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.

Christian Maxims which S. Chrysostom lays down and maintains in his Sermons.

WE ought not to be addicted to the Goods of this World. Hom. 2. upon Matthew.

Persons who are not vertuous, will receive no advantage from the Vertues of others. Hom. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. in Matthew.

The Vertue of our Relations will doe us no good, if we our selves want Piety. Hom. 10. on Matt.

Men ought to exercise themselves in the practice of all Vertues. Hom. 11. on Matthew.

No Mercy is to be looked for after Death, but only severe Justice; there is no middle place be∣tween Hell or Heaven. Hom. 14. upon Matthew.

He that reflects upon the joys of Heaven, will find it easie to practise Vertue. Hom. 16. upon Matthew.

The Commandments of God are not impossible to those that are willing to keep them. Hom. 21. on Matthew. Nay, they are easie with God's grace. Hom. 56. and 76. on Matthew, and 87. upon S. John.

Let him that is in the State of Grace, not trust too much to his own strength, lest he fall; nei∣ther let him that is fallen, despair. Hom. 26. and 67. upon Matthew.

Spiritual advantages are to be preferr'd before those things that otherwise seem to be most ne∣cessary. Hom. 26. upon Matthew.

A Man of an ill life, is worse than a dead Man. Hom. 26. upon Matthew.

Passionate, intemperate, debauched, and covetous Men are worse than those that are possessed with the Devil. Hom. 28. upon Matthew.

The Yoke of Vertue is light and easie, that of Sin is heavy and troublesome. Hom. 38. upon Matthew, and 88. upon John.

We ought to examine, and be sorry for our faults, and not be concerned for those of other Men. Hom. 24. upon Matthew, and 60. upon S. John.

Vertue is more to be esteemed than Miracles. Hom. 46. upon Matthew.

To feed the Poor is better than to give Ornaments of Gold or Silver to the Church. Hom. 50. upon Matthew.

He that offends another, wrongs himself more than the other. Hom. 51. upon Matthew.

A Man that is addicted to worldly things, is in the most unhappy slavery that can be. Hom. 58. upon Matthew.

It is better to adorn our Souls with Vertue, than the Body with rich Clothes. Hom. 69. upon Matthew.

A Soul polluted with Crimes, stinks worse than a putrefied Body. Hom. 57. upon Mat∣thew.

It is to no purpose to have been Baptized, and to be in the true Church, unless we lead our Lives conformably to the Doctrine of the Gospel, and our Baptismal profession. Hom. 6. and 10. upon John.

Whatever appears great in this World is nothing before God. Hom. 44. in Joan.

Nothing ought to be better husbanded than Time. Hom. 58. upon John.

We should not ask of God temporal, but spiritual Goods. Hom. 43. and 54. upon John.

A Christian ought to work not only for himself, but also for others. Hom. 20. upon the Acts.

It often happens that those who design to afflict the Righteous, and hinder the purposes of God concerning them, doe further them when they do not intend it. Hom. 49. upon the Acts.

The loss of worldly Goods ought not to be lamented, but that only of the joys of Heaven. Hom. 10. upon the Romans.

We ought to doe that which is good in this World, and not depend upon the Prayers of our kin∣dred and friends after death. Hom. 42. upon 1 Cor.

The Salvation of others ought to be preferred before our own satisfaction. Hom. 29. upon 2 Cor.

Vertues are like Treasures, they must be hid to be kept: If they be exposed publickly, there is danger of losing them. Hom. 3. upon Matthew.

To be Master of one's own Passions, is true liberty. Hom. 17. upon 1 Tim.

Nothing is to be lamented but Sin. Hom. 3. upon the Hebrews.

No Man is offended but by himself. See his Discourse upon this Paradox and his Letters Passim.

It is easie to get Vertue, and preserve it too. Passim.

It is more easie to live well, than ill. Passim.

Small Sins are to be avoided as well as great ones. Passim.

One only Sin, one evil Action is sufficient to condemn us eternally. Passim.

The accusation of Conscience is the greatest torment. Passim.

It is better to suffer our selves, than to make others suffer. Epist. to Olympias.

The ignominy of this World, is glory in the eyes of God. Passim.

This present life is death, and death is life. Passim.

Afflictions, Persecutions, and Sicknesses, are desirable; but delights, pleasures and joy are to be feared. Passim.

God's chastisements are great benefits: The good things which he bestows in this world are great temptations. Passim.

Giving of Alms is the trade that brings the greatest profit. Passim.

