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A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning · Edward Leigh

A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning, Book 3 · Chapter 18

CHAP. XVIII.

THo. Erastus a learned Physician.Annum clausit mors Thom… Erasti Badenis in Helvetiis nati, qui Philosophiae & Medicinae studiis hac aetate claruit, solidis, veris, atque adeo à veteribus proditis utriusque scientiae primordiis constanter insistens, itaque & Astrologiam, quae ex positu Astrorum de fortunis hominum decernit, validis argumentis confutavit, & Paracelsiam medicinam, quae seu novitate seu vanitate sua in Germania ac alibi tot ingenia all exit, validis itidem argumentis confutatam acerrime insectatus est ad ultimum etiam humanas scientias egressus Theologica tractavit, & quaestionem de disciplina ac censuris non omnino ex suorum sententia agitavit, unde graves in Helvetiorum Ecclesiis exortae contentiones tandem sexagenario major hoc anno Basileae, ubi sicuti Neidelbergae diu antea docuerat, qui naturam tot doctissimis scriptis illustraverat, naturae debirum persolvit. Thuan. Hist. Tome tertio. lib. 79.

He wrote against the Excommunication of Church-officers, and is ananswered by Beza.

Many follow his judgement in these dayes, which some call Erastians.

His Works are mentioned in Oxford Catalogue.

Eratosthenes foreign, & post hominum memoriam variae eruditionis princeps omnium bonarum artium peritus, unde & priscis foreign, quòd omni disciplinarum certamine contendere minimè detrectaret. Ioan. Wo…weri. De umbra c. 14. Natus est sub Ptolomaeo Philadelpho anno primo Olympiadis 126. sed à successore illius Ptolomaeo Euergete arcessitus, Athenis venit in Aegyptum, atque ibi Alexandrinae Bibliothecae praefectus fuit. Voss. De Histor. Graec. l. 1. c. 17.Eratosthenes.

He is called by some Plato minor, Plato the younger for his singular Learning.

Erinua a learned Poet.

She wrote in the Dorick Tongue an elegant Poeme, consisting of three hundred Verses, and also other Epigrams.

They report that her Verses ad Homericam accessisse Majestatem.

Politian mentions her in his Epistle to Cassandra, l. 3. Epist. 17.

Thom. Erpenius.Mores compositi erant & suaves, ut facilè omnes in sui amorem pelliceret. Ingenium faelix, non modò ad aliquid capiendum; sed etiam reservandum: amicitiam Londini iniit cum Gulielmo Bedello, viro longè doctissimo, atque orientalium linguarum peritissimo: qui Erpenium ad easdem excolendas plurimum hortabatur. In Helvetia nullius ei jucundior amicitia fuit, quam viri clarissimi Ioannis Buxtorsii, quo Hebraicarum literarum intelligentiorem magisque in Rabbinicis & Talmudicis exercitatum Europa habet neminem Suada quaedam insidebat viri illius labris quae sic orationem temperabat, ut non solùm quae tetrica viderentur, perspicuè tractaret; sed auditorum etiam animos incredibili quadam perfunderet voluptate. Constantinus L'Empereur Sixtinus ab Amama & Iacobus Golius ejus erant discipuli. Voss. Orat. in obitum Erpenii. Ille vir videtur mihi divinitus nactus esse spartam ornandi linguas exoticas, praesertim Arabicam; cujus eam cognitionem labore improbo & magnis impensis est consecutus, ut ipsis Arabibus fuerit miraculo jam ante unum aut alterum annum. Ego certè stupore defigor, quoties de illo portentoso ingenio cogito. Casaub. Epist. 116. Heinsio. Vide Epist. etiam ejus Erpenio.

He was excellently skilled in the Oriental Tongues, the Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabick, Syriack, Aethiopick, Persian and Turkish. The King of Morocco did so much esteem his Letters written in Arabick for their Elegancy, that he kept them amongst his Cymelia. He is celebrated through the whole Christian world, as the restorer of the Arabick Tongue. He was of incredible diligence and industry, to which was added a rare facility of wit and sweetnesse of manners, for which he was much respected by Philip Mornie, Ioseph Scaliger, Isaac Casaubone.

He died at Leyden in the flour of his Age Anno 1624.

These were his Works,

Grammatica Arabica cum Lockmanni fabulis & adag. Arabum.

