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. XVI. (Book 16)

Of the Commentaries on the holy Scripture compos'd in the Twelfth Century, and of the Three famous Commentators, Rupert Abbot of Duyts, Hugh and Richard of St. Victor.

A New Method of commenting upon holy Scripture was likewise introduced in this Cen∣tury: * 1.1 The Ancient Fathers, in their Commentaries on the sacred Books, were wont to explain the Text either Literally or Allegorically, in reference to the Instruction of the People; and the Ecclesiastical Authors of the Eighth and Ninth Centuries, who wrote on the Bible, only made it their Business to compile or collect divers Commentaries of the Fathers, of which they compos'd Catena's, or continued Collections of Commentaries. Some also then brought in the use of Glosses for the Explication of the Letter; but in the Century we now speak of, they began to explain holy Scripture, almost after the same manner, as they treated of Theological Matters; that is to say, according to the Principles of Logick, discussing divers subtil Questions concerning the Doctrinal Points, and producing a great number of Common Places.

This Method was follow'd by RUPERT, Abbot of Duyts near Colen, in his Commentaries on * 1.2 the holy Scripture; where he proposes to treat of the Holy Trinity, and its Works, and divides them into Three Parts; the First of which is extended from the Creation of the World to the Fall of Adam; the Second, from the Fall to the Passion of Jesus Christ; and the Third, to the Day of the last Judgment: The First Period of Time is appropriated to the Father, the Second to the Son, and the Third to the Holy Ghost. The First Part contains Three Books of Commentaries on the Three first Chapters of Genesis: The Second comptehends Six other Books on the Remainder of Genesis; Four on Exodus; Two on Leviticus; as many on Numbers and Deuteronomy; One on Joshua; One on the Book of Judges; One on some Places of the Books of Kings and Psalms; One one Isaiah; One on Jeremiah; One on Ezekiel; Two Books on Daniel, Zachariah and Malachy; One Book on the History of the Macchabees; and another on some Places of the Four Gospels. The Third Part relating to the Works of the Holy Ghost, being divided into Nine Books, is not a con∣tinued Commentary on any particular Book, but on divers Passages of Scripture chosen by him, with respect to the Matters of which he design'd to treat.

The Commentaries of this Author on the 12 lesser Prophets, and on the Book of Canticles, are more continual, come nearer to the Form of Commentaries, and recede less from the manner of Writing in use among the Ancients; but they are extremely mystical, and full of too subtil Reflections, and of Remarks which have not all the Accuracy that might be expected.

The Thirteen Books of the Victory of the Word of God, contain a great Number of Questions and Common Places on divers Passages of Scripture.

The Commentaries of the Glory and Dignity of the Son of God on St. Matthew, and the Com∣mentary on St. John's Gospel, and his Revelation, are very like those on the lesser Prophets.

The Treatise of the Glorification of the Trinity, and of the Procession of the Holy Ghost, divi∣ded into Nine Books, contains the Explication of many Passages of Scripture, that have some re∣lation to the Questions, which he proposes concerning the Three Divine Persons, and more espe∣cially that of the Holy Ghost.

As for his Treatise of Divine Offices, it is a Work of another Nature; in which he treats of the Divine Service, and of its Ceremonies, and gives mystical Reasons of them. He there seems to start a particular Notion concerning the Eucharist, viz. That the Bread is made the Body of Jesus Christ, by the Hypostatical Union with his Soul; nevertheless some Authors have vindicated the Assertion, and affirm that it may be explain'd in a good Sense; but we shall not now examine this Question.

The most part of Rupert's Works are dedicated to Cuno Abbot of Siegberg, and afterwards Bishop of Ratisbon, to whom he was recommended by Berenger Abbot of St. Laurence at Liege, in which last Monastery Rupert sometime resided in Quality of a Monk. His Works were printed at Colen A. D. 1578. in Three Volumes, and in Two at Paris in 1638. He himself gives us a Catalogue of them, in the Preface to his Treatise of Divine Offices: He there makes mention of all those that are still extant, and we have every one of them, except his Treatise of the Glorious King Da∣vid, of which he had then only compos'd Eleven Books.

There are Two sorts of Commentaries on the holy Scripture that bear the Name of HUGH OF * 1.3 St. VICTOR; the former are certain Literal and Historical Annotations on the Text, to which is prefix'd a Critical Preface concerning the sacred Writers, and the Books written by them: The others are Allegorical Commentaries intermixed with a great number of Questions and Common Places. These last are call'd A Volume of Extracts, and divided into XXIV Books: The Ten first of these, which are inserted in the Second Tome of the Works of Hugh of St. Victor, contain general Re∣marks on the Arts and Sciences: The Nine following, which are in the first Tome, comprehend variety of Allegories and Questions relating to the Histories of the sacred Books, from the Creation of the World till the time of the Macchabees, that is to say, to all the Historical Books of the Bible: The Tenth, is a Collection of Moral Homilies on Ecclesiastes: In the Four last, are compris'd divers Questions relating to the Four Gospels. To these are annexed, to render the Work compleat, Ex∣plications of the same Nature, but more at large, on all the Epistles of St. Paul.

