Treatise of Religion and Learning, Book 3 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Sex fuisse Generalia legitima Concilia nemini est dubium. Ea sunt Nicenum habitum contra Arium an. 325. Constantinopolitanum primum, contra Macedonium anno 383. Ephesinum contra Nestorium an. 431. Chalcedonense contra Eutychetem, an 452. Constantinopolitanum secundum, sub Justiniano, & tempore Vigilii, contra trium capitulorum defensores, an. 553. Constantinopolitanum tertium sub Constantino Pogonato contra Monothelicas, an. 680. His sex duo addenda, Sardicense, an. 347. & Constantinopolinatum sub Menua, an 536. quae utraque Generalia, utraque Legitima, sed id circo in numero Conciliorum non recensentur, quia in eorum neutro controvesia ulla nova de fide definita est; sed quae antea in aliis Conciliis fuerant definita, in his … & corroborata fuere. Crakanth Log. l. 5. c. 16.COncilia Councels.
There were six Oecumenical Councels, orthodox, and almost received by all.
Bishop Andrews in his Sermon on Numb. 10. v. 1, 2. reckons up seven. See that Sermon.
The first Nicene Councel called by the Emperour Constantine the Great against Arius, who denied the Deity of Christ. This was held in the year of our Lord 325. at Nice in Bithinia. It consisted of 318 Bishops. The Fathers of that Councel did publish a Creed against the Arians.
The greatest of all Councels next to the Apostles Councel, the great Councel of Nice of 318 Bishops.
Urbs Nicaea clara à Synodo Nicaena, quo coacti à Magno Constantino primo Christiano Imperatore convenerunt contra Arium Alexandrinum in Aegypto Diaconum 318 Episcopi, quorum plerique Constantia tempore persecutionis & dono miraculorum clari fuere, teste Eusebio probatissimo Graeco scriptore. Neand. Geog. parte 2da. Vide Aug. Roch. Biblioth. Vatic. p. 58. to 75. of all these Councels.
The first Constantinopolitan Councel called by the Emperour Theodosius the elder against Macedonius, who denied the Deity of the holy Ghost, in the year of the Lord 383, or 384.
The first Ephesine Councel called by Theodosius the younger against Nestorius, who held, That there were two persons in Christ, in the year 430, or 434.
4. The Chalcedonian Councel called by the Emperour Martian against Eutyches, which affirmed. That there was onelyonly one Nature in Christ after the Incarnation, in the year of the Lord 451, or as some 452, and others 454.
To these two other Councels are added, the fifth, the second Constantinopolitan, in the year 548, or as others reckon it 553. called by Justinian against the Arians, Nestorians, Eutychians.
The sixth is the third Constantinopolitan Councel against the Monethelites, in the year 681, called by Constantinus Pognatus or Barbarus.
For the Councel of Trent aExtat refutatio Concilii Tridentini à Martino Chemnitio adornata nomine Examinis adversus Jacobum Payvam Andradium Lusitanum, anno 7… edita: Nec non Job. alvini Antidoton, & Innocintii Gentiletti Examen, quo demonstrat in multis Articulis hoc Concilium antiquis Conciliis & Canonibus, Regisque Galliae autoritati esse contrarium, ac proinde nullum, & Conciliabulum Pharisaicum esse convincit. Pezel. Mellific. Histor. part. 3.Calvin wrote against it whilst it sate, and Chemnitius and Gentilettus since. Vide ejus Exam. Conc. Trid. l. 3. Sess. 12.
Because nothing was resolved by the Fathers at the Councel of Trent, but all in Rome, History of the Councel of Trent. l. 6. p. 147. The Tridentine Councel was celebrated in the City of Trent in the year 1546. under Pope Paul the third. Between the first and last Session of the Councel of Trent were eighteen years. All the Articles of the Popish Doctrine were confirmed in it. Historia Concilii Tridentini Petri Suavis, l. 6. Cujus Germanus author à quibusdam creditur esse Pater Paulus qui causam Venerorum adversus Paulum V. Pont. acerrimè defendit, à quo primùm Italica lingua conscripta est, & postea auspiciis Marci Antonii de Dominis in Latinam linguam translata, qui eam aliquoties commendat. Gerh. Confes. Cathol l. 1. General. part. 1. c. 4.a blasphemous Proverb was generally used, That, The Synod of Trent was guided by the holy Ghost sent thither, from time to time in a Cl…-bag from Rome.
