Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 18: The Fifth Century: Maximus of Turin, Ausonius, Synesius, Paulinus of Nola, Sulpicius Severus, Orosius, Sedulius, Cyril of Alexandria
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, fifth 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. Maximus. 420
St. Maximus, Bishop of Turin, flourished and died under the emperors Honorius and Theodosius the younger, on the witness of Gennadius in the book On Illustrious Men. There are extant homilies of this Maximus published at Rome in the year 1564 [“1654” printed]: on the coming of the Lord, 2; on the vigil of the Lord's birth, 1; on the Lord's birth, 6; on the Lord's circumcision, 1; on the Theophany, 8; in Lent, 17; on the Easter solemnity, 5; on the litanies, on fasting, 1; on the solemnity of Pentecost, 3; on the feast of St. Stephen, 1; on the feast of St. Agnes, 1; on the birth of St. John the Baptist, 3; on the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 5; on the feast of St. Lawrence, 3; on the feast of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, 2; on the feast of St. Cyprian, 2; on the feast of St. Michael, 1; on the feast of the holy Martyrs of Turin, 1; on the common of Martyrs, 1; likewise on the exposition of the creed, 1; on not fearing fleshly enemies, 2; on avoiding avarice, 2; on giving alms, 2; on hospitality, 1; on the eclipse of the moon, 1; on the saying of Isaias, Thy vintners mingle water with wine.
Note. We said under Ambrose that many sermons are attributed both to St. Ambrose and to St. Maximus; but it is more credible that those too which are attributed to Ambrose are St. Maximus's. For Gennadius lists almost all the sermons of St. Maximus, and among them are some that are attributed to Ambrose; though the error is not great, since both authors are learned, ancient and holy.
Ausonius the Poet. 420
Ausonius the Poet, a contemporary of St. Maximus, wrote many profane things; he wrote also some letters in verse to St. Paulinus of Nola; and there is extant under his name, in Paulinus, a morning prayer to God, and among the works of Ausonius an excellent poem on the Lord's Resurrection; from which it is understood that he was a Christian, though he wrote some things about the gods of the Gentiles, in the manner of poets.
Synesius the Bishop. 420
St. Synesius, Bishop of Ptolemais, a man of wonderful holiness and learning, flourished in the time of Theodosius the younger, to whom he wrote a book, as Evagrius testifies, History book 1, chapter 15. He wrote also very many and most elegant letters. There are extant too, in volume 8 of the Library of the Holy Fathers, second edition, ten hymns of Synesius; but in the year 1612 all the works of Synesius came out at Paris.
St. Paulinus of Nola. 420
St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, was a contemporary of Ausonius, or rather somewhat younger. He was known for his reputation of holiness to Ambrose, Martin, Jerome, Augustine and Sulpicius; he died in the year of the Lord 431, from Cardinal Baronius, Annals volume 5. He wrote elegant and pious Letters: to Sulpicius Severus, 14; to Bishop Delphinus, 3; to Bishop Amandus, 6; to Victricius, 2; to Aper, 3; to Florentius, 1; to Bishop Alethius, 1; to unknown persons on the treasury, 1; to Desiderius, 1; to Macarius, 1; to Pammachius, 1; to Jovius, 1; to a certain soldier, 1; to Sebastian the Hermit, 1; to Augustine, 3; to Alypius, 1; to Romanianus, 1. He wrote also poems: a letter to Jovius written in verse; four letters to Ausonius written in verse; to Cytherius on a shipwreck, 1; on the birthday of the boy Celsus, 1; on the feast of St. Felix of Nola, 10; on the return of Nicetas into Dacia, 1; three Psalms of David sung in metre. There are extant besides, in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 8, second edition, six books on the life of St. Martin written in verse.
