Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 28: The Twelfth Century: Bernard of Clairvaux; Peter the Venerable
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, twelfth 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. Bernard. 1130
St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, a plainly apostolic man, and famous no less for the glory of his miracles than for the splendour of his wisdom, flourished chiefly in the time of the Pontiff Innocent II, in the year of the Lord 1130; but he died in the year 1153 [“1133” printed], in the 63rd year of his age. He wrote many works; but many also are attributed to him that are not his. The works that without doubt have St. Bernard as author are those which are numbered by Geoffrey, his disciple and pupil, in book 3 of his life, last chapter. For the life of St. Bernard was first written, while he was living, by William, Abbot of St. Thierry, comprised in one book; then Bernard, Abbot of Bonneval, added a second book; Geoffrey, Monk of Clairvaux, added the last three.
The undoubted works of St. Bernard, from Geoffrey the Monk: Homilies in praise of the Virgin Mother, or on “Missus est Angelus”, 4; On the degrees of humility, 1; On loving God, 1; the Apology to Abbot William, 1; On precept and dispensation, 1; the Exhortation to the knights of the temple, 1; On grace and free will, 1; On consideration, to Eugene, 5; Sermons on the Canticles, 86; Letters to various persons, 351; the Life of St. Malachy, Bishop in Ireland.
Works of St. Bernard of the second order, which are also held undoubted: on the coming of the Lord, 7 sermons; on the vigil of the Lord's birth, 6; on the Lord's birth, 6; on the circumcision, 3; on the Epiphany, 4; on the first Sunday after the Epiphany, 2; on the Conversion of St. Paul, 2; on the Purification of blessed Mary, 3; on Septuagesima, 2; on Lent, 7; on St. Benedict the Abbot, 1; on the Annunciation of blessed Mary, 3; on Palm Sunday, 3; on the Wednesday of Holy Week, 1; on Thursday in the Lord's Supper, 1; on Easter, 2; on the octave of Easter, 2; on the Rogations, 4; on the Ascension, 6; on Pentecost, 3; on St. John the Baptist, 1; on Saints Peter and Paul, 4; on David and Goliath, 1; on the seven loaves, 3; on St. Victor, 2; on St. Mary Magdalene, 1; on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 3; on the words, A great sign, 1; on the nativity of St. Mary, 1; on St. Michael, 2; on the feast of All Saints, 5; on St. Malachy, 1; on the words of Isaias, 5; on St. Martin, 1; on St. Clement, 1; on the vigil of St. Andrew, 1; on the day of St. Andrew, 2; on the death of Humbert, 1; on the dedication of a Church, 6; on Psalm 90, 17; on various subjects, 33; on height of heart, 4; on conversion, to Clerics, 1; little sermons, 66; on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, 4; the Sentences of St. Bernard; the declamation on the words, Behold we have left all things.
Third order, of doubtful works: to the brethren of Mont-Dieu; the Meditations; On the inner house; On the order of life; the Ladder of the cloistered; the Formula of an honourable life; the Mirror of Monks; various sermons; the book On conscience; the Description of Clairvaux; the Lament of the Virgin Mary; the Teaching of St. Bernard; the Homily on those going out to Emmaus; On the love of God; On the nature and dignity of divine love; a Sermon on the Lord's Passion; a Treatise on the Lord's Passion; the Rhetoric of St. Bernard; On the way of living well, to his sister; On conscience; Sermons on various subjects, 45; on the Salve Regina; a Letter to someone, in which it is taught what God requires of us; Sermons on the burdens, 11.
