Sabbath nor the Jews to labour or trade on the Lord's Day not to eat in Lent with them not to eat any Flesh they have killed nor drink any Wine that they sell. Lastly not to converse familiarly with them nor trade with them because they daily Blaspheme the Name of Christ. Then he describes the insolence of the Jews because they found themselves upheld by the Authority of the Commissioners He beseeches him to hear the humble entreaty of Himself and Brethren and rectifie this disorder To this Petition he joyns a Letter written in his Name and in the name of Bernard Arch-bishop of Vienna and another Bishop called Eaof or Taof in which they produce the Authorities of the Fathers and Scripture to justifie the Severity they treated the Jews withall They relate the example of S. Hilary who would not salute them of S. Ambrose who writes that he would rather suffer Death than rebuild a Synagogue of the Jews which the Christians had burnt They add to these two Fathers S. Cyprian and S. Athanasius who wrote against the Jews Then they alledge the Canons of the Councils of Spain and Agda which forbid Christians to eat with the Jews and the Constitutions of the first Council of Masco which declares that according to the Edict of Childebert it is not permitted to the Jews to be Judges or Receivers of the publick Revenues nor to appear in publick in the H. Week and renew the prohibition given the Christians not to eat with them This is Confirmed by the Canons of the First and Third Councils of Orleans and the Council of Laodicea which forbids Christians to converse with them They forget not the Action of St. John who fled from the Bath in which he saw Cerinthus the Heretick entered who was an Heretick of the Sect of the Jews They accuse the Jews of their time to be worse than Cerinthus because they believed God Corporeal and had gross and false Notions of the Divinity allowed an infinite number of Letters and believed the Law to be written several Years before the World were perswaded that there are several Worlds and Earths introduced many Fables about the old Testament and uttered Blasphemy against Jesus Christ published the false acts of Pilate used the Christians as Idolaters because they hated the Saints and did infamous Actions in their Synagogues from whence they conclude that if they ought to separate themselves from Hereticks they ought with more Reason to have no commerce with the Jews which they maintain by several passages of H. Scripture 'T is very probable that Agobard went to Court about this Business He applyed himself to Three Persons who were in great Favour at Court viz. Adelardus Abbot of Corbey Vala the Son of Bernard Brother of Pepin and a Relation to the Emperour and Helesacharius Abbot of S. Maximus at Treves having complained before them of those that defended the Jews they brought him into the King's presence to relate it but he received no Satisfaction and was ordered to with-draw Being returned he consulted those Three Persons by a Letter what he should do with those Jewish Slaves who desired to become Christians and be Baptized He shews by several Reasons that he could not refuse to do it and that the Jews might have no ground of Complaint he says that he offer'd to pay them for those Slaves what was ordered by the ancient Laws But since the Jews would not receive that Price because they were perswaded that the Court Officers were their Friends he prays them to whom he wrote to direct him what to do upon that occasion about which he was much perplexed fearing on the one Side Damnation if he denyed Baptism to the Jews or their Slaves who desired it and on the other Side being fearful of offending the great Men if he granted it to them In Agobard's Letter to Nebridius Arch-bishop of Narbonne he shews how dangerous it is to hold a familiar converse with the Jews and tells him that he hath admonished his People of it all along his Visitation of his Diocess and boldly opposed the attempts of the Emperour's Commissioners Agobard presented another Petition to Lewis the Godly in which he prays him to abolish the Law of Gundobadus which ordered that private Contentions and Differences should be decided by a single Combat or some other proofs rather than by the Deposition of Witnesses He shews that that Law which was made by an Arrian Prince is contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel to that Charity that Christians ought to have one for another and to the peace both of Church and State He observes that it came neither from the Law nor Gospel That the Christian Religion was not established by such sort of Combats but on the Contrary by the Death of him that preached it That the most Wicked and Guilty have often overcome the more Just and Innocent He adds that Avitus Bishop of Vienna who had some Conferences about Religion with Gundobadus and converted his Son Sigismond disallowed this Custom He complains of the little Regard had to the Canons of the Church of France Lastly he says he could wish that all the Kings Subjects had but one Law but because he believed that impossible he desired he would abolish at least that Custom which was so unjust and so prejudicial to the State In the Treatise of the Privileges and Rights of the Priest-hood dedicated to Bernard Bishop of Vienna Agobard Treats of the Excellency of the Priest-hood He says that all Christians being Members of Jesus Christ who is our Chief Priest are Kings and Priests of the Lord. That in the beginning of the World the First Born were Priests and Sacrificers There he produces several Examples taken out of the Holy Scripture and many Authorities to shew that God hath often heard wicked Priests and had no regard to the Sacrifices of good ones because he looks chiefly upon the Dispositions of the Heart of those for whom they offer Sacrifices and that otherwise 't is not the Merit of the Priest nor his Person that God respects but his Ministery and Priest-hood For this Reason it is that wicked Priests may administer Sacraments which the most H. Lay-men cannot do And upon this account Men ought to hear and believe what the Priest teacheth if he do not corrupt the Doctrine of Jesus Christ for if he teach any thing that Christ hath not Commanded he that hears him saith Agobard is a Leper that follows another Leper a Blind Man lead by another Blind Man and consequently both of them ought to be driven out of the Camp and shall both fall into the Ditch This gives him occasion to cite several Texts of Scripture to exhort the Priests of the New Testament to behave themselves worthy of their Ministery and to complain of the Irregularities of his time He observes that the Great Lords of his time kept Domestick Priests in their Houses not to obey them but to employ them
this Bishop was his open and profess'd Enemy Exhorts him to a Reconciliation and gives him to understand that he was accus'd of Rapines He takes Notice to him of the Excommunication of one nam'd Aldramus which the Bishop of Beauvais had thunder'd out and which he said that the Archbishop of Rheims was bound to put in execution As to this point he tells him that he was always ready to follow the advice and opinion of other Bishops but that he knew of no Power which the Church of Beauvais had to command the Church of Rheims and that this Excommunication was not grounded on a Lawful and Canonical Reason but only because this Man had left the Interest of Eudes and embraced that of King Charles He likewise Summoned him to appear at the Ordination of the Bishops of Senlis and Chalons and gave him to understand that Pope Stephen had order'd him to send him to Ravenna The Fifteenth is a Letter of Compliment to Teuthaldus Bishop of Langres The Sixteenth was directed to Radulphus Successor to Didon Bishop of Laon whose Promotion to that Dignity he Congratulates and advertis'd him that he had too rashly Excommunicated one of his Diocesans hinting withal that he gave him his advice as a Friend to a Friend not being willing to make use of that Authority and Priviledge which the Church of Rheims had from all Antiquity of succouring all those who made their Application to it and thought themselves injur'd by their Bishops We might likewise to these Letters joyn that of Mancion Bishop of Chalons directed to Fulcus and publish'd by Father Mabillon in the third Tome of his Collections wherein he asks the Arch-bishop's Advice how he ought to behave himself with relation to a Priest who was solemnly betrothed to a Woman and would marry her publickly In the seventh Chapter Flodoard speaks of several Letters of Fulcus directed to Abbots and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Fuâ—… to the Aâ—bâ—ts Persons of Note The first was directed to an Abbot called Stephen whom he comforts upon his having been depriv'd of a Bishoprick to which he had been elected In the second he reprov'd Baldwin Count of Flanders for the many Injuries he offer'd to the Churches of his Country and among others for having caus'd a Priest to be whip'd for having turn'd out several Parochial Priests out of their Churches in order to make room for others of his own choosing for having unjustly seiz'd upon an Estate which the King had bestow'd on the Church of Noyon for having seiz'd upon a Monastery c. he threaten'd to Excommunicate him in case he did not forthwith make Restitution and leave off his Cruelties to the Church The third is directed to the Clergy and Laiety of Senlis upon the Election of a Bishop The fourth to the Clergy of Laon upon the same Subject The fifth to the Monks of Corby whom he severely reproves for their having cruelly turn'd out their Abbot These are all the Letters of Fulcus which are mention'd in Flodoard the very Extracts of which shew us that this Archbishop wrote with a great deal of Strength and Authority That he was zealous for the welfare of the Church for the Dignity of Bishops and particularly for the Rights and Prerogatives of the Church of Rheims He was assassinated by Winâ—mare and others of Count Baldwin's Creatures in the Year 900 which Count was incens'd against him for having taken away from him the Abby of S. Wast and the Castle of Arras HERVEUS Archbishop of Rheims HIS Successor was one HERVEUS a young Lord belonging to Court and Nephew to Count Hughbold He was ordain'd by the unanimous consent of all the Bishops of the Province HERVEUS Arch-bishop of Rheims Immediately after his Ordination he soon render'd himself capable of governing his Diocess and gain'd the Esteem and Love of all the World by his Charity to the Poor by his sweet Temper by his good Nature and by the Zeal he expressed for the Welfare of the Church and for Ecclesiastical Discipline He held several Provincial Councils wherein he discours'd very usefully of Religion and of the Peace both of Church and State and of the Conversion of the Normans who about that time embrac'd the Christian Faith It was for their sakes that he sent to Guy Archbishop of Roan a Letter containing three and twenty Articles extracted out of the Canons and Letters of the Popes about the manner of treating those who after they had been baptiz'd had apostatiz'd and afterward's return'd to the Church In the Year 909. he held a Council at Trosly a Village near The Council of Trosly in 909. Soissons at which assisted the Archbishop of Roan with the Bishops of Laon Beauvais Noyon Chalons Soissons Cambray Meaux Senlis Terouane and Amiens in which after he had discours'd at large of the Miseries under which France groan'd which he imputed to the Sins both of the Laity and the Clergy he gave them very fine and large Instructions grounded on several Passages of the Fathers and Canons of Councils 1. Concerning the Honour and Respect due to Churches and to Ecclesiasticks 2. Concerning the Duty and Allegiance which Bishops and Ecclesiasticks ow'd to their King and concerning the Duties and Qualifications of a Prince 3. Concerning the Reformation of those Abuses which were crept into the Monastick Life and particularly concerning the Abbeys which were possess'd by Laicks It was ordain'd that Abbots should be Religious Persons well skill'd in the Regular Discipline and that the Monks and Religious should live according to their Profession and Rule praying for the Welfare of Kings for the Peace of the Kingdom and for the Tranquility of the Church without concerning themselves with Secular Affairs without hunting after the Pomps of this World and without incroaching on the Rights and Priviledges of Ecclesiasticks and that they might have no Excuse for stragling the Abbots were enjoyn'd or at least those who had the Government of Monasteries in their Care to provide them Necessaries 4. Against those who either by violence or by any other method seiz'd on Church Lands which he look'd upon as Sacrilege 5. Against those who either abus'd or persecuted the Clergy 6. Against those who would not pay Tenths and the other Revenues belonging to the Church The Duty of Tithes reached not only to the Fruits of the Earth and to the Breed of Cattle but likewise to those things which were the Profits of a Man's Industry and Labour 7. Concerning the Rapines and Robberies so rise at that time He demonstrates the Enormity thereof and shews the Obligation they lay under of making Restitution before they could expect Absolution 8. Against stealing young Women and against clandestine or unlawful Marriages 9. Concerning the Prohibitions renew'd so often by the Canons against Priests having Women amongst them 10. Concerning the Chastity which all Christians were oblig'd to preserve in their Words and Actions 11. Concerning the Obligation of keeping strictly to the Oaths
a Monastery and impos'd on him a Pennance of Seven years A certain very potent Earl having married one of his near Kinswomen he Excommunicated him and refus'd to take off the Excommunication altho' the King had commanded him and the Earl had obtain'd a Brief of the Pope for his Restoration S. Dunstan being inform'd of it reply'd That he was ready to obey the Pope's Commands provided the Person had really repented of his Offence but that he would not suffer him to persist in his Sin nor without submitting to the Discipline of the Church to insult over the Prelates and as it were to triumph in his Crime At last the Earl being mov'd with his Constancy and the fear of those Punishments which the Divine Vengeance usually inflicts upon Excommunicated Persons left his Kinswoman did Publick Penance and threw A Council under S. Dunstan and King Edgar himself down prostrate before S. Dunstan in a Council barefoot cloath'd with a Woollen Garment holding a Bundle of Rods in his Hand and lamenting his Sin from which S. Dunstan gave him Absolution at the request of the Bishops of the Council The Reformation of the Clergy cannot be carried on without great Opposition nor without creating many Male-contents insomuch that in King Edgar's Life time the Clergy-men depriv'd of their Benefices used their utmost Efforts to recover them and having made a Complaint in an A Council at Winchester A. C. 975. Assembly held at Winchester in the beginning of the year 975. they prevail'd upon the King by their Entreaties and the Promises they made to lead a more regular Course of Life for the future But as they were about making a Decree for their Restoration on Condition they should live more regularly a Voice was heard coming as it were from the Crucifix which pronounc'd these words It will turn to no account you have pass'd a just Sentence and you will do ill to alter your Decisions However after the death of King Edgar these Clergy men renewed their Instances and even offer'd force to drive the Monks not only from their Places but also out of the Monasteries which were lately founded But S. Dunstan always maintain'd his Reformation which prevail'd in the most part of the Churches and Monasteries of England under the Reigns of Edward and Ethelred S. Dunstan and S. Ethelwald did not only take pains to Reform the Ecclesiastical Discipline in England but also in reviving the Study of the Liberal Sciences and even they themselves compos'd some Works A modern English writer call'd Pits says that S. Dunstan compil'd certain Forms of Archiepiscopal Benedictions a small Tract on the Rule of S. Benedict a Book call'd Rules for the Monastical Life several Writings against Vicious Priests a Treatise of the Eucharist another of Tythes a Book of Occult Philosophy a Tract for the Instruction of the Clergy and some Letters And indeed we cannot be certainly assur'd upon the Credit of this Writer whether S. Dunstan were really the Author of these Works which are no longer extant but we find a Concordance or Rule for the Monastick Life and under the Name of Edgar set forth by Rainerus which is apparently a Piece of S. Dunstan as well as the other Constitutions of that Prince and there is extant a Letter written by him to Wulfin Bishop of Worcester which Father Mabillon publish'd from a Manuscript of Monsieur Faure Doctor of the Faculty of Paris The Life of S. Dunstan was written by Osborn Chaunter of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury who was Contemporary with this Saint and is found in the Fifth Benedictine Century of Father Mabillon If we may give farther Credit to Pits S. Ethelwald in like manner compos'd several Tracts S. Ethelwald Bishop of Winchester of which he gives us this following Catalogue A Book dedicated to Pope John XIV concerning the Authority of the Bishops over their Priests a Treatise against those Priests who commit Fornication and against their Concubines another of the Abbots of Lindisfarn another of the Kings Kingdoms and Bishopricks of England a History of the Kings of Great Britain a Narrative of his Visitations a Treatise of the Planets and Climates of the World the Treatise of the Abbots of Lindsfarn which this Author attributes to S. Ethelwald is apparently a piece compos'd in Verse by Ethelwulf a Monk of that Abbey The other Works are no longer Extant and perhaps never were but only in Pits's imagination The Writers of Ecclesiastical History are not agreed about the immediate Successor of S. Dunstan Alfric or Aelfric Archbishop of Canterbury in the Archbishoprick of Canterbury Some give him the Name of Siricius and others of Alfric or Aelfric however it is certain that the latter was Archbishop of Canterbury in the beginning of the following Century in regard that he sign'd in that Quality a Priviledge granted by King Ethelred He was a Pupil of S. Ethelwald succeeded him in the Monastery of Abington was afterward made Abbot of Malmsbury by King Edgar then Bishop of some Church in England about which Authors are not agreed and at last being advanc'd to the Metropolitan See of Canterbury he govern'd that Church till about the year 1006. This Archbishop in his time was in great reputation for his profound Skill in the Sciences of Grammar and Divinity insomuch that he was Surnam'd The Grammarian His Sermons were translated into the Saxon Tongue in order to be read publickly in the Churches and his Letters were inserted in the Synodical Books of the Church of England The English Writers assure us that their Libraries were full of a great number of Works of this Archbishop written in the Saxon Tongue and they have lately publish'd some of them translated into Latin viz. A Paschal Homily of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in which he discourses much after the same manner as Ratramnus or Bertram and two Letters one to Wulfin Bishop of Salisbury and the other to Wulstan Archbishop of York on the same Subject which were printed at London in 1566 1623 and 1638. In the Body of the Councils is contain'd a Canonical Letter of Alfric directed to Wulfin which is a kind of Ritual for the use of the Priests The principal Manuscript Treatises of this Author compos'd in the Saxon Tongue are an History of the Old and New Testament till the Taking of Jerusalem a Penitential Eighty Sermons a Letter concerning the Monastical Life another against the Marriage of Clergy-men a Saxon Chronicle of the Church of Canterbury certain Lives of the Saints and Versions of some Latin Works among others the Dialogue of S. Gregory Sometime before Fridegod a Monk of S. Saviour at Canterbury wrote in Verse at the request Fridegod Monk of S. Saviour at Canterbury of Odo the Lives of S. Wilfrid and of S. Owen Archbishop of York the former was publish'd by Father Mabillon in the first part of the Third and Fourth Benedictine Centuries William of Malmesbury observes that these
Hildebrand his Legat Otho and his Adherents were there Condemn'd together with the fourteen Prelates of the Assembly of Quintilineburgh whom they depos'd as being Guilty of Perjury Rebellion and Homicide They excommunicated Herman Eckbert of Saxony and the Lord Welpho prohibited all Christians from holding any Correspondence with them and plac'd other Bishops in the room of those who were of Herman's Party Whilst these things pass'd in Germany Gregory VII not finding himself secure enough in The Death of Gregory VII Rome because the Romans look'd upon him as the cause of that Desolation which they endur'd went to Mount Cassin and from thence retir'd to Salerno where he dy'd May 24th of the Year 1085. Authors do not agree about what were the last Thoughts he had concerning his Difference with Henry Some say that he testified a great deal of regret for what he had done and others on the contrary tell us That he continued fix'd in the same Mind to his very Last and that he said that he dyed in Exile because he had lov'd Justice and hated Iniquity However the Case stood 't is plain that his Death did not put an end to that notorious Quarrel which he had rais'd and which had drawn along with it such dreadful Consequences as were the cause of a world of Mischiefs both to the Church and to the Empire as we shall shew in the sequel after we have done with that which relates to Gregory VII The Emperor was not the only Person with whom Gregory VII was Engag'd He had likewise Contests with the Kings of France and England and his aim was to bring all the The Difference between Gregory VII and Philip I. King of France Crown'd Heads under his subjection and to oblige them to hold their Kingdoms as Fiefs from the Holy See and to govern them at his Discretion Philip I. was then King of France And since the Death of Baldwin who had been Regent of the Kingdom during his Minority he took the Government into his own Hands but he Administred it so remissly that France was full of Disorders and Disturbances The Churches which have always greater Sufferings than other Societies when Justice is not maintain'd in a State were the first who were oppress'd Gregory VII who never slip'd an opportunity of making himself the Judge and Reformer of Princes cast several reproaches upon him for it and threatned to punish severely his unjust proceedings against the Churches The King assur'd him by Alberic that he would reform his Conduct and govern the Churches according to such Rules as his Holiness should prescribe him Gregory who was not satisfied with empty Words required that he would begin to demonstrate the reality of his Promises by permitting that the Arch-deacon of Autun elected Bishop of Mascon after a long vacancy by the Clergy and People and even by the consent of the King should be put into the Possession of that Church without giving any Thing for it To this purpose he wrote to the Bishop of Chalons upon the Seyne and to the Arch-bishop of Lions And at the same time acquaints them that in case the King should refuse to do what he desir'd and would not permit the Churches of France to be supply'd with Bishops without Simony he should be oblig'd to excommunicate all the French Nation if they continu'd in their Alliegance to Philip. He likewise enjoyns the Arch-bishop of Lions to ordain that Arch-deacon Bishop of Mascon what opposition soever he might meet with either from the King or the other Competitor These two Letters are dated December 4th 1073. and are the Thirty fifth and the Thirty sixth of the first Book The Bishops of France would not venture to ordain the Bishop of Mascon whereupon the Pope ordain'd him himself as he sent word to the Arch bishop of Lions by the Seventy sixth Letter of the same Book dated August the 4th 1074. Two days before he had written expressly to King Philip to oblige him to make reparation for the wrong he had done to the Church of Beauvais And had absolv'd those of that City who had abus'd their Bishop See the Seventy fourth and the Seventy fifth Letters of the same Book That same year Gregory VII renew'd his Complaints and his Threatnings against Philip with a great deal more Noise by writing a large Letter to all the Bishops of France wherein after he had given a description of the Disorders of that Kingdom he says that the King whom he ventures to call Tyrant is the Author and Cause of all because his whole Life being one continu'd Debauch he took no care to punish the Crimes whereof he himself gave so bad an Example That he not only converted the Revenues of Churches to Profane and Criminal uses but within a little while ago exacted a very considerable sum of Merchants who were come from all parts to import their Effects into France under the publick Faith He likewise accuses the Bishops of contributing to these disorders either by their Approbation or Connivance He upbraids them for their Remissness and exhorts them to meet and to tell the King plainly of his Faults that he may correct them and regulate the Affairs of his Kingdom and in his Name to declare that if he does not do it he can no longer shelter himself from the Censure of the Holy See That afterwards they should separate themselves from Communion with that Prince and forbear performing Divine Service in all France That if he does still hold out notwithstanding this Punishment he would have the whole World take notice that he would use his utmost endeavours to deprive him of the Kingdom of France This Letter dated September the 10th 1074. is the Fifth of the second Book Some time after he wrote likewise to William Duke of Aquitain against King Philip and pray'd that Duke to do all he could to bring the King to change his Conduct declaring that if he did not reform he would excommunicate him and all the Subjects who paid him any Obedience and that he would lay this Excommunication on S. Peter's Altar in order to reiterate it every day This Letter dated November the 13th of the same year is the Eighteenth of the second Book He continu'd these menaces in the Two and thirtieth Letter of that Book dated December the 8th directed to Manasses Arch-bishop of Rheims However it does not appear that Gregory has acted any thing more against the Person of the King of France but he took upon him the sole Jurisdiction over the Bishops and the Ecclesiastical Affairs of that Kingdom and sent thither Hugh Bishop of Dia The Judgments pass'd by Hugh Bishop of Dia. with other Legats who took cognizance of the Life Manners and Elections of the Bishops took upon them the liberty of citing them to the Synods which they call'd of passing Sentence upon them of injoyning them Pennance and even of deposing them in case they would not make their Appearance
