their Letter 366 The Book against Auxentius Bishop of Milan is a Manifesto against this Bishop and against those that maintain him Who because they cover'd themselves chiefly under the Cloak of procuring Peace and Unity St. Hilary says That we can have no other true Peace but that of Jesus Christ and the Gospel and that this Peace cannot take place in a time when the Ministers of the Church are become Anti-Christs by opposing the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and the Gospel while they pretend to preach it He complains That they make use of Temporal Power to maintain a False Doctrine He endeavours to prove that Auxentius fosters Heretical Opinions he recites the Conference that he had with him and exhorts the Catholicks to take heâ—d of Anti-Christ and to separate themselves from Auxentius After this Book follows a Letter of Auxentius to the Emperour wherein he endeavours to purge himself from the Heresy of Arius yet without approving the Term Consubstantial or rejecting the Creed of Ariminum The Commentaries of St. Hilary upon St. Matthew are very excellent for there he had made many very useful Historical and Moral Observations The Chief of them are these following In the 1st Canon he endeavours to reconcile the two Genealogies of Jesus Christ by saying That St. Matthew describes the Royal Race of Jesus Christ by Solomon and St. Luke the Sacerdotal Race by Nathan He maintains That the Virgin was of the same Tribe and the same Family with Joseph and that she continued a Virgin after her Child-bearing and that the Persons who are call'd in Scripture the Brethren of Jesus Christ were indeed the Children of Joseph that he had by a former Wife He says That the Wise-men acknowledg'd the Royal Power of Jesus Christ by presenting him with Gold his Divinity by offering him Incense and his Humanity by giving him Myrrh He observes That Rachel who mourn'd for her Children is a Figure of the Church which having been a long time barren became afterwards fruitful He says That the Innocents were made partakers of Eternal Life by the Martyrdom which they suffer'd In the 2d Canon he says That Jesus Christ did not cause St. John to Baptize him for the Purification of his Sins since he was without Sin but that Water might Sanctify us by Jesus Christ. Then he speaks of the Effects of Baptism After Baptism says he the Holy Spirit descends upon the baptiz'd he fills them with a Caelestial Unction and makes them the adopted Children of God In the 3d. Canon he explains the Temptations of Jesus Christ and speaks of his Fast for Forty Days He says That the Devil was ignorant of the Incarnation In the 4th he explains the Beatitudes He says That none but the perfect Man who is wholly purified from his Sins shall enjoy the Vision of God He observes That Adultery is the only cause for which married Persons can be Divorc'd He condemns Oaths Revenge and Vanity In the 5th he sends the Reader to a Book of St. Cyprian for the Explication of the Lord's Prayer He also mentions Tertullian but he says of this last Author That his following Errors depriv'd his First Books of that Authority which he could otherwise have allow'd them He occasionally says That the Soul is Corporeal In the 6th Canon he particularly recommends Good Works without which all other things are unprofitable to Salvation In the 7th he explains allegorically the Cure of the Leper and of St. Peter's Mother-in-Law understanding those places of the Curing of Sinners He compares the Church to a Ship tost with a Tempest and towards the latter End he observes That we ought not to mention the Names of Dead Infidels in the Commemorations of the Saints In the 8th he Discourses particularly of the Fall of humane Nature by the Sin of the first Man and of the Reparation of Mankind by Jesus Christ. In the 10th he Advises Catholicks not to enter into the Churches of Hereticks He observes That nothing in the Ecclesiastical Ministry ought to be sold for Money and that the Ecclesiastical State ought not to be ambitious of obtaining Temporal Authority He says That at the End of the World the Jews that shall be then alive shall believe in Jesus Christ and be saved He assures us That Man was created Free but that the Sin of Adam enslav'd him to Sin and Vice and that in Baptism we are deliver'd by the Word from Sins contracted by our Birth Towards the latter End of the 11th he explains wherein the Easiness of Christ's Yoke consists excellently and in a few Words What is more Easy says he than the Yoke of Christ and what is more Light than his Burthen It is only to be obliging to all the World To abstain from committing Sin To desire that which is Good not to desire that which is Evil To Love our Neighbour To Hate no Body To lay up for Eternity Not to addict our selves to things present Not to do to another what we would not they should do unto us In the 12th he explains after the same Manner as St. Athanasius the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost by saying That it is the denying of Jesus Christ to be God In the 13th he observes That those who are out of the Church cannot understand the Word of God In the 14th speaking of St. Joseph he says That he was a Lock-Smith and not a Carpenter as is commonly believ'd In the 15th he observes that those who are to be baptiz'd make profession of their Faith in Jesus Christ and of being firmly persuaded of his Death and Resurrection and that their Actions may be agreeable to their Words they pass all the time of the Passion of Christ in Fasting that so in some measure they may suffer with Jesus Christ. He speaks in the 16th of the Prerogative that St. Peter receiv'd when Jesus Christ gave him the Keys of his Church after this manner O happy Foundation of the Church says he in the change of your Name O Rock worthy of the Building of Jesus Christ since it was to abrogate the Laws of Hell to break its Gates and to open all the Prisons of Death O happy Porter of Heaven to whom are entrusted the Keys of admission into it and whose Judgment on Earth is a fore-judging of what is done in Heaven since whatsoever he binds or looses upon Earth shall be bound or loosed in Heaven In the 18th Canon he concludes with these Words of Jesus Christ The Angels of these Children see the Face of my Father From whence says he it may be concluded That the Angels rejoyce at the Sight of God and that they preside over the Prayers of the Faithful which they offer continually to God He says that those who are bound on Earth by the Ministers of Jesus Christ that is says he those whom the Ministers of Jesus Christ leave bound in their sins and that those who are loosed by receiving them unto the Grace of Salvation upon
of Jesus Christ with their sacred Mouth Qui Christi corpus Sacro ore conficiunt In his Commentary upon Zephaniah he seems to doubt whether wicked Priests consecrate it But 't is probable that he speaks thus rather to terrifie them than to establish a Proposition whose Consequences would prove very dangerous I add an excellent Passage of this Father concerning the Sacrament of Penance taken out of his Commentary upon these Words of the 16th Chapter of S. Matthew Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Some saith he Priests and Bishops of the New Law understanding not the sence of these words doe imitate the pride of the Pharisees by ascribing to themselves a power to condemn the Innocent and to absolve the Guilty But God doth not so much consider the Sentence of the Priest as the Life of the Penitent And as the Levites did not cleanse the Lepers but only separated those that were cleansed from those that were not by the knowledge which they had of the Leprosie Even so the Bishop or the Priest doth not bind those that are innocent and loose the guilty but having heard the difference of Sins he knows whom to bind and whom to loose in the discharge of his Ministery In this place we may take notice 1. Of the Custom of declaring Sins to the Priest 2. The Power which Priests had to Absolve 3. The use Priests were to make of the Keys and the care they were to take not to Absolve but such as were truly penitent * After what has been already said of S. Jerom one can hardly esteem him a Person upon whose Authority Points of Doctrine or Matters of Discipline can safely be established He may however give the Sence of the Church in his own time in Matters wherein he personally was not concerned in which we have Reason to think that he gives a faithfull Account of things And therefore since we have no Cause to disbelieve what he says of the Eucharist and of what the Church of Rome calls the Sacrament of Penance but on the contrary may reasonably suppose that he spake the Sence of the Church The Passages themselves are to be examined Of those concerning the Eucharist we are to consider 1. That he keeps himself to the Language of the New Testament in his Answer to Hedibia's Question and only confutes the Millennaries but says nothing of the Modus of the Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament 2. That his Interpretation of those Words in S. John My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed of the Spiritual and Divine Flesh of