by the heauenly and the baser by the excellenter and suche as be of more perfection And bicause this so worthy a meditation mighte seeme yet of little or no effect if we should not apply it to some vse therfore the frutes and commodities that flow growe as it were out of the same in ample manner be set oute Nowe in prosecuting and going throughe with all these things afore-mencioned from the beginning to the ende of my foure bokes if it seeme to any man somewhat straunge that for the most part I reherse the testimonies as wel of the scriptures as the catholik fathers of the church not in their owne language wherin they wrote but by way of translation in our mother tōg It may please them to vnderstande that I considered I had to doe with two sorts of men with some that perchaunce are ignorant know neither the Greeke nor Latine speache contrariwise with other that haue good skill and be profoundly learned in thē bothe Therefore althoughe the inculcating of muche Greeke and Latine might peraduēture haue made a good showe and very well haue serued for the enlarging and amplifying of my discourse yet the vnskilfull I knewe well inoughe coulde haue slender forderance by suche meanes to the learned it was alwayes free to haue recourse and refuge to those authors as well Greekes as Latines whiche by me there are recited By conference of whome they shall well perceiue and finde oute howe faithfully I haue dealt in my translation It remaineth nowe Christian brother that thou catche not vnto thee with the lefte hande that whiche is raughte oute with the righte I say that in no wise thou be ouer-hastie to misconstrue me in anye thing that I wryte but syncerely interpretate my doings If there be any thing which soundeth not well in thine eares at the first hearing yet doe not busilye condemne that whiche thou conceiuest not by and by Before thou giue oute thy verdict and proceede to thy rigorous censure I pray thee be well aduised ▪ Men see not alwayes vpon the sodaine but no mannes eyes are more blīded thā theirs which malice hath put out If my shoe tread not always streighte I forbidde not a brotherly admonition which is voide of bitternesse and biting gall for the which I shall heartily giue thee thankes Only this I require of thee that thou depraue me not behinde my backe This I wryte muche misdoubting the olde croked practise of some crabbed Zoilus Whose manner is rather of enuie to be nipping at other mens good endeuoures than of any charitable and godly zeale himselfe to do any thing for common profite But lette him say what he list it shall not skill For as in publishing of this my work I sought not gredily the praise of the worlde whiche by the like doing I mighte haue hunted for not a fewe yeres agoe hauing a booke redy penned for the printe in the latine tong so neither do I care a whit for the malicious dispraising of any ill disposed enuious or vaine glorious person let him plaie the Momus or the Mimus with neuer so craftie a pretence yea or else disguise himselfe how he will. Whom moreouer fully I woulde haue aduertised that I weighe more the honest testimony of three or foure godly and learned men whose sincerity of iudgement is well knowne than the cauilling of an hundred vngracious tongs Yea were it so as I dare say of the contrary I might assure meself that I shoulde finde either none or verie fewe who in a lawfull quarell would vphold my cause yet I set more by the witnesse of a good consciēce than any ill will or frendship to be had in the worlde Farewell in Christ A Table of the Chapiters of the first booke WHerefore the author wrote this woorke Cap. 1. pag. 1. The diuision of this discourse Cap. 2. pag. 6 The corrupte iudgement of some denying Gods Prouidence Cap. 3. pag. 7. As there is a God that created the vvorld I o there is a God that doth gouern it Ca. 4. pa. 11 That God vvanteth neither might nor good vvil to gouerne the vvorld Cap. 5. pag. 17. That God gouerneth the world it appereth by the cōmodities that vve receiue by the bodies that are aboue and by the four Elements Cap. 6. pag. 21. He shevveth Gods Prouidence by perusing the Anatomie of mans body Cap. 7. pag. 29 Epicures cauilling at the vvorkemanship of mannes body is confuted Cap. 8. pag. 39. Gods prouidence is proued out of scripture Cap 9. pag 44. He reciteth the fathers to the same effecte Cap. 10. pag. 58. He shevveth that the very Ethnikes approued this doctrine of gods Prouidence c. 11. p. 61 That a certain opinion of Gods Prouidence is rooted in our harts by nature vvhich stirreth vs vp to pray to him and to giue him thankes Ca. 12. pag. 66. The prodigious vvonders that come to passe in the vvorld be an argument also of Gods Prouidence Cap. 13. pag. 68 Examples out of the scripture to proue Gods Prouidence Cap. 14. pag. 73. The Chapiters of the second booke No tokēs of gods prouidence towards vs can moue vs to be thanckfull but still vve be carping and cauilling Ca. 1. pa. 105 Our vvils be not forced by Gods Prouidence vvherof c. Cap. 2. pag. 114 God is not the author of sin c. 3. pa. 126 Hovv euil is done by gods vvil the author maketh further declaratiō c. 4. p. 147 Ordinarie meanes be not excluded by Gods Prouidence Cap. 5. pa. 162. God is burdened vvith vnequall distribution first c. Cap. 6. pag. 181. An ansvver to the first part of this former obiection shevving that the poore haue no cause to complain Ca. 7. pa. 183. The state of the riche and the poore being both compared he shevveth in the ende that the poores case is the better cap. 8. pag. 195. The author doth not simply cōdemne riches but he vvold neither haue the pore discouraged nor the riche too much puffed vp Cap. 9. pag. 201. They are plainly disproued that wold haue all menne broughte to a like state Cap. 10. pag 206. An answer to the seconde parte of the obiection of vneuen dealing shevving how gentrie and bondage firste came in and how necessary rulers be in a common vveale Cap. 11. pag. 216. It standeth with good reason that subsidies taxes shuld be paid Ca. 12. pa. 225 That the seruaunte hathe no cause to complaine of his state nomote than the subiecte Cap. 13. pag 232. Thoughe Princes be not alvvayes ansvverable to our affections yet ought vve not therfore to rebell Cap. 14. pag. 239. That God suffereth euill and hurtfull things vvithoute any derogation to hys Prouidence Cap. 15. pag. 244. That the prosperitie of the vvicked the aduersitie of the godlye is no staine or blemishe to Goddes Prouidence Cap. 16. pag. 254. The Chapters of the thirde booke Making a recapitulation of the former booke he sheweth that Gods Prouidence
should we be holden w perplexitie when we heare in the sacred scriptures with what a glorious and triumphant maiestie they haue appeared and shewed themselues vpon the earth Daniel wryteth in his prophecie that at a time when he looked vp to heaueÌ„ward he beheld a maÌ„ clothed in linnen whose loynes were girded with fine golde of Ophaz whose body was like the Chrysolite and his face to looke vpon like the lightning and his eyes as lampes of fire and his féete were like in coloure to polished brasse and the voice of his woords were like the voice of a multitude Whervpon they that were in Daniels company notwithstanding that they sawe not this dreadfull sight yet stricken I wotte not howe with a sodaine terroure they were faine to runne away forthwith and to hide their heades in corners for very feare Daniell himselfe that was lefte poste alone hauing nowe falne flat to the ground al quaking and trembling like an aspen leafe when he hadde bene eftsoones touched after a courteous and gentle manner by the Angell who to chéere vp his dismaide and agasted spirites had very louingly and comfortably spoken to him at the lengthe with very muche a doe opening his mouthe in this manner O my Lorde by the vision my sorovves are retourned vppon me and I haue receiued no strength For hovve can the seruaunt of this my Lorde talke vvith my Lorde being suche a one For as for me straightevvaye there remained no strengthe in me neither is there breath lefte in me And yet here all this while was but one Angell What shall we say of that apparition that was made to the shepherdes at Christes birthe When first at the comming of an Angell the glory of the Lorde shone round about them that as S. Luke wryteth of them they were caste into an excéeding great feare and soone after the souldioures of heauen in a great number being assembled the Angelles were heard in the elemente with their musicall and melodious swéete songes chaunting and lifting vp theyr moste tunable sounding voyce for very ioy oh howe swéetely and chéerefullye Likewise at Chrystes resurrection when the stone of his sepulchre was rolled away by the Angelles with what a fearefull earthquake was this appearance made Yea howe straunge and howe terrible was the very manner of the appearing For euen thus Mathew describing it his countenance sayth he vvas like lightning and his raiment vvhite as snovve And for feare of him the keepers vvere astonied and became as deade men To bring in sundry other suche places it were no harde thing But who woulde not be satisfied with this that is already broughte touching this passing woorthmesse that is in Angels of whom Chrysostome wryting in his sermon de ieiunijs Geneseos lectione Great is heauen sayeth he but not so greate as an Angell comely is the sunne but higher is an Archangell The .iij. Chapter The gouernement of Angels is proued by Scripture VVhereby if the lighte of their souerainetie do not shewe it selfe what then shall we saye to the open scriptures For besides those names of theirs before rehearsed in the same tenthe chapiter where this feareful vision was made to Daniell there is none sayeth the Angell that holdeth vvith mee in these things meaning the defense of the church whereof vnder Christe he was appointed gouernour but Michael your Prince Of whom Daniell speaking in the ende of his Prophecie at that time sayeth he shall Michael stande vp the great Prince vvhiche standeth for the children of thy people To this scope also as some think tended S. Paules words when he sayd that the vvoman ought therefore to haue povver on hir hed bicause of the Angels Who assisting the coÌ„gregation w their presence mighte as they say take iuste occasion of offense when they should sée in them any dissolute and loose demeanour And S. Iohn in the booke of his Apocalips wheras he is eftesones commaunded to write to these and those Angels of suche and suche congregations is literally interpreted of learned wryters as directly shooting at the same marke Whervnto then we are ledde by the Scriptures there is no controuersie The .iiij. Chapter The authoritie of Angels is made manyfest also by the learned fathers WHose authoritie albeit it might suffise the godly yet the rather to stoppe sclaunderous mouthes let vs se I pray you how well we agrée with the age paste I say with the auncient Doctours and catholike fathers of Chrystes Church Surely Clemens Alexandrinus in his sixte booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beginne firste with one of the auncientest wryters nexte the Apostles and not inferiour neither to any that wrote in his time affirmeth that euery Angel hath his seuerall charge ratably enioyned to him according to the number aswell of cities as nations and adding further that peraduenture there be some of them that be appoynted to the ouersighte of euery seuerall and especiall person And within lesse than a leafe after in the same booke The power of God sayth he giueth good thinges by the ministerie of Angelles whether they be seene or not seene Dionysius Areopagita in his booke de coelesti Hâ—erarchia entreting very largely of this mattier giueth a reason of the Angels names and namely amongest other things why they be called Dominationes Virtutes Potestates and so foorthe concluding that they be called Angelles rather than Superioures bicause their order that be so called hath to do with manyfest and open cases and for that the affayres of the worlde bee for the moste parte ordeered by them Lactantius not onelye speaketh of this gouernement of Angelles but he telleth also in what sorte they gouerne saying That GOD ruleth the worlde in suche sorte as a gouernoure dothe guyde a Prouince whose inferioure Offycers whiche hee vseth in gouernyng of hys Prouince no manne would call hys fellowes albeit that he weldeth thys charge vsing them as his instrumentes And yet they maye finde the meanes to doo somewhat whiche their gouernoure commaundeth not by reason of thys ignoraunce whiche is incidente to mannes frayle estate But the Presidente and guyde of the worlde whiche knoweth all thinges from the eyes of whose diuine Maiestie nothing is kepte closse hathe onelye hee and hys sonne all thinges in his power and the Angels haue nought else to doo but that they muste needes obey S. Austine yet somwhat more playnly setteth out the order of Gods Prouidence VVhich as he sayth hauing euery creature at his ordering as well touching their natures as their wils their natures that they may haue existence their willes that they neither be vnfruitful being good nor without punishment beeing euil first putteth al things vnder subiection to him selfe next he maketh the bodily creature to be subiect to the spirituall the vnreasonable to the reasonable the earthly to the heauenly the female kinde to the male the weaker to the stronger the needier to the rycher By and by not very many lines after
