A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

CHAP. X. (Book 10)

Of the Ecclesiastical Writers of the Eleventh Age, who compos'd Treatises of Church-discipline or Commentaries on the Holy Scripture.

BURCHARD a German by Nation, a Monk of Lobes and the Pupil of Olbert Abbot * 1.1 of Gemblours, succeeded Franco his Brother in the Bishoprick of Worms A. D. 996. He assisted in the Council of Selingenstadt held by Aribo Arch-bishop of Mentz in 1023. and died in 1026. He compil'd by the help of Olbert a Collection of Canons, distributed according to the Matters, and divided into twenty Books, call'd Decrees; in which he has copy'd out and follow'd Regino, but he has added many things and even committed several Errors which Regino never fell into. This Work was Printed at Colen in 1548. and the next Year at Paris, and at the end of it are annex'd the Canons of the Council of Selingenstadt: 'Tis compos'd very Methodically, but without a due choice of Mat∣ters; being full of Quotations of the false Decretals of the Popes, according to the Custom of that Time.

GODEHARD Abbot of Tergernsee, and afterwards Bishop of Hildesheim, flourish'd * 1.2 in the beginning of the Century: Father Mabillon has Publish'd five Letters written by him, in the fourth Tome of his Analecta.

GOSBERT was in like manner Abbot of Tergernsee, and Contemporary with the for∣mer: Four of his Letters are Publish'd by Father Mabillon in the same Place.

GUY ARETIN, Abbot of La Croix-St. Leufroy, flourish'd from the Year, 1020. to 1030. and compos'd a new Method for Learning the Art of Musick, call'd Micrologus. He likewise wrote a Treatise of the Body and Blood of JESUS CHRIST against Beren∣ger, which is lost.

ARIBO, the nineteenth Arch-bishop of Mentz is plac'd by Sigebert and Trithemius in the Class of the Ecclesiastical Writers: The former only attributes to him a certain Com∣mentary on the Fifteen gradual Psalms, and the other adds a Letter to Berno Abbot of Ri∣chenaw and some others. He says, That that Arch-bishop held in the Year, 1023. a Coun∣cil at Selingenstadt, with Burchard Bishop of Worms, and the other Bishops and Abbots of his Province, in which were made very useful Constitutions, and that he died under the Empe∣ror Conrad, A. D. 1031.

BERNO, a Monk of St. Gall, and afterward Abbot of Richenaw, who was contempo∣rary with, and the familiar Friend of Aribo, is likewise recommended by Trithemius, as a * 1.3 Person not inferiour in Knowledge to any of the learned Men of his Time: He was more especially Skilful in the Art of Musick, which was much study'd in that Age, and compos'd many Works, as well in Prose as in Verse. We shall here mention those that Trithemius has taken notice of, viz. A very elegant and useful Treatise, Dedicated to Pilgrin Arch-bishop of Colen, but he does not declare the Subject of it; A Treatise of Musical Instru∣ments; Another of the coming of our Lord, Dedicated to Aribo; A Book of the Office of the Mass; one of the Fast of the Ember-weeks; one of Saturdays Fast; another of the Time of the Monocord, and several Letters. But Trithemius has forgotten to make mention of the Life of St. Ulric Bishop of Augsburg, compos'd by that Author, and set forth by Surius; as also of the Life of St. Meginrad Bishop and Martyr, which Father Mabillon Publish'd in the second Part of the fourth Benedictin Century. Berno flourish'd under the Emperor Henry II. from A. D. 1014. till 1048. when he died, after having been Abbot during forty Years.

His principal Work is the Treatise of the Office of the Mass, in which he enquires into the Authors of it, and the Original of the Prayers of which 'tis Compos'd. He supposes that in the beginning of the Church, the Mass was not said after the same manner as afterwards; that in the time of the Apostles, no other Prayers were recited but the Lord's Prayer; and that for that Reason St. Gregory Pope ordain'd, that the Lord's Prayer should be said over the Host after the Consecration: He adds, That the Canon was not made by a single Person, but that it was augmented from Time to Time; and that the other Parts of the Mass were Establish'd by Popes or by Holy Fathers: Lastly, he Treats in particular, of the Gloria in Excelsis, and of the times when it ought to be said; of the Solemnity of the Octaves, of Pen∣tecost, of the Office for the Sundays in Advent and other Sundays of the Year; of that of the four Ember-weeks; and of other Rubricks of the Divine Office. But it ought to be observ'd, That in this Book, as in other Works of the same Nature, divers Matters of Fact are ad∣vanc'd, without sufficient Ground, and even contrary to the Truth of History.

