Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan

Operu(m) sancti Ambrosii pars tertia. Opus primu(m) Epistolaru(m)...i. Libri Epistolarum. ii. De fide ad Gratianu(m) Augustu(m). iii. De Spiritusancto ad Gratinu(m), iiii. De fide contra arrianos. v.De Incarnationis d(omi)nice sacrame(n)to. vi. De Mysteri

      Johann Amerbach, Basle:: Johann Amerbach,, 1492.. 19th c. 1/2 vellum over marbled boards, leather titling label, front hinge split at top. piece from vellum at spine bottom, edges marbled; bookplate of Swindon Public Library (withdrawn stamp), contemp. annotation on the work on bottom of t.p.,extensive inner margin worming repaired throughout ( some text affected),same occ. dampstains, library stamp in lower margin of last leaf.. Folio.. St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397; born probably 340, at Trier, Arles, or Lyons; died 4 April, 397. He was one of the most illustrious Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and fitly chosen, together with St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Athanasius, to uphold the venerable Chair of the Prince of the Apostles in the tribune of St. Peter's at Rome.#11;This volume of his collected works contains his complete letters with several additional important shorter treatises.#11;The largest part of this volume contains the important letters of St Ambrose but it is supplemented by various shorter works, including several important treatises on virginity.#11;"He wrote several works on virginity, or rather published a number of his discourses on that virtue, the most important of which is the treatise "On Virgins" addressed to his sister Marcellina, herself a virgin consecrated to the divine service. St. Jerome says (Ep. xxii) that he was the most eloquent and exhaustive of all the exponents of virginity, and his judgment expresses yet the opinion of the church." [CE]#11;Our volume contains:De Virginibus. Three books concerning Virgins, addressed to his sister Marcellina in the year 377, probably, like most of the treatises of St. Ambrose, revised from addresses, the first of which was delivered on the festival of St. Agnes, January 21. This would seem to have been perhaps the very earliest of the writings of St. Ambrose, judging from the opening chapter. The treatise is referred to by St. Jerome, St. Augustine, Cassian, and others.#11;2.. De Viduis. This shorter work, concerning Widows, was probably written not very long after the last mentioned treatise.#11;3. De Virginitate. A treatise on Virginity, the date of which cannot certainly be fixed, but the writing De Viduis is referred to in chapter 9.#11;4. De Institutione Virginis. A treatise on the training and discipline of a Virgin, addressed to Eusebius, either bishop or a noble of Bologna, after St. Ambrose had admitted his niece to the rank of Virgins, probably about a.d. 391 or 392.#11;5. Exhortatio Virginitatis. A commendation of Virginity preached on the occasion of the consecration of a church at Florence by St. Ambrose, a.d. 393 or 394.#11;The Letters of St. Ambrose:#11;1. To the Emperor Gratian, in reply to his request for a treatise on the Faith. Written a.d. 379, before August, as Gratian came to Milan in that month.#11;2. To Constantius, a bishop, on episcopal duties, and commending to him the care of the vacant see of Forum Cornelii, or Imola. Probably written about a.d. 379.#11;3, 4. To Cornelius, Bishop of Comum, the first a friendly letter, the second containing also an invitation to the consecration of a church by Bassianus, Bishop of Laus Pompeia, now Lodi Vecchio, near Milan. Written probably after a.d. 381.#11;5, 6. To Syagrius, Bishop of Verona. On a charge falsely brought against the Virgin Indicia. They may have been written a.d. 380.#11;xx7, 8. To Justus, perhaps Bishop of Lyons. On holy Scripture. If the conjecture that Justus was the Bishop of Lyons is correct, written about 380 or 381.