Jesus Christ shews that he understood them Allegorically for he distinguishes that from the Flesh of Jesus Christ which suffered upon the Cross Now there is equal Reason to believe that what our Saviour says in the 6th Chapter of S. John concerning Eating his Flesh and Drinking his Blood is literally to be understood as what he says in the Institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist And if one is Allegorically to be interpreted then they are both 3. That the Mysteâ—â—â—s of Religion were as nicely examined in that Age as in any since Jesus Christ declared it to the World and when every thing else that was Mysterious was controverted this single Article of the Real Presence as defined by the Council of Trent which is contrary to that Reason that the other Disputes concerning the Trinity and the Divine Decrees are properly above was never debated This is so strange if we suppose the Doctrine of the Church of Rome to have been then receiv'd that it is incredible especially when we consider 4. That the generality of the Fathers at that time interpreted every thing in Scripture Allegorically to which they could not assign a convenient Literal sence This the People were used to This was S. Jerom's practice very often and he had learnt it of Origen whom he seems sincerely to have follow'd till he quarrelled with Rufinus So that we have great Reason to think that Men so accustomed to Allegories as the Teachers and the People were in this Age would not be at a Loss to interpret our Blessed Saviour's meaning in any of his Words which Literally interpreted would contradict and do Violence to that Reason by which they were capacitated to understand any part of his Law The Passage produced in favour of Auricular Confession proves nothing less S. Jerom says That after the Priest had heard the difference of Sins he knew whom to bind and whom to loose that is very true but that is no Reason for Men to reveal all their Sins to the Priest because the Church in that Age put Men under Penance only for publick Sins those that had committed private ones of such a Nature as would if discovered have made them unfit to come to the Sacrament were exhorted to put themselves under a voluntary Penance and if they did so they were obliged to declare why they did it that so the time of their Penance might be regulated but this seems to have been left to themselves which makes it quite another thing from the practice of the Church of Rome S. Jerom's Works were published by Erasmus and printed in six Volumes at Basil from the Year 1516 to the Year 1526. In 1530 they were again printed at Lions by Gryphius and at Basil by Froben in 1553. The First Edition of Marianus was at Rome by Manutius in the Years 1565 1571 and 1572. The Second at Paris by Nivelle in 1579. The Third at Antwerp in 1579. The Fourth at Paris with Gravius his Notes in 1609. The Fifth is of 1624 at Paris The Last was printed in 1643. These are the Collections of all this Father's Works There are several of them printed by themselves as the Letters in Octavo printed at Rome by Manutius Dr. Cave mentions an Edition of S. Jerom's Works at Frankfort in 1684 in 12 Volumes in folio with all the Scholia Censures Index's and Collections of all sorts that had been printed till that time upon S. Jerom which are all comprized in the three last Volumes in 1566 at Antwerp in 1568 with Gravius's Notes and at Mentz in 1470 at Venice in 1476 at Paris in 1583 at Dilingen in 1565 at Louvain in 1573. The Book of Famous Men at Louvain and Helmstad in 1611 at Colen in 1580 at Lions in 1617 at Antwerp in 1639. The Epistles to Theophilus at Paris in 1546 and 1589. The Book of Virginity at Rome in 1562. The Treatise of Hebrew Names at Wirtemberg in 1626. I say nothing of the Editions of the Chronicon because they were mentioned in the Account of Eusebius his Works The Benedictines of the Congregation of S. Maura will soon undertake a new Edition of S. Jerom There is reason to hope that it will not be inferior either in Beauty or Exactness to those of S.
This Fire as l Tract 30 34. in Matt. lib. 2. in Ep. ad Rom. lib. 9. Hom. 6. in Exod. Hom. 3. in Psal. 36. Hom. 14 in Luc. lib. 5. cont Cels. lib. 8. ad Rom. he Explains it in other Places is Remorse of Conscience and Vexation of Spirit n Lib. 4. Per cap. 2. lib. 1. cap. 6. Philocal cap. 1. He makes Blessedness to consist in an Union with God He says that Souls come to it by degrees that after they are separated from their Bodies they are for some time upon Earth in order to be purified that afterwards they are taken up into the Air and instructed by Angels that they pass through several Places where they remain for some time and that at last they come to the Highest Heaven in comparison whereof the Firmament is but a Hell that the more they retain of Earth in them the longer they are upon this Journey That the Souls which are arrived at this Sovereign Degree of Bliss may fall from it and that they are sent back again into Coelestial Bodies or others and that they afterwards return from whence they were driven that so Blessedness may have an End and that Torments shall have a Conclusion likewise n Lib. 2. de Prin lib. 5. con Cels. Tract 34. in Joan. Hom. 26. in Num. 27 28. Passim Tract 30. in Matt. Lib. 1. de Prin. c. 6. lib. 2. c. 3. 12. lib. 3. cap. 6. lâ—b 3. de Prin. c. 3. lib. 2. Hom. 7. in Levit. Hom. 6. in Num. in Reg. in Ezech. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. Per. c. 6. 〈◊〉 15. Tract 33. in Matt. Hom. 8. in Lâ—vit 14. in Luc. He says in his Preface to the Book de Principiis that God Created the World that it had a Beginning and that it must have an End but that it is not determined by Tradition what it was before and what it will be after He imagines that it was made if I may so express it to be a Place of Banishment for all Intelligent Creatures He makes no Difficulty of asserting that there were more Worlds before this and that there shall be more after it He says That God always had the Matter upon which he wrought which supposes that it is Eternal since God Created it from all Eternity o Lib. 2. cap. 1. 8. Tom. 19. in Joan. Justin. Ep. ad Mennam and two Passages from Lib. 1. 4. Hieront Ep. 59. ad Aâ—ituâ— He says That the Earthly Paradise was in Heaven and he has explained of the Souls which were there that which is said in Genesis concerning Adam and Eve He understands by the Fig-Leaves wherewith they covered themselves after the Fall the Mortal Bodies to which the Souls were Chained It may be concluded from all that we have already said concerning Origen's Doctrine upon the Tenets of our Religion that although he professed to believe the Doctrine of the Church p Lib. 1. Per. c. 2. Method apud Pâ—â—tiam c. 3. on Genesâ— c. 1. This was objected against him by Methodius in Epiphanius by Photius by Eustathius by John of Jerusalem by St. Jerome and it may be found in Lib. 4. de Prin. 〈◊〉 2. yet he sets up some Philosophical Principles the Consequences of which were found contrary to what was taught by the Christian Religion which obliged him in order to accomodate these things which were so directly opposite one to the nother to invent several Opinions that were very far from the Simplicity of the Faith So that we must distinguish in Origen what he says according to the way of Speaking used by the Church in his Time and what he says according to the Principles of Plato's Philosophy and then we need not wonder if after having acknowledged the Truths of Christianity he should lose himself by advancing such Platonick Notions as are destructâ—â—e to them And this in my Opinion is the reason of his principal Errors which are all of them founded upon three Principles taken from the Platonick Philosophy which are First That Intelligent Creatures have always been and shall eternally exist Secondly That they have always been free to do Good and Evil. And Lastly That they have been precipitated into the Lower Places and confined to Bodies for a Punishment of their Sins Let any one throughly examine all Origen's Errors of which we have just now spoken and he will easily perceive that they all proceed from this that he was willing to accommodate the Truths of the Christian Religion to these Platonick Principles There are besides some other slighter Errors in Origen into the greatest part of which he fell by confining himself too much to the Allegorical Sense of the Scripture for Example q Tom. 12. in Matthaeum Explaining Christ's Words concerning the Power of Binding and Loosing which he granted to St. Peter he seems to reserve this Power to those Bishops and Priests who imitate the Virtues of this Apostle and in the same Sense he says that all Spirituall Men are this Rock upon which Jesus Christ has built his Church So likewise r Tom. 11. in Matt. explaining that Passage of Scripture where it is said Not that which goeth into the Mouth defileth a Man he speaks of the Eucharist after so Obscure and Allegorical a manner that it is very difficult to comprehend his Meaning s Hom. 〈◊〉 in Num. Tract 35. in Matt. Hom. 7. in Levit. 〈◊〉 Tom. 〈◊〉 in Joan. He likewise explains Alllegorically what is said of the Eucharist in other Places of the Word of God It is easie however to defend him against the Protestants upon the Subject of the Real Presence since he acknowledges in the Eighth Book that the Loaves which are offered in the Church are made a Holy Body by Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We might easily bring other Examples of the Oversights that he has committed endeavouring too much to Spiritualize the Words of the Scripture but I shall pass them over in Silence He speaks of the Sacred Scripture after a very excellent manner as of a Book written by Persons who were inspired by God His Passages upon this Subject have been collected by St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzen in a Book which they have Entituled Philocalia t Hom. 2. 6. in Gen. Hom. 3. 5. in Levit. Hom. 2 3. in Exod. item 7 11. in Levit. lib. 1. Per. c. 2. Hom. 9 2. in Jâ—s He distinguishes the three Senses of Scripture but he applies himself particularly to the Allegorical Interpretation and he affirms that there are some Places which have no literal Meaning He proves that every Body ought to read the Scripture Now for some Points of Discipline which may be observed in his Works The Christians assembled together in his Time in the Churches not only on Sundays and Festivals but also on other Days u H'm. 10 13. 9 in Num. Hom. 6 in
