is a great matter This diuinity or let mee say deity for this a word our Christians haue now in vse as expressly traduced from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This diuinity therefore or deity is not in that politique Theology which M. Varro discourseth of in his 16. bookes that is the worship of any god there expressed will not yeeld to man eternall life hee that will not bee perswaded this is true out of our sixth booke last finished when hee hath read this I beleeue shall not finde any point of this question left vndiscussed for some perhaps may thinke that the selected gods of Varro's last booke whereof wee sayd some what and none but they are to bee honored for this eternall beatitude I say not herein as b Tertullian said with more conceite prehaps then truth if the gods be chosen like c scallions then the rest are counted wicked This I say not for I see that out of an elected sort another perticular election may be made as out of a company of elected souldiars one is elected for this office in armes and another for one not so weighty and in the church when the elders are elected the others are not held reprobate beeing all GODS good faithfull elect In architecture corner and foundation stones are chosen yet the rest are not refused but will fit other places Grapes are chosen to eate but they are not worth nought which we leaue for wine The matter is plaine and needes no farther processe Wherefore neither the gods nor their seruants are falty in that they are selected from many but let vs rather looke what the selected are and what is the end of their selection L. VIVES THis a word Vsed by Hierome Lactantius and Fulgentius the Greekes deriued the substantiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuinity from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuine which substantiue the Christians tooke in as large a sence as the word it selfe Diuine and when the would expresse Gods nature with the fittest tearme they vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So doth Athanas. both the Gregories and other Grecians which they might rather do saith Quintillian then the Latines But yet all the strict rules of art could not keepe the latines from vsing Deitas the deity in expressing Gods proper nature nor is it extended so farre as Diuine is or diuinity for they are spoken of bookes deeds men c. But neither Deitas or Deus are praedicates for them though they bee diuine And therefore methinkes Ualla doth blame the Christian writers vndeseruedly to say they vse a new word not heard of before In Dialectica For to take away the Greekes authority of framing themselues words is to cancell their old priuiledges b Tertullian Of him read Hierome de scriptor Eccl. Hee was a Priest of Carthage Sonne to a vice consull quicke witted and vehement he liued in the times of Seuerus and Caracalla and wrot much which being recorded I surcease 〈◊〉 â—…count Ciprian the Martir passed not a day without reading a peece of his workes but called him his Maister yet fell hee to bee a Montanist through the enuy and malice of the clergy of Rome All this hath Hierome His bookes lay many ages lost at last this very yeare when this booke came forth Beatus Rhenanus of Sletstad a learned scoller found them in Germanie and set them forth at Frobenius his presse c Scallions Bulbus is a name to all rootes that are like onions Palladius vseth it for the lilly roote but the proper Bulbi are they that tâ—… Arabians all Mergarides and prouoke lust as Martiall shewes Plinny lib. 1. saith the chiefe of those Bulbi are the squillae or sea vnions of which sort the roote called Epimenidia is onely fit to eate Theophrast lib. 7. The rest are not for meate The selected gods and whether they be exempted from the baser gods functions CHAP. 2. THose a selected gods Varro commendeth in one whole booke and these they are Ianus Ioue Saturne Genius Mercury Appollo Mars Vulcan Neptune Sol Orcus Liber Pater Tellus Ceres Iuno Luna Diana Minerua Venus and Vesta In these 20 are 〈◊〉 males and 8. females Now b whether are they called select for their princiâ—…â—…arges in the world or for that they were more knowne adored then â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their greater charges then may they not come to meddle 〈◊〉 â—…ty businesses of the baser gods But at the conception of the child 〈◊〉 those petty gods charges arise Ianus is making fit receit for the seede 〈◊〉 hath businesse in the seed also d Liber is making the mans seed flow â—…ly and Libera whome they say is Venus she is working the like in the 〈◊〉 all these are of your selected gods But then there is Mena the godâ—…â—…he female fluxe a daughter of Ioue but yet a base one And f this sway 〈◊〉 he giueth to Iuno also in his booke of the select ones amongst whom 〈◊〉 â—…eene and here is Iuno Lucina together with her stepdaughter Mena rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloud And then there are two obscure fellowes of gods Vitumnus 〈◊〉 â—…us one giueth vitall breth and another sence to the child beâ—… These two base gods do more seruice here then all the other great 〈◊〉 gods for what is all that the heape together in the womans wombe 〈◊〉 life and sence but as a lumpe of g clay and dust L. VIVES THose a Selected To the twelue counsellor gods before remembred were twelue other added as Nobles but not Senators yet such as had greate charge in the world and greâ—… share in diuers consultations as others of other meaner sort haue sometimes Seneca 〈◊〉 that Ioue made Ianus one of the Conscript fathers and consull of the afternoone but 〈◊〉 â—…ee scoffeth though indeed all these god-stories are but meere fopperies And 〈◊〉 the couples Iupiter and Iuno Saturne and Tellus Mercury and Minerua but not â—…d but both of one science as Bacchus and Ceres Apollo Diana and are then Mars and Venus the two louers Uulcan and Vesta the two fires Sol and Luna the worlds two lights marry Ianus Neptune Genius and Orcus the goddesse vnchosen are all too base for them b Whether A problematique forme of argument c Saturne comming of Satuâ—… a thing sowne Var. de Lin. lat l. 4. d Liber Cicero de nat deor 2. saith that Liber Bacchus sonne to Ioue and Semele is one and Liber that the Romaines worship so reuerently with Libera and Ceres is another That these two later were Ceres children and so called Liberi Libera was daughter to Ceres and called Proserpina saith he In Uerr Actio 6. These three had a temple neare the great Circuite vowed by A. Posthumus Dictator and renewed by Tiberâ—… Caesar. Tacit. lib. 2. e Mena the Moone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke because the womens fluxe follows her motion Arist. de anima shee was the daughter of Ioue and Latona and therefore he calleth her Iuno's step-daughter But by this name she
not This I say is the way that will free all beleeuers wherein Abraham trusting receiued that diuine promise In thy seede shall all the nations bee blessed Abrahamâ—… as a Chaldaean but for to receiue this promise that the seede which was disposed by the Angells in the mediators power to giue this vniuersall way of the soules freedome vnto all nations he was commanded to leaue his owne land and kinred and his fathers house And then was hee first freed from the Chaldaean superstitions and serued the true God to whose promise he firmely trusted This is the way recorded in the Prophet God bee mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and shew vs the light of his countenance and bee mercifull vnto vs. That thy way may be knowne vpon earth thy sauing health among all nations And long aftâ—…r Abrahams seede beeing incarnate Christ sayth of himselfe I am the way the truth and the life This is the vniuersall way mentioned so long before by the Prophets It shal be in the last daies that the g mountaine of the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the toppe of the mountaines and shal be exalted aboue the hills and all nations shall flie vnto it And many people shall goe and say come let vs goe vppe to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his way and wee will walke therein For the lawe shall goe forth of Syon and the word of the LORD from Ierusalem This way therefore is not peculiar to some one nation but common to all Nor did the law and word of God stay in Ierusalem or Syon but come from thence to ouerspread all the world Therevpon the mediator being risen from death sayd vnto his amazed and amated disciples Al things must be fulfilled which are written of mee in the law the Prophets and the Psalmes Then opened hee their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the scriptures saying thus it behooued CHRIST to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name amongst all nations beginning at Ierusalem This then is the vniuersall way of the soules freedome which the Saints and Prophets beeing at first but a fewe as God gaue grace and those all Hebrewes for that estate was in a h manner consecrated did both adumbrate in their temple sacrifice and Priest-hood and fore-told also in their prophecy often mistically and some-times plainely And the Mediator himselfe and his Apostles reuealing the grace of the new testament made plaine all those significations that successe of precedent times had retained as it pleased God the miracls which I spoke of before euermore giuing confirmation to them For they had not onely angelicall visions and saw the ministers of heauen but euen these simple men relying wholy vpon Gods word cast out deuills cured diseases i commanded wild-beasts waters birds trees elements and starres raised the dead I except the miracles peculiar to our Sauiour chiefly in his birth and resurrection shewing in the first the mistery of k maternall virginity and in the other the example of our renouation This way cleanseth euery soule and prepareth a mortall man in euery part of his for immortality For least that which Prophyry calls the intellect should haue one purgation the spirital another and the body another therefore did our true and powerfull Sauiour take all vpon him Besides this way which hath neuer failed man-kinde either l in prophecies or in their m performances no man hath euer had freedome or euer hath or euer shall haue And wheras Porphyry saith he neuer had any historicall notice of this way what history can be more famous then this that lookes from such a towring authority downe vpon all the world or more faithfull since it so relateth things past as it prophecyeth things to come a great part whereof wee see already performed which giueth vs assured hope of the fulfilling of the rest Porphyry nor euer a Platonist in the world can contemne the predictions of this way albee they concerne but temporall affaires as they doe all other prophecies and diuinations of what sort soeuer for them they say they neither are spoken by worthy men nor to any worthy purpose true for they are either drawne from inferiour causes as 〈◊〉 can presage much n concerning health vpon such or such signes or cls the vncleane spirits fore-tell the artes that they haue already disposed of o confirming the mindes of the guilty and wicked with deedes fitting their words or words fitting their deedes to get themselues a domination in mans infirmity But the holy men of this vniuersall way of ours neuer respect the prophecying of those things holding them iustly trifles yet doe they both know them and often fore-tell them to confirme the faith in things beyond sence and hard to present vnto plainnesse But they were other and greater matters which they as God inspired them did prophecy namely the incarnation of Christ and all things thereto belonging and fulfilled in his name repentance and conuersion of the will vnto God remission of sinnes the grace of iustice faith and increase of beleeuers throughout all the world destinction of Idolatry temptation for triall mundifying of the proficients freedom from euill the day of iudgement resurrection damnation of the wicked and glorification of the City of GOD in 〈◊〉 eternall Kingdome These are the prophecies of them of this way many are fullfilled and the rest assuredly are to come That this streight way leading to the knowledge and coherence of GOD lieth plaine in the holy scriptures vpon whose truth it is grounded they that beleeue not and therefore know not may oppose this but can neuer ouerthrow it And therefore in these ten bookes I 〈◊〉 spoken by the good assistance of GOD sufficient in sound iudgements though some expected more against the impious contradictors that preferre 〈◊〉 gods before the founder of the holy citty whereof wee are to dispute The 〈◊〉 fiue of the ten opposed them that adored their gods for temporall respects 〈◊〉 