In this mock-Councel, the Pope which was the principal party accused of Heresie, was the onelyonly Judge and disposer of all things passed therein against all good Examples, Laws, Equity and Reason.
Though the Councel of Trent hath been sufficiently answered by the Protestant Divines, yet that excellent History of the Councel of Trent was never answered by the Papists.
In the Councel of Constance Communion under both kindes, and Wickliffs opinions were condemned.
John Hus and Jerom of Prague were burned against faith given, and safe conduct granted by the Emperour. Then that wicked maxim was established, Haereticis fides non est seruanda, which is against Nature, Scripture, and the Law of Nations.
There is Summa Conciliorum & Pontificum à Petro usque ad Concilium Tridentinum per Bartholomaeum Caranzam Ord. praedicat.1600. Lugduni.
The National Synod of Dort began in the year 1618. To which were sent from England, France, Germany, and other Reformed Churches, many Learned and Orthodox Divines, to discusse and unfold those unhappy Arminian Controversies with which the Low-countreys was then molested.
Confessiones variae.Hîc tum celeberr ima illa Doctrinae confessio, ab urbe in qua & scripta, & Carolo V. Augusto exhibita, nomen est sortita: quemadmodum olim Nicenum Symbolum, ab urbe Niceâ, in qua trecenti octo decim Episcopi contra Arium, a Constantino Magno Imperatore convocati; breviter fidei suae confessionem fuere complexi. Melch. Adam. in vita Brentii. Anno 1530. Omnium celebetrimus est exhibione Augustanae Confessionis, quam Philippus Melancthon adhibito subinde in Confilium Luthero Augustae conscripsit. Fertur Imperator lacrymis profusis, precibus, & votis ad hoc negotium se praeparasse, cum diceret: Quis ego sum, qui Evangelio repugnare possim? Orate pro me misero, ut in veritate constanter persistam. Pezel. Mellif. Histor. part. 3. Vide Thuan. Hist. Tom. 2. l. 28.
The Confessions of Faith of the Churches professing the Gospel, having been long ago exhibited to the several Princes of the Countreys, States and Kingdoms where these Churches are, are now of late very profitably published to the just conviction of all such as slander the Reformed Churches to be variably distracted and rent in sunder with infinite differences of Faith.
Beza hath put out the Harmony of Confessions with Notes upon it.
The most famous is the Augustane Confession.
The Elector of Saxony with the other Princes and Protestant Cities joyned with him, presented to the Emperour Charles the fifth, the Confession of their Faith, written in Latine and Dutch, which afterward from this place, where it was read was called Augustana. It contained two parts: in the first was expounded one and twenty Articles of their Creed. In the second were expounded the Doctrines which were different from the Church of Rome, and the abuses which the Confessionists reproved. The Cities which followed the Doctrine of Zuinglius, presented apart the Confession of their Faith, not differing from the former, but onelyonly in the point of the Eucharist. History of the Councel of Trent, translated by Sir Nathan. Brent, l. 1. p. 54. See Sleid. Comment. lib. 7. and Melch. Ad. in vita Brentii.
Conformities.This holy Book of Conformities, and St. Francis life is in English, so B. Down. of Antichrist, and Crashaw in his Jesuites Gospel, though I cannot purchase it. Crashaw also speaks largely of it in his Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse 9th wound.
There was printed at Bononia in Italy, Anno 1590. a book intituled, Liber Conformitatum Beati ac Seraphici Patris Francisci, written by one Bartholomeus Pisanus a Franciscan Frier, and published by one Hieronymus Buchius, of which book it is affirmed in the Title page, that it is Liber Aureus, a golden book.
There he paints a tree; at the top whereof is Christ, and at the root St Francis: the tree hath twenty branches on the right, and twenty on the left side, and every branch hath four particular fruits; in all eighty: These are equally divided between Christ and St Francis, fourty to the one, and fourty to the other, and each couple or pair of these is one point of Conformity between Christ and St Francis, consisting in all upon fourty particulars, wherein they begin at the birth, and the conception, nay at the very Prophecies and Promises made of Christ, and so proceed to his life, his death, his resurrection and ascension: and in all, and every of these, and every thing else whatsoever may be said of Christ, the very same do they not shame to affirm of that man Francis.
This was not the superfluity of idle and superstitious Monks brains, but the publick Act of their Church, and many Popes one after another allowed it, and by their Charters have confirmed the truth of this Story.