as those that lived after the Birth and Condemnation of Heresies But 't is an ordinary Fault with Photius who lived in an Age when these Mysteries were illustrated and in which People talk'd with a great deal of exactness to condemn the Ancients almost all along with too much Severity The same St. Athanasius in another Work concerning the Explication of these words in the Gospel He that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost shall receive forgiveness of his Sin neither in this World nor in that to come tells us that Origen and Theognostus have written that the Sin against the Holy Ghost was falling away after Baptism and after he has delivered the Passage out of Origon He likewise adds that out of Theognostus who says That he who has passed only the First or Second Bounds is less culpable but he that passes the Third has no hopes of Pardon That the First and Second Bound is the Knowledge of the Father and that the Third is Baptism which makes us Partakers of the Holy Ghost which is confirmed by these Words of the Gospel I have still many things to tell you c. after which continues he Our Saviour levels if I may so say his Discourse in favour of those who cannot comprehend the most perfect things whereas the Holy Ghost dwells in those that are perfect But we must not therefore conclude That the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost surpasseth that of Jesus Christ but that our Saviour abaseth himself in favour of those that are not altogether perfect whereas the Holy Ghost is the Seal of Perfection which we receive in Baptism Thus it is not that the Holy Ghost is more excellent than the Son because the Sin which is committed against him is without hopes of Remission but it is that these imperfect Men that is to say those that are not baptized may obtain Forgiveness of their Sin whereas those that have once tasted the Celestial Gifts and once are touched have no more excuse nor means to avoid Punishment St. Athanasius afterwards confutes this Explication which appears to be very agreeable to the Opinion of Novatian and gives another Interpretation which is far more Natural ATHENOGENES TO Theognostus we may joyn the Martyr Athenogenes who composed a Hymn before he was cast into the Fire wherein he speaks of the Trinity as St. Basil assures us in the 29th Chapter of his Book of the Holy Ghost DIONYSIUS Bishop of Rome DIONYSIUS Bishop of Rome who presided in that See from the Year 258. to the Year 270. writ a Letter against the Sabellians a Fragment whereof remains still preserved by St. Athanasius in his Book concerning the Decision of the Council of Nice in which discoursing against the Sabellians he falls upon the contrary Doctrine that was afterwards maintained by the Arians He proves that the Word was not Created but Begotten of the Father from all Eternity and distinctly explains the Mystery of the Trinity This Fragment is plainly taken out of a Letter written by Dionysius in the Name of the Roman Synod at the time when Dionysius of Alexandria was accused of falling into the opposite Errour to that of the Sabellians MALCHION MALCHION a very Eloquent Man was after he had taught the prophane Sciences with a great deal of Reputation in the City of Antioch ordained Presbyter of that Church for the Purity of his Faith and his Doctrine He had a famous Dispute against Paulus Samosatenus in the Second Council of Antioch held in the Year 270. in which after he had clearly discovered the Errours which that Heretick endeavoured to conceal he prevailed with the Council to condemn him This Conference was taken in Writing by some Notaries and was extant not only in the time of Eusebius and St. Jerome who mention it but also in the time of Leontius that is to say towards the end of the Sixth Century He speaks of it in his First Book against the Nestorians and recites some Fragments of it in the Third Book However it is not certain that they are genuine any more than the Archelaus Fragments of another Letter of the Council of Antioch mentioned by Eusebius St. Jerome tells us that he was likewise Author of a Letter written in the Name of that Council against Paulus Samosatenus and spoken of by Eusebius in the Seventh Book of his History Chap. 30. ARCHELAUS ARCHELAUS Bishop of Mesopotamia published a Dispute in the Syriack Language which he had with a Heretick of the Manichean Party that came out of Persia and St. Jerome assures us that in his time it was Translated into Greek This Author flourished in the time of the Emperour Probus There is a Fragment of this Writing in the Sixth Catechetick Lecture of St. Cyril of Jerusalem This Dispute it self translated into Latin by an Ancient Hand was published by Valesius at the end of his Edition of Socrates and Sozomen at Paris 1668. It is imperfect Bigotius found it in the Ambrosian Library at Milan and communicated it to Valesius ANATOLIUS ABout the same time under the same Emperour and under Carus his Successor Anatolius also flourish'd born at Alexandria and Bishop of Lacdicea in Syria a Man of profound Learning very well skilled in Arithmetick Geometry Physick Astronomy Grammar and Rhetorick Eusebius and St. Jerome assure us that the greatness of his Spirit the force of his Eloquence and the depth of his Knowledge abundantly appear in a Book of his concerning Easter and that he show'd the Dexterity of his Address and Politicks in the Siege of Alexandria which by his Prudent Counsels he saved from an entire Destruction that threatned it Eusebius in the last Chapter of his Seventh Book has preserved a Fragment of this Treatise about Easter concerning the time wherein that Festival is to be celebrated This same Author likewise composed Ten Books of Arithmetick and left behind him several Monuments of his Learning and Exactness particularly in those things that concerned the Holy Scriptures Aegidius Bucherius hath given us an entire Version of the Treatise about Easter by Anatolius which he Copied out of an ancient Manuscript He pretends that it was done by Ruffinus and that it answers the Treatise of Anatolius And indeed the Fragment cited by Eusebius is to be found intirely in Latin and the Passages cited by Bede are there word for word But it would be no strange thing for an Impostor to insert a Passage mentioned by Eusebius that was so easie to find and for this Work to be forged since Bede's time Though I am of Opinion That this Canon is ancient though full of Errours and perhaps a little corrupted by him that Translated it VICTORINUS VICTORINUS Bishop of Passaw a Bishop of Passaw a City of the Ancient Pannonia and not of Poictiers in France Monsieur Launoy has written a Dissertation on purpose to prove that he was not Bishop of Poictiers in France but of a City in Pannonia called Petabion or Petavion now called