Solitariness and a Monastick life, are more to be desired than the greatest Kingdoms. Passim.

True Soveraignty consists in commanding our own Passions. Passim.

It is an effect of God's bounty, that the execution of Precepts, which are necessary to our Sal∣vation, does not depend upon the weakness of our Bodies. Hom. in illud, Modico vino utere.

Sorrow is the product of Sin, and Sorrow takes away Sin: That which was the penalty of Sin, is become the Salvation of Man. Sin brought weakness into the World, and Sorrow hath de∣stroy'd Sin. Hom. 1. de jejun.

Our Worship is not like that of the Jews, which was loaded with many Ceremonies, and needed much preparation. He that went into the Temple to pray, was to buy Pigeons, to carry Wood, Fire, a Knife, and a Victim. Christians want no such thing: in every place they have an Altar, a Knife, and a Victim; or rather they themselves are the Altar, the Priest, and the Victim. In what place, or what condition soever they are, they may offer their Souls to God. Hom. 4. de Anna.

Man shall be punished for his Sins, either in this world, or in the next: He ought to be pu∣nished here, to prevent punishment hereafter. Serm. 5. de Lazaro.

Ignorance of the Scripture makes Heresies. Serm. 3. de Lazaro.

These are some of those Maxims wherewith S. Chrysostom filleth his Discourses; but he enlargeth upon them with such abundance, expoundeth them with so great Eloquence, and pursues them with so great strength, that it is impossible to discover their beauty without reading them in their Original. In reading of these Sermons, all Preachers ought to spend their time, and not in the Sermons of Modern Authors; which, for the most part, are full of nothing but empty Allego∣ries, false Notions, forced Declamations, unprofitable Questions, affectations of Wit, Jingles, An∣titheses, and other things of this nature, that have no correspondency with those Evangelical Truths, which ought to be preached with masculine and natural Eloquence.

But that S. Chrysostom's Works may be more easily read, and that the Editions which should be used, may be known, I shall draw up a Catalogue of the most considerable.

The first Collections of S. Chrysostom's Works were made of the Versions of his Book.

The first was Printed at Basle by Pfortzen anno 1504. There was another made in Germany by Cratander anno 1522. and one at Paris 1524. These were followedby the Edition of Frobenius in five Volumes, anno 1533, and 1547. which last is larger and more correct. That of Venice in 1574, in five Volumes, by Hervetus, is better than the foregoing; but the most perfect of these ancient Latin Editions is that of Nivelle, in four Volumes in Folio, of 1581. which was made by the advice and care of the most learned Men of that Age; as Billius, Hervetus, Nobilius, Zi∣nus, &c.

The first Greek Edition of all S. Chrysostom's Works, is the famous Edition of Eaton, procu∣red by the care and vast labour of the learned Sir Henry Savile, who having made enquiry in all

the Liberaries of the World for the Books that went under S. Chrysostom's Name caused them to be Printed in a very fair Character, and very exactly, with very just, very learned and useful Notes. He distinguished the Books that are S. Chrysostom's, from those that are dubious or supposi∣titious, and hath put them in an excellent Order for a first Edition. It is divided into eight Volumes.

The first contains the 67 Homilies upon Genesis, the Commentaries upon the Psalms, and Isaiah, the two Homilies upon the 50th. Psalm, which he places among the doubtful Books, and the Exposition of the 51st. 95th. and 100th. Psalms, and so on to the 107th. and upon the 119th. which he placeth among the supposititious Writings.

The Second Volume contains the 90 Homilies upon S. Matthew, and the 88 upon S. John.

The Third and the Fourth comprehend all the Homilies upon S. Paul.

The Fifth hath Sixty two Sermons upon several particular passages of the Holy Scripture, and Thirty four other Sermons upon the Saints or Festival days, with Seventy three Sermons upon several Subjects which he Ranks among the supposititious Books.

The Sixth Volume is made up of the Treatises of S. Chrysostom, the Homilies against the Jews, that of God's incomprehensibility, the Sermon of Anathema, his Sermon after he was ordained Priest, the Twenty two Discourses about Statues, and several other Sermons upon divers Subjects, and particularly of Penance, Fasting, Alms-deeds, and other Christian Vertues. At the latter end there are some Homilies which he puts among the Collections, that were anciently made out of S. Chry∣sostom, and some supposititious Sermons, with the Liturgy, and two Prayers to God.