Constantine the Great was born in Britain, of Helena a Britain, as Baronius shews Tom. 3. Annal. Eccles. ad ann. 306. and B. Vsher De Primord. Eccles. Britan. cap. 8. Mr Selden in his Notes on Eutychius.
Constantine the sonne of a Bretan Lady,Constantine the first Christian Emperour was born in Britain. Is Britannica matre genitus in Britannia natus, in Britannia Imperator creatus, haud dubie magnitudinis suae gloriae natale solum particeps effecit. Polyd. Verg. Angl. Hist l. 2. p. 43. Vide plura ibid. & Vossii Epist. ad Artem Grammat. Helena, rarely godly: but as women too often are, too zealous beyond knowledge *Broughton of Consent upon Apocalyps.. See Balaeus his first Century of the Writers of Britain concerning Helene.
Vt fidei forma cunctis videretur, Evangelium Jesu Christi ante se semper ferri fecit, & Biblia sacra ad omnes provincias derinari: diademaque monarchicum primus Brittannis regibus dedit. Balaeus de Script. Britan. Cent. 1.
Robert Constantine. Robertus Constantinus vir singularis eruditionis & diligentiae. Gesn. Biblioth.He was Beza's great friend, he was (saith Thuanus) trium linguarum peritissimus, most skillfull in three Languages, especially in Greek and Latine.
He lived till he was a hundred and three years old, his senses of body and minde being perfect, and his memory strong.
These are his Works,
Lexicon Graeco-Latinum.
Nomenclator insignium Scriptorum.
Dictionarium abstrusorum vocabulorum.
Gasper Contarenus, a Cardinal, a learned and pious man, say some.
Contarenus erat patricius & senator Venetas, magni nominis propter doctrinam, & praeter omnem expectationem dicitur, cùm nihil ambivisset, ad hunc fuisse gradum evectus. Sleid. De Statu Relig. & Reipubl. comment, l. 11. Cardinalis Contarenus legatione sua non bonam gratiam iniit apud Pontificem atque Collegium, quasi non satis acriter se Lutheranis opposuisset, & quasi rempublicam Romanam propè in discrimen adduxisset mortuus est non sine Veneni suspicione. Qui familiariter illum noverunt, de justificatione hominis rectè sensisse dicunt. Fuit vir cum primis doctus, & extat ejus de magistratibus atque republica Venetorum liber. Id. ibid. l. 14. Vide Carlet. Cons. Eccles. Cathol. contra …rid. c. 6. De Fid. Justif. In ipso civilium honorum cursu, honestum decorumque sibi & patriae, de Republica Venetorum volumen edidit, ut institutae leges ex antiquo more civitatis in mandandis honoribus ad memoriam posteritati traderentur. Paul. Jov. Elog. Doct. Vir. Vide Sadoleti Epist. l. 9. Gasp. Contareno.The Doctrine of Justification is handled by him conformable to the Doctrine of Luther and Calvin, and directly against that which was concluded in the Councel of Trent; this he wrote in the year 1541. a little before that Councel.
His Works are in one Volume.
He hath written,
De Elementis corumque mixtionibus.
De Potestate Summi Pontificis.
Summa de Conciliis.
De Rep. Veneta, and other Works.
Ant: Contius a great Lawyer.
He hath written many Works about the Civil-Law.
Adam Contzen, a subtill Jesuite.
He hath written,
Politicorum. l. 10.
Coronis omnium Jubilorum anno saeculari Evangelico Scriptorum.
In quatucr Evangelia Comment.
Comment. in Epistolam ad Romanos.
Aulae speculum sive de Statu, & vita aulicorum.
Methodus doctrinae Civilis, and other things.
Sir Edward Cook, very expert in the municipal Laws of our Land, as his Reports, Commentary on Littletons Institutes, and other learned Works in the Law shew.
Robert Cook of Leeds in Yorkshire hath published a learned Book, styled Censura quorundam Scriptorum veterum.
Nicolaus Copernicus, a great Mathematician.
Tycho Brahe cals him, Alterum Ptolomaeum. Nay, he saith, Epist. Astronom l. 1. Chrystoph. Rothman. Hypothesium concinnitate, Ingens ille Copernicus Astronomorum decus, & succin…tis, & Latinitati tersiori congruis, in suo illo plusquam Atlantico Revolutionum coelestium opere, usus est verbis. Tych. Brah. Praefat. ad Epist. Astron. De Arte Astronomica, si quis alius optimè meritus. Tych. Brah. De nova Stella l. 1. Incomparabilis ille superioris aetatis Astronomus. Tych. Brah. l. 1. De nova Stella. Diligentissimus motuum coelestium observator. Thuani Hist. Tom. 3. l. 76. Gratias ingentes habemus Copernico, qui constitutione anni fiderei magnam Chronologiae lucem intulit. Alsted. Encyclopaed. lib. 17. parte tertia cap. 6.& compendiosa Harmonia invenienda, eum longè exuperabat, scientia & ingenio, si quis alius, eminebat, quaeque à Geometria Arithmeticaque ad hanc Artem constituendam requirebantur, perfectissimè callebat.
