Writers of the Order of Friars Minor

and Possevinus Antonio Possevino (1533–1611), a Jesuit diplomat and bibliographer. calls it useful; Raphael Fabrica of the Society of Jesus translated it into Italian, printed in Venice by Baretius Baretii in the year 1603. It was also reprinted in French more than once.
He died most piously on April 5th, 1625, and was buried before the Altar of the Holy Cross in Brussels; this altar was erected by the Most Serene Princess Isabella and her husband, Archduke Albert, in honor of the said Father, and they decorated it with beautiful ornaments.

ANDREW A TECTO, see Andrew Covureur. The name "a Tecto" is a Latinization of "the Roofer" or "Covureur."

ANDREW de VEGA, Spaniard of the Regular Observance The "Regular Observance" was a major branch of the Franciscan Order emphasizing a strict following of the Rule of St. Francis.

of the Province of St. James. For many years he was a professor of Theology at Salamanca and was numbered among the Fathers of the holy Council of Trent. The Council of Trent (1545–1563) was the central deliberative assembly of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. He powerfully handled, examined, and discussed in public sessions the doctrine of justification—the most difficult of all subjects discussed in the sacred Synod—and finally defended it in highly learned commentaries, refuting the errors of heretics and strongly championing the sentence of the Council. This work was published by the very famous Peter Canisius A leading Jesuit saint and Doctor of the Church who was instrumental in the Counter-Reformation in Germany. of the Society of Jesus in the year 1572. He dedicated it to Ernest, Count Palatine, Duke of both Bavarias and Administrator of the Church of Freising, later Prince-Elector. He included in the dedicatory letter very serious praises, which I have judged worthy of being transcribed here as a fitting commendation of such a great work. After he had discussed the weight, utility, and necessity of the doctrine of justification with many arguments, he added:

Truly, although many commentaries by many Catholics on justification are in circulation, which have been written with praise and are usefully studied, nevertheless I hoped I would do something especially worthwhile if I chose one from among all theologians—and no common one at that—who writes on justification both skillfully, learnedly, and copiously, so that he might be published in a single volume for the benefit of readers. After a few remarks: Canisius continues: And indeed, we have chosen this theologian, the Reverend Father Andrew de Vega, a man of foremost erudition and commended for his equal holiness while he lived; he was also numbered by the judgment of doctors among the primary theologians of the Council of Trent, who are known to have been most excellent. And a little later: I will say that it is of great importance that we have at hand the written testimonies of those who, as eyewitnesses, were present at the proceedings of the Council of Trent, so that by their knowledge and explanation, the things written in that same Synod may be rendered clear to us and to posterity. For this reason, Vega ought to be all the dearer to us in this work, as he heard the most learned theologians and wisest Fathers of Trent while they were debating, when justification was fiercely disputed for many months; and he himself most studiously compared his own views with those of the other disputants. From the writings of this man, the learned will easily perceive how industrious he was in unearthing and confirming the truth, and how skillful and practiced he was in examining the most obscure and weighty questions, which he was accustomed to refer willingly to the norm of the Word of God—but in such a way that he simultaneously explained what both ancient and more recent theologians judged on the proposed matter.

Since there are two parts of the work written by the same Vega, in the first part he treats justification more extensively and strives to accommodate himself entirely to the genuine interpretation of the words of the Council, a work he labored on for nearly two years. In the latter part, which the same author wrote and published first, the style is somewhat simpler, and the treatment is scholastic, Referring to the formal, logical method of teaching used in medieval and early modern universities. which often provides light for teaching, so that the tangled and involved questions might be more rightly

answered, and those things which are very fully disputed in the first fifteen books might be explained more concisely and in the scholastic manner. In both parts, however, you could not justly find lacking either sharpness of mind, method of teaching, experience in the ancient or recent theologians, or clarity in debating. This work is in two parts; the first is titled thus:

However, the last two books of this kind respond to a certain pestilential book by John Calvin, titled Antidote to the Acts of the Synod of Trent; in these, Vega treats mortal and venial sin most learnedly.

The second part is: On the same justification, grace, faith, works, and merits, completed in fifteen questions, dedicated to Cardinal Pacheco in the year 1546. It was published in Cologne by Gervinus Calenus in the year 1572 in folio; in Aschaffenburg in the diocese of Mainz by Hermann Miresius in the year 1621 in folio; and often elsewhere.

In this work, Cardinal Bellarmine, Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621), a Jesuit Cardinal and one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation. in book 5 on Justification, chapter 19, critiques Vega because, contrary to the common opinion, he denied that God rewards good works out of mere liberality beyond what is deserved (supra condignum), which he says was condemned under Pius V in the case of Michael Baius of Louvain. Michael Baius (1513–1589) was a theologian whose views on grace and nature were condemned by the Church. But with all due respect to such a great man, Vega's view is far removed from this; for he most clearly confesses that God rewards the merits of the just beyond what is deserved out of mere liberality, by establishing in the law a reward that far exceeds the value of all good works. In this, the liberality of God toward the just is sufficiently indicated, as He has so kindly and generously established a law with such an overflowing measure. Hence, Vega thinks there is no need to add yet more degrees to those which God has already prescribed for good works. He judges that the actual retribution of these degrees of glory happens according to what is deserved (de condigno), assuming that law and the promise of conferring this overflowing reward. Therefore, he concludes in his response to the second argument:

It is indeed fitting for magnificent and liberal Princes to add some sort of bonus to those who have served them well, above what their works deserve. But where a certain fixed reward has been established which far exceeds the value of all merits, to still add something further to that reward is neither just nor fitting, but is a kind of plurality of liberalities without any necessity.

Many, not without merit, greatly praise this work and its author. See Michael de Medina's book On Right Faith in God, chapter 4, and Henricus Sedulius's commentary on the Life of St. Francis, chapter 4. He wrote in addition:

ANDREW ZANUS, Venetian, of the Conventual Franciscans, wrote in Italian:

The Four-in-One History of the Lord's Passion, A "Monotessaron" is a harmony of the four Gospels woven into a single narrative. woven from the narration of the four Evangelists, explained with a fourfold sense or preaching concept. Venice, published by the Guerilli, in the year 1645.