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resembles that of Xerxes That Xerxes's Queen whose Name is Amestris according to Herodotus is the same with Hester That the Feast whereof mention is made in this Book is that which is related by the same Historian which Xerxes made before his Expedition against Greece This Opinion is easily confuted because from hence it would follow that Hester was very old when she was married to Xerxes and that her Uncle Mordecai was an Hundred and sixty Years old for being one of those who were carried away Captives into Babylon in the time of King Jeconiah when he was Ten Years old if we thereto add the Seventy Years of Captivity and the Years of the Kings of Persia after Cyrus it will by the least Computation make up an Hundred and fifty Years Secondly Amestris was married to Xerxes a long time before his Expedition into Greece as it appears by the joynt Testimonies of Herodotus and Ctesias The Father of Amestris was Onophes a Persian and no Jew In short that Queen was ill-natured and cruel The Opinion of those who place this History under Artaxerxes is confuted by the same reason that is urged against the former for 't is precisely said in the second Chapter Vers. 6. that Mordecai was of the Number of those who were carried away by the King of Babylon along with Jeconiah The third Opinion of those who believe it was Cyaxares is no less improbable For first of all the King who is mentioned in that Book is called King of the Persians and not of the Medes Secondly It is said that he Ruled from India to Aethiopia now the Medes were never so powerful Thirdly Ahasuerus commonly resided in the City of Susa which as Solinus Diodorus and Plutarch testifie was the place of residence of the Kings of Persia and not of the Median Kings Lastly It could not happen under Cyaxares the Father of Astyages as the Authors of this Opinion are agreed As for Cyaxares who is supposed to be the Son of Astyages he is altogether unknown to Herodotus and other ancient Historians None mention him but Xenophon and all the World knows he is no exact Historian in his Cyropaedia So that after all the Opinion of those who believe that Ahasuerus was the same with Darius the Son of Histaspes as it is by far the most probable so it carries no difficulty with it The first Reason alledged against the other Opinions makes it evident that it could not be any of the Persian Kings after Darius and as for what is said of him in this Book that he Ruled from India to Aethiopia it excludes all the Kings before Cambyses and at the same time excludes Cambyses himself who never conquered Egypt and consequently belongs to none but Darius It is said there that Ahasuerus resided in the City of Susa which agrees very well with Darius the Son of Histaspes because as Aelian has observed that King built himself a Palace in that City and besides Herodotus adds that he kept his Treasure there The same Historian tells us that he passionately loved one of his Wives whom he calls Artissone and that he put a Diadem upon her Head This passage suits mightily with the History of Hester and the Name too bears some Conformity for Hester is likewise called Hadassa King Ahasuerus made all the Isles of the Sea Tributary to him Now according to Thucydides Darius the Son of Histaspes conquered them as it is also observed by Plato in his Mâ—nexenus and after him none of the Persian Kings brought them under their Command They Object That Ahasuerus was descended of the Persian Kings as it appears in the 16th Chapter whereas Darius was the Son of Histaspes who was no King But Herodotus assures us that he was of the Royal Family They likewise tell us that it is written in the same Chapter that Haman would have translated the Empire to the Macedonians Now say they the Macedonians were not known till a long while after the time of Darius Some People say that Haman was no Macedonian and that in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we ought to read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he was of the Race of Agag but this Conjecture is not solid Answer The History of Hester could not happen after this King as we have already shewn and the contrary Opinion is very weak It was Natural for Haman who was a Macedonian to endeavour to Translate the Empire to his own Nation which was very Famous and Powerful at this time as Justin has informed us Lastly they say That Ahasuerus is also called Artaxerxes in the 16th Chapter Now there were but three Kings of that Name viz. one Sirnamed Longimanus another Mnemon and the last Ochus Ahasuerus therefore was one of these three Answer Artaxerxes is a Name that might perhaps be given to all the Kings of Persia as Caesar to all the Roman Emperors t The greatest part make Mordecai the Author of it It seems that Mordecai was the Author of this Book by chap. 9. vers 20. and 23. and by chap. 12. vers 4. where it is said That he wrote down all that happened In the Septuagint chap. 9. Hester is joined to Mordecai which made Serrarius and some others believe that Hester and Mordecai composed it together Those that pretend it was done by the Synagogue draw their Conjecture from hence because the Original and Ceremonies of the Feast of the Jews called Purim are there largely described upon which occasion the Book seems to have been written u The Author of the Book that recounts the History of Job is no less uncertain Those that attribute it to Job ground their Opinion chiefly upon this that he twice wishes in the 19th and 31st Chapters that his Words were written down But 't is easie to observe that he does not here speak of an ordinary Book and that 't is only a Figure to shew how well he was satisfied of the Truth of them Quis mihi tribuat ut scribantur Sermones mei Quis miâ—i det ut exarentur in libro Stylo ferreo plumbi laminâ vel certè sculpantur in silice those that make Moses the Translator of it as particularly the Author of one of the Commentaries upon Job commonly ascribed to Origen does say That he Translated it out of the Arabick or Syriack The Talmudists and Rabbins make Moses the Author of it and this is likewise the Opinion of the Author of the second Commentary upon Job attributed to Origen of Methodius in Photius of Polychronius of Julianus Halicarnasseâ—s in the Catena and of Nicetas upon Job St. Jerome also seems to be of the same Judgment The only Reason they alledge to support this Opinion is the resemblance of the Style but for my part I profess 〈◊〉 cannot find it out The Style of the Book of Job is Figurative Poetical Obscure and full of Sentences One finds there an infinite number of Arabick or Syriack Terms and 't is
eighth Chapter of the first Book of Kings We have not the Book of Enoch so celebrated by Antiquity and cited by St. Irenaeus by St. Clement of Alexandria by Tertullian by Origen by Athenagoras by St. Jerome and several other Fathers But we learn from those passages of it which the Fathers have quoted and which still remain in the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and in the Chronography of Syncellus that it principally treated of the Stars and their Virtues of the Descent of Angels to the Earth to entertain a Commerce with the Daughters of Men of the original of Giants occasioned by this correspondence of Things that were to befal the Jews of our Saviour of the Destruction of Jerusalem of the Dispersion of the Jews and the last Judgment It contains a World of Fictions upon these Subjects For which Reason all the Fathers except Tertullian have look'd upon it as an Apocryphal Book that does not belong to the Patriarch Enoch That which has caused all the difficulty is that this Book seems to have been cited under Enoch's Name by St. Jude in his Canonical Epistle verse 14. And of this says he Enoch the Seventh from Adam Prophesied saying Behold the Lord cometh c. from whence one may conclude That we ought either to reject the Epistle of St. Jude or believe that the Book of Enoch truly belonged to that Patriarch St. Austin avoids this difficulty by saying That the true Book of Enoch cited by St. Jude is lost and that a spurious one has been since Father'd upon him But it is not probable that the Book of Enoch cited by St. Jude is different from that which was known to St. Irenaeus to St. Justin and the other Fathers that lived in the first Ages of the Chuch And therefore St. Jerome after Origen answers That St. Jude might cite an Apocryphal Book if he pleased and that this hindered not his Epistle from being Canonical that even in the other Books of the New Testament we find some passages that are drawn out of Apocryphal Books which ought not to diminish the Authority of the Canonical Books or give any new power to the Apocryphal onâ—â— Some of the Modern Crâ—… have pretended to unravel this difficulty with greater ease by maintaining that St. Jude does not here speak of the Book of Enoch but only of a Prophecy of that Patriarch which he had learnt by Tradition as St. Paul reports the Names of Jannes and Jambres the Egyptian Magicians of Pharâ—… from the common Tradition of the Jews but this Opinion being contrary to the Determination of all the Ancients is in my Judgment very improbable and ill-grounded and we had much better relie upon St. Jerome's Solution The Book of the Assumption of Moses from whence as they pretend St. Jude took the Relation of Michael the Archangel s Disputing with Satan about the Body of Moses is not so famous in Antiquity nevertheless it is cited by Origen l. 3. Priâ—c and by St. Clement l. 3. Strom. who there gives us an account of a Vision of Joshua and Caleb that was taken out of this Book Oecumenius in his Commentary upon the Epistle of St. Jude recites these Words of the Archangel to the Devil the Lord rebuke thee Satan Increpet te Deus O Diabole as quoted from hence St. Jerome tells us it is an hard matter to say from whence St. Jude took this passage only he observes that there is something like it to be found in the Prophecy of Zechariah chap. 3. verse 2. Origen likewise cites a Book Entituled The Assumption the Apocalypse or the Secrets of Elias Syncellus after him pretends that out of this Apocryphal Book St. Paul has taken this Sentence in his Epistle to the Corinthians The Eye hath not seen nor the Ear heard the good Things that God hath prepared for them that love him As also that in the Epistle to the Galatians Circumcision availeth nothing c. Moreover he is of Opinion that this Sentence in the Ephesians Awake thou that sleepest is taken out of the Apocryphal Book of Jeremiah But it may so happen sometimes that like Sentences may be found in two different Books and yet it is not necessary to say that one Author borrowed them from the other Some Jews have Forged and Counterfeited those Books that are by some attributed to the Patriarchs as for Example the Books Intituled The Generations and the Creation ascribed to Adam The Revelation of the same cited by St. Epiphanius 'T is also commonly believed that he composed a Book about the Philosophers Stone and that there was a Book of Magick extant said to have been written by Cham as we find in Cassian's eighth Conference chap. 21. The Abridgment of Scripture that goes under the Name of St. Athanasius makes mention of the Book of the Assumption of Abraham The Author of the Homilies upon St. Luke attributed to Origen in the 15th Homily and some others quoâ—e the Book of the Twelve Patriarchs The same Author in the 35th Homily cites an Apocryphal Book where Angels and Devils Dispute about the Salvation of Abraham The Author of the above-mentioned Abridgment of Scripture speaks of two Apocryphal Books one of which is the Prophecy of Habakkuk from whence as they pretend the History Bel that is in Daniel was taken and an Apocryphal Book that carries the Name of Ezekiel Hermas one of the most ancient Christian Writers in his Pastor ch 2. cites the Prophesies of Eldad and Medad that are mentioned in chap. 11. of Numbers Origen and St. Ambrose cite a Book of Jannes and Jambres the Magicians of Pharaoh that is rejected by Gelasius as an Apocryphal Book There is also a Book of King Og placed in the number of Apocryphal Books by Gelasius The Ebionites have imposed a Book upon the World Entituled Jacob ' s Ladder as Epiphanius testifies Manes composed a Genealogy of the Sons and Daughters of Adam as we are informed by St. Austin and Pope Gelasius In short there were abundance of such kind of Books formerly to be found composed either by the Jews who had an admirable Talent at Fiction or else by the Hereticks who made use of them to give the greater Reputation to their Errors so that it wou'd be an unprofitable as well as a tedious Thing to make an exact Catalogue But I ought not to omit two passages cited in the New Testament as if they were in the Prophets which upon strict search are not to be found there and which have given occasion to some Persons to imagine they were taken from other Books The first is in St. Matthew ch 2. v. 23. Jesus says he dwelt in a City called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet He shall be called a Nazarene Now these Words He shall be called a Nazarene are not to be found in any of the Prophets that we now have which has induced St. Chrysostome to imagine that they are taken
Woman but his Wife That his Daughters remained Virgins and his Son was very Chaâ—t He says that the Apostles S. Peter and S. Philip were Married and that they had Children That even S. Philip married his Daughters and he adds also that S. Paul had a Wife wherein he is mistaken Tho' it is uncertain whether S. Paul was ever Married yet it is a rash thing to say positively he was not S. Clement alledges a Tradition in this Matter which might easily be conveyed entire down to his time It is plain that the true Yoke-fellow Philip. 4. 3. was a Woman which others of the Antients understood of his Wife besides S. Clement His Expostulating with the Corinthians and asserting that he had a Power to lead about a Sister or a Wife as well as S. Peter or any of the Apostles may as well prove that S. Paul justified his own Practice as that he thought the thing simply lawful especially since he is there making a Defence for himself The Question however is very far from being certain in the Negative and therefore at least ought to be left undetermined In the Fourth Book he treats of Martyrdom and Christian Perfection He shews the Excellency of Martyrdom and exhorts Christians to undergo it confuting the Hereticks who held that Martyrdom was no Vertuous Action He makes the perfection of Christianity to consist in the Love of God and our Neighbour He would have us love Sinners and yet detest their Sin that we should do good out of a principle of Love and not for Fear For that Man says he that abstains from Evil only out of a slavish Fear is not good voluntarily but for Fear-sake and he who would not have abstained but in Consideration of the Recompence cannot be said to be just with a good Heart For in the one 't is Fear and in the other the hope of a Reward which renders them Just or rather which makes them appear so to the Eyes of the World He says that God inflicts Punishments upon Men for Three Reasons First that the Man whom he Chastises may become better Secondly that those who are to be saved may take warning by these Examples Thirdly lest he should be despised by Men if he did not avenge Affronts and Injuries done to himself In the Fifth Book after having shewn that the way of instructing by Allegories and Symbols was very ancient not only among the Jews but also among the Philosophers he proves that the Greeks took the greatest part of the Truths which are in their Books from the Barbarians and principally from the Hebrews This Book is full of Citations from the Poets and the heathen Philosophers In the Sixth Book he speaks again advantageously of Philosophy Afterwards he begins to draw a Character of the True Gnostick that is to say to give the Idea of a Christian that is perfectly Good and Wise. These are the principal strokes of his Picture The True Gnostick has the Command over his Passions He is exactly Temperate and allows his Body no more than what is necessary He loves God above all Things and the Creatures for Gods-sake and the Relation they bear to him and nothing is able to separate him from this Love He bears with Patience all unfortunate Accidents He makes it his Business to know all things which relate to God without neglecting humane Learning His Discourses are regular and to the purpose full of Sweetness and Charity He is never overcome with Anger He prays continually by Charity that unites him to God First begging of him the Remission of his Sins and then the Grace not to sin any more but to do Good Afterwards S. Clement enlarges upon the Source or Spring from whence this Gnostick derives this true Knowledge and compleat Science He says that it is the Holy Scripture the Law and the Prophets and in particular the Decalogue which he briefly explains and Lastly the Doctrine of Jesus Christ foretold by the Prophets preached throughout the World and received notwithstanding all the Contradiction of Kings and the great Men of this World who opposed it with all their Might In the Seventh Book he goes on to describe the Vertues of his Gnostick he says that he employs himself entirely in honouring God in loving him in understanding hearing and imitating his WORD which was made Man for our Salvation that he does it not only upon certain days but during the whole Course of his Life that the Sacrifices by which he Honours him are the Prayers and the Praises which he offers up at all times and in all Places that he is Gentle Courteous Affable Patient Charitable Sincere Faithful and Temperate that he despises the good things of this World and that he is ready to suffer every thing for Jesus Christ that he does nothing either out of Ostentation or Fear or the Desire of being rewarded but out of pure Love to the Goodness and Justice of God Lastly that he is entirely Holy and Divine Afterwards S. Clement Answers several Objections of the Greeks and Jews who affirmed that the multiplicity of Heresies ought to hinder Men from the embracing the Religion of Jesus Christ. To which he Answers that this multitude of Sects is likewise to be found among the Heathens and the Jews that it was foretold by Jesus Christ that such a thing should happen among the Christians That it ought not to make us forsake the Truth but rather on the contrary to seek after it with the greater Care and Diligence That there is an infallible Rule to distinguish Truth from Falshood that this Rule is the Holy Scripture which being an incontestable Principle serves for a Proof of whatever we say That it must be Confessed that the Hereticks make use of it as well as the Catholicks But then first they do not make use of all the Sacred Books Secondly those which they do use are corrupted Thirdly they chiefly urge ambiguous Passages which they explain according to their own Fancy by departing from the true Sense and keeping only to Terms Hence he takes occasion to condemn in general all Hereticks who rejecting the Tradition of Jesus Christ and his Apostles and forsaking the Faith of the Church have made themselves the Authors of particular Sects by inventing new Doctrines and corrupting the Truth He says that there is but only One Catholick Church which is more ancient than all the Assemblies of the Hereticks that it was founded by Jesus Christ who dyed under Tiberius and established it in the World by the Apostles before the end of Nero's Region Whereas there was hardly so much as one Heresie older than Adrian's Time and that they all bore the Name of their Author or that of the Places and Countries where they first appeared or from the Doctrine they taught or the things which they honoured which sufficiently discovers their Falshood and Novelty He concludes by making the Description of these Books of the Stromata and by promising to begin
