pride which 〈…〉 the other Degrees the 〈◊〉 That Marriages made between ancient Persons whose end 〈◊〉 not to â—ave Children are not true Marriages 8 That the Causes of Divorce upon the account of Consanguinity or Affinity are human Constitutions and groundless the 9th That â—t would be better to use in the Celebration of Marriage these Words I will take you for my Wife 〈…〉 these I take you for my Wife and that when a Man is â—â—ed to one Woman by the former and afterwards to another by the latter the former Marriage is to be held good the 10th That the Pope Cardinals Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Officials Deans Monks Canons Mendicants Beggars are the 12 Fore-runners and Disciples of Antichrist the 11th That â—he Precept given to the Priest under the Law and to the Levites that they ought to have no Share in the Reâ—… of Lands but to live upon Tithes and Oblations is a Negative Precept and obliges for ever the 12th That there is not a greater Heretick than a Priest who â—eaches that 't is lawful for Priests and Levites under the Gospel to possess Temporal Revenues the 13th Thaâ— Temporal Lords not only may but are even oblig'd to take away all Temporal Revenues from â—he Church that is habitually disorderly the 14th That Jesus Christ and the Apostle would have appointed Corporal Unction if it had been a Sacrament the 15th That he who is â—ast in the Church is the greatest in the Sight of God and the Vicar of Jesus Christ the 1â—th That in order to the possessing of a true Temporal Demand 't is necessary that a Man be in a state of Righteousness and that those who live in Mortal Sin are not Masters of any thing the 17th That every thing which happens comes to pass necessarily the 18th That we ought noâ— to believe or practise every thing which the Pope and Cardinals enjoyn but only what follows clearly from Scripture and that all other things ought to be rejected and despised as heretical Widford was employed to defend the Condemnation which was decreed in this Council which he dâ—d in a Book written on purpose which is printed in the Collection of Orthunâ—â— Gratus wherein he opposes the Errors of Wicklef not by Scholastical Arguments but by Authorities drawn from the Holy Scripture the Fathers and the Canon-Law His Treatise is solid and learned for that time tho' it is not well-written At last Thomas Arundel utterly banish'd the Heresie of Wicklef by the Constitutions which he made in a Synod held at Oxford in 1408. wherein he ordains 1st That no Ecclesiastick whether Another Condemnation of Wicklef by Thomas Arundel in 1408. Secular or Regular shall be suffer'd to preach unless he be authoriz'd and approv'd by the Bishop 2â—… That those who shall preach any Doctrin contrary to that of the Church shall be punish'd severely 3 That the Professors shall teach no new Doctrin nor suffer their Scholars to leaâ—… any That no Book of Wicklef or any others shall be read unless it be approv'd by the University of Oxford or of Cambridge or by 12 Doctors whom these Universities shall appoint 5 That no Version of the Scripture into the vulgar Tongue shall be read unless it be approv'd by the Diocesan Bishop or a provincial Council 6 That none of the Propositions which are condemn'd shall be maintain'd and that no Person shall oppose the Doctrins and Practices receiv'd by the Church as the Worship of the Cross of Images and of the Reliques of Saints 7 That no Priest shall be admitted to the Celebration of Mass in another Diocese unless he has a Letter recommendatory from his Bishop or some others in the Dioceses where â—…he has liv'd 8 That the Principals and Heads of Colleges shall take Care to examine every Month â—…e Morals and Doctrin of the Scholars and to punish those who shall advance any Errors Lastly That all those who are accus'd by common Fame or suspected of Heresy shall be condemn'd after a simple Citation if they do not appear These Constitutions were publish'd at London the next Year and confirm'd by the King's Authority In the Year 141â— Pope John XXIII condemn'd in a Council at Rome the Books of Wicklef â—et he â—…anted to all those who had a mind to defend
Divine Wisdom that seems to be folly to the World In the Fourth Book He describes the Errors of the Hereticks concerning the Consubstantiality of the Word He opposes to them the Faith of the Church Answers the Passages which they alledge and endeavours to prove the Divinity of the Word by many Passages taken out of the Old Testament He continues the same Subject in the Fifth Book where he thinks That 't was the Word which appear'd to Abraham to Jacob to Moses and the other Patriarchs who is call'd an Angel because of his Ministry and not because of his Nature In the Sixth Book he proves That Jesus Christ is the Son of God By the Testimony of his Father By his own Declaration By the Preaching of the Apostles By the Confession of the Faithful By the Acknowledgment of the Devils and Jews and by the Belief of the Gentiles We must observe here That in citing a Passage of the Epistle to the Romans he appeals to the Greek Text as to the Original In the Seventh He shews that the Son of God is truly God There he observes That the Hereticks use very great Address and Subtilty to Maintain their corrupt Opinions which they falsly pretend to have from Religion That they deceive the Simple by