Treatise of Religion and Learning, Book 3 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Natus est anno Olympia. dis XCIX. Castellanus. Quem dubito scientiarerum, an scriptorum copia, an eloquendi suavitate, an inventionum acumine, an varietate operum, Clariorem putem. Quintil. Instit. orat. l. 10. c. 1. Sola regnum tenet passim Aristotlis Philosophia, ab Alexandro Magno in Graecia, à Carol… Magno, in Germania, Gallia, Italia, Hispania, Belgio, authoritatem nacta. Hecreboord. Epist. Sel. ad Select. ex Philos. Disput. Ipsius Authoritas omnia Pulpita, omnes scientiarum aditus eo aevo (utinam non de nostro idem conqueri liceret) adeò occupaverat, ut nefas indicarent, ab ejus placitis latum unguem discedere. Tych. Brah. De Cometa anni 1577. l. 2. c. 6. Primus Aristoteles Philosophiam, à diversis per fragmenta sparsim mutilatimque traditam, in ordinem redegit, ac velut in corpus compegit, ut qui à Poetis ac Rhetoribus orsus, ad Logicen deducit. Eras. Epist. l 28. Epist. 13. Moro. Vide plura ibid. Hic vir singularis, & propè divino praeditus ingenio, Rhetorices libri felicis ingenii monumenta declarant, & plenè ejus laudibus velificantur. Et certè in Ethicis, politicis & oeconomicis, auream habet sapientiae opulentiam, manans ubique leniter sine salebris. Fuit inter aetatis suae philosophos Coryphaeus. Causin. Eloq. Sac. & human. Paralel. l. 1. c. 23. Vide Ludov. Viv. de caus. corrupt. Art. l. 1. & Cl. Gatakeri praeloquium ad Amoninum l. 1.ARistotle he was born at Stagira in Macedon. He was Plato's Scholar, and the chief of the Peripateticks.
Sectam condidit omnium longè nobilissimam, quam Peripateticam vocarunt, eo quòd inter ambulandam artes commentationesque suas discipulis tradoret. Castellanus de vitis Medicorum.
He was not only the Master and Patriark of Philosophy, Logick and Rhetorick, but also especially learned in Poetry, both in respect of the Art, and the composing of verses. Lil. Gyrald. de Poet. Hist. Dial. 3.
He was Master to Alexander the great, of whom he was much esteemed, for his sake he repaired his Countrey Stagira, being much decayed.
He alone both invented and perfected the whole Art of Logick. Vide Crakanth. Log. l. 4. c. 4. & 16.
Crakanthorpe in his Treatise De Providentia, proves, that Aristotle did not deny Gods Providence, and that the Book De mundo is his.
He is called the Philosopher by an excellency.
Richard Fitzrauf, or Fitzraf Armachanus. 1350.
Episcopus & primas Hyberniae juris ac Theologiae egregie peritus scripsit contra omnes mendicantes. Vixit fermè ante 200 annos. Praecipuè autem reprehendit, quod in mendicatione (quae in validis furti genus est) religionem collocarent. Contentio ea us que ad mortem ejus perducta est, nec unquam vel antea vel postea aut ipse damnatus est, aut Monachi absoluti, Illyr. Catal. Test. verit.Among those famous Clerks that lived in the family of Richard Angervill Bishop of Durham in the dayes of Edward the third, Thomas Bradwardine, who was afterward Bishop of Canterbury, Richard Fitzrause afterward Archbishop of Armagh, and Robert Holcot the Dominican were of special note. Richard of Armagh my Countrey-men commonly call S. Richard of Dundalk, because he was there born and buried. B. Vsh. Answ. to the Jes. Challenge, of Merits.
He wrote against the Mendicant Friers, and should have been canonized, but for them.
A man for his life and learning so memorable, as the condition of those dayes then served; that the same dayes then as they had but few good, so had they none almost his better. He was first brought up in the University of Oxford in the study of all liberal knowledge, wherein he did exceedingly profit under John Bakenthorp his Tutor. There were thirty thousand Students in Oxford in his time. Foxes Act. and Monum. Vol. 1. p. 532. to 543.
He wrote seven Books De paupertate Salvatoris, wherein he proves that Christ was not a beggar.
