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Innocent III. bishop of Rome, whose epis- || he had composed a work so entitled, which tles and other productions contribute to illus- was a collection of opinions and sentences retrate the religious sentiments, as also the dis- lative to the various branches of theology, excipline and morals, that prevailed in this cen- tracted from the Latin doctors, and reduced tury;* into a sort of system;*

Anselm of Laon, a man of a subtile genius, and deeply versed in logical disquisition;

Abelard, the disciple of Anselm, and most famous in this century, on account of the elegance of his wit, the extent of his erudition, the power of his rhetoric, and the severity of his fate;t

Geoffry of Vendome, whose Epistles and Dissertations are yet extant;

Gilbert de la Porree,† a subtile dialectician, and a learned divine, who is, however, said to have adopted several erroneous sentiments concerning the Divine Essence, the Incarnation, and the Trinity;

William of Auxerre, who acquired a considerable reputation by his Theological System;§ Peter of Blois, whose epistles and other productions may yet be read with profit; John of Salisbury, a man of great learning

Rupert of Duytz, the most eminent, perhaps, of all the scriptural expositors who flou-and true genius, whose philosophical and theorished among the Latins during this century, a man of a sound judgment and an elegant taste;

Hugh of St. Victor, a man distinguished by the fecundity of his genius, who treated of all the branches of sacred and profane erudition that were known in his time, and composed several dissertations that are not destitute of merit;§

Richard of St. Victor, who was at the head of the Mystics in this century, and whose treatise, entitled, The Mystical Ark, which contains, as it were, the marrow of that kind of theology, was received with the greatest avidity, and applauded by the fanatics of the times;||

Honorius of Autun,¶ no mean philosopher, and tolerably versed in theological learning;

logical knowledge was adorned with a lively wit and a flowing eloquence, as appears in his Metalogicus, and his book de Nugis Curialium;

Petrus Comestor, author of An Abridgement of the Old and New Testament, which was used in the schools for the instruction of the youth, and called (probably from that circum stance) Historia Scholastica.

A more ample account of the names and characters of the Latin writers may be found in those authors who have professedly treated of that branch of literature.

CHAPTER III.

Concerning the Doctrine of the Christian Church in this Century.

I. WHEN We consider the multitude of causes which united their influence in obscuring the lustre of genuine Christianity, and corrupting it by a profane mixture of the inventions of superstitious and designing men with its pure and sublime doctrines, it will appear surprising, that the religion of Jesus was not totally extinguished. All orders contri

Gratian, a learned monk, who reduced the canon law into a new and regular form, in his vast compilation of the decisions of the ancient and modern councils, the decretals of the pontiffs, the capitularies of the kings of France, &c.; William of Rheims, the author of several productions, calculated to excite pious sentiments, and contribute to the progress of practical re-buted, though in different ways, to corrupt the ligion;

Peter Lombard, who was commonly called, in France, Master of the Sentences, because

has also subjoined to his works the accounts that have been given, by the ancient writers, of his life

and actions.

The Epistles of Innocent III. were published at Paris, in two large volumes in folio, by Baluze, in

the year 1682.

† See Bayle's Dictionary, at the articles Abelard and Paraclet.-Gervais, Vie de Pierre Abeillard, Abbe de Ruys, et d'Heloise, published at Paris in two volumes 8vo., in the year 1728. The works of this famous and unfortunate monk were published at Paris in 1616, in one volume 4to., by Franc. Am boise. Another edition, much more ample, might be given, since there are a great number of the productions of Abelard that have never yet seen the light.

1 See Mabillon, Annal. Bened. tom. vi. p. 19, 42, 144, 168, 261, 282, 296. He gives an ample account of Rupert, and of the disputes in which he was involved.

§ See Gallia Christiana, tom. vii. p. 661. The works of this learned man were published at Rouen, in three folio volumes, in the year 1648. See, for a farther account of him, Derlangii Dissert. de Hugone a S. Victore, Helmstadt, 1746, in 4to., and Martenne's Voyage Literaire, tom. ii. p. 91, 92. | Gallia Christiana, tom. vii. p. 669.