THE SHIPPE of assured safetie Wherein wee may sayle without danger towards the land of the liuing promised to the true Israelites Conteyning in foure Bokes a discourse of Gods Prouidence a matier very agreable for this time vvherof no commōly knovven especiall Treatise hath bene published before in our mother tong What great varietie of very necessarie and fruitfull matier is comprysed in this vvorke conuenient for all sortes of men by the Table of the Chapters folovving after the Praeface ye may perceyue Compyled by Edward Cradocke Doctor and Reader of Diuinitte in the Vniuersitie of Oxford 1. CORINTH 4. As touching me I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement 10 I iudge not mine own self 1. PETR 5. Cast all your care vpon God for he careth for you ¶ Imprinted at London by H. Bynneman for William Norton ANNO. 1572. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE That beareth vp this ioly Beare A vvoodden staffe some say it is Ragged in forme But vvill ye heare I tell you plaine they say amisse Gods care it is that vvatcheth aye And neuer sleepes at time nor tide That of this Beare is th' only stay The only supporte and the guide So long then as he holdes it right Stand sure he shall against his foe And man nor deuill day nor night Shall aye be able to vvorke him vvoe God graunt him many blessed dayes To liue before his parting hence And that he may in all his vvayes Make God the staffe of his defence AMEN quoth E. C. To the right honorable and his especiall good Lorde and Patrone Lorde ROBERT Earle of Leycester Baron of Denbighe Knight of the Honorable order of the garter of the Quenes Maiesties priuie Counsaile and highe Chauncellar of the Vniuersitie of Oxforde c. Edvvarde Cradocke Doctor and Reader of Diuinitie in the layde Vniuersitie vvisheth muche health vvith encrease of honoure and prosperous successe in all his godly affaires THere were three causes righte Honourable and mine especial good Lord which moued mee at this time to take penne in hande The firste and principall vvas the dutie and seruice vvhich I ovve to God vvho vvoulde not onely that by preaching and reading but also by al other meanes possible I should seke the aduauncement of his kingdome The nexte vvas my zele tovvardes the house of God the ruinous and decayed state wherof in this later age of the world I coulde neither forget vvithout impietie nor remember vvithout compassion nor passe ouer and neglecte vvithoute great burden of conscience The third and last cause that prouoked me vvas that I mighte enter into some pore account touching the course race of my vvhole life spent for the most parte of it in the Vniuersitie of Oxford asvvell to other my good Lords and Patrones to whom I am muche beholding as namely also to your Honoure vvhom not only we Oxford men acknovvledge as oure good Lord and Chanceller but also next vnder the Queenes Maiestie our cheefe heade VVhose honourable and curteous nature both shevved to other my far betters and from me thoughe vnworthye at no time vvithdravvne vvhat it mighte iustly chalenge and whose great authoritie and iurisdiction ouer vs what laufully and orderly it might commaund I could not be ignorant in any vvise It came therfore oftentimes to my remembraunce that seing your Honor with other the furtherers of our studies haue so honorably spared me your good vvord I could neither without infamie hold my peace nor without want of good aduisement not giue oute some testimonie of my bounden duetie And for this purpose to confesse vnto your Honor the very truthe howe small soeuer mine habilitie vvas yet rather conuenient leasure of me muche desired this great vvhile than any goodvvill vtterly was wāting But as God worketh secretely many sundry vvayes to helpe that forward which he wold haue done at the last in dede fell oute oportunitie of me not so muche coueted or vvished for as heartily lamented and bevvailed that the plague daily growing and encreasing in the Vniuersitie of Oxford the publike lectures being for the very same cause intermitted hoping by Goddes assistance to prouide sufficiently for meself more of a studious minde than greatly vrged by any neede for my frendes hearing at the last where I vvas vvrote me earnest letters to come downe vnto them amongst other I there remained VVholely therefore being addicted and giuen to contemplation from the which at that time there was no great encombrance that might pull me backe I began nowe seriously to minde the setting oute and publishing of some booke And being fully determined to wryte vpon the matter notwithstanding vvhervpon I might fitliest groūd my processe I was not by and by resolued Sometimes it came into my minde to take in hande some controuersie of this time But considering with meself what great learning hath bene lately shewed in such questiōs I was quickly chaunged from that mind For vvhat could any body novv vvryte of for the improuing or defending of suche things which very plentifully alredy hath not bene discoursed VVould a mā gladly be instructed touching the vse of images let him peruse D. Calfehils boke against Martial VVold he heare what can be said of the Masse Not only master Deane of Paules his bokes against Dorman are to be sene but also the treatise of the righte reuerēd father bishop Cowper entituled The defense of the truth against the masse and the works of the late famous bishop of vvorthy memorie D. Iewel VVho in tvvo of his greate Volumes hathe gone through with so many so profoūd maters of religion that for diuers needefull poynts to be spoken of they might vvell serue a Diuine for common place bokes Therfore taking more diligent perfite deliberation after many other things vvhich I thought vpon the very time and place vvhere I then vvas and the remembrance of Goddes Prouident care for me from my youth and notwithstāding my diligence in taking heede not least of al declared towardes me at that time made me in loue as it vvere vvith the argument of Gods Prouidence Therwithal which inflamed me not a litle the more it could neither be hidden nor vnknowne vnto me howe graciously besides our deseruing hovv vvonderfully beyond al reason God hath lately protected with his mightie hand not only our soueraigne Lady the Queenes highnesse but vniuersally the vvhole state of this realme For o good Lorde vvhat subtile vndermining what crafty cōueying what cruell conspiring hathe bene attempted VVhat mischeuous heades vvhat slie practises vvhat vngodly deuises haue beene founde oute VVhiche neither by anye mannes vvisedome coulde come to light vvhen they vvere hidde nor by mannes strength and pollicie coulde be repressed when they were broken out But that god whose prouident eye neuer slepeth whose head is alvvayes carefull and mindefull of vs whose arme stretched out is neuer idle vvhen none other vvise coūsel could take place by his maruellous forsighte hathe prouided
thincking diligētly of the mater to trauel straight downe to my frends both I thought it no way to be any greate ease their dwelling being so far of and also as I wel considered my cōming in that hote time of the plague mighte seme neither void of danger nor suspition Therfore for want of a better chifte I concluded to retourne to Oxforde nothing doubting by Goddes helpe amongst other which remained there as well as I to prouide wel inoughe for meselfe But sodainly not long after my comming backe see I praye you what matter I had of discoragement my neighboure hard by me fell sicke of the Pestilence Here I remēbred one of Virgils verses who saythe in one of his Ecloges these wordes VVhen fired is thy neighboures wall Surely thy daunger is not small Therefore my minde gaue me that it was nowe highe time for mee to stirre and by and by as the phrase is I remoued away spedily with bag baggage not only content in this case but also verye well apaide of a lodging somwhat simpler than mine other was Thether therfore I fled and there as I mighte I tooke my rest Anone after woorde came vnto me that my laundresse also whiche washed my clothes had her house visited in like manner Wherewithall if I shoulde say I was neuer a whitte moued I dare say I shoulde hardly be beleeued of a greate meinie Howe muche more might I haue bene troubled hearing the belles knolling both day and night for such as but the day before hadde bene mery lustie and in good liking yea and seing also daily and hourely whole housholdes going with corpses by my windowe side But God alwayes be thanked and praised for it althoughe my bodye in deede was in some daunger yet my minde nathelesse was not much brought out of quiete Who as I soughte not deathe wilfully which I studied by all honest meanes to auoide so yet notwithstanding my delighte in the worlde was not so greate but that hartily I could haue yeelded to Gods calling In the meane time seeing it pleased God to deliuer me as it wer out of the Dragons mouthe I thought it my duty to embrace as it wer that light whiche seemed more than halfe in darkenesse to be offered presented to me and amōgst those euils and great perils wherewith I was then assailed to see whether I coulde pike out any good Whereuppon hauing aduised meselfe I sawe forthwith redy at mine elboe pen inke and paper and sufficient furniture of bokes thereto suche leasure oportunitie was ministred vnto me on all sides that I could not possibly wishe greater Breefely my minde being at peace and rest there was nothing that mighte hinder me from well doing Therefore that I mighte not vtterly be vnthanckefull to almightye God and at leaste wise testifie my good meaning towardes his deare espouse the congregation I was fullye purposed with my selfe to bequeathe as who saythe to the broade worlde some poore token and monumente of my good will. And in this case deare brother in our Sauioure Christe I referre it verily to thine owne conscience whether with any thing more frutefully my thought might haue ben holdē occupied than euen with this passing worthy most high and excellent consideration of that whiche can neuer be praised inoughe I say of Goddes