not rather encrease the Evil than diminish it But this Censure which he wrote when he was vex'd with the Council of Constantinople which had not treated him very favourably ought not to pass for a Rule but only for a Testimony of his resentment which came from St. Gregory in his Passion The 59th and 71st wherein he exhorts his Brother and Posthumianus to make Peace between the Bishops The 63d wherein he exhorts a Particular Person to embrace the Christian Philosophy and to despise the things of this World The 64th 66th 67th and 70th wherein he exhorts another Person to bear his Pains and Sickness patiently The 81st is an Excellent Exhortation to Patience and some others But the most considerable of them all is the 219 to Theodorus the Bishop of Tyanea which might be plac'd amongst the Canonical ones The Bishop to whom By Canonical Epistles here those are meant which were written to determine some particular Question in Discipline as the Canons of Councils usually did Of this Nature were St. Basil's Letters to St. Amphilochius mentioned above he writes had consulted him about an Oath or an Asseveration made in Writing in a certain Affair He who made this Agreement not willing to hold it longer cited him with whom he had agreed before a Judge and made void the Compact in Court Now it was ask'd whether this Man should be treated as a perjur'd Person since he had not made a Solemn Oath according to the ordinary Forms St. Gregory answers in this Letter That he is not at all of their Opinion who think that no Oaths but those which are made with the Mouth and according to the usual Forms by laying their Hands upon the Holy Gospels do oblige in Conscience and that Asseverations made in Writing do not bind after the same manner For says he if Contracts made in Writing do more bind a Debtor than bare verbal Promises Why shall not Oaths set down in Writing have at least as much Force as those which are spoken with the Mouth In a word Is an Oath any thing else but the Affirmation of him who promises or who assures any thing From whence he concludes That this Man who had brought his Action in Law to have this Compact dissolv'd which he was obliged by Oath to fulfil tho' he gain'd his Cause yet was guilty of Perjury and ought to do Penance for his Sin This is a very useful Admonition in our time wherein there is scarce any heed given to Oaths and Affirmations that are made in Writing as if they were nothing but mere Formalities of Law and not truly and properly Oaths St. Gregory teaches the same thing in the Poem made against those who Swear often where he says upon this Subject Is one less oblig'd by writing than by his Words and tho' he should not have touch'd the Gospels yet does he owe ever the less Reverence for God The Letters of St. Gregory are in number 242 if we comprehend in that number the 10 last published by Sirmondus but there are some of St. Basil's which are mix'd among them as the 30th the 206th and 207th His Testament tho' Ancient and Genuine relates only to his Domestick Affairs and contains nothing but the Disposal of his Estate This is all that we have to say in particular of the Works of Gregory Nazianzen The Judgment which may be made of them in general is this It cannot be doubted but this Author won the Prize of Eloquence from all the rest of his Age for he does certainly excell them for the Purity of his Words the Nobleness of his Expressions the Ornament of his Discourse the Variety of his Figures the Justness of his Comparisons the Beauty of his Reasonings and the Sublimity of his Thoughts St. Jerom and Suidas say That he imitated an ancient Author call'd Polemon but we may say That his Stile approach'd very near to that of Isocrates How lofty soever it be it is Natural flowing gently and pleasantly his Periods are full and hold up to the End he has a wonderful abundance of Words an unparallell'd easiness of Expression and a most agreeable turn of Wit His Orations are compos'd with much Art and Method for in them he uses such Characters as are most agreeable to his Subject and his Auditors so that one may say of him That he was one of the most perfect Orators of Greece yet he affected too many Antitheses Allusions Similitudes Comparisons and certain other Finenesses of Oratory which seem to render it Effeminate Sometimes also his Thoughts and Reasonings are false but then 't is cover'd with the sparkling of his Expressions and involv'd in the multitude of his words He is extremely Copious and says but few things in many Periods There are great numbers of Philosophical Thoughts interwoven in his Sermons and they are full of Illustrations taken from History and Fables He teaches Morality in such a manner as is more proper for Philosophers than the common People but he is very Sublime and very Exact in the Explication of Mysteries a Quality which made him deserve the Name of The Divine by way of Excellency He had much Piety but little skill in Managing of Business He was so passionate a Lover of Retirement that he could not for a considerable time apply himself to any Employment that hindered him from it He easily undertook great things but he quickly repented of his Undertakings He had in his Life-time three Bishopricks and yet it cannot be said that he was lawful Bishop of any one of them For he would not have that of Sasima to which he was Ordain'd and he did not accept of that of Nazianzum but only for a time to be Coadjutor to his Father but upon Condition that he should not Succeed him When he came to Constantinople he had no design to be Bishop of that Church neither did he take the Title upon him 'T is true that he was afterwards plac'd upon the Episcopal Throne by the Emperor and some Bishops but he was at last forced to leave it He was of a Morose and Satyrical Humour he lov'd Raillery and spar'd no body but chiefly the Bishops that were not worthy of their Ministry or that did not lead a Life agreeable to their Holy Orders These are the Editions of the Works of this Father In the Year 1504 Aldus Manutius a Printer at Venice publish'd one part of his Greek Poems In the Year 1516 he publish'd Sixteen Orations and Nine more in 1536. Afterwards all the Works of St. Gregory Nazianzen were collected together and printed in Greek at Basle by Hervagius in the Year 1550. The ancient Version of Ruffinus was printed at Leipsick about the Year 1522 without any Name The Translation of Billibaldus Pircheymerus was Printed at the same time with the Greek at Basle by Hervagius in 1550. In 1571 Leunclavius translated 19 Orations which were printed by the same Printer But all these Versions being very imperfect
the Holy Church your Mother mourn for you let her wash away your Faults with her Tears ..... And yet we have reason to answer those who think that Penance may be done more than once because this is to abuse the Mercy of Jesus Christ for if they should once do true Penance they would not believe that they had Power to reiterate it As there is but one Baptism so there is but one publick Penance for we ought also to do Penance for the Sins we commit every Day But this last Penance is for small Sins and the former for great ones I have found more Persons who have preserv'd the Innocence of their Baptism than who have done Penance as they should after they have lost it For 't is believ'd that Penance may be consistent with the Ambition of aspiring to Offices with Pomp and high Feeding with the Pleasures and Use of Marriage But they must renounce the World and allow less time for Sleep than Nature requires they must break their Sleep with groaning and sighing and employ some part of that time in Prayers they must live in such a manner that they may be dead to the Use of this Life let such Men deny themselves and change themselves wholly c. This place teaches us many Remarkable Circumstances concerning the Penance which was in use in the time of St. Ambrose First That the Sinners themselves desir'd to be put under Penance Secondly That by putting them under Penance they were separated from Communion Thirdly That they did Penance publickly Fourthly That they us'd many Fasts Austerities and Humiliations during the time of their Penance Fifthly That this Penance was impos'd but once Lastly That this Penance was only for enormous Crimes and that ordinary Sins were pardon'd by the daily Penance For the better understanding of this place 't is necessary to observe How the Fathers understood this Distinction of great and little Sins Tertullian who was the first who spoke distinctly of it in his Book of Chastity places among the Number of little Sins Anger Evil-speaking a vain Oath a Failure in our Promise a Lye extorted by shame or necessity c. He calls these Capital or Mortal Sins Murder Idolatry Fraud Apostacy Blasphemy Fornication and other Crimes of this Nature These are also the Crimes which St. Cyprian calls great Sins in his Treatise of Patience Origen in Homily 15th upon Leviticus says That there are Mortal Sins which are not in the rank of great Sins I know very well that Monsieur Arnaud has affirm'd That in this place we must read culpa moralis for culpa mortalis as it is to be found in one Edition But ever since the Master of the Sentences time who cites this place it has been read culpa mortalis and if one minds well the Sence he will perceive that it is to be read so This place of Origen has much affinity with those of St. Ambrose whereof we are now speaking for he says That Penance is allow'd but once and that but seldom to those who have committed great Sins whereas the Sins of every Day are pardon'd every Day He explains himself also almost after the same manner in his Sixth Treatise upon St. Matthew where he handles this Question Whether a Man may not be treated as a Heathen and a Publican that 's to say separated from the Church when he does not amend his ways after he has been reprov'd for slight Sins The Examples which he gives of The true Reason why Slander Evil-speaking Anger Covetousness and such sort of Sins were not subjected to publick Penance in the Primitive Church seems only to have been because they are not so easy to be proved and Delinquents cannot so well be convicted Sins of the Flesh and Crimes against publick Society are Matters of Fact liable to Proof and