Note. There is attributed by some to St. Paulinus of Nola a life of St. Ambrose; but that life is of a Paulinus, but not of this one of Nola; as not only the style itself, very different, shows, but also because that Paulinus attended St. Ambrose as a minister, even at the time of his death; indeed as a cleric under the care of Castus the Deacon he did the office of secretary, as he himself shows in the life of blessed Ambrose. But St. Paulinus never attended St. Ambrose as a minister, but long before his death was a presbyter, and was held by blessed Ambrose in the number of the priests of his Church, as he himself writes in the letter to Alypius. Further, among the works of St. Paulinus is carried also the Eucharisticon, a poem on his life; but it is not his; for that author writes his deeds up to the eighty-third year of his life, but St. Paulinus did not pass his seventy-eighth year, as is clear from Cardinal Baronius. Lastly Gennadius attributes to St. Paulinus a book on penance and another on the praises of the Martyrs, which are not extant.
Sulpicius Severus. 420
Sulpicius Severus was a contemporary and very close friend of St. Paulinus, as is known from the letters written to each other. He wrote two books of sacred history; likewise the life of St. Martin, Bishop of Tours; likewise a dialogue on the way of life of the eastern Monks, in which the speakers are Gallus and Postumianus, which dialogue St. Jerome mentions, book 11 on Ezechiel, chapter 36; likewise many letters, which Gennadius mentions in the book On Illustrious Men; and the same Gennadius adds that this Severus in old age was deceived by the Pelagians, soon acknowledged his error, and kept silence until death, so as to blot out the fault of talkativeness by silence.
Note. The books of Sulpicius Severus on sacred history, and the dialogues on the way of life of the easterners, are to be read with caution. In the first book of the sacred history he says that the sons of God who loved the daughters of men were Angels; which is refuted by Chrysostom on Genesis 6, and by Augustine, City of God book 15, chapter 23, and by other approved authors. He says that Priests who have possessions are forgetful of the Lord's precept once given to the Levites. But the Levites had possessions, and even towns and their suburbs, Leviticus 25; whence Jeremias, of the priestly stock, is read to have sold a field, Jeremias 32; and Barnabas the Levite likewise sold a field he possessed, Acts 4. He says besides that the temple was founded in the 588th year from the going out of the children of Israel from Egypt; but Scripture, 3 Kings 6, notes 480 years. In the dialogue he says that the Church is not built with gold but destroyed; he blames the Bishops who condemned the books of Origen. He writes that marriage belongs to pardon, virginity to glory, fornication to punishment. He says, on the opinion of St. Martin, that Nero will come together with Antichrist, and that Antichrist is to be conceived of an evil spirit. Lastly he is marked by St. Jerome, on the thirty-sixth chapter of Ezechiel, for the error of those who expect a new golden and jewelled Jerusalem.
St. Lucian. 420
St. Lucian the Presbyter lived in the time of the emperors Honorius and Theodosius the younger. He wrote a book on the finding of the bodies of St. Stephen and others, which he found by divine revelation; this book is extant in Lippomano and Surius on the third of August. At the same time were written two books on the miracles of St. Stephen, to Evodius, Bishop of Uzalis; but because the author's name is unknown, they are called the books of Evodius.
Paulus Orosius. 425
Paulus Orosius, a Spanish Presbyter, a disciple of St. Augustine, wrote to St. Augustine himself seven books of histories from the founding of the world, in which he chiefly describes the disasters of the Romans which they suffered while they worshipped idols.
Sedulius. 430
Caelius Sedulius, a Scottish presbyter, under Theodosius the younger wrote an explanation on all the letters of St. Paul, taken from Origen, Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine; from which we understand that those are wrong who write that Sedulius flourished in the time of Constantius the son of Constantine the Great, and that Trithemius judges more truly, who puts Sedulius at the year of the Lord 430. Sedulius wrote besides five books [on] the wonderful works of God, and two hymns on Christ, of which one is alphabetical and is sung in the Church on the feasts of the Nativity and Epiphany; it begins “A solis ortus cardine”.
St. Cyril. 430
St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, a most holy and most learned man, and taught by God especially about the mystery of the Lord's incarnation, in the reign of Theodosius the younger presided over the first Council of Ephesus in the name of Pope St. Celestine, and condemned the heresiarch Nestorius, first by excellent writings, then also by authority. His works in the Paris edition of the year 1605 are comprised in two volumes.