endlesse Prouidence Whereof long before in a great meinie and now presently in meselfe suche great proofe and experience was shewed vnto me that I supposed I shuld do very euil not to make other partakers of suche wholesome lessons as thereby I meself had then learned From mine earnest trauelling wherin althoughe I knewe I mighte be discouraged by reason of myne owne insufficiencie yet was I greatly comforted by the saying of a certaine wise man affirming that in magnis voluisse sat est that is to say in the enterprising of great things it is enoughe to put forwarde a well willing purpose What paines I haue taken and what I haue broughte to passe that mighte make for the furtheraunce of the christian reader that will I gladly referre to their iudgemente that haue perused other wryters of the same matter Who by suche diligente conference as shall be voide of affecaffection and parcialitie shall quickly perceyue without muche adoe bothe what I haue added of mine own doing agreably to the doctrine of sound religion and with what choyse and circumspection I haue now and then borowed the authoritie of many other Once this wil I boldly say which I trust vpon farther trial shal be openly manifestly proued true Ther is nothing auouched in this whole work of a singular and priuate iudgement which kinde of teaching although I know it be plausible in ytching eares that take pleasure in nouelties and straunge things yet of my part I delight not in it Yea I wil say farther Ther is not one thing taught in this discourse not verie well concording with the receyued fayth of Chrystes Churche and verie consonant to the rule of holy scrypture There is nothing therfore I am wel assured that any godly learned man will mislyke The godly learned man say I and I pray thee reader marke wel my wordes for the superstitious I deny not wil in deede find great fault whō bicause they are the enimies of gods truth I would be lothe to satisfie in any wise And this hitherto speak I frely with good cōsciēce of the lerning mater of this boke Touching the fourm methode whych I haue vsed I do the christian Reader to vnderstād that in this my processe I haue folowed that kind of order which the Rethoricians Melancthon namely termeth by the name of Doctrinall Therefore wryting of Gods Prouidence bycause I would not haue men thynke that I speake as Plato dyd of hys common weale or Tullie of his perfit Orator describing that which neither is nor shal be I declare first and formoste that Gods Prouidence is not an idle and bare name of a thyng that is no wher to be had but that which is hath bene and shal be euer And hereof make I open proofe in my two former bookes alleaging in my firste booke certaine groundes and foundations whereuppon I builde this my doctrine and replying in my seconde booke againste their fonde and vaine reasons which by all meanes possible woulde impugne it In my thirde booke I procede to disclose the nature of Gods Prouidēce giuing thee reader to vnderstād that it is not all one as some ignorant think either with Destinie or else Predestination much lesse with the naked prescience and for knowledge which some only wold ascribe to Gods power Which Prouidence after I haue defined what it is at large I bothe proue and handle in the same booke euery membre and clause of the definition After this in my fourthe boke so farre as I am led by holy scripture I vtter the power of Gods gouernement opening after what sorte God ruleth the inferioure bodyes by the superioure the earthly
standeth still inuincible Cap 1. pag. 268. That Gods Prouidence is neither Destinie nor Predestination and what it is cap. 2. pag. 271. Of this that Gods Prouidence is an order what may be gathered ca. 3 pa. 279. That Gods Prouidence beeing an order thoughte vppon from euerlasting is immutable cap. 4. pag. 281. Gods Prouidence alwayes beeing certayne whether chaunce and fortune may take place cap. 5. pag. 291. An answere to them that deny Gods especiall Prouidence to extende to all his creatures aswel smal as great ca. 6 p. 294. Gods speciall Prouidence is proued to extend to small creatures aswell as great out of the sacred scriptures cap 7. pa. 314. Auncient fathers are alleaged to the same purpose cap. 8. pag. 316. That Gods speciall Prouidence pertayneth also to the meanest creatures he sheweth out of Plotine and Plato hym selfe cap. 9. pag. 324. He answereth an obiectioÌ„ made against him out of S. Paule wherby it would seme that God hath no care of oxen ca. 10. p. 327 He intreateth of prouision to be made for Ministers and namely of tithes declaring how far foorth they depend of Gods worde and what they borrowe of mans lawe cap. 11. pag. 332. He returneth thither from whence he digressed and sheweth that the gouernement of Gods Prouidence is continuall cap. 12. pag. 357. That God gouerneth all things according to the state of their owne nature cap 13. pag. 362. The Chapters of the fourth booke Of the ministerie of Angels in general and of the order and maner of Gods gouernement wherin a sentence of Gregorie and Aristotle is discussed Ca. 1. pa. 379. The preheminence of Angels their authoritie is proued by the circumstance of reason cap. 2. pag. 386. The gouernment of Angels is proued by Scripture cap. 3 pag. 392. The authoritie of Angels is made manifest also by the learned fathers c. 4. p. 393 The fifth chapter conteineth a disputation touching a proper Angell which the consent of antiquitie ascribeth to vs and sheweth that it is a probable doctrine and not directly as some learned thinke repugnant to the authoritie of holy scripture cap. 5. pag. 399. The ayde and furtherance that we haue by the ministerie of Angels is shewed by the exaÌ„ples of the sacred Byble c. 6. p. 405. The furtherance that we haue by Angels is declared also by the examples of our tyme cap. 7. pag. 409. Angels notwithstanding their gouernment must not be called vpoÌ„ in our praiers more thaÌ„ any other creature c. 8. p. 414 The profit that is to be takeÌ„ by gods ProuideÌ„ce as also by al other things staÌ„deth in the due vse and application ca. 9. pa. 424. The coÌ„fort which we receiue by Gods Prouidence cap. 10. pag. 428. VVhat lessons we may pike out of Gods Prouidence for the mayntenaunce of godly life cap. 11. pag. 448. Gentle reader I pray thée in perusing this discourse obserue diligently these faults escaped in the print hereafter noted if there be any other smal errors I shal desire thée to vse both thy pacience and iudgement and to correct them as thou séest cause In the fifth page of the Epistle Dedicatorie and first line for Rabinio reade Rabirio In the sixth page of the Preface to the reader line 4. for thy reade their In the 13. page of the Preface line 23. for power reade maner Pa. line  Fault  Correction 2 16 for wayes read thus way ibi 21 godly godlily 13 8 Achams dial Achaz his dial For so I haue since found it in printed copies And so neither doth the note in the margente altogyther holde for I find it touched Esai 38. and also 4. Reg. 20. 22 34 which we which if we 38 23 posidonius Possidonius 48 10 trieth trie 49 12 ninth foure ninetie foure 52 2 param paratae 69 2 to worke to worke them 70 8 a thing of a thing 75 5 Chareas Charras 77 20 brayded broyded 86 26 the stayednesse stayednesse 89 1 honoured honoured 93 1 abashed abashed 98 4 auaile auale ibi 15 quodthey making answer quod they making answere 110 20 the salte and the salte 111 21 fantasie phrensie 114 13 to approche approch 115 23 Gods. Gods 138 8 creature creator 146 15 Saying Sauing 168 8 decrée decre 169 18 destinie destinie 180 16 methink this methinketh is 181 21 reason reason 182 1 sense sense 257 14 doluor dolour 280 8 in and 290 2 no not 299 6 alone all one 307 22 séeme sée 310 3 debating debasing 316 24 doutlesse the whole doubtlesse without the regard of euery small seueral part the whole 330 23 liberally litterally 336 12 will fully wilfully 356 25 not all not at all 366 16 it please him it might please him 367 12 shalt not that shall that 371 11 Bertrome Bertrame 424 1 in selfe in him selfe 465 12 you him The first Booke of Gods Prouidence The first Chapter VVherefore the Author vvrote this vvorke EVer since the time that our father Adam offending agaynst the Maiestie of almighty God had wilfully desperatly cast down him self into the gulf and whirlepoole of all mischiefe so importable hath béene the penaunce that mankinde hath suffred that neuer after he hath enioyed any quietnesse or any safetie and assuraunce in this wretched worlde For whither coulde he cast his eyes to sée any matter of comforte The earth he knewe was accursed for hys sake the freshe ayre so comfortable to him before did nowe fayle him when he most néeded the fire and the water was as ready to swallow him deuour him as to minister any thing for his necessarie vse yea the very powers of heauen the sunne the moone and the stars vapouring downe contagious exhalatitions crossing him in all his doings with their crooked and ouerth warte constellations séemed often as the very instruments of Gods wrath moste cruelly to conspire agaynst him By meanes wherof man béeing gréeuously encombred hath bene driuen as it were by force to séeke out some refuge for himselfe And many wayes surely it hath bene attempted of many sundry kindes of men Some one ways some an other according to the measure of their capacities Worldly nâ—m haue alwayes thought of worldly ayâ—es Therfore the stay they sought for coulde not be surer than the world it selfe Such as wer godly affected shot euermore at a further mark not contented with the vanities of thys present life but ernestly aspiring preaâ—ing forwarde to that their peaceable countrey in the world to come Therfore where their tresure was there also they reposed their comforte that is to say with their God. Whom guiding their ships they neuer feared any tempests nor rashly ran to their destruction vppon the rude ragged rockes Therefore nothing more rife in their mouth thaÌ„ the saying of that kingly prophet Although I vvalk in the middest of the shadov of death yet vvil I not be agast bicause thou art vvith me Agreably whervnto Isahac not knowing what sacrifice his father ment yet bicause