#11;9!12. Letters concerning the Council of Aquileia, held a.d. 381, to the bishops of the provinces of Gaul, to the Emperor Gratian and his colleagues. Two men, Palladius and Secundianus, held Arian opinions, and the former appears to have asked Gratian to convoke a General Council, pleading that he was unjustly condemned. St. Ambrose pointed out to the Emperor that such a question as the orthodoxy of two persons could be settled by a local council in Italy; and as a result, by the EmperorOs mandate, a council of Italian bishops met at Aquileia, other bishops having also permission to attend. Palladius and Secundianus were condemned, and these letters have reference to the proceedings at the council. They were probably written by St. Ambrose in the name of the council, a.d. 381.#11;13, 14. Two letters addressed to Theodosius, the former relating the decisions of a council, probably held at Milan, on the Meletian schism at Antioch, and the latter further expressing the desire of the bishops for a council on this subject, and also on the opinions of Apollinaris. Written a.d. 381 or 382.#11;15. To the Bishops of Macedonia, in reply to their notification of the death of Acholius, Bishop of Thessalonica, who baptized Theodosius, and had met St. Ambrose at a council in Rome. Written a.d. 383.#11;16. To Anicius, on his election to succeed Acholius, whose labours and life are commended by St. Ambrose. Written a.d. 383.#11;17, 18. On the occasion of the attempt of Symmachus and the heathen senators to procure the restitution of the image and Altar of Victory in the Roman Senate-house, frustrated by St. Ambrose, a.d. 384.#11;19. To Vigilius, Bishop of Trent, subsequently martyred, written probably about a.d. 385.#11;20. To his sister, Marcellina, giving an account of the frustrated attempts of the Arian and imperial party to gain possession of a basilica at Milan, a.d. 385,#11;21. To the Emperor Valentinian II., declining the challenge to dispute with the Arian Auxentius before lay judges. a.d. 386.#11;22. To his sister Marcellina, giving an account of the finding of the bodies of SS. Gervasius and Protasius, and of the consequent miracles. Written a.d. 386.#11;23. To the bishops of the province of !milia, on the proper date for the observance of Easter, in 387. Written a.d. 386.#11;24. To Valentinian II., with an account of St. AmbroseOs second mission to Maximus on his behalf. Written probably a.d. 387.#11;25, 26. Inscribed the former to Studius, the second to Iren!us, but from internal evidence these appear to be the same person. It deals with the question, how far a judge being a Christian may lawfully sentence any one to death. Written probably about a.d. 388.#11;27!33. Addressed to Iren!us, on various questions. Written about a.d. 387.#11;34!36. To Orontianus, a cleric, on the soul and other questions. Written after 386.#11;37, 38. To Simplicianus, who became the successor of St. Ambrose in the see of Milan, setting forth that holiness is perfect freedom.#11;39. To Faustinus, on the occasion of the death of a sister. Written probably after a.d. 387.#11;40. To Theodosius. The Jewish synagogue at Callinicum in Mesopotamia having been destroyed by the Christians, and a meeting-house of the Valentinian heretics also burnt by the Catholics, Theodosius ordered that the bishop should rebuild the synagogue at his own expense, and the monks be punished. St. Ambrose remonstrates with the Emperor, and it would seem, from the following letter to his sister, at first unsuccessfully.#11;41. To his sister Marcellina, relating the circumstances alluded to above, and telling her of his sermon before the Emperor, and of his subsequent refusal to celebrate the Eucharist, until the Emperor had promised to rescind the order. The date of the two letters is a.d. 388.#11;42. Reply of St. Ambrose and a synod at Milan to the notification of Pope Siricius announcing the sentence of excommunication passed upon Jovinian and his followers.#11;43, 44. To Horontianus, in reply to his inquiries on some points connected with the Creation.#11;xxi45. To Sabinus, Bishop of Placentia, in answer to questions concerning Paradise.#11;46. To the same, on the subject of an Apollinarian heretic.#11;47!49. To the same, with books and on private matters.#11;50. To Chromatius, probably Bishop of Aquileia, explaining how evil men may be used to utter true prophecies.#11;51. To Theodosius, after the massacre at Thessalonica. Written a.d. 390.#11;52. A private letter to Titianus.#11;53. To Theodosius, to express the sorrow of St. Ambrose at the death of Valentinian II., slain by Arbogastes.