has prefix'd to his Version a Preface wherein he briefly takes notice of the principal Errors of Eusebius and passes a very sound and solid Judgment upon his History and his Person The Chronicle of Eusebius or the Abridgment of the Universal History of all Times and Places from the Beginning of the World down to his own time was divided into Two Parts The First was entituled Canons of Universal History or Universal Chronography and the Second Chronical Canons In the first he has collected the Origin and History of all Nations severally the Succession of all Kings and Princes of the World of the High Priests of the Jews and the Bishops of the Chief Churches from the Birth of Jesus Christ. In the second he has enlarg'd and digested these Histories according to the order of Time St. Jerom has translated both Parts m St. Jerom has translated both Parts St. Jerom in his Commentary upon Daniel Ch. 9. saith That there was found in the Version of the Chronicle of Eusebius an Explication of two Passages of Scripture both which were in his First Part Marcellinus says also plainly That St. Jerom translated the First Part. St. Jerom in the Preface to his Version says That he translated Eusebius word for word from the time of Abraham to the taking of Troy and that from the taking of Troy to the time of Constantine he had added many things of his own Head particularly about those Matters that concern the Roman History which Eusebius had neglected and that he was the Author of what follows after the time of Constantine down to the Sixth Consulship of Valens But there was nothing remaining of the Translation of the First but some Extracts containing the Names of Kings which are Printed with the Version of the Second Part. This Translation of St. Jerom which was thus Printed at Basle was afterwards Publish'd more exactly by Arnaud de Pontac Bishop of Bazas in the Year 1605. But none took care to Collect the Greek Fragments of the Original of Eusebius before the famous Joseph Scaliger who Publish'd them in the Year 1606 in a Book entituled The Treasure of Time wherein he gives a larger Version of the First Part of the Chronicle than any other Edition and renders the Version of the Second Part more Correct and Exact to which he adds many very considerable Greek Fragments taken out of some later Greek Authors This Book of Eusebius is a Work of Prodigious Study and most Accomplish'd Learning For he must have read an infinite number of Books and Ancient Monuments to compose such an Universal History and at the same time he must have a well-poiz'd Judgment to collect so many Particulars and relate every one of them in their proper time This infinite Labour is an evident Proof that Eusebius was a Man of vast Reading and a Prodigious Memory Nevertheless it must be confess'd that the Chronicle of Africanus was a great help to him and that he took almost all his Chronicle from Africanus's Chronicon which he had Copied He corrected indeed some of the Faults which he found in him but then he himself committed many more n But then he himself committed many more Errors in Chronology You may see them observed by Scaliger in the Prolegomena to his Treasure of Time And indeed it is next to impossible to avoid all Errors in so long and knotty a Work as an Universal Chronicle These Faults are pardonable in a Book of this Nature and do not hinder but that it ought to be esteemed one of the most useful Books of all Antiquity The Four Books of the Life of Constantine are properly speaking a Panegyrick in which he gives an Account as an Orator rather than as an Historian not only of the Life of this Emperour but also of the Revolutions of the Empire and the Affairs of the Church in which Constantine had a hand The Stile of this Work is more Sublime and Florid than that of the other Books of Eusebius and yet it is not finer nor more agreeable He does nothing for the most part but give slight hints of the Relations which he has given at large elsewhere and deliver the Heads of them leaving out the Circumstances and Particulars He has added at the End of those Four Books Constantine's Oration to the Convention of the Saints i. e. to the Christians and a Harangue in Praise of this Emperor which he spoke before him at the Festival Solemnity of the 30th Year of his Reign In this Piece he enlarges upon the Praises of God the Wonders of his Providence the Mystery of the Incarnation the Benefits of Jesus Christ to Mankind more than upon the Commendation of the Emperor which he intermixes only now and then for he praises him as a Christian Prince ought to be prais'd that is to say by publishing those Vertues which have a relation to Piety and Religion This Discourse is the most Eloquent of all his Works and is compos'd with much Art and Fineness The Fifteen Books of Evangelical Preparation address'd to Theodorus who is believ'd to have been Bishop of Laodicea and is mention'd in the 32th Chapter of the Seventh Book of his Ecclesiastick History were written on purpose to dispose the Minds of Men to embrace the Christian Religion In them Eusebius shows that the Theology of the Pagans was ridiculous and contrary to good Sence and that the Christian Theology was Holy and Reasonable The First Part of this Proposition he proves in the First Six Books and the Second Part in the other Nine He begins with a General Description of the Doctrine of Christ and to render it the more enticing he gives an account of the ineffable Blessings it has reveal'd to Mankind and how it conduces to Piety by teaching them to know and honour one God After this he alledges some Prejudices in favour of the Christian Religion such as the Accomplishment of Prophecies the Holiness of the Lives of Christians and the wonderful facility with all Persons even those that were more dull and barbarous found in comprehending the greatest and sublimest Truths After he has thus dispos'd his Readers to be favourable to the Christian Religion he destroys the Religions of all the Nations of the World and lays open the Falshood of every one of them in particular not only as to what concerns their History but as to their pretended Mysteries and Prophane Morality In the Fourth Book he confutes the strongest Argument of the Pagans taken from the Predictions of their Oracles He shows that the Gods whom they worship'd were Evil Spirits call'd Daemons as the Philosophers themselves have acknowledg'd In the Sixth Book he opposes Destiny or Fatal Necessity and proves there by many Reasons and Testimonies that Man is entirely a free Agent In the following Nine Books he shews that the Christians had reason to embrace the Theology of the Hebrews because none but that affords solid Foundations for a Sincere Piety
'T is entituled in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latin De ventriloquo which cannot be rendred in English but by a Circumlocution that is to say The Discourse which those Pronounce who have a Devil in their Belly To understand this we must observe that the Ancients believ'd That the Daemon which the Pagans honour'd under the Name of the God Python entred into the Bowels of the Priests and Priestesses and by strange agitations excited in them a kind of Fury which made them say many things which were taken for Predictions For which reason the Women that profess'd to Divine things to come were call'd Pythonisses Such was she to whom Saul address'd himself for consulting Samuel whose History is the Subject of this Dissertation and therefore I have entituled it Concerning the Pythoniss cited by St. Jerom was publish'd in Greek in the Year 1629 and translated into Latin by Allatius together with a Discourse of this Author upon the same Subject The Question there treated of is Whether the Witch mention'd B. I. of Kings Ch. 28. did really bring back the Soul of Samuel into this World to speak unto Saul Eustathius maintains the Negative against Origen who had taught the Affirmative in one of his Homilies And after he has related in a pleasant manner all the Circumstances of the History he refutes the Explication of Origen He lays it down for a Principle that the Devil cannot bring back Souls from the other World He says It is ridiculous to give him this Authority over the Souls of the Just and that there is none but God only who is Lord over them He demands of Origen Whether the Witch made Samuel appear in Body and Soul together or if she only brought back his Soul and then he shews that neither the one nor the other is probable He rallies Origen for attributing to the Holy Spirit the Words which the Witch pronounc'd when she was acted by an Evil Spirit He maintains that Saul did not at all see the Ghost of Samuel but only was astonish'd with the extraordinary Speeches and violent Motions of the Witch and therefore cast himself down upon the Ground to worship He proves That 't is contrary to common sence to say as Origen does That the Gods which the Witch says she saw ascending out of the Earth were the Souls of the Just and the Angels He observes that the Prediction of the Pythoniss was found to be false and tho' it had been true it would not therefore follow that it was from the Holy Spirit since the Devil has often made such like Predictions which Chance and the Circumstances of things that are known to him have sometimes verified He does also make it appear from the Circumstances of this Prediction That it was an Imposture of the Devil and that it cannot be attributed to the Holy Spirit without some kind of Impiety After this he answers the chief Objection of Origen taken from the Scripture which gives the Name of Samuel to that Apparition To which he says That he was astonish'd at an Author who durst explain the whole Scripture Allegorically treat as a Fable the History of Moses concerning the Terrestrial Paradise and give Mystical Sences to all the Histories of the Old Testament that he should endeavour to put off for Truth the Fictions of a Woman acted by an Evil Spirit He shews That when the Scripture gives the Name of Samuel to this Apparition 't is not to be understood as if Samuel himself in Body and Soul were there but only that this Woman made him believe by the Representation which she gave Saul of this Spectre that this was the Prophet Samuel whom he desir'd to consult In short he demonstrates from all the Circumstances of this Story That there was nothing real in this Apparition but that it was only an Apparition represented in the imagination of Saul and this Prophetess by the Devil which possess'd them This is the Sentiment which Eustathius confirms in this Dissertation which is short beautiful and very close for as he says nothing superfluous so he omits no Proof which might be of Advantage to his Opinion There appear in it much Learning and a well-poiz'd Judgment and one may venture to say That there are few Works of this nature in all Antiquity so perfect as this Discourse Yet I think he has treated Origen a little too harshly in a Question that does not at all belong to Religion but is purely Critical To conclude The Opinion of Eustathius is since his time grown the more common Opinion n The Opinion of Eustathius is since his time grown the more common Opinion St Justin in his Dialogue against Tryphon is of the same Opinion with Origen and concludes That all Souls even those of the Just fall under the Power of Daemons But Tertullian is of Eustathius's Opinion in his Book of the Soul Ch. 57. where he says expresly That we must not believe that it was the Soul of Samuel which the Pythoniss brought back from the other World but that 't was only a Cheat of the Devil Since Eustathius's time there are but few Authors of Origen's Opinion excepting Sulpitius Severus St. Austin makes a Problem of this Question in his Letter to Simplicianus but he inclines to Eustathius's side Eucherus Bede St. Anselm Rabanus and St. Thomas follow St. Austin Theodoret and some others have said That God form'd this Apparition of Samuel or that he made an Angel appear under the form of Samuel St. Basil is of Eustathius's Opinion in his Commentary upon Ch. 8. of Isaiah but he seems to approve the contrary Opinion in his Letter to Eustathius the Physician St. Gregory Nazianzen touches both these Opinions in his first Oration against Julian But Gregory Nyssen in a Letter written on this Subject expresly refutes the Opinion of Origen and proves that of Eustathius 'T is no wonder that Methodius and St. Jerom condemn Origen's Opinion but 't is surprizing that Philastrius has tax'd it of Heresy Haeres 28. The Author of the Question ascrib'd to St. Austin Quest. 52. The Author of the Questions concerning the wonderful things in Scripture B. II. Ch. 2. and of the Questions of the Old and New Testament attributed to St. Austin Quest. 26. Isidore B. VIII Ch. 8. of his Origines Zonaras Hist. Tom. 1. Syncellus in his Chronicle and many others approve the Opinion of Eustathius The Modern Commentators are much divided about it And indeed the Opinion of Origen may better be maintain'd when 't is suppos'd That 't was by the Permission of God and not by the Power of the Devil that the Pythoniss brought back the Soul of Samuel and so it seems to be more agreeable to the Letter of Scripture but the other is more rational and explains the Matter in Dispute more naturally and I must confess that 't is more probable than the other tho' I cannot affirm any thing for certain in this Matter We cannot give
to please Men but God only That he lov'd Goodness for Goodness sake without any prospect of worldly Interest At last He addresses his Speech to all Estates of Men and makes this brave Remonstrance to them You Kings of the Earth have a respect for your Crown consider the Excellency of Power which is entrusted with you All the World is subject to your Empire but the Heavenly things are above you 't is God only who governs them Be you as Gods with respect to your Subjects make your Empire to consist in this and not in Gold in Silver and in Arms. You Great Men of the Age who possess the most considerable Offices in the State be not lifted up because of your Power look not upon things Temporal as if they were Eternal Be you Faithful to the Emperours but above all things be Faithful to God You that are Persons of Quality make your Manners answerable to your Nobility You Wise Men you Philosophers you Orators How can you pretend to Wisdom and Eloquence if you do not Adore him who is the Author and Fountain both of the one and the other You that love Riches hearken to the Prophet who Admonishes you not to trust to the abundance of your Riches know that you rely upon a frail thing You that spend your time in Diversions mortify your selves by refraining from some things assist your Sick Brother with that which you have too much of In short All you that are Citizens of this Second City of the World which hardly yields to the First Govern your selves after such a manner that you may be the First in Vertue and not in Debauchery and Licentiousness This Discourse was spoken some time after Theodosius and the People had forc'd St. Gregory Nazianzen to ascend the Episcopal Throne of Constantinople at the End of the Year 380. The following Discourse was spoken after Maximus had enveavour'd to render himself Master of the Episcopal See of Constantinople St. Gregory had retir'd for some time into the Country to refresh himself When he return'd being certainly inform'd of all that was done against him in his Absence he made a Discourse to his People against this Philosopher And First in the Exordium of his Discourse he declar'd the Joy he had upon his Return to his Flock from which he had been separated and then he falls very severely upon Maximus and shews that he was unworthy of the Episcopal Throne which he aspir'd to Afterwards he draws a Portraiture of a True Philosopher to set it against that which he had made of Maximus and describes the several Offices of all Conditions He returns to his Subject again by saying That he fear'd not his Enemies in the least For what will they do to me says he How will they provoke me They say that I am Ignorant I know no other Wisdom but the Fear of God and the keeping of his Commandments They blame me for Poverty alas would to God that I could even part with that little which I possess They force me away from my Bishoprick but did I ever think it a Happiness to be a Bishop They will take from me one of the Chief Sees and one of the principal Churches in the World But is it not at this time a piece of Prudence to shun great Dignities since upon their Account all Churches are embroil'd and overthrown and upon their Account the whole Earth is divided Alas Would to God adds he that there were no places of Dignity in the Church no Precedencies no Tyrannical Prerogatives and that none would distinguish us but by our Vertue But at present what Mischiefs do the Disputes about Prerogatives and Place bring upon the Church How many People are destroy'd for these Contests I speak not only of the Laity but even of the Bishops What more will they do unto me They will hinder me from approaching to the Altars But I know another Altar whereof this is but a Figure which can neither be demolish'd nor broken Will they drive me away from my House Will they hinder me from diverting my self Will they alieniate my Friends from me I have no other House but that which the Piety of another Shunamite offer'd me As to what concerns Pleasures all the Evil that I wish to those that design Evil to me is That they may enjoy no other Pleasures than what I take As for my Friends I have some that will not forsake me even tho' they should be ill intreated upon my Account There are others whose Pride I have endur'd for a long time Peter has deny'd me and it may be has not yet bewail'd his Fault He concludes with deploring the Misery of his Church The 29th Sermon begins with a Declamation against those who thrust themselves into places of Governing the People and Preaching the Word of God without being capable Afterwards he explains the Mystery of the most Holy Trinity very exactly Above all things he recommends to them that Christians should hold to the Simplicity of Faith without endeavouring to fathom and comprehend its Mysteries This Sermon was preach'd at Constantinople The 30th Sermon is about the Election of Eulalius Bishop of Doaza This Discourse is short and contains nothing Remarkable It was spoken about the Year 372. In the 31st Discourse having spoken of the Mystery of the Incarnation he explains the Answer of Jesus Christ to the Pharisees in Ch. 19. of St. Matthew's Gospel concerning Divorce He says upon this place That Jesus Christ condemns the Custom which permits Husbands to forsake their Wives and does not permit Wives to forsake their Husbands because in the Sight of God there is no Inequality between the Man and the Woman He observes That a Bill of Divorce permitted Husbands to send away their Wives for all sorts of Reasons but that Jesus Christ did not permit it except only in case of Adultery He says That Marriage is commendable when the Parties are contracted with a design of having Children but he preferrs Virginity to Marriage He explains in what Sence 't is said That all Persons are not capable of embracing Celebacy Tho' he owns the Free-will of Man yet he confesses that God must give a Will to do Good and enable us to obtain the Victory He occasionally rejects the Opinion of Origen concerning the Pre-existence of Souls Lastly He exhorts his Auditors not only to preserve the Purity of Faith as well as of their Bodies but also to Contribute according to their Power to the Establishment of Sound Doctrine He addresses himself chiefly to the Emperour and tells him That if he thought that he did great Service to God by hindering Murders Adulteries and Robberies by his Edicts he might yet do him greater Service by making an Edict in Favour of the Catholick Faith This Discourse was in the Year 380. The 41st Discourse is an Oration which he made to the Bishops of the Council of Constantinople in the Year 382. Where after he has made his Apology
you will tell me we have not an Heart of stone nor Bowels of iron ... The love of God and the fear of Hell break all Chains The Scripture you will say Commands us to obey our Parents Yes but whosoever loveth them more than Christ loseth his his own Soul But this you willsay is to be understood when they persecute us to make us deny Christ. You are mistaken Brother if you suppose that a Christian can be without Persecution He is then most violently Assaulted when he thinks himself most secure Satan our Enemy is always like a Lyon seeking to devour us ... On the one side Pleasures court us on the other Covetousness torments us .... You are not allowed to enjoy your own Estate you must renounce all for Jesus Christ. If you will be Heir to the Goods of this World you cannot be Coheir with Jesus Christ. Do you know the meaning of the word Monk Why do you remain in the World you that ought to be alone ... But what you will answer me then are all those that live in Cities no Christians You are not in the same condition with others Hear the words directed unto you by our Saviour If you will be perfect sell all that you have give it to the poor and come and follow me Have you vowed perfection A perfect Servant should have nothing but Jesus Christ. So that if you be desirous of this World's Goods you are no longer in that State of perfection which you have embraced Perhaps you will alledge the Example of those Churchmen who live in Cities shall I find fault with their Resolutions God forbid that I should speak evil of those that succeed the Apostles who consecrate the Body of Jesus Christ with their Sacred mouths who make us Christians and who holding the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven in their hands judge if I may so say before the day of Judgment and are the Guardians of the Virginity of the Spouses of Christ. It is not with Monks as with Secular Church-men These â—eed the Sheep of Christ and we receive from them the spiritual Food they live of the Altar and we should be guilty if we did not bring our Offerings to the Altar I am not permitted to sit down before a Priest and if I sin he may deliver me to Satan if you are sollicited to take Orders I shall rejoyce with you for your Exaltation but shall fear a fall ... for as he who worthily discharges his Ministery acquires a degree of perfection so he on the contrary that comes to the Altar unworthily is guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. All Bishops are not Bishops If the Example of S. Peter comforts you let that of Judas terrifie you If you admire Stephen's Sanctity let the Fall of Nicholas fright you It is not the Ecclesiastical Dignity that makes good Christians .... It is not easie for all men to have S. Paul's Graces nor S. Peter's Holiness who now are reigning with Christ. If a Monk falls a Priest may pray for him but who shall pray for the fall of a Priest S. Jerom having thus far prosecuted his reasonings endeth with these Acclamations Imitating saith he those Pilots who happily steered their Ship between Rocks and Banks of Sand O Wilderness he crys out always covered with the Flowers of Jesus Christ O Solitude where the Stones that are made use of to build the City of the great King spoken of in the Revelations are to be found O happy Retirement where Men may have familiar Conversation with God! What do you do Brother in the World how long will you dwell under the shadow of Houses till what time will you be in the Prison of smoaking Cities What are you afraid of in these solitary places Is it Poverty but Jesus Christ calleth the poor Happy Do's labour astonish you Can he that strives in the publick Exercises be Crowned before he has fought Do you think of your Diet a lively Faith fears not hunger Do you dread lying upon the naked ground with your Bodies worm out with Fasting Remember that Jesus Christ rests there along with you Are you Scared with the extent of this hideous Solitude Paradise is open to you These are some of the Arguments which S. Jerom uses to perswade Heliodorus to return to his Retirement The Second Letter to Nepotian Heliodorus his Nephew was composed by S. Jerom long after the First as he says himself at the beginning Being saith he yet young when I struggled with the First motions of youth by the Austerities of Solitude I write to Heliodorus your Uncle a Letter of Exhortation full of Complaints and Tears to show how sorry I was for the absence of my Friend I plaid then suitably to my Age and used all the Flowers of Rhetorick with which my self at that time was full But now I am Old and my Forehead is full of wrinkles and my Chin covered with a white Beard I can no longer do what I could do then And yet he Discourses here after a manner youthful enough producing several Examples taken out of Ecclesiastical and prophane History to shew that old Men have not the same heat nor vigour that young Men have He addeth Expect not therefore from me youthful Declamations florid Sentences sweet Words poignant or acute Expressions at the end of my Periods to draw the applause of those that hear us I beg of God only the lights of his Wisdom .... Hearken then as S. Cyprian saith to a Discourse that hath more Strength than Sweetness Hearken to him that is your Colleague and your Father by his age .... I know that your holy Uncle Heliodorus who is now a Minister of Jesus Christ has taught and do's teach you Holiness and that his Life is an example of Vertue to you But take from me besides these small Directions and joyning this Treatise to that which I writ before to your Uncle learn of this how to be a perfect Church-man as the former may instruct you how to be a good Monk These are the main Precepts which S. Jerom giveth to a Church-man in this excellent Letter A Clerk saith he that serveth the Church of Jesus Christ ought to begin with the knowledge of what his Name signifies and then Labour to be what is signified by it The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Lot or a Portion therefore the Name Clerk is given to Church-men either because they are consecrated to the Lord or because the Lord is their Portion but whosoever belongeth to the Lord or hath the Lord to his Portion ought to live as one that possesseth the Lord and in whom the Lord dwelleth he is to possess nothing but the Lord .... And so indeed in serving at the Altar I ought to live of the Altar but ought to be content with with what is necessary for Food and Raiment and stript of all things I ought only to follow the Cross ..... I conjure you