saying the Lorde is King be the people neuer so vnpatient he fitteth betwéen the Cherubines bée the Earth neuer so vnquiet But what meane I so long to dwell in the Psalmes Whereof it is too too euident that their whole scope and drift chiefly tendeth to this effect to disproue and gaynesaye theyr vanitie who as Chrysostomus wryteth in hys seconde Preface vppon the Psalmes eyther disanul Gods prouidence altogither or else woulde suffer it to goe no further than the precinctes lymites of the heauens For trowe yée this was onely the Prophete Dauids mynde Nay also euen holy Iudith a Matrone so well commended for the wise gouernment of her selfe her greate zeale towardes her nation her vnconquerable godly courage as none in all the Bible more so plainely speaketh of this matter that assuredly you culd not wysh a more worthy testimonie But what saith she then when she had put on sackcloth and ashes in steade of all other armoure and for the better withstanding of the most cruel assaults of Holofernes she had withdrawen her selfe into her oratorie to make her earnest prayers to almightie GOD amongest other wordes which shée spake in the bitternesse and anguish of her hearte submitting her selfe wyth all humilytie to the iust iudgementes of GOD Et hoc factum est quod she quod ipse voluists Omnes enim viae tuae paratae sunt tuae iudicia in tua prouidentia posuisti That is to say And this nowe is come to passe euen as thou wouldest thy selfe For all thy wayes be prepared and thought vpon before thou hast ordered thy iudgements by thy Prouidēce As if she shuld say this affliction that so sore doth touche vs is surely come vppon vs by thy decrée For thou Lord dost nothing not determined vpon long before and the very execution of thy iudgementes at what time and by what instruments it should be done by thine euerlasting counsaile it is appoynted It is our partes therefore to take that paciently which thine hand hath iustly laide vpon vs After this sort semeth the godly widow to poure out hir heauenly meditation For what else can we gather by her woordes which howe wisely and orderly they be cowched whiles shée proueth her hypothesis by her thesis I say a particular case by a ground vniuersally founde true the learned vndoubtedly can soone tell Sentenciously therfore hath shée spoken of a very pithy and sentencious matter But howe much more seuerely Salomon in his boke which he calleth Ecclesiastes straitely forbidding vs to let any thing passe vs by way of talk wherby the infirmitie of oure fleshe of it selfe being prone inough to all mischéefe might the rather be broughte to an inconuenience and very grauely charging vs by expresse words not to be so hardy none of vs all as to say presumptuously before our Angel that there is no prouidēce or gouernment of the world yea moreouer threatning vs that if we doe so God wil bring all our handy workes to none effect His words be Ne dederis os tuum vt peccare facias carnem tuam neque dicas coram Angelo non est prouidētia ne forte iratus dominus cōtra sermones tuos dissipet cuncta opera manuum tuarum That is let not thy mouth be an occasiō that thou shouldest make thy fleshe to sinne nor say not before thine angel There is no prouidēce least it chaunce the the Lorde being angry at thy talk bring to cōfusion all the works of thine handes This one thing in dede by the way I muste nedes confesse that other translations be otherwise For insteade of Neque dicas coram Angelo Non est prouidentia that is and say not before thyne angel ther is no prouidēce other say Neque dicas corā Angelo per imprudentia peccatum esse that is say not before thyne Angel that thou hast offended vnwares Yea some also varie not a little in the interpretation of the sentence and clause following The Gréeke texte it selfe neyther maketh mention of Gods prouidence nor yet of our proper Angel for it saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is say not before the face of God that it is ignorance to wit that caused thée to offend Yet certainly not only Glosa interlinearis in Lyra his Commentaries but also the famous learned man Trittenhemius in the fourth booke of his eyghte questions proposed vnto him to be assoyled by Maximilian the Emperoure in his time with other moe vse thys verie same place to none other purpose than I haue alleged it Whiche the rather maketh me to beléeue that the Gréeke Copie interpreted by the common translatoure of the Latin bible varied somewhat from that text of the 70. interpreters now extant But what néede I greatly to make matter or to passe whether it be so yea or no. The Scripture God be thanked is plaine inough otherwise Whereby if wée haue not already sufficiently strengthened oure assertion what shall we say to those flatte wordes in the very first Chapter of Sainct Paules Epistle to the Ephesians where it is expressely sayde that God worketh all thynges according to the aduised determination of hys owne wyll In whiche place also he vseth the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he effectually worketh and not onely of oure doings he moderateth and furdreth the successe as Pallas is fayned in Virgill to turne away Pandarus his darte from the brest of the stout champion Menelaus towards his bodies lower parts that were strongly harnised with his belte He addeth immediatly vpon it According to the aduised determination intent or purpose of his owne will that we may knowe he doth nothing without his Prouidence What of this that is wrytten in the booke of Wisedome doth it not plainely set out Gods gouernement Gods vvisedome sayeth the author reacheth from one ende to an other mightely comely doth she order all things Or this golden sentence that is written in the booke of Hester Is it meete vve should make of it as nothing Where good Mardocheus making his prayer O Lord Lord sayeth he the king almightie For all things are in thy povver and if thou hast appointed to saue Israell there is no man that can vvithstand thee Or to bring in but one place more which might woorthily stād in stéede of all what godly man shoulde doubt of Gods Prouidence hearing Ieremie so feruent in his Lamentations bursting out so hotly into these woordes VVho sayth any thing is done vvhich the Lorde hathe not commaunded that oute of the mouthe of the highest there proceedeth not good and euill But mighte this oure learning which we defende be gathered only of the Prophetes wordes be not all the Prophecies in the Bible a flat argument to proue the same for howe coulde they I beséeche you tell before hande of thinges to come ne were it not that God had before ordeyned them Come their Prophecies of them selues or of God God forbid we should say of them selues S. Peter iwis
teacheth vs an other lesson In times paste came prophecies vnto vs sayth he not by the motion of any mans will but the holy men of God spake vnto vs in suche sorte as they were first moued and set on by the holy Ghost It was not they then so muche that spake any thing but rather God that vsed them as his instruments And dyd God warne before what he woulde doo touching the captiuitie and deliueraunce of the Iewes of Iudas his trayterous dealing towards his deare Master of the cruell conspiracie of the Rulers of his people of his Sonnes deathe of Jerusalems destruction c What differeth this I pray you from ordeyning Coulde a manne wyshe a more manyfeste proofe oute of Gods worde The .x. Chapter He reciteth the fathers to the same effecte WHereof although the authoritie be so inuiolable that of it selfe it onely should preuayle as well able to discusse al douts and to open and decide all controuersies concerning the substāce of our fayth yet séeing many menne make exceptions as though nothing but forced gloses wrested and racked textes singular and priuate inuentions were broughte in goe to let vs sée a whyle whether the auncient catholike and learned Fathers did any otherwise determine of so greate a matter And first come foorthe I pray thée godly father Clemens Alexandrinus tell vs thy learned iudgemente VVho so euer thinketh there is no Prouidence saythe he mee thynketh he is vvorthy of punishement and a very vvicked man yea not so vvorthy that we shoulde vouchsafe to dispute vvith him Doo thou also tell vs Byshoppe Gregorie thou worthy father of Nazianzene That there is a God sayth he the cause of al things bothe wrought and preserued both oure eye sighte and the very lawe of nature can teach vs. And thou also of blessed memorie right reuerend father holy Basile say thy minde we beséeche thée in lyke maner There is nothing sayth he which God doth not foresee there is nothing which he doth neglecte The eye which neuer sleepeth veweth and considereth al things with all things it is presente safegarding and preseruing euery thing Very well but let vs heare one more of the Greke Church Me thinketh Chrisostomus offereth him selfe as not vnworthy to haue concluded vpon the case Is there no foundatiō saith he and how standeth the building Is there no keele and howe holdeth the ship togither is there none that made the ship how was it made is there no builder how was the house erected Is there no Mason and who builte vp the Citie In the ende thus he knitteth vp VVhat soeuer thing in the world be done practised and put in vre they haue some body to ouersee them and to worke and shall the world onely be without a gouernour Inough nowe of the Gréeke fathers what of the Latines Certaynly as they had like iudgements so framed they also like arguments VVho would not think sayth Lactantius that this worlde so maruellously wroughte is gouerned by some Prouidence For there is nothing that can hold out without some body to guide it So the house that is forsaken of the inhabitaunt falleth to ruine the ship that is without a gouernoure goeth to wracke and the body that is giuen ouer of the soule commeth to nothing Much lesse let vs thinke that this worlde beeing so mightie and huge of quantitie coulde either be founded without a workeman or bee able to stande so long without a guide Worthily spoken out of doubte very conformable also to that lesson which S. Austine techeth vs in his third booke de trinitate affirming that nothing is done which proceedeth not out of the inward and intelligible court of the soueraigne Emperor according to his vnspekable iustice And Leo archbishop of Rome putteth the matter so farre out of al controuersie that he sticketh not to say these wordes The heartes of the faythfull do not doubt but that Gods Prouidence is alwayes present in al parts of this world and that the successe of oure worldly affayres dependeth not of any power that the Starres haue whiche is none but all thinges be ordered at the moste iuste and mercy full pleasure of oure Soueraigne Lorde The .xj. Chapter He sheweth that the very Ethnikes approued this doctrine of Gods Prouidence BVT what néede wée to speake more of the Fathers Surely it is so far off that any godly man shoulde néede to doubt of this so christianlike and sounde doctrine that the very beste and wisest of the heathen men acknowledged it for a certayne truthe Therefore Hesiodus sayth of God that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one that hath a great brode eye and a face that can looke into euery corner Sophocles likewise affirmeth that he séeth all things and commaundeth al things to be done So true is that saying of Theophilus in the second booke ad Autolicum the Poetes and Philosophers themselues haue written of Gods iustice of his iudgemēt of eternall condemnation and moreouer of Gods prouidence As for Marcus Cicero he hath so largely intreated of this matter not onely in his seconde thirde booke de natura Deorum in his bookes de diuinatione de fato de Legibus de vniuersitate that onely constancie excepted wée coulde not greatly require any thing at his hands And that graue sentence of Clearchus mentioned by Xenophon lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be let passe teaching vs that neither swiftnesse nor darknesse nor strong bulwarke of defence can be any refuge for vs agaynst God bycause sayth he all things be in his hāds the whole world is gouerned by his diuine power Yea a greate many mighte be named besides these before mentioned and rehearsed who béeing onely brought vp in the schole of nature were yet styll of this iudgement that there is a God ruling in the heauens vnto whom it was their duetie to submitte them selues Therefore S. Austine writing contra Faustū Manicheum Touching the Prouidence of God sayth he both the Paganes be of the same mind that we be the Iewes and you and all Heretickes that by any meanes are called Christians And Lactantius yet somwhat more openly in his boke entituled de origine erroris that the world saith he should be made by gods Prouidence to say nothing of Trismegistus who professeth the same of the Sibils verses the report asmuch of the Prophets who w one spirit voyce beare witnesse that the workmanship of the worlde is Gods making euen amongst the Philosophers almost al in maner it is agréed vpō The same also the Pithagoreās the Stoikes the Peripatetickes those whiche were the chiefest Philosophers of euery secte did acknowledge till at the laste many worldes after arose doting Epicure which was so bolde as to denie that that is moste euident And forsoothe for none other cause but for that he was desirous to inuent nouelties that he might make a secte of his owne name And bicause he