The first volume: Explanations on Genesis, to the letter and mystically, 11 books; on Leviticus, 16; on Isaias, 5; on the Gospel of St. John, 12; Sayings of the old Testament explained anagogically, collected from Cyril, Maximus and others; the book against the Jews, with questions; short anagogies on those who flourished before the law.
The second volume: Letters of St. Cyril to various persons, and of various persons to St. Cyril, 39 in number; Homilies, chiefly on the incarnation, 10; the Apology to the emperor Theodosius, 1; the Declaration of the 12 anathemas, 1; the apologetic book for his anathemas; another apologetic book, to Euoptius, for the same chapters, against Theodoret; the Exposition of the Nicene creed; the Scholia on the incarnation of the Only-begotten; two letters to Bishop Succensus; twelve synodal letters; the dogmas of Nestorius taken from his books; the Oration on the going out of the soul and the second coming; the notable work entitled the Treasury, containing fourteen books; the Dialogues with Hermias, 7 books; On worship in spirit and truth, 17 books [“V” printed]; Against Julian the apostate, 10; On the right faith, to Theodosius and the Queens, 3; Against the Anthropomorphites, 1; On the most holy Trinity, 1. Besides these books there are extant commentaries on the minor Prophets, printed in Greek and Latin at Ingolstadt in folio.
First note. Explanations on the whole Pentateuch are said to be extant in Greek, but in Latin none are extant except the eleven books on Genesis. Second note. The sixteen books on Leviticus are not Cyril's [“Cyrilli sunt” printed; the sense requires non], but Origen's, as we said above under Origen; and this is manifest, both because the author everywhere destroys the literal sense, and because these very books are found among the works of Origen; so that it is strange why the printers in all editions attribute these works to an author not their own. Third note. Cyril is said to have written on other Prophets too, but his commentaries are not extant except on Isaias. Fourth note. Cyril wrote twelve books on John, but four in the middle perished; and Josse Clichtove, in imitation of Cyril, added four middle books. So only the first four and the last four are Cyril's. Fifth note. The book against the Jews and those short anagogies I do not know whether they are Cyril's; but the matter is of small weight, since they are very short and light little books. Sixth note. The Treasury is believed to be incomplete; for many things are cited by St. Thomas in the little work On the errors of the Greeks from the Treasury of Cyril which are not found in these books. Seventh note. The book On the most holy Trinity does not seem to be Cyril's, but of someone later. For the author disputes at length of the two natures in Christ, and of the two wills and operations; and gives the reason why those do not conflict with these dogmas who sometimes said that in Christ there is a theandric operation, and that the one nature of the Word is incarnate. So the author seems to have written after the sixth Synod.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De Sancto Maximo. 420. Sanctus Maximus Episcopus Taurinensis, floruit, et obiit sub Honorio, et Theodosio juniore, impp., teste Gennadio in lib. de vi¬ ris illustribus. Exstant hujus Maximi homi- liae Romae editae anno 1654 : De adventu Domini, 2 In vigilia natalis Domini, 1 In natali Domini, 6 In circumcisione Domini, 1 Tom. XII. In Theophania, 8 In quadragesima, 17 In solemnitate Paschali, 5 In litaniis de jejunio, 1 In solemnitate Pentecostes, 3 In natali S. Stephani, 1 In natali S. Agnetis. 