The Seventh Volume begins with a Discourse upon the Scandal of certain Persons, caused by the Persecution and Malice of some Priests. After this is the Treatise wherein he proves that none is offended but by himself, Seventeen Letters to the Widow Olympias, and Two hundred forty three Letters to his Friends, with Five Letters of Constantius the Priest, and a hundred and five Sermons, which falsly bear S. Chrysostom's Name, the Authors whereof are not certainly known. These Sermons are followed by other Discourses of known Authors, viz. Six Homilies of Seve∣rianus of Gabala upon Genesis, the Homily of John the Faster about Penance, the Homily upon the Epiphany ascribed to S. Gregory Thaumaturgus, the Homily of the Cross, by Pantaleon a Monk of Constantinople, and Forty eight Homilies upon several Points of Morality, collected out of S. Chrysostom's works by Theodorus. That Volume endeth with Seven Prayers of S. Chrysostom, which are in Latin, the three last of them are supposititious.

The Last Volume containeth some Supplements of Books Printed in the other Volumes, the Seven Orations in praise of S. Paul, the Sermons upon Eutropius, upon the design which Men ought to have in Preaching, and upon some other Subjects. The Appendix to this Volume, hath several Books which are something like S. Chrysostom's. The First is an Answer in Theodorus's Name, to an Exhortation made by S. Chrysostom: Which is certainly spurious. The Second and Third are two Discourses of Libanius to Theodosius, upon the Sedition at Antioch. After these Discourses follow the Extracts which Photius hath taken out of S. Chrysostom and Isidore Pelusiota's Letters in Commendation of this Father. The Lives of S. Chrysostom take up a good part of this Volume: there are those that were written by George of Alexandria, the Panegyrick by Leo the Emperour, the Life of S. Chrysostom by an Anonymous Author, that of Simeon Metaphrastes.

The various Readings, Conjectures, Restitutions, and Notes of Savil, Bois, and Downs conclude the Volume, with a very useful Table of S. Chrysostom's Books, by their beginnings disposed in an Alphabetical Order. Another Table upon the Notes, and an Errata upon all the Volumes.

Almost at the same time that Sir H. Savil was at work in England, to publish an Edition of the Original Text of S. Chrysostom's works, Fronto Ducaeus labour'd in France, to Print them in Greek and Latin. He Printed them at Paris, Anno 1609. the first Volume which contains the Twenty one Sermons of Statues, and Fifty six others, with Notes at the end. In the same Year came out a Second Volume containing the Homilies and Sermons upon Genesis, the Five Ser∣mons concerning Hannah and Samuel, Three Homilies upon David and Saul, a Sermon against Idleness, a Translation of S. Chrysostom's Life written by Palladius, a Latin Sermon of Continency, and some other Sermons in Latin with Notes. The Third Volume Printed in 1614. contains the Homilies and Sermons upon the Psalms, and the Commentary upon Isaiah. The Fourth Volume Printed the same Year, contains the Works and Letters of S. Chrysostom, his First Sermon, and two others upon his Exile; it ends with the Notes of Fronto Ducaeus. The Fifth Volume is a Collection of Seventy Sermons upon several passages, both of the Old and New Testament, and upon some other Subjects; it was Printed in 1616. The Sixth contains Seventy three Sermons, which Fronto Ducaeus does not attribute to S. Chrysostom; the Homilies made up of Collections taken out of S. Chrysostom by Theodorus, and the Notes of Fronto Ducaeus. The works of S. Chry∣sostom upon the New Testament were not Printed then, because they had been lately Printed by Commelinus in Four Volumes. The First contains the Homilies of S. Chrysostom, and the imperfect Work upon S. Matthew, the Second, the Homilies upon S. John, the Third the Homilies upon the Acts; and the Last, the Homilies upon S. Paul, and the Commentary of Andreas Caesariensis upon the Revelations of S. John. These Books are in the Greek and Latin Edition of S. Chry∣sostom, Printed at Paris in 1633, and divided into Six Volumes, which is not so exact as the Edi∣tion of Commelinus, and the Six first Volumes that were Printed in 1636, are not so exact as those that were Printed before.

The Latin Edition of Ducaeus Printed at Paris in 1613. Containeth, besides the Books that are named already, a great many other Homilies which are not in the Greek, and which in all Likelihood were Composed by Latin Authors as we observ'd before. The Translation was all Revised by Fronto Ducaeus; it was Printed at Antwerp, and lately Printed at Lyons with some Additions. It is very strange, that those who took Care of this Edition, did not only leave the same confusion that is in the others, but have even confounded it more, and loaded it with many useless things.