his cry either struck with shame or despaire left off her enterprize Upon this thinking it not safe to dwell with Serpents of this nature he intended to remove and though the world seem'd to flatter him with hopes of honours wealth preferment pleasures and the like yet hee was desirous rather to take the yoke of his Saviour on his shoulders and thereupon enquired what place would best fit such a practice and at that time there being an order of Cistercians come up and having as yet by reason of their poverty of life and austerity there were but few that followed this course of life and as yet few or none admitted It so fell out that after long debate with his associates he resolves upon this to enter himselfe a member of that society and so in the yeer of our Lord 1113 and of his age the two and twentieth with thirty more he entred into this Monastery under the government of Stephen then the Abbot and from that time it pleased God to shew him singular mercy and favour and he made good use of it not turning the grace of God into wantonnesse but did set himselfe wholly to the worke of the Lord and often would say to himselfe Bernarde Bernarde ad quodingressus es that is O Bernard Bernard to what purpose entred you in hither and when by the appointment of Stephen he was made Abbat of Claravallis his fellows have heard him say often yee that doe enter in here leave the fruits of the flesh and bring in the fruits of the spirit for this is a schoole to exercise grace in not nature This Claravallis was in the Territory of Lingonia and was once called Absynthialis for the abundance of Wormwood that grew there it was a Den of Robbers and was not farre from the River Elbe but now this Bernard and those that came with him made this Den of Thieves the House of Prayer where these professors liv'd in great want and penury in hunger and thirst in cold and nakednesse in Watchings fastings and prayers spare in their dyet especially this Bernard lying often on the ground and this did hee onely to mortifie the deeds of flesh Plenus autem erat saith my Authour devotione mansuetudine charitate humilitate he was full of devotion imitating the Apostles rule be instant in prayer and pray continually endued he was with the spirit of meeknesse so that hee had learned to practise that of our Saviour Learne of mee for I am humble and meeke and as he knew meeknesse to be a fruit of Gods holy Spirit so he put it upon his soule abound he did likewise in charitie knowing it to be the bond of perfection and the chiefest above Faith or Hope and would fast himselfe to give to others that were in want he could never indure to keep any wealth by him but all that he could spare charitie dispos'd of God crowns the intent where hee finds not the faculty true charitie proceeds not from a full purse but from a free bosome His humility was likewise admirable for hee said hee had learnt it of so good a Master that hee should not bee a good scholer if hee should forget it Nay hee was so devout in prayer that as it is said of him Orabat stans die noctuque donec genua ejus infirmataè jejunio corpus sustinere non potuere He prayed standing night and day untill his knees were so weary with fasting that they could not uphold his body for prayer is the chiefest thing which a man can present God withall he seldome did drinke wine and when he did he was very sparing and mixt it with water because he said as Salomon it was a mocker and that strong drinke was raging and being ordained Minister this lustre of holinesse of life and frugality how did they procure him reverence authoritie obedience how happy were they that could be admitted for his auditors and the first thing hee tooke speciall care of was to have decent and reverend carriage used in Gods house and had an excellent gift and grace in preaching the Word to the people I◠is reported of him that being in the Priesthood and having remained some yeeres in the said Monastery that it happened one Iosbertus a noble man who liv'd in the next Towne to that Monastery was taken speechlesse and was as it were void of reason which thing being related to Saint Bernard by his sonne he said thus Notum est vobis quod homo iste in pluribus gravavit Ecclesias oppressit pauperes offendit Deum that is it is knowne to you how in many things this man hath burthened the Churches oppressed the poore and offended God Now if hee will restore what hee hath taken from the Churches and leave off to oppresse and vexe the poore and pray heartily to God and confesse his sin and repent him of it hee will by Gods mercie be restored so all things were promised to be performed and this Saint Bernard did servently pray and cry unto God to restore him that they which thought it impossible might see it and so believe in all saving mercie it fell out so that this Iosbert performing what was enjoyned him hee was restored and Bernards brother who did not give credit to his words was convinced whose name was Gerrard so was his Uncle Gardricke His fame spread farre and wide and abundance of people came to heare his Sermons so that Pope Innocentius got him to Rome and how was he there admired for his abilities did he not worke upon the Emperors heart and for his Holinesse were not all Church businesses moderated by his onely advise and