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.

SECTION V.

The Testimonies of Authors which are alledg'd in Favour of Thomas a Kempis.

THE Testimony of Cotemporary Authors who wrote and liv'd immediately after an Author, is of great moment to discover his true Works; and many such Testimonies are produc'd to prove that the Book of the Imitation is Thomas a Kempis's.

The 1st is John Busch, a Canon-Regular of Windesem, who finish'd the Chronicle of his Monastery in 1464. as he himself observes in his Preface, and as may be inferr'd from Chap. 4. and 5, of the 2d Book of that Chronicle, wherein he remarks that it was more than 70 years since the Monastery of Windesem was founded. This Author speaking in Chap. 21. of the 2d Book of the death of John of Huesden, Prior of the Monastery of Windesem, says, that a few days before his death it happen'd that two considerable Friars of Mount St. Agnes near Zwoll, of his own Order, came to meet this Prior, and consult him about some things; of whom, one was Friar Thomas a Kempis, a man of an Exemplary Life, who wrote many devout Books, (viz. He that follows me, Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ, with some others,) and the next Night he had a Dream which presag'd future things; For he saw in the Night time a Meeting of Blessed Spirits in Heaven, who crowded as it were for the death of a certain Per∣son; and when he heard the Bell Knowl, as it us'd to do for a Dying-man, he awoke out of Sleep; and from hence he conjectur'd that the Prior of Windesem would quickly die. Conti∣git ante paucos dies sui obitus, ut duo fratres notabiles de monte Sanctae Agnetis prope Zwollis Ordinis nostri, dictum Priorem nostrum super certis rebus consulturi in Windesem advenirent, quorum unus frater Thomas de Kempis, Vir probatae vitae, qui plures devotos libros composuit, Viz. Qui sequitur me, De Imitatione Christi, cum aliis, nocte insecuta somnium vidit praesagium futurorum. Aspexit nam{que} in visu noctis concursum Spirituum be••torum fieri in coelestibus, quasi pro alicujus morte celeriter festinantium statim{que} tabulam tanquam pro morientis exitu in somnis audivit pulsari, ut exinde experrectus evigilaret. In se itaque reversus caepit tacite cogitare, quod Prior in Win∣desem in brevi esset migraturus. This Passage is not only printed by Busch, but is found also in a Manuscript of the Abbey of St. Martin of Louvain, and in another Manuscript of St. Peter and St. Anthony of Dalhem, which were exhibited by the Canons Regular of St. Genevieve, in a Manuscript of the Library of Utrecht, and in that of Rebdorf, according to the Authentick Testimonies of the Library-Keeper of Utrecht, and the Suffragan Bishop of Ausburg. The Ma∣nuscript in the Library of Rebdorf, was written in 1477. by Friar John Offenburg, aged 70 years, as is observ'd in the Manuscript. Finit feliciter per me fratrem Joannem Offenburg in Kerpgarten Professum feria tertia ante Dionysii festum, anno aetatis meae circiter septuagesimo, anno vero Incarnationis 1477. sine speculo oculari scriptum. This Offenburg died in 1479. as is observ'd in the same Page, Anno Incarnationis Dominicae 1479. objit idem frater Joannes Offen∣burg. Nevertheless this Parenthesis is suspected of Forgery, Quorum unus frater Thomas de Kempis, &c. or at least these words, Qui sequitur me, de Imitatione Christi; and 'tis pretended the Parenthesis was added some time after. First, Because it has no Connexion, nor Relation to what goes before, and what follows after. Secondly, Because it promises to speak of two Friars, and yet it names only Thomas a Kempis. Thirdly, Because in order to the Revelation of this Vision, it was needless to alledge that Thomas a Kempis had wrote Devout Books. Fourthly, Because it seems to be an Affectation among these Books to name only the Imitation of Jesus Christ. That if one observes narrowly this Construction, qui plures devotos libros com∣posuit, viz. Qui sequitur me, de Imitatione Christi, he will find it very probable that these words, viz. Qui sequitur me, &c. are added. This Conjecture would be past all doubt, if there be, as one told me, a Manuscript of the Chronicle by Busch, written in 1464. wherein this Parenthesis is not to be found; for the Manuscripts wherein it is, being Copied out since that time, 'tis easie to conceive that this Addition was made to them, as many others have been: But tho' it were manifest that this Parenthesis was written by Busch, in 1464. yet it is possible that this Author may be deceiv'd, and ascribe to Thomas a Kempis a Book whereof he was only the Transcriber.