could find out no new inuentiō yet that he might appeare to be singular and to disagrée from the reste he woulde fayne ouerthrowe their olde learning wherin he had all the Philosophers barking rounde about his eares and reprouing him Thus farre goeth Lactantius Ye sée then that the very heathen miscreantes how sensuall soeuer they were otherwise yet all of them do not holde agaynst vs Nay contrariwise it is a playne case that not the meanest of thē no nor the fewest neither bée of oure side And yet otherwyse questionlesse very Paganes menne that could sée no further than they were led by the drifte of their owne reason men as S. Paule calleth them that were strangers from the common weale of Israell foreyners from the couenants of promise without Christe and withoute GOD What shoulde we Christians doe then that are endued with a more especiall spirite vnto whome God hathe sente hys owne sonne as it were directly oute of hys owne bosome to reueale vnto vs al godly knowledge Shall we alwayes stumble in the open lighte Shall we haulte and goe crooked in the plaine pathway Shall we wincke wittingly and willingly when the sunne shineth so cléerely before our face For I beséeche you with the eyes of a sounde iudgemente all affection and parcialitie sette a side lette vs yet looke well about vs lette vs peise all things diligently with euen balance We haue heard Gods owne liuely voice speaking as it were nay rather thundering in his woorde We haue the testimonie of aunciente Fathers the aucthoritie of whose consent we estéeme and reuerence in due place we haue the wisdome of worldly men that is to say very nature and common sense to teach vs where against busily to contende it were a labor doubtlesse to litle purpose yea we haue heauen and earthe the mayne Sea the elementes al in order warning and admonishing vs day and night of the subiection and homage we owe to god What more I pray you coulde we desire for our farther satisfying instruction The .xij. Chapter That a certaine opinion of Gods Prouidence is rooted in oure hartes by nature vvhiche stirreth vs vp to pray to him and to giue him thankes SVrely so cléerely and manifestly all thyngs make for our purpose that were it not for this that wée knowe God gouerneth the worlde hath a care of all things whiche he hath wrought why we should flée to him by our prayer to craue the assistaunce of his ayde or wherfore wée should yéelde him thanks for any benefite receyued at his hand I sée no cause And truly were it so that oure prayer and thankesgiuing should be frustrate and of none effect then all feare and loue whiche we owe to God all faythfulnesse and truthe béetwixte man and man yea and to tell you at a woorde all godlynesse and religion shoulde fall slat to the grounde Wherof O the lyuing God what a greate disorder and confusion what an huge heape of all euilles shoulde ensue in the lyfe of man But nowe séeing all mennes breastes be enbawmed and seasoned with this lycour and séeing in all mennes myndes it is naturally as it were engrafte that God only is the protectour of the worlde no one thing in heauen or in all the earthe béeing exempted or priuiledged from the aucthoritie of his iurisdiction Therof it is as Gregorius Nyssenus writeth that being driuen to our shiftes we repayre vnto him therof it commeth that wee bothe feare him and honour him with all our heartes Wherevnto also perchance if any man be slacke as alas too many bée oute of what other fulsome pumpe doth flowe this abhominable ordure but from the weakenesse and imbecillitie of oure faithe When so euer therefore oure heartes quaile and we begin to fainte in this persuasion Sathan daily tempting vs at oure elboe it standeth vs verily muche vppon to call hartely vnto God for grace crauing this aboue all things at hys handes that he woulde vouchsafe of his greate goodnesse to encrease our faithe which if we doe vnfainedly with a true heart then may we safely say with the Prophete My soule truely vvaiteth still vpon God for of him commeth my saluation He verily is my strength and my saluation he is my defense so that I shall not greatly fall The .xiij. Chapter The prodigious vvonders that come to passe in the vvorlde be an argument also of Gods Prouidence NEuerthelesse if I should héere stay and go no further my Dysputation mighte séeme to some mē either to be ouer coldely handled or else not sufficiētly debated for the capacitie of the cōmon sorte Truthe it is the discourse of reason must in déede with all men be of greate force but yet as we be taught by oure owne triall not so muche the subtiltie of disputing as the experience of all suche things as haue bene hearde of and séene with the corporall eyes enter I wot not by what meanes a great deale more spéedily into meaner heads To the intent therefore the cause which we take in hande may be sette oute and beautifyed with more liuely coloures let vs sée how euē by dūbe signes God himself hath preached vnto vs this doctrine And héere if néed were I could be furnished to this purpose very many wayes For not onely Fritschius Laubanus hathe largely set out vnto vs the strāge wōders mōsters which haue bin in the world but also one Boaistuau surnamed Launaye and one Claude de Fesserant a Parisian in the Frenche tongue besides diuers other not a fewe But I will rest only vpon an historie rehersed by Fabricius Montanus in a booke of his the whiche hée writeth of this very same matter of Gods Prouidence An historie as he reporteth not a thing doone many worldes past but suche a thyng as chaunced aboute Zurich where hée himselfe had his abyding and the same also in freshe remembraunce as bothe hearde of and séene in his tyme And truly euen in this order he doth tell it A certayne vagabunde sayth he had myserably mangled and kylled his fellowe with whome he had turned in oner night to take his lodging in a barne and verye early in the morning when he had remoued the carkas of the body slayne as farre as he was able oute of sight he tooke his héeles towards Eglisauium a towne whyche belonged to the sayde Zurich Nowe he which was the owner of the sayde barne who before had giuen a nyghtes lodgyng bothe to the rogue and his companion whiche he kylled when he had perceiued in the mornyng certayne tokens of the murderer he forthwith vttred it and made it knowne In the meane tyme this murder was well forwarde on his way nathelesse through the crying of the rauens and Iayes as he passed by that séemed very boldly to catch at him hée was bewrayed to the reapers dispersed héere and there in the fieldes who were muche agaste at this straunge syghte The verlet notwithstanding kepte still his high way and euen nowe one
fauour Gods truth and some doo not further iustice nor doo in all poyntes as they ought to demeane them selues in their gouernement Who doeth that Surely not thou thy selfe that layest it to Princes charges But beware howe thou resistest them notwithstanding They can not be worse than Herode and Pylate was yet Chryst as thou mayest reade in the Gospell acknowledged their authoritie to bee from his father so farre of from withstanding their lawfull power that he submitted himselfe to al the extremitie they could vse When soeuer God shall giue thée any occasion to complayne of that take héede it bée not the iuste plague of God which he will lay vppon thy shoulders for thyne owne desertes The Scripture truely is playne inoughe in thys case affirming in déede that sometimes God sendeth suche rulers as be not the beste or godliliest disposed but propâ—eâ— peccata populs bicause the people haue offended god And thereof it commeth that he speaketh suche terrible and threatning wordes by the mouthe of the Prophete Zacharie saying that the shepeheardes of Iudah and Israell hée cut of in one moneth and that his soule lothed them and their soule abhorred him Wherevppon holding on his processe he pronounceth agaynst them a very heauy sentence Then sayde I I will not feede you that that dyeth let it dye and that that perisheth let it perishe and let the remnaunt eate euery one the fleshe of his neighboure This commeth to passe so often as we feare not God and embrace not his Gospell as we ought to do It is oure partes therefore that haue true Englishe hearts to make carnest sute vnto God for the Quéenes Maiesties long prosperous reigne and so reliligiously alwayes towards God so loyally towardes oure Quéene to behaue oure selues that we may still haue vertuous and godly rulers But in case it so fall out that Princes alwayes should not satisfie vs I say that their maners and demeanour séeme not alwayes answerable to oure desires yet muste wée diligently take héede that in any wyse we obserue two thinges firste that we preuent not Gods iudgement ouerhastily giuing our vngodlie verdite of them whom we ought not without gret reuerence once to name and secoÌ„dly that we be not lightly moued to shake the foundations of a wel setled state tearing and renting out our owne bowels not only bringing our natiue countrey which we ought to tender aboue all things in the worlde but oure selues and al oures into desperate peril For surely talke we neuer so long at oure pleasure and fantasie what we list it is hard for any body to be vtterly voyd of imperfectioÌ„s Iulius Cesar was rayled at for ambition the greate Alexander was noted for his dronkennesse Pyrrhus was thought rashe in hys counsayle Hanniball not to be sure of hys promise Fabius to be too great a lingerer before he would ioyne in battayle with his armie Marcellus contrarywise to be gréedy of fighting And many other great Potentates there were mo which had somewhat in them to bée amended But seeing we enioy by their occasion no small safetie and quietnesse and not one of vs all is able to do all thinges at all tymes as we shoulde it were more reason we shoulde dispose oure selues if néede were to be bearers than to bée headlong and rash disturbers The kingdome of the Persians helde on sayth Isocrates a long time and not through any other vertue which was in them but bicause they had their Prince in suche highe honour and estimation Ibi enim sunt regna felicia as Austine noteth vbi pleno omnium consensu regibus obeditur For there be the happie realmes where Princes and headrulers with all mens ful consent be obeied Wheras certayne it is that the contrary dothe commonly bréede so muche mischéefe that it is too pitifull to heare of it Therefore if it can not be made to sinke into our heads that we should obey our Princes for conscience sake or bicause they be appoynted ouer vs by the infinit wisedome of Gods Prouidence yet the great and manifold inconuenience that springeth out of the fountayne of sedition shoulde of force moue vs to stand in awe Thus hitherto we haue gone forward without any gret resisting at least w out any great harme The .xv. Chapter That God suffereth euill and hurtefull thinges without any derogation to hys Prouidence BVt Epicure yet our heauy friende sayth playnly he will not take vppe so And now methinketh he beginneth to fall sadly to his businesse and to take vpon him like a clercke For nowe he presseth vs very hardly demaunding vs if God gouerne the worlde howe is it that he suffereth euil For sayth he either God would take euill away and is not able or else he is able and yet not willing or he is neither willing nor able or he is both willing and able If he be willing sayth he and not able it coÌ„meth of weaknesse which very muche swarueth from Gods nature Agayne if he be able and not willing he séemeth enuiouse and that agréeth with hym as little If he be neither willing nor able he is both enuious and weake too and therefore consequently not a god If he bée wylling and able also whiche is the onely propertie of a God then whence I pray you commeth euill or why taketh he it not oute of the way And this his argumente is sette oute by Lactantius in a booke that he wryteth de tra Dei. Wherewith he telleth vs that many of the Philosophers were so troubled that mauger their beardes they were almoste dryuen to thys poynte that they coulde defende Gods Prouidence no longer Whereof truely I doo not so greately moruayle considering howe hardely oure dull eyesighte is able to pierce into the Sunne beames so long especially as it is not cléered with the bryghtnesse of Gods worde But what aunswereth Lactantius to it hym selfe For I woulde gladlyer heare other mennes solutions in mattiers especially of suche weyghte than myne owne God sayth he is able to doo what he wyll and no weakenesse or enuy is in god He is able therefore to take euill out of the way but he will not And yet wee muste not conclude that he is therefore enuious for therefore he taketh it not away bycause as I haue taughte hee also gyueth vs wisedome with it and there is more good and comforte in wysedome than griefes in euilles VVisedome also maketh vs to knowe God and by that knowledge to obteine immortalitie which is the gretest good we can haue So then onlesse we first learne to know euill neither shall we be able to come by the knowledge of that that is good But this Epicure saw not nor any other of the philosophers that by the remouing of euilles wisdome also should be remoued and that no steppes of vertue can remayne afterwardes in man the shewing foorthe whereof consisteth in bearing the bytternesse of euilles and in ouercomming and keeping of them vnder Howe little cause
