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.

Letters of Pious Advice and Instruction.

There never was in the Church a more strict, or free Censor of Manners than S. Isidore of Damiata. The Church of Damiata was then governed by a Bishop, called Eusebius, who sought his own advantage more than that of Jesus Christ. Altho' S. Isidore looked upon him as his Supe∣rior, yet he was not afraid of violating the respect due to him, by telling him with all the freedom imaginable, That he did not lead a Life as became a Bishop. He made no scruple to reprove him for his Vices, to write of them to his Friends, to discover them to the publick, that he might make him ashamed of them, and to lament the unhappiness of the Church of Damiata in having such a Bishop. In his other Letters, he speaks the same things for the most part; sometimes he accuses him of selling Ordinations, sometimes he reproves his Covetousness, sometimes he taxes his Pride and Ambition, and sometimes he suspects him to be guilty of living disorderly. In a word, he gives him every where the Character of a Bishop altogether unworthy of his Ministry. He hath no more regard to the reputation of his inferior Ministers. His Arch-deacon Pansophius, and his Steward, called Maro, are taxed with the Crimes of Symony and unjust Exactions. The Monks, Zosimus and Palladius meet with no better Treatment; he describes them as Debauchees who led a lewd and disorderly Life. Another Priest, called Martinianus, who after the Death of Eusebius strove to get himself ordained into his place, is also accused of many Crimes by Isidore. He wrote also of him to S. Cyril to hinder him from ordaining him Bishop of Damiata. If we will take the pains to read the Letters which he hath written to the Persons already named, and to his Friends upon the same Subject, we shall find therein excellent Instructions for all Bishops. Parti∣cularly we may see against those that Hunt after Bishopricks, l. 1. 23, 28, 104. l. 2. 127. and many others against the Bishops, who conferr Ordinations for Money, l. 1. 26, 29. and others which we have cited in speaking of Symony. Against proud and covetous Bishops, and who make not a good use of the Revenues of the Church, l. 1. 38, 44, 57, 215. Against their lord∣ing and tyrannical Humour, l. 2. 208, 209. He describes the excellency of the Priesthood, l. 2. 200. and preferrs it before the temporal Government; because Bishops govern the Soul, whereas Prin∣ces have Power only over the Body. He speaks, in several places, of the necessary Qualifications of a Bishop, and of the difficulty that there is in discharging that Ministry well, l. 1. 104, 151. l. 3. 216, 259. l. 4. 213. 145. He admonishes those that desire to be Bishops, that they ought to purifie themselves before they undertake to purifie others, l. 2. 65. He thinks, That there are two Things absolutely necessary for a Bishop, Eloquence and Holiness of Life; that if these two go not together, 'tis impossible that a Bishop should do any good in his Place, l. 1. 44. l. 2. 235. l. 3. 259. That Gravity, and a Constancy in his Actions, ought also to be joyned with these two Vertues, l. 1. 319. l. 2. 290.

But S. Isidore did not only use such Admonitions and Reproofs towards his own Bishop and Clergy to amend them, but also he dealt in the same manner with S. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, in writing to him about the Troubles that happened at the Council of Ephesus. He accuses him for acting too rashly and fiercely, and tells him, that many of those who were as∣sembled at Ephesus, boldly asserted, That he sought more to be avenged of his Enemy, than settle the Orthodox Truth. He is, say they, a true Nephew of Theophilus, he hath the same Spirit and Behaviour; and as this last thundered out his Fury against the Blessed John, his Nephew hath done the same, altho' there be a great deal of difference between the Persons accused, l. 1. 310. He wrote to him after the same fashion in another Letter. The Examples of Holy Scripture, saith he, create in me such an horror as obliges me to write to you. For whether I look upon my self as your Father (as you call me) I am afraid least if I do not admonish you, I should be puni∣shed as the High-Priest Eli was, for having not reproved his Sons. But if I consider my self ra∣ther as your Son, upon the Account of S. Mark, whom you represent, the punishment of Jonathan, who was slain, because he did not hinder his Father from consulting the Witch of Endor, is a Warning to me. Wherefore, to avoid my own and your Condemnation, I am obliged to admo∣nish you to lay aside the Disputes now on foot, and not engage the Church of Christ in a particu∣lar and domestick Quarrel, and so raise a perpetual Schism in the Church under the pretence of Religion, l. 1. 370.

It was the Grief that S. Isidore had, to see the Orthodox Bishops divided among themselves, that made him speak thus. He imagined that S. Cyril's Rashness was the Cause of it. He thought that he sought to revenge an old Quarrel: And it appears likewise, that he suspected him, not to have a thorough-sound Opinion about the Incarnation, l. 1. 323. But, afterwards, being bet∣ter informed, he approved his Doctrine, and exhorted him to continue stedfast in it, and not contradict himself, as it appears by Letter, 324. l. 1. S. Isidore wrote not only to S. Cyril, to endeavour a Pacification between the Bishops of the Council of Ephesus, but thought himself ob∣liged to write to the Emperor Theodosius. He advised him to go himself to Ephesus, to appease the Troubles; and admonishes him, Not to espouse the Animosities of either Side, nor suffer his own Officers to intermeddle with Matters of Doctrine, l. 1. 311. Thus did S. Isidore, without leaving his Retirement, engage himself in the greatest Affairs of the Church, and joyned with the Prayers, which he made to God for the Peace of his Church, the most effectual Counsels and Advice.