their Expressions which are Catholick in appearance that they accommodate themselves to the Wisdom of this World That they corrupt the true Sence of Scripture Expressions by the Explications which they add as it were to give an Account of what they say He adds That 't is this which renders the Matter of the Trinity a difficult Subject to treat on For if on the one side says he I declare that there is but one God Sabellius will think that I espouse his Opinion If I say That the Son is God the modern Hereticks will accuse me of admitting Two Gods If I affirm That the Son is born of the Virgin Ebion and Photinus will make use of this Truth to Establish their Impiety But says he the Doctrine of the Church confounds all these Errors The Power of Truth is so great that even its Enemies explain it that the more 't is oppos'd the more force it gains and certainly the Church was never more Triumphant than when it was most vigorously attack'd It was never more Famous than when it was reproach'd It was never more Powerful than when it seem'd to be abandon'd She wishes That all Men would continue in her Bosom and She is never more troubled than when She is oblig'd to throw any one out and deliver him up to the Devil But when the Hereticks go out from Her or when She casts them out as She loses on one side the occasion of giving them Salvation so She gains this Advantage on the other of discovering the Happiness of those who continue inviolably fix'd in Her Communion And a few Lines after he adds All Heresies attack the Church and while they attack the Church they overcome one another But the Victory is gain'd to the Church and not to them for they all Quarrel about those Errors which are all equally rejected by the Church Sabellius for Instance does unanswerably confute the Error of Arius Arius confounds the Error of Photinus and so of the rest but in vain do they mutually Conquer one another for they are always overcome in some Article or other and the Church alone remains victorious over all Errors by professing that Jesus Christ is the true God Son of the true God born before all Ages and afterwards begotten of Mary Lastly he proves that he is God because the Name of God is given him in the New Testament and from what is there said of his Birth his Nature his Power and his Actions In the Eighth Book he shows the essential Unity of the Father and the Son and refutes the Interpretations of the Hereticks by explaining the Passages which they alledged to prove that the Unity of the Father and the Son is an Unity of Will and Judgment and not of Essence and Nature At the Beginning of this Book he observes That 't is not sufficient for a Bishop to live a Good Life but he must also teach Sound Doctrine that as his Life must be Innocent so his Preaching must be Learn'd for if he be Pious without being Learned he will not be serviceable to others and if he be Learned without being Holy his Doctrine will want Authority From whence he concludes That the Holiness of a Bishop should shine more brightly by his Learning and his Doctrine should be recommended by the Holiness of his Life Ut vita ejus ornetur docendo doctrina vivendo There is in this Book an excellent Passage for the real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist where he says That by this Sacrament we truly receive the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ who remains corporeally in us In the Ninth Book he answers the great Objections of the Arians founded upon Five Passages of Scripture whereof he explains the true sence And First of all he shews That they abuse the Passages which they alledge by perverting them from their Natural Sence That they do not explain them by their Connexion with what follows and what goes before That they attribute to the Divinity of Jesus Christ that which should only be attributed to his Humanity Upon this occasion he discourses of the Union of the two Natures in Jesus Christ and explains how by virtue of this Union those things are attributed to God which agree only to the Humane Nature and those to Man which belong to the Divinity Afterwards he explains the Passages which the Arians continually object to the Catholicks one by one The First which is taken out of the Tenth Chapter of St. Mark is the Answer which Jesus Christ made to the Rich young Man who call'd him Good Master Why callest thou me Good says he there is none Good but God from whence the Arians concluded That Jesus Christ was not truly God St. Hilary answers That he does not particularly reprove the Young Man for calling him Good but because he gives him this Title as if it agreed to him in the Capacity of a Doctor of the Law The Young Man says he not knowing that he was the Messias who came to save the lost Sheep of the House of Israel ask'd him as a Doctor of the Law and gave him the Title which the Doctors take to themselves Jesus Christ reproves this Notion and to explain to him in what sence he should be called Good he tells him None is Good but God showing by this That he was so far from rejecting the title of Good as it agreed to God that he accepted of it in that sence And therefore his Answer is one Proof of his Divinity which ought to be understood in this sence Why call you me good if you believe not that I am God There is none Good but God which supposes that he himself was God St.