BRUNO Duke of Carinthia, Uncle by the Father's side to the Emperor Conrad II. was * 1.4 ordain'd Bishop of Wurtzburg, A. D. 1033. He wrote a Commentary on the Psalms, taken out of the Works of the Fathers, with certain Annotations on the Songs of the Old and New Testament, on the Lord's Prayer, and on the Apostles Creed, as also on those of St. Athanasius and St. Ambrose. He died, A. D. 1045. being crush'd to Pieces under the Ruins of a House which fell upon him, as he accompany'd the Emperor Henry III. who was going to carry on the War in Hungary. His Works were Printed at Colen in 1494. and inserted in the Bibli∣otheca Patrum of the Colen Edition, and in the last at Lyons.

Father Mabillon, Publish'd in the first Tome of his Analecta, the Preface belonging to a Treatise of Prayers, taken out of the Fathers, and Dedicated (as he proves it) to the Empress Agnes, the Wife of the Emperor Henry III. with certain Extracts of these Prayers, Copied out of an ancient Manuscript of the Monastery of St. Arnulphus at Metz. The Preface bears the Name of John Abbot, and Father Mabillon shews that he is apparently John sir-nam'd * 1.5 Jeannelin by reason of the lowness of his Stature, who was sometime Monk of St. Be∣nignus at Dijon, afterwards Prior of Fecamp under William Abbot, and at last nominated Abbot of Erbrestein, by the Emperor Henry III. A. D. 1052. This Author makes mention in that Preface, of four or five other Treatises which he had compos'd, viz. one of the In∣stitution of a Widow; another of the Life and Manners of Virgins; a third of Alms; and a fourth of the Heavenly Jerusalem or of Contemplation; the greatest part of those Prayers are also contain'd in the Book of Meditations, attributed to St. Augustin.

There are likewise in the same Place, Letters of the same Abbot, written by him when Prior of Fecamp: In the Two first, he consents to the Proposal made him by William I. King of England, that Vitalis Abbot of Bernay, should be translated to Westminster, and that his Brother Osbern, a Monk of Troarn, should be substituted in his room. By the Third, di∣rected to Warin Abbot of St. Arnulphus at Mets, he requires a certain Monk, nam'd Bene∣dict, to be sent back again, who was then in his Abbey.

WARIN returns him a large Answer, complaining of his rude Manner of treating him; * 1.6 and declares, That the Monk whom he demanded, did not belong to his Jurisdiction, by reason that after having taken upon him the Vows of Religion, under the Abbot William, he was plac'd by that Abbot in the Monastery of Gorze, which he left to go to that of St. Arnulphus, with the Permission of the Priors of Gorze, and even of the Abbot Wil∣liam.

Warin had for his Successor, in the Abbey of St. Arnulphus at Mets, WILLIAM, who * 1.7 was chosen by Manasses Arch-bishop of Rheims, to be also Abbot of St. Remy. William wrote to Pope Gregory VII. about the Affair, protesting that he did not accept of that Office with∣out a great deal of Reluctancy and Trouble, and so much the rather, in regard that he had no prospect of discharging it with good success, by reason of the Irregularities that were then Predominant among the Monks of that Monastery. The Pope did not approve that this Abbot should have the Government of two Abbies at once, yet left him at Liberty to re∣tain both: However, William himself soon repented of having had any thing to do with the Abbey of St. Remy; for Manasses, who only nominated him, to the end that he might Pil∣lage the Revenues of the Monastery, with greater impunity, perceiving that the Abbot would not suffer it, treated him so rudely, that at last he forc'd him to leave it; which William did, severely reprehending the Arch-bishop for his Tyrannical and Exorbitant Practices, as it appears from the two Letters which he wrote to him, publish'd by Father Mabillon in the first Tome of his Analecta, with that Abbot's Letter to Pope Gregory VII. four other Letters, and a Prayer by the same Author.