So that he was none of those Monks who were contented to bewail their own Sins, and pray to God for others in secret, and who remain in perpetual Silence, without concerning themselves with what happens, or having any Commerce with other Men. He found out a way to joyn the Love of Solitude with the Knowledge of what happens in the World; Piety and Silence with Charitable Advice and Admonitions; Mental Recollection with a continual Observation of other's Actions: And, to speak in one Word, all the Exercises of a Monastick Life, with the Care and Vigilance of a Pastor. There were no Persons, of whatsoever State and Condition they were, but he gave them Advice and Instructions about their Employments and Duties. We have already seen after what manner he gave them to Bishops and Ecclesiastical Persons, let us now take a view of some of them, which he gives to the Laity.

Advice to Kings. If you will obtain the Eternal and Incorruptible Kingdom, which God will give to those who govern well here below, as a Reward, you must make use of your Power with Moderation and Goodness, and liberally dispense your Riches to the Poor; for 'tis not a Prince's Power that saves him, but his Justice, Goodness and Piety: He cannot avoid being counted an Ido∣later, if he unjustly hoards up his Temporal Riches, without distributing them to the Poor, l. 1. 35. to Theodosius.

Advice to Magistrates and Governours. They ought to think with themselves, That the Time of exercising their Offices is short; That Life it self is not of long continuance; That the Rewards or Torments of another World are Eternal; That they ought to Administer Justice freely to all the World, use their Authority with gentleness, and give no Man a just Ground of Complaint, l. 1. 31, 47, 48, 133, 165, 191, 208, 290.

Advice to Courtiers. Not to misuse the Favour of their Prince, but to employ it for the Good and Safety of the People, and to imitate Daniel, l. 1. 36, 47, 48.

Advice to Soldiers. Not to take too much upon them, to do no Violence nor Injustice, &c. l. 1. 40, 78, 297, 327.

Advice to Subjects. Jesus Christ submitted himself to the Laws of the Emperours, and paid Tribute, to teach us Obedience to Kings, and not to exempt our selves from paying their Dues, upon the Pretence of Poverty, l. 1. 206, 408.

Advice to Women. If they would be commended as Judith, Susanna or S. Thecla, they must imitate the Vertues of those Illustrious Women, l. 1. 187. That Christian Women should modestly apparel themselves, and that they should not use the Adornings and Finery of the Women of the World. Upon this occasion he relates a remarkable Story of a Young Woman, who coming into the Sight of a Young Man, who was extreamly in Love with her, cured him of that fond Passion, by presenting her self before him with her Heir cropp'd, and her Head covered with Ashes, l. 2. 53, 145. He recommends Modesty also to them, but more especially to Widows, l. 1. 179.

Advice to Parents. Concerning the Education of their Children, l. 1. 316.

Advice to those that take the Holy Sacrament with a defiled Conscience, l. 1. 170.

Advice to Sinners. The most perfect State is not to sin, but it is good to repent when we have sinned, and to rise again, as soon as may be, from our Fall. Since you are fallen from your first Estate, which is above your Strength, have a care that you do not neglect the second means of gaining your Salvation, and take heed that Despair do not entirely ruin you, l. 1. 381. l. 2. 160. l. 3. 62. Yet the Hopes of Pardon ought not to encourage us in Sin, for it is much easier to pre∣serve Innocency than to restore it, forasmuch as some Scar always remains after the Cure, and it can never be recovered but with much Pain, l. 3. 157.

Advice to a Physician, who lived wickedly. You profess a Science which requires a great deal of Prudence and Wisdom, but you have a Spirit of Contradiction; you cure small Wounds for others, but do not heal your own Distempers, which are very great and dangerous: If you will be a True Physician, begin to cure your own diseased Soul, l. 1. 391, 437.

There are an infinite number of such like Instructions in the Letters of S. Isidore. They are full of Maxims of Piety and the Rules of a Spiritual Life. He, in several Places of them, recommends Charity, Humility, Vigilance, Holiness, Modesty, Sobriety, Patience, Contempt of the World, Repentance, Labour, Prayer, and other Christian Vertues, of which he teaches the Practical Part. He renders the contrary Vices detestable, and propounds fit Remedies for us to apply to them. He principally inveighs against Three Vices very common in his Time, Ambition, Covet∣ousness and Intemperance. Lastly, All his Letters are full of most solid and profitable Christian

Maxims: This is an excellent one, which he often repeats; Our Lives must correspond with our Words, and we ought to practise our selves what we teach others, for it is not enough to say, but we must do what we say.