Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 12: The Fourth Century: Ambrose
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, fourth century. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
St. Ambrose of Milan. 374
St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, a man plainly most holy and most learned, flourished under the emperors Gratian and Theodosius. He died in the third year after the death of Theodosius, which was the three hundred and ninety-seventh from the coming of the Saviour; from Cardinal Baronius. His works in the Paris edition of the year of the Lord 1549, which I was using when I wrote this, are these. [The list of the first three volumes is printed in the scan before the entry of Philo of Carpasia, the page's columns having been merged; it is placed here.]
The first volume: On duties, 3 books; On virgins, 3; Exhortation to virgins, 1; the Instruction of a virgin, 1; to a devoted virgin, 1; to a fallen virgin, 1; On widows, 1; On penance, 2; Exhortation to penance, 1; On flight from the world, 1; On the good of death, 1.
The second volume: On the calling of the Gentiles, 2 books; On the faith, to Gratian, 5; On the Holy Spirit, to the same, 3; On the faith, against the Arians, 1; On the sacrament of the incarnation, 1; On the mystery of Easter, 1.
The third volume: the funeral oration on the death of Valentinian; another on the death of Satyrus; the oration on faith in the resurrection; another on the death of Theodosius; Letters to various persons, 10 books; Sermons to the people, 92.
The fourth volume: the Hexameron, 6 books; On paradise, 1; On Cain and Abel, 2; On Noah and the Ark, 2; On the Patriarch Abraham, 2; On Isaac and the soul, 1; On Jacob and the blessed life, 2; On the Patriarch Joseph, 1; On the blessings of the Patriarchs, 1; On Naboth the Israelite, 1; On Elias and fasting, 1; On Tobias, 1; On the complaint of Job and David, 3; the Apology of David, 1; On Solomon, 1; On those who are initiated into the mysteries, 1; On the Sacraments, 6; On the priestly dignity, 1; Prayers before Mass, 2 [the counts are printed as a separate column in the scan and are matched here in order]; Commentaries on Psalms 1, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 45, 47, 48, 61 and 118; another Apology of David; On the complaint of David.
The fifth volume: On the Gospel of Luke, 10 books; commentaries on all the letters of St. Paul; On faith in the resurrection, headless; pious prayers; sacred hymns; the Canticle of Saints Ambrose and Augustine, which begins Te Deum laudamus.
Note on the works of St. Ambrose. In the first volume, the book to a fallen virgin does not seem to be St. Ambrose's. For in chapter 8 the author speaks thus: “Cling to penance to the end of life, and do not presume that pardon can be given you by a human day; for he has deceived you who would promise you this; for what you sinned properly against the Lord, it befits you to await the remedy from him alone on the day of judgement.” But this opinion contains the Novatian error, and St. Ambrose disputes against it in the two books On penance; which books he himself shows, in book 2, chapter 8, were composed by him, when he describes how he had been suddenly called from the business of the courts to the priesthood. Pedro de Soto indeed, lecture 2 on the necessity of confession, does not dare to affirm that the two books On penance are St. Ambrose's; but they are commonly ascribed to St. Ambrose.
In the second volume, the books On the calling of the Gentiles are falsely attributed to St. Ambrose, since they are plainly St. Prosper's. Certainly they cannot be Ambrose's, since in book 1, chapter 7, and book 2, chapter 8, the author disputes against the Pelagians, who arose after the death of St. Ambrose. In the third volume it is certain that some letters and some sermons cannot be Ambrose's. For in letter 84, which is to Demetrias, mention is made of the Pelagians, who (as I said a little before) were not known to Ambrose. There are also those who deny that letter 82, to the people of Vercelli, is St. Ambrose's, because in it mention is made of Venice, which had not yet been founded in the time of St. Ambrose. But they are mistaken; for by Venetiae in that place is understood not the city of Venice but the region; for Venetia is joined with Liguria and Aemilia; for so the author speaks at the beginning of the letter: “From all the parts of Liguria and Aemilia and Venetia, or the other neighbouring parts of Italy,” and so on.