At the same time liv'd Robert de Tombalene, a Monk of St. Michael's Mount, and after∣wards * 1.8 Abbot of St. Vigor at Bayeux, who wrote a Commentary on the Canticles, the Pro∣legomena, to which was set forth by Father Mabillon, with an Extract of the Work it self, in the first Tome of his Analecta. This Extract makes it appear, That the Commentary is not much different, from that which is attributed to St. Gregory the Great. There is a cer∣tain Manuscript without the Author's Name, in the Library of St. Victor, and it was pub∣lish'd under that of Radulphus Abbot of Fontanelle, by Father Homey of the Order of the Hermits of St. Augustin, and Printed by Peter de Laune at Paris, A. D. 1684. This good Frier apparently had no other Ground to ascribe it to Radulphus than the Letter R. which he found in his Manuscript, which denoted Robert and not Radulphus, as he imagin'd.

ANSELM born at Mantua, of a noble Family, succeeded Alexander II. in the Bishop∣rick * 1.9 of Lucca: He receiv'd the Investiture from the Emperor Henry IV. and repenting of it some time after, retir'd to the Monastery of Cluny, from whence he was re-call'd by Gre∣gory VII. to govern his Bishoprick in 1073. Afterwards he was always extremely wedded to the Interests of that Pope, and stifly maintain'd them against the Emperor and Guibert the Antipope: He wrote two Letters against Guibert, in Vindication of Gregory; and made a Collection of certain Sentences, to shew, That Kings have no Right to be Masters of the Church-Revenues. These Works are referr'd to by Canisius, in the sixth Tome of his Anti∣quities. To him likewise is attributed a large Collection of Canons, of which there are some Manuscript-Copies in divers Libraries; but although it bears his Name in a certain

Manuscript of the Barberine Library, nevertheless 'tis not probable that it belongs to him; as M. Balusius has prov'd, in his Preface to Antonius Augustinus: 1. Because the Author of the Life of St. Anselm, Sigebert and Trithemius, have not made any mention of it. And 2. By reason that it contains some Decrees of Popes of a later Date than the Year 1086. which was that of the Death of Anselm of Lucca. Antonius Augustinus ascribes this Collection to Hildebert Arch-bishop of Mans.

Some in like manner attribute to DEUS-DEDIT Cardinal, with the Title of St. Eu∣doxia, * 1.10 who liv'd under Pope Victor III. a Collection of Canons divided into four Books, a Manuscript Copy of which is to be found in the Vatican Library. There is also a third Collection, bearing the same date, and call'd Polycarp; which was made by another Car∣dinal of the Church of Rome, nam'd GREGORY, and of which there are some Manu∣script * 1.11 Copies in M. Colbert's Library.

BENNO, a German by Nation and Cardinal of the Church of Rome, was one of the * 1.12 greatest Adversaries of Pope Gregory VII. and wrote two Books against him, full of Re∣proaches and Invectives, which are compris'd in the Collection made my Orthuinus Gratius, under the Title of, Fasciculus rerum Expetendarum & Fugiendarum, Printed in 1535. and afterwards set forth by Goldastus, in a Collection of Pieces, compos'd in favour of the Em∣peror Henry IV. against Pope Gregory VII.

In this Collection, by Goldastus, is likewise contain'd a Treatise by Conrad, Tutor to * 1.13 Henry Bishop of Utrecht, call'd; An Apology for preserving the Unity of the Church, and put∣ting an end to the Schism between the Emperor Henry, and Pope Gregory VII. which is also Printed among the Historians of Germany, publish'd by Freherus. Indeed some Persons attri∣bute this last Treatise to Waldramus of Naumberg, and others to Weneric Bishop of Verceil, * 1.14 who flourish'd at the same time. Trithemius says, That the latter wrote a Letter in the Name of Thierry Bishop of Verdun, to Pope Gregory VII. in which he admonishes him, as a Friend, of every Thing that (as it was reported) he had acted or alledg'd contrary to the Rules of Justice and Equity, and conjur'd him to put a stop to those Irregularities.

ULRIC, descended of a Family of Bavaria at Ratisbon, a Monk of Cluny, made a * 1.15 Collection of the ancient Customs of that Abbey, in three Books, at the request of William Abbot of Richenaw. This Collection is contain'd in the fourth Tome of the Spicilegium, by Father Luke D' Achery.

BERNARD, a Monk of the same Monastery, was likewise employ'd about that time, * 1.16 in writing on the same Subject; but his Work being not so compleat, Father Dachery did not think fit to publish it. But care must be taken, not to confound this Writer with another of the same Name, a Monk of Corby in Saxony, who flourish'd some time after, and wrote a Book in a very fine Stile, but very Satyrical against the Emperor Henry IV. which is men∣tion'd by Sigebert and Trithemius.