counsell and how did hee repell the intention of the King who intended to have made Theaters of Churches and did not he reconcile the Religious men of Millain to him and pacifie all things that then were in combustion◠where were not his counsels held as Oracles and what did he faile to effect which he undertook and what Bishopricks were not offered him The Church of Lingonium the Church of Cathalaunia did seeke for him with teares and petitions to be their Bishop How many Cities in Itali◠especially Millain did thirst after his doctrine and desired his government Did not Rhemes doe the like by all sollicitations that could expresse reverence and love With what teares was hee welcomed after his journey to his old Monastery◠What feares were there that hee would bee made a Bishop and so leave them◠Yet how humbly did he in the midst of all these offers demeane himselfe How untainted was hee from the sins of the times How zealous for Gods glory◠Was it not hee whom Theobaldus a Prince gave large means to for the due sustenance of the Societie Was it not he that by his sinceritie of life and purity and efficacie of preaching made men of all estates willing to afford reliefe for the repairing and enlarging their seat How did he stop the fury of the Schismaticks and
Epistles and this was done in the time of Zepherinus so againe he did returne to Alexandria and admitted into his society Heraclas again He recald Ambrosius from the heresie of the Marcionites and caused him to embrace the orthodox faith He never affected wealth but contented himselfe with a low estate for being so beloved he might easily have abâ—unded in riches if his mind had beene setled on them He was so studious that he would read at his meales It is said of Him to his credit and renowme that Origeni null a par â—aetatis periit à studiis that is Origens whole life was a continued study and another speaks thus of him Origenis ingenium sufficiebat ad omnia perdiscenda that is Origen had such a pregnancie of wit that he was apt to learne any thing Adfuit illi mira ex tempore dicendi facultas in obscuris dictionibus perspicuitasâ— that is He had a wonderfull faculty in expressing himselfe ex tempore and to explicate obscure places wondrous quick and able Quanti fecerit Originem Antiquitas c. How much did Antiquity account of Origen any man knows for Saint Ierome stiles him no lesse then Magistrum Ecclesiarum post Apostolos the Master of the Churches after the Apostles And Saint Augustine wished that His Works were turn'd into Latine Victorinus and Hilarius Bishop do mightily endevour to set forth his prayses And as one saith Quis ex Scriptoribus qui post Origenem vixere non insigniter ab eo est adjutus that is Who of all the Writers who lived after Origen was not singularly helped by Origens labours Nay to shut up all it is said of Him primus omnium glaciem scidit Hee was the first that broke the ice for the explanation of the Scriptures To conclude all Hee carefully employed His time endured a great measure of affliction faithfully preached the Gospel converted many to Christ having spent himselfe in holy labours for the good of the Church In the first yeere of Decius the seventh persecution being raised against the Christians in the 225 yeere after Christ. And in this persecution it is generally knowne what heavy and cruell torments this Origen then endured and indeed it was not so fierce against any as this Father for Hee suffered bonds tortures of his body being fastned by the neck with a great iron chaine and many dayes together his feet were kept in a paire of Stocks of wood and then were stretched foure paces wide with threatnings of fire and a most cruell Judge striving by all means to prolong his tortures but what pious Ejaculations and comfortable prayers and zealous exhortations he made and gave to the Christians is to be wondred at considering the length and extremity of his sufferings that he should retaine his valour and constancie untill the giving up of his spirit I know how some have sharply reprov'd him for that act of dismembring himselfe and others have condemned him and his Writings but these are not demonstrations so much as calumniations of so great a Light of the Church However if hee was in an errour the Mantle of Charitie should hide and conceal it I have read too that he died at Tire very old and poore But we are not to believe a private pen before so great a Cloud of Witnesses to the contrary However Hee lived to the seventieth yeere of his age and died a constant Martyr for Christianity Hee flourished in the Reigne of Antonius Caracalla Macrinus and others from the yeere of our Lord 213. to 240. Also I have annexed some of the famous Sentences of this Father Origen Let every man know his place and order and understand what doth become his place and degree and so weigh his actions and speech and moderate his gate and habit yet it may bee agreeable to his degree and profession Thou that art a sinner grieve not to encounter afflictions in the pilgrimage of this life for thou shalt not deserve compassion if thou sufferest with indignation but rather thinke thy selfe worthy of punishment and when thou hast humbled thy selfe and hast said that Gods judgements are just and right thou shalt obtain mercy from him who can restore thee