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.

APOLLINARIS SIDONIUS, Bishop of Clermont.

C. Sollius Ap. Sidonius, descended of an Illustrious Family, whose Father and Grand-Father had been Praefecti-Praetorio's among the French, was born at Lyons about the Year 430. * 1.1 He was brought up with Care, performed his Studies under the most excellent Masters of that time, and became very skilful in all parts of Learning, but especially in Poetry. He Married Papianilla, the Daughter of Avitus, who from a French Praefect was raised to the Imperial Throne after the Death of Maximus. But Majorianus, whom Leo had taken to be a Partner with him in the Empire, forced him to lay down his Crown, and came to besiege the City of Lyons, where Sidonius had shut up himself. The City being taken, he fell into the hands of his Enemy, but the reputation of his Learning made him his Friend; so that he received all the Favours from him, which he could desire, or hope for; and as a grateful acknowledgment of them he made a Panegyrick in his Honour, which was so well taken, that he Erected Sidonius's Statue in the City of Rome. The Emperour Anthemius did more honorably requite the Panegy∣rick, which Sidonius made in his Honour, by making him Governor of the City of Rome, and afterward raised him to the Dignity of a Patrician; but he soon quitted his Secular employments to follow the Calling or God, who called him to the Government of the Church. The See of Clermont being Vacant in 472, by the Death of Eparchius, Sidonius who was no more than a Lay-man as yet, was chosen to take his Place without competition. Immediately he applied himself to those Studies, which were most agreeable to his Ministry, or which he performed all the Offi∣ces with all the Care and Prudence possible. The reputation of his Wisdom was so much con∣firmed, that being Summoned to the City of Bourges, whose See was Vacant, all the Bishops that were there, did with one consent refer the Election of the Bishop to him. He appointed Simplicius, and his Choice was approved, and followed by all the World. He had a truly Pasto∣ral Charity for all the Poor of his Diocese; He distributed all his Estate to them, and sold also all his Plate for their Relief; which being done without the knowledge of his Wife, she was forced to redeem it. He maintained at his own Charge, with the help of his Wife's Brother Ecdicius, more than 4000 Burgundians, who were Banished out of their own Countrey. He

often went his Visitations in his Diocese, and was one of the first of the French Bishops, who in∣troduced into his Church the use of Rogations, which were then newly appointed by Mamertus Bishop of Vienna.

Clermont being besieged by the Goths, he encouraged the People to stand upon their defence, and would never consent to the Surrender of the City; insomuch, that when it was delivered up, he was forced to fly out of it, but was soon restored, and continued to govern his Church, as he did before. Some time after he was assaulted by two Priests, who deprived him of the Government of his Church; but one of them coming to a Miserable end, Sidonius was again se•…•…led with Honour at the end of the Year. He dyed in Peace, Aug. 21. Anno. * 1.2 487, after he had been Bishop 15 years, and had lived 66 Years. His Festival is kept upon the same day in the Church of Clermont, where his Memory is in great veneration. Before his Death he Nominated Aprunculus for his Successor, who having been heretofore Bishop of Langres was forced to retreat.

Of all the Writers of that time there was none more Learned, or that wrote more Elegantly either in Prose or Verse, than Sidonius; from whence it is, that Cl. Mamertus calls him the most Eminent of the Eloquent, the most Skilful of all the Learned Men of his Age, and the Restorer of the Ancient Eloquence. His Writings confirm this honourable Censure, for they are full of ingenuity and vigour; His Notions are curious, grateful, and well handled; He hath such plenty and variety of Subjects, as is very Surprizing and Charming; He uses proper, significant, and extraordinary Words, and sometimes mixes some that are not true Latin; He hath many flights of Wit; His Discourses are truly Epistolar, i. e. Concise, Pleasant, full of Points, and di∣verting Fancies; He is excellent in his Descriptions and Draughts, which are the principal Or∣naments of his Writings: Nevertheless his Style is too lofty and subtle for his Sense, and he of∣fends, as I may say, in being too Witty. This great subtlety, together with his profound Learn∣ing makes him sometimes obscure, and hard to be understood. He ventures at some Expressi∣ons, Metaphors, and Comparisons, which not many in the World can relish. He had a very Poetical Wit, and ready faculty of making Verses, of which he composed many Extempore; but he never bestowed the pains to polish and perfect them. He wrote several small Treatises in Prose and Verse, but he preserved them only that he thought fittest to be left to Posterity. He Collected himself Nine Books of Letters; He had began an History of Attilas's Wars, but he left it unfinished, and therefore would not have it Published; His principal Poems are three Pa∣negyricks upon three Emperors, Avitus, Majorianus, and Anthemius: The other are a Collection of Poems upon particular Subjects directed to his Friends.

His Letters are full of infinite points of Learning, and Prophane History. There are very few of them, wherein he speaks of Religion; yet there are some from which we may draw ob∣servations of the Discipline then in use. So in Letter 24. l. 4. he describes the Bishop of Tholouse called Maximus, to whom he went to desire him to give a Friend of his a longer time for the payment of a Sum, which his Friends Father had borrowed of Maximus before he was Bishop. He says, that having known him heretofore, he found him wholly changed, that his Cloathing, Countenance, and Discourse savoured of nothing but Modesty and Piety; that he had short Hair and a long Beard; that his Houshold-stuff was plain; that he hath nothing but Wooden Benches, Stuff Curtains, a Bed without Feathers, and a Table without a Carpet, and that the ordinary food of his Family was Pulse more than Flesh. Sidonius being surprized to see so great an Alte∣ration in him, asked him of what profession he was, whether he were a Monk, a Clerk, or a Penitent; and he answered him, That lately he had been made a Bishop against his Will. This teaches us, that the Life, Habit, and Houshold-stuff of a Bishop ought to be like a Monks, and a Penitents. He ought to do that out of Humility, which others are obliged to do by their Profession and Condition. This Bishop forgave the Interest, which amounted to as much again as the Principal, and gave his Debtor time to pay him, joyning Mercy with Humility.