Gregories farre auncient yet haue I reserued him to vtter vnto vs his profound iudgemeÌ„t in this place is woorthy to stande out for a moderatoure and chéefe decider of this controuersie Giue then O reuerend father thy definitiue sentence Let youre charitie sayeth he listen to me and take good hede vvho disposed in such comely order the preatie members of the fleas gnattes so that they haue their conuenient place they haue their life they haue their mouing Consider but some one litle shorte beast as thou vvilt thy selfe of as small a quantitie as can be thought of Thou vvouldest vvoonder if thou marke but his little limmes hovve euery one of them standeth in order and the quicke nimblenesse of his life that maketh him to bestirre himselfe that in his ovvne defense he may flie from deathe he loueth life he desireth pleasure he shuÌ„neth grefe he hathe the vse of diuers senses he is liuely in that mouing that is onuenyent for him VVho gaue the gnatte such a byting sting to sucke bloude vvith hovve slender a pipe is it that he supperh vvith vvho ordred this geare vvho made them Arte thou stricken vvith horroure vvhen thou thinckest of to little and small matters Prayse then that greate God vvhich vvas the authoure Therfore my brethren keepe this vvell in minde Lot no manne make you to fall from the saithe and from a catholicke and sounde doctrine He made a sille vvorme in the earth that made an Angell in heauen but an Angell in heauen for a celestiall habitation a sily vvoorme in the earthe for a terrestriall dvvelling Did he make an Angell to crepe in the mire or a poore vvoorme to be lodged in heauen Nay he appoynted the enhabitantes to their seuerall mansions he limited incorruption to vncorrupte places and corruptible things to roumes fitte for corruption Marcke it vvell euery vvhit and praise God for all Thus sayeth the good father Austine determining of Gods Prouidence yée sée after what manuer Howe skilfully doth he espie oute the very steppes and tracâ—s as ye woulde say where Gods Prouident care hathe sette foote And woondering thereat very muche not only whiles he considereth it in Goddes Angelles but no lesse also whiles it sheweth it selfe so notoriously in the fashioning of the silie gnatte with what woordes doeth he lay it before our eyes And a righte godly consideration is it oute of doubte and well woorthy to be déepely thoughte of For if God had such a curious eye in his firste framing of the poore gnattes proportion What shoulde we thincke that he will do afterwards who is alwayes moste constante in all his doings Surely as he beganne his greate Prouidence in the creation and woorckemanshippe of the poore beaste so will he holde on with the like fauoure in preseruing a creature of his owne making But yet héere stayeth not S. Austine Who truely is so farre of from depriuing any thing of Goddes gouernement that the very hayle frost and the snowe by his iudgement is not priuileged from Goddes subiection For very sone after examining and scanning these woordes Ignis grande nix and so forthe These things considering sayeth he the spirite of prophecie vvhen he had sayde fire haile snovve frost and the spirite of tempest all vvhiche things some fooles thincke to be oute of order and to be tosted as it vvere by happes aduenturous he added thereunto the clause VVHICH DOE HIS COMMAVNDEMENT Let not those things then seeme to thee to be moued at a venture vvhich neuer fall nor moue any vvay but to doe suche homage and seruice as God appoynteth The .ix. Chapiter That Gods especiall Prouidence pertaineth also to the meanest creatures he shevveth out of Plotine and Plato himself WIth what face then can it be saide of Tullie that the harme and damage which is done by tempests falleth not out by the woorcke of Gods Prouidence Howe can he say that God careth not for small things Iwis if he had hard but his owne secte the Platonickes I meane and Plato himselfe the authority of whose very name he woulde séeme so highly to aduaunce coulde he euer haue fallen into suche a foule erroure Plotine without question who estemed as much of Plato as euer Tullie did whiles he clarkly reasoneth of Gods Prouidence proueth by the beautie that is in floures and leaues that procéeding froÌ„ the highe God whose amiable and louely grace might be sooner conceaued than vttered it goeth forward reaching to these earthly and base things in the worlde All which things being in manner as cast away and tootoo soone fading and falling downe he maketh it plaine to vs by a strong argument that they coulde neuer haue suche a passing feature of their proportion ne were it not that from thence they had fetched their shape where the intelligible fourme that is vnalterable hauing all graces together in himselfe hathe his abyding Plato himself in his tenth booke which he wryteth of Lawes maketh a certain Dialoge betwixte one Clinia and hys hoste of Athens The very scope wherof directly tendeth againste Tullies Doctrine Which to this ende and purpose that it may be the better knowne I wil bring in the speakers talking with the very same woordes that they do in Plato The hoste The Physicion if he loke not to small matters appertaining to his pacients health shall it goe vvell vvith hys vvhole cure Clinia Noe it shall not The hoste No more shall gouernoures nor graunde capitaines nor suche as haue care of housholdes nor any officers or magistrates in commoÌ„ vveales nor none other suche vvithoute a fevve and small things set in order deale vvel in many and great affairs For neither say the masons can the greate stones be vvell laide in the building of an house vvithoute the small stones be vvell tempered and layed vvith morter Clinia That is true The hoste Let vs not therefore suppose that God is inferioure to these common mortall artificers but that he is bothe vvilling and able also to haue care of small matters asvvell as greate The .x. Chapiter He ansvvereth an obiection made against him out of S. Paul vvherby it vvould seme that god hath no care of oxen PLato goeth forwarde for he debateth the cause more at large But what is Tullie or any other euer able to reply against that which Plato hath already spoken Yes for soothe there coÌ„meth now somewhat to remembraunce that commonly oute of the scriptures is obiected For S. Paule wryting to the Corinthians when he had applied these woordes of the law to his purpose Thou shalt not mustell the mouthe or the oxe that treadeth out the corne he addeth Doth God take care for oxen But tooto manifest it is to them that well weighe the place that S. Paules meaning was nothing lesse than to debarre anye Oxen from the tuition of Goddes care Which if he had done how shoulde he haue agréed with that saying of the Prophet Dauid who wondering at the depth of Gods Prouidence when he
the lawe was giuen by the examples of the godly Patriarkes in the boke of Genesis The thirds may be giuen oute of S. Paule who not only woulde haue ministers reléeued themselues but also of sufficient habilitie to relieue others requiring greatly of a bishoppe that is to say of an ouerséer of the congregation as a charge which he necessarily layeth vpon him that he should be in any wise a good house keper There is an other fourthe cause besides namely the agnising of gods soueraigne power and dominion ouer the worlde and that not only we be his subiectes but his tenantes also holding all that we haue of his goodnesse In consideration wherof wheras we owe to his endlesse maiestie not our goods only and oure possessions but that that more is our selues soules and bodies reason it is that in token of oure due subiection and in signe of feaultie and homage which moste iustly he loketh for at our hands we render as it were that tribute to him which he requireth to be receiued in his behalfe by the stewardes of his heauēly and diuine mysteries and by those ministers whome he vseth betwixt him and vs as his highe embassadors these officers of his religion By whom honored he thincketh himselfe honoured by whome despised he reckeneth himselfe disgraced by whom liberally dealt with he taketh himselfe as it were enriched and finally by whome deceiued and depriued of that whereunto they haue iust title he accounteth him selfe as it is in Malachie despoyled and robbed of his owne But nowe what tribute it is that god requireth by me in dede in some parte it is already touched by some other not yet fully defined For that we are taxed by oure soueraigne Emperor there is none nowe that can iustly moue any doubte but whether it be the tenthe part of oure substāce yea or no there in deede yet resteth the question What my iudgement is ye haue heard already Nowe therefore if it be youre pleasure let vs heare at the last the resolution of some learned and pithie schooleman And whome sooner than that great clercke Thomas of Aquine Whome nowe truely I the rather rehearse vnto you bicause as to me it séemeth he reduceth as you might say to a short hādsome abridgement what so euer I haue spoken hitherto concerning so greate a matter in a more ample circumstaunce of woordes For wryting vppon these woordes of oure Sauioure Christe by me alreadye handled more at large These things ought ye to haue done and not to haue lefte the other Methincketh sayeth he oure Lorde maketh a necessitie of paying tithes For in all the nevve Testamente there is not the like expresse mencion made of them as there is here But is this necessitie of paying tenthes retained by vertue of Moses his lavv No For ther be some things conteined in the lavve vvhich be morall some things ceremoniall and some things iudiciall The morall part of the Lavve at all tymes and of all persons muste be needes obserued The ceremonialles vvere to be kepte only of a certaine kinde of menne as the Ievves and at certaine times as namely for example circumcision And these vvere only in a figure Moreouer there vvere some things iudiciall as if anye had stollen a sheepe he vvas iudged by the lavve to pay foure folde Therefore novve the question is of the tenthes vvhether they pertaine to the morall lavve And it seemeth they doe