Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 38: Scholarius, Nicholas of Cusa, Denis the Carthusian, Thomas à Kempis, Platina, Biel, Pico
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, fifteenth 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).
George Scholarius. 1440
George Scholarius, a man most wise among the Greeks, wrote four Orations on making peace between Greeks and Latins, which are found in Greek and Latin after the Council of Florence. This same man is thought to be that Gennadius (for he changed his name when taken up to the Patriarchate of Constantinople) who wrote five orations on five disputed articles for the Catholic truth:
On the procession of the Holy Spirit.
On the primacy of the Pope.
On unleavened bread.
On purgatory.
On the vision of God before the resurrection of bodies.
Joseph of Methone. 1440
Joseph, Bishop of Methone, at the same time wrote a book of reply for the Council of Florence to the book of Mark of Ephesus, the slanderer of that Council. This reply is extant in Greek and Latin after the same Council.
Gregory the Protosyncellus. 1440
Gregory Magnus [as printed; Gregory Mammas], Protosyncellus and afterwards Patriarch, wrote another reply against the Letter of Mark of Ephesus; this reply is printed in Greek and Latin after the Council of Florence. This Gregory is said to have been buried at Rome, and to have shone with miracles.
Nicholas of Cusa
Nicholas of Cusa, a German by nation, Dean of St. Florinus, then Bishop of Brixen, at last Cardinal of St. Peter in Chains, created by the Pontiff Nicholas V, was a man as pious as he was learned. He died in the year of the Lord 1464, aged 63.
He wrote On the vision of God.
On learned ignorance.
On the repair of the calendar.
On the sifting of the Koran.
On the hunt for wisdom.
On the game of the globe, mystically.
Against the Bohemians.
A Conjecture on the last days.
On the gift of the Father of lights.
On seeking God.
The Guide of one who contemplates.
On the sonship of God.
A Dialogue on Genesis.
On Catholic concordance.
Sermons through the year, and letters to various persons.
He wrote On mathematical perfection.
On the beryl.
On the summit of contemplation.
On the squaring of the circle; and on fortune.
And these are in the first volume. In the second volume are:
A Dialogue on the hidden God.
On the Lord's annunciation.
Ten books of Excitations.
Seven letters.
A Correction of the Alfonsine tables.
On mathematical perfection.
On the complements of arithmetic.
On geometrical transformations.
The theological Complement.
Observation. Nicholas of Cusa wrote the Catholic concordance as a young man, namely when the Council of Basel was beginning; and because the fame of the Council of Basel was then great, he too with many others began to exalt the power of the Council and to lower the authority of the Apostolic See. But afterwards, when he saw the obstinacy of those who clung to the Council, so that they even dared to make a schism and to set up an idol against the lawful Pontiff, he began to condemn them in very weighty letters, and to labour very much for the ending of the schism. In this he imitated Julian, the most excellent Cardinal of St. Angelo, and Aeneas Sylvius, afterwards Pope Pius II, who at the beginning defended the council of Basel against the Pontiff Eugene, but afterwards fought for the Pontiff Eugene against the Council. See the retractation of Pius II in the things that concern Cardinal Julian, and the letter of Nicholas of Cusa to Rodrigo in the things that concern Nicholas's own opinion and judgement.
Denis the Carthusian. 1450
Denis the Carthusian, a Belgian by nation, was a most holy and most learned man. He lived in the Carthusian order 48 years, and died in the 69th year of his age, which was the year of salvation 1471.
He wrote on all the books of divine Scripture. He wrote on the four books of the Master of the sentences. He wrote very many things, the Catalogue of which, together with his life, you will find after the end of the Commentary on the fourth book of the sentences. In the little book On the four last things he is to be read with caution concerning the state of the souls living in purgatory.
Thomas à Kempis. 1460
Thomas à Kempis, a Belgian by nation, a Canon regular by profession, a man of great piety, died in the year of the Lord 1471, aged 91, as is read in his life, which is set before his works.
He wrote, in the opinion of many, the four books On the imitation of Christ; of which work we spoke when we treated the works of John Gerson.
He wrote sermons to novices.
Sermons to the brothers.
Dialogues of novices.
On the solitary life.
On the three tabernacles.
On true compunction.
The Little garden of roses.
The Valley of lilies.