The Second Witness is Matthias Farinator, of the Order of the Carmelites of Vienna in Au∣stria, who is the Author of a Book of Moralities, Entituled, The Light of the Soul, printed at Antwerp, in 1477. 'Tis said, that he wrote the Book of the Imitation with his own hand, un∣der the Name of Thomas a Kempis, and that his Copy is found with the other Treatises in the Library of Ausburg, as the Catalogue of that Library shews. The Books of the Imitation are only in Manuscript, but there are other Books at the end of which, 'tis observ'd, that they were written in 1472. with the hand of Muthias, and another which is a Soliloquy of Hugo, in 1475.

As to this Witness, 'tis said that he may do very much hurt to Thomas a Kempis, but can do him no service; because this Matthias Farinator liv'd under the Pontificate of John XXII. who sate in the Holy-See, from 1316. to the year 1334. by whose Order he undertook to Compose the Book of the Light of the Soul. Possevin and Simlerus place him at the same time. If it be thus, and that he Transcrib'd the Book of the Imitation, then it could not be Thomas a Kempis's, since this Farinator must be dead before the year 1406. wherein Thomas became a Re∣gular Profess'd. To this 'tis Reply'd, that Matthias Farinator was not of the Fourteenth, but of the Fifteenth Century, as the Date of his Manuscript shews; that Trithemius has not put him in the Catalogue of his Writers, which ends at the year 1494. nor Arnold Bostius, in his Cata∣logue of the Writers of the Order of Carmelites, which was finish'd about the same time: That Possevin and Simler were deceiv'd, because they thought that Matthias Farinator wrote his Book by the Order of John XXII. for there is no such thing said in the Preface, as these Authors thought; That Farinator Compos'd this Book by the Order of Pope John XXII. but, That this Book was written in the time of Pope John XXII. and after it had remain'd a long while conceal'd and in obscurity, he had put it into better Order, divided it into Chapters and Paragraphs, and made a Table to it. Here follow the words; Liber Meralitatum jussu Joannis Pontificis Maximi Lumen Animae dictus, quem post diutinam occultationem cum adhuc informis esset, Simplicioribus rudis & obscurus appareret, frater Matthias Farinatoris de Vienna, Sacri Ordinis, B Dei Ge∣netricis & Virginis Mariae, de Monte Carmeli Lectorum Sacrae Theologiae minimus, in Titules, & Titulos in Paragraphos distinxit; Moralitates omnes pariter Naturales per binas Tabulaturas •…•…gnans, & editus est anno, 1477. 'Tis therefore very probable that Matthias liv'd at the end of the Fifteenth Century, and that he did not Compose but put in Order, Correct, and Publish the Book of Moralities. If this be so, it may be said, that supposing he had written the Imitation of Jesus Christ under the Name of Thomas a Kempis, yet he was impos'd upon by some Manuscript which was taken from that of 1441. which made some believe that this Book was Thomas a Kempis's. I say, suppose he had written it under his Name, for there is no such thing in this Manuscript; yet it may be, that the Author of the Catalogue having drawn it up at such a time as Thomas a Kempis was commonly believ'd to be the Author of the Book of Imitation, might add this Name to it, tho' it was not in this Manuscript. Lastly, Since we have not the Original written with Farinator's own hand, we can lay no great stress upon this.

The Third Witness which is produc'd for Thomas a Kempis, is the Anonymous Author of his Life, who ascribes to him the Book of the Imitation; and in the Body of the Life he says, that we may see in his Treatise of the Interior Conversation of Jesus Christ with the Soul, Ch. 2. what he said to the Lord in his Solitude, and in the Ancient Catalogue which concludes his Life.

Against this Witness, 'tis alledg'd, that he was not Cotemporary to Thomas a Kempis; that he had neither seen nor known him, since he says, that he learn'd what he wrote of his Life from the Friars of his Convent, who were still alive; A Fratribus illius Conventus qui adhunc vivunt; and that he speaks of the time when Thomas became a Regular, as a thing that was past many years ago: Tunc temporis fuit Consuetudinis ut sic per sex annos probentur, priusquam investi∣antur. And therefore we must not wonder that he speaks according to the Common Opinion in Germany, of the Book of Imitation: That besides, this Life was Interpolated, and that neither the Catalogue, no•• the last words wherein he promises it, are to be found in the Editions of Venice, in 1568, and 1576. That the Catalogues of the Works of Thomas a Kempis do neither agree among themselves, nor with that of Trithemius. Lastly, That the Continuator of the Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes, who wrote the Life of Thomas in 1477. says nothing like this which is in the Life of the Anonymous, and speaks not any ways of the Book of the Imita∣tion of Jesus Christ; but only observes that he Compos'd some Tracts for the Edification of younger People in a plain and easie Style, but very considerable for their Sense and Force.