Iacobus Arminius.
He was a learned man, and (as some say) of a strict life for a Dutchman.
He hath written Disputat. 24. de diversis Christianae Religionis capitibus.
Orationes & Controversiae Theologicae.
Examen libelli Guil. Perkinsii. De Praedestinatione & amplitudine gratiae divinae analysis cap. 9. ad Romanos. De gemino sensu cap. 7. ad Romanos.
Amica cum Fr. Junio per literas habita collatio de Pradestinatione.
Arnobius lived in the year of our Lord 300.
He was the chiefest man of his time for Latine eloquence.Rhetorica professione clarus in Africa fuit Arnobius, circa annum Christi trecentesium trigesimum, auctore Hieronymo. Illyr. Catal. Test. verit. l. 4. He was Lactantius his Master, both of them wrote seven very learned books against the Heathens, consisting of many of their own testimonies produced against them.
Arnoldus de Villa Nova, a Spaniard, a man famously learned, and a great writer, anno 1250. whom the Pope with his spiritualty condemned among Hereticks for holding and writing against the corrupt errours of the Popish Church. Caius de antiqu. Cantab. Acad. l. 1. saith, He lived an. Dom. 1300. when Raimundus Lullius and Roger Bacon flourished in England.
Arianus *Fuit Philosophus ex Nicomedia oriundus, atque Adriano ac Antonio imperantibus Romae clarus novus Xenophon cognomento ind…atus. Whea. De Meth. leg. Hist.a Greek Historian, very faithfull, he writes the things done by Alexander the Great, as Q. Curtius doth in Latine in an elegant style. He imitates Xenophon, therefore he is called another and a lesser Xenophon. He wrote well also upon Epictetus.
Arzahel a great Astronomer.
Asconius Pedianus, a famous Historian.
Roger Ascham *In initio regni Philippi & Mariae in tribus solum diebus, 47. diversas Epistolas ad 47. diversos principes, quorum infimi erant. Cardinales, & excogitabat ornatè, & depingebat politissimè E.G. Oratio de vita & obitu Rogeri Aschami. Ad Henricum octavum Anglorum regem elaboratissimum opus ex variis authoribus in lingua Britannica conscripsit. De arte sagittandi Balens De Script. Britan. Cent. 9., Secretary for the Latine to Queen Elizabeth, the only Englishman who hath written a Volume of Latine Epistles, they were published by Doctor Grant.
He was very intimate with Jo. Sturmio, as the Epistles written between them shew, though he never saw him.
Two only of his Books, Toxophylus and his Schoolmaster with a little Tract of his Travels in Germany are published in English.
He flourished in the year of our Lord, 1540.
Aspasia a great Philosopher, she was the Mistresse of Pericles, Rhetoricem exercuit. Non igitur jam Musas, non Sybillas, non Pythias objiciant vetusta nobis saecula. Non suas Pythagorei Philosophantes foeminas: non Diotimam Socratici: nec Aspasiam: sed nec poetriam illas Graeca jactent monimenta: Telesillam: Corvinam: Sappho: Amyten: Erinnam: Praxillam: Cleobulinam: caeteras: credamusque facile Romanis jam Laelii, & Hortensii filias: & Corneliam Graccorum matrem fuisse matronas quantumlibet eloquentissimas scimus hoc profecto: scimus nec eum sexum fuisse à natura tarditatis aut hebetudinis damnatum. Polit. l. 3. Epist. Epist. 17.and at length his wife. Plut. in Pericles.
Angelus Politianus in an Epistle to Cassandra that learned Venetian maid, mentions Aspasia and many other learned women, and saith, that Sex is not naturally slow or dull. So doth Thevet Vies des hommes illustres in Sappho.
Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria.
He was worthy in honour to be immortal in the Church according to his name.Anno Dom. 340.366 saith Helvicus in Chron. Moritur an. 877. Cum Episcopatum Alexandrinum pace belloque gessisset annis 46. post multiplicia illa pro Ecclesia certamina, quorum similia Episcoporum aut doctorum Ecclesiae, neminem sustinuisse unquam legimus. Geneb. Chron. l. 3.
He was the wonder of all the world for his learning, piety and constancy, standing like an unshaken Rock against the Sea of Arian Errors.