The Monk's Alphabet.
The Consolation of the poor.
The Monk's Epitaph.
What a Monk ought to be.
The Handbook of little ones.
The Doctrinal of the young.
On contempt of the world.
Letters to various persons.
Henry Harphius. 1464
Henry Harphius, a Belgian by nation, of Mechelen by birth, a Franciscan by profession, lived in the time of the Pontiff Paul the second.
He wrote on the ten commandments, a work which he named the golden mirror.
Also on the three parts of penance.
A Treatise on the pouring out of the heart.
The golden Guide of contemplatives.
Three Conferences.
Sermons through Lent.
Lastly three books On mystical theology.
This is the chief among the works of Harphius. But this work was forbidden in the index of prohibited books unless it were purged after the pattern of the purged one which came out at Rome in the year 1585.
Alexander of Imola. 1470
Alexander Tartagni of Imola wrote on the Sext and the Clementines; besides many counsels, and other things which he wrote on the code and the digest.
Baptista Platina. 1472
Baptista Platina, of Cremona by birth, lived in the time of Pope Sixtus the fourth, to whom he dedicated the book On the lives of the Roman Pontiffs, and died in the year of the Lord 1481.
He wrote the book On the lives of the Pontiffs from St. Peter to Paul the second; to which book Onofrio Panvinio added notes not to be despised, and besides the lives of the following Pontiffs down to Pius the fifth, which however he only began. He wrote besides a book On the natures of things, and ten books On honest pleasure and health, and letters to various persons.
Ambrose of Camaldoli. 1480
Ambrose of Camaldoli, a Florentine, Abbot, general of his Order, was a learned and prudent man, and died in the year 1490 [1439].
He wrote a Treatise on the Holy Spirit.
Also on the Sacrament of the body of Christ.
Also orations, one of which he gave in the Greek tongue at Ferrara before the Greek emperor and the Greek Bishops.
He wrote also many Letters.
And the lives of St. Eugenia, Virgin and Martyr, and also of Protus and Hyacinth, Martyrs.
He turned from the Greek tongue into Latin the book of St. Basil On virginity.
The Life of St. John Chrysostom.
And his Homilies on Matthew.
Also the books of St. Dionysius the Areopagite.
And not a few other things.
Pacificus. 1480
Pacificus, of the order of Minors, lived about the year 1480 [“1840” printed]. He wrote a summa of cases of conscience, which is named the Pacifica; this summa, turned from the Latin tongue into Italian, was published at Venice in the years 1574 and 1580.
Angelus of Chivasso. 1480
Angelus of Chivasso, a Ligurian, of the order of Minors, wrote a summa of cases of conscience which is called the Angelica. He lived about the year of the Lord 1480.
Baptista Trovamala. 1483
Baptista Trovamala, of the order of Minors, at the same time wrote at Louvain [as printed] a summa of cases of conscience, which is called the Rosella.
Werner the Westphalian. 1484
Werner the Westphalian wrote the Bundle of the times from the beginning of the world to the year 1484. John Linturius continued this work to the year 1514.
Gabriel Biel. 1490
Gabriel Biel, a German by nation, who taught long at Tübingen, flourished about the year of the Lord 1490. He wrote commentaries on the four books of the Master of the sentences; also an exposition of the Canon of the Mass, and various sermons.
Marsilius of Inghen. 1490
Marsilius of Inghen, a German by nation, a contemporary of Gabriel [as printed; he died in 1396], taught at Heidelberg, and he too wrote commentaries, not useless, on the four books of the sentences.
James of Valencia. 1490
James of Valencia, Bishop of Christopolis, lived about the year 1490, as is gathered from the preface of Finus Hadrianus. He wrote commentaries on the Psalms and on the Canticles of Solomon. He wrote also on the Canticles of Zachary, of the Blessed Virgin and of Simeon, and on the Hymn “Te Deum laudamus”; and against the Jews, on Christ the restorer of the human race.
Cyprian Benet. 1490
Cyprian Benet of Aragon, of the Order of Preachers, wrote four treatises which are extant: one, On the first see of the world; another, On the Council; the third, On church power; the fourth, On the power of the supreme Pontiff.