1 In nativitate S. Jo. Baptistae, 3 In natali Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, 5 In natali S. Laurentii, 3 In natali S. Eusebii Vercellensis, 2 In natali S. Cypriani, 2 In feriis S. Michaelis, 1 In natali SS. Martyrum Tauricorum,' 1 In communi Martyrum, 1 Item de expositione symboli, 1 De non metuendis carnalibus hostibus, 2 De avaritia vitanda, 2 De eleemosynis largiendis, 2 De hospitalitate, 1 De defectu lunse, 1 In dictum Isaiae, Caupones tui miscent aquam vino. Observatio . Diximus in Ambrosio multos sermones tribui simul et S. Ambrosio, et S. Maximo, sed credibilius est, S. Maximi esse illos et¬ iam qui tribuuntur Ambrosio. Gennadius enim enumerat fere omnes sermones S. Maximi, et inter illos sunt aliqui, qui tri¬ buuntur Ambrosio : quamvis non magnus sit error, cum uterque auctor sit doctus, an¬ tiquus, et sanctus. De Ausonio Poeta. 420. Ausonius Poeta, S. Maximi aequalis, scri¬ psit multa prophana ; scripsit etiam episto¬ las aliquas carmine ad S. Paulinum Nola¬ num : et exstat sub ejus nomine apud Pau¬ linum precatio matutina ad Deum, et inter opera Ausonii egregium carmen de Resur¬ rectione dominica : ex quo Christianus fuis¬ se intelligitur ; quamvis de diis gentium non¬ nulla scripserit, more poetarum. De Synesio Episcopo. 420. Sanctus Synesius Episcopus Ptolemaidis, vir admirandae sanctitatis, et doctrinae : flo¬ ruit tempore Theodosii junioris ad quem scripsit librum, ut Evagrius testatur lib. 1 . hist. cap. 15. Scripsit etiam plurimas et ele- 26 402 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS gantissimas epistolas. Exstant etiam in vm. tomo bibliothecae SS. Patrum editionis se¬ cundae Synesii hymni decem, sed anno 1612, prodierunt opera omnia Synesii Parisiis. De S. Paulino Nolano. 420. Sanctus Paulinus Episcopus Nolanus aequalis fuit Ausonii, vel potius aliquanto junior : notus fuit opinione sanctitatis, Am¬ brosio, Martino, Hieronymo, Augustino, Sulpitio : obiit anno Dom. 431. ex Card. Ba- ronio tomo v. Annalium. Scripsit Epistolas eleganfes, et pias. Ad Sulpitium Severum 14 Ad Delphinum Episcopum, 3 Ad Amandum Episcopum, 6 Ad Victricium, 2 Ad Aprum, 3 Ad Florentium, 1 Ad Alithium Episcopum, 1 Ad incertos de gazophylacio, 1 Ad Desiderium, 1 Ad Macarium, 1 Ad Pammachium, 1 Ad Jovium, 1 Ad militem quemdam, 1 Ad Sebastianum Eremitam, 1 Ad Augustinum, 3 Ad Alpium, 1 Ad Romanianium. 1 Scripsit etiam poemata: Ad Jovium epistola carmine scripta, Ad Ausonium epistolae quatuor carmine scriptae, Ad Citherium de naufragio, 1 De natali Celsi pueri, 1 De natali S. Felicis Nolani, 10 De reditu Nicetae in Daciam, 1 Psalmi tres Davidis metrice decantati. Exstant praeterea in bibliotheca S. Patrum tomo vm. secundae editionis : Libri sex de vita S. Martini carmine con¬ scripti. Observatio. Tribuitur a nonnullis S. Paulino Nolano vita S. Ambrosii, sed vita illa Paulini est, sed non hujus Nolani, ut non solum stylus ipse diversissimus docet, sed etiam quia ille Paulinus S. Ambrosio, ut administer assiste¬ bat, etiam tempore mortis ejus : imo ut cle¬ ricus sub cura Casti Diaconi, amanuensis fungebatur officio, ut ipse indicat in via B. Ambrosii. Sanctus autem Paulinus nunquam astitit S. Ambrosio, ut minister, sed multo ante mortem ejus presbyter erat, et a B. Ambrosio in numero sacerdotum Ecclesiae suae habebatur, ut ipse scribit in epistola ad Alpium. Porro inter opera S. Paulini fertur etiam carmen Eucharisticum de vita sua : sed non est ejus; ille enim auctor scribit res gestas suas usque ad annum vitae octogesimum tertium. At S. Paulinus non excessit annum septuagesimum octavum, ut ex Card. Baro- nio, constat. Denique tribuit Gennadius S. Paulino librum de poenitentia, et alium de laudibus Martyrum, qui non exstant. De Severo Sulpitio. 