First note. Among the works of the second order is the sermon on the nativity of blessed Mary, which is not, as many think, on her birth from St. Anne her mother into this world, but on her birth through the sleep of death into heaven, in the way the birthdays of all other saints are spoken of. This can easily be understood from the context; for these are the first words: “Heaven embraces the presence of the fruitful Virgin, earth venerates her memory,” and so on. In the same order is a very short sermon on the Blessed Virgin after the fifth sermon on the Assumption; but it is the second of the little sermons, and was moved here from there without cause; and perhaps it is not St. Bernard's, since the author of that sermon says he lacks virginity, and from the first book, chapter 3, of the life of St. Bernard it is probably gathered that he was a virgin. In the same order is found the book of Sentences of St. Bernard, of which book I am doubtful whether it was written by St. Bernard himself or by someone else who gathered those sentences from the writings and sermons of the same holy man; for I see in those sentences some barbarous words, like guerra for war, and other things too light to seem to befit St. Bernard. But I define nothing.
Second note. In the third order, in which the doubtful works are contained, some are plainly not St. Bernard's, but yet weighty and useful; others have their own authors, who are named in the titles; others are silly and unworthy to be attributed to so great a man; others lastly come so near to the spirit and style of St. Bernard that they can be judged his offspring. And to say of each what I think: the sermon, or book, on the solitary life to the brethren of Mont-Dieu has not St. Bernard's style but has his spirit, and is most worthy to be read. The sixteen chapters of Meditations are like the book above; they have not the style nor the learning of St. Bernard, but they have piety and devotion, and can be read with profit. The treatise On the inner house is not bad, but does not reach the two above. The treatise On the order of life, or On the teaching of boys, is like the one above. The Ladder of the cloistered, or On the way of praying, has not St. Bernard's style, but is otherwise a notable little book and worth reading. The Formula of life, with the lesson annexed, and the Mirror of Monks contain most useful lessons, plainly necessary for Religious men, though they are far from St. Bernard's style.
The Sermons on the Lord's birth that follow in order are not blessed Bernard's, nor learned; since in the first sermon the author praises the Abbot of Clairvaux, that is, St. Bernard; so St. Bernard himself is not the author of the sermon. The same author says that on the night of the Lord's birth the temple of peace at Rome fell, which was hoped to be eternal. But when the Lord was born that temple had not yet begun to be built; lastly the style is swollen, and not without barbarous words. The same judgement can be made of the other sermons of the same author. Among the sermons is one on the unjust steward, before which is set a letter of Bernard to Matthew, Bishop of Albano, to whom that sermon is sent; and indeed the sermon has not St. Bernard's style, but otherwise contains a learned explanation. So either St. Bernard neglected his usual eloquence in this sermon, or it is another Bernard who wrote this sermon. The book On conscience is pious and useful, though it does not seem to be St. Bernard's. The Description of Clairvaux is not St. Bernard's, but of someone who knew it well. The Lament of the Blessed Virgin is unworthy to be attributed to St. Bernard, since it contains silly and some false things. The sermon on the two disciples going to Emmaus is notable, but has not St. Bernard's style. The book On the love of God seems to have the style rather of St. Augustine than of St. Bernard; for he who composed that book wished to imitate St. Augustine talking with God in the books of the Confessions. The book On the nature and dignity of divine love is subtle and obscure, nor can I affirm whose it is. The two sermons on the Lord's Passion, of which the former begins “Jesus of Nazareth” and the latter, much longer, “I am the true vine”, are learned and useful, but do not seem to be St. Bernard's, if judgement be made by the style. Of the rhymes I can only say this, that the one which begins “Jesu dulcis memoria” far excels all the others.
The book On the way of living well, which is said to have been written by St. Bernard to his sister, contains most useful lessons; but it neither has St. Bernard's style nor could it have been written to his sister. For this book is written to a virgin sister, living with virgins in a monastery, as is plain from chapter 21; and St. Bernard had only one sister, and she first married and then a nun. See book 1 of the life of St. Bernard, chapters 1 and 6. The book On conscience, On the degrees of humility, the sermons on the Lord's Supper and the rest to the end of the second volume are not only far from St. Bernard's style, but it is not likely either that St. Bernard discoursed so many times on the same subjects.