Such is the place to which Honorius is said to have belonged. But Le Bœuf proves him to have been a German, in his Dissert. sur l'Hist. Francoise, tom. i. p. 254.

native purity of true religion. The popes led the way; they would not suffer any doctrines to prevail that had the smallest tendency to diminish their despotic authority; but obliged the public teachers to interpret the precepts of Christianity in such a manner, as to render them subservient to the support of papal dominion and tyranny. This order was so much the more terrible, as those who refused scripture into significations totally opposite to to comply with it, and to force the words of the intentions of its divine author (such, in a word, as had the courage to place the authority of the Gospel above that of the Roman pontiffs, and to consider it as the supreme rule of their conduct,) were answered with the formiceived death in the most cruel forms, as the dable arguments of fire and sword, and re

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fruit of their sincerity and resolution. The || during their residence upon earth. To finish priests and monks contributed, in their way, the horrid portrait of superstition, we shall to disfigure the beautiful simplicity of religion; only observe, that the stupid credulity of the and, finding it their interest to keep the people people in this century went so far, that when in the grossest ignorance and darkness, daz- any persons, either through the phrenzy of a zled their feeble eyes with the ludicrous pomp disordered imagination, or with an intention of a gaudy worship, and led them to place the of deceiving, published the dreams or visions, whole of religion in vain ceremonies, bodily which they fancied or pretended they had from austerities and exercises, and particularly in a above, the multitude resorted to the new orablind and stupid veneration for the clergy.cle, and respected its decisions as the comThe scholastic doctors, who considered the de- mands of God, who in this way was pleased, cisions of the ancients, and the precepts of the as they imagined, to communicate counsel, inDialecticians, as the great rule and criterion struction, and the knowledge of his will to of truth, instead of explaining the doctrines of men. This appears (to mention no other exthe Gospel, undermined them by degrees, and amples) from the extraordinary reputation sunk divine truth in the ruins of a captious which the two famous prophetesses Hildegard, philosophy; while the Mystics, running into abbess of Bingen, and Elizabeth of Schonauge, the opposite extreme, maintained, that the obtained in Germany.† souls of the truly pious were incapable of any III. The general prevalence of ignorance spontaneous motions, and could only be moved and superstition was dexterously, yet basely by a divine impulse; and thus not only set improved, by the rulers of the church, to fill limits to the pretensions of reason, but exclud- their coffers, and to drain the purses of the deed it entirely from religion and morality, ifluded multitude: indeed each rank and order they did not in some measure deny its very of the clergy had a peculiar method of fleecexistence. ing the people. The bishops, when they wantII. The consequences of all this were super-ed money for their private pleasures, or for the stition and ignorance, which were substituted exigencies of the church, granted to their flock for true religion, and reigned over the multitude the power of purchasing the remission of the with an universal sway. Relics, which were penalties imposed upon transgressors, by a sum for the most part fictitious, or at least uncer- of money, which was to be applied to certain tain, attracted more powerfully the confidence religious purposes; or, in other words, they of the people, than the merits of Christ, and published indulgences, which became an inexwere supposed by many to be more effectual, haustible source of opulence to the episcopal than the prayers offered to heaven, through orders, and enabled them, as is well known, to the mediation and intercession of that divine form and execute the most difficult schemes Redeemer. The opulent, whose circumstan- for the enlargement of their authority, and to ces enabled them either to erect new temples, erect a multitude of sacred edifices, which or to repair and embellish the old, were consi- augmented considerably the external pomp and dered as the happiest of all mortals, and as the splendour of the church. The abbots and most intimate friends of the Most High; whilst monks, who were not qualified to grant indulthey, whom poverty rendered incapable of such gences, had recourse to other methods of enpompous acts of liberality, contributed to the riching their convents. They carried about multiplication of religious edifices by their bo- the country the carcases and relics of the dily labours, cheerfully performed the services saints in solemn procession, and permitted the in which beasts of burden are usually employ-multitude to behold, touch, and embrace, at ed (such as carrying stones and drawing wagons,) and expected to obtain eternal salvation by these voluntary and painful efforts of misguided zeal. The saints had a greater number of worshippers, than the Supreme Being and the Saviour of mankind; nor did these superstitious worshippers trouble their heads about that knotty question, which occasioned much debate and many laborious disquisitions in succeeding times, viz. How the inhabitants of heaven came to the knowledge of the prayers and supplications that were addressed to them from the earth? This question was prevented in this century by an opinion, which the Christians had received from their pagan ancestors, that the inhabitants of heaven descend-529, ed often from above, and frequented the places in which they had formerly taken pleasure