These XXIV Books of Commentaries are attributed by Trithemius, and several other Authors, to Richard of St. Victor; and the First Part is to be seen under his Name in a certain Manuscript very near his time, which is extant in M. Colbert's Library; some part of it is also printed among the Works of that Author. However, it is affirm'd by some Persons, that this Work cannot belong either to Hugh or to Richard, by reason that in the Chronological Table which the Author makes of the Kings of France, in the Tenth Chapter of the Tenth Book, he ends with Philip the Son of Lewes the Young, before whose Reign these Two Writers were dead. Indeed this Reason may serve to prove, that the said Work was not compos'd by Hugh of St. Victor deceased in 1142. but it is not so evident a proof to shew, that Richard is not the Author of it; because the latter not dying till the Year 1173. and Philip being born in 1165. he might joyn him with King Lewes the Young his Father. How∣ever, this very Passage makes it appear, that the Author of that Work could not have written later than the Reign of Philip Augustus; since he is the last of the Kings of France mention'd by him, and consequently the said Author flourished in the Twelfth Century. As for the Literal Notes, it cannot be doubted, that they were the Genuine Works of Hugh of St. Victor, of which the following are still extant; viz. his Preface concerning the sacred Books, and the inspired Pen-men of them; his Notes on the Pentateuch; on the Book of Judges; on the Books of the Kings; and on some Psalms. These Notes are concise, and do not recede from the Literal and Historical Sense. Those that he made on the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and on the Prophecies of Joel and Obadiah, are larger, and Allegories are intermixed with them. To these Explications of the Books of the holy Scripture are annex'd others, which he wrote on the Book of the Hierarchy at∣tributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite. We might also add his Explication of the Decalogue, and those of St. Augustin's Rule, which are of the same Style.

The Four Books of the Cloister of the Soul; the Four other Books of the Soul; the small Tract of the Physick of the Soul; the Two Books of Birds; and those of the Spiritual and Carnal Mar∣riages, belong to Hugh de Foliet, a Monk of Corby: I also ascribe to the same Monk, the Dialogue between the Flesh and the Spirit, the Style of which is different from that of Hugh of St. Victor; nay, perhaps he is the Author of the Four Books of the Mystical Ark, and of the Ark of Noah, which bear the Name of the Benedictin Monk of Saxony: Insomuch that in the Second Tome of the Works of Hugh of St. Victor, there are but very few of his Genuine Pieces; viz. the Soliloquy of the Soul; the Encomium of Charity; the Discourse on the manner of Praying; the Discourse of the Love of the Bridegroom, and of the Spouse; the Four Books of the Vanity of the World, and the 100 Sermons.

The last Tome contains Dogmatical Works; the First of which is called Didascalick, or In∣structive Institutions, being divided into Seven Books, in which are certain Rules for studying, and general Notions of the Sciences. In the Fourth, he treats of the sacred Books, of the Writings of the Fathers, and of the Councils and Canons: In the Fifth, of the Sense of the holy Scriptures: In the Sixth, of the manner of reading it; and in last, which is the largest, of the manner of attaining to the Knowledge of God, and of the Trinity, by the Creatures.

The Second, relates to the Will and Omnipotence of God; in which he examines this Question; viz. Whether his Power be of a larger extent than his Will?

The following Tracts are compos'd on divers Questions relating to the Mystery of the Incarna∣nation, particularly in reference to the Will of Jesus Christ, his Wisdom and Knowledge, concer∣ning the Union of the Word with the human Nature; against the Opinion of the Master of the Sentences, that Jesus Christ is not a Thing; and touching several other Scholastical Questions; besides Three Conferences about the Incarnation, and a Treatise of the Perpetual Virginity of the Virgin Mary.

To these Treatises are subjoyn'd Five Books, call'd Miscellanies of Theological Learning, which contain many Common Places concerning Passages of the holy Scripture, and divers Points of Di∣vinity and Morality.

The Three Books of Divine Offices, and that of the Canon of the mystical Offering, belong to Robert Paululus, a Priest of the Church of Amiens, of whom we have made mention else∣where.

The small Tract, by way of Dialogue between Master and Scholar, concerning the Law of Nature, and the written Law, contains brief Resolutions of a great number of Theological Questions.

The Summary of the Sentences, divided into Seven Treatises, is a compendious System of Divinity.