Pentateuchus Arabicè.

Hist. Josephi Patriarcha. Arabicè cum triplici versione Lat. & Scholiis Tho. Erpenii.

Claudius Espencaeus a French Bishop.Per XL. annos in Parisiensi Academia humanioribus, Philosophicis ac Theologicis studiis cum incredibili omni admiratione operam novasset, à Francisco Melodunum, ab Henrico 11. Bononiam, à Francisco 11. Aurelianum, à Carolo IX. Possiacum inter primarios religionis hoc in regno antistites nunc legatus nunc disceptator sanctissime ac doctissime de Controversis rei Christianae capitibus cum delectis adversariae partis theologis summa aequitate ac moderatione egit, & voce, ac eruditissimis in complures Scripturae locos editis Commentariis religionis negotium promovit, sacri etiam olim galeri decus potius meritus quam adeptus, tandem ex gravissimis calculi doloribus, quod ferè praemium pro vigiliis à natura studiosis rependitur, extinctus est anno aetatis LX. magno sui relicto desiderio, cum unus è paucorum numero esset, qui de idoneis pacis in Ecclesia constituendae rationibus serio semper cogitaverit, atque adeo de tollenda è domo Dei sci…sura, quam multi hodie, dum praepostero pietaris ardore strenui in ea causa videri volunt, firmant magis quam oppugnant, alienatis & obduratis adversariorum animis, quos potius …mendationis facta spe & sublatis offendicu…is conciliari & sensim ad unionem abduci oportuit. Thuan. Hist. Tomo secundo l. 48. p. 637. Claudius Espencaeus Theologus Parisiensis, qui in Epitap…io adhuc Parisiis in Templo C…s…ae & D…miani extante vocatur nobilissimus, piissimus, omniumque disciplinarum genere cumulatissimus Theologus, imò Theologorum sui secu…i facilè Princeps, quemque Gilbertus Genebrardus & Scaevola Samarthanus in Elogiis operi praefixis nominant admirabilem. Gerhar. Confess. Cathol. contta Pontif. lib. 2. Artic. 2. cap. 4.

None of the Divines of Paris had a greater concourse of all sorts of Degrees, and was more admired for his frequent Sermons to the people then he. He was very eloquent.

There are many Questions concerning Religion discussed by him in Latine and French with great subtilty.

His Commentaries upon Timothy and Titus are well liked.

He hath published many other Works.

Petrus Espinacus Archbishop of Lions.Archiepiscopus Lugdunensis, quia in adolescentia Protestantium doctrinam professus, postea mutaverat, & impotenti in eos odio ferebatur: verone an adfectato ad consequendam Cardinalis dignitatem, quam perditè ambiebat, incertum: de cetero doctus & vehementi facundia praeditus. Thuan. Hist. Tomo quarto l. 81.

A witty and eloquent man, at first addicted to the Doctrine of the Protestants, but he fell off afterward.

Gulielm. Estius, a Hollander, a Doctor of Doway, a learned and modest Papist.Scripsit Commentarium absolutissimum ac doctissimum in omnes B. Pauli Epistolas: Cujus Editioni intermortuus est. Valeri Andrea Bibliotheca Belgica.

His Exposition of all Pauls Epistles is generally liked.

Gulielmus Estius in adnotationibus aureis ad difficiliora Scripturae loca. Dilher. Disput. Acad. Tom. 2.

Georgius Macropedius was his Master at Utrect.

This Epigram was added to his Picture,

Quicunque effigiem Gulielmi conspicis Esti,

Esti, qui una fuit gloria Theologôn:

Relligio, Virtus, Doctrina, modestia morum,

Haec uno obtutu conspicienda patent.

Evagrius Anno Aerae Christi 527. Helv. Chron.Scholasticus.

Nic. *Plures certè haec Nicolai… rum familia extulit. Caput & parens Nic. Everardus Middelburgi in Valacria Zelandiae infula natus, varia eruditione & judicii acumine (quod vel Topica ejus Legalia comprobant) doctos inter sui aevi viros inclaruit. Auberti Miraei Elog. Belg.Everardus.

Several of his Works are published.

Ordo studendi Consil. in materia monetaria loca legalia, which last is much commended by Aubertus Miraeus.

Also Theses Iuridicae ex ministeria de regalibus collectae, and other things.