in God that they worship God and their Desire is that all Men would worship him that they require of us neither Adoration nor Sacrifices and that God doth not expect from us Sacrifices like those of the Heathen but a Sarcifice of Union such as the Church celebrates in the Eucharist and which the Faithful know That the Miracles which were wrought by the interposition of Angels not of Daemons whose Prodigies are nothing but illusions These Miracles I say were wrought by God's Power to make himself known unto Men That the invisible God becomes visible by the ministry of his Angels whom he made use of to deliver his Law to the World That it is so true that no Sacrifice is to be offered to any but God that Jesus Christ as Man would be made a Sacrifice himself and not receive one from any Body else That God alone can purifie Men of their Sins as the Platonists themselves acknowledge that so it was necessary that God should be made Man to be a true Mediator That the just Men under the old Law were not Saved but by Faith in this Mediator That Pride alone keeps the Platonists from owning the Incarnation That the Soul is not Co-eternal with God as they imagine And Lastly That the Means of delivering the Soul which they sought after to so little purpose is nothing but the Christian Religion In the 11th Book St. Augustin finds the Original of both Cities in the diversity of Angels which gives him occasion to treat of the Creation of the visible World which was immediately preceded by that of the invisible that is of the Angels whom he created all in a State of Righteousness from which some are fallen through their own fault He makes some digressions to speak of the Trinity and of several Circumstances of the Creation of the VVorld Having proved in the 12th That the difference of good and evil Angels doth not proceed from their Nature but from their VVill because God created nothing but what was both Good and Perfect He comes to discourse of Mankind and proves That Men are not from Eternity but that God created Man in time And he mentions something concerning the Fall of the First Man whereof he speaks more at large in the 13th Book where he shews That the death both of Body and Soul was the Consequence and the Punishment of Adam's Fall There one may meet with several curious Notions concerning Death and several Reflections upon the Resurrection and the Quality of glorified Bodies He goes on in the 14th Book to speak of the Fall of the First Man and of the lamentable Consequences that attended it and particularly of irregular Desires and shameful Passions He enquires VVhether the First Man was subject to Passions and how he could Sin being free from them Lastly He asketh several Questions rather nice than necessary how Men should have had Children in the Earthly Paradise had they continued in the State of Innocence The Fifteenth Book is the first of those wherein he examineth the Progress of both the Cities He finds the History of it in the Old Testament where he shews who were the Citizens of both those Cities This Book prosecutes this History from the Creation to the Flood On the one side we see Abel and Isaac and on the other Cain and Esau And both these Cities may be taken notice of in the Marriages of the Sons of God with the Daughters of Men. The Church is represented by Noah's Ark. There are in this Book curious Allegories and several Reflections upon the History of Genesis Amongst other Things he examines the length of the Lives of the First Patriarchs and the Difference betwixt the Translation of the Septuagint and the Hebrew Text about the Number of the Generations In the 16th Book he carries on the History of both Cities from Noah to Abraham and from Abraham to the Kings of Israel He doth not find that the Scripture takes notice of any that served God from Noah to Abraham He speaks of the Posterity of the Children of Noah of the Confounding of Languages of the Antiquity of the Hebrew Tongue and of the Multiplication of Mankind He questions whether there be Antipodes In the rest of the Book he clears the History of Abraham and of his Posterity which is explained with relation to the City of God In the 17th taking a View of the History both of the Kings and of the Prophets he relates and expounds the Prophecies which are in the Books of Kings in the Psalms and in the Books of Solomon which relate to Christ or his Church Now as he had quitted the History of the City of the World when he was come to Abraham so he resumeth it in the beginning of the 18th Book which contains an Abridgment of the History of the Principal Monarchies in the VVorld the times whereof he makes to agree with the History of the Bible and he omits not to speak of the Fabulous Histories and of the Metamorphoses Afterwards he quotes the Sibylline Oracles but he insists most upon the Predictions of the Prophets which he produces in all their Particulars He speaks also of the Books of the Maccabees and having made some Reflections upon the Authority of the History of the Canonical Books and of the Translation of the LXX he describeth in few words the Fall of the Jewish Empire and so he comes to the Nativity of Jesus Christ the Dispersion of the Jews the Settlement of the Church the Persecutions and Heresies which immediately followed St. Augustin makes very ingenious Reflections upon all these Articles and concludes this Book by showing That the End of the VVorld is Unknown and he refutes a false Prediction which the Heathens published That the Christian Religion should last but Three hundred sixty five Years The 19th Book treateth of the End of both Cities Each one aims at the chiefest Good but the Inhabitants of the Terrestrial know so little of it that their Philosophers the Wisest among them could never agree wherein it consisted Varro reckoneth Two hundred eighty eight different Opinions of Philosophers about it The Christian Religion discovers the Falsity of all those Opinions by letting Man know That he cannot be Happy in this Life but only in Hope because he cannot enjoy here Peace and perfect Tranquility The 20th Book contains a Description of the Last Judgment of the Renewing of the World of the Resurrection and of the Heavenly Jerusalem The 21st treateth of the End of the Earthly City and represents the Horror of the Torments of Daemons and Damned Men and of the Eternal Fire of Hell St. Augustin refutes the vain Reasons of those that doubt of it and the Fancy of some who affirmed That those Torments should have an End and that Men should be kept from them by the Intercession of the Saints by the Use of Sacraments and by Almsdeeds The Last Book is concerning the Happiness which the Saints shall enjoy to Eternity The
and some Translations Supposititious Book A Commentary upon the Seventy five First Psalms SOPHRONIUS Genuine Book A Version into Greek of St. Jerom's Treatise of Illustrious Men. Books Lost. An Elogy on Bethlehem A Discourse of the Ruin of Serapis A Translation of St. Jerom's Treatise of Virginity A Translation of the Latin Version of the Psalms and the Prophets made by St. Jerom. SULPICIUS SEVERUS Genuine Books An Abridgment of Sacred History divided into two Books The Life of St. Martin Three Letters concerning the Vertues and Death of that Saint Three Dialogues Seven Letters Books Lost. Several Letters of Piety St. PAULINUS Genuine Books Fifty Letters of Doctrine and Piety The Passion of St. Genesius Thirty two Pieces of Poetry Books Lost. An Abridgment of the History of the Kings A Panegyrick upon Theodosius A Letter to his Sister of the Contempt of the World and some others A Treatise of Penance and of the Praise of Martyrs Offices upon the Sacraments PELAGIUS Genuine Books A Commentary on the Epistle of St. Paul attributed to St. Jerom. A Letter to Demetrias and some others in the last Tome of St. Jerom. A Confession of Faith to Pope Innocent Fragments of a Treatise of the Power of Nature and Free-Will in St. Augustin Books Lost. A Treatise of the Power of Nature Several Books concerning Free-Will COELESTIUS Genuine Books Six Propositions Eight Definitions or Reasonings A Profession of Faith to Pope Zosimus of which we have only some Fragments NICEAS Books Lost. Six Books of Instructions A Treatise addressed to a Virgin fallen into Sin OLYMPIUS Book Lost. A Treatise of the Beginning and Nature of Sin BACHIARIUS Genuine Work A Letter concerning the Penance of a Monk Books Lost. A Treatise of Faith A Discourse concerning the End of Solomen's Life SABBATIUS Book Lost. A Treatise of Faith ISAAC Genuine Book A Treatise concerning the Trinity and the Incarnation PAULUS OROSIUS Genuine Book An Universal History entituled Hormesta LUCIAN Genuine BOOK The History of the Invention of the Relicks of St. Stephen AVITUS Genuine BOOK A Translation of the Book of Lucian of the Invention of the Reliques of St. Stephen EVODIUS Genuine BOOK A Treatise of Faith or of the Unity of the Trinity among the Works of St. Augustine Supposititious BOOKS Two Books of the Miracles of St. Stephen's Relicks SEVERUS Genuine WORK A Letter of the Conversion of the Jews in the Island of Minorca made by the Miracles of the Relicks of St. Stephen MARCELLUS MEMORIALIS Genuine BOOK The Acts of the Conference of Carthage EUSEBIUS BOOK Lost. A Treatise of the Mystery of the Cross. URSINUS Genuine BOOK A Treatise concerning the Re-baptizing of those Baptiz'd by Hereticks MACARIUS BOOK Lost. A Treatise against Astrologers HELIODORUS BOOK Lost. A Treatise of Virginity PAULUS BOOK Lost. A Treatise of Penance HELVIDIUS BOOK Lost. A Treatise against the Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary refused by St. Jerom. VIGILANTIUS WORKS Lost. Some Treatises of the Discipline of the Church St. AUGUSTINE TOME I. Genuine WORKS Two Books intituled of Retractations Thirteen Books of Confessions Three Books against the Academicks A Treatise of Blessedness Two Books of Order Two Books of Soliloquies A Treatise of the Immortality of the Soul A Treatise of the Quantity of the Soul A Treatise of Musick divided into six Books The Book Of a Master Three Books of Free-will Two Books upon Genesis against the Manichees A Book of the True Religion The Rule WORKS Lost. A Treatise of Beauty and Knowledge Treatises of Grammar Logick Rhetorick Geometry Arithmetick and Philosophy Supposititious BOOKS Treatises of Grammar Of Logick Of Categories Of Rhetorick Monastick Rules TOME II. Genuine WORKS Two Hundred and Seventy Letters divided into four Classes The first contains the Letters written from the time of his Conversion to his Ordination from the year 386. to the year 395. in Number thirty The second contains the Letters written to the year 410. in Number 92. The third the Letters written between that time and his Death to the Number of 109. The last Class contains the Letters to which there are no dates in Number 39. Supposititious WORKS Thirteen Letters of St. Augustin to Boniface and of Boniface to St. Augustin A Letter to Demetrias A Letter of St. Augustin to St. Cyril A Dispute with Pascentius TOME III. Which Contains the Treatises upon Scripture Genuine Four Books of Christian Doctrine An imperfect Work upon Genesis Twelve Books upon Gâ—â—esis â—…ical Books of the ways of speaking used in the 〈…〉 Books of the Bible 〈◊〉 Bâ—â—ks of Questions upon the same Books â—…s upon Job Tâ—… 〈◊〉 glass A â—…f the Harmony of the Gospels divided into â—…s A â—…ry upon the Sermon of Jesus Christ upon â—… 〈…〉 Questions upon the Gospel of St. Matth. 〈…〉 whether this Book be Genuine A 〈…〉 twenty four Treatises upon the Gospel of 〈…〉 â—…es upon the first Epistle of St. John â—…cation of several places of the Epistle to the â—…s â—…ct Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romaâ—s A continued Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galaâ—…s Sâ—pposititious Tâ—…tise of the Miracles in the Scripture divided into 〈◊〉 Books A Dicourse of the Benedictions of the Patriarch Jacob. Qâ—…s upon the Old and New Testament An Eâ—plication of the Revelation TOME IV. Gâ—nuine An Explication of the Psalms TOME V. Genuine An Hundred eighty three Sermons upon several passages of the Old and New Testament Figâ—ty eight Sermons upon the great Festivals of the Year Sixty nine upon the Festivals of the Saints Twenty three upon divers Subjects Fragments of the Sermons of St. Augustin Supposititious The last Classe of Sermons which contains those that are dubious The Addition which contains three hundred and seventeen supposititious Sermons TOME VI. Which Contains the Dogmatical Works Genuine Answers to eighty three Questions Two Books of Questions to Simplicianus Answers to Eight Questions of Dulcitius A Treatise oâ— the Belief of things that we know nothing of An Explication of the Creed A Treatise of Faith and good Works The Manual to Laurentius The Combat of a Christian. The Book of Instruction A Treatise of Continence A Treatise of the advantages of Marriage A Treatise of the Holy Virginity A Treatise of the advantages of Widowhood Two Books concerning those Marriages which cannot be excused of Adultery A Book concerning Lying A Treatise against Lying A Treatise of the Labour of Monks A Treatise against the Predictions of the Devil A Treatise of the care we ought to have for the dead A Treatise of Patience A Sermon upon the Creed Supposititious Three Sermons on the Creed A Sermon of the fourth Day of Passion Week A Discourse concerning the Deluge A Sermon upon the Persecution of the Barbarians A Sermon upon the new Canticle A Sermon of the Discipline and Usefulness of fasting A Sermon upon the taking of Rome A Collection of Twenty one Questions Sixty five Questions A Book of Faith to Peter A Book of the Spirit and of the Soul A Treatise of
Solitary Life The Desart is the Temple of God In the Desart God is found The earthly Paradise is the Figure of it Moses saw God in the Desart The People of Israel were delivered by passing through the Desart The Red-Sea opened it self to give them a free Passage into the Desart and afterward closed again to prevent their return from thence In the Desart they were nourished with the Heavenly Food and quenched their Thirst with the miraculous Water In the Desart they received the Law David was preserved in the Desart Elias Elisha and the Prophets dwelt in Desarts Jesus Christ was baptized in the Desart There it was that Angels ministred unto him where he fed 5000 Men. It was upon a Mountain in the Wilderness that his Glory appeared He prayed in the Desart The Saints retired themselves into the Desart The Habitation of Desarts is to be preferr'd before all others there God is more easily found there we converse more familiarly with him there we live more quietly and free from Temptations The Praises of Desarts in general are attended by the particular Commendations of the Desart of Lerins That is a sweet Place full of Fountains over-spread with Herbs abounding with most pleasant Flowers grateful as well to the Eyes as Smell an abode fit for Honoratus who first founded the Monasteries and had Maximus for his Successor blessed Lupus his Brother Vincentius and Reverend Caprasius and many other Holy Old Men who dwelt in separate Cells have made the Life of the Aegyptian Monks to flourish among us Lastly After he hath spoken of their Vertues he congratulates Hilarius That he was return'd again to such a Charming and Delightful Dwelling The Second Work is a * Epistola de contemptu mundi saecularis Philosophiae Dr. Cave Treatise of the Contempt of the World dedicated to his Kinsman called Valerian who was of an Illustrious Family to exhort him to fly from the World He represents to him the two principal Duties incumbent upon Man 1. To know and worship God 2. To take Care of the Salvation of his Soul That these Two Duties are inseparable because no Man can be careful of his Soul unless he worship God nor honour God unless he take care of his Soul That it is more reasonable to be sollicitous for the Safety of our Souls than our Bodies because the Life of the Soul is Eternal whereas the Life of the Body must have an end and for that Reason we must labour in this Life for Eternity That it is easy to obtain the Eternal Happiness which we desire provided that we contemn this miserable Life That the World hath Two principal Attractives to allure us to it Riches and Honour but that we ought to tread them both under our Feet That Riches are ordinarily the Causes of Injustice that they are uncertain that we must necessarily leave them at our Death That Honours are common to the Good and Evil that Fortune hath her flittings and nothing is stable and permanent but true Piety That the true Honours and Riches are celestial That it is impossible to make a serious Reflection upon the shortness of Life and the necessity of Death but we must think that these are not the only good Things for our Salvation That we ought not to follow the Examples of those who lead a worldly Life but to propound to themselves the Lives of them who renounce the World that they may lead a truly Christian Life although they were Persons of Quality and might have enjoyed Honours and Riches S. Clemens S. Greg. Thaumaturgus S. Basil S. Greg. Nazianzen S. Paulinus of Nola S. Hilary Bishop of Arles and Petronius are those whom S. Eucherius propounds to Valerian he mentions the excellent Orators who renounced the Honours which they might have hoped for in the World yet laid aside all their Glory to write for Religion such as Lactantius Minutius Foelix S. Cyprian S. Hilary S. J. Chrysostom and S. Ambrose He propounds to him also the Examples of Holy Kings Lastly He makes use of the whole Frame of Nature and all the Visible World to prove that the only Employment of Man ought to be to honour the Creator of all Things After all these Considerations he discovers to him the Vanity of all Philosophical Knowledge and shews him that there is no true Wisdom taught nor any true Happiness to be found but in the Religion of Jesus Christ. This Writing is dated in the 1085th Year from the first Building of Rome which is the 432. of our common Aera These Two Treatises are written in a Style very Clean and Elegant the Matter is Spiritual and the manner of handling it very agreeable It may be said that these little Books are not inferior in the Politeness and Purity of Language to the Works of those Authors who lived in those Ages when Language was in greater Purity They have been printed distinctly at Antwerp in 1621. This Treatise to Valerian was printed at Basil with Erasmus's Notes who commends it to us as one of the most elegant Pieces of Antiquity anno 1520 and 1531. It was also publish'd by Rosoeidus with Notes at Antwerp 1620. together with the former in the Praise of Solitude which Genebrard put out at Paris 1578. His other Treatises are not so Profitable nor so Elegant as the former by a great deal His Treatise of * De formulis spiritualis intelligentie Cave Spiritual Terms and Phrases directed to Veranus is a Collection of Mystical and Spiritual Reflections upon the Terms and Expressions of Holy Scriptures in which there is very little Solidity His first Book of Instructions contains the Explication of several Questions which he proposes to himself out of the Old and New Testament Some of them are very well resolved and we may find in them some very good Remarks The Second Book contains 1. The Explication of the Hebrew Names 2. The Signification of some Hebrew Terms which are often met withal in the Bible such as Amen Hallâ—… c. 3. The Explication of some special Phrases 4. An Explication of the Names of Nations Cities and Rivers which are not known 5. Of the Hebrew Months and Festivals 6. The Names of Idols 7. The Explication of their Habits and Cloathing 8. Of Birds and Beasts 9. A Comparison of the Jewish Weights and Measures with those of the Greeks and Latins and the Signification of some Greek Names The Usefulness and Worth of this Critical Work may be easily known but the composing of it is very hard S. Eucherius hath not examin'd these Things throughly but contents himself to give the Meaning of every Thing in short without troubling himself to prove them He hath taken the greatest part of what he discourseth of out of several Authors He discusses them very often well enough but he is mistaken in many Places Gennadius makes mention of these Books The Commentaries upon Genesis and the Books of Kings which go under the Name of