to his favour Those that are humbled and cast downe whether worthily or unworthily let them leave the judgement to God and patiently beare his judgements for thereby they shall obtaine mercie from God and recover amongst men their former degree and glory which they lost Hee that hath exchanged poverty for riches that hee might be perfect was not made perfect at that instant when hee gave his goods to the poore but from that day when the speculation and consideration of Gods goodnesse drew to the perfection of all vertues Gods providence hath ordained all things to some end and purpose He made not malice and though he can restrain it he will not For if malice were not Vertue should not have a contrary it could not shine cleeâ—e there would be no examination and vertue could not be tried and proved For the malice of Iosephs brethren was the meanes whereby God brought about the works of his providence effected by Ioseph I have annexed his Works as they are in two Tomes Tome 1. On Genesis homilies 17 On Exodus 13. On Leviticus 16. On Numbers 28. On Josua 26. On Judges 9. On the Kings 1. On Job books 3. On the 36. 37. 38. Psalms homilies 9. On the Canticles homilies 6. On Esaiah hom 9. On Jeremiah 14. On Ezechiel 14. De principiis 4. Threnes or Lament 1. Pamphilus his Apology for Origen Ruffinus depravation of Origen Tome 2. On Matthew Tracts 35 On Luke Homil. 39. On John 32. On divers places of the new Testament homilies 10. On the Romans books 10. Against Celsus books 8. Dialogues against the Marcionites book 3. An. Christi 233. Sanctus Gregorius Thaumaturgus GREG THAVMATVRGVS I Doe intend to describe the lives of foure famous Fathers of this name who have beene eminent in the Church for Piety and Learning for Action and Passion viz. Gregorius Nazianzenus then Gregory sirnamed Magnus Pope of Rome Gregory Nyssenus who was brother to Saint Basil the Great and this Gregory Thaumaturgus the greatest part of the Churches Historians have beene copious in setting forth the prayses of all these I now set upon this and what I doe expresse to the World shall be true and mayntaind by sufficient Witnesses He was called Theodorus before and hee got his name Thaumaturgus from the abundance of Miracles which hee wrought and great Wonders which hee did if wee give credit to Gerardus Vâ—ssius in his Preface before this Fathers work that Saint Basil ranks him not inferiour to Moses the Prophets and Apostlâ—s and that hee was full of great Signes and Miracles that hee was indued with the spirit of prophecie that hee by prayer removed a great Hill which hindred the perfecting of a Church that hee dried up a great Lake
which had caused great discord betwixt two Breâ—hren that Hee by His prayer stopt the force of the River Lycus which overflowed and drowned the neighbouring fields and so brideled the swelling waves that ever after they did keep within their own bounds and banks That this Faâ—her likewise cast out Devils out of the bodies of men that He stayed the plague in places that were infected that he heald the sick and weak and that He also raised the dead and that Hee brought many souls to embrace the Gospel of Christ Iesus Whether he was so full of these Works and Wonders I doe not here intend to dispute but I have onely related what I have read of him and I have not much cause to suspect the wordes of so many Fathers of the Church who witnesse it of Him Take therefore I pray you the commendation which Saint Basil the great affords Him in His Booke of the Holy Ghost Chapter 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Where shall I find a fit place for this great Gregory and his praises May I not fitly set him with the Prophets and Apostles a man endued with the same spirit in great measure a man whose life paralled those former stars of Heaven a man who did powerfully shew the vigour of the Word of God We should do injury to the Truth if we should not account him amongst the blessed in glory and felicity which like an eminent Torch shined in the Church of Christ ope S. S. tremendam habuit adversus Daemones potestatem And who by the helpe of the Holy Ghost had mighty power against Devils Hee had received such a plentifull portion of the graces of Gods Spirit that by the helpe of seventeen more Christians he brought whole Cities and Countries to the obedience of the Gospel Hee also chang'd the course and bridled the force of Rivers and of a great Lake which was cause of dissention betwixt two brothers and his predictions of things to come makes him that hee may be reckoned amongst the Prophets If saith Saint Basil I should reckon up all His Wonders and Miracles which hee did in the sight of the people I should even attribute that title to him which his very adversaries afforded him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a second Moses for they are so fixed in the hearts of men and so knowne amongst all so faithfully registred amongst Historians that the envy of the Devill nor the length of time can ever abolish the memory of them Qui à tempore magni praesidis Ecclesiae vestrae Gregorii Who from the time of that Great President of your Church Saint Gregory have flourished Here I cannot but cite the admirable commendation that Eusebius the Historian giues him beginning thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the