But his chief Theological Work, is a Treatise of the Sacraments, divided into Two Books, of which the First comprehends twelve Parts, and the Second eighteen. It is one of the largest Treatises of Divinity that were compos'd in the Twelfth Century, and the Author therein explains the Questions after a very clear manner, altogether free from the Logical Method and Terms, without involving himself in the Labyrinth of obscure and intricate Speculations. He proceeds to resolve these Questions by Passages of the holy Scripture, and according to the Principles of the Fathers, more especially of St. Augustin, whose Doctrine he follows, affecting even to imitate his Style; which gave occasion to some Persons to call him, The Tongue of that Father. He was a Native of Flanders, born in the Territories of Ypres, and not in Saxony, as it was generally suppos'd: But he spent his Life in France, in the Monastery of St. Victor, of which he was a Regular Canon and Prior. He died Febr. 11. A. D. 1142. aged Forty Years. His Works were printed at Paris in 1526. at Venice in 1588. at Mentz in 1617. and at Rouen in 1648.

This Author had for his Pupil RICHARD, a Scotch Man by Nation, and a Regular Canon of the same Monastery, who likewise attain'd to the Office of Prior in the Year 1164. and acquir'd * 1.4 much Reputation by the great number of his Writings. We have but now observ'd, that to him may be attributed the Collection of Questions on the Bible, part of which is printed amongst his Works, and the rest among those of Hugh of St. Victor. The following Works on the holy Scrip∣ture and undoubtedly his. Viz.

Three Treatises of Critical Remarks and History; that is to say, the First to explain the Form and Parts of the Tabernacle; the Second, to give a Description of Solomon's Temple, and of every Thing that was contain'd therein; and the Third, to adjust the Chronology of the Books of Kings and Chronicles, concerning the Kings of Judah and Israel. To these Treatises must be added a larger Explication of the Temple in Ezechiol. These Four Treatises relate altogether to critical Matters, and have no regard to Allegories, nor to Mystical or Moral Significations.

His other Commentaries are not of the same Nature, as not being Literal, but Allegorical, Moral or Dogmatical: They consist in Explications of divers Psalms; a Commentary on the Book of Canticles; Questions on certain difficult Passages of St. Paul's Epistles; and a large Commen∣tary on the Apocalypse. The other Works of Richard of St. Victor are of Two Sorts; some of them being Pieces relating to Points of Doctrine, and others being Treatises of Piety and prac∣tical Divinity.

Among the former are to be reckon'd his Treatise of the Trinity, divided into Six Books: A Tract dedicated to St. Bernard, concerning the Attributes appropriated to every one of the Divine Per∣sons: His Treatise of the Incarnation: Two Treatises of the Emmanuel, or on these Words of the Prophet Isaiah, Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emma∣nuel; in which he proves against a certain Jew, that these Words can be interpreted of none but the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ: A Treatise of the Power of Binding and Loosing, in which he follows the common Opinion of the School-Divines of his time, concerning the Effect of the Keys, and the Power of the Ministers: A Discourse of the Sin against the Holy Ghost: Certain Explications dedicated to St. Bernard on some difficult Places of Scripture: A Discourse to explain in what Sense the Holy Ghost is said to be the Love of the Father, and of the Son: And a Treatise of the difference between Mortal and Venial Sins.

His Works of Piety and Morality are these; viz. A Treatise of the means of rooting out Evil, and promoting Good: A Discourse on the State of the inward Man: Three Books of the Instruc∣tion of the inward Man, or of the Spiritual Exercise, upon occasion of the Dreams of Nebuchad∣nezzar and Daniel: A Treatise of the Preparation of the Soul for Contemplation: Five Books of the Grace of Contemplation, on the Ark which was set in the Tabernacle, with an Addition con∣taining some Allegories on the Tabernacle: A Discourse or Meditation on the Plagues that will happen on the Day of Judgment: Another Discourse on the Day of the last Judgment: A Treatise of the Degrees of Charity: Another of the Four Degrees of fervent Charity: A Discourse of the Two Passovers, with a Sermon on the Festival of Easter: A Discourse of the Baptism of Jesus Christ: A Sermon on the Effusion of the Holy Ghost: A Tract concerning the Comparison that is made of our Saviour to the Flower, and of the Virgin Mary to the Branch: Another about the

Quality of Standard of the People, attributed to Jesus Christ: And lastly, Two Discourses; viz. One concerning the difference between Abraham's Sacrifice and that of David; and the other relating to the difference between the same Sacrifice, and that of the Virgin Mary.

This Author died March 10. A. D. 1173. and his Works were printed at Paris in 1518. and in 1540. as also at Venice in 1592. at Colen in 1621. and at Rouen in 1650. He shews a great deal of subtilty in his Theological Treatises, and argues methodically with an Exactness befitting an able Logician. His Critical Pieces are very accurate for his time, but his Style is not very lofty, and upon that Account it is, that his Treatises of Piety, though full of excellent Matter, have not all the Grandeur, nor all the Energy that might be wished for.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A new Me∣thod of Comment∣ing on holy Scripture.
• * 1.2

  Rupert, Abbot of Duyts.
• * 1.3

  Hugh of St. Victor.
• * 1.4

  Richard of St. Victor.