Conference with the Arian Bishops The King told him with a stern Countenance If your Religion be good why do not you hinder the King of the Franks your Soveraign from making War upon me Avitus answer'd That he did not know the Reasons which his Prince had to make War upon him butif he would submit to the Law of God he did not doubt to obtain a Peace for him The King answer'd That he did acknowledge the Law of God but he would not acknowledge three Gods Avitus gave him to understand that the Catholicks do not acknowledge but one God only and then he fell prostrate at his Feet The next day the King told them That his Bishops were ready to enter into a Conference with them but that it must not be held before the People but only in his presence and before such Senators as he should choose To Morrow is appointed for the day The same Night the Lessons were read which mention'd the hardning of Pharaoh's heart and of the Jews which was a bad Omen When the time for the Conference was come the Bishops of both Parties were present at the Place appointed Avitus explain'd the Faith of the Church about the Mystery of the Trinity and prov'd it by Testimonies of the Holy Scripture Boniface being the Arian Bishop that was to speak answer'd nothing to Avitus's Discourse but only propos'd many subtil and entangling Questions about the Mystery of the Trinity and then broke forth into reproachful Language The King respited the Answer of Boniface till to morrow An Officer call'd Aredius would have perswaded the Catholicks to retire telling them That this sort of Conferences did nothing but exasperate mens minds Bishop Stephen answer'd him That on the contrary it was the only means to clear up the truth and to reconcile men to one another and bring them to a good understanding But notwithstanding this Admonition the Catholick Bishops entred into the Place King Gondebaud seeing them came to meet them and spoke reproachfully of the King of the Franks whom he accused of solliciting his Brother against him The Bishops answer'd him That the way to make Peace was to agree about the Faith and that they themselves would be Mediators for it and then every one took his place Avitus being desirous to wipe off the Calumnies of Boniface who had accus'd the Catholiks of worshipping many Gods prov'd that the Catholicks acknowledg'd one God only Boniface instead of answering continued still to reproach them The King seeing that this would not put an end to the difference rose up with indignation Avitus insisted that he should either answer his Reasons or yield But to shew clearly on whose side the Truth was he propos'd That he should go immediately to the Monument of St. Justus and ask the Saint about the truth of the one and the other's Belief and then report what he had said The King approv'd this Proposal but the Arians refus'd it saying They would not do as Saul did who had recourse to Charms and Divination that the Scripture was sufficient for them which was much more powerful then all other means The King going away carried with him to his Chamber Stephen and Avitus and bidding them farewel he embraced them and intreated them to pray to God for him Which discover'd to them says the Author of this Relation what a perplexity he was in But because the heavenly Father had not drawn him he could not come to the Son that this word of truth might be fulfill'd 'T is not he that willeth nor he that runneth but God that sheweth mercy After this day many Arians were converted and baptiz'd some days after and God exalted our Faith by the Intercession of St. Justus These are the very words of the Acts of this Conference ENNODIUS Bishop of PAVIA MAgnus Felix Ennodius descended of an illustrious Family among the Gauls a Descended of an illustrious Family among the Gauls says in many places of his Works that his Parents were Gauls He was a Kinsman to the greatest Lords in his time as to Faustus â—oetius Avienus Olybrius Senarius Florianus c. was born in Italy b In Italy 'T is certain that he pass'd his first years in Italy in the Year 473 c In the Year 473. In the Panegyrick which he made upon Theodoric he declares that he was sixteen years old when that King entred into Italy in the Year 489. Having lost at the Age of Sixteen an Aunt who gave him Maintenance and Education he was reduc'd to low Circumstances in the World but by marriage to a rich Fortune he was restor'd to a plentiful Estate He enjoy'd for some time the Advantages and Pleasures which Riches afford but knowing the danger of them he resolv'd to lead a more Christian Life He entred into Orders with the consent of his wife who for her part embrac'd a chast and religious Life 'T was at this time that he became famous for his Letters and other Writings He was chosen to make a Panegyrick upon King Theodoric and undertook the Defence of the Council of Rome which acquitted Pope Symmachus For his Merits he was promoted to the See of Pavia about the Year 510 d About the Year 510 Father Labbe says that he was made Bishop of Pavia in 490 but this cannot be since he was not then seventeeen years old He was not yet Bishop when his Book was approv'd in the Synod of Rome in 503 for the Title of Bishop is not given him After this he was made choice of to endeavour the Re-union of the Eastern to the Western Church Upon which occasion he made two Journeys into the East the first in the Year 515 with Fortunatus Bishop of Catana and the second in 517 with Peregrinus Bishop of Misena These Journeys had not the success which he desir'd but they discover'd his Prudence and Courage For the Emperor Anastasius did all he could to seduce or corrupt him but not being able to compass his design after many affronts at last he caus'd him to put to Sea in an old rotten Vessel and forbad all persons to suffer him to land at any Port of Greece whereby he was expos'd to manifest danger Nevertheless he arriv'd safe in Italy and return'd to Pavia where he died a little time after on the first day of August in the Year 521 aged 48 years There are many Writings of this Author which have no relation to Ecclesiastical Matters Among his 297 Letters which are divided into nine Books there are but very few from whence any weighty observation can be made about the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church The fourteenth Letter of the second Book is one of this number It is written to the Christians of Africk whom he comforts under the Persecution which they had suffer'd for a long time and the loss of their Bishops Fear not says he to them because you see your selves destitute of Bishops you have amongst you him who is both
them into his Book of the Miracles of the Fathers In Ch. 7. of B. 1. of his Dialogues he relates the History of Nonnosus and says that he learn'd it from Maximian And in many of his Homilies you may find the same Histories which are related in these Dialogues in the same words and his Disciples b His Disciples Paterius Secretary to St. Gregory in the Collection which he made out of this Father's Works recites a great number of passages taken out of the Dialogues Some of them also may be seen in the Collection of Yaius Bishop of Saragosa who liv'd in 630. Ildefonsus of Toledo ranks this Work amongst St. Gregory's Hilary of Toledo Bede Paul the Deacon John the Deacon Hadrian the first Anastasius the Library-keeper Alcuinus Hincmarus Paschasius and Prudentius quote it Photius speaks of it I say nothing of an infinite number of later Authors and the Authors who wrote within a little while after him do attribute them to him yet this Work does not appear worthy of the gravity and discretion of this holy Pope 't is so full of extraordinary Miracles and Histories almost incredible 'T is true he reports them upon the Credit of others but then he should not so easily believe them and vent them afterwards for things that are certain This Work is divided into four Books written by way of Dialogue between St. Gregory who relates what he had learn'd and Peter the Deacon who puts Questions to him from time to time about these Histories The style is no ways sublime the Histories are there related after a very simple and plain manner without any art or pleasantness The Interruptions of Peter are often impertinent and always insipid The Histories related in it are many times grounded only upon the Relations of ignorant old Men or common Reports Miracles there are so frequent so extraordinary and often times for matters of small consequence that 't is very difficult to believe them all There are stories in it which can very hardly be reconcil'd with the Life of those of whom he speaks as the voluntary imprisonment of Paulinus in Afric under the King of the Vandals Visions Apparitions Dreams are there in greater numbers then in any other Author And therefore St. Gregory confesses towards the latter end that the things of another World had been more discover'd in his time then in all the Ages preceding But I do not believe that any Man will warrant all these Relations Leaving others therefore to their liberty of judging as they please I shall say no more about them but only subjoyn here an Abridgment of the greater part of them Honoratus Abbot of a Monastery of Fundi being present at a Feast where there was nothing but Meat made a scruple to eat of it and while the Guests rallied him because he was in a place where nothing else was to be had a Servant went out to draw some water and brought in a great fish in a Pitcher The same Abbot by his Prayers stop'd a Rock which was ready to fall with great force upon his Monastery Libertinus his Disciple hindred the Horses of the Goths from passing the River to make his own Horse come to him He raised also a dead Infant A Gardiner of this Monastery plac'd a Serpent in ambuscade against a Robber The Abbot Equicius a Founder of many Monasteries was miraculously deliver'd from the Temptations of the Flesh in a Vision wherein he thought that he was made an Eunuch A Bishop having brought before him a Monk who was a Magician he judg'd him and after he had watch'd him for some time he caus'd him to be turn'd out of his Monastery This Monk confess'd that he had many times lifted up into the Air the Cell of St. Equitius without being able to do him any hurt A Nun having greedily taken a Letuce in a Garden without making the sign of the Cross was possess'd with a Devil St. Equicius dispossess'd her after he had made the Devil confess that he was upon this Lettuce The Pope having sent to hinder him from Preaching was admonish'd in a Dream to permit him Peter asks upon this occasion how so great a Pope could be mistaken as to a Person of so eminent Vertue St. Gregory answers him That this was not to be wondred at since all men are liable to mistakes Fallimur quia homines sumus Popes as well as others Constantius Churchwarden of the Church of St. Stephen at Ancona having no Oyl to light the Lamps fill'd them with Water and after he had kindled the Wicks they maintain'd the flame as if the Lamps had been full of Oyl Marcellinus Bishop of that City expos'd himself to the flames of a fire and by that means stop'd it Nonnosus a Monk of Mount Sina remov'd by his Prayers a part of a Rock to make room for a Garden belonging to his Monastery A Glass-Lamp being broken he gather'd the little pieces of it together before the Altar and after he had pray'd he found the Lamp entire The Abbot Anastasius was admonish'd of his own death and the death of seven of his Monks by a Voice which call'd them one after another Boniface Bishop of Ferentinum multiplied Wine foretold the death of a Beggar miraculously receiv'd pieces of Gold that he might restore them to his Kinsman from whom he had taken them to give Alms to the Poor Fortunatus Bishop of Tudentinum chas'd the Devil out of those who were possess'd restor'd sight to the Blind cur'd a mad Horse heal'd a broken Bone and rais'd the Dead A Priest call'd Severus raised one from the Dead that he might have time to do Penance These are a part of the Miracles contain'd in the first Book The second Book contains the Life and Miracles of St. Benedict There he relates after what manner this Saint going out of Rome was detain'd some time at Aufidena where by a Miracle he made a Sieve whole which his Nurse had broken Afterwards he speaks of his Retirement to Sublacum He describes the voluntary Punishment which he inflicted upon himself by rowling himself stark naked for a considerable time upon Thorns to conquer the Temptations of the Flesh. He does not forget to observe that he being invited into a Monastery whose Monks had a mind to poison him broke the Glass wherein the Poison was presented to him by making the sign of the Cross. He relates many other Miracles of the same nature A Monk was cur'd of his Distractions by blows with a stick a Spring was found upon the top of a Mountain The Iron of a Spade being cast into a Lake came up again above the Water and joyn'd it self to the haft A Monk of St. Maur walk'd upon the Water to fetch out brother Placidus who was drown'd A Stone which the Devil had made unmoveable was easily remov'd by his Prayers The seeming flames which were caus'd by an Idol were extinguish'd A young Monk crush'd by the fall of a Wall was rais'd
Church of the City of Sevil the Deacons of Pegasus presented to them a Memorial which contain'd the Names of the Slaves of the Church which his Predecessor Gaudentius had pretended to set at liberty or to give to some of his Kinsfolk The Bishops having consulted upon this occasion how they are to be dispos'd of by the Canons found it thus That when a Bishop leaves the Possessions which he had in his own Name to others then his Children or Grand-Children rather then give them to the Church no regard ought to be had to the Donations or Sales which he made of the Churches Possessions From this Principle founded upon the sixth Canon of the Council of Agda they conclude That if the Church of Pegasus possess'd nothing of the Goods or Lands left by Gaudentius the Slaves ought not to be set at liberty as he order'd but if the Church possess'd the Means of Gaudentius they ought to enjoy the liberty which he had granted them Yet not to use the utmost rigor they are content that in case the Bishop left nothing to the Church to recompense the loss of these Slaves they should notwithstanding be enfranchiz'd on condition that they shall continue in the Service of the Church and in dependence upon it and that they shall be disabled to give their wages i. e. what they can earn to others then their Children who shall continue also they and their Posterity in the same dependence upon the Church so that the Goods of those who shall die without Heirs shall return to the Church And as to the Slaves which this Bishop left as a Legacy to his Kinsfolk 't is ordain'd that the Curch shall take them again if he has not otherwise made Compensation to it for this loss This Canon extends to all the Slaves of the Province of Boetica which are taken away from the Church to which they belong by a like Grant For it says That it is against Equity and Religion that he who lives at the Expence of the Church and gives nothing to it of his own shall deprive it of those Gifts that are made by others The Bishops of this Council advertise also the Bishop of Astigis that they have thought it convenient for putting in Execution the Canon against Clergy-men who keep strange Women or Female Slaves in their House which was renew'd a little while ago by the third Council of Toledo to ordain That if the Priests Deacons or other Clergy-men do not obey the Declaration of their Bishops the Judges of the Places may take these Women with the leave and consent of the Bishop on condition that they never restore them to the Clergy-men under pain of Excommunication As to the Women they order That they shall be given to serve Nunneries It may be that this Council made other Canons besides those which it sent to this Bishop and indeed Burchardus and Ibo of Chartres relate many more under the Name of the Council of Sevil but their Citations are so so full of Faults that we cannot trust to their Report The Council in Arvernia The Council of Arvernia GRegory of Tours in the eighth Chapter of the tenth Book of his History makes mention of an Assembly of Bishops held in the fifteenth year of the Reign of Childebert and the sixth of Clotharius held I say in the Confines of Arvernia of Gabali and Rutenium against Tetradia the Wife of Eulalius Countess of Arvernia This Woman finding her self abus'd by her Husband who was a debauch'd Man retir'd by the advice of Virus her Husband's Nephew with her eldest Son to Desiderius General of the Army of King Chilperic and hindred almost all the Efforts of Eulalius This Retreat cost Virus his Life who was kill'd by Eulalius The Wife of Desiderius dying he made no scruple to marry Tetradia while her Husband was alive who for his part ravish'd a Nun. After the death of Desiderius Eulalius being more concern'd for the loss of his Means then his Wife demanded Restitution to be made of what she had carried away This Assembly of Bishops order'd That they should be restored four-fold and that the Children which she had by Desiderius should be declar'd Bastards and Adulterous She was permitted also to return to Arvernia after she should make Satisfaction and to re-enter upon the peaceable possession of the Inheritance of her Father This Woman was gently treated and a Canon of this Nature may rather pass for an Accommodation then an Ecclesiastical Decision The Council of Poitiers THis Council was assembled for reforming the Disorders of a Monastery of Nuns in this City This Monastery was founded by Radegonda and was at first in Subjection to the The Council of Poitiers Bishop of the place But under the Reign of Sigebert Radegonda having brought from the East some Wood of the Holy Cross and other Reliques to put them into her Monastery she pray'd Marovaeus then Bishop of Poitiers that he would be present at this Festival but this Bishop went into the Country because he would not be present at this Ceremony Radegonda pray'd King Sigebert to allow her a Bishop for placing these Reliques in her Monastery Euphronius Bishop of Tours did it with great Solemnity Although Radegonda had reason to be displeas'd with the Bishop of Poitiers yet she did all that lay in her power to be reconcil'd to him but not being able to compass her design she fetch'd from Arles the Rule of St. Caesarius and put her Monastery under the Protection of the King because the Bishop would not take care of it After the death of Radegonda the Abbess call'd Leubovera pray'd also the Bishop to take it into his Protection At first he refus'd it but afterwards accepted of it and took also Letters from King Chilperic which import that this Monastery should be subject to him as the other Churches of his Diocese were There were in this Monastery two King's Daughters Clotilda the Daughter of Charibert and Basina the Daughter of Chilperic who had embrac'd a Religious Life under St. Radegenda After her death these two Daughters had not Humility enough to obey an Abbess who in the Opinion of the World was not equal to them in quality despising the Remonstrances of their Bishop whom they suspected broke the Gates burst in pieces the Bolts of their Monastery and went out with forty Nuns under pretence that the Abbess had abus'd them Clotilda went in the first place to Gregory of Tours who advis'd her to return and offer'd also to go with her and to find out a way with Marovaeus's assistance to reduce their Abbess to reason She would not follow his advice and went to Court to wait upon King Gontranus In the mean time the Nuns that went with her out of the Monastery led a most licentious Life Some time after Clotilda and Basina return'd to Poitiers they plac'd themselves in the Church of St. Hilary with some wretched Ruffians and said that
only endeavour to find out the Truth and to maintain Charity IBLIOTHECA PATRUM OR A NEW HISTORY OF Ecclesiastical Writers TOME V. CONTAINING An Account of the LIVES and WRITINGS of the Primitive FATHERS that Flourished in the Seventh and Eighth Centuries of Christianity with Censures upon all their BOOKS determining which are Genuine and which Spurious S. ISIDORE of Sevil. S. ISIDORE the Son of Severianus and Grand-Child of Theodorick King of Italy was born at Sevil. He succeeded his Brother S. Leander in the Bishoprick of S. Isidore of Sevil. that City about the Year 595. He held a Council in 623. and died in 636. having governed the Church of Sevil Forty Years This Bishop was a Man of great Reading and profound Learning and has written upon divers Subjects His Works may be divided into Five Classes The First comprehending those which concern Arts or Sciences The Second his Commentaries upon the Scripture The Third his dogmatical Tracts The Fourth his Treatises of Church-Discipline And the last his Works of Morality or Piety The Book of Etymologies or of Origin's is the largest of those of the First Class He wrote it at the Request of Braulio Bishop of * Caesar-Augusta Saragosa who divided it into Twenty Books and made up what Isidore had not finish'd This Work is an Epitome of all Arts and Sciences he explains the Terms lays down the Principles and shews what is most in use in each of them What relates to Ecclesiastical Matters is as follows In the Sixth Book he maketh a Catalogue of the Books of the Old and New Testament In which he places in the Fourth Classis of the a Canonical Books Tobit Ecclesiasticus As the Jews never acknowledged these Books to be Canonical so neither did the Primitive Church of Christ. S. Cyprian or rather Rufinus in his Tract De Expos. Symb. having reckon'd up the Cypr. de exp symb Books in Order which made up the Canon in his Time and omitting those which were accounted Apocryphal says Haec sunt c. These are the Books which are received into the Canon by the Church the other Books meaning Tobit c. are not Canonical The same Catalogue of Canonical Writers do Origen in Eusebius Hist. Eccles. l. 6. c. 25. and the Council of Laodicea c. 59. give Conc. Laod. anno 320. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 15 16. Aug. de civ Dei l. 18. c. 36. Hieron praef in Macc. Conc. Flor. Trident. us So that there can be no doubt but for the First Four hundred Years and more the Canon was exactly the same that we now have Indeed the Apocryphal Books were read in the Churches of the purer Ages to the Novices and Catechumens as were also Clemens and Ignatius's Epistles and Hermes's Book called Pastor yea and some of the later Fathers as S. Jerom Austin and Innocent give them very honourable Titles calling them Sacred Divine Canonical but then they mean not by Canonical as the Church of Rome doth Canones Fidei a perfect Rule both for Faith and Manners but Canones Morum Historiae profitable to Instruction and to inform Men in the History of the Jewish Church And so far is this Doctrine of S. Isidore Orthodox in the Judgment of the Church of England our Mother Art 6. Canonical Books of the Old Testament Ecclesiasticus the Book of Wisdom Judith Tobit and the Two Books of the Maccabees He distinguisheth Thrâ—â— Sâ—…es of the Scripture the Historical Moral and Allegorical He speaks of the Authors of the Canonical Books and of those that have composed Harmonies of 〈◊〉 Gospels He reckons up but Four General Councils He makes a Paschal Cycle In fine he treats of the principal Festivals of the Jews and Christians and of the Administration of the Sacrament He saith it is called a Sacrifice because it is made sacred by a mystical Prayer in remembrance of the Passion of our Lord. He definâ—th b A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 â—â—â—y in â—pious and good Sence be said to communicate Sanctifying Grace and Holiness Conc. Trid. sess 7. c. 8. not ex opere operato as the Church of Rome teacheth but ex opere operaâ—tis being moral Instruments of conferring and conveying the Grace of God to the Souls of all worthy Partakers of them God being-pleased-by-and-with them to work Spiritual Graces and Endowments in us Non propter 〈◊〉 Sacramenâ—… quae saâ—â—imus sed propter vim fidei in Christo qua illis Communicamus Not through any vertue in the Sacraments which we receive but through Faith in the Receiver 〈◊〉 Sacrament the Sign of an Holy Thing communicating Holiness He places in that rank Baptism Chrism and the Eucharist which are saith he Sacraments because under the Veil of corporeal things the divine Vertue does secretly operate Salvation To the Unction he joyns the Laying on of Hands which brings down the Holy Ghost He speaks of Exorcism He makes the Apostles Authors of the Creed which he thinks to have been called a Symbol because it is the Badge whereby Christians know one another He speaks of Prayer of Fasting and of Penance which he says is a voluntary Punishment for ones Sins He defines Satisfaction the Exclusion of the Causes and Occasions of Sin and the Cessation of Sinning He calls Reconciliation the End of Penance He distinguisheth two sorts of Exomologesis or Confession the one of Praise the other of Sins and saith both the one and the other are chiefly made to God Lastly he makes mention of the Rogations or Litanies In the Seventh Book he treats of the Names and Attributes of God Chap. 1. Of the Son of God of his Qualities of his metaphorical and natural Names Chap. 2. Of the Holy Ghost Chap. 3. Of the Trinity and of the appellative and relative Names of the Persons Chap. 4. Of Angels and their different Orders Chap. 5. He explains also the Names of the Persons mention'd in the Bible he gives the Definition of the Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the Martyrs the Clerks and Monks In the Eighth Book he speaks of the Church of Heresy of the Number of the Sybils c. The Three Books of the Differences of Names or of the proper Signification of Words written by the same Author are a grammatical Work and the Book of the Nature of Things to King Sisebut a Physical Treatise of which we have nothing here to say To this Classis of S. Isidore's Works may be added his Historical Tracts which are a Chronological Abridgment from the beginning of the World down to * To the 17th Year of the Empire of Heraclius and to the Year 626. Heraclius's Empire An History of the Goths from the 176th Year of Christ to the Year 610. with an Epitome of the History of the Vandals and Sueves The Treatise of Ecclesiastical Writers which we have defended in the Preface of the preceeding Volume and the Treatise of the Life and Death of certain Saints The Treatises that S.