same time that Xistus ruled the Roman Church and Demetrianus who succeeded Fabianus in the Church of Antioch and Firmilianus the Church of Caesarea that this Gregory called Theodorus who was an Auditour of S. Origens together with his brother Athenodorus did wisely manage the Church of Pontus and in another place the said Eusebius reckons up this famous Gregories actions Verum quoniam Beati Gregorii historiae textus mentionem attulit c. But for as much as the Text of the History hath mentioned this Blessed Saint Gregory I will not omit the worthy Workes of so great a man There was a great Lake in Pontus full of all sorts of fish which came to be the Inheritance of two Brethren who fell to civill dissention about it so that many men had lost their lives in the quarâ—ell which thing when Gregory heard of he presently came to the place and uttered these words to the two contentious Brothers Nolite ô Filioli rationales animas pro multis animantibus viâ—lare Fraternam pacem quaestus cupiditate dissolvere Dei leges naturae pariter jur a temer are that is Do not ô my sonnes ô doe not destroy so many reasonable soules for a few mute creatures break not the bond of brotherly love and peace for transitory gaine doe not so rashly and desperatly violate the Laws oâ— God and Nature at once come wiâ—h mee to this fatall Lake and I will by the help of God reconcile you for ever Whither comming this good man upon his bended knees prayed heartily to God in the sight and hearing of all present and Eusebius sets down the words of his prayer That he desired of God that never any more fish might be in it but that it should be a field for corn that by this means these two Brethren might agree in love together whose prayer God heard and did immediatly grant his request to the amazement of all the standers by Such force have the prayers of a faithfull man with God this one action is enough to renowme him in all Ages but he was admirable likewise for ingenuity and dexteritie of wit as the same Eusebius gives testimony of him in these words Sed ingenii sui in parvo nobis maxima monumenta dereliquit But hee shewed in briefe the excellency of his wit For Magnificentissime scripsit that is He writ most elegantly upon Ecclesiastes and left a brief but an eloquent Exposition upon the Catholike Faith which hath beene and is a great edification of the Church of Christ His wordes begin thus Vnâ—â— Deus Pater Verbi Viventis that is One God the Father of the Living Word of the Subsisting Wisdome of the Ever-living Power the Perfect begetter of the Perfect One the Father of the onely begotten Sonne and so goes on expressing the Deitie and Triniâ—â— in most apt and significant judicious termes Saint Gregory Nyssen affords this man a singular Encomium and Eulogie in these words Sicâ—t de Mose ait Scriptura c. that is That as the Scripture speaks of Moses so may I of this Gregory Hee was seene in all the Learning of the Gentiles hee found how weake and unwise their opinions were and embraced with great ard our and sanctity the Gospel Saint Hierome also blazons 〈◊〉 his Works with prayse and commendation They begin thus Theodorus qui postea Gregorius a pellatus est Theodore who was after called Gregory was Bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontâ—s in his youth to learne the Greeke and Latine with his Brother Anthenodorus he passed from Cappadociâ— to Beritum and afterwards to Caesarea of Palestine where Origen seeing their admirable wit taught them Philosophie and so instâ—ucted them in Divinitie and sent them to their Mother this Gregory wrote an eloquent Letter to Origen extant yet And Hierome stiles him Virum Apostolicorum signorum virtâ—tum that is A man ful of signes and Apostol call Miracles And he that will read more of him let him accept of this cloud of Witnesses Sanctus Gregorius pap lib. 1. Dialogorum cap. 7. Socrates lib. 4. c. 22. Enagrius lib. 3. cap. 31. Cedrenus in anno 12. Anastasii Imp.
by fatall divisions of Princes and Christians among themselves it is now the seat and residence of the Grand Signior the arch enemy of the Christians I doe not reade anything of his parents what sort or condition they were of neither is it declared by Historians it seemes that this Theophylact had liberall education or else hee would not have beene admitted to sueh dignity in the Church of God nor trusted with such a pastorall charge I wil therfore principally follow the passages that are worth observation of him as they are registred by Cardinall Baronius Cardinall Bellarmine hath placed him in the yeere of our Lord 1071. when as Alexander the second was Bishop of Rome and when as Diogenes was Emperour of Rome There have beene great mistakes concerning the time in which he lived some having reckoned him 200 yeeres before he was which errour hee himselfe doth openly confute in his Epistles which hee writ to severall men who lived at the same time They have placed him though mistaken to have flourished in the Reigne of Basilius the elder Emperour in the yeere 883 so Panvinus reckons Sixtus Sonensis puts him in the yeere 842 when as Michael began to reigne with Theodora his Mother but his owne Epistles which are to be seen in the Vatican Library being 59 in Greek not as yet printed but translated