APPENDIX A. EXTRACT RESPECTING THE GREEK SCHOLARSHIP AND ELOQUENCE OF ALDHELM, BISHOP OF SHERBORN, A.D. 705-709. "TRIUM quippe proprietate linguarum, non solum vulgaritate rerum, verum etiam literarum dogmate, sanctissimus iste peritus extitit. Miro denique modo gratiae facundiae omnia idiomata sciebat, et quasi Graecus natione, scriptis et verbis pronunciabat. Mirum namque non fuerat, quia et sancti Spiritus gratia sibi in eo habitaculum fecerat, et illius linguae binos doctores apprime peritos praeclarissimus Ina Rex, quem supra posuimus, ad confirmandam illius literalem scientiam, ab Athenis conduxerat." "In the proper use of three languages (Hebrew, Greek, Latin) this most saintly person was skilled, not merely in common knowledge, but also in literature. In a wonderful way moreover he was acquainted with all the idioms of the grace of eloquence, and pronounced like a Greek by birth in reading and conversation. And it was no wonder, because both the grace of the Holy Spirit dwelt within him, and the most illustrious King Ina, above mentioned, had hired from Athens two first-rate teachers of that language to complete his grammatical knowledge." (Vita Aldhelmi Faricio Auctore, p. 357, ed. Giles. Oxford, 1844.) EXTRACT RESPECTING THE LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC "Erat eloquentia copiosus et exuberans, poteratque, quicquid vellet, apertissime exprimere. Nec patrio tantum sermone contentus, etiam peregrinis linguis ediscendis operam impendit; in quibus Latinam ita didicit, ut aeque, illa ac patria lingua orare sit solitus; Graecam vero melius intelligere quam pronuntiare poterat. Adeo quidem facundus erat, ut etiam didascalus appareret. Artes liberales studiosissime coluit, earumque doctores plurimum veneratus, magnis adficiebat honoribus. In discenda grammatica Petrum Pisanum, diaconum, senem audivit, in caeteris disciplinis Albinum cognomento Alcoinum, item diaconum, de Brittania, Saxonici generis hominem, virum undecumque doctissimum, praeceptorem habuit; apud quem et rethoricae et dialecticae, praecipue tamen astronomiae ediscendae, plurimum et temporis et laboris impertivit. Discebat artem computandi, et intentione sagaci syderum cursus curiosissime rimabatur. Temp. tabat et scribere, tabulasque et codicellos ad hoc in lecto sub cervicalibus circumferre solebat, ut, cum vacuum tempus esset, manum litteris effigendis assuesceret; sed parum successit labor praeposterus ac sero inchoatus." (Einhardi, Vita Karoli Magni, ed. 3, Pertz, Hannoverae, 1863.) "In eloquence he was copious and exuberant, and was able to express most clearly whatever he wished. And not being content alone with his mother tongue, he also took pains in thoroughly learning foreign languages; among which he so learned Latin, that he was wont to pray in that language as much as in his mother tongue; but Greek he was better able to understand than to pronounce. He was indeed so eloquent, that he seemed to be a professor. He cultivated the liberal arts most diligently, and shewed the greatest respect for the teachers of them by bestowing upon them high distinctions. In learning grammar he attended the lectures of the aged Peter Pisanus, a deacon, in other departments he had for preceptor Albinus, commonly called Alcuin, also a deacon, from Britain, a Saxon by race, and a man most learned upon every subject; under his instruction he spent much time and labour in learning thoroughly rhetoric and logic, but chiefly astronomy. He learned mathematics, and investigated most minutely and sagaciously the course of the stars. He made persevering efforts also to write, and was accustomed for this purpose to carry about in his litter under the pillows tablets and note-books, that when there was any leisure time he might accustom his hand to the formation of letters; but the labour being uncongenial and begun too late had small success." ON THE ELABORATIONS OF THE APO- IN speaking of the Creed such words as "corruption," "interpolation," "gloss," freely used in classical criticism, are altogether inapplicable. The improvements have been made under the care of Divine Providence and the zealous watchfulness of the Church. The phrase Maker of heaven and earth' is a very natural amplification, and, like some other improvements, was probably adopted from the Nicene Creed. In the West the Latin is our authoritative text. 'Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus e Maria Virgine' is clearly a great improvement upon the previous phrases in this place. It is strictly scriptural, and has now been hallowed by the devout recitation of many centuries. The accumulation of the mournful sentences of the Creed, 'Passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferna,' has resulted from definite reasons, and each item has its definite meaning. In the early Greek text of Markellus σταυρωθέντα καὶ ταφέντα appeared sufficient, but fierce and subtle objectors soon arose, alleging that the Death of Christ was only a case of suspended animation. But Bishop Pearson remarks that the burial is expressly confessed in order to attest the truth of the Death of Christ going before and His Resurrection following after. The most notable addition of later times is 'descendit ad inferna.' It is a necessary and precious item, but it must be observed that it has never formed a separate article, but may be regarded either as an appendage to 'sepultus' or a prefix to 'tertia die resurrexit,' and it bears a meaning partaking of the mournful character of the sentences which precede it, and also of the joyous tone of those which follow it. The way was through 'the valley and shadow of death,' but the goal soon to be reached was the refreshment of Paradise. To the penitent thief our Lord replied, To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.' The presence of Christ would a S. Luke ii. 21. b Psalm xxiii. 4. c S. Luke xxiii. 43. make the place of meeting Paradise to the pardoned thief and other waiting souls. "Heaven is, dear Lord, where'er Thou art, Oh never then from me depart, For to my soul 'tis hell to be But for one moment without Thee." Bishop Ken. "Art thou a weeper? Grief shall fly ; For who can weep with Jesus by? Palmer, Book of Praise, No. cccxxx. In the Church of England, I believe, catechumens are generally taught that "hell" in the Creed retains its primary meaning, an unseen place, and means the place of departed spirits. But the notion of a place of torment has been so persistently attached to the word hell, and to this clause of the Creed, that the utmost vigilance of the teacher and learned Christian is required to oppose it. A great help to understand the meaning which the clause is intended to bear will be to go back as nearly as may be to the time when it was first inserted in the Creed. The earliest notice we have of it is in connexion with the Church of Aquileia, about A.D. 400. We have fortunately a Commentary on the Apostles' Creed by Rufinus, a Priest of Aquileia at that very date. After noting the words of Christ, Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit," as a fulfilment of the Psalmist's prophecy, 66 a S. Luke xxiii. 46; Psalm xxxi. 6. |