Advertisement of Alonâ—nus's about the original of Felix's Error and the retractation he made of it Elipandus's Letter to Felix The Confession of Faith he made after his Retractation And a Letter of Alcuinus about the Questions that may be raised touching the Son of God These are the Dogmaatical Works contain'd in this Second part The first of the Works of Discipline is the Book of the Divine Offices bearing Alcuinus's Name but it belongs to a later Author there being mention made there of Hilperick who lived in the Tenth Century besides it contains several Observations of a lower Age than that Alcuin lived in The 2d Work about Discipline is Alcuin's Letter to Charlemagne upon the Septuagesima Sexagesima and Quinquagesima and upon the differences of the number of the Weeks of Lent with Charlemagne's Answer upon the same subject The 3d is a Tract of Alâ—…in directed to Adrian upon the Ceremonies of Baptism which are the same that are practised now of which he renders Moral Reasons The 4th is a Letter * Ad Pueros S. Martins i. e. To the Boys of S. Martin Dr. Cav to the Clerks of S. Martin to exhort them to confess their Sins The 5th is a Sacramentary containing Masses for many Festivals of the Year These Works are followed with Three Homilies upon the Incarnation the Virgin 's Nativity and the Festival of All-Saints These Three Homilies are taken out of the Book of Homilies of Paul the Deacon and it is not certain that they are Alcuin's The Life of Antichrist follows which is full of groundless Fancies There is but one Work of Morality which is of Vertues and Vices The rest are Works upon Prophane Arts and Sciences The Book of the Seven Arts is Cassiodorus's Preface upon that subject The last part of Alcuin's Works comprehends the following Books The Life of S. Martin of Tours and a Sermon on his Death The Life of S. Vedastus of Arras The Life of S. Richarius a Presbyter The Life of S. Wilbrord Bishop of Utrecht in Prose and Verse with an Homily for his Festival One Hundred and Fifteen Epistles with the fragments of some more taken out of English Authors Poems upon several Saints A Poem upon the meeting of Pope Leo and Charlemagne Divers Poems The Letters upon Ecclesiastical matters are these The 2d of which we have already spoken about the difference of the number of the Weeks of Lent The 6th upon these words of the Gospel Here are Two Swords The 7th of the manner of instructing the People in the Faith The 8th in which he speaks against a Letter written to him by Felix of Urgel whom he calls Joâ—â—sely Felix infelix But this was retorted upon him by Elipundus who called him several times Albinus niger Antiphâ—asius In the 13th he speaks of a Writing he had made against Felix of Urgel and of a Dialogue of that Author between a Christian and a Saracen The 29th directed to Osred King of Northumberland is full of Instructions very useful for Princes The 30th contains some for a Queen that had retired from the World The 31st is full of Advices to the Canons of Tours The 32d to the Bishop Adelbert and his Society contains a commendation of the Life of the Canon Regulars and an Exhortation to follow it The 49th contains the same sort of Exhortations to the Friers of Wiremouth and Jarrow The 50th to those of York The 62d to the Canons of S. Leger The 63d is directed to Pope Adrian to whom he writes very submissively In the 69th he exhorts the Canons of Lyons to reject the Errors which are come from Spain to follow the Tradition and Usage of the Universal Church to avoid the Additions made to the Creed and the new Customs brought into the Service of the Church He speaks particularly of their Error about the Adoption of the Son of God and the practice of some who threw Salt upon Christ's Sacrifice He maintains they ought to Offer nothing but Bread Water and Wine that the Bread ought to be very pure without any mixture made of Flour and Water The last thing he finds fault with in the usages introduced in Spain is that they made but one Immersion calling upon the Three Persons of the Trinity He maintains against them the use of the Triple Immersion and here he explains the Ceremonies of Baptism he speaks of the same thing in the 81st Letter where he does intimate that there were some who dipped Three times repeating the Invocation of the Trinity at each time He reprehends in this Letter those who doubted whether the Souls of the Holy Apostles and Martyrs were received up into Heaven before the Day of Judgment In the 71st Letter he proves the necessity of Confession The 72d is to Pope Leo whom he calls Vicar of the Apostles Prince of the Church In the 78th he commends the Monastick Life and exhorts Monks to discharge the Duties of it The 97th contains excellent Instructions about the Duties of a Bishop He Treats of Baptism in the 104th In the 106th he Answers the Question put to him by Charlemagne which is the Hymn that Jesus Christ said after his last Supper He pretends it was the words related by the Evangelists Since this Edition there have been Printed some more of Alcuin's Works as a Commentary upon the Song of Solomon at London in 1638 by the care of Patrick Young An Abridgment of the Faith against the Arians set forth at Paris in 1630 by F. Sirmondus without the Author's Name and attributed to Alcuin by F. Chiffletius upon the Authority of some MSS. A long Confession of Faith divided into Four parts drawn out of the Fathers published by F. Chiffletius and Printed at Dijon in * 1654. Dr. Cave 1656 but it is dubious whether it belong to Alcuinus or no. A Discourse of the Purification which was without Name among S. Ambrose's Works and was restored to Alcuin by M. Baluzius in the 2d Vol. of Miscellanea p. 382. Two Letters set forth by M. Baluzius in the same place Tom. 1. p. 365. the one directed to Charlemagne upon the price of Jesus Christ's Death the other to the Abbots and Monks of the Goths upon the Unity of the Two Natures in the Person of Jesus Christ. There 's in the same place a Capitulary containing sundry Moral Maxims directed to Charlemagne but that Work seems to me unworthy of Alcuin Twenty Six Letters published by F. Mabillon in the 4th Vol. of his Analecta And a Poem in which he laments the disorders and looseness of one of his Friends under the Name of a Cuckow The Learned are not all agreed that the Confession of Faith set out by F. Chiffletius is Alcuin's The Author of the Office for the Holy Sacrament in the Historical and Chronological Table of the Authors hath propounded some difficulties about this Confession of Faith which might make one doubt whether it be truly Alcuin's He says the two first parts of
Archbishop of Canterbury flourished after the Year 668 and dyed in 690. FRUCTUOSUS Bishop of Dumes and after of Toledo flourished toward the end of the Seventh Century CEOLFRIDUS Abbot of Jarrow lived at the end of the Seventh and the beginning of the next Century dyed 720 ADELMUS Abbot of Malmsbury flourished at the same time ADAMANNUS Abot of Huy lived also at the same Time A PONIUS CRESCONIUS An African Bishop JOHN A Greek Monk flourished all at the same Time DEMETRIUS Bishop of Cyzicum at the same Time S. OWEN Archbishop of Rouen ordained in 646 dyed in 689. BEDE Sirnamed the Venerable an English Presbyter and Monk flourished in the beginning of the Eighth Century and dyed in 735. JOHN Patriarch of Constantinople flourished about the end of Seventh Age to the Eighth AGATHO Deacon of the same Church lived at the same Time GERMANUS Patriarch of Constantinople translated from Cyzicum to Constantinople BONIFACE Bishop of Ments an Englishman flourished from 715 when he left his own County to his Death GREGORY II. Bishop of Rome made Pope in 714 dyed in 731. GREGORY III. Bishop of Rome raised to the Popedom in 731 dyed in 741. ZACHARY Bishop of Rome raised to the See in 741 dyed in 752. ANDREW Bishop of Crete flourished after 730. ANASTASIUS Abbot of the Monastery of Euthym in Palestine lived about the Year 740. EGBERT Archbishop of York flourished from 731 to 767. S. JOHN DAMASCENE A Monk lived after 730 dyed 750. CHRODEGAND Bishop of Metz ordained in 743. STEVEN II. Bishop of Rome ordained in 752 dyed in 757. WILLIBALD A Monk of Mount-Cassin and after Bishop of Eiestad flourished from 728 to his Death which happen'd in the Year 786. JOHN Patriarch of Jerusalem lived after the Year 750. GOTTESCHALCI A Deacon and Prebend of Leigh flourished about the Year 760. AMBROSIUS AUTPERTUS Abbot of S. Vincent at the River Vulternus at the same time dyed in 778. PAUL I. Bishop of Rome ordained in 757 dyed in 767. STEVEN III. Pope ordained in 767 dyed in 772 in which Year ADRIAN I. Was elected Pope PAUL A Deacon of Aquileia flourished after 770 dyed in the beginning of the Ninth Century CHARLES The Great flourished from 700 and dyed in 814. ALCUINUS A Deacon of York after Abbot Dean of the Canons of Tours flourished in France from 791 to his Death which was in 804. AETHERIUS Bishop of Uxame lived about the end of the Eighth Century PAULINUS Bishop of Aquileia lived about the end of the same Age. THEODULPHUS Bishop of Orleance ordained Bishop in 794 dyed about 821. LEO III. Bishop of Rome raised to the Popedom in 795 dyed in 816. TARASIUS Bishop of Constantinople flourished about the Year 787 to the second Council of Nice EPIPHANIUS Deacon of Catana and THEODORUS Lived at the same time ELIAS CRETENSIS GEORGIUS SYNCELLUS Flourished about the end of the Eighth Age. A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE of the Councils held in the VII and VIII Centuries of the Church In the VII Century A Conference held at Worcester Anno 601 An Assembly held at Challon 603 The Council of Toledo under Gondamarus the King 610 The Council of Egara 614 The V Council of Paris 615 A Council held in France 615 The II Council of Sevil 619 The Council of Rhemes under Sonnatius Bishop of Rhemes 630 The IV Council of Toledo 633 The V Council of Toledo 636 The VI Council of Toledo 638 The VII Council of Toledo 646 The Lateran Council against the Monothelites 649 The Council of Challon upon Saone 650 The VIII Council of Toledo 653 The IX Council of Toledo 655 The X Council of Toledo 656 A Conference in Northumberland 664 The Council of Merida 666 The Council of Autun 666 A Council of Hereford of England 673 The XI Council of Toledo 675 The IV Council of Braga 675 The XII Council of Toledo 681 The XIII Council of Toledo 683 The X V Council of Toledo 684 The XV Council of Toledo 688 The Council of Sarragosa 691 The XVI Council of Toledo 693 The XVII Council of Toledo 694 The Council of Constantinople called the Quinisect or the Council in Trullo 692 In the VIII Century A Synod at Barkhamstead in the Kingdom of Kent 697 Councils held in England about the Business of Wilfrid the last of which was in 705 The Council of Rome under Gregory II. 721 A Council held in Germany under Charles the Great 742 The Council of Lessines 743 The Council of Soissons 744 The Councils of Rome under Pope Zachary 745 The Council of Cloveshaw 747 The Council of Verbery 752 The Council of Vernueil 755 The Council of Metz 756 The Council of Compiegne 757 Several other Ecclesiastical Synods the places and years of their meeting are found in the Extracts of the Capitularies p. 115 c. The Council of Constantinople against Images 754 The II Council of Nice 787 The Council of Northumberland 787 The Council of Aquileia under Paulinus their Bishop 791 The Council of Ratisbone 792 The Council of Frankfort 794 The Council of Rome under Leo III. 799 The Council of Aix-la-Chapelle 799 The Council of Paris 824 A TABLE of the Works of the Ecclesiastical Writers of VII and VIII Centuries of the Church S. ISIDORE of Sevil. His Genuine WORKS which we have TWenty Books of Etymologies or Origins Three Books of the differences of Names A Book of the nature of things A Chronicon from the beginning of the World to the Empire of Heraclius The History of the Goths An Abridgment of the History of the Vandals and Sweves A Treatise of the Ecclesiastical Writers An History of the Life and Death of certain Saints Prolegomena upon the Bible Some Notes upon the Pentateuch Joshua the Books of Kings and Ezra An allegorical Book upon the Octateuch A Commentary upon the Caâ—â—icles Two Books against the Jews Two Books of the Offices of the Church Some Letters A Rule for Monks Two Books entituled Syâ—…ma A Treatise of the contempt of the World The Lamentations of Repentance A Prayer about amendment of Life A Collection of Sentences taken out of S. Gregory BOOKS Supposititious His fourth and fifth Letters A Letter to Massanus A Treatise about the opposition of Vertues and Vices BRAULIO Bishop of Saragosa His Genuine WORKS He perfected and set in order Isidore's Books of Origin's and made a Catalogue of his Works The Life of S. Milan and Leocadia is thought to be his S. COLUMBANUS Abbot of Lexeuil and Bobio His Genuine WORKS Two Letters in Verse concerning the shortness of Life and 4 other Poems A Rule for Monks with a Penitential and some other Instructions A Treatise of 20 principal Sins Four Letters WORKS Lost. A Commentary upon the Psalms Some Letters A Treatise against the Arians A Treatise about Easter Spurious WORKS The 15th and 17th Instruction A Treatise of Penances for the Monks Clergy and Laity AELERAN an Irish Presbyter His Genuine WORKS A Mystical Treatise about the Genealogy of Jesus Christ. CUMIANUS or
of his Diocess without his consent and flying from the Judgment of his Metropolitan and the Bishops of his Province In the 8th Article He accuses him for sending the Pope's Letters directed to the King and himself by such Archbishops as were at a distance from him whereas he ought to have sent them by his own Messengers In the 9th Article He reproves him for having Excommunicated a Monk of S. Dennis which the King had put in a Monastery in the Diocess of Laon and would not be perswaded to revoke that Excommunication In the 10th Article He answers the Collection of Decretals made by Hincmarus Bishop of Laon and because he grounded the Authority of these Records upon a passage of S. Leo who says that we are obliged to obey the Decrees of his Predecessors made and promulgated concerning the Orders and Discipline of the Church quae de Ecclesiasticis ordinibus Canonum sunt promulgata disciplinis He explains the signification of this expression and affirms that it ought to be understood of the Laws taken out of the Canons and which they have published in their Decretals and not of the private Decrees which they have made and which are not agreeable to them whereupon he cites several Sentences of the Popes which declare That we ought to observe the Canons In the following Articles as far as the 16th he treats of the Order and Subordination in general which ought to be among the Bishops In the 16th Article He treats in particular concerning the Subordination of the Church of Laon to that of Reims He says that this Metropolis had eleven Churches under it before S. Remigius erected the Castle of Laon in that Bishoprick That the Bishoprick of Laon owes its Erection to the Church of Reims and that it hath always been subject to it That the Authority of S. Remigius is in his Successors and that this Metropolis hath been dignified with several Priviledges by the H. See In the 17th He cites several passages in the Pope's Letters against those Inferiors that exalt themselves against their Superiors In the 18th and 19th He shews that several have destroyed themselves through Pride and Vanity by explaining H. Scripture according to their own fancies and by governing according to their own humor without following the Tradition of the Church In the 20th He shews that the Discipline of the Church may change and alter He speaks of the first six General Councils whose Authority he acknowledged As to the seventh he says That 't was not received in France and cites a passage of the Caroline Book concerning the General Nature of Synods Afterwards he heaps together many Historical Facts in which he is mistaken in giving credit to the Supposititious Letters of Marke and Foelix In the 22d He explains S. Gregory's words in his Letter to Theoctistus that they ought not to be Absolved who are Excommunicated by the Church and maintains that they ought to be understood of those only that are Excommunicated for Just Reasons because we ought not to think that Unjust Excommunications are made by the Church In the 23d and 24th Articles he says That the Roman Church hath not received the 9th Canon of the Council of Chalcedon in that which respects the Permission which it gives to a Clerk who hath any thing against his Metropolitan to apply himself to the Bishop of Constantinople In the last of these Articles he rejects the Collection of Canons which was said to be given by Pope Adrian to Angilram In the 25th and 26th He shews that there is a difference to be observed between the Decisions of General Councils and the Letters of holy Men and Popes That 't is absolutely necessary to obey all the Decisions of the Councils but the same subjection is not due to all that is contain'd in those Letters In the 27th He shews that Hincmarus Bishop of Laon is not exempted from answering for saying That he was stopped and by pretending that he hath Appealed to Rome In the 28th He says that 't was an injury to interdict his Priests and Clerks without any Accusation or they were either Convicted of their Crimes or Confessed them To prove this he produces a great number of Canons which prescribe the Order to be observed in Ecclesiastical Judgments and what ought to go before the condemnation of every Person In the 29th and 30th He shews that Superiors have right to declare no Excommunications which are manifestly irregular and contrary to the Laws of the Church such as that was by which the Bishop of Laon forbad to administer Baptism to Infants and the Sacrament to Dying Persons contrary to the Decrees of the Church which do not allow the Sacraments to be denied to any Persons in their Necessity He sets down in this Article many good Rules about Excommunication In the following Article he says 't is great Inhumanity to deny Burial to the Dead In the 34th He shews by several passages out of the Popes Letters that about Matters evident or already decided 't is not necessary to call a Synod nor Appeal to the H. See and that the things already Ordained and Decreed should be put in Execution In the 35th Article he proves That the H. See Judges with the Bishops and the Bishops with the H. See That no Man can put a restraint upon Metropolitans nor hinder them from Judging the Affairs of their Province much less in that which is already Ordained and Decided by the Councils He adds that in these things there is no need of consulting or calling together the Bishops of the Province In the 36th Article He examines the Subscription of the Instrument of the Bishop of Laon by which he Excommunicated those that would not obey the Decrees of the Popes contained in his Collection He says that if he affirms that this Collection contains any thing singular in it and contrary to the Constitutions of the Council of Nice and the other Councils received and approved of by the Church he is himself Excommunicated by endeavouring to Excommunicate others and so hath separated himself from the Church's Unity with those he hath caused to Sign it In the following Articles to the 43d he gives him wholesome Advice and assures him in the 40th that he was no cause that he was out of favour with the King In the 43d he vindicates himself from the Calumny that the Bishop of Laon had cast upon him in accusing him of falsifying the Quotations which he cited He speaks of the business of Nivintis he says that his Crime was publick and certain that all the World knew that he had Debauched the Nun and had conveyed her by Night out of the Monastery into his House That the thing being discovered the Nun had undergone her Penance in the Convent and afterward he had conveyed her away That he had done all he could to make him acknowledge his fault and oblige him to do Penance but instead of undergoing Penance he had