*See Guibert de Novigento, de Pignoribus, (so were relics called) Sanctorum, in his Works published by d'Acheri, p. 327, where he attacks, with judgment and dexterity, the superstition of these miserable times.

† See Haymon's Treatise concerning this custom, published by Mabillon, at the end of the sixth tome of his Annal. Benedict. See also those Annals, p.

392.

fixed prices, these sacred and lucrative remains. The monastic orders often gained as much by this raree-show, as the bishops did by their indulgences.§

IV. When the Roman pontiffs cast an eye

*As a proof that this assertion is not without foundation, we shall transcribe the following remarkable passage of the life of St. Altman, bishop of Padua, as it stands in Seb. Tengnagel's Collect. Vet. Monumentor. p. 41. "Vos licet, sancti Domini, somno vestro requiescatis... haud tamen crediderim, spiritus vestros deesse locis que viventes tanta devotione construxistis et dilexistis. Credo vos adesse succurrere laborantibus, et vota singulorum in con. cunctis illic degentibus, astare videlicet orantibus, spectu divinæ majestatis promovere."

† See Mabillon, Annales Benedict. tom. vi. p. 431, 554.

iv. p. 130.-Mabillon, Annal. Benedict. tom. vi. p. 535, &c.

I Stephanus Obazinensis in Baluzii Miscellan. tom.

§ We find in the records of this century innumerable examples of this method of extorting contributions from the multitude. See the Chronicon Centulense in Dacherii Spicilegio Veter. Scriptor. tom. ii. p. 354.-Vita Sta. Romanæ, ibid. p. 137.-Mabil lon, Annal. Benedict. tom. vi. p. 332, 644.-Acta Sanctor. Mensis Maii, tom. vii. p. 533, where we have an account of a long journey made by the relics of St. Marculus. Mabillon, Acta Sanctor. Ord. Benedict tom. vi. p. 519, 520; tom. ii. p. 732.

upon the immense treasures that the inferior"ed to assign, to such as he deemed proper obrulers of the church were accumulating by the|| “jects, a portion of this inexhaustible source sale of indulgences, they thought proper to li- "of merit, suitable to their respective guilt, mit the power of the bishops in remitting the "and sufficient to deliver them from the punpenalties imposed upon transgressors, and as"ishment due to their crimes." It is a most sumed, almost entirely, this profitable traffic deplorable mark of the power of superstition, to themselves. In consequence of this new that a doctrine, so absurd in its nature, and so measure, the court of Rome became the gene-pernicious in its effects, should yet be retained ral magazine of indulgences; and the pontiffs, and defended in the church of Rome. * when either the wants of the church, the emptiness of their coffers, or the dæmon of avarice, prompted them to look out for new subsidies, published not only a general, but also a complete, or what they called a plenary remission of the temporal pains and penalties, annexed by the church to certain transgressions. They went still farther; and not only remitted the penalties, which the civil and ecclesiastical laws had enacted against transgressors, but audaciously usurped the authority which belongs to God alone, and impiously pretended to abolish even the punishments which are reserved in a future state for the workers of iniquity; a step which the bishops, with all their avarice and presumption, had never once ventured to take.*