Examination and therefore come under Cognizance of Civil Laws as well as Ecclesiastical whereas Circumstances may so alter the Nature of Spiritual Crimes that what in some cases may be damnable in others may be venial in others again highly commendable and accordingly the self-same Actions in all those Cases shall meet with different Appellations To speak evil of Dignities is a Sin expresly forbidden in Scripture yet to defend the Cause of Truth unjustly trampled upon even against those whom in lawful and indifferent things we are bound to obey may be very often our Duty This with due alterations may be extended to all other Crimes where the Good and Evil depends so visibly upon such Circumstances wherein a Criminal's word must of necessity be taken And this I suppose was the true Reason why those things were left to God and their own Consciences since it is most manifest that the Fathers esteemed these Sins if unrepented of to be as damning as any of those of a grosser Nature slight Sins are Evil-speaking lying idle Words addictedness to Wine c. And those which he gives of great Sins are Murder Adultery c. He concludes That there is no doubt but what is said in the Gospel that we ought to look upon those as Heathens and Publicans who do not Reform after they have been Reprov'd is to be understood of great Sinners He adds That it may also be understood of other Sinners with respect to the Judgment of Men but that it does not belong to us to judge whether they are such before God St. Austin distinguishes in many places Two sorts of Sins the great Sins for which Men are put under Publick Penance such as are Murder Adultery Fornication c. And the other Sins which are daily committed and are pardon'd by a daily Penance He says of the First that they kill the Soul all at once and that Christians who have Faith and Hope do not commit them But there is one place that is in Ch. 26. of the Book of Faith and Works where he treats more clearly of this Matter and distinguishes Three Sorts of Sins There are some says he so great that they deserve Excommunication and for which Sinners will want Reconciliation There are others for which this Penance is not necessary but they may be healed by the Remedy of Chastisements And lastly there are some that are very light which are blotted out by the Lord's Prayer from which no Man is free in this Life This distinction seems to be more just and reasonable for there are certainly many Sins which are not of the number of great Crimes neither are they so small but they may be Mortal The difficulty is to know to which of these Two Classes we should referr those Sins which hold the middle place between the First and the Second for since this distinction was not very common and since all the Fathers and St. Austin himself in many places did not distinguish but Two Sorts of Sins and Two Sorts of Penance it may be doubtful under what Class this Third Sort was comprehended For my part I believe that for
Hilary Bishop of Poitiers with being in an Error about the Sufferings of JESUS CHRIST in teaching That he had not been sensible of any Pain Lanfrank explains the Passage of that Father and tells us he spoke of the Divinity of our Saviour In the Nine and fiftieth he reproves a Lord for having spoke very ill Things of Pope Gregory VII and for bestowing large Encomiums on Guibert whom the Emperor had caus'd to be ordain'd Pope in opposition to Gregory He says that we ought to believe That the Emperor did not undertake such a Thing but upon good Grounds but that we should not commend any Person before his Death nor speak ill of one's Neighbour and that one cannot tell what Men are at present nor how they will one Day appear to be in the Eye of God These Letters are follow'd by a small Tract concerning the Secrecy of Confession Lanfrank doth demonstrate That 't is a great Sin to reveal it or to give any Hints whereby Lanfrank's Treatise of Confession the Sins that have been confess'd may be discover'd He would not have them in Confession inform themselves of the Sins of other Men but only of those who are confess'd nor to require them to discover their Accomplices He afterwards says That the Confession of publick Sins ought to be made to the Priests by whose Ministry the Church binds and looses that which it takes publick Cognizance of But that one may confess private Sins to all the Ecclesiasticks and even to Laicks since we read that there have been Holy Fathers who were the Guides of Souls tho' they were not in Holy Orders These are Lanfrank's own Words who perhaps by publick Sins understood mortal Sins and by private only venial Sins Or rather by the Confession of publick Sins he meant a particular Confession of Sins and by that of private Sins a general Confession without specifying any particular Offence such as Laicks usually make to one another Altho' in Lanfrank's time it was a common Custom among the Faithful to confess their Sins to one another out of Humility and especially when they could not meet with any Priests and 't is to this Custom Lanfrank alludes For he adds That if one cannot find a Person to whom one may confess one's self we ought not to despair upon that Account because the Fathers agree that in such a Case 't is sufficient to make our Confession to God Lastly he says That those to whom Confession is made ought not to punish or correct publickly those who confess themselves no not under the pretence of any other Fault This Discourse is obscure and intricare full of forc'd Allegories and unjust Reasonings which made Father Luke Dachery at first to question whether it were Lanfrank's or no. However we are not sure that 't is not his and 't is plain that its Author liv'd much about that time There is likewise a Treatise of Lanfrank in the Fourth Tome of Father Dachery's Spicelegium Other Writings of Laufrank which contains in a few Words the principal Duties of the Religious who wait upon the Churches It was found in an ancient Manuscript of the Oxford Library We have lost his Ecclesiastical History which perhaps was the same with the Life of William the Conqueror and a Commentary upon the Psalms of which mention is made in the Author of his Life Lanfrank's Stile was neither florid nor sigurative but plain and simple and such as ought to appear in Dogmatical Treatises His Reasonings are pretty just and his Arguments cogent He had thoroughly studied the ancient Latin Fathers and the Canons of the Church upon which he grounds the Doctrin which he advances and the Judgments he makes upon the Discipline of the Church There are but few who wrote at that time so distinctly and so exactly or who passed such a just Judgment upon Things Father Luke Dachery was the first who publish'd Lanfrank's Works They were printed at Paris by Billain in the Year 1648. The Edition is very correct and in a fine Character There are likewise very exact and curious Notes made by Father Dachery At the end of Lanfrank's Works he has added several other Tracts viz. The Chronicon of the Abbey of Becâ— The Life of S. Herluin first Abbot of Bec wrote by Gilbert Crispinus Abbot of Westminster and the Lives of William Boso Thibold and Letard Abbots of that Abbey the which as well as that of Lanfrank which is at the beginning of his Works were wrote by Milo Crispinus a Monk of Bec who liv'd in the Twelfth Century The Life of S. Augustin the English Apostle and two Tracts upon the Eucharist against Berenger the one wrote by Hugh Bishop of Langres and the other by Durandus Abbot of Troarn who liv'd in the same Century Hugh Bishop of Langres THE first of these two last Authors was the Son of Gilduin Count of Breteuil near Beauvais Hugh Bishop of Langres and Brother to Waleran Abbot of S. Witon of Verdun He had been Clerk of the Church of Chartres and Monk of Cluny He was made Bishop of Langres in the Year 1031 and was depos'd by Leo IX in a Council held at Rheims in the Year 1049. But following that Pope to Rome and being enjoyn'd Pennance he was re-establish'd and dy'd in his return homeward about the Year 1052. His Piece is only a Letter directed to Berenger whose Opinion he declares in the following Terms You maintain says he That the Body of JESUS CHRIST is in the Sacrament in such a manner that the Essence and Nature of the Bread and Wine are not chang'd and you make that Body you speak of which was Crucified to be an Intellectual Body which makes us think that you believe it to be Spiritual And in this you scandalize the Catholick Church and offend our Lord who made it appear That this Body which you say was Spiritual was such as might be felt Besides if the Nature and Essence of the Bread and Wine do really remain after Consecration it cannot be said that there is any real Change And if the Body of JESUS CHRIST be therein only figuratively and virtually one might upon the same Grounds say That he is likewise in Baptism and in the other Sacraments He afterwards proves by several Instances That the change of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of JESUS CHRIST is real and true and that tho' one cannot conceive how it is yet one ought to believe it To strengthen this he produces several Passages out of S. Ambrose and S. Augustin He adds That the Body of JESUS CHRIST is given to us under the form of Bread and Wine because if it appear'd to be Flesh and Blood Men would be startled at it and would not eat it This Tract is obscure and full of Niceties and School-Terms Durandus Abbot of Troarn THE other Author is Durandus Abbot of Troarn in Normandy who is not the same with Durandus Abbot of