He was called Haereticorum Mallens, and was one of the chiefest in the Councel of Nice.
He foretold the destruction of Julian the Emperour, when by his Edict he was cast out of Alexandria, he said to his hearers bewailing his exile, Bono animo estote filioli nubecula est, brevi evanescet, Be of good courage my children, it is but a little Cloud, and will soon vanish away.
He lived (say some) six years in a Well without the light of the Sun, forsaken of friends, and every where hunted by enemies.
The Great Athanasius; he was Great, for his learning, for his vertue, for his labour, and for his sufferings, but above all Great for his *Yet some Learned Divines say, it was not Athanasius his, in being not originally Greek, but turned out of Latine, it speaks of the procession of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne. Vide R. Episc. Vsser. praefat. ad Symbola.Creed. B. And. Opusc. Posth. Speech in Star-Chamb against M. Trask.
Is scriptor caetera quidem praeclarus inconjugium iniquior est. Dallaus de Pseudepig. Apost. l. 2. c. 2.Athenagoras, an Athenian Philosopher, who wrote an Apology for Christians.
Anno Aerae Christ. 162. Calv. 161. Helv. Chron. 170. Bibl. Philos. Scriptor verè foreign, undecunque doctissimus: & ut paucis multa complectamur, Graecorum Varro aut Plinius. Casaub. praefat. ad Animadvers. in Athen.Athenaeus, He lived in the time of Marcus Antoninus the Emperour.
His Works are put out in Greek and Latine by Isaac Casaubone with learned Notes.
Se Aventinum à loco vocavit, quod ejus patria olim Aventinum diceretur. Nunquam sodalitio delectabatur, sed sibi & studiis vixit. In conversatione tamen valdè pius & affabilis, in familia ne puero onerosus erat, saepius dicebat: Homo bulla, & nascendo morimur. Pantal. De viris Illust. German.Joannes Aventinus. He was born anno 1466.
Beatus Rhenanus gratulates him to his Germany, and cals him Eruditissimum Aventinum, & variarum cognitione disciplinarum praestantem. Erasmus styles him, Hominem studio indefatigabili ac reconditae lectionis, his just Epitaph styles him, Rerum antiquarum indagatorem sagacissimum, No man in his History can tell his Religion.
He wrote ten Books of Germany illustrated; of which see the heads in Neander his Geog. parte 1a, and the Titles in Gesners Bibliotheca.
Averroes aAnno Aerae Christianae 1152. Helv. Chron. Philosophus insignis, qui & ob ingenii praestantiam Commentatoris est nomine hodiéque cohonestatus. Biblioth. Hisp. Tom. 2. Averroës Philosophorum inter Arabes princeps, magni Commentatoris nomine superbus (quem, si per Latinae linguae liceret genium, Commentorem aut Commentorem verius quis dixerit, tot nobis commenta reliquit) singula Aristotelis verba divina esse oracula, arbitratus est. Heerboord. Epist. Dedicat. ad Select in Philos. Disput. Inter Arabas praecipui medici sunt Avicena, Rhazes, Averrboës, Avenzoar, Mesue, Serapio, & Alsabaravina. Qui delectantur fusa & polydaedala varietate remediorum, Avicennam amplectantur: Cuncta enim hujus aevi remedia ex eo manant. At Razes utilis illis, qui efficacem & contractam medicinam amant, hic centum annos medicinam fecit. Hunc Vesalius paraphrasi eleganter decoravit. Heurn. Dissert. De studio medicinae.a Physician at Corduba in Spain, a Commentator upon Aristotle.
He flourished in that time when Gratian the Monk, Peter Lombard, and Peter Comestor flourished.
Avicenna bDe Religione suspectus est, quod de rebus ad alteram vitam spectantibus philosophicè argutandi casque aliter ac sonant verba interpretandi audaciam sibi sumpserit. Ita, si bene memini, a docto apud illos quodam cui ejus istis de rebus sententiae mentionem injaci, responsum accepi. Pocock. Not. Miscel. ad Portam Mosis c. 7.è stirpe regia, he was also a famous Philosopher and Physician of Corduba, anno Christi 1002. Averroes and he were two famous Arabians.
Besides Physicks, he wrote a Metaphysick also, much esteemed of.