Peter of Cluny. 1130
Peter the venerable, Abbot of Cluny, was a contemporary of St. Bernard, as the letters sent back and forth testify. He was a noble of Aquitaine [Auvergne], and first a soldier, then a Monk. He wrote two books on the miracles of his time. He wrote a book, in the form of a letter, against the errors of Peter of Bruis, in which he treats excellently: on the baptism of little ones; on the authority of the book of the Acts of the Apostles; on the authority of the letter of blessed Paul; on the authority of the Church; on the authority of the old Testament; again on the baptism of little ones; on basilicas, temples and altars; on the veneration of the Holy Cross; on the sacrifice of the Mass and the truth of transubstantiation; on the suffrages for the dead; on the praises of God in canticles and musical instruments. He wrote also many books of letters to various persons, some of which Cardinal Baronius gives, Annals volume 12. Trithemius adds that he wrote on the hermit's way of life; but I have not seen this book, nor do I know whether it is extant.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De S. B emar do. 1130. Sanctus Bernardus Abbas Clarevallensis, vir plane apostolicus, et non minus gloria miraculorum, quam sapientiae splendore illu¬ stris, floruit maxime tempore Innocentii II. Pontificis an. Dom. 1130., sed obiit an. 1133, aetatis suae 63. Scripsit multa opera; sed multa etiam illi tribuuntur, quae ejus non sunt. Opera, quae sine dubio S. Bernardum habent auctorem, illa sunt, quae numerantur a Go- frido ejus discipulo, et alumno lib. ni. vitae ipsius cap. ultimo : vitam enim S. Bernardi primus scripsit eo vivente Gulielmus Abbas S. Theodorici, unico libro comprehensam : deinde adjecit secundum librum Bernardus Abbas bonae Vallis : tres ultimos addidit Gofridus Monachus Clarevallensis. Opera S. Bernardi indubitata ex Gofrido Monacho. Homiliae in laudem Virginis Matris, sive super, Missus est A ngelus , 4 De gradibus humilitatis, 1 De diligendo Deo, 1 Apologeticus ad Gulielmum Abbatem, 1 De praecepto et dispensatione, 1 Exhortatorius ad milites templi, 1 De gratia, et libero arbitrio, 1 De consideratione ad Eugenium, 5 In cantica sermones, 86 Epistolae ad diversos, 351 Vita S. Malachiae Episcopi Hiberniae. Opera S. Bernardi * secundi ordinis , qux habentur etiam pro indubitatis. De adventu Domini serm. 7 De vigilia natalis Domini, 6 De natali Domini, 6 De circumcisione, 3 De Epiphania, 4 De Dominica prima post Epiphaniam, 2 De Conversione S. Pauli, 2 De Purificatione B. Mariae, 3 De Septuagesima, 2 De Quadragesima, 7 De S. Benedicto Abbate, I De Annuntiatione B. M. 3 De Dominica Palmarum, 3 De feria quarta pcenosa, 1 De feria quinta in Ccena Domini, 1 De Pascha, 2 De octava Paschae, 2 437 De Rogationibus, 4 De Ascensione, 6 De Pentecoste, 3 De S. Joanne Baptista, 1 De SS. Petro et Paulo, 4 De David etGoliath, 1 De septem panibus, 3 De S. Victore, 2 De S. Maria Magdalenai, 1 De Assumptione B. M. V. 3 De verbis, Signum magnum , 1 De nativitate S. Mariae 1 De S. Michaele, 2 De festo omnium Sanctorum, 5 De S. Malachia, 1 De verbis Isaiae, 5 De S. Martino, i De S. Clemente, - 1 In vigilia S. Andreae, 1 In die S. Andreae, 2 In obitu Humberti, i In dedicatione Ecclesiae, 6 In Psalmum xc, 17 De diversis argumentis, 33 De altitudine cordis, 4 De conversione ad Clericos, 1 Sermones parvi, 66 De donis Spiritus sancti, 4 Sententiae S. Bernardi. Declamatio