The Dead Yet Speaking, Biography 1
BERENGARIVS.
The Life and Death of Berengarius.
WE read Acts 27.20. when Saint Paul was tossed with the Tempest, that neither Sunne nor Starres for many dayes appeared: This may passe for the dolefull Embleme of the dismall darkenesse in the depth of Popery, wherein Berengarius lived, the subject of our ensuing discourse, and before whom, from the expiring of the Primative Age till his entrance into the Church, little considerable light of knowledge shined amongst many Errours and much ignorance.
2 We have not been idle in seeking, but unsuccesfull in the finding the date of Berengarius birth; and can likewise give no account of his Parentage and extraction. Herein he was not unlike the River Nilus, unknown and obscure for its Fountaine, but famous and renowned for his Streames; and his birth may seeme to be eclips…d, by the resplendant lustre of his life. And Towres in France seated on the river Loyer, was his native City, wherein he was borne about t…e ye…r of our Lord 1020. as by proportion of Cronologie may probably be collected. And it is observable, that as the City of Towres gave the first being to Berengarius, so … Gate of that City called Saint Hues gate (in, at, and neere which, they used to meet) gave the denomination to the Hu…anites, or modern French Protestants, which in the point of Transubstantiation s…cceed to the opinion of Berengarius or rather to the truth of the doctrine it selfe.
3 Here we must not omit, that some have m…intained that this Berengarius came over with William the Conquerour into England, and by his bounty received the Castle of aCamb. Brittan in Northhampton.Barnewell in Northamptonshire for his possession. But the mistake ariseth, by confounding him with another Berengarius his namesake, surnamed Le M…igne, or the Monke, (which also added countenance to their first error) though indeed he was a Martiall man, and no Ecclesiasticall person, on whom the King conferred that Castle. Thus, though we should have …eene right glad to have had this worthy Schollar our Country…man, though not by birth yet by habitation, accounting it Englands honour that he was infeofted with faire demeynes therein; yet because all is grounded upon an Errour, no counterfeit credit, nor false favours shall be assumed by us on others mistakes.
4 Having profited in the Schoole above his equals under Fulbertus his Master, the World began to take notice of his abilities, and at last he was preferred to be Archdeacon of A…giers; a man of a bold spirit, and daring resolution, as God alwayes suits men for the worke they undertake. We may observe in B…ttels, that they set those who are best arm'd …o charge in the first ranke, and order them to follow who are not so compleatly weaponed: God in like manner, in his wisdome appointed that suc… Confessours of the Truth, who were to make the firs… Breach into the Armies of Antichrist, should be accoutred Cappa…pae with undaunted courages (such as this Berengarius and Luther were) though men of meeker mindes and milder dispositions may afterwards be well used in the same service.
5 For his life and conversation, it was so blamelesse that therein he starved the malice of all his adversaries, the long teeth of whose spight could finde nothing to feede upon. He is reported not to have suffered any woman to come in his sight; not because he was a hater of their sex, but because he was to deale with dangerous adversaries, he would warily cut off all occasions of suspition; and in some cases we may say, that over-much warīnesse is but even measure and caution, if it be not too much, will be too little.
6 The maine matter wherein he dissented from the current of the Roman Church, and is honoured for a Champion of the Truth, was, in the point of Transubstantiation; an Errour which crept one of the last into the Church, and was the first that was most vigorously opposed. It took the rise from some extravagant expressions of Damascene and Theophilact, who endeavouring to shew the reality of Christs presence in the Sacrament, scattered such florishing language to that purpose (flowers, though they cannot feede, may sometimes infect) that though well intending, yet ill interpreted, gave occasion to their unskilfull R… ders, who more minded the words then the matter, from such Rhetoricall premises to conclude a Dogmaticall point of the Elements being corporally transubstantiated, against the very being and nature of a Sacrament.
7 The first that effect…ally opposed this Errour was Leuthericus (remark…ble for his name, confining on Lactherus) Archbishop of Senes in France. But the French King …o kept him under with his heavy weight upon him, that he never grew up to any generall notice in the world. More active was the undertaking of our Belengarius (who is challenged by Baronius for reviving the opinions of Leuthericus) and would not be taken off by the smiles or frowns of any who endeavoured by all meanes possible to perswade him to desist in his opposition.
8 There was one Adelmanus Bishop of Brixia schoolefellow with Berengarius, who by most loving letters perswaded him to be reconciled to the Romish Church; he often in his Epistolary addresses intituled Berengarius (even when little better than under the Popes curse) sancte Frater, holy Brother; and addulced his discourse with all luscious expressions unto him. Moreover, he minded him of the counsell which Fulbertus their Master often gave him in horto, in the Garden; who suspecting the activity (nick-named by him turbulency) of Berengarius, often forwarned him with teare…, not to innovate any thing in matters of Religion, and humbly to submit his judgement to the censure of the Church. Nor were promises of preferment wanting, on condition he would comply with the Court of Rome; who, on the revocation of his opinion, might easily have turned his Arch-deaconry into a Bishopricke. But all was in vaine, he still persisted loyall to his first principles, and no golden promises could bribe his judgement against his conscience.
9 Here it is no part of our imployment, much lesse of our purpose to be advocate for all the fauls of Berengarius. It being madnesse in any man, who is unable to pay the score of his owne faults, utterly to breake himselfe by being surety for the offences of others. OnelyOnly we submit the ensuing particulars to the judgement of the impartiall Reader; that when he meets with the manifold charges drawne up against this party accused, he would be pleased to take what followeth into his serious consideration.