not bicause the morall preceptes be of the lavve of nature And that only is the lavve of nature vviche naturall reason it selfe dothe persuade vs of But vve are nomore persuaded by naturall reason to geue the tenthe than the ninthe parte or the eleuenth or so forth Ergo vve are not bounde to the tenthes by the lavve of nature But on the other side if they shoulde not be payed then shoulde not they doe vvell that paye them Hereunto some haue made ansvver that lyued before vve vvere borne that there be some lavves only morall some onlye ceremoniall some partelye morall and partly ceremoniall This lavve Thou shalt not kill is only morall So likevvise is this Thou shalt vvorship the Lord thy God and so forthe If thou say Vpon such a day thou shalt offer a lambe at the euen tide this only is a lavve ceremoniall But if vve say remember to kepe holy the Saboth day something it hath in it that appertaineth to the lavv morall or naturall and something there is in it that is ceremoniall This poynte is morall vvhereof also natural reason giueth vs secrete vvarning to vvitte that vve should haue some vacant time to serue God But that this chefely should be done vpon the Saboth day or the Sunday c. it is iudiciall VVherupon they say also that the cōmaundement vvhich concerneth tythes is partly ceremoniall and partly morall For tithes be for the relefe of pore men and such as apply Gods seruice or the office of preaching For he that serueth for a publique minister of Goddes churche it is good reason he should liue of their publique charge vvhere he serueth and this is the lavve of nature But that the tenthe parte shoulde be paide it is ceremoniall But is the paimente of tenthes kept novve I say that the determining of that pertaineth to any prince that hathe authoritie to make a lavve and that the Churche hath that povver and libertie to appoynt either the tenth or ninthe parte or any other suche porcion VVherefore the tenths be still holden not bicause the paiment of them is necessary by the lavv of nature but bicause the Churche hathe so ordained So farre haue I thoughte good to recite vnto you Thomas of Aquine that his decision of this question mighte be the fullier perfitlier conceiued Ye sée then howe he groundeth the paiment of the tenthe parte not of the lawe moral or natural but vpon an order taken by the church Which churche neuerthelesse as he also declareth in his booke called Secunda secunda in defining and rating out an agreable porcion to be paid proceded not without the aduise of Goddes word To the which purpose he bringeth in not only that vow of Iacob promising with direct wordes the tenth of all that God should giue him but also S. Paul himself reasoning as before ye haue heard in this manner If vve haue sovven vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we repe your carnal things By occasion wherof the Church sayeth this said Thomas of Aquine determined that tithes should be paide Those constitutions likewise which be called the Apostles and withoute all controuersie be of no small antiquitie in the Church say that although God haue deliuered vs from the expiations asspersions and continuall washings c. vsed in the olde law yet hath he not deliuered vs from the oblations which we owe to the priests And by and by this cōclusion is added I herefore thou shalt doe as the Lord hathe commaunded and thou shalt giue the
so drawe oure lyfe from God as though we were any parcell of his substaunce as the Manicheâ—s fondely helde and as one parte and member of our natural body is nourished and relieued by an others ayde but surely béeing an other thing by nature than he is for none other reason we are sayde to haue our béeing of him but bicause he worketh it by his power And this is the worke of his Prouidence whereby he holdeth all things in him selfe mightely reaching by his wisedome from one end of the worlde to an other and swéetely disposing all things in good order in respecte whereof we may be sayde to lyue in him or by him to moue in him and in him to haue as it were residence Wherevpon iustly and with good cause we might inferre this conclusion that if God woulde withdrawe from vs this straunge worke of his gouernement we should neither liue nor moue nor be any thing Therefore when I defined Gods Prouidence amongst other things I placed this in my definition whereby all things in heauen and vnder heauen are continually gouerned and prouided for The .xiij. Chapter That God gouerneth all things according to the state of their owne nature WHervnto I added immediately according to the state of their owne nature For this alwayes necessarilie presupposed which surely is an infallible and most certayne truth that God vseth no parcialitie in his welding of the gouernement of this world but loueth all his creatures as his creatures after alike and an equal maner yet this also is no lesse true to be imagined that he considereth all things as they either be in theÌ„ selues or deserue to be His gouernment therfore béeing iust and according to reason he dothe not honour flies and gnattes with such dignitie and preheminence as he dothe man nor man as Angels nor one man as another But as Boetius sayth in a place before meÌ„tioned in my seconde booke looking out of the high prospecte of his Prouidence forseeth what for euery thing is moste fit but as Plato in that poynte wryteth very well in Timaeo as euery thinges nature is capable of a blessed state so farre foorth he woulde haue euery thing dignified and made semblable to hym selfe but as holy Scripture it selfe euery where ringeth fingeth out he rewardeth euery man according to his workes He therefore may be answered euen with as muche ease as he obiecteth that chargeth vs so vnaduisedly without cause saying Let vs not be suche foolish flatterers of God that whyles we would make his power to goe downe to these base things we should do wrong to our selues saying that ouer reasonable creatures vnreasonable Gods prouident care is all alyke For if he meane by this his word alyke as thoughe in euery respecte and condition and in a lyke degrée of quantie it were sayde that Gods Prouidence stretched alike to these simple and brute creatures as it doth to vs men that haue the vse of reason it might be well asked him agayne who euer was so madde to beléeue that for nature reason and our common sense yea our dayly experience dothe reclayme Else what more absurditie shoulde it be that Gods Prouidence shoulde equally after a due rate and proportion viewe ouer with a fauourable regarde aswell the basest things in the earth as either men or Angels or other heauenly wightes that be aboue than it is for the Sunne in the firmament not onely to shine ouer all heauen and vniuersally to giue lighte to all the worlde pouring downe his beames cherefully vpon sea and land but to glanse also particularly through euery hole and with his greate glistering and brightnesse to expel darknesse round about in the very simplest corner that may be found Which sunne although it enuie nothing the vse of his lighte but extendeth it of his owne part after a lyke fashion to all yet who séeth not that séeth any thing that euery thing doth not feele by it the like commoditie nor in euery place where it shyneth it hath the same effecte It giueth light in déede but yet the blinde man séeth by it neuer the more it warmeth and maketh hotte but yet the beast called Salamandra is colde still it mollifieth and maketh soft but yet clay and earth is the harder for it it reuiueth in the spring-time all hearbes and flowres and in the haruest it ripeneth all corne and fruite but yet the grasse that is cutte downe in the field it altowithereth and drieth vp The Sunne dealing so indifferentely why is all this Truly not of the behalfe of the Sunne which worketh according to the mattier that is vnderhande but either the capacitie of euery thing wyll not receyue or else euery nature is not apte to beare that which so openly and commonly is to be had Euen so fareth it with the Prouidence of almightie God which béeing equally present in euery place yet in euen portioÌ„s doth not coÌ„municate to euery thing an equal vertue In euen portions I say not in euen proportions For else I know wel inough that he alwayes kepeth that equalitie that bothe reason and iustice would require But why doth he not so what is the mattier I say the he doth not endue all things with like guiftes Forsooth for all things be not capable nor apte for the like But he might qualifie all things if it please him to receiue the like benefites at his hands He might in dede do many things by his miraculous power which he will neuer do notwithstanding yea and that he should do them at any time things yet still remayning in their owne nature how could it I pray you hang togither Shall a gnatte be a gnatte still in the essentiall forme of a man or shall that which is lesse inquantitie be bigger than that which is muche greater or shal not that which is nowhere be yet still in a place Or finally shall one and the same nature at one time in the same ground as it were admit qualities vtterly repugnant No truly God would not that hauing limited euery thing that is natural within bounds agreable to theÌ„selues Therefore he hath made an Angels nature farre diuerse from a mannes a mannes from a beastes a beastes from a trées and so foorthe Wherein so long as they continue Gods ordinaunce as reason is must nedes holde If it please God at any time to alter them he may in déede wel do so I denie not but he wil neuer so alter them that there shall be founde no diuersitie in that poynte at leastwyse wherein the alteration is made I say this God may in déede make a gnatte a reasonable creature but then of necessitie muste the gnatte néedes goe out of his owne kind that is to say it can be a gnat no longer God may make a humaine creaturs without shape without distinction of members without hauing any visible nature without place without bignesse yea and by no meanes able to be comprehended by any naturall