He held, That the Earth moved, and the Heavens stood still, by occasion of which Hypothesis, our Countreyman William Gilbert brought in his Magnetical Philosophy.
Hinc ergo videtur fuisse primùm facta Gulielmo Gilberto, occasio cudendae, atque invehendae Philosophiae magneticae, quatenus terram magnum magnetem, & magnetem terellam seu parram terram habuit, ac à diurna terrae circa suum axem verticitate pendere eam, quae est in magnete, magneticisque corporibus, statuit. Gassend. in vita Copernici.
Nec tot inconvenientia à terrae motu proveniunt quot plerique arbitrantur, qui quoniam naturalis erit, insensibilis evadit. Tych. Brah. Epist. Astron. lib. 1. Christ. Rothman.
Maturinus Corderius.
His Latine Works are reckoned by Gesner in his Bibliotheca, and his French by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque.
Corinnas.
There were three learned women of that name.
The first a Thebane, which is reported to have overcome Pindar the Prince of the Lyricks five times, and to have put forth five Books of Epigrams.
Propertius in his second Book speaks of her.
Et sua cum antiquae committit scripta Corinnae.
The second was a Thespian, very much celebrated by the Ancients.
The third flourished in the times of Ovid, and was most dear to him.
Johannes Cornarius a most famous Physician.Janus Cornarius doctissimus ac celeberrimus Medicus, qui opera Basilii & Epiphanii duorum celeberrimorum Graecorum Theologorum Hippocratem & jam totum, & quosdam alios aliorum libros primus latinos fecit, Platonem etiam convertit, Galeni libros plurimos transtulit & perfecit, ut cuncta Galeni opera optimo ordine in aliquot Tomis Basileae ederentur. Neand. Geog. parte prima.
Cornelia the mother of the Gracchi, she hath left Epistles written most accurately. From her the eloquence of her sons did proceed.
Nam Gracchorum Eloquentiae multum contulisse accepimus Corneliam matrem, cujus doctissimus sermo in posteros quoque est Epistolis traditus.
Corradus.
Vir doctissimus, eruditus Ciceronis interpres. Voss. de Histor. Lat. l. 1.
Jo. Arn. Corvinus, as subtill an Arminian as any, next Arminius himself.
Joannes Arnoldi Corvinus, solus plura pro hac Remonstrantium causa scripsit quam omnes reliqui: & cujus adversus Tilenum responso Tileni. à nobis ad ipsos defectionem acceptam ferunt. Walaei Epist. Dedicat. ad Respons. ad ejus censuram.
Dr Halls Decad. of Epist. Dec. 1. Ep. 5. Natione Belga tam scripsit copiosè, tanto concionatus est hominum concursu, ut in praecipuis societatis scriptoribus concionatoribusque videatur numerandus. Biblioth. Script. Societ. Jesu. A Philippo Alegambe edita.Fr. Costerus.
Our Bishop Hall met with him in his travels, he saith thus of him, more teasty then subtil, and more able to wrangle then satisfie.
His Enchiridion Controversiarum is most commended.
Cujus foreign, ineptias, inscitiam, impudentiam egregiè ac toti mundo figillatim detexere viri Cl. Theodorus Tronchinus ac Benedictus Turretinus Collegae nostri. Vedel. exercit. in Epist. ad Smytnenses. c. 2. Homo non protervus sed animi paulo mitioris, quam reliqui sunt in Loyolae schola nutriti: Jesuitici tamen moris tenacissimus. Cham. Praefat. ad Epist. Jesuit.Peter Cotton, an eloquent French Jesuite.
Cotonus Rhetoricus jactantior quam dialecticus acutior. Cham. Praefat. ad 2dam partem Epist. Jesuit.
A more boasting Orator then acute Logician.
Some Posthume works of his are lately published.Sir Robert Cotton.
So renowned for his great care in collecting and preserving all Antiquity. For which he is often honourably mentioned by B. Vsher. and Mr Selden.