V. Nothing was more common in this century than expositors and interpreters of the sacred writings; but nothing was so rare, as to find, in that class of authors, the qualifications that are essentially required in a good commentator. Few of these expositors were attentive to search after the true signification of the words employed by the sacred writers, or to investigate the precise sense in which they were used; and these few were destitute of the succours which such researches demand. The Greek and Latin commentators, blinded by their enthusiastic love of antiquity, and their implicit veneration for the doctors of the early ages of the church, drew from their writings, without discernment or choice, a heap of passages, which they were pleased to consider as illustrations of the holy scriptures. Such were the commentaries of Euthymius Zigabenus, an eminent expositor among the Greeks, upon the Psalms, the Gospels and Epistles; though it must, at the same time, be acknowledged, that this writer follows, in some places, the dictates of his own judgment, and gives, upon certain occasions, proofs of penetration and genius. Among the Latins, we might give several examples of the injudicious manner of expounding the divine word that prevailed in this century, such as the Lucubrations of Peter Lombard, Gilbert de la Porree, and the famous Abelard, upon the Psalms of David, and the Epistles of St. Paul. Nor do those Latin commentators who expounded the whole of the sacred writings, and who are placed at the head of the expositors of this age, (such as Gilbert, bishop of London, surnamed the Universal, on account of the vast extent of his erudition,† and Hervey, a most studious Benedictine monk) deserve a higher place in our esteem, than the authors before mentioned. The writers that merit the preference among the Latins are Rupert of Duytz, and Anselm of Laon; the former of whom expounded several books of scripture, and the latter composed, or rather compiled, a glossary upon the sacred writings.

The pontiffs first employed this pretended prerogative in promoting the holy war, and shed abroad their indulgences, though with a certain degree of moderation, in order to encourage the European princes to form new expeditions for the conquest of Palestine; but, in process of time, the charm of indulgence was practised upon various occasions of much less consequence, and merely with a view to base lucre. Their introduction, among other things, destroyed the credit and authority of the ancient canonical and ecclesiastical discipline of penance, and occasioned the removal and suppression of the penitentials, by which the reins were let loose to every kind of vice. Such proceedings stood much in need of a plausible defence; but this was impossible. To vindicate in an authoritative manner these scandalous measures of the pontiffs, an absurd and even monstrous doctrine was now invented, which was modified and embellished by St. Thomas in the succeeding century, and which contained among others the following enormities: "That there actually existed an “immense treasure of merit, composed of the "pious deeds, and virtuous actions, which "the saints had performed beyond what was necessary for their own salvation,§ and which were therefore applicable to the benefit of 'others; that the guardian and dispenser of For a satisfactory and ample account of the "this precious treasure was the Roman pon- enormous doctrine of indulgences, see a very learned tiff; and that consequently he was empower-published in the year 1751, in three volumes, 8vo. by and judicious work, entitled, Lettres sur les Jubiles, the Rev. Mr. Chais, minister of the French church at the Hague, on occasion of the universal Jubilee celebrated at Rome in the preceding year, by the order of Benedict XIV. In the second volume of this excellent work, which we shall have frequent occasion to consult in the course of this history, a clear account and a satisfactory refutation of the doctrine may be found, with the history of that monstrous practice from its origin to the present times.

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* Morinus, de administratione Sacramenti Pœnitentiæ, lib. x. cap. xx. xxi. xxii. p. 768.-Rich. Simon, Biblioth. Critique, tom. iii. cap. xxxiii. p. 371. Mabillon, Præf. ad Acta Sanctor. Sec. v. Acta Sanctor. Benedict. p. 54, not to speak of the protestant writers, whom I designedly pass over

† Muratori, Antiq. Italic. medií ævi, tom. v. p. 761. Franc. Pagi, Breviar. Rom. Pontif. tom. ii. p. 60.Theod. Ruinarti Vita Urbani II. p. 231, tom. iii. Op. Posthum.

For an account of this prelate, see Le Bœuf, Memoires concernant l'Histoire d'Auxerre, tom. ii. The Penitential was a book, in which the p. 486. degrees and kinds of penance, that were annexed to † An ample account of this learned Benedictine is different crimes, were registered. to be found in Gabr. Liron's Singularites Historiques et Literaires, tom. iii. p. 39.-See also Mabillon, Annales Benedict. tom. vi. p. 477. 719.