#11;54, 55. To Eusebius, not, it would seem, the Bishop of Bologna who was present at the Council of Aquileia, but rather a lay friend to whom St. Ambrose wrote his treatise on the training of a virgin. Probably written a.d. 392 or 393.#11;56. To Theophilus. The troubles of the church of Antioch through the Meletian schism might have terminated on the death of Paulinus, had he not on his deathbed consecrated Evagrius as his successor in violation of the canons. Theodosius, being pressed by the Western bishops, now summoned a council at Capua, commanding Flavian to attend, which command he however disobeyed. The council referred the matter to Theophilus of Alexandria and the bishops of Egypt. But Flavian, as Theophilus had informed St. Ambrose, refused to submit to their decision. This is the reply of St. Ambrose advising Theophilus to summon Flavian once more, and communicate the result to Pope Siricius. The letter must have been written quite at the end of a.d. 391, or the beginning of 392.#11;57. To Eugenius the usurper, to avoid whom St. Ambrose had left Milan, and to whose letters he had sent no reply. Written a.d. 393.#11;58. To Sabinus, Bishop, on the resolution of Paulinus and Therasia to forsake the world. Written probably a.d. 393.#11;59. To Severus, Bishop probably of Naples, telling him of James, a Persian priest, who had resolved to retire from the world into Campania, and contrasting this with his own troubles, owing to the invasion of Eugenius, a.d. 393 or 394.#11;60. To Paternus, against a proposed incestuous marriage.#11;61. To Theodosius, after his victory over Eugenius. Written a.d. 394.#11;62. To the same, urging him to be merciful to the followers of Eugenius. Written in the same year.#11;63. To the Church at Vercell!.#11;The second division of the letters, being those which cannot be dated, begins here in the Benediction Edition.#11;64. To Iren!us, on the Manna.#11;65. To Simplicianus, on Exodus xxiv. 6.#11;66. To Romulus, on AaronOs making the calf of the golden earrings.#11;67. To Simplicianus, showing how Moses yielded to Aaron in matters relating to his priestly character.#11;68. To Romulus. Explanation of the text Deut. xxviii. 23.#11;69. To Iren!us, answering a question as to the prohibition under severe penalties in the Mosaic law, of disguising the sex by dress.#11;70, 71. To Horontianus, on part of the prophecy of Micah.#11;72. To Constantius, on the rite of circumcision.#11;73!76. To Iren!us. Why the law was given, and the scope of the Epistle to the Ephesians. The letter numbered 75 is plainly a continuation of 74, although inscribed to Clementianus, a difficulty similar to that about letter 26.#11;77, 78. To Horontianus, contrasting the condition of the Jew and the Christian.#11;79, 80. To Bellicius, on recovery from sickness, and on the miracle of healing the man blind from his birth.#11;81. To certain clergy, against despondency.#11;82. To Marcellus, concerning a lawsuit.#11;83. To Sisinnius, commending him for forgiving his son, who had married without consulting him.#11;84. To Cynegius.#11;85, 86. To Siricius, with thanks for letters, and commending Priscus.#11;xxii87. To Segatius [more probably Ph!badius], Bishop of Agens, and Delphinus, Bishop of Bordeaux. Polybius, mentioned in the letter, was proconsul of Africa between the years 380 and 390.#11;88. To Atticus. Commendation of Priscus.#11;89. To Alypius. Acknowledgment of letters.#11;90. To Antonius. On the mutual affection of himself and St. Ambrose.#11;91. To Candidianus, probably a fellow-bishop. A letter of affection.#11;There are also several Pseudo-Ambrosian pieces:#11; (Pseudo-) Ambrosius [Gregorius Illiberitanus]: De fide contra Arrianos. (Pseudo-) Ambrosius: Sermo XXXV De Mysterio Paschae. (Pseudo-) Ambrosius [Caesarius Saint; Bishop of Arles ]: Sermo LXII De poenitentia ex dictis sancti Aurelii Augustini. (Pseudo-) Ambrosius [Pelagius]: Ad virginem devotam. (Pseudo-) Ambrosius: De lapsu virginis consecratae Susannae. Goff A551. HC 896*. Pell 579. CIBN A-291. Polain(B) 162. IDL 252. IGI 423. Voull(B) 456. Walsh 1174, 1175. Oates 2780, 2781. Rhodes(Oxford Colleges) 71. Bod-inc A-228.Sheppard 2439. Pr 7592. BMC III 753. BSB-Ink A-480. GW 1599. ISTC iaa0055100.