in illud,. Ecce nos reliquimus omnia. Ordo tertius operum dubiorum. Ad fratres de monte Dei. Meditationes. De interiori domo. De ordine vitae. De scala claustralium. Formula honestae vitae. Speculum Monachorum. Sermones varii. Liber de conscientia. Descriptio Clarae vallis. Lamentatio Virginis Mariae. Doctrina Sancti Bernardi. Homilia de exeuntibus in Emmaiis. De amore Dei. De natura, et dignitate divini amoris. Sermo de Passione Domini. Tractatus de Passione Domini. Rhetorica Sancti Bernardi. De modo bene vivendi ad sororem suam. De conscientia. Sermones de diversis argumentis, 45 438 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS Super Salve Regina. Epistola ad quemdam, qua docetur, quid a nobis requirat Deus. De oneribus sermones, 1 1 Observatio prima . Inter opera secundi ordinis est sermo de nativitate B. Mariae, qui non est, ut multi existimant, de nativitate ex sancta Anna matre sua in hunc mundum ; sed de nativi¬ tate per dormitionem mortis, in coelum, quomodo dicuntur natalitia aliorum omnium sanctorum. Id ex contextu facile potest in- telligi,haec enim sunt prima 'verba: « Fcecun- dse Virginis amplectitur coelum prfEsentiam, terra memoriam veneratur, » etc. In eodem ordine est sermo brevissimus de Beata Virgine post sermonem quintum de Assumptione ; sed ille ex sermonibus parvis est secundus, et inde huc sine causa transla¬ tus : et fortasse non est sancti Bernardi, cum auctor ejus sermonis dicat, se carere virgi¬ nitate, et ex primo libro, cap. 3. vitee San¬ cti Bernardi, probabiliter colligatur, eum virginem fuisse. In eodem ordine invenitur lib. sentent. S. Bernardi, de quo libro ambiguo, an sit scri¬ ptus ab ipso S. Bernardo, an ab aliquo alio, qui collegerit eas sententias ex scriptis et sermonibus ejusdem sancti viri: video enim in iis sententiis queedam vocabula barbara, ut guerram, pro bello, et res alias leviores, quam ut decere videantur Sanctum Berna- dum : sed nihil definio. Observatio secunda. In tertio ordine in quo dubia opera conti¬ nentur ; aliqua sunt, quae manifeste Sancti Bernardi non sunt, sed tamen gravia, et uti¬ lia sunt : alia habent suos auctores, qui in titulis praenotantur : alia sunt inepta, et in¬ digna, quse tanto viro attribuantur : alia de¬ nique tam proxime accedunt ad spiritum et stylum Sancti Bernardi, ut ejus fmtus indi¬ cari possint. Ac ut dicam de singulis quod sentio : Sermo, seu liber de vita solitaria ad fra¬ tres de monte Dei, non habet stylum, sed habet spiritum Sancti Bernardi, et dignissi¬ mus est, qui legatur. Meditationum capita sexdecim similia sunt libro superiori : non habent stylum, neque eruditionem Sancti Bernardi, sed habent pietatem, et devotionem, et utiliter legi pos¬ sunt. Tractatus de interiori domo, non est ma¬ lus, sed ad superiores duos non pertingit. Tractatus de ordine vitae, sive de doctrina puerorum, similis est superiori. Scala claustralium, sive de modo orandi? non habet stylum Sancti Bernardi, sed alio- qui insignis libellus est, et lectu dignus. Formula vitae, cum annexo documento, et speculum Monachorum, utilissima continent documenta, ac Religiosis viris plane neces¬ saria, quamvis a stylo Sancti Bernardi longe absint. Sermones de natali Domini, qui ordine succedunt, non sunt B. Bernardi, neque eru¬ diti : siquidem in primo sermone auctor laudat Abbatem Clarevallensem, id est, San¬ ctum Bernardum ; proinde non est ipse S- Bernardus sermonis auctor. Idem ipse au¬ ctor dicit, nocte