Vir praestantissimus Robertus Cottonus, Condus ille ac promus vetustatis longè locupletissimus. Seldeni Praefat. ad Marm. Arund.
John Covel.
A learned Scholar, as his Interpretation of words, and his Institutiones Iuris Anglicani shew.
Ex primis unus erat, qui renascente Anglorum Ecclesia, cum Roberto Barnso, suae professionis d…ctore, Christum pure docuit. Se totum dedidit ad propagandam Evangelii regni Dei gloriam, ut patet in utriusque Testamenti laboriosissi na versione. Exaravit etiam vir pius & doctus, in nativo sermone confutationem Joanni Standtcii ordinem rectum caenae Dom. Defensionem cujusdam Christiani. Novi Testamenti concordantias. Catechismum Christianum. Balcus De Script. Britan. cent. 9.Miles Coverdale sometimes Bishop of Excester, an exile a long time for the profession of the Gospel.
There are these Works of his,
His Confutation of a Treatise which Jo. Standish made against the Protestation of D. Barus.
His Translation of the Bible, and others mentioned by And. Maunsell in his Catalogue of English Books.
Vir & eruditus & valde modestus, cui ad perfectam laudem, sola, meo judicio desit pietas. Cham. Epist. Jesuit. Ignat. Vide Thuan. Hist. Tom. 3. l. 64.Didacus a Covarruvias.
He was most skilfull in the Civil and Canon-Laws, and in all Learning.
Richard Crakanthorp Doctor of Divinity.
Archbishop Abbot said, His Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae contra M. Anton. de Dominis injurias was the most exact piece for controversie since the time of Reformation.
His Defence of Constantine, and others of his Works of Logick and Physick are good.
Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr.
He died a Martyr anno 1556 Cranmer a furtherer of learning and godlinesse.He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury that cast off Antichrist.
As Britain was most blessed under Edward the sixths Reign, so much by his means.
That he might settle the Doctrine of the Gospel in both the Universities, he sent for the most famous Divines out of forraign Naions, and drew them into England, Peter Martyr, Bucer, Fagius, Lascus, Immanuel Tremellius, Bernardus Ochinus, All which with their wives and children were liberally maintained by him.
This way he spent his yearly revenew, so that nothing remained to himself.
He studied the Scriptures diligently and wrote against that grosse opinion of the Papists, affirming the carnal presence of Christ in the Sacrament,His English Books are mentioned by Andrew Maunsel in his Catalogue of English books a Book filled with so much learning and plenty of arguments, that that controversie seems to be handled by none more accurately against the Papists.
Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester being prisoner in the Tower by stealth, and largely inveighed against this Book, in that Book which he named Marcus Constantius.
This Peter Martyr learnedly refuted Cranmer being dead.
After the death of King Edward, when Cranmer was advised by his friends to flie, If I were (saith he) accused of theft, treason, parricide,Hoc in Cranmero admirabile visum est, quod etsi mitissimus ac facillimus in omnibus rebus judicaretur, tamen si divinam veritatem labefactari aut oppugnari à quocunque sentiret, nemo unquam in bellis Imperator majorem animi magnitudinem constantiamque declararet. Antiq. Eccles. Britan. p. 341. or any other wickednesse, I could be induced to flie much more easily then in this cause. For when the Question is not concerning my faith toward men, but toward God, and concerning my constancy in the truth of the holy Scripture against Popish errours, I would rather in this case lose my life then leave the Kingdom.
When King Henry purposed to imprison his Daughter Mary being stiffe for the Popish faction, only Cranmer interceded and mitigated the Kings anger, but the ill will that Queen Mary bore him for having a hand in her Mothers Divorce, that inveterate hatred (I say) toward him, blotted out all his friendly Offices to her.
Jo. Crato.
He was born at Vratislavia the chief City of Silesia, Doctissimus Joannes Crato trium Imperatorum Archiater foelicissimus. Meibom. in Jesuit. Hipp. c. 12. Peripatetici ordinis magnum illud lumen & columen. Gtyn. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 11. Omnis politioris literaturae Hierophantes, egregiè clarus ex scriptis suis, quibus & Galenum & Hippocratem illustravit. Boissardi. Icones.anno 1519. a great Philosopher and Physician, and excellent Poet.
He was Counsellour and chief Physician to the Emperours Ferdinand the first, Maximilian the second, Rodulphus the second for twenty six years.
His Works are mentioned by Boissard in his Icones.