gives us likewise the Life of St. Bernard compos'd by Alanus who from being Abbot of Larivoir was made Bishop of Auxerre in the year 1153. and retir'd Other Lives of St. Bernard to Clairvaux in the year 1161 where he dy'd in the year 1181. Also some Fragments of a third Life of St. Bernard which was believ'd to belong to Geofrey And a fourth Life of St. Bernard written toabout the year 1180 by John the Hermit who had liv'd with St. Bernard's Disciples He also Adds a Poem of the Monk Philotheus of the Life and Praises of St. Bernard with Verses likewise of other Authors in his Commendation And Lastly the Bull of the Canonization of this Saint together with the Testimonies that divers Authors had given of him which concludes this Volume He might also have put into this Volume the Letters of Nicholas of Clairvaux Secretary to St. Bernard Nicholas a Monk of Clairvaux Publish'd by Father Picart a Regular Canon of St. Victor and Inserted in the 22 Tome of the last Bibliotheca Patrum They are about 55. all full of wit and written in a very engaging Style but they contain nothing remarkable either on account of Doctrine or Church-Discipline This Nicholas after having left Clairvaux retir'd into his Monastery of Montier-Ramey where he dy'd about the year 1180. M. Baluze has also given us two of his Letters in the Second Tome of his Miscellaneous Works St. Bernard's Style is Lively Noble and Concise his Thoughts Sublime and his Diction Pleasant and Curious He equally abounds with good Matter Tenderness and Force He is sweet and Violent The Character and Judgment of St. Bernard He engages the Mind by his Insinuating Manner and touches the heart with his Movements His Exhortations are Pressing His Admonitions full of Gravity His Reprimands Efficacious His Reproaches so temper'd with good nature that it is easie to perceive that he is in Charity with the Person that he Rallies and reproves rather to correct than to insult or domineer over him He knows how to commend without Flattery and to tell Truth without Offending He diverts recreates and pleases He Instills dread and Inspires Love his knowledge is more useful and wholesome Doctrine than Curious Learning He is so full of the Holy Scriptures that scarce a Period passes but he has some words or expressions out of them St. Ambrose and St. Austin are those of the Fathers which he has follow'd most and which he considers as two Patterns that he is Indispensably bound to Imitate He also Understood very well the Canons and Rules of Discipline of the Church but he more particularly apply'd himself to Divinity and Morality His Moral Sentences are noble lively weighty and contain a great deal of sence in few words He is Ingenious and very fertil in Allegories He treats of Doctrines after the manner of the Ancients and not According to the Methods of the Scholasticks and Controversiaries of his Time which has gain'd him the Title of the Last of the Fathers Altho' he has taken most of his Thoughts from the Ancients yet has he manag'd them with so great Address that they seem to be his own He was in so great Reputation for Piety and Learning while he liv'd that all Potentates desir'd to have their Differences determin'd by him and they look'd upon his Decisions as Indispensable Laws The Proudest Kings and Princes have willingly condescended to obey him The Bishops not only had recourse to his knowledge but likewise regarded his Decisions as so many Oracles and have Referr'd themselves to him about the most Important Affairs of the Church The Popes themselves have taken his Advice and look'd upon it as the greatest support of the Holy See And all People had a very profound Respect and particular Veneration for his Person and Character In a word it may be said of him that even in his solitude he govern'd all the Churches of the West But what is most remarkable is that he knew how to join the Love of silence and a Retreat with so many Occupations and Employs as likewise a Profound Humility with so great an Elevation No Father of the Church has had his works so often printed as St. Bernard The First Edition is that of his Sermons on the Times and Saints Printed with his Book Dedicated to the Knights Templars in Editions of St. Bernards Works the year 1475 at Mayence by Peter Schoiffer About the same time the Treatise of Consideration the Apology to William Abbot of St. Thierry and The Treatise of Commands and Dispensations were printed at Rhoan In the year 1481. his Letters with his Sermons were Printed at Brussels This Edition was follow'd by that of Paris in the year 1494. which contains 310 Letters with his Sermons on the Canticles The Editions of Bresse of the year 1495. of Spire in the year 1501. and of Venice in the year 1503 are also very Imperfect That of Paris in the year 1508 contains almost all this Saints Works They were Collected by the care of John Bouchard and Printed by John Petit. In the year 1515 Josse Clictou Printed them at Lyons with the Sermons of Gilbert de Hoiland on the Canticles This Edition has been several times Reprinted at Paris and Lyons In the year 1520 two Monks of Clairvaux Publish'd a New Edition of St. Bernard's Works more correct than the former Printed the First time at Lyons Some time after Francis Comestor of the College of Sorbonne revis'd the works of this Saint and Printed a new Edition at Paris in the year 1547. Whilst this Edition was selling and Reprinting Anthony Marcellin publish'd another at Basil in the year 1552. In which St. Bernards works are rang'd after a New Order and Divided into four Parts The First containing his Sermons The Second his Letters The Third his Treatises and the Fourth his suppos'd Works In the year 1566 Francis Comestor's Edition was Re-printed as Printed with the Additions found in the Edition of Basil and some other Treatises After this John Gillot undertook to present the Publick a New Edition of St. Bernard's Works more Correct and more Ample than the former This was Printed at Paris by Nivelle in the year 1572. and afterwards Re-printed several times particularly in the year 1586. In the beginning of the following Century Edmund Tiraqueau a Monk of Cisteaux publish'd a new Edition of St. Bernard's Works in the year 1601. And Eight years after John Picart gave another which was reprinted several times at divers Places At length James Merlon Horstius labour'd seriously to get a good Edition of this Fathers works and after a considerable time and a great deal of pains taken he Produc'd one and Printed it in the year 1641. This Edition was receiv'd with Applause and Reprinted in divers Places Nevertheless Horstius having past over several Faults in the Text which might be corrected by Assistance of the Manuscripts Father Chantelon of the Congregation of St. Maur
in the third Proposition he does not agree with others in the manner of thinking and expressing his Thoughts wherein he says that God can only do what he does do and cannot do what he doth not do This does not proceed from his dis-believing that the Power of God in its own Nature can extend it self to other Objects but he pretends that it being consider'd as joyn'd to the Wisdom and Will of God he could not do any thing beside what he Wills nor does any thing besides what he Wills and actually does As to that which relates to the end of the Incarnation which is the fourth Proposition 't is not to be believ'd that he deny'd that Jesus Christ had redeemed and deliver'd Men from the slavery of Sin by his Death he asserts the contrary in several places but he might have pretended that this redemption of Mankind from the Captivity of Sin and the Devil was not the only Motive of the Incarnation nor the only Advantage which Men reap'd from thence and the Divine Logos was likewise come into the World to enlighten the Nations thereof and to give them an Example of Virtue the Holy Fathers have said the same thing in a great many places of their Writings The fifth Proposition is only a Question about a Name He owns that the Divine Logos is one of the Persons of the Trinity but disapproves of this Expression viz. That Jesus Christ is a Third Person in the Trinity a way of speaking which is not usual in the Fathers or the School-men The sixth Proposition about Grace is not agreeable to St. Augustine's Principles nor is it Pelagianism nor Semipelagianism since he acknowledges the Necessity of Grace for the producing of any Good in us and only maintains that God has given equal Grace to all Men whereof every one might make a good use or reject The seventh Proposition is a Consequence from his way of speaking in the third The eighth is not to be met with in Abaelard's Writings which are now extant he acknowledges on the contrary in his Apology that Original Sin consists in the Guilt The Ninth depends upon a