Finus Hadrianus. 1490
Finus Hadrianus of Ferrara was living as an old man in the year 1503, as he himself testifies in the preface of his work. In his last age he wrote a large and excellent volume, divided into nine books, which he entitled The Scourge against the Jews. It is extant, printed at Venice in the year of the Lord 1538.
John Pico. 1490
John Pico, Count of Mirandola, a man very great in wit and learning (for his age), lived only thirty-three years, and died in the year of the Lord 1494. Yet he wrote:
On the first chapter of Genesis and on the work of the six days, a manifold exposition contained in seven books.
Also an explanation of the Lord's Prayer.
Also nine hundred conclusions, which he proposed to be disputed in public.
Also an apology against those who carped at some of his conclusions.
Also On being and the one.
Also On the dignity of man.
Also rules of the Christian life, very useful for overcoming temptations and the world.
An explanation of Psalm 15, Preserve me, O Lord.
On the kingdom of Christ and the vanity of the world.
On astrology, or rather against judicial astrology, 12 books.
Also three books on the Banquet of Plato.
Lastly elegies and various letters.
What if this genius could have been cultivated for another thirty years? For nothing at all was wanting to him but ripeness.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De Georgio Scholario. 1440. Georgius Scholarius vir inter Graecos sa- pientissimus. AD ANNO DOM. 1400. AD 4500. ■407 Scripsit Orationes quatuor de pace inter Graecos et Latinos ineunda, quae habentur Graece et Latine post Concilium Florenti¬ num : hic idem censetur esse ille Gennadius (quippe qui mutaverit nomen assumptus ad Patriarchatum Constantinopolitanum (qui scripsit quinque orationes de quinque arti¬ culis controversis pro veritate Catholica. De processione Spiritus sancti. *' De primatu Papae. De azymo. De purgatorio. De visione Dei ante resurrectionem cor¬ porum. De Josepho Methonensi. 4440. Joseph Episcopus Methonensis eodem tempore scripsit librum responsionis pro Concilio Florentino ad librum Marci Ephe¬ sii calumniatoris ejusdem Concilii. Exstat autem haec responsio Graece et Latine post idem Concilium. De Gregorio Protosyncello. H40. Gregorius Magnus Protosyncellus, ac post¬ ea Patriarcha, scripsit responsionem aliam contra Epistolam Marci Ephesii : quae re¬ sponsio impres a est Graece et Latine post Concilium Florentinum. Dicitur autem iste Gregorius Romae sepultus fuisse, et miracu¬ lis coruscasse. De Nicolao de Cusa. Nicolaus de Cusa, natione Germanus, De¬ canus S. Florini , deinde Episcopus Brixi- nensis, denique Cardinalis S. Petri ad Vin¬ cula, a Nicolao V. Pontefice creatus, vir fuit aeque pius ac doctus. Obiit anno Dom. 1464. aetatis 63. Scripsit de visione Dei. De docta ignorantia. De reparatione kalendarii. De cribratione alcorani. De venatione sapientiae. De ludo globi mystice. Adversus Bohemos. Conjecturam de novissimis diebus. De dato Patris luminum. De quaerendo Deo. Directorium speculantis. De filiatione Dei. Dialogum de Genesi. De concordantia Catholica. Sermones per annum, et epistolas ad diversos. Scripsit de mathematica perfectione. De beryllo. De apice theorica. De quadratura circuli ; et de fortuna. Atque haec in primo tomo. In secundo tomo habentur : Dialogus de Deo abscondito. De annuntiatione Dominica. Excitationum libri decem. Epistolae septem. Correctio tabularum Alfonsi. De perfectione mathematica. De arithmeticae complementis. De transmutationibus geometricis. Complementum theologicum. Observatio. Nicolaus de Cusa concordantiam Catholi¬ cam scripsit juvenis, inchoante videlicet Consilio Basileensi ; et quia magna