Sidonius teaches us in Lett. 14. Lib. 5. and Lett. 1. L. 6. that the Rogations were instituted by Mamertus Bishop of Vienna. 'Tis to no purpose to say, that they were appointed before, and that he only restored them; for Sidonius says positively, that it was St. Mamertus, qui primus invenit, instituit, invexit. Processions indeed were used before, but there was no determinate time for them, and they were performed indevoutly, seldom, and very negligently. They were inter∣mingled with Feasting, and never performed but to procure Rain or Fair Weather, Vagae, tepen∣tes, infrequentesque at{que} ut ita dicam, oscitabundae supplicationes, quae saepe interpellantum prandiorum obicibus hebetabantur. But St. Mamertus fixed the time, and manner of them, and commanded them to joyn Fasting, Prayers, singing of Psalms and Lamentations with them. According to the example of St. Mamertus the Church of Clermont, and several others took up the same Cu∣stom, which in a short time spread into all the Churches of the World.

He observes in Lett. 17. Lib, 5. That the Annual Festivals of the Saints were kept with very great Solemnity; That the People flocked to the Church in throngs before Day; that they light up a great many Tapers; that the Monks and Clerks sung the Vigils in two Quires; and that about Noon they Celebrated the Mass.

The Discourse which he made at the Election of the Bishop of Bourges, recited afterward in Lett. 9. Lib. 7. demonstrates, how weighty an affair it is to have the choice of a Bishop devolved on him; and how hard it is to Content all the World.

If I nominate a Monk, saith he, it will

be said that he is fit to make an Abbot, and not a Bishop; If I choose an humble Person, they will fear, lest he should be contemptible. On the contrary, if I take a Courageous and Reso∣lute Person, they will accuse him of being Proud; if I pitch upon a Learned Man, they will say immediately, that he will be Arrogant; if he be a Person of mean Learning, they will de•• ride his Ignorance; if I name a severe Man, they will look upon him as a Cruel Man; if he be Mild, they will blame his easiness, &c. If I choose a Clergy Man, they that are above him, will despise him, and they that are inferior to him, will envy him. Age and Antiquity among the Clergy are the only things almost that are considered at present; as if the number of years that they have been in the Clergy, did confer worth upon those that have none, and as if it were a sufficient qualification for the Priesthood to have lived long, though they have not lived well. There are Ecclesiastical Persons, who having been all their lives careless of the discharge of their Ministerial Function, ready to answer, accustomed to make idle Discourses, heads of Parties and Factions, defective in Charity, always wavering, always envious, yet contend for a Bishoprick at the end of their lives, and desire to Govern others at an age wherein they have need to be Governed themselves.

But since this discourse might displease the Clergy of the Church to whom he spoke, he cunningly appeased them, by saying, that his design was not to blame many for the ambition of a few, but by naming no Man particularly, those, who took offence at what he said, would discover their disposition; That there were several in that Church that deserved to be Bishops, but all that were worthy of it, could not be. Having thus disposed their minds to approve his Choice, which he was about to make, he swore by the Name of the Holy Spirit, that he was not sway'd by any Humane Consideration, by Money or Favour to pro∣ceed in it, and then declared, that he had fixed his Eyes upon Simplicius, who was the Clerk of that Church, whom he Commended: And since they had all sworn, that they would submit to his Judgment in the Election, he pronounced in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that it was Simplicius, who ought to be Bishop of Bourges, and Metropolitan of his Province. This is all that is observable in Sidonius's Letters concerning the Discipline of the Church. They also discover to us the Names of many Bishops of that time, to whom these Let∣ters are directed, and which are all called Popes, according to the Custom of that time.

The Learned Savaron published the Works of this Author in the last year of the former Age, * 1.3 cleared from a great number of Faults, and enriched with many very Learned Notes, which make the Text very plain, and Contain in them several very Useful and Curious Remarks. To undertake a New Edition after so Learned a Man, as no body seemed to desire it, so it might be looked upon as a thing needless and inconsiderate. Yet his did not much discourage F. Sir∣mondus, who had taken much pains upon this Author, before the Work of Savaron appeared, from putting out his Labours, by causing Sidonius's Works to be Printed [at Paris] in 1614 [8 vo.] which have given an ample proof of the excellency of his Understanding, and depth of his Learn∣ing; for althô there seemed nothing to have escaped the exact observation of Savaron, yet F. Sirmondus hath found many things fit to be taken notice of and explained, which Savaron had passed over; and hath made such Rational, Learned, Curious, and well-chosen Notes, that they far excell Savaron's in Judgment of all the World almost. Nevertheless 'tis good to have both the Editions and it were to be wished, that one were put out with the Notes of both these Learned Men. Since the Death of Sirmondus his Sidonius hath been Reprinted with some augmentations. This Edition was by Cramoisy in 4 to, in the Year 1652. There is also found at the end of it a Catalogue of Sirmondus's Works. [Besides the forementioned Editions of Sidonius's Works, we have also others viz. at Basil in 1542, 4 to, with the [Commentary of Joan. Bapt. Pius, which being Revised by Elias Vietus was Printed at Lyons in 1552, 8 vo. They are also Printed in the Bibliotheca Patrum. Tom. VI. p. 1075.]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ap. Sido∣nius, Bi∣shop of Clermont.
• * 1.2

  482. Dr. la.
• * 1.3

  Printed at Paris in 4 to, and after at Hano∣ver in 1617, 80.