Sermons nine, thirty-seven and seventy-two are found also among the sermons of St. Augustine. Likewise sermon sixty-nine, which is on St. Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli, and sermon seventy-three, which is on St. Cyprian, are found also among the sermons of St. Maximus, but with the words changed in places. And the following sermons, namely 3, 14, 30, 31, 32, 44, 47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 66, 71, 77, 78 and 82, are word for word among the sermons of St. Maximus, so that it plainly cannot be judged whether they should be attributed to Ambrose or to Maximus. But whoever's they are, they are of an ancient and holy author. Sermon ninety, on the passion of blessed Agnes, is made doubtful because St. Ambrose, in book 1 On virgins, shows that blessed Agnes's neck was cut with the sword: “She stood,” he says, “she prayed, she bent her neck.” But the author of that sermon writes that blessed Agnes, bound to a stake to be burned, when the flame had been put out from heaven, had her throat pierced with the sword by order of the judge Aspasius. Sermon ninety-two too, on the baptism of St. Augustine, is very far from the style and weight of Ambrose; nor is it in any way credible, what is said in that sermon, that Ambrose often prayed God to free him from the traps of Augustine. For Augustine was converted to the Catholic faith not by disputing with Ambrose but by hearing him preach, as he himself testifies, Confessions book 5, chapter 14, and book 6, chapter 1.
In the fourth volume, the second apology of David, and also the second book on the complaint of David, do not seem to be Ambrose's: both because the style is different, and Ambrose had already written an apology of David, and three books on the complaint, of which the third is on the complaint of David; and because the author of the second apology denies that David's adultery was a real adultery, and thought it to be interpreted allegorically; while Ambrose in his true apology confesses the sin of adultery, but praises the penance.
In the fifth volume are the commentaries on the letters of St. Paul, which by many are not believed to be Ambrose's; and not without cause. First, because St. Augustine, who willingly and often uses testimonies of Ambrose against the Pelagians, seeks no testimonies from these commentaries. Second, because Pelagius himself, who is wont to object testimonies of Ambrose to St. Augustine, objects nothing from these commentaries; although in these commentaries there are not a few things that seem to contain the errors of Pelagius, as is plain in the commentaries on the letter to the Romans. Third, because the author of these commentaries explains many things against the opinion of St. Ambrose; which anyone will plainly see who will compare Philippians 2, Who being in the form of God, as explained in this author's commentary, with the Ambrosian explanation in letter 47 and On the faith book 2, chapter 4; and 1 Timothy 1, To the King of ages immortal, as explained in this author's commentary, with the Ambrosian exposition in On the faith book 2, chapters 1 and 3, and book 3, chapter 2.
Fourth, because St. Augustine, book 4 against the two letters of the Pelagians, chapter 4, cites St. Hilary in the exposition of the words of Romans 5, in whom all have sinned; and the opinion St. Augustine cites is found in so many words in the commentary of this author. So the author of this commentary is not Ambrose, but some Hilary. And the author of this work is not St. Hilary of Poitiers nor Hilary of Arles. For this author lived in the time of Damasus, as he himself testifies in the Commentary on chapter 3 of the first letter to Timothy; and in the time of Damasus Hilary of Arles was either not born or a youth; and St. Hilary of Poitiers died in the fifth year of the emperor Valentinian, from Jerome in the Chronicle; and the fifth year of Valentinian was the second of Damasus; and it is not credible that Hilary in extreme age hammered out so huge a work; and the style of Hilary has nothing like the style of this author; and Hilary of Arles flourished after the times of Damasus. It is credible, then, that the author of these commentaries is Hilary, the Roman Deacon, who spread the schism of Lucifer and also wrote not a few books, as St. Jerome testifies at the end of the dialogue against the Luciferians. Nor is it strange that this Hilary is called Saint Hilary by St. Augustine, since the title of saint was then fairly common among Christians, especially clerics.
Lastly there is this, that the author of these commentaries and of the Questions on the old and new Testament, which are extant among the books of St. Augustine, seems to be the same. For the teaching of these Commentaries and of those questions is very like, as the Louvain censors noted in their notes on Augustine; the style too seems to be the same, and the age agrees wonderfully. For the author of those questions writes in question 44 that from the destruction of Jerusalem to his own times three hundred years had passed; to which if you add the years from the Birth of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem, all the years will be 372 or 373, as appears from St. Jerome's chronicle. And that at this same time Pope Damasus sat, under whom the author of these commentaries records that he wrote, in the explanation of the first [third] chapter of the first letter to Timothy, is very well known. And if the author of these commentaries is the same as the author of those questions, it will plainly follow that the author of these commentaries is not Ambrose. For Ambrose wrote nothing before he was made Bishop, and he was not made Bishop before the year of the Lord 374 [“364” printed], as Cardinal Baronius teaches in the Annals; but that author, when he wrote, was counting the year of the Lord 372 or 373, as we said above.