He left four Sonnes Everardum Nicolaum, Nic. Grudin, Hadr. Marium, & Io. Secundum, partim Iuris Civilis, partim Poeticae tractatione clarus.

Euclide. He was of Megara.Inter opera ejus facilè palmam obtinent libri tredecim elementorum, magno reipub. literariae bono ad nostra us que tempora conservati▪ Savil. Lect. 1. Eucl. Duo ferè annorum millia existimatur toto terrarum orbe ab omni reprehensione liber & sacrosanctus fuisse, & si quid post homines natos solidae scientiae comprehensum & animadversum est, id Euclidi uni acceptum refertur. Rami Scholae Mathem. l. 3. Quem virum Mathematica singularum propositionum scientia tanquam singularem & propè divinum suspicio equidem & admiror, in eoque mihi observandum religiose & Colendum propono: At Logica rectè & ex ordine docendi prudentia, parem efficere nequeo. Rami Praefat. Mathemat. 2. Megara civitas clara Theognide Poëta & Euclide, qui Mathematica principia, totiusque hujvs disciplinae artem immensa subtilitate descripsit. Ejus elementorum Geometricorum libri 15. cum Theonis Alexandrinis & Procli Diadochi eruditis Graecis Commentariis etiamnum supersunt. Neand. Geog. part. 1. Vide Blancani Differtat. De natura Mathemat.

He fitly answered to one asking many things of the gods, Caetera quidem nescio, illud scio, quod odè resos.

There hath not been any thing of any worth added to his Labours in Geometry by posterity, in so many Centuries of years since he flourished.

God hath raised up certain singular and heroical wits in all Sciences. Demosthenes and Tully excelled in eloquence, Aristotle in Philosophy, Euclide, Archimedes and Ptolomy in the Mathematicks. Therefore the Profession of the Mathematicks is is called Professio Euclidea, Archimedea, Ptolemaica. Alsted. Eucyclop. l. 4. c. 14.

Euclides Artis elementa continuo ordine & magna solertia ita tradidit, ut à quovis mediocris ingenii acumine praedito non difficulter percipi possent. Tych. Brahe Orat. De Disciplinis Mathematicis.

Euripides dAnno Aerae Christi 4040. Calvis. Chron. 3486. Helv..

It is a great Question, Which was the better Poet, he or Sophocles, though they went a different way. Quintilian Institut. orat. l. 10. c. 1.determines it after a sort. There is all moral Philosophy in Verse, in him.

Eusebius. Anno Domini 330.Eusebius Caesariensis, inter Graecos Theologos antesignanus. Biblian. De Rat. Communi omnium Linguarum. Anno Ae…ae Christi 306. Helv. Chron. Caesariensis Episcopus vir longe doctissimus & in omni historiarum genere exercitatissimus. Casaub. exercit. ad Apparat. Annal. exercit. 1. Eusebius sanctissimi martyris Pamphili familiaris cujus res gestas proprie opere exsecutus est, quem sic amavit ac coluit, ut ab eo etiam cognomen nactus sit, ab hoc enim viro dictus est Eusebius Pamphili. Dallaeus de Pseudepig. l. 3. c. 23. Vide R. Vsser. Syntagma De Edit. LXX. Interp. p. 73. Eusebius Pamphili (quemadmodum propter amicitiam cum Pamphilo Martyre, teste …icronymo vocabatur) Caesareae Palestinae (imperante Constantino) Episcopus, sui seculi sine controversia vir eruditissimus fuisse perhibetur. Whear. Method. Leg. Hist. part. 1 Sect. 34. Quo nullus Ecclesiasticorum veterum plura ad historiam Christianismi contulit, nullus plura errata in scriptis suis reliquit nullius plures hallucinationes extant. Scalig. Elench. Trihaeres. Serar. c. 29. Vide Sixt. Sene…s. Biblioth. l. 4. Et Neand. Geog. parte secunda.

He was made Bishop of Caesarea in Palestina. He flourished under Constantine and his Son.

Eusebius Pamphili, not Pamphilus, as he is commonly called.

He had that name from Pamphilus the Martyr whom he dearly loved.

He is taxed for an Arian, Gerhard in his Patrologia saith he was so, and alledgeth authority for it, yet he is justified by others, he is therefore to be read with the greater caution, as to that partcular, for he much favoured that opinion, though he subscribed the Nicene Councel.