Hilary confirms this Answer by many places of Scripture where Jesus Christ gives himself the Title of Good and of Master from whence it appears that the Title was not here refus'd upon its own Account Upon this occasion he Answers the Objection of the Arians who say That Jesus Christ call'd his Father the only God and shows that the Father is the only God because the Divinity of the Father is the same with that of the Son which Truth he proves by many Passages of Scripture The Second Passage objected by the Arians is taken out of the Gospel of St John Chap. 17. This is life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent from whence the Arians concluded That Jesus Christ was not â—he true God but one sent from the true God St. Hilary answers That this Passage does not exclude the Essential Unity of the Father and the Son since in this and other places Jesus Christ affirms That he came forth from God That he is with God That he had overcome the World That he should be honour'd as the Father That he had received the Power of giving Eternal Life That all things which are the Father's are his He adds That in the same Place Jesus Christ prays the Father to glorify him with the Glory that he had with him from all Eternity which evidently proves the Unity of the Essence of the Father and the Son Moreover the words alledg'd in the Objection prove nothing contrary to the Faith of the Church which acknowledges that the Father is the only true God though Jesus Christ is also God because the Father and the Son are not two Gods but one God only The Third Objection is taken from Ch. 5th of the same Gospel of St. John The Son can do nothing of himself he doth only what he seeth his Father do St. Hilary shows that this Passage establishes the Divinity of Jesus Christ and is very far from destroying it because it proves the Unity and Equality of the Father and the Son The Fourth Passage is the grand Objection of the Arians founded upon those words of Jesus Christ in St. John Chap. 14. My Father is greater than I. St. Hilary says That the Father is greater than the Son consider'd as Man and as Mediator The last Objection is taken from those words of Jesus Christ in St. Mark Chap. 13. No Man knoweth the Day of Judgment nor yet the Angels nor the Son but the Father only From whence the Arians concluded That the Knowledge of the Father being more extensive than that of the Son his Nature must be more excellent St. Hilary having in answer to this Objection proved by many Reasons that Jesus Christ could not be Ignorant of the Day of Judgment and having demonstrated this Truth he adds That what Christ says in this place that the Son knew not the Day of Judgment ought not to be understood literally as if he were really ignorant of it but in this sence that he did not know it not so as to tell it unto Men. Wherefore being ask'd about the same Matter after his Resurrection he does not say That he was ignorant of it but he reproves his Apostles with that heat which testified his Knowledge of it by saying unto them 'T is not for you to know the times and the seasons which my Father has reserv'd in his own Power He adds also that it may be said in another sence That the Son of Man was ignorant of the Day of Judgment because he knew it not as he was Man but as he was God For says he as we may say That the Son of God was subject to Fear to Sadness and to Sleep because the Humanity of Jesus Christ was subject to these Infirmities So we may say That he was ignorant of the Day of Judgment because he knew it not as he was Man but upon the account of his Divinity In the Tenth Book he Answers the Objections which the Arians draw from those Passages of Scripture which prove that Jesus Christ was subject to Fear to Sorrow and Pain And here he maintains That Jesus Christ had not truly any Fear or Pain but only the Representation of those Passions within him In which if his Judgment is not different from that of the Church yet it must be confess'd that the manner of expressing it is very harsh He had answer'd the Arians better if he had said That the Fear the Sorrow and Pain of Jesus Christ did belong to his Humane Nature and not to his Divinity He acknowledges in this Book That all Men are conceiv'd in Sin and that none but Jesus Christ ought to be excepted from this General Law He says That the Soul is not communicated to Children by the Parents He observes That what is said in the Gospel of St. Luke concerning the Bloody Sweat of Jesus Christ and of the Angel that appear'd unto him is not to be found in many Greek and Latin Copies of this Gospel In the Eleventh Book he Answers some Passages of the Gospels and of St. Paul concerning Jesus Christ's being risen from the Dead and becoming Glorious which are alledg'd by the Arians to prove that the Son is not equal to the Father But St. Hilary shows That those Passages do much rather prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ than destroy it In the last Book St. Hilary explains that Passage of the Proverbs God created me in the Beginning of his Ways c. He demonstrates that the Word of God was not properly created but begotten of God from all Eternity which he proves by many Passages of Scripture He expounds this Passage of the Proverbs of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. He adds some Proofs of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit and Ends with a Prayer to God wherein he begs Grace to preserve in his Heart that Faith whereof he made Profession at his Baptism that he may always worship the Father and the Son and receive the Holy Spirit which proceeds from the Father by the Son His Book of Synods is Address'd to the Bishops of France and Britain He commends them for the Constancy which they had shown in refusing Communion to Saturninus and for the Zeal wherewith they maintain'd the Faith of the Church by condemning the Impieties of the Arians so sharply After this he sets himself to explain the Creeds made by the Eastern Bishops after the Council of Nice He declares That if there were any Error in some of those Creeds it ought not to be attributed to him since he only relates what others had said and if they were found agreeable to the Doctrine of the Apostles the Praise of it ought not to be given to him but to the Original Authors He leaves it to the Judgment of the Bishops to whom his Book is written whether they be Heretical or Catholick Then he intimates to them what Obligation lay upon him to instruct them in the Opinions of the