Philosophical Dispute about the nature of Accidents and is of no prejudice to the Faith about the mystery of Transubstantiation which Abaelard own'd and when he says that they are false Appearances by this he understands that they resemble Bread which is not there The Tenth may be taken in a good Sense so that by Works we understand only the external Actions which are not expresly Good or Bad but as they become Voluntary The eleventh Proposition is insufferable The twelfth is an extraordinary and intolerable Exposition of our Saviour's Words about the Power of Binding and Loosing He disowns the thirteenth as that which he never writ With respect to the Fourteenth we have explained in what sence he attributes Power to the Person of the Father He declares in his Apology that when he deny'd the Fear of God to be in Jesus Christ and in his Elect he thereby only understood a servile Fear and not a filial Fear which he owns will last to all Eternity And he therein maintains that he had never deny'd that the Soul of Jesus Christ descended really into Hell By the Name of Estimation which he applys to Faith he does not mean an uncertain Opinion but an Idea which we form to our selves of the Mysteries which are reveal'd to us and which we firmly believe As to the General Reflections which are cast upon him it must be own'd that his Way of speaking and explaining the Mysteries was Novel that he rely'd too much upon his own Reasonings and that he was for prying too curiously into Incomprehensible Mysteries But at the same time it must likewise be own'd that he happen'd to be in such times when this kind of Learning was in its Infancy and that if in some places he swerv'd from the Truth yet he argues very justly and very solidly on a great many Subjects In a Word no body can deny but that he had great parts much Learning and Logick a profound Genius and penetration of Thought We have only one Edition of his Works publish'd by the care of Francis Amboesa Councellor of State and printed at Paris in 4â—â— in the Year 1616. CHAP. VIII An Account of the Errors and Condemnation of Gillebert de la Porree Bishop of Poitiers GILLEBERT DE LA PORREE a Native of Poitiers after having been Professor of The particular Opinion of Gillebert de la Porree Divinity in that City was chosen Bishop of the same Diocess A. D. 1141. He had the most able Divines of his time for his Tutors viz. Hilary at Poitiers Bernard at Chartres Anselm and Radulphus at Laon but forasmuch as it is difficult when one takes too great a Latitude in Philosophizing on the Mysteries of the Christian Religion not to wander out of the right way he maintain'd in his Commentaries on the Book of Psalms on St. Paul's Epistles and on the Works of Boethius certain Propositions about the Godhead which gave Offence to those who were not accustomed to handle Theological Matters after such a manner He was more especially censur'd for asserting four Points concerning the Godhead viz. 1. That the Divine Essence was not God 2. That the Properties of the Divine Persons were not the Persons themselves 3. That the Divine Persons were not an Attribute in any Proposition 4. That the divine Nature was not incarnate as also upon account of two other Articles which were look'd upon as less considerable viz. That there is none that Merits but Jesus Christ and that the Elect only are truly Baptiz'd Gillebert continuing to maintain this Doctrine even when advanc'd to the Episcopal Dignity and not forbearing to assert those Propositions in a Discourse that he made to his Clergy an Information was brought against him by his two Arch-deacons Arnold and Calon to Pope Eugenius III. who was then at Sienna ready to set forward in his Journey to France The Pope deferr'd the taking cognizance of the Affair till his arrival in that Kingdom and the Arch-deacons in the mean while engag'd St. Bernard on their side The Examination of Gillebert's Doctrine was begun at Auxerre in an Assembly conven'd there in the beginning of the Year 1147. and continued in another held at Paris on the Festival The Council of Paris about the Affair of Gillebert de la Porree of Easter in the same Year Gillebert appear'd in the latter before the Pope the Cardinals the Bishops and the other Prelates of the Assembly whilst two Doctors viz. Adam de Petit Pont Canon of Paris and Hugh de Champfleuri the King's Chancellor vigorously oppos'd him deposing upon Oath That they had heard him justifie some of the Errors of which he was accus'd but St. Bernard was the first and principal of his Accusers Gillebert deny'd that he maintain'd those Opinions that were laid to his charge and some of the Bishops who
were an intention to begin again that which was already done but the same Ceremony may be re-iterated when 't is perform'd for a different end and has another effect That therefore the Holy Chrism is put on the Fore-head after having anointed the top of the Head with it because those several Unctions produce different Effects But that Extreme Unction cannot be re-iterated by reason that it is a Sacrament In the Tenth he proves That the Bishops ought not to exact any thing for Benedictions and Ordinations and asserts it to be a kind of Simony in a Bishop not only to receive Money for the Benediction of an Abbot but also to exact of him an acknowledgment by which he binds himself by promise to his Diocesan The Eleventh is a Constitution about the manner how Monks ought to proceed in accusing others and in defending themselves in their Chapter In the Twelfth he explains in a few words three Vertues necessary for Pastors of the Church viz. Justice Discretion and Fore-sight The Thirteenth and Fourteenth are certain Dialogues between God who upbraids the Sinner with his Ingratitude and the Sinner who acknowledges his Offences and implores the Mercy of God The Fifteenth and Sixteenth are Prayers made by a Sinner to God in which he humbly sues for his Mercy and begs pardon for his Transgressions These Tracts are concluded with four Hymns or Proses viz. one directed to the Virgin Mary and the three others on the Repentance of Mary Magdalen All these Works are follow'd by eleven Sermons on the Nativity Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ On the Purification and Festivals of the Virgin Mary On Mary Magdalen whom he confounds with the Sinner On the penitent Thief and on St. Benedict These Sermons are dry and barren containing nothing that is Eloquent and indeed generally speaking all the Pieces of this Author are not written with much Elegancy or Politeness However his Compositions are very natural and his Explications easy and familiar Father Sirmond caus'd them to be printed at Paris A. D. 1610. from two Manuscript Copies and annex'd Annotations on the Letters which are very serviceable to make known the Persons and to illustrate many Historical Matters of Fact that are mentioned therein HILDEBERT Bishop of Mans and afterwards Arch bishop of Tours HILDEBERT Born at Lavardin in the Diocess of Mans of Parents of mean Condition Hildebert Bishâ—p of Mans. joyn'd the Study of the Liberal Sciences to that of Divinity and was chosen Bishop of Mans A. D. 1098. His first Exercises of the Episcopal Functions were disturbed by the War that broke forth between William II. Sirnam'd Rufus King of England and Helie Count of Mans who being taken Prisoner by that Prince the City of Mans fell into the Hands of Foulques Count of Anger 's The King of England was Marching at the Head of an Army to take it when the Bishop and Inhabitants fearing lest the Count of Anger 's should make an Agreement at their Cost Surrendred it to him on Condition that their Count should be set at Liberty Afterwards the Count having got together some fresh Troops re-enter'd the City of Mans and Besieg'd the Forts that were possess'd by King William's Forces but he was repuls'd and the King remain'd Master of the City Hildebert was accused of having been concern'd in that enterprize and oblig'd to pass over into England to clear himself The King enjoyn'd him to cause the Towers of his Church to be pull'd down and Hildebert returning with that Order found his Church laid waste by the outrages that were committed against the Clergy by the pillaging of its Revenues and the burning of the City But the King of England dying a little while after A. D. 1100. Count Helie re-took the City granted a Composition to the King's Soldiers who were in the Forts and re-establish'd Order and Peace in those Parts When Hildebert saw his Native Country restor'd to its former Tranquillity he undertook a Journey to Rome and went to visit Pope Paschal II. by whom he was very kindly entertain'd and returned from Rome laden with Honours and Preferments Some time after he was apprehended at Nogent le Rotrou where he went to bear the last Will and Testament of the Count of Rotrou who was detain'd Prisoner at Mans. At last having procur'd his Liberty he solemniz'd the Consercation of the Cathedral Church of Mans newly re-built and continu'd to Govern his Diocess in Peace till the Year 1125. when he was translated to the Arch-bishoprick of Tours after the Death of Guillebert Hildebert not long after his Promotion to that Dignity