John of Cornwall

John Of Cornwall was an eminent theologian of the 12th century whom both England and France claim as their own. Little is known of his life. He appears to have studied at Paris under Peter Lombard and Robert of Melun, and to have died towards the close of the 12th century. Great uncertainty also prevails respecting his writings; still he is generally considered as the author of a work entitled Eulogium (publ. by Martène, Anecdota, 5, col. 1637). It is a special treatise on the human nature of Christ, refuting the subtle distinctions of Gilbert de la Porrée and other scholastic theologians, who maintained that Christ, quoad hominem, could not be considered as a mere person, aliquis; or, in other words, his humanity was but a contingent or accidental form of his nature. This doctrine had already been condemned by pope Alexander III in the Comucil of Tours (1163). Casimir Oudin considers him also as the author of Libellus de Canone mystici libaminis, contained in the works of Hugo of St. Victor, vol. 2, etc. See Cas. Oudin, De Script. Eccles.; Hist. Lit. de la France, vol. 14. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gèn. 26, 543.