to all Men, as the Entrance into Life, and the Reward of his Labours. This he said of himfelf, not to boaft of his Progress in Virtue, but rather to bewail the Decay, which, as he was wont to declare, he imagin'd he sustain'd through the Paftoral Care. In short, one time in private, discoursing with Peter, his Deacon, after having enumerated the former Virtues of his Mind, he with Grief added, But now on Account of the Paftoral Care it is entangled with the Affairs of Laymen, and after so beautiful an Appearance of its Repose, is defil'd with the Dust of Earthly Action. And after having diffipated itself to condescend to many, when it defires the inward Things, it certainly returns less qualify'd to them. I therefore confider what I endure, I confider what I have lost, and when I behold that Lofs, what I bear, appears the more grievous. This faid the Holy Man out of the great vehemency of his Humility. But it becomes us to believe that he had loft nothing of his Monaftical Perfection, on account of his Pastoral Care, but rather that his Improvement was the more through the Labour of the Converfion of many, than it had been by the former Repose of his Conversation, and chiefly becaufe, whilft exercising the Pontifical Function, he provided to have his House made a Monastery. And when first drawn from the Monastery, ordain'd to the Ministry of the Altar, and sent Legate to Constantinople from the See Apoftolick, tho he convers'd in the Palace, yet he intermitted not his former heavenly Life; for fome of the Brethren of his Monastery, having out of Brotherly Charity follow'd him to the Royal City, he entertain'd them as a Dea Defence of regular Observance; viz. that at all Times by their Example, as he writes himself, he might be held fast to the calm Shore of Prayer, as it were with the Cable of an Anchor, whilft toss'd up and down by the continual Waves of worldly Affairs; and daily among them by the Intercourse of studious Reading strengthen his Mind shaken with Temporal Actions. By their Company he was not only guarded against Earthly Affaults, but more and more inflam'd in the Exercises of the Heavenly Life. For they perfuaded him to give a mystical Exposition of the Book of Holy Job, which is involv'd in great Obscurity; nor could he refuse to undertake that Work, which Brotherly Affection impos'd on him for the future Benefit of many; but in a wonderful Manner, by five and thirty Books of Exposition, taught how that same Book is to be understood literally; how to be referr'd to the Mysteries of CHRIST and the Church; in what sense to be adapted to every one of the Faithful. The which Work he began, when Legat in the Royal City; but finish'd it at Rome after being made Pope. Whilft he was in the Royal City, he, by the Assistance of the Grace of the Catholick Truth, in its first Rise crush'd an Heresy newly started, concerning the State of our Refurrection. For * Eu-* Eutych ticius, Bishop of that City, taught, that our us. Body, in that Glory of Refurrection, would be impalpable, and more fubtile than the Wind and Air. Which he hearing, prov'd by force of Truth, and by the Inftance of the Refurre&tion of our Lord, that this Doctrine was eve ry way opposite to the Christian Faith. For the A the Catholick Faith is, that our Body fublim'd in that Glory of Immortality, is indeed fubtile by the Effect of the Spiritual Power, but palpable by the Reality of Nature, according to the Example of our Lord's Body, of which when risen from the Dead, he himself says to Luke 24. his Disciples, Handle me and fee, for a Spirit 39 hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye see me have. In asserting of which Faith, the venerable Father Gregory, so earnestly labour'd against the sprouting Heresy, and by the Affsistance of the most pious Emperor, Tiberius Constantin, so fully suppress'd it, that none has been fince found to revive it. He likewise compos'd another notable Book, which is call'd Pastoral, wherein he manifeftly show'd, what fort of Perfon ought to be preferr'd to govern the Church; how fuch Rulers ought to live; with how much Difcretion to instruct every one of their Hearers, and how feriously daily to reflect on their own Frailty. He also writ forty Homilies on the Gofpel, which he equally divided into two Volumes; and compos'd four Books of Dialogues, into which, at the Request of Peter, his Deacon, he collected the Miracles of the Saints, whom he either knew, or had heard to be most renowned in Italy, for an Example to Posterity to lead their Lives; to the end that, as in his Books of Expositions, what Virtues ought to be labour'd for, so by describing the Miracles of Saints, he might make known the Glory of those Virtues. He further, in twenty two Homilies, discover'd how great Light there is couch'd in the first and last Parts of the Prophet Ezekiel, which seem'd the most ob scure. Befides the Book of Answers, which he " he writ to the Questions of Augustin, the first Bishop of the English Nation, as we have shown above, inferting all the same Book in this History; and besides the little Synodical Book, which most useful Work he compos'd with the Bishops of Italy, of the neceflary Causes of the Church; and familiar Letters to some Persons. And it is the more wonderful, that he could write fo many and such large Volumes, in regard that almost all the Time of his Youth, to ufe his own Words, he was often tormented with Pains in his Bowels, and hourly dispirited with the Weakness of his Stomach, being under a continual Hectick Fever. But whereas at the same time he carefully ponder'd, that, as the Scripture testifies, Every Son that is receiv'd is fourg'd, the more he labour'd and was depress'd under those present Evils, the more he aflur'd himself of his eternal Salvation. Thus much is said of his immortal Genius, which could not be restrain'd by so great bodily Pains; for other Popes apply'd themselves to building, or adorning of Churches with Gold and Silver, but this was entirely intent upon gaining of Souls. Whatsoever Mony he had, he diligently took care to distribute and give to the Poor, that his Righteousness might Pfal. 112. endure for ever, and his Horn be exalted with Honour; so that that of blesied Job might be truly faid of him, When the Ear heard me, then Job29.11. it bleffed me and when the Eye Saw me, it gave Witness to me: Because I deliver'd the Poor that cried, and the Fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The Blessing of him that was ready to perish, came upon me; and I caused the Widow's Heart to fing for joy. I put on Righteousness, and 9. i Eye of it clothed me; my Judgment was as a Robe and a Diadem. I was the Eye to the Blind, and Feet was I to the Lame. I was Father to the Poor; and the Cause which I knew not, I searched out. And I brake the Jaws of the Wicked, and pluckt the Job 31.16. Spoil out of his Teeth. And a little after. If 1 have withheld, says he, the Poor from their Defire; or have caused the the Widow to fail; Or have eaten my Morfel myself alone, and the Fatherless hath not eaten thereof. For of my Youth Compaffion grew up with me, and from my Mothers Womb it came forth with me. To the Work of whose Piety and Righteousness this alfo appertains, that withdrawing our Nation, by the Preachers he sent hither from the Teeth of the old Enemy, he made it Partaker of eternal Liberty; in whose Faith and Salvation rejoycing, and worthily commending the fame, he in his Exposition on Holy Job, fays, Behold a Tongue of Britain, which only knew how to utter barbarous Language, has long fince begun to refound the Hebrew, Hallelujah. Behold the once Swelling Ocean now serves proftrate at the Feet of the Saints; and its barbarous Motions, which Earthly Princes could not fubdue with the Sword, are now through the Fear of God bound by the Mouths of Priests with simple Words; and he that Stood not in Awe of Infidel fighting Troops, now fears the faithful Tongues of the Humble. For by reason that the Virtue of the Divine Knowledge is infus'd into it by Precepts, Heavenly Words and confpicuous Miracles, it is curb'd by the dread of the fame Divinity, fo as to fear to act wickedly, and bends all its Desires to arrive at the eternal Glory. In which Words Holy Gregory declares this also, that St. Augustin and his Compani ... : ons |