tunc erat fama Concilii Basileensis, coepit et ipse cum multis aliis exaltare potestatem Concilii, et deprimere auctoritatem Apostolicae Sedis : sed postea ubi vidit pertinaciam eorum, qui Concilio adhaerebant, ut etiam auderent schisma facere, et adversus legitimum Pon¬ tificem, idolum erigere ; coepit et gravissi¬ mis epistolis eos detestari, et pro extinctione schismatis plurimum laborare. In qua re imitatus est Julianum S. Angeli Cardinalem praestantissimum, etiEneamSylvium, postea Pium II. Pontificem, qui initio concilium Basileense contra Eugenium Pontificem de¬ fenderunt : postea vero pro Eugenio Ponti¬ fice contra Concilium depugnarunt. Vide retractationem Pii II. in iis quae spectant ad Julianum Cardinalem : et epistolam Nicolai de Cusa ad Rodericum, in i s quae ad ipsam Nicolai sententiam et judicium pertinent. De Dionysio Carthusiano. 1450. Dionysius Carthusianus, natione Belga, vir fuit sanctissimus, et doctissimus, vixit in ordine Carthusiano annos 48. obiit anno aeta¬ tis suae 69. qui erat annus salutis 4471. Scripsit in omnes libros Scripturae divinae. Scripsit in quatuor libros Magistri senten¬ tiarum. 468 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS Scripsit plurima, quorum Catalogum, una cum vita ipsius, invenies post finem Com¬ mentarii in librum quartum sententiarum. In libello de quatuor novissimis caute le¬ gendus est circa statum animarum in pur¬ gatorio degentium. • ':;i ,:i'1 •*'} De Thomade Kempis. 1460. ’ •»]:• I"» Thomas de Kempis, natione Belga, pro¬ fessione Canonicus regularis, vir magnae pie¬ tatis, obiit anno Domini 1471., aetatis 91., ut in vita ejus, qua? praefixa est operibus ipsius, legitur. Scripsit, multorum opinione, quatuor li¬ bros de imitatione Christi : de quo opere lo¬ cuti sumus, cum de Joannis Gersonis operi¬ bus ageremus. Scripsit sermones ad novitios. Sermones ad fratres. Dialogos novitiorum. De vita solitaria. De tribus tabernaculis. De vora compunctione. Hortulum rosarum. Vallem liliorum. Alphabetum Monachi. Consolationem pauperum. Epitaphium Monachi. Qualis debeat esse Monachus. Manuale parvulorum. Doctrinale juvenum. De contemptu mundi. Epistolas ad diversos. De Henrico Harphio, 1464. Henrieus Harphius, natione Belga, patria Mechliniensis, professione Franciscanus, vi¬ xit tempore Pauli secundi Pontificis. Scripsit de decem praeceptis, quod opus, speculum aureum nominavit. Item de tribus partibus poenitentiae : Tractatum de effusione cordis. Directorium aureum contemplativorum. Collationes tres. Sermones per Quadragesimam. Denique de mystica theologia libros tres. Quod est praecipuum inter opera Harphii. Sed hoc opus interdictum fuit in indice li¬ brorum prohibitorum, nisi repurgatum esset ad exemplum ejus quod repurgatum prodiit Romae an. 1585. De Alexandro Imolensi. 1470. Alexander Tartaginus de Imola, scripsit in sextum, et Clementinas ; praeter multa con¬ silia, et alia, quae scripsit in codicem, et di¬ gestum. • ‘ • L'. ■ j : 'ij v J 'a - ■ - *•- De Baptista Platina. 1472. Baptista Platina, patria Cremonensis, vixit tempore Sixti Papae quarti, cui dedicavit li¬ brum de vitis Pontificum Romanorum, et obiit anno Dom. 1481. Scripsit librum de vitis Pontificum a San¬ cto Petro, usque ad Paulum secundum, cui libro addidit Onuphrius Panuinius notas non contemnendae ; et praeterea vitas sequentium Pontificum usque ad Pium quintum, quam tamen solum inchoavit. Scripsit praeterea librum de naturis rerum et libros decem de honesta voluptate, et va¬ letudine, et epistolas ad diversos. \ De Ambrosio Camoldulensi. 