420. Severus Sulpitius aequalis et amicissimus fuit S. Paulini, ut notum est ex epistolis in¬ vicem scriptis. Scripsit libros duos de sacra historia. Item vitam S. Martini Episcopi Turonensis. Item dialogum de conversatione orienta¬ lium Monachorum, in quo interlocutores sunt Gallus, et Postumianus; cujus dialogi meminit S. Hieronymus lib. xi. in Ezechi- elem cap. 36. Item epistolas multas, quarum meminit Gennadius in libro de viris illustribus, qui etiam Gennadius addit, hunc Severum in se¬ nectute a Pelagianis deceptum, agnovisse cito errorem suum, et silentium usque ad mortem tenuisse, ut vitium loquacitatis taciturnitate deleret. Observatio. Severi Sulpitii libri de sacra historia, et dialogi de conversatione orientalium caute legendi sunt. In libro primo de sacra historia dicit, fi¬ lios Dei, qui filias hominum adamaverunt, fuisse Angelos : quod refellitur a Chryso- stomo in cap. vi. Genesis, et ab Augustino lib. xv de Civit. Dei cap. 23. et aliis proba¬ tis auctoribus. Dicit, Sacerdotes qui habent possessiones, immemores esse praecepti do¬ minici dati quondam Levitis. At Levitae pos¬ sessiones habebant, quin etiam oppida et suburbana eorum, Levit xxv. ; quare Hiere- mias ex genere Sacerdotum agrum vendi¬ disse legitur, Hierem. xxxn., et Barnabas AB ANNO DOM. 400. AD 500. 403 Levites agrum similiter quem possidebat vendidit, Act. iv. Dicit praeterea templum fundatum fuisse anno 588, ab egressu fili¬ orum Israel de .dSgypto. At Scriptura III. Reg. vi. notat annos 480. In dialogo dicit, Ecclesiam auro non strui, sed destrui, reprehendit Episcopos qui libros Origenis damnaverunt. Scribit conjugium ad veniam pertinere, virginitatem ad glo¬ riam, fornicationem ad poenam. Dicit, ex sententia sancti Martini, Neronem simul cum Antichristo venturum, et Antichristum ex malo spiritu concipiendum. Denique no¬ tatur a S. Hieronymo in cap. tricesimum sextum Ezechielis, erroris eorum qui no¬ vam Hierusalem auream et gemmatam expectant. De S. Luciano. 420. Sanctus Lucianus Presbyter vixit tempore Honorii et Theodosii junioris imp.; scripsit librum de inventione corporum Sancti Ste- phani, et aliorum, quae ipse divina revela¬ tione invenit : hic liber exstat apud Lipoma- num, et Surium, die tertio Augusti. Eodem tempore scripti sunt libri duo de miraculis S. Stephani adEvodium Uzalensem Episco¬ pum : sed quia nomen auctoris ignoratur, di¬ cuntur libri Evodii. De Paulo Orosio. 425. Paulus Orosius Presbyter Hispanus, S. Au¬ gustini discipulus, scripsit ad ipsum S. Au¬ gustinum libros septem historiarum ab orbe condito, in quibus potissimum clades Roma¬ norum describit, quas dum idola colerent, acceperunt. DeSedulio. 430. Caelius Sedulius presbyter Scotus Theodo¬ sio juniore scripsit explanationem in omnes epistolas S. Pauli, ex Origene, Ambrosio, Hieronymo, et Augustino excerptas; ex quo intelligimus errare illos, qui Sedulium flo¬ ruisse scribunt tempore Constantii filii Con- statini Magni : et verius sentire Trithemium, qui ponit Sedulium anno Domini 430. Scripsit praeterea Sedulius libros quinque mirabilibus operibus Dei : et hymnos duos de Christo, quorum alter alphabeticus est, et in Ecclesia canitur in festis Natalis et Epi¬ phaniae : incipit autem « A solis ortus car¬ dine » . De S. Cyrillo. 