In the same volume are the sacred hymns, of which some are certainly Ambrose's, as that one, “God, creator of all things, and ruler of the heavens, who clothest,” and so on, which St. Augustine mentions, Confessions book 9, chapter 12; and that one, “Eternal maker of things, who rulest night and day,” and so on, which the same Augustine mentions, Retractations book 1, chapter 21. Some are certainly not Ambrose's, as that one, “The banners of the King go forth,” which is Fortunatus's; and certain others in which the metrical rule is not kept, which was very well known to Ambrose; of this kind is that one, “The day longed for by the prayers of all has dawned holy, on which Christ, the hope of the world, God, ascended the steep heavens,” and that one, “Christ, who art the light and day, thou uncoverest the darkness of night,” and so on. For these seem unworthy to be attributed to Ambrose. The Canticle Te Deum laudamus the Church in the divine offices calls the canticle of Ambrose and Augustine; and there is extant the Chronicle of St. Dacius, Bishop of Milan, who flourished in the reign of Justin, in whose Chronicle, book 1, chapter 10, it is written that when the baptism of St. Augustine was completed, the whole people being astonished, that canticle was suddenly sung by Saints Ambrose and Augustine in turn.
Besides the works written above, in the Roman edition of the year 1585 certain works ascribed to St. Ambrose are added, though they are not his, like a commentary on the Apocalypse and certain others; and rightly those works are said not to be St. Ambrose's; and especially the explanation of the Apocalypse, since the author mentions the Lombards invading Italy; which invasion happened long after the death of St. Ambrose.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De Sancto Ambrosio Mediolanensi. 374. Sanctus Ambrosius Episcopus Mediola¬ nensis, vir plane sanctissimus, et doctissi¬ mus, Gratiano et Theodosio imperatoribus floruit. Obiit anno tertio post excessum Theo¬ dosii, qui erat trecentesimus monagesimus septimus ab adventu Salvatoris ; ex Card. Baronio. Opera ejus in editione Parisiensi, anni Do¬ mini 1549. qua ego utebar cum haec scribe¬ rem, haec sunt : Tomi quarti : Hexameron, lib. De paradiso De Gain, et Abel, De Noe, et Arca, De Abraham Patriarcha, De Isaac, et anima, De Jacob, et beata vita, De Joseph Patriarcha, De benedictionibus Patriarcharum, De Nabute Israelita, De Elia, et Jejunio, De Tobia, De interpellatione Job, et David, Apologia David, De Salomone, De iis qui mysteriis initiantur, De Sacramentis, De dignitate sacerdotali, Precationes ante Missam, 6 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 6 1 2 AB ANNO DOM. 300. AD 400. 383 Commentarii in Psalm. i. xxxv. xxxvi. XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL. XLIII. XLV. XLVII. XLVIII. LXI et CXVIII. Alia David Apologia. De interpellatione David. Tomi quinti: In Evangelium Lucae, lib. 10 In omnes epistolas Sancti Pauli commen¬ taria. De fide resurrectionis acephalus. Precationes pise. Hymni sacri. Canticum Sanctorum Ambrosii et Augu¬ stini, quod incipit, Te Deum laudamus. Observatio in opera S. Ambrosii. In primo tomo, liber ad virginem lapsam non videtur esse S. Ambrosii : namcap.8. sic loquitur auctor, « Inhsere poenitentiae usque ad extremum vitse, nec tibi praesumas ab humana die posse veniam dari : quia decepit te, qui hoc tibi polliceri voluerit : quae enim proprie contra Dominum peccasti, ab illo solo te convenit in die judicii expectare re¬ medium. Atqui haec sententia Novatianum errorem continet, et contra eam disputat S. Ambrosius in duobus libris de poeniten¬ tia : quos libros indicat ipse cap. 8. lib. n. a se fuisse compositos, dum describit, quo pa¬ cto a forensi negotio ad sacerdotium repente vocatus fuerat. Petrus quidem a Soto lect. 2. de necessitate confessionis libros duos de poenitentia non audet affirmare esse S. Am¬ brosii : sed communiter S. Ambrosio adscri- buntur. In secundo tomo, libri de vocatione gen¬ tium, falso tribuuntur S. Ambrosio, cum ma¬ nifeste S. Prosperi sint. Certe Ambrosii esse non possunt, cum lib. 1. cap. 7. et lib. n. cap. 8. disputet auctor adversus Pelagianos, qui post mortem S. Ambrosii exorti sunt. In tertio tomo certum est aliquas epistolas et aliquos sermones non posse esse Ambro¬ sii. Nam in epist. 