10 First, that he was a man, and so subject to errour: And therefore he is no man who will not afford him a pardon of course, for those failings proceeding from human infirmity. Secondly, that he lived in a darke age; and therefore was more obnoxious to stumble. So that we need not condemne him that his errours were …o many; but rather praise Gods goodnesse, that they were no more; yea, this I dare bouldly affirme, that if the morning grow so proud as to scorne the dawning of the day, because mixed with darkenesse, Midde day will revenge her Quarrell, and may justly take occasion to conteme the Morning, a… in lustre infiriour to her selfe. Thirdly, Berengarius was vexed with oposition, which makes men reele into violence, and no reason it is, that the constant temper of his soule, should be guessed from som ague-fits (as I may terme them) of his passion, and that his positive opinion should be stated from his polemicall heate, when he was chafed in disputation. Lastly, to render him whilest living, and his memory when dead more odious, his Adversaries have fastened many false accusations upon him.
11 We that live in this distracted age, know too well how ready men are to cast aspersions on thos… who differ from them in point of opinion: which should make us more charitable in passing our verdicts on those in former ages, which dissented from the received opionions. Wherefore, when we read Baronius calling him hominem mendacissimum, impudentissimum, with other epithets to the same sence, we know how to defalce our credit accordingly. True it is, one fault he was guilty of, which we are so far from excusing or extenuating, that we would throw the first stone against him our selves, but that consciousnesse to our owne frailtyes commands us to hold our hands, lest hitting of him we wound our selves, as subject without heavens especiall support to the same infirmiti…s. However seeing God is gloryfied in his servants weaknesse, and every stumble of man is a steppe to Gods throne, we will plainly and simply set downe the unexcusable inconstancy of Berengarius.
12 Being summoned to appeare before Pope Leo the ninth, at first he refused to obey his command, therein following the Councell of Peter de waldez (from whom the Waldenses received their names) but afterwards being otherwise advised, and wearied with the importunity of his adversaries, he not onelyonly made his personall appearance before the Pope, but also solemnely in the presence of the Councell at Rome retracted and abjured his opinions. Indeed formerly he had set forth a worke in the nature of an Expedient, wherein he did much qualifie and mitigate his expressions, abating much of their edge and sharpnesse, if possibly he might have made them comply with the Sence of Rome. But this proving ineffectuall and not giving expected satisfaction to the Conclave, he was last faine in terminis to renounce and recant his opinion in the presence of 113. Bishops.
13 But having got out of the reach of his enemies pawes he reassumed his Tenents again, remitting nothing of his former zeale, but rather asserting them with more ardour and vehemency then before. But alasse, no sooner was he seazed on the second time, but that he again abjured his opinions in the Lateran Councell under Pope Gregorie the seventh, to the indeleblest staine of his name for his inconstancy.
14 After his second Recantation, we find little of the manner of his demeanour unto the day of his death. And we easily conceive, that clouded with shame for his former fact, he affected obscurity, and lived as invisible as might be in the World. We find not that he excepted of any preferment in the Church, or that any was offered him. A presumption that he was not re-estated in the favour of the Popish party, not confiding in him as thorow paced in their Religion. Charity commands us to hope that at the crowing of the Cocke of his Conscience, he might awake out of his former sleepe, and weepe bitterly with him, who on his repentance was received into Christs favour.
15 Two especiall adversaries Berengarius had, Guitmundus, and Lanke Franke a Lumbard, the latter of more learning than Piety, more parts then learni…g, more pride then both, was well rewa…ded for his paines for disputing and wri…eing against Berengarius with the rich Arch bishopricke of Canterbu…y. But B…rengarius never mounted higher then his Arch Deaconry of Angiers where he died on Epiphanie or Twelfe day, Anno 1088. D…fferent is the judgement of learned men concerning his finall estate. Heildebert bishop of Maine and our William of Malmesbury, say that he died homo novus, a reclaimed man, and dandle him in the lappe of the Romish Church as a true childe thereof. But Cardinall Baronius lookes upon him under the notion of a Hereticke, accounting his Recantation but superficiall indited rather from his Cowardise then Conscience. O…r Illyricus, in His catalogue of the witnesses of the Truth, affords him a principall place therein. We leave him to stand or fall to his owne master, according to that concluding Disticke, which we find in an Aauthor:
Cum nihil ipse vides propria …uin labe laboret,
Tu tua fac cures, caetera mitte Deo.
Seeing nought thou seest but faults are in the best,
Looke Thou unto thy selfe, leave God the rest.
16 Remarkeable are his words wherewith he breathed out his last gaspe, which Illyricus reporteth to this Effect: now am I to goe, and appeare before God, either to be acquitted by him as I hope, or condemned by him as I feare. Which words, as they savour not of that full assurance of Salvation which God vouchsafeth to many of his servants, so they carry not with them any offensive Breath of Despaire. And it is no contradiction in Christianity, to rejoyce before God with trembling. And in this Twilight we leave Berengarius to that mercifull God, who knoweth whereof we are made and remembereth we are but dust.
Most worthily may this Divine
Old Berengarius, fairely shine
Within this Skie of lustrious Starres,
Who, 'gainst Romes errours fought Truths warres;
Confuting, with high approbation,
Romes sigment, Transubstantiation;
Which did that Hierarchie so vex,
And with such passion so perplex,
That they would never give him rest,
But did his Soule so much molest,
That at the last, by fraud and force,
They made him (with most sad remorse)
Two severall times his Cause recant.
Him of his Crown, thus, to supplant.
Thus, O, thus, oft, Sols raye most rare,
With duskie clouds ecclipsed are.