430. Sanctus Cyrillus Episcopus Alexandrinus vir sanctissimus, et doctissimus, ac praeser¬ tim circa mysterium incarnationis Dominicae a Deo doctus, imperante Theodosio juniore praefuit Concilio Ephesino primo nomine S. Coelestini Papae, Nestoriumque haeresiar¬ cham primum scriptis egregiis, deinde etiam auctoritate damnavit ; ejus opera in editione Parisiensi anni 1605. duobus tomis compre¬ henduntur. Tomi primi : ln Genesim ad litteram, et mystice, explanationum lib. II InLeviticum. 16 In Isaiam. 5 In Evangelium Sancti Joannis. 12 Dicta veteris Testamenti anagogice expli¬ cata, collecta ex Cyrillo, Maximo, et aliis. Liber adversus Judaeos cum quaestionibus. Breves anagogae de iis qui floruerunt ante legem. Tomi secundi : Epistolae Sancti Cyrilli ad diversos, et diversorum ad Sanctum Cyril- lum, numero. 39 Homiliae praesertim de incarnati¬ one, 10 Apologia ad Theodosium impera¬ torem. 4 Declaratio 12, anathomatismorum 1 Liber apologelicus pro suis ana- thematismis. Alius apologeticus liber ad Evo- ptium pro iisdem capitibus con¬ tra Theodoretum. Expositio symboli Nicaeni. Scholia de iucarnatione Unigeniti. Epistolae duae ad Successum Epi¬ scopum. Sy nodales epistolae duodecim. Dogmata Nestorii ex ipsius libris excerpta. Oratio de exitu animae, et secundo adventu. Opus insigne, Thesaurus, inscri¬ ptum, libros continens quatuorde- cim. 404 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS Dialogorum cum Ilermia libri 7 De adoratione in spiritu et veritate libri V Contra Julianum apostatam, 10 De recta fide ad Theodosium, et Reginas, 3 Adversus anthropomorphilas, \ De sacrosancta Trinitate, I Prader hos libros exstant commentaria in Prophetas minores Graece et Latine excus. Ingolstadii in-folio. Observatio prima. Exstare dicuntur Grsece explanationes in totum Pentateuchum, sed latine non exstant, nisi libri undecim in Genesim. Observatio secunda. Libri sexdecim in Leviticum Cyrilli sunt, sed Origenis, ut supra diximus in Origene, et manifestum hoc est, tum quia auctor ubi¬ que sensum litteralem destruit, tum quia habentur isti ipsi libri inter opera Origenis : ut mirum sit cur impressores in omnibus editionibus ista opera auctori non suo attri¬ buant. Observatio tertia. •Scripsisse dicitur Cyrillus in alios etiam Prophetas, sed non exstant commentaria ejus nisi in Isaiam. Observatio quarta. Scripsit Cyrillus libros duodecim in Joan- nem, sed quatuor intermedii perierunt. Sed Jodocus Clictovcus ad imitationem Cyrilli addidit quatuor libros intermedios. Itaque Cyrilli non sunt nisi primi quatuor, et qua¬ tuor postremi. Observatio quinta. Liber adversus Judaeos, et breves ilhe ana¬ gogae, haud scio an Cyrilli sint. Sed res parvi momenti est, cum sint libelli brevissimi, et leves. Observatio sexta. Thesaurus creditur esse imperfectus : multa enim citantur a S. Thoma in opusculo de erroribus Graecorum ex thesauro Cyrilli, qua? in his libris non inveniuntur. Observatio septima. Liber dc sacrosancta Trinitate non videtur esse Cyrilli, sed alicujus posterioris : auctor enim copiose disputat de duabus naturis in Christo, et de duabus voluntatibus, et opera¬ tionibus; et reddit rationem, cur non repug¬ nent istis dogmatibus, qui aliquando dixe¬ runt, in Christo esse operationem theandri- cam, et unam verbi naturam esse incarna¬ tam. Itaque videtur auctor scripsisse post sextam Synodum.