84. quae est ad Demetria¬ dem, mentio fit Pelagianorum, qui (ut paulo ante dixi) Ambrosio noti non fuerunt. Sunt etiam, qui epistolam 82. ad Vercellenses, S. Ambrosii esse negent, quod in ea fiat mentio Venetiarum, quae tempore S . Ambrosii nondum conditae erant. Sed falluntur, nam perVenetias eo loco non intelligitur civitas Venetiarum, sed regio : conjunguntur enim Venetiae cum Liguria, et jEmilia : sic enim loquitur auctor in principio epistolae : « Ex omnibus Liguriae, atque iEmiliae, Venetia- rumque vel caeteris finitimis Italiae partibus, etc. » Sermones, nonus, tricesimus septimus, et septuagesimus secundus inveniuntur etiam inter sermones S. Augustini. Item sermo sexagesimus nonus, qui est de sancto Euse- bio Vercellensi Episcopo, et sermo septua¬ gesimus tertius, qui est de Sancto Cypriano, inveniuntur etiam inter sermones S. Maxi¬ mi, sed verbis alicubi mutatis. Sermones vero sequentes nempe 3. 14. 30_ 31. 32. 44. 47. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54.56. 57. 58. 60. 61. 62. 66. 71.77. 78. et 82. sunt ad verbum inter sermones S. Maximi, ut plane judicari non possit, utrum Ambrosio, vel Maximo tribui debeant. Sed cujuscumque sint, antiqui et sancti auctoris sunt. Sermo nonagesimus de passione B. Agne- tis dubius redditur, quoniam Sanctus Am¬ brosius lib. i. de virginibus significat, Beatae Agneti cervicem gladio amputatam. « Ste¬ tit, inquit, oravit, cervicem inflexit ». At illius sermonis auctor scribit, B. Agneti ad palum alligatae, ut combureretur, cum flam¬ ma divinitus extincta esset, jussu Aspasii judicis gladio guttur fuisse perfossum. Sermo quoque nonagesimus secundus de baptismo S. Augustini, longissime distat a stylo et gravitate Ambrosii ; neque ullo mo¬ do credibile est, quod in eo sermone dicitur Ambrosium saepe Deum orasse, ut eum a captionibus Augustini liberaret. Augustinus enim non disputando cum Ambrosio, sed eum concionantem audiendo, ad fidem Catho¬ licam conversus est, ut ipse idem testatur lib. v. confess. cap. 14. et lib. vi. cap. 1. In quarto tomo apologia David posterior, et liber etiam posterior de interpellatione David, non videtur esse Ambrosii tum quia stylus diversus est, et jam antea scripserat Ambrosius apologiam David, et libros tres de interpellatione, quorum tertius est de interpellatione David : tum quia auctor po sterioris apologiae negat, adulterium David fuisse verum adulterium, et allegorice in¬ terpretandum censuit ; Ambrosius autem in vera apologia sua peccatum adulterii confi¬ tetur, sed laudat poenitentiam. In quinto tomo, sunt commentaria in epi¬ stolas S. Pauli, quae a multis non creduntur Ambrosii ; nec sine causa. Primo, quia S. Augustinus, qui libenter 384 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS et frequenter Ambrosii testimoniis utitur contra Pelagianos, ex his commentariis nulla testimonia petit. Secundo, quia Pelagius ipse, qui Ambrosii testimonia S. Augustino objicere solet, ex his commentariis nihil objicit ; cum tamen in his commentariis sint non pauca quee Pela. gii errores continere videntur, ut perspicuum est commentariis in epistolam ad Romanos. Tertio, quia auctor horum commentario¬ rum multa exponit contra sententiam S. Ambrosii, quod plane perspiciet, qui con¬ ferre voluerit illud Philip, ii. Qui cum in forma Dei esset : explicatum in commentario hujus auctoris, cum explicatione Ambrosiana in epist. 47. et lib. 2. de fide cap. 4. et illud i. Timoth. 