natalis Domini corruisse templum pacis Romae, quod aeternum futu¬ rum sperabatur. At nascente Domino non¬ dum templum illud aedificari coeptum erat, denique stylus turgidus est, sed vocabulis barbaris non caret. Idem de aliis sermonibus, ejusdem aucto¬ ris judicium fieri potest. Inter sermones est unus de villico iniqui¬ tatis, cui praemittitur epistola Bernardi ad Matthaeum Episcopum Albanensem, cui ser¬ mo ille transmittitur, et quidem sermo sty¬ lum Sancti Bernardi non habet, sed alioqui eruditam explicationem continet. Itaque vel Sanctus Bernardus solitam suam eloquen¬ tiam in hoc sermone* neglexit, vel alius Ber¬ nardus est, qui sermonem istum conscripsit. Liber de conscientia pius et utilis est quam¬ vis Sancti Bernardi esse non videatur. Descriptio Clarae Vallis non est Sancti Ber¬ nardi, sed alicujus, qui eam bene noverat. Lamentatio B. Virginis indigna est, quae Sancto Bernardo tribuatur , quippe quae ineptias, et falsa nonnulla continet. Sermo de duobus discipulis euntibus in Emmaiis, insignis est, sed S. Bernardi stylum non habet. Liber de amore Dei stylum potius Sancti Augustini, quam Sancti Bernardi habere videtur : qui «en m librum illum composuit, imitari voluit Sanctum Augustinum in libris Confessionum cum Deo colloquentem. Liber de natura, et dignitate amoris di¬ vini, subtilis et obscurus est, nec cujus sit affirmare possum. AB ANNO DOM. 1100. AD 1200. 439 Sermones duo de Passione Domini, quo¬ rum prior incipit, « Jesum Nazarenum, » et posterior longe prolixior, « Ego sum vi¬ tis vera, » docti sunt, et utiles, sed non vi¬ dentur Sancti Bernardi, sive stylo judicium fiat. De rythmis, hoc solum dicere possum, il¬ lum qui incipit, « Jesu dulcis memoria, » lon¬ ge praestare caeteris omnibus. Liber de modo bene vivendi, qui scriptus dicitur a Sancto Bernardo ad sororem suam; utilissima documenta continet; sed neque stylum habet Sancti Bernardi, neque ad so¬ rorem ejus scribi potuit : hic enim liber ad sororem virginem, et cum virginibus in monasterio degentem, scribitur, ut perspi¬ cuum est ex cap. 21. Sanctus autem Ber- nardus unicam habuit sororem, eam que primo conjugatam, deinde sanctimonialem. Yide lib. i. vitae Sancti Bernardi cap. 1. et 6. Liber de conscientia, de gradibus humili¬ tatis, sermones de Ccena Domini, et caetera usque ad finem secundi tomi, non solum longe distantia stylo Sancti Bernardi, sed etiam verisimile non est de iisdem argu¬ mentis toties Sanctum Bernardum disse¬ ruisse. De Petro Cluniacensi. 1130. Petrus venerabilis Abbas Cluniacensis Sancti Bernardi aequalis fuit, ut epistolae testantur, ultro citroque missae. Fuit nobi¬ lis Aquitanus, ac primo miles, deinde Mona¬ chus. Scripsit libros duos de miraculis sui temporis. Scripsit librum, per formam epistolae, adversus errores Petri de Bruis, in quo egre¬ gie tractat. De baptismo parvulorum. De auctoritate libri Actorum Apostolo¬ rum. De auctoritate epistolae B. Pauli. De auctoritate Ecclesiae. De auctoritate veteris Testamenti. Iterum de baptismo parvulorum. De basilicis, templis, et aris. De veneratione Sanctae Crucis. De sacrificio Missae, et veritate trans- substantiationis. • De suffragiis defunctorum. De laudibus Dei in canticis, et musicis instrumentis. Scripsit quoque libros multos epistola¬ rum ad diversos, quarum nonnullas refert Card. Baronius tomo 12. Anna¬ lium. Addit Trithemius, eum scripsisse de conversatione Eremitica. Sed hunc librum non vidi, neque utrum exstet, scio.