It is the ancientest Ecclesiastical History now extant. See a commendation of him in Crakanth. Defence of Constantine, c. 6. p. 107. and several Elogies of him in Gerhards Patrologia.

Eusebius Emissenus, Anno Christi 330.

There are Homilies abroad in the name of another Eusebius Emissenus (whichEpiscopus elegantis & rhetorici ingenii. Hieron. de Script. Eccles. Eusebius Emissenus, seu quicunque autor est earum homiliarum vir certè eruditus & antiquus. Cham. De Oecum. Pontif. l. 3. c. 2. is said to have flourished about the year 430.) upon the Gospels of the whole year, and also fifty most eloquent Homilies of divers subjects. Though some Question, Whether the man be the same Author of those short Homilies upon all the Gospels, who is of those fifty Homilies of divers arguments, seeing the style in both is very different.

Eustathius.Eustathius Antiochenus. 350.

He lived under the Emperour Andronicus, in the year about 1180 from Christs birth.

He was Archbishop of Thessalonica. He hath written Commentaries upon H… mers Thessalonicensis fuit Eustathius ejus urbis praesul, cujus extant duo amplissima volumina Commentariorum in Homerum, in quibus est maxima doctrinae erudi…ae & variae varietas. Neand. Orb Ter. part. Succinct. Explicat. parte 1a. In Dionysium etiam Poetam Afrum qui orbem terrarum descripsit habentur ejusdem eruditi Commentarii, qui cum textu Dionysii excusi habentur. Id. ibid.Books, and on Dionysius his description of the world.

From Aristarchus old Didymus made his Commentary upon Homer, and Eustathius from both, and many more ancient. Brought. Exposition of the 21th of the Revel.

Valde inclinata jam & magnas mutationes passa Graeca lingua erat aetate Eustathii. Steph. De Bene Instit. Ling. Graec. Stud.

Eustochium *Paulae mulieris Romanae filia, Latinarum, Hebraicarum, Literarum studiis plurimum excelluit. Unde & suo tempore novum orbis prodigium vocata est: ingenium sacris literis devovit maximè, atque adeò, ut Psalmos Hebraicè legeret cursim & mirâ celeritate. Qua in re amorem beati Hieronymi multum sibi demeruit. Catal. Doctarum Virginum & Foeminarum. Annexus. Parthen. Elis. Ioan. Weston.a learned woman, of whom Ierom makes honourable mention.

Euthymius Zigabenus. Anno 1080.

He wrote Commentaries on all the Psalms, and the four Gospels, and Panopliam adversus omnes haereses.

E…tropius, He lived under Valentinian the elder.Anno Aerae Christi 408. Helv. Chron. Minus quidem elegans, sed cum ex Li…io & Salustio res nobis ignotas decerpserit, & omnem historiam Romanam breviter ab urbe Condita usque ad Iuliani Principis mortem lib. decem persequatur, magni à nobis fieri debt. Sigon. de Rom. Hist. Script.

Aben Ezra *Commentariis suis Astrologiam, & quae inde pendent, Divinis haut satis pi… miscere solet. Seldenus De Dis Syris Syntag. 1. c. 3. Aben-Esra, sive Abraham Ben-Esra, Hispanus, qui circiter annum claruit 160. Hic praeter Commentarios, quos edidit in libros sacros, scripsit librum elegantiarum in Grammaticis, item librum bilancis linguae sanctae, quia regulas tradit, ad quas examinari oporteat linguam Hebraicam. Voss. De Arte Grammatica. l. 1. c. 4., a most learned Grammarian. He lived about the year of Christ 1140.

The sharpest and best learned that ever ye bred. Broughtons Require of Consent.

Schickard in his Bechinath Happeruschin, shewing how the Jews magnifie Rabi Salomon Iarchi, addes, At si me arbitro res ista disceptaretur, palmam ego deferrem sequenti Aben Ezrae, quia non tantùm magis perspicuus est, methodicus & in stilo multùm elegantior; Scripturaeque idiotismorum tenax, sed etiam prudentior, cantior, & nugarum parcior: Cum vicissim ille à fabulis abstineat minus, obscurior sit & in Orthographiam alicubi impingat, ut cum Kimchaeo interdum non agat mitius, quam nostrates pueri cum Prisciano.