he added some other Rules which ordered That Publick Sinners should be put to Penance in Publick by the Authority of the Bishops to whom the Curates are obliged to send them That if they do not present themselves to receive them after they have been advertised of it by the Priests they shall be Excommunicated within 15 days That they shall require nothing for Burials and no Man shall Celebrate Mass but upon a Consecrated Altar or Table He also made some other Constitutions in 874 in July Commanding That Priests Curates and Prebends should reside in their Benefices and not retire into Monasteries That they should take nothing to make Church-Wardens and should allow those that are chosen a part of their Tithes to be employed about the Buildings and Ornaments of the Church That Priests should not be familiar with Women nor enrich themselves with the Revenues of the Church That they should give nothing to Patrons to be Nominated to any vacant Church These are the Constitutions which Hincmarus made for the Priests but lest the Archdeacons who are to put them in Execution in their Visits should not give them in Charge to the Curates he made July 877. an Order in which he forbids them to go their Visitations with many Attendants or Horses to require or exact any thing of them to stay long with them Not to meddle with the Division of Parishes to make the Ancient Churches to be still subject to their Parishes in which there have always been Priests to suffer no Man to have a Chapel without the permission of the Archbishop to Discharge no Penitents through favour before they have done their Penance nor to Ordain any Persons not duly qualified or to settle any Deans without the Authority of the Bishops After these Constitutions follows in the Works of Hincmarus a Recital of the Ceremonies and The Coronations of Kings Prayers used at the Coronation of Charles the Bald for the Kingdom of Lotharius Celebrated at Metz by Hincmarus Sept. 8. 869. as also at the Coronation of Lewis Dec. 8. 877. and of Judith the Daughter of Charles when she was Married to Ethelwolfe King of England An. 856. as also of Queen Hermentrude celebrated at Soissons Hincmarus also in a Letter to Charles the Bald gives various Instructions to Princes out of the Some Instructions of Hincmarus to Charles the Bald. Fathers which he lays down as undoubted Truths viz. That God makes good Kings and permits bad ones That a good Prince is the greatest Happiness of the People and a bad one their greatest Misfortune That a Wise Government is the greatest Proof of great Power That a King should choose Wise Experienced and Virtuous Men That nothing is better than for Rulers to know how they ought to Rule That it is most profitable that good Kings have the greatest Kingdoms That Necessity only should make them make War That War is Lawful if it be Just That God gives the Victory to whom he pleases That they ought to be Prayed for that Dye in Battels That Kings serve God by making Laws for his Honour That they are obliged to compel Men to do good and punish them justly That they may sometimes shew favour but they should be careful they do it not unfitly That they should be continually upon their Guard that they be not surprized by their Favourites or Flatterers They should have no Wicked Men about them nor Pardon their Relations That they ought to mix Justice with Mercy After he hath thus spoken of a Prince as endued with Kingly Powers he then lays down the Virtues of a Prince considered as a Christian which is nothing but a Collection of Texts of Scripture and Sentences of the Fathers concerning the Duties of a Christian Life He hath also a third Letter to the same King concerning the Nature of the Soul He holds that it is Spiritual not confined to a place and doth not move locally altho' it changes its Will and Manners He also moves this Question Whether we shall see God in another World by the Eyes of our Body or only by the Eyes of the Soul In the Year 858 Lewis Emperor of Germany entred Charles's Kingdom to Invade him while Hincmarus's Advice to Lewis of Germany he was gone to War against the Britans and Normans Hincmarus and the other Bishops of his Diocess whom he had told the States that they must stay a Reims sent a Remonstrance to him in which they tell him plainly That he was Unjust to his Brother in entring into his Kingdom in an Hostile manner exhorting him to make Peace with him to turn his Arms against the Pagans to preserve the Priviledges of the Church and suffer no Man to Rob it of its Revenues to restore those Monasteries of the Monks which are in the possession of Lay-men to take care that the Monks live according to their Rule and that the Revenues of Hospitals should be disposed of rightly by the Overseers with the Authority of the Bishops He then gives him some Directions how he ought to Live and Reign and how he ought to govern the General Synod of France In 859 Charles being ready to march against Lewis Hincmarus wrote to him to hinder the Disorders His Advice to King Charles and Pillaging which the Soldiers use to make He also admonishes the Church-men at Court by another Letter to hinder the Soldiers which were used to Pillage to do it again Lastly He admonisheth the Priests of the Diocess of Reims to Excommunicate them who after Admonition should continue to Pillage any In 875 after the Death of Lewis King of Italy and Emperor Charles the Bald being gone into A Remonstrance to Lewis of Germany Italy to be Crowned Emperor and possess himself of Italy Lewis of Germany falls upon France to give him a Diversion Hincmarus presents him with a long Petition full of Quotations of the Fathers to stop him in this Enterprize and was effectual The same Year John Bishop of Cambray was written to by Hincmarus who gave him Directions The manner of proceeding against a Priest how he should deal with the Priest Hunoldus who was suspected of an unlawful familiarity with a Woman He says That the Custom of the Province hath been to make inquiries about the Priest who is thus charged and defamed that their Witnestes must be Sworn and Interrogated concerning his frequent converse and familiarity with Women That after the Deposition of 6 Witnesses there ought to be a 7th to prove the Fact That if there be no Witnesses but it be only a Common report the Priest must clear himself by the Oath of 6 of his Neighboring Priests Some time after in 878 he condemned a Priest of his Diocess himself Named Goldbaldus The Condemnation of a Priest who was accused of conversing with a Woman the Fact was proved but the Priest fled from Judgment The Instrument of this Priest's Deposition is among Hincmarus's Works In the
exasperated if they sometimes go beyond the bounds of their Authority but must be left to God's Judgment when they will not yield to the humble admonitions and Remonstrances of the Clergy for his part Ivo protests that were he oblig'd in obedience to his Superiors to readmit an Excommunicate person in to the Church without penance or satisfaction he would do it by some such Form as this Do not deceive your Self I admit you into the visible Church notwithstanding the Crimes you are guilty of but I cannot open to you the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore I absolve you no farther than I have power to do it those of more Courage and Piety may find out better methods in such cases This seems to me proper enough not that I hereby prescribe to others but to prevent farther mischiefs to the Church think it best to submit thus far to the necessity of the Times The CLXXIId Letter contains a judgment given by Ivo in Favour of the Monks of St. Laurner at Blois against the Abbot and Monks of Vendôme concerning a Chappel near Baugency which he adjudges to belong to the Jurisdiction of the former notwithstanding the Abbot of Vendôme's having appeal'd to the Holy See In the CLXXIIId he relates to Pope Paschal what had pass'd at the Tryal of Rotroc who he tells him has now appeal'd to his Holiness In the CLXXIVth he assures Mathilda Queen of England that he will pray for the Soul of her Brother Edgar King of Scotland who died without issue in the Year 1107. for though he doubts not but his Soul is in Abraham's bosom yet since we cannot be certain of the State of Souls in the other World it is a piece of commendable Devotion to pray even for those in Heaven that their happiness may be augmented and for those in Purgatory that their sins may be forgiven them In the CLXXVth he excuses himself to Pope Paschal for not appearing at the Council he cites him to held at Troyes Anno 1107. by reason of his being very much indispos'd but tells his Holiness he has sent his three Arch-Deacons in his stead In the CLXXVIth to the same Pope he prays him not to oblige Volgrin Chancellor of the Church of Chartres to accept of the Bishoprick of Dol to which he was Elected by the Deputies of that Church in the Council of Troyes and. In the CLXXVIIth Letter he acquaints the Clergy of Dol that Volgrin will not accept of that Bishoprick In the CLXXVIIIth he Counsels Geofry Bishop of Beauvais to punish one of his Clergy who had admitted to Divine Service and consorted with an Excommunicated person In the CLXXIXth to Adela Countess of Chartres he complains of her denying the Clergy of his Church the privileges of Travelling the Roads and of buying Bread and Wine and threatens her in case she do not Revoke the Orders she has publish'd to this Effect that the whole Clergy of the Province shall dayly curse her at the high Altar The CLXXXth Letter gives Ledger Arch-Bishop of Bourges advice to abate sometimes the Rigour of justice and not to be so wholly govern'd by some of his Clergy as not to doe any thing but according to their Pleasures even in judicial matters as hapned lately in the case of Arnoulf of Vierson who was so exasperated by his hard usage that he was forc'd to appeal to Rome upon the very first hearing before them The CLXXXIst is to Richard Bishop of Albane the Popes Legate upon a dispute between the Monks of Vezelay and those of St. Lucian at Beauvais about a Church they both of them laid claim to The CLXXXIId is to Daimbert Arch-Bishop of Sens concerning a difference between Ivo and the Chapter of Chartres who had oppos'd and violently affronted him for conferring the Office of Sub-Dean upon Fulk The Arch-Bishop is agreed upon to be Judge between them and Ivo prays him to appoint the day and place where their cause shall be heard which he wishes may be at Chartres In the CLXXXIII to William Bishop of Paris he asserts that if a Man challenge a Woman for his Wife upon pretence that her Father promis'd her to him he must bring witnesses of such promise and that the Tryal by single combat is not to be allowed in cases of this Nature The CLXXXIVth to Walter Library-Keeper of Beauvais maintains that all Actions about Goods belonging to the Church are to be brought before Ecclesiastical Judges In the CLXXXVth he gives answer to what William Arch-Bishop of Rouen had written him about one who had gottten himself Ordain'd Sub-Deacon before he had pass'd the inferior degrees of Holy Orders In strictness of Law Ivo acknowledges that he should not be permitted to exercise the functions of the Order he has obtain'd nor to Rise to the higher Orders however if his Life and Conversation be unexceptionable and the good of the Church require it he thinks the Arch-Bishop may give him the Clerical Benediction and let him assist at Ordinations not to be Re-Ordain'd but to Confirm him in his Orders In the CLXXXVIth Letter he Answers several Questions propos'd to him by Laurence a Monk of the Monastery of Charity 1. He asserts that we are oblig'd to avoid only those that are Excommunicated for the most notorious and abominable faults 2. That of such we are not to receive any thing but in extream necessity nor are we to give them any thing but for their relief in utmost want and misery 3. That those of the Clergy who buy of Lay-men goods that formerly belong'd to the Church or receive such from them by way of Gift are much to blame if they doe it with any other design but of restoring them to the Church 4. That they who in private Confession discover themselves to be guilty of the greatest crimes are not therefore to be Excommunicated nor put to publick penance as publick offenders however they are to be admonish'd to abstain from the Sacrament and from the Functions of their Orders if they are Ecclesiasticks 5. That the Sacraments are not the less profitable for being administred by wicked Priests nor 6. by Simoniacal ones or such as are Married 7. That the People ought not to abandon their Prelate nor fail in their obedience to him though in many respects blameable till he is publickly Condemn'd or Excommunicated 8. That Confession of common and small sins may be made to any Christian but that great faults are to be confess'd only to those who have the power of binding and loosing 9. That one may entertain an Excommunicated Person provided he doe not Eat with him nor salute him In the CLXXXVIIth he admonishes the Countess of Chartres to leave troubling the Abbot and Monks of Bonneval on Account of the murder of Hugh the Black In the CLXXXVIIIth to Ralph Arch-Bishop of Rheims he delivers his opinion That a Woman who is deliver'd of a Child within two or three Months after her Marriage is not
Letter in which that Pope excites the Count of Flanders to make War with the People of those Territories An Answer to the Inhabitants of Trier concerning the Fast of the Ember-Weeks The Book of Ecclesiastes in Heroick Verse according to the literal allegorical and mythological Senses The continuation of Eusebius's Chronicle after St. Jerome to the Year 1111. A Treatise about the Reformation of the Cycles and another of Illustrious Personages in imitation of St. Jerom and Gennadius Of all these Works there only remain in our Possession the continuation of St. Jerom's Chronicle from A. C. 381. to 1112. The Treatise of Ecclesiastical Writers The Letter written in the Name of the Clergy of Liege and Cambray And the Lives of St. Sigebert St. Guibert and St. Maclou referr'd to by Surius This Author is very accurate in his Writing and attain'd to considerable proficiency in the Study of the Liberal Sciences and in all sorts of Humane Learning HONORIUS SOLITARIUS A Scholastick Divine of the Church of Autun HONORIUS a Priest and Scholastick Divine of the Church of Autun sirnam'd the Solitary flourish'd under the Emperor Henry V. A. D. 1120. We have little account of his Honorius Solitarius a Scholastick Divine of Autun Life but many of his Works are still extant The most considerable is his Treatise of the Lights of the Church or of the Ecclesiastical Writers first published by Suffridus and afterwards by Aubertus Miraeus in their Collections of Authors who wrote those that treated of Ecclesiastical Affairs Honorius has divided this Work into four Books the Three first of which are only an Abridgment of the Treatises on the Ecclesiastical Writers by St. Jerom Gennadius and Isidorus He gives an account in the last of some Authors since Venerable Bede to his time This Treatise contains almost nothing else but the Names and Characters of the Authors and the Titles of their Works It is follow'd by another Treatise of the same Nature containing the Names of the ancient Hereticks and their principal Doctrines Printed at Basil in 1544. To these two Treatises may be added a Chronological Table of the Popes from St. Peter to Innocent II. which is extant among the other Works of this Author The Treatise call'd The Pearl of the Soul or Of the Divine Offices is divided into four Books In the First he treats of the Sacrifice of the Mass Of its Ceremonies and Prayers Of the Church Of its Parts and Ornaments Of the Ministers of the Altar and their Habits c. In the Second he discourses of the Canonical Hours and of the Ecclesiastical Offices for the Day and Night In the Third of the principal Festivals of the Year And in the Fourth of the Concord or Agreement of the Offices of the whole Year with the particular Days and Times on which they are celebrated These Books are full of a great number of Arguments and mystical Explications that have no other Grounds but the Author's Imagination They were printed at Lipsick A. D. 1514. and in the Collections of the Writers who have treated of Ecclesiastical Offices The Treatise of the Image of the World is divided into three Books In the First of these he treats of the World and of its Parts In the Second of Time and its Parts and the Third is a Chronological Series of Emperors Kings and other Sovereign Princes from the Creation of the World to the Emperor Frederick Barberossa The Piece that bears the Title of The Philosophy of the World divided into four Books is a Treatise of the System of the World and of its principal Parts It is follow'd by another Tract of the same Nature touching the Motion of the Sun and Planets The Treatise of Predestination and of Free-will is written in form of a Dialogue and has for its Subject the Explication of that common Question How can Free-will be reconciled with the Certainty of Predestination He defines Predestination to be an eternal preparation to Happiness or Misery of those that have done Good or Evil He affirms That it imposes no necessity of doing either because God does not predestinate to Happiness or Misery but with respect to the Merits of the Person He rejects the Opinion of those who assert That Free-will consists in the Power of doing Good or Evil and defines it to be a Capacity of performing Righteousness voluntarily and without constraint He maintains That Man by his Nature is endued with a Power to act according to the Rule of Righteousness although he stands in need of Grace to do it and is capable of resisting that Grace He says That God made all reasonable Creatures for his Glory but that he left them free to do either Good or Evil by their own Will and that he would have all Men to be sav'd but that 't is their free Will which is the cause of their Damnation Afterwards he explains why God made Creatures when he foreknew that they would sin against him and that they would be damned Why the Word was incarnate Upon what account Mankind having deserved nothing but Punishment after the committing of Sin God leaves some in the Mass of Perdition who are damned by their free Will and saves others by his special Grace which they by no means deserv'd And how Salvation ought rather to be attributed to Grace than to free Will although free Will co-operates with Grace He observes That Children that incur Damnation are justly condemn'd to that Punishment and that those who attain to Salvation are sav'd by Grace which they never merited And as for adult Persons that they are sav'd by Grace and free Will and that those who are damned are doom'd to that Sentence by Justice and by their free Will That Predestination neither saves nor damns any Person by force although all the Elect are infallibly sav'd and the Reprobates infallibly damned But forasmuch as 't is not known whether one be of the number of the Elect or of the Reprobates that 't is requisite to use all possible endeavours for the attaining to Salvation And that the number of the Elect is certainly determined because God from all Eternity knew those who would die in that State He adds That Man since Adam's Transgression may fall by his free Will but that he cannot rise again but by Grace and that God sometimes denies that Grace to those who are too Presumptuous That every Thing which happens in the World ought to be referr'd to God either because he does it or because he permits it or in regard that he does not prevent it that he causes all things to tend to the promoting of his own Glory that he shews Mercy on whomsoever he thinks fit by affording them his Grace that he hardens others at his Pleasure by leaving them in their Wickedness and in the State of Reprobation Lastly after having made some Moral Reflections our Author concludes this Work with a Recapitulation of the Principles that he had already establish'd In