into Latine and preserved from perishing by the care and industry of Iacobus Syrmondus doe evince that And first that Epistle to Mary the Empresse takes away all controversie in this point for from the time of Michael who reigned with his Mother Theodora unto the time of Isacius Comneâ—us nor any Empresse was called by this name Mary but to cleere this point a little more for the discrepancie of Times disiâ—ynts Histories and therefore it is profitable truly to know the series of the times directly Therefore if you doe but look into his thirteenth Epistle to Iohannes Duca Kinsman to the Emperour which begins thus Nunc demum agnovi c. At length now I know wherein hee calls this Duca the principall man and of the Imperiall Line now it is manifest that hee writ this when as the Lineage of the Ducae's swayed the Imperiall affaires of Constantinople who is of so little judgement as to maintaine that he lived under Basilius and to these may be added that in the same Epistle Bulgaria was not governed by her owne Kings at that time but by such Governours as it pleased the Constantinopolitan Emperours to send to them for in the Reigne of Basilius as Baronius speaks it Constal Bulgaros proprios habuisse Reges that is it is apparent that the Bulgarians had then Kings of their owne and in his eight Epistle it doth plainly appeare that he was Archbishop of Bulgaria when either the Family of the Ducae's or the Comnens did sway the Scepter But to let this passe it doth seeme that this Theophylactus had being made Archbishop a speciall regard of the Churches prosperitie a good signe of a nobly qualified and religious soul to have a care to beautifie and reedifie the Houses of God it was the wicked speech of those in the Psalmes Let us take in possession the houses of God that he in the land nay worse then so Let us destroy the houses of God that be in the Land but that this Theophylact did respect the Churches Maintenance appeares by his learned Epistle which hee wrote and sent to the sonne of Sebastocrator being the seventeenth wherein hee laments the ruine of some Temples which were famous but by the injury of time and the violence of warre as also the neglect of men were ruined and decayed and is not his letter wondrous perswasory and full of Eloquence and Pietie which shews hee was not onely a great Scholer but also a zealous man for Gods Honour I have here set downe the words of the Epistle how it begins as they are also recorded by Cardinall Baronius Oro igitur his litteris tanquam corpore supplex procumbo ut misercaris foelicissimae quondam Ecclesiae quam Christianissimus ille Borises Bulgarorum Rex unam ipsam è septem Catholicis tu renova that is I therefore doe beseech thee and as upon my knees beg of thee to reedifie and renew that one of the seven Catholike Churches which that most Christian King of the Bulgarians Borises did build Oh! take pitie of that once most happy Church c. in which truly hee doth declare also a great and Heroick spirit for hee that will sollicite Kings and Princes this way to shew their bounty must not be faint-hearted oh where shall one finde now such a spirit many doe strive to hinder the decoring or enlarging of Temples few men plead for them but it shall be my prayer to God to stirre up some to stand in the cause of the Church and to blesse them for ever with happinesse for their endevours Sions carved stones and seiled worke will for ever speake their praise and worth But to proceed It seemes the state of the Church was but deplorable for he departed from thence to Constantinople and in his 〈◊〉 age when hee departed from Constantinople to Acridia the Metropolitan Church of all Bulgaria he wrote an Epistle to the Empresse Mary in which he shews elegantly the despicable condition of the Churches in these parts and prayes God for ever to preserve the Empresse from all evill and dangers Hee underwent this charge a long time though as Baronius saith aegro animo veluti durâ—â—â— exilium quo se tandem liberari vehemente◠〈◊〉 atque patrio solo reddi that is With an unwillingnesse counting it in a manner no better than an hard banishment from which hee did wish to be discharged and to return to his native soyle to which he was drawn as it seems not for any unwillingnesse to undergoe the charge but by reason of the wickednesse and barbarousnesse of the Natives as appeares in his Letter sent to Iohannes the great Courtier in which he relates his misery in that place most sweetly by the fable of Omphales it begins thus Non servio Reginae diviti mundaeque pulchrae sed servis barbaris impuris c. that is I serve not a rich comely beautiful Queen but I am inslaved to barbarous and impure slaves smelling of nasty skins and living a beggerly and base life who are onely rich in villany and who admit of no civill government and hee calls those of Acridia men without heads because New Deum nec homines revereri norint that is They neither reverenced God nor man Yet for all this he in this deplored estate proved himselfe Vigilem operarium persever avitque in Pastorali cura diligenter that is A watchfull workeman and stood stoutly in his Episcopall Charge I cannot but remember his Letter which hee wrote to the Emperour who desired that one of the Dukes of the Scopians whom he commended should be preferr'd