An. D. 4326. natus erat. Anno à Christo 355 Caluis. Chronol. 393. Helu Chronol. Erasmus praef. ad Tom. 7. operum August. vocat. Augustinum incomparabilem Ecclesiae doctorem & invictum propugnatorem. Solidiffimi judicii vir, & in fidei dogmatibus disceptandis princeps. Montacut. Antidiat.Augustine Bishop of Hippo.
Bishop Andr. in his Opusc. Post. de Decimis cals him Decus Aphricae.
He was the most accomplished that ever writ since the dayes of the Apostles. Kellets Miscel. lib. 1. cap. 8. Dr. Field hath the like of him, De Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 32. p. 170. B. Vsher also ascribes as much to him. Magnum est ejus in Ecclesia nomen. Whitak. de sacr. Script. Controv. 16. Quest. 6. His name is great in the Church of God.
He is the most Doctrinal among the Ancient Fathers.
The Doctrine of St Augustine was approved anciently by the Catholick Church, and till this new fangled age generally and commonly allowed and embraced both by the Romanists, and by the Protestants. B. Dav. Animadvers. upon Gods Love to Mankind, p. 103.
His Works are published in magno folio in ten Tomes, purged by Erasmus.
It is pity that so great a Pillar of the Church was no better skilled in the Originals aNec Hebraice scribit Augustinus & Graece minus quam mediocriter. Lod. Viv. in August. De Civit. Dei. l. 15. c. 13. Unus Aurelius Augustinus, vir tantus, retractationum libros reliquit, simpliciter ac bona fide, quem nullus est ad hoc tempus imitatus, viz. mansueto vir ingenio, & modicè de seipso …entiens. Lud. Viv. De caus. corrupt. Art. l. 1. Vide Polit. Miscel. Cent. 1. c. 1.of the sacred Tongue.
He was famous for two of his Works especially, his b Retractations, which are the Confessions of his errours, and his Confessions, which are the Retractations of his life.
In Ludovicus Vivet his time, there was none that. had imitated him in such a work of Retractations.
Bellarmine hath since wrote a Book of Recognitions, wherein he makes some things worse. Vide Casaub. Epist. ad Front. Duc. p 39.
He doth the most accurately of any handle the Controversie de Gratiâ against the Pelagians, yea and against the Papists.
He confutes the Brownists in his Book against the Donatists; and the Socinians, in that De Vtilitate Credendi.
He defended the truth against whatsoever errour prevailed in his age:
His Book de Doctrina Christiana is a good Body of Divinity.
His Books de Civitate Dei are full of humane learning.
Some most dislike, amongst Augustines interpretation of Scripture, his Exposition on the Psalms, though it be full of excellent matter.
Nunquam infelicius in Scripturis sanctis versatus, quam in Psalmorum enarratione. Smeton. ad Hamile.
He died in the 76 year of his Age.
Antonius Augustinus very skilfull in all Ecclesiastical Antiquity, History,Vir ad miraculum doctus, cui jus utrumque Civile & Canonicum suam puritatem & nitorem praesertim debet. Dr Duck De Authorit. Jur. Civil. Romanorum. l. 1. c. 7. Qui politioris literaturae ac antiquitatis rara cognitione sibi in Italia comparata, & juris Romani ac postremo Pontificii exquisita scientia meruit, ut Romae inter XII. viros litium judicandarum à Pontifice cooptaretur; inde Alifanius primum, dein Ilerdensis in Hispania Episcopus creatus, multa in Italia dum fuit, & postea in patria ad aeternam memoriam victura monumenta edidit, sive edenda Falnio Ursino commisit. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 4. l. 84. and in the ancient Law, a great light of Spain.
Tarraconensis Archiepiscopus, vir Romanaerum antiquitatum, & melioris litteraturae peritissimus. Merul. Cosmog. part. 2. l. 2.
The History of the Councell of Trent mentions him, l. 6. p. 494, 495. Antonius Augustinus Bishop of Lerida, an Antiquary, &c.
There are several Epistles of Manutius to him, Epist. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. wherein he much commends him.
Divers of his Works are published, mentioned in the Oxford Catalogue, and more fully in the Oration of Andreas Schottus in Funere Ant. Augusti.