a Treatise of the Monasteries and Abbies of Normandy the History of that of St. Michael's Mount a Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles taken from St. Augustin and the History of the Reign of Henry II. King of England Father Luke Dachery has caused to be printed at the end of Guibert's Works the Supplement and Continuation of Sigibert's Chronicle and the Treatise of the Abbeys of Normandy with a Letter written by the said Robert and his Preface to the Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles OTHO OF S. BLAISIUS continu'd the Chronicle of Otho of Frisinghen to the Year 1190. Otho of St. Blaisiue John Brompton Abbot of Jorval JOHN BROMPTON an English Monk of the Cistercian Order and Abbot of Jorval in the Diocess of York is the reputed Author of a certain Chronicle from the Year 588. to 1198. but the learned Mr. Selden assures us that it was not written by him that he only caus'd it to be transcrib'd and that he did not live in this Century Historians of England THE Kingdom of England has brought forth so many approved Authors who have â—mploy'd their Pens in writing the History of their Native Country that they well deserve to be referr'd to a particular Article HENRY OF HUNTINGTON the Son of a marry'd Priest named Nicolas and the Pupil of Albinus Andegavius Canon of Lincoln was made Canon of the same Church and afterwards Henry Arch-deacon of Huntington Arch-deacon of Huntington by Alexander Bishop of Lincoln whom he accompanied in his Journey to Rome He wrote the History of the English Monarchy from its first Foundation till the Death of King Stephen which happen'd in 1154. It is dedicated to the said Bishop Alexander and divided into Eight or Ten Books being contain'd among the Works of the English Writers in Sir Henry Savil's Collection printed at London A. D. 1596. and at Francfurt in 1601. Father Luke Dachery has likewise published in the Eighth Tome of his Spicilegium a small Tract of this Author concerning the Contempt of the World dedicated to Gauterius He there shews how the Things of this sublunary World ought to be contemned relating many Examples of Misfortunes that happen'd to the Great Personages of his Age and the miserable Death of divers profligate Wretches He declares in the Preface to this Tract that he had before made a Dedication to the same Person of a Collection of Epigrams and of a Poem about Love There are also in the Libraries of Oxford and Cambridge several other Manuscript Works of this Author particularly a Letter concerning the British Kings dedicated to Warinus a Treatise of the Counties of Great Britain another of the Image of the World and a Third of the English Saints WILLIAM LITTLE known by the Name of Guâ—iâ—lmus Neubrigensis was born at Bridlington near York A. D. 1136. and educated in the Convent of the Regular Canons of Neutbridge where Gulielmus Neubrigensis he embraced the Monastick Life He compos'd a large History of England divided into Five Books from the Year 1066. to 1197. This History is written with much Fidelity and in a smooth and intelligible Style It was printed at Antwerp A. D. 1567. ar Heidelberg in 1587. and lastly at Paris with John Picard's Notes in 1610. It is believ'd that he died A. D. 1208. WALTER born in the Principality of Wales Arch-deacon and even as some say Bishop of Oxford translated out of English into Latin the History of England composed by Geffrey of Monmouth Walter Arch-deacon of Oxford John Pyke and continued to his time JOHN PYKE wrote an History of the English Saxon and Danish Kings of England and flourished with the former Historian under King Henry I. GERVASE a Monk of Canterbury compos'd several Treatises relating to the History of England which are contain'd in Mr. Selden's Collection of the English Historiographers particularly Gervase Monk of Canterbury a Relation of the burning and repairing of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury an Account of the Contests between the Monks of Canterbury and Baldwin their Archbishop a Chronicle from the Year 1122. to 1199. and the Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury GEFFREY ARTHUR Arch-deacon of St. Asaph was chosen Bishop of that Diocess A. D. 1151. He left his Bishoprick by reason of certain Commotions which happen'd in Wales and retir'd Geffrey Arthur Bishop of St. Asaph to the Court of Henry II. King of England who gave him the Abbey of Abbington in Commendam Afterwards in a Council held at London A. D. 1175. the Clergy of St. Asaph caus'd a Proposal to be made to Geffrey by the Archbishop of Canterbury either to return to his Bishoprick or to admit another Bishop to be substituted in his room He refus'd to return designing to keep his Abbey but both the Abbey and the Bishoprick were dispos'd of and he was left destitute of any Ecclesiastical Preferment He wrote or rather translated out of English into Latin an History of Great Britain from the beginning to his time which is full of Fables dedicated to Robert Duke of Glocester and divided into Twelve Books It was printed at Paris A. D. 1517. at Lyons by Potelier in 1587. and by Commelin in the same Year it is also inserted among the Works of the English Historians printed that Year at Heidelberg It is reported that he in like manner translated out of English into Latin the ancient Prophecies of Merlin which were printed at Francfurt with Alanus's Observations A. D. 1603. The History of the Church of Durham was written by several Authors the first of whom is Turgot Monk of Durham TURGOT a Monk of that Diocess who compos'd one from its first Foundation to the Year 1096. SIMEON OF DURHAM copied out Turgot's History almost word for word from the Year Simeon of Durham 635. to 1096. and continued it to 1154. He likewise wrote an History of the Kings of England and Denmark from the Year 731. to 1130. A Letter to Hugh Dean of York about the Archbishops of that City and a Relation of the Siege of Durham These Three last Pieces were published by Father Labbé in the first Tome of his Library of Manuscripts The Historians of the Church of Durham by Turgot and Simeon were printed at London with the Works of the other English Historiographers A. D. 1652. WILLIAM OF SOMERSET a Monk of Malmesbury is justly preferr'd before all the other William of Somerset Monk of Malmesbury English Historians His History of England divided into Five Books contains the most remarkable Transactions in this Kingdom since the arrival of the Saxons to the 28th Year of King Henry I. that is to say from the Year of our Lord 449. to 1127. He afterwards added Two Books continuing the History to A. D. 1143. and annexed to the whole Work Four Books containing the History of the Bishops of England from Augustin the Monk who first planted Christianity in these Parts to his time These Works were printed at London
Palaeologus but upon Condition that the Young Emperor John should have the Preheminence That afterwards perceiving that this Agreement was not put in Execution and that Michael did many things irregularly he retir'd and that Michael set up in his stead Nicephorus a Bishop of Ephesus who dying within a Year after Michael recall'd him That the City of Constantinople being re-taken that Prince had us'd all his Endeavours to bring him over to own that the Arch-bishop of Ephesus had been lawful Patriarch and to make him admit of those whom he had Promoted to Holy Orders but that he would not consent to either That notwithstanding this Palaeologus Re-establish'd him in his Patriarchial See but withal continu'd to Persecute him That after this the Young Emperor's Eyes were put out that having understood that Michael had committed that Crime he had Excommunicated him for it That he hop'd he Writers in the Greek Church would have been sensible and repented of his Fault and merit Absolution by remitting a Part of the Taxes But that Prince having not chang'd his Mind he had Three Years after absolutely Excommunicated him in a Council compos'd of the Bishops Clergy and Senate That ever since that Prince had persecuted him and drove him out of his Church under a pretence that he had Administred the Communion to the Sultan's Children tho' it was evident that it was the Metropolitan of Pisidia who had Administr'd to them Baptism and the Eucharist That afterwards he had sent him into Exile after he had caus'd him to be Excommunicated in a Synod and had often us'd him unkindly in the place of his Exile Arsenius being turn'd out Joseph was put up in his Place in the Year 1266. but several would not acknowledge him and adher'd to the Interests of Arsenius which caus'd a division betwixt the Greeks of Constantinople that lasted till the Death of Joseph After Joseph was Depos'd in the Year 1274. John Veccus was set up so that there were at that time Three Patriarchs of Constantinople Arsenius Joseph and Veccus Arsenius dy'd first in Exile Veccus was in Possession of the Patriarchship during the Reign of Palaeologus but after his Death he was immediately Depos'd and Joseph Re-establish'd who dying a while after the Patriarchship was bestow'd in the Year 1284. on George of Cyprus Sirnam'd Gregory who wrote very warmly against Veccus and the Latins He had nevertheless many Adversaries so that perceiving himself despis'd and growing infirm and sick he retir'd into a Monastery where he dy'd after he had been Patriarch Five Years The Greek Church in this Century produc'd a great many Famous Men who Wrote about the Contests between the Greeks and Latins and have given us an History of the great Revolutions of the Eastern Empire An Account of the most Considerable of these Authors we here give you NICHOLAS d'OTRANTES flourish'd at Constantinople the beginning of this Century He made use of an Interpreter in the Conferences which Cardinal Benedict sent in the Year 1201. to Constantinople Nicholas d'Otrantes by Pope Innocent III. had with the Eastern Bishops about the Differences in Religion He compos'd divers Treatises against the Latins among the rest a Treatise concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost against Hugh Etherianus A Treatise to prove That Jesus Christ made use of leaven'd Bread in the Last Supper and a Treatise concerning Saturday's Fast concerning the Marriage of Priests and the other Controverted Points between the Latin and the Greek Church Those Tracts are cited by Allatius who produces some Fragments of them in his Works About the same time flourish'd NICETAS who from being Librarian of the Church of Constantinople Nicetas Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica was advanc'd to the Arch-Bishoprick of Thessalonica He has compos'd a Treatise concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost against Hugh Etherianus divided into Six Dialogues Leo Allatius has quoted some Fragments of it We have likewise in the Jus Greco-Romanum an Answer of this Author to the Queries of Basil the Monk NICETAS ACOMINATUS Sirnam'd CHONIATES from the Place of his Nativity after he Nicetas Acominatus Choniates Logothetes had spent his Youth with his Brother Michael Arch-bishop of Athens was made Secretary of State to the Emperors Alexius and Isaac Angelus and afterwards Advanc'd to the Chief Posts in the Government Viz. to be Lord Treasurer Secretary of State and Lord High Chamberlain to the Emperor When Constantinople was taken by the Latins in the Year 1204. he retir'd with his Wife and Children to Nice in Bithynia where he dy'd in the Year 1206. He has compos'd One and twenty Books of History which begin at the Death of Alexius Comnenus which Zonaras has continued to the Year 1203. Vossius and Lipsius commend his Style his Genius and his manner of Writing and observe that he has affected to imitate the Style of Homer and the Ancient Poets The same Author has compos'd a Tract Intitul'd A Treasure of the Othodox Faith divided into Twenty seven Books the Five first of which are Translated into Latin by Morellus and to be met with in the Bibliotheca Patrum and a Fragment of the Twentieth Book has been likewise Publish'd concerning the Order which ought to be observ'd in admitting the Saracens when they turn Christians The History of Nicetas was Printed in Greek with the Latin Version of Wolfius at Basil in the Year 1557. at Paris in the Year 1566. at Francfort in the Year 1568. at Geneva in the Year 1593. and at Paris in the Body of the Byzantine History in the Year 1647. The Five Books of the Treasure of Othodox Faith were Printed at Paris in the Year 1580. and at Geneva in the Year 1592. The Fragment of the Twentieth Book is to be met with in Greek and Latin in the Second Volume of the Additions to the Bibliotheca Patrum Printed in the Year 1624. MICHAEL ACOMINATUS CHONIATES Arch-bishop of Athens surviv'd his Brother for Michael Acominatus Choniates Arch-Bishop of Athens some time whose Panegyrick he made Printed with the Works of Necetas He has likewise Compos'd several other Tracts and among the rest One upon the Cross which is to be met with in Manuscript in the French King's Library About the same time one JOEL made a Chronological Abridgment from the beginning of the World to the taking of Constantinople by the Latins which was Translated by Leo Allatius Joel and Printed in Greek and Latin at Paris in the Byzantine History in the Year 1651. with the History of GEORGE ACROPOLITA LOGOTHETES This George was promoted George Acropolita Logothetes in the Court of the Emperor John Ducas at Nice and apply'd himself to the study of the Sciences He was afterwards made Lord High Treasurer and Employ'd in the most important Affairs of the Empire Theodore Lascaris made him Regent of all the Western Provinces of his Empire He was taken Prisoner by Michael Angelus but set at Liberty by the Emperor
contains the Life of Scotus and the Testimonies of Eminent Men about his Works his Speculative Grammar which some have falsly attributed to Albert of Saxony a Monk of the Order of S. Augustine His large Questions upon all Logick with the Commentaries of Maurice de Porto Archbishop of Tuam which were before printed at Venice in 1512. and 1600. The Second Tome contains his Commentaries upon the Eight Books of Aristotle's Physicks with the Notes of Francis de Pitigianis of Aretium in Italy which had been printed before at Venice in 1504. and 1597. and after at Lyons 1597. Lucas Waddingus proves that they are not Scotus's There are in the same Tome some imperfect Questions upon Aristotle's Books de Animâ With the Notes of Hugh Cavell Archbishop of Armagh The Third Tome contains divers Treatises of Philosophy The Fourth Tome has his Commentaries upon Aristotle's Physicks with his Metaphysical Conclusions and Questions The Six following Tomes contain his Commentaries upon the Four Books of the Sentences which he made at Oxford with the Notes of Cavell Lichet Poncius and Hiquaeus These Books had been printed before at Venice in 1516. and 1597. at Antwerp in 1620. and elsewhere The Eleventh Tome contains Four Books called Reportata Parisiensia which are an Abridgement made at Paris of his Larger Comment with the Notes of Cavell and Waddingus who observes that this Work is much inferior to the former in Stile and Doctrine It hath been printed by it self at Paris in 1519. and 1600 and at Venice in 1597. The last Tome contains his Quodlibetical Questions with the Notes of Cavell and Lichet which had been before printed at Paris in 1519. Trithemius makes mention of some Sermons of Scotus's upon Time and upon the Saints a Commentary upon the Gospels and Epistles of S. Paul with some other Treatises Bale also attributes to him a Commentary upon Genesis a Treatise of the Perfection of the Monks in which this Question is treated of Whether the Condition of Prelates ought to be preferred before the State of Monks but time must bring them forth to light with many others Works which lie yet undiscovered The Famous Raimundus Lullus descended of a Noble Family in Catalonia was Born in the Raimundus Lullus Isle of Majorca in the Year 1236. He spent the first part of his Life in the Court of James King of that Isle and did not retire from the World till he was Forty years old to enter which is hardly credible into the Order of Grey-Friars From that time he began to Study with so great Diligence that in a little time he made a great Progress in the Oriental Tongues and Liberal Sciences He found out afterward a New Method of Arguing and did all he could to get a Permission to teach at Rome but not obtaining it of Pope Honorius IV. he resolved to put in execution a Design which he had of a long time conceived to Convert the Mahometans Being therefore arrived according to this Resolution at Tunis he had a Conference there with the Sarazens in which he was in great danger of losing his Life and had not been saved but upon Condition that he should depart out of Africa and if ever he returned should be put to Death He then came to Naples where he taught his Method till the Year 1290. when he went again to Rome 〈…〉 get Leave to teach in that City but Beniface VIII who was then in the Holy See deâ—… him From thence he went to Genoa where he Composed several Works and passing from thence through Majorca he came to Paris where he taught his Art Then he returned to Majorca where he had frequent Disputations against the Sarazens Jacobites and Nestorians Then he returned to Genoa and Paris to confirm his Disciples in his Doctrine and again desired a Permission of Pope Clement V. to teach at Rome and being again refused he returned into Africk where he was put in Prison but being delivered from thence at the intreaty of the People of Genoa he Landed at Pisa having lost all his Books in his Voyage by a Shipwreck He then set himself to Preach up the Holy War and having gathered a good Summ of Money in Italy for that end he came to Pope Clement V. at Avignon but not meeting with a kind Reception from him he returned to Paris where he taught till the Council of Vienna to which he went and was earnest with them to establish Colleges in all places where he had taught the Oriental Tongues to Unite all the Military Orders of Monks into One to undertake the Holy War and to Condemn the Writings of Averrhoes but these Propositions were not regarded by the Council The rest of his Life is very fabulous Some say that after he had travelled into France and Spain and Sailed into England to sollicit those Kings to undertake the Holy War where he exercised Chymistry he returned into Majorca from whence he again passed into Africa and was Imprisoned there by the Sarazens who treated him so ill that he died of his Blows as he returned in a Genoa Ship June 29. 1315. in the 80th Year of his Age. The Knowledge and Learning of Raimundus Lullus was as extraordinary as his Life He found a Secret by ranging certain general Terms under different Heads in a Method which he had contrived to make such an Hotch-potch Language fit to talk of all manner of Things and yet the Hearers shall understand nothing particularly by it So that after a Man has heard a Lullist talk a long time upon any Matter he is no wiser nor learned than he was before They that will take the Pains to learn this Method may read his Introduction which is the First of his Works and his Cabala which is his Second in which he explains himself in a brief manner He has written also his Principles of Philosophy which are nothing else but Logick accommodated to his Method his Rhetorick his Great Art which contains an Application of his Method to all sorts of Subjects His Book of the Articles of Faith in which he proves Religion by Reason These Works are printed with some Commentaries of the Lullists at Strasburg in 1651. But there are a great Number of other Works written by this Author printed severally in divers places and among others The Philosophy of Love which is one of his principal Works Composed in 1298. and printed at Paris in 1516. A Treatise of Substance and Accident in which he undertakes to prove the Trinity by Reason Composed in the Year 1313. and printed at Valentia in Spain in 1520. A Tract of the Nativity of Jesus Christ Composed in 1310. and printed at Paris 1499. His Treatise called Blanquerna or of the Five States of Men viz. Married Monks Prelates Cardinals and Popes printed at Valentia in Spanish in 1521. A Treatise of Prayers Meditations and Contemplations or Of the Lover and Loved printed at Paris in 1505. The Praise of the Virgin or the Art