1. Regi saeculorum immortali : explicatum in commentario hujus auctoris, cum expositione Ambrosiana lib. ii. de fide cap. 1. et 3. et lib. m. cap. 2. Quarto, quia S. Augustinus lib. iv. contra duas epistolas Pelagianorum cap. 4. citat S. Hilarium in expositione illorum verborum ad Rom. v. in quo omnes peccaverunt : et sententia, quam Sanctus Augustinus citat, habetur todidem verbis in commentario hu¬ jus auctoris : non igitur auctor hujus com¬ mentarii, est Ambrosius, sed Hilarius ali¬ quis, non est autem auctor hujus operis S. Hilarius Piclaviensis aut Hilarius Arelaten- sis : nam iste auctor vixit tempore Damasi, ut ipse testatur in Commentario ad caput m. prioris ad Timotheum : tempore autem Da¬ masi Hilarius Arelatensis, autnatus non erat, aut adolescens erat : sanctus autem Hilarius Pictaviensis obiit anno quinto Valentiniani imp. ex Hieronymo in Chronico : annus au¬ tem quintus Valentiani erat secundus Da¬ masi : non est autem credibile, in extrema aetate tam ingens opus cudisse Hilarium ; et stylus Hilarii cum stylo hujus auctoris nihil simile habet : Hilarius vero Arelatensis post Damasi tempora floruit. Credibile igitur est auctorem horum commentariorum esse Hi¬ larium Diaconum Romanum, qui Luciferi schisma propagavit, et libros etiam non pau¬ cos scipsit, ut Sanctus Hieronymus testatur in dialogo contra Luciferianos extremo. Ne¬ que mirum est, hunc Hilarium a Sancto Augustino, sanctum Hilarium vocari, cum nuncupatio sancti, tunc satis communis fue¬ rit Christianis, praesertim Ecclesiasticis. Postremo accedit, quod idem videtur esse auctor horum commentariorum, et quaestio¬ num veteris et novi Testamenti, quee exstant inter libros Sancti Augustini: doctrina enim horum Commentariorum et illarum quaestio¬ num, simillima est, ut notaverunt Censores Lovanienses in notis ad Augustinum : stylus videtur etiam esse idem, et eetas mirifice consentit : auctor enim illarum quaestionum queest. 44. scribit, ab excidio Hierosol. usque ad sua tempora fluxisse annos trecentos : quibus si addas annos a Nativitate Christi usque ad excidium Hierosol. erunt omnes anni 372. vel 373. ut ex chronico S. Hiero¬ nymi apparet. Hoc eodem tempore sedisse Damasum Pontificem, sub quo auctor horum commentariorum scripsisse se memorat in explicatione capitis primi epistolae prioris ad Timoth. notissimum est. Quod si auctor horum commentariorum idem sit cum auctore illarum quaestionum, plane efficietur auctorem horum commen¬ tariorum non esse Ambrosium. Ambrosius enim nihil scripsit antequam Episcopus fie¬ ret, neque factus est Episcopus ante annum Dom. 364. ut Card. Baronius in Annalibus docet. Ille autem auctor cum scriberet, nu¬ merabat annum Dom. 372. vel 373. ut supra diximus. In eodem tomo sunt hymni sacri ex qui¬ bus aliqui certo sunt Ambrosii, ut ille, « Deus creator omnium, polique rectro vestiens, etc., » cujus meminit S. Augustinus lib. ix. confess. cap. 12. et ille, « sterne rerum conditor, noctem diemque qui regis, etc., » cujus meminit idem Augustinus lib. i. re- tract. cap. 21. Aliqui certo non sunt Ambro¬ sii, ut ille, « Vexilla Regis prodeunt » ; qui est Fortunati, et alii quidam, in quibus non servatur ratio metrica, quee Ambrosio notis¬ sima erat, ejusmodi est ille, <c Optatus votis omnium Sacratus illuxit dies, quo Christus mundi spes Deus conscendit coelos arduos, » et ille, « Christe, qui lux es, et dies, noctis tenebras detegis, etc. » Isti enim indigni vi¬ dentur qui Ambrosio tribuantur. Canticum, « Te Deum laudamus, ». Ecclesia in divinis officiis, Ambrosii et Augustini canticum vo¬ cat : et exstat Chronicum S. Dacii Episcopi Mediolanensis, qui Justino imperante flo¬ ruit, in cujus Chronici libro primo cap. 10. scribitur, completo baptismo S. Augustini, toto obstupescente populo, repente canticum illud a sanctis Ambrosio et Augustino alter- natim fuisse cantatum. Praeter opera supra scripta, in editione Romana anni 1585, adduntur opera quaedam S. Ambrosio adscripta, quamvis ejus non AB ANNO DOM. 300. AD 400. 38o sint, ut commentarius in Apocalypsim, et alia quaedam : et recte dicuntur ea opera non esse S. Ambrosii ; ac praesertim expli¬ catio Apocalypsis, cum auctor mentionem faciat Longebardorum Italiam invadentium invasio diu post mortem S. Ambrosii conti¬ git.