The Life and Works of Bartholomew Mastrius, O.F.M. Conv. 1602-1673

BARTHOLOMEW MASTRIUS, O.F.M.CONV. at the age of sixty-two From a plate in his Disputationes Theologicae in Quartum Librum Sententiarum, Venice, 1664 Friedsam Library, St. Bonaventure, New York THE LIFE AND WORKS OF BARTHOLOMEW MASTRIUS, O.F.M. CONV. 1602-1673 Introduction1 This study is concerned with the life and writings of Father Bartholomew Mastrius, O.F.M. Conv., a Scotistic philosopher and theologian of the seventeenth century. There was a time when an essay about a seventeenth century Scotist needed an extensive introduction to explain there were Scotists—indeed, scholastics of any school—in the seventeenth century. Such an explanation, however, is probably no longer necessary. For Dominique de Caylus and several other writers? have done much to correct the false impression that scholasticism died out from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the end of the nineteenth. Thanks to the efforts of Caylus and others who followed his lead, it is quite widely acknowledged that the Counter-Reformation brought with it a revival of scholastic theology and philosophy that lasted until the late 1600's. For the sake of completeness, however, further explanation of that revival is given in the body of the present work.3 1.This study was submitted as a dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at St. Bonaventure College, St. Bonaventure, N. Y. The author wishes to express his thanks to Fr. Philotheus Boehner, O.F.M., for his direction, and to Frs. Bernward Willeke, O.F.M., Bernardine Mazzarella, O.F.M., Camille, O.F.M.Cap. (of Pointe-aux-Trembles, Canada), and Raphael Huber, O.F.M.Conv., for their valuable help, as well as to his Superiors for the opportunity afforded him to prepare this work. 2.Dominique de Caylus, "Merveilleux épanouissement de l'école scotiste," Études Franciscaines, XXIV (Juillet, 1910), 5-21; XXIV (Novembre, 1910), 493502 ; XXV (Janvier, 1911), 35-47; XXV (Juin, 1911), 627-645, et suite. Bernard Jansen, "Zur Philosophie der Skotisten des 17, Jahrhunderts," Franziskanishe Studien, XXIII (1936), 28-58, 150-175. Articles in the Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique on "Duns Scot," "Frères Mineurs," etc. 3.See the beginning of Section II. 97 98 BARTHOLOMEW MASTRIUS, O.F.M. CONV. We are concerned, then, with the life story of a seventeenth century Scotist, Bartholomew Mastrius, and the works that he wrote. Since this study is, however, an historical one—a biobibliography —it does not attempt to analyze the philosophy or theology developed in Mastrius' works. An appraisal of that kind belongs to the fields of philosophy and theology, where in fact work is being done by two Conventual Friars in Italy. Father Luigi Santoro (S. Croce, Florence) has written a dissertation on the philosophy of Mastrius , and Father Faustino Cassanna (S. Teodoro, Rome) currently is writing one on certain points in Mastrius' theology.4 The principal sources for the present study have been Gioanni Franchini's Bibliosofia6 and the works themselves of Mastrius. Franchini's authority commands respect for two important reasons: first, he was personally acquainted with Mastrius, both of them having belonged to the same Province in the Order;6 secondly, Franchini, as Procurator General of the Order,7 had access to official sources of information.8 There are, to be sure, certain defects in Franchini's Bibliosofia. In praising a man or a community he is often too florid; and by the same token, he is quite reticent and cryptic when there is question of reporting events likely to incite ill feelings among his contemporaries. But on the whole he is a well-qualified authority . The prefaces to Mastrius' works have a special biographical and bibliographical value. They often explain the circumstances 4.From a bibliography sent to the author by the Most Rev. Bede Hess, O.F.M.Conv., Minister General. 5.Bibliosofia e memorie letterarie di scrittori Francescani Conventvali ch'hanno scritto dopo Panno ISSS (Modena: Eredi Soliani Stampatori Duc, 1693). 6.Ibid., p. 99. 7.Edouard d'Alençon, "Franchini," Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, VI, 720. 8.Prior to his Bibliosofia Franchini had published two other works on the Order: Status Religionis Franciscanae Conventualium (Rome, 1682...