he néedeth not others help in his gouernement no more than he néeded their furtherance in his creation I graunt well that Neither hathe he néede of oughte else that either man or Angel is able to doe Yet it pleaseth him to be gloryfied euen of vs that be but brickle vesselles so highly he accepteth our prayers our thanks our vertuous godly déedes the they be accepted as sacrifices in his sight The cause why he vseth his holy Angels in this so honorable execution of his iudgements is not assuredly any nede for what nede could he haue of them whose whole power depeÌ„deth of his direction but the very order and maÌ„ner of his dispensation For God only is he which coÌ„maundeth which authoriseth which giueth strength vertue to accoÌ„plish therfore as I might well conclude at whose only becke all things how according to that senteÌ„ce of Elihu The Angels of their part what else is it the they haue to do but to sustaine the burdeÌ„ of their charge wherin be it so they do any thing that is séemely for the woorthinesse of their office the obedience in dede is theirs but the vvorcke it selfe that is done by them as wryteth the father Athanasius in his fourthe sermon againste the Arrians is not theirâ— but Gods. But we wil not take Gregorie at the worst whose iudgement in this poynt is good inough For he openeth himselfe very well in his foresaid commentarie vpon Iob saying that although the creator of all things vveldeth the gouernment of all things by himselfe Yet to distinguish the order of this goodly vniuersall state he gouerneth things diuersly by the ministerie of suche and suche Angels Aristotle in dede is wel coÌ„teÌ„t to suffre the angels to enioy their office but in coÌ„ming some what nigh the mark methinketh he shooteth cleane besides it For in a booke of his which he wrote de mundo be it so that that booke be his he resembleth God to that greate king of the Persians Xerxis or to Cambyses or Darius or some suche like Whose manner is themselues to deale in the waightiest and honorablest affaires but as for smaller and baser matters to leaue them to others disposition We of our parte when we speake of Angels administrations are yet farre inoughe from suche meanings For we know wel affine there is no small oddes betwixt God the king of Persia Who being but a mortal and fraile man was neuer able himselfe to entermeddle in suche manifolde and sundry kindes of matters as to the welding of his domions appertained and therfore it is possible he was forced to vndertake and practise suche an order But God I say our God and oure moste highe and mightie soueraigne Lord in wisdom and knowledge withoute bottome in place euerywhere in laboure and paines taking neuer weryed in loue and entier good will towardes the moste and least of all his creatures moste excedingly earnest aboue measure hath vtterly none occasion so to deale He ruleth therefore eftsoones by his instruments as well Angelles as other ereatures of his appoyntment or rather his instruments rule by him they as seuerall in their places he as excluded froÌ„ no place they as his especiall deputies he as a gouernoure in generall they as subiectes bounden to obey he as a Lorde that weldeth all things at commaundement they as limited within their bouÌ„ds which they may not passe he as at his owne libertie withoute any restrainte and to be shorte they as directed by his vertue withoute which they are able to doe nothing he as directing them by his owne Sée ye not the greate difference What is here like to the king of Persia Darius Cambises or any suche that neglecte in comparison their safegarde ouer whome they constitute and appoynte others So then God ruleth by others so often as he executeth his counselles that he is alwayes ready at hande himselfe so suffereth he others to haue iurisdiction that the authoritie of their commission they may not in any wise excéede so he giueth away his power that especially he reserueth it to himselfe so he gouerneth by the gouerned and by them that be gouerned he subdueth all thingâ— to his gouernement The ij Chapter The preheminence of Angels and their authoritie is proued by the circumstance of reason WHat of all this caÌ„ be disproued Wherunto first reason it selfe bringeth a credite theÌ„ the sacred scriptures beare witnesse nexte the consent of graue auncient and learned men last of all the very recordes and experiences of the time that is past For to beginne with that poynte which I first proposed what is an Angell if we scan the discent of the Gréeke woorde but a messenger What is a messenger but a factor as it were in the behalfe of his maister from whom he is sent What is factor or an attourney but suche a one as serueth for an other The Angelles then being Gods mesâ—â—gâ—â—â— do him seruice but what seruice Their very names declare which be giuen them in the sacred scriptures For Iacob méeting Goddes Angelles in his way as he went forwarde towardes his countrey calleth them as it is in Genesis the hoste of god Whereby he séemeth plainely to confesse that they were sent to saue him harmelesse and to conducte him safely in his voyage Luke in his gospell termeth them the souldiers of heauen Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstande that they holde a continuall combate and a daily warfare in oure behalfe The Epistle to the Hebrues calleth them ministring spirites sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation Whereby it is easie to conclude that the charge of Gods chosen is committed to them S. Paule calleth them sometimes Principalities Powers Dominations Wherby not nowe obscurely but in plaine woordes what dominioÌ„ and rule they haue vnder God without all ambiguitie it is expressed These then and other names be giuen them as very manifest argumeÌ„ts of their power authoritie vpon the earth The same maye be gathered of their great excellencie and woorthinesse aboue mortall creatures wherewith alwayes naturally they haue bene endued For nature woulde and reason requireth that the nobler ouer the baser the stronger ouer the féebler the wittier ouer the vnwiser shoulde haue the vpper hande For who is better able to sustaine toyle and laboure than the valiantest and noblest courages or to gouerne and guide than the wisest counsellers or to defend others from oppression than the strongest champions But as euery one is most able to staÌ„d in stéede so reason and iustice by their authoritie and priuiledge may coÌ„maund that they shoulde best be estéemed placed in their due roume What sequele mighte be inferred hereupon who séeth not For of the passing and soueraigne dignitie of the excellent wisdome strength and puissance of the Angelicall natures aboue mortall creatures were there nomore said than hath ben hitherto no maÌ„ nedeth to dout How much lesse
go seke where he was become But the thirde day going forthe they séeke him and at the last they finde him in a warme sunnie place of the wood sitting where there was no snow and smiling vpon his parents as he sawe them comming And being demaunded of them why he hied him home no faster he made them answer that he looked still when it woulde drawe towardes nighte not knowing at all how the time passed nor féeling himselfe anoyed by the snowe that fel. Then quoth they againe sonne what haue you eaten could you méete with no meat all this while yes forsoothe quoth he that I did for one came vnto me that raughte me a péece of bread and chéese This one that relieued the child Manlius probably coniectureth to haue bene an Angell The same Manlius telleth vs of an other hystorie wherunto I giue the more credite bicause he himselfe as he sayth was bothe present at the doing of that that happened and himselfe also was a meddler For sayth he when we were at a Churche in Spira amongste other Christian folkes we hearde Faber preaching of a sermon wherein certaine controuersies were touched Whereat Grinaeus being present and hearing all that was sayde in the ende commeth vnto him and telleth him that forasmuch as he had hearde him preache of the Sacrament he woulde very faine haue some priuate conference with him touching the same matter Faber hearing this with faire woords and louing lookes he made him answer that he was righte glad of his parte to see the happie daye wherein he might talke any thing with Grinaeus and especially of such a matter and willed him the next day after to returne to him againe to his house Grinaeus thincking nothing but that all had bene well goeth his way and comming againe to vs telleth vs that to morow he must dispute with Faber But he in the meane time laying waite for Grinaeus getteth himselfe to a certaine noble man and giueth him ful enformation of Grinaeus and at the laft he obtaineth of this honorable personage that he wold charge the Senate with him that he might be cast into prison Héereupon when we were scarce set downe to dinner commeth me in an olde man into our inne and when dinner was done he calleth me vnto him standing before the gates asking me of Grinaeus whether he were within vnto whome I answered that he was so Then quod the olde man there is a great daunger hanging ouer his head which if he be minded to eschue lette him be gone hence with all spéede Whereof when I had enfourmed Grinaeus I persuaded him to flie away with all haste and he followeth my counsell Therfore rising from dinner I maister Cruciger and he forth we goe with oure seruauntes following at our héeles and Grinaeus he went in the middest of vs We had not yet passed four or fiue houses but the sergeantes were in the Inne to seke Grynaeus Where seing that they coulde not finde him they sought no further either because they were coÌ„maunded to séeke him there only or bicause that they knew vs not or finally bicause they were otherwise nothing cruelly disposed I asked many afterwardes whether they knewe this man minding to haue giuen him thankes for his frendship But no body coulde enfourme me who he was nor yet coulde I sette eye vpon him euer after This man surely I thinke was an Angel. Thus farre goeth Manlius with his declaration Whose iudgement ye sée in a case very seldome hard of to be neither vnlikely nor farre from the truthe The .viij. Chapter Angelles notvvithstanding their gouernement must not be called vpon in our prayers more than anye other creature TOuching this matter of Angels I mighte here conclude and make an ende ne were it not that I doubted supersticious heades might hereby take occasion of some error For hearing me perchaunce so muche stande in the praise of Angels they will byandby wrongfully misdeme that therfore they shuld be honored with inuocation very iniuriously attributing that to creatures which god only dothe chalenge by his owne righte An olde festred error that hath ben long in growing as it appeareth by the Apostle Paule begun by heathen men and false Prophets nourished afterwardes by oure euill disposed natures and at the length confirmed as it were by corrupt custome Against the vanitie wherof not iustified by any godly mannes example not warranded by scripture not grounded vtterly vppon reason to dispute at large I thincke it néedelesse to say much I take it to be nothing méete But to touch that briefly which maketh for our present purpose they surely that thincke honourably as it becoÌ„meth them of the gouernement and excellencie of Angelles doe not yet conclude any suche thing Namely that diuine wryter Lactantius is of vs doubtlesse woorthy to be well thoughte of Who mentioning the dominion that Angels haue when he had shewed they coulde goe no further than the authoritie and reache of their commission straightwayes he addeth this conclusion The Angels therefore vvould haue no honor to be done to them vvhose honor is all in God. Of the dignitie of Angelles and of their rule ye haue heard also the minde of Austine And yet neuerthelesse in his 10. booke de ciuitale sée I pray you what he writeth Porphyrie sayeth he that Philosopher of Platoes secte doeth also giue vs verye good counsel saying that Gods Angelles should be follovved in conuersation and not vvorshipped vvith the honour of Inuocation And Epiphanius whiche wrote a great while before Austine speking against the sect of the Collyridians when he had saide let nobodie do Marie any godly honour I say not Let no vvoman doe her godly honoure but I say also Let no man For this mysterie of adoration is due to God I say this woorthy wryter Epiphanius when he had sayde those wordes which we haue rehearsed goeth forward saying in plaine termes that the Angelles themselues vvould not be glorified in suche sorte and therefore wishing that such noughtie lessons so euill grauen in seducers heartes should be blotted oute Yea marie will some say you say true in déede in this poynte when you would not haue Angelles to be adored but what proueth this againste them which woulde only haue them called vpon in our prayer As though calling vpoÌ„ them euery where with a sure confideÌ„ce in them that they can helpe vs that they can alwayes heare vs that they can fauor further vs either more or as much at least as did Christe our sauioure that vouchsafed to die for vs might not iustly be called an inuocation Or as though inuocation including as S. Paule writeth to the Romanes a beléefe in him vppon whom we call were not a chéefe part belonging to godly honor Surely Origene both an auncient learned wryter betwixt calling vpon and adoring séemeth vtterly to put no distinction For euen these that folow be his flat words Inâ—â—pcare domini nomen et adorare deum