1480. Ambrosius Camaldulensis Florentinus , Abbas, generalis Ordinis sui, vir fuit doctus, et prudens, et obiit anno 1490. Scripsit Tractatum de Spiritu sancto. Item de Sacramento corporis Christi. Item orationes, quarum.unam Graeco idio- mate habuit Ferrariae coram imperatore Graeco, et Episcopis Graecis. Scripsit etiam Epistolas multas. Et vitas S. Eugeniae Virginis, et Martyris, Necnon Proti, et Jacinthi Martyrum. Vertit autem ex lingua Graeca in Latinam librum S. Basilii de virginitate. Vitam S. Joannis Chrysostomi. Et Homilias ejusdem in Matthaeum. Item libros S. Dionysii Areopagitae. Et alia non pauca. De Pacifico. 1480. Pacificus ordinis Minorum, vixit circa an¬ num 1840. Scripsit summam casuum con¬ scientiae, quae Pacifica nominatur : ea summa ex Latino idiomate in Italicum conversa edita fuit Venetiis anno 1574. et 1580. De Angelo Clavasio. 1480. Angelus a Clavasio, Ligur ordinis Mino¬ rum, scripsit summam casuum conscientiae. AB ANNO DOM. 1400. AD 1500. 400 quae Angelica dicitur, vixit circa annum Dom. 1480. i De Baptista Trovamala. 1483. Baptista Trovamala ordinis Minorum eo¬ dem tempore scripsit Lovanii summam casu¬ um conscientiae, quae dicitur Rosella. De Wernero Vesphalo. 1484. Wernerus Yesphalus scripsit Fasciculum temporum ab initio mundi usque ad annum 1484. Continuavit hoc opus Joannes Linturi- us usque ad annum 1514. De Gabriele Biel. 1490. a k i ' Gabriel Biel, natione Germanus, qui Tu- bingae diu docuit, floruit circa annum Dom. 1490. Scripsit commentaria in quatuor libros Magistri sententiarum. Item expositionem Canonis Missae, et ser¬ mones varios. ;)'r\ ic.‘< I ' 'i r i- J>i.f . De Marsilio ab Ingen. 1490. ‘ Marsilius ab Ingen, natione Germanus, aequalis Gabrielis, docuit Heidelbergae, et scripsit ipse quoque in quatuor libros senten¬ tiarum commentaria non inutilia. ■'mi/ .v i r ip, j ■ ;■ i'.i De Jacobo de Valentia. 1490. • '• 1. , : I 4 tl‘ * ; j, . Jacobus de Valentia Episcopus Christopo- litanus, vixit circa annum 1490, ut colligitur ex prooemio Fini Hadriani. v Scripsit commentaria in Psalmos, et in Cantica Salomoniis. Scripsit etiam in Cantica Zachariee, B. Virginis, et Simeonis, et in Hymnum, «Te Deum laudamus;) et contra Judaeos de Chri¬ sto reparatore generis humani. •.6£10J-Um?v )<: :: ij ■. .n,- • . - . .. De Cypriano Beneto. 1490. - 1‘Jl. 1‘ f ,v! f . \ I*’* i.fj*- . V. . Cyprianus Benetus Aragonensis ordinis Praedicatorum, scripsit quatuor tractatus, qui exstant : unum, de prima orbis sede ; alterum, de Concilio ; 'tertium, de potestate ecclesiastica; quartum, de Pontificis maxi¬ mi potestate. DeFino Hadriano. 1490. Finus Hadrianus Ferrariensis , viyebat senex anno 1503., ut ipse testatur in prooe¬ mio sui operis; scripsit in ultima sua aetate volumen magnum, et egregium, libris no¬ vem distinctum, quod inscripsit, Flagellum in Judaeos. Exstat excusum Venetiis anno Dom. 1538. De Joanne Pico. 1490. Ii, i ' :> ! • ; . Joannes Picus Mirandulae Comes, vir in¬ genio, et doctrina (pro aetate) maximus, vi¬ xit annos solum triginta tres, et obiit anno Dom. 1494. ; scripsit tamen : In primum caput Genesis, et de opere sex dierum expositionem multiplicem libris se¬ ptem comprehensam. Item explicationem orationis Dominicae. Item conclusiones nongentas, quas dispu¬ tandas publice proposuit. Item apologiam adversus eos qui aliquot ejus conclusiones carpebant. Item de ente, et uno. Item de hominis dignitate. Item regulas Christianae vitae, ad vincen¬ das tentationes et mundum perutiles. In Psalmum XV. Conserva me Domine explicationem. De Christi regno, et mundi vanitate. De astrologia, sive potius contra astrolo¬ giam judiciariam lib. 12. Item in convivium Platonis libros tres. Denique elegias, et epistolas varias. Quid si hoc ingenium aliis triginta annis excoli po¬ tuisset ? Omnino enim nihil ei defuit nisi ma¬ turitas.