His four Books Emendationum Juris he published when he was scarce twenty five years old. Qui libellus, si molem spectes, in speciem exiguus; sin rerum utilitatem, ponderumque momenta, sinuosii aliorum voluminibus anteponendus. And Scot. Orat. in fun. Ant. August.
Ioannes Auratus.
He was much respected by Charles the ninth King of France, the Regius Professour for Greek in Paris, and the chiefest Poet of his time. He was most skilfull in Latine and Greek, Ronsard Bayfius and Bellay were his Scholars.
Some of his Poems are published,
Auratam nemo te dicat, magne Poeta,
Aurea namque tibi Musa lepósque fuit.
Papir. Masson.
Fuit patria Burdegalensis, quae Galliarum adhuc est …ivitas, Christianus quidem fuit, ut ejus versibus facilè colligimus: sed petulantior ramen & lascivior, quā ut inter Christianos numerari dignus sit. Floruit imprimis Gratiano & Valentiniano Augustis imperantibus: quin & Gratiani ipsius magister fuit, à quo & consulatu & consulari dignitate ornatus est. Lil. Gyrald. De Poet. Histor. Dial. 10. Vide Jodoc. Sincer. Itin. Galliae Append. p. 447. Anno Christi 379. Calvis. Chron.Decius Ansonius, A French Poet of Burdeaux, as himself shews,
Burdegallia est mihi natale solum,
Vbi mitis est Coeli clementia.
He wrote this of himself,
Diligo Burdegalam, Roman colo, civis in hâc sum,
Consul in ambabus —
He was Master to Gratian the Emperour, by whom he was made Consul. He was very skilfull in Greek and Latine; he wrote many things in Prose and Verse.
His saying was Beatum esse non qui habet quae cupit, sed qui non cupit, quae non habet. He is blessed not which hath the things which he desires, but who doth not desire the things which he hath not. Therefore the Aquitanes did boast of him, Quemadmodum Ausonius neminem sibi proposuit imitandum: ita Ausonium nemo nunc potest imitari. As Ausonius propounded none to himself to imitate, so no man can now imitate him. Scis quam non vulgaris eruditio sit in pocmatis Ausonii. Jos. Scalig. N. M. in opusc.
Azo a Bononian, he brought a great light to the Laws: Odofredus and Accursius were his Scholars.
Azorius, a learned Jesuite. His Institutiones Morales are published in three Volumes. He hath gone over the ten Commandments in Case-Divinity.
Novarrus Canonistarum facilè princeps Papae poenitentiarius. Molin. Hyperaspistes.Mart. ab Azpilzenta, who also is commonly called Doctor Navarrus, or Navarrus.
The honour of Navarre, aDr Halls Advertisement to the Reader at the end of the second Edition of hic Practical Case of Conscience Resolut. Vir fuit non modò summa sanctimoniâ, ac pietate praeditus; sed etiam animi dotibus, & conscientiae candore mirificè exornatus. Thomas. Illust. Vir Elog. Vide plura ibid. Martinus ab Aspilcueta doctor Navarrus dictus, quod paternum & maternum genus ex Navarra duceret, qui Salmanticae primum, d…n Conimbricae per multos annos jus Pontificum magna non solum eruditionis, sed pietatis ac sinceritatis fame professus est, innumeris & summae authoritatis in eo genere editis monumentis; vir praeter eas, quas laudavi in eo virtutes, constantia & fide praestans. Thuan. Hist. Tomo qu…rto lib. 84. Homo probus, & in casibus, quos vocant, conscientiae examinandis, de quibus & omnium peritissime scripsit, versatus. Id. ibid. Martinus ab Aspilcueta, & Didacus Covarruvim ambo Hispani & magni nominis Jurisconsulti. Thuan. Tom. 5. lib. 108.Martinus Azpilzenta at ninety years finished the fourth Edition of that his elaborate Manual of Cases of Conscience.
He was very dear to three of the Popes, Pius Quintus, Gregorius Decimus tertius, and Sixtus Quintus, so that they would not use any other Counsellour in iis dijudicandis, quibus conscientia constricti tenemur. Jani Nicii Erithraei Picanotheca. He had many famous Scholars, among which Didacus Covarruvias was one.