The Fourth is Peter Shot, a Canon of Strasburg, who Publish'd in 1488. an Edition of the Works of Gerson, wherein he observes, that he has not added here those Treatises which had been sometimes ascrib'd to Gerson, and who have certainly another Author, as the Book of the Contempt of the World; which, as is manifest, was writen by one Thomas a Canon-Regular; quem constat esse a quodam Thoma Canoico Regulari editum: But that which seem'd manifest to Shot, will not appear so to those who ascribe this Book to Gerson.

The Fifth is John Kunne of Dunderstat, who printed in 1489. a Book of the Elevation of the Soul to God, wherein he ascribes the Book of the Imitation to Thomas a Kempis.

The Sixth is John Mauburne, an Abbot of Livry, the Author of the Spiritual Rosary, printed at Basil, in 1491. who quotes in this Work the Book of the Imitation, under the Name of Thomas a Kempis, and who in another Manuscript Work of the Ecclesiastical Writers, of the Or∣der of Canons-Regular, ranks in this Number Thomas a Kempis, upon the account of the Books which he Compos'd; among which he names that which begins with these words, Qui sequitur me; which some have falsly ascrib'd to Gerson. This Author wrote not this till towards the end of the 15th Century. He owns that from this time this Book had been ascrib'd to Gerson; never∣theless he thinks that it was Thomas a Kempis's, but he gives no manner of proof of this Opinion, and so his Testimony is not decisive in the Case.

The seventh at last is Trithemius, who in his Book of Ecclesiastical Writers, which was finish'd in 1494. places the Imitation of Jesus Christ, which he entitles De contemptu Mundi, beginning with these Words, Qui sequiturme, at the Head of the Works of Thomas a Kempis, who flourish'd about the Year 1410. But the same Author, in his Book of the Illustrious Men of Germany, written some time after, distinguishes two Thomas a Kempis's, both Canons-Regular of Mount-Saint-Agnes, of Zwoll, whereof one was more ancient, and flourish'd in the time of Gerard le Grand, past for the Author of the Imitation of Jesus Christ, tho' some were not of that Opinion: His Words are these; Et notandum quod duo feruntur hujus fuisse Nominis ambo de Kempis, Regulares in Monte Sanctae Agnetis, ambo varia cudentcs Opuscula, quorum primus temporibus M. Gerardi Magni ad Religionem conversus, divinis Revelationibus dignus habitus, ea quae supra recensuimus Opuscula scripsisse dicitur. Secundus vero ad∣huc nostris temporibus pene viguit in humanis, & varia composuit quae ad manus nostras non venerunt, & forsitan primo nonnulla sunt ascripta, quae secundus fecisse putatur. Libellus autem de Imitatione Christi primi fertur Auctoris, quem ante multos Annos seniores nostri suos ferunt legisse seniores; quamvis sciam nonnullos in hac re scntire contrarium. Claruit autem Thomas iste senior sub Ruperto Bavaro Cl. Imperatore Anno Dom. 1410. Trithemius having learn'd, after he had wrote his Book of Ecclesiastical Writers, that Thomas a Kempis had liv'd till his time, could not imagine that it was he who flourish'd in 1410, and who wrote the Book of the Imitation, which was more an∣cient, and had been read, as he says, by his Seniors Seniors. He does therefore distinguish two Thomas a Kempis's, the one more ancient, the Disciple of Gerard le Grand, and the other later, confounding John a Kempis the Brother of Thomas, who had been indeed the Disciple of Gerard le Grand, and Canon-Regular of Zwoll, with Thomas himself: And therefore this Testimony of Trithemius seems to prove, That the Book of the Imitation is more ancient than Thomas a Kempis, and that in his time it was not certain that it was his.

To these Authors some join George Pirkamer, Prior of the Carthusians of Nuremberg, and Peter Danhausser, who procur'd the Edition of the Books of the Imitation in 1494. under the Name of Thomas a Kempis; and an Anonymous Author, who wrote a Manuscript Letter in the Library of St. German des Prez, in 1496. who quotes the Imitation as Thomas a Kempis's, John Geiler, of Keiserberg, who quotes it under the Name of Thomas, in 1499. in his Treatise, Entituled, Navi∣cula sive speculum Fatuorum; Philip of Bergamo, who praises Thomas a Kempis, and attributes to him the Book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ in his Chronicle at the Year 1506, and many other Authors of the 16th Century, which it were needless to mention, because their Testimony is of no Authority.