fell out with Lewis the Gross King of France having refus'd to dispose of the Benefices belonging to that Church more especially the Deanry and Arch-Deaconry at the pleasure of his Prince who caus'd the Revenues to be seiz'd on and prohibited him to enter his Dominions The Person who was nominated Dean was at variance with the Canons who were maintain'd by the Court which gave occasion to disturbances in the Church of Tours At last these dissensions being appeas'd he was restor'd to the King's Favour and died A. D. 1132 after having possess'd the Episcopal See of Mans 27 Years and the Metropolitan of Tours six Years and as many Months The Letters of this Author are the most valuable Pieces amongst his Works They are written in a fine Epistolary Style after a very Natural manner and contain divers Important Points of Morality Church-Discipline and History We shall here produce the Extracts of those that Treat of these Matters omitting the others which relate to meer Compliments or to particular Affairs such as the six first Therefore we shall begin with the seventh in which the Author determines That a Virgin Betroathed before she was Marriageable whose Husband died without knowing her Carnally cannot Marry the Brother of her former Husband because Marriage does not consist in Carnal Copulation but in the consent of the Parties The seventeenth is likewise written on the same Subject In the Ninth he declares That he refus'd to assist at the Consecration of one who was chosen Bishop of Anger 's because he was a Young Man and not as yet in Orders and was not Canonically Elected by the Clergy but proclaim'd in a Popular Tumult against whose Election the Dean the Chanter the Arch-Deacons and the greatest part of the Chapter had protested He declares the same thing to that Elected Person in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Letter and exhorts him not to suffer himself to be Consecrated By the Fourteenth he deposes a certain Person who had given Money to be Ordain'd a Deacon The Eighteenth is a Letter directed to Paschal II. and Compos'd with a great deal of Art to excuse the Canons of St. Martin at Tours who had given offence to the Pope by insisting too much on their Privileges In the Nineteenth he excuses himself for not being able to be present in a certain Council by reason that his Church and
Richard of St. Victor are of Two Sorts some of them being Pieces relating to Points of Doctrine and others being Treatises of Piety and practical Divinity Among the former are to be reckon'd his Treatise of the Trinity divided into Six Books A Tract dedicated to St. Bernard concerning the Attributes appropriated to every one of the Divine Persons His Treatise of the Incarnation Two Treatises of the Emmanuel or on these Words of the Prophet Isaiah Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Emmanuel in which he proves against a certain Jew that these Words can be interpreted of none but the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ A Treatise of the Power of Binding and Loosing in which he follows the common Opinion of the School-Divines of his time concerning the Effect of the Keys and the Power of the Ministers A Discourse of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Certain Explications dedicated to St. Bernard on some difficult Places of Scripture A Discourse to explain in what Sense the Holy Ghost is said to be the Love of the Father and of the Son And a Treatise of the difference between Mortal and Venial Sins His Works of Piety and Morality are these viz. A Treatise of the means of rooting out Evil and promoting Good A Discourse on the State of the inward Man Three Books of the Instruction of the inward Man or of the Spiritual Exercise upon occasion of the Dreams of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel A Treatise of the Preparation of the Soul for Contemplation Five Books of the Grace of Contemplation on the Ark which was set in the Tabernacle with an Addition containing some Allegories on the Tabernacle A Discourse or Meditation on the Plagues that will happen on the Day of Judgment Another Discourse on the Day of the last Judgment A Treatise of the Degrees of Charity Another of the Four Degrees of fervent Charity A Discourse of the Two Passovers with a Sermon on the Festival of Easter A Discourse of the Baptism of Jesus Christ A Sermon on the Effusion of the Holy Ghost A Tract concerning the Comparison that is made of our Saviour to the Flower and of the Virgin Mary to the Branch Another about the Quality of Standard of the People attributed to Jesus Christ And lastly Two Discourses viz. One concerning the difference between Abraham's Sacrifice and that of David and the other relating to the difference between the same Sacrifice and that of the Virgin Mary This Author died March 10. A. D. 1173. and his Works were printed at Paris in 1518. and in 1540. as also at Venice in 1592. at Colen in 1621. and at Rouen in 1650. He shews a great deal of subtilty in his Theological Treatises and argues methodically with an Exactness befitting an able Logician His Critical Pieces are very accurate for his time but his Style is not very lofty and upon that Account it is that his Treatises of Piety though full of excellent Matter have not all the Grandeur nor all the Energy that might be wished for CHAP. XVII Of Gratian's Collection of Canons ALthough many Collections of Canons Decretals and Passages of the Fathers relating to the Canon-Law were compil'd before the Twelfth Century yet none of them was generally follow'd or publickly taught They were looked upon as the Work of private Persons and the Decisions contain'd in them had no greater Authority than the Monuments out of which they were taken whilst every one apply'd them to his particular Benefit but none made them the subject of publick Lectures The Collection which GRATIAN a Monk of St. Felix Gratian. at Bononia and a Native of Chiusi in Toscany compleated in the Year 1151. met with much better Success for as soon as it appear'd it was so favourably receiv'd that the Canonists taught it publickly and in a little time a great number of Commentaries were written on that Work In the Ancient Manuscripts and in the First Editions it bears this Title viz. The Concord of disagreeing Canons and afterwards was call'd The Book of Decrees or simply The Decrees It is divided into Three Parts the First of which contains Matters relating to the Law in general and the Ministers of the Church under the Name of Distinctions the Second divers particular Cases upon occasion of which are debated many Questions that are call'd The Causes and the Third entituled Of the Consecration such Matters as relate to the Divine Offices and the Sacraments In the First twenty Distinctions of the First Part he treats of the Division of the Law of the different sorts of Laws as well Civil as Ecclesiastical of the Authority of the Canons of the Councils and of the Decretals of the Popes of the sacred Orders of the Qualities of Persons who ought to be ordain'd of the Form and Ceremonies of Ordination of the Functions and Conduct of Clergy-men of the Power of the Pope and of the Bishops of the use of the Pall and of every Thing that relates to the Ministers of the Church This Part is divided into 101 Distinctions In the Second containing Thirty six Causes every one of which comprehends divers Questions every Question being likewise divided into several Chapters the Author treats of Simony of Appeals of Incumbents depriv'd of their Benefices of the Quality of Witnesses and Accusers of Elections of the Government of Churches of Ecclesiastical Censures of last Wills and Testaments of Burials of Usury of what ought to be observ'd with respect to * Furieux outragious or distracted Persons of Sentences passed contrary to the due Forms of Law of Monks and Abbots and their Rights of those who assault Clergy-men of Commendams of Oaths of War of Heresies of Infractions of the Canons of Sorcerers of Marriage and its Impediments of the Degrees of Consanguinity and of Rapes In the Thirty second Cause he has inserted a Dissertation concerning Repentance in Seven Sections in which he follows the Error of some Writers of Penitentials who do not believe Confession to be of Divine Right or absolutely necessary for the remission of Sins The Third Part contains Five Distinctions or Sections viz. the First concerning the Consecration of Churches the Celebration of Mass and the Divine Service the Second concerning the Eucharist the Third about the solemn Festivals of the Year and the use of Images the Fourth about the Sacrament of Baptism and its Ceremonies and the Fifth concerning Confirmation Fasts manual Labour and some other Points of Discipline Some Articles have been since added from time to time under the Title of Palea which is suppos'd to be the Name of the Author of these Additions which were call'd Protopalea or Palea The First Edition of this Work was printed at Mentz A. D 1472. and the Second at Venice Four Years after The Third is that of Paris in 1508. which is the First that bears the Name of Gratian whose Text is to be found in these Editions after the same manner that