These works are known by the name of
Works of Supererogation.
VOL. I.-41

As to those doctors who were not carried away || century, who taught in this manner the docby an enthusiastical veneration for the ancients, trines of Christianity, digested into a regular who had courage enough to try their own tal- system. His example was followed by many; ents, and to follow the dictates of their own but no one acquired such a shining reputation sagacity, they were chargeable with defects of by his labours, in this branch of sacred erudianother kind; for, disregarding and overlooking tion, as Peter, bishop of Paris, surnamed Lomthe beautiful simplicity of divine truth, they bard from the country which gave him birth. were perpetually bent on the search of all sorts The four books of Sentences of this eminent of mysteries in the sacred writings, and were prelate, which appeared in the year 1162,* constantly on the scent after some hidden were not only received with general applause, meaning in the plainest expressions of scrip- but acquired also such a high degree of auture. The Mystics excelled peculiarly in this thority, as induced the most learned doctors manner of expounding; and, by their violent in all places to employ their labours in illusexplications, forced the word of God into a trating and expounding them. Scarcely was conformity with their visionary doctrines, their there any divine of note that did not undertake enthusiastic feelings, and the system of disci- this popular task, except Henry of Ghent, and pline which they had drawn from the excur- a few others; so that Lombard, who was comsions of their irregular fancies. Nor were the monly called Master of the Sentences, on accommentators, who pretended to logic and count of the famous work now mentioned, bephilosophy, and who, in effect, had applied came truly a classic author in divinity.‡ themselves to these profound sciences, free from the contagion of mysticism in their explications of scripture. That they followed the example of those fanatics may be seen by the Allegorical Exposition which Hugh of St. Victor gave of the Old and New Testament, by the Mysti-tering too far into the subtilties of the Dialeccal Ark of Richard of St. Victor, and by the Mystical Commentaries of Guibert, abbot of Nogent, on Obadiah, Hosea, and Amos;* not to mention several other writers, who seem to have been animated by the same spirit.

VII. The followers of Lombard who were called Sententiarii, though their manner of teaching was defective in some respects, and not altogether exempt from vain and trivial questions, were always attentive to avoid en

ticians, nor did they presumptuously attempt to submit the divine truths of the Gospel to the uncertain and obscure principles of a refined and intricate logic, which was rather founded on the excursions of fancy than on the true nature of things. They had for contemporaries another set of theologians, who were far from imitating their moderation and prudence in this respect; a set of subtile doctors, who taught the plain and simple truths of Christianity, in the obscure terms, and with the perplexing distinctions used by the Dialecticians, and explained, or rather darkened with their unintelligible jargon, the sublime precepts of that wisdom which emanates from above. This method of teaching theology, which was afterwards called the scholastic system, because it was in general use in the schools, had for its author, Peter Abelard, a man of the most subtile genius, whose public lectures in philosophy and divinity had raised him to the highest summit of literary renown, and who was successively canon of Paris, and monk

VI. The most eminent teachers of theology resided at Paris, which city was, from this time forward, frequented by students of divinity from all parts of Europe, who resorted thither in crowds, to receive instruction from these celebrated masters. The French divines were divided into different sects. The first of these sects, who were distinguished by the title of the Ancient Theologists, explained the doctrines of religion, in a plain and simple manner, by passages drawn from the holy scriptures, from the decrees of councils, and the writings of the ancient doctors, and very rarely made use of the succours of reason or philosophy in their theological lectures. In this class we place St. Bernard, Peter surnamed the Chanter, Walter of St. Victor, and other theologians, who declared an open and bitter war against the philosophical divines. The doctors. who were afterwards known by the name of positive and sententiary teachers of religion, were not, in all respects, different from these now mentioned. Imitating the examples of Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc, Hildebert, and other doctors of the preceding century, they taught and confirmed their system of theology, principally by collecting the decisions of the inspired writers, and the opinions of the ancients. At the same time they were far from rejecting the succours of reason, and the discussions of philosophy, to which they more especially had recourse, when difficulties were to be solved, and adversaries to be refuted, but, in the application of which, all didgression; in the third, of the Incarnation and Per not discover the same degree of moderation and prudence. Hugh of St. Victor is supposed to have been the first writer of this

The Prologus in Abdiam was published by Mabillon, in his Annales Benedict. tom. vi. p. 637.

