What kind of writers do you still demand to be brought forward? Do you want more recent men most skilled in the Greek language? I have praised to you, from your own France, Billius Prunaeus and Guillaume Bude. I have praised, from Greece, Cardinal Bessarion; from Italy, Marsilio Ficino. They outweighed Theodore Gaza, even if you add to him your smoking firebrand, Theodore Beza of Vezelay.
Do you want those who translated the works of our Dionysius from Greek into Latin? Besides those older men, John Eriugena Scotus and Anastasius the Librarian, you have John Saracenus, Ambrose Camaldulensis, and Benedict Perionius. Or do you rather want those who illustrated them with commentaries? I have named the Greeks: Dionysius of Alexandria, Maximus the Martyr, and George Pachymeres the philosopher. Among the Latins, I have named Hugh of Saint Victor, Thomas Aquinas the Angelic Doctor, Albert the Great, the subtle Bishop of Lincoln, and the prolific Dionysius Richelius.
Do you want writers of history? I have named Nicephorus, Glycas, Suidas, Euthymius, and others. I add Latins: Saint Antoninus, Philip of Bergamo, Raphael of Volterra, Gilbert Genebrard, Wilhelm Eisengrein, Caesar Baronius the Cardinal, Lilio Giraldi, and Arnold Pontac, Bishop of Bazas, your admirer.
Do you want writers of controversies? There are very many, as many as have mentioned our Dionysius. Now take a few, but those who teach this professedly: Jacobus Faber Stapulensis, in the preface to Dionysius; Matthaeus Galenus the Belgian, in the Areopagitica; Wilhelm Eisengrein, Century 1, page 6, distinction 4; and Baronius, whom I have mentioned, at year 2 of the Annals; Alanus Copus, Dialogue 2, chapter 5, where he refutes by name Valla, Erasmus, and the Magdeburg writers; and Sixtus Senensis, book 2 of the Library, who rebukes Cajetan.
Finally, do you want Jesuits? Though you may cry out with your Aristophanes, “Give me a basin,” so that you may vomit up the bile which I have stirred, nevertheless receive this testimony: that we, as in other matters, so also in this matter, follow with one mind the judgment of the Roman chair.
Franciscus Turrianus taught this when writing against the Magdeburg writers. Peter Canisius taught it at the beginning of the Catechism, in his encomia of the Fathers. Wilhelm Duraeus taught it against Whitaker, in reason 6. Cardinal Bellarmine taught it accurately against Calvin and Heshusius, volume 1, book 2, On Monks, chapter 1. Pedro de Ribadeneira taught it in the Flos Sanctorum, volume 2, in the life of Blessed Dionysius. Our Fronto Ducaeus taught it, as I hear, for I have not yet seen the book, against Plessy; and you, I think, will not deny him discernment or taste in judging the writings of the Greek Fathers. John Lorinus also taught it in his commentary on Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17.
I too had taught it; but to my arguments you answered nothing except calumny about Maximus alone, and most obscene insults.