There is also a third Author of the same Name, who was a Clerk of the Church of Utrecht, and wrote Commentaries on Theodulus's Eclogues, of which mention is made in Si∣gebert. To these Authors may be added, certain Writers, of whom Trithemius takes parti∣ticular notice, and whose Works are not as yet come to our Hands.

AEGILNOTHUS, Arch-bishop of Canterbury, famous for his extraordinary Charity, to whom he attributes a Piece in Commendation of the Virgin Mary, certain Letters and some other Works, flourish'd (according to his Account) under the Emperor Conrad the Young, A. D. 1030.

CAMPANUS OF LOMBARDY, a renown'd Philosopher and Astronomer, was a Man of a subtil Wit, an able School-Divine, well vers'd in the Holy Scriptures and very skilful in the Art of Arithmetick, more especially in the Calendar: For all these commenda∣ble Qualities are attributed to him by Trithemius, who adds, That he set forth many small Tracts, the reading of which might be of very great use to Bishops, and among which he himself had perus'd the following, viz. a Treatise of Ecclesiastical Numbers; another of the manner of making Sun-dials; a Calendar; and some other Astronomical Works. This Author flourish'd, A. D. 1040.

Sigebert of Gemblours, makes mention of another Scholastick Philosopher of Liege, nam'd FRANCO, who liv'd in the Year 1060. He compos'd a Treatise of the Quadrature of * 1.17 a Circle; another of the Calendar; and certain Commentaries on the Holy Scrip∣ture.

BERTHORIUS, Abbot of the Monastery of Mount Cassin, joyn'd (according to Trithemius) the Study of the Holy Scriptures, to that of the Profane Sciences; and after having written, before his Conversion, certain Works relating to Philosophy and Physick; he compos'd, when Abbot, divers Discourses for the Edification and Benefit of the Monks under his Tuition.

ERARD, a Benedictin Monk, spent his Time in Preaching and Explaining the Holy * 1.18 Scriptures. Trithemius met with certain Commentaries on the whole Pentateuch, and divers Homilies written by this Author.

ADAM, Abbot of Perseme, in the like manner apply'd himself to Preaching: He com∣pos'd * 1.19 many Discourses for the use of his Monks, with several Homilies on the Festivals of the Saints, and on different Subjects, and some Commentaries on the Holy Scripture, of which Trithemius makes mention, without having seen any of them. M. Balusius has pub∣lish'd in the first Tome of his Miscellaneous Works, five Moral Letters by this Author, di∣rected to Osmond a Monk of Mortemer in Normandy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Burchard Bishop of Worms.
• * 1.2

  Godehard Bishop of Hilde∣sheim. Gosbert Abbot of Tergern∣see. Guy Are∣tin Abbot of La Croix. St. Leufroy. Aribo Arch-bishop of Mentz.
• * 1.3

  Berno Ab∣bot of Ri∣chenaw.
• * 1.4

  Bruno Bi∣shop of Wurtz∣burg.
• * 1.5

  John or Jeannelin Abbot of Erbre∣stein.
• * 1.6

  Warin Abb••t of St. Arnul∣phus at Mets.
• * 1.7

  William Abbot of St. Arnul∣phus at Mets.
• * 1.8

  Robert de Tomba∣lene, Ab∣bot of St. Vigor at Bayeux.
• * 1.9

  Anselm Bishop of Lucca.
• * 1.10

  Deus-De∣dit Cardi∣nal.
• * 1.11

  Gregory Cardinal.
• * 1.12

  Benno Cardinal.
• * 1.13

  Conrad Bishop of Utrecht.
• * 1.14

  Weneric Bishop of Verceil.
• * 1.15

  Ulric a Monk of Cluny.
• * 1.16

  Bernard Monk of Cluny. Bernard Monk of Corby in Saxony. Bernard Clerk of the Church of Utrecht. Egilno∣thùs Arch-bishop of Canterbu∣ry. Campa∣nus of Lombar∣dy.
• * 1.17

  Franco a Philosopher of Liege.
• * 1.18

  Erard a Bene∣dictin Monk.
• * 1.19

  Adam Ab∣bot of Per∣seme.