* Erpoldi Lindenbrogii Scriptores Rerum Septentrionalium, p. 250.

A list of the commentators who laboured in explaining the Sentences of Lombard, is given by An. ion. Possevinus, in his Biblioth. Selecta, tom. i. lib. iii. cap. xiv. p. 242.

The Book of Sentences, which rendered the name of Peter Lombard so illustrious, was a compi lation of sentences and passages drawn from the fathers, whose manifold contradictions this eminent considered as a complete body of divinity. It conprelate endeavoured to reconcile. His work may be sists of four books, each of which is subdivided into various chapters and sections. In the first he treats of the Trinity, and the Divine Attributes; in the second, of the Creation in general, of the Origin of Angels, the Formation and Fall of Man, of Grace and Free Will, of Original Sin and Actual Trans

of the Gifts of the Spirit, and the Commandments of fections of Jesus Christ, of Faith, Hope, and Charity, God. The Sacraments, the Resurrection, the Last Judgment, and the State of the Righteous in Heaven, are the subjects treated in the fourth and last book of this celebrated work, which was the wonder of the twelfth century, but is little more than an ob ject of contempt in ours,

IX. It must, however, be observed, that these metaphysical divines had many difficulties to encounter, and much opposition to overcome, before they could obtain that boundless authority in the European schools, which they so long enjoyed. They were attacked from different quarters; on the one hand, by the ancient divines, or bible doctors; on the other by the mystics, who considered true wisdom and knowledge as unattainable by

and abbot of Ruys. The fame he acquired ||logy continued in high repute in all the Euroby this new method engaged many ambit ous pean colleges until the time of Luther. divines to adopt it; and, in a short space of time, the followers of Abelard multiplied prodigiously, not only in France, but also in England and Italy. Thus was the pure and peaceable wisdom of the Gospel perverted into a science of mere sophistry and chicane; for these subtile doctors never explained or illustrated any subject, but, on the contrary, darkened and disfigured the plainest expressions, and the most evident truths, by their laboured and useless distinctions, fatigued both them-study or reasoning, and as the fruit of mere selves and others with unintelligible solutions of abstruse and frivolous questions, and, through a rage for disputing, maintained with equal vehemence and ardour the opposite sides of the most serious and momentous questions.†

contemplation, inward feeling, and a passive acquiescence in divine influences. Thus that ancient conflict between faith and reason, that had formerly divided the Latin doctors, and had been for many years hushed in silence, was now unhappily revived, and produced VIII. From this period, therefore, an im- various tumults, and bitter dissensions. The portant distinction was made between the patrons of the ancient theology, who attacked Christian doctors, who were divided into two the schoolmen, were Guibert, abbot of Nogent,* classes. In the first class were placed those, Peter, abbot of Moustier-la-Celle, Peter the who were called by the various names of bib- Chanter, and principally Walter of St. Victor.§ lici, i. e. bible-doctors, dogmatici, and positivi, The mystics also sent forth into the field of coni. e. didactic divines, and also veteres, or an- troversy, upon this occasion, their ablest and cients; and in the second were ranged the scho- most violent champions, such as Joachim abbot lastics, who were also distinguished by the titles of Flori, Richard of St. Victor, who loaded of Sententiarii, after the Master of the Sen- with invectives the scholastic divines, and tences, and Novi, to express their recent ori- more especially Lombard, though he was, ungin. The former expounded, though in a doubtedly, the most candid and modest doctor wretched manner, the sacred writings in their of that subtile tribe. These dissensions and public schools, illustrated the doctrines of contests, whose deplorable effects augmented Christianity, without deriving any succours from day to day, engaged pope Alexander III. from reason or philosophy, and confirmed their to interpose his authority, in order to restore opinions by the united testimonies of Scrip- tranquillity and concord in the church. For ture and Tradition. The latter expounded, this purpose he convoked a solemn and numeinstead of the Bible, the famous Book of Sen-rous assembly of the clergy in the year 1164,||| tences; reduced, under the province of their in which the licentious rage of religious dispusubtile philosophy, whatever the Gospel pro- tation was condemned; and another in 1179, posed as an object of faith, or a rule of prac-in which some particular errors of Peter Lomtice; and perplexed and obscured its divine bard were pointed out and censured.¶ doctrines and precepts by a multitude of vain X. But of all the adversaries that assailed questions and idle speculations. The method the scholastic divines in this century, no one of the scholastics exhibited a pompous aspect was so formidable as the famous St. Bernard, of learning, and these disputants seemed to whose zeal was ardent beyond all expression, surpass their adversaries in sagacity and genius; and whose influence and authority were equal hence they excited the admiration of the studi-to his zeal. And, accordingly, we find this ous youth, who flocked to their schools in multitudes, while the biblici or doctors of the sacred page, as they were also called, had the mortification to see their auditories unfrequented, and almost deserted.§ The scholastic theo

* Abelard acknowledges this himself, Epist. i. cap. ix. p. 20, Oper.-Sec also Launoy, de Scholis Caroli M. p. 67, cap. lix. tom. iv, op. part i.

† Cæs. Egasse de Boulay, Histor. Acad. Paris. tom. ii. p. 201, 583.--Anton. Wood, Antiquit. Oxo-niens. tom. i. p. 53--Launoy, de varia Aristotelis Fortuna in Acad. Paris. cap. iii. p. 187, Edit. Eiswichii, Vitem. 1720, in 8vo.

1 See Boulay. Histor. Acad. Paris. tom. iii. p. 657. The Book of Sentences seemned to be at this time in much greater repute than the Holy Scriptures; and the compilations of Peter Lombard were preferred to the doctrines and precepts of Jesus Christ. This appears evident from the following remarkable passage in Roger Bacon's Op. Maj. ad Clementem IV. Pontif. Rom. published in 1733 at London, by Sam. Jebb, from the original MS. "Baccalaureus qui legit textum (scriptura) succumbit lectori sententiarum, et ubique in omnibus honoratur et præfertur: nam ille, qui legit sententias, habet principa lem horam legendi secundum suam voluntatem, babet et socium et cameram apud religiosos: sed qui

legit Bibliam, caret his, et mendicat horam legendi secundum quod placet lectori sententiarum: et qui tur; reliquus qui textum legit, non potest disputare, legit summas, disputat ubique et pro magistro habesicut fuit hoc anno Bononiæ, et in multis aliis locis, quod est absurdum: manifestum est igitur, quod textus illius facultatis (sc. Theologica) subjicitur uni summæ magistrali." Such was now the authority of the scholastic theology, as appears from the words of Bacon, who lived in the following century, and in whose writings there are many things highly worthy of the attention of the curious.

* In his Tropologia in Oscam. p. 203, op.

† Opuscul. p. 277.396. edit. Benedict.

In his Verbum Abbreviat. cap. iii. p. 6, 7, published at Mons in the year 1639, in 4to. by George Galopin.

In his Libri IV. contra Quatuor Francia Laby. rinthos et novos Hæreticos. He called Abelard, Gilbert de la Porree, Lombard, and Peter of Poic tiers, who were the principal scholastic divines of this century, the four Labyrinths of France. For an account of this work, which is yet in manuscript, see Boulay, Hist. Acad. Paris. tom. ii. p. 619, 659. Ant. Pagi, Critic. in Baronium, tom. iv. ad A. 1164, p. 614, 615.

Matth. Paris. Histor. Major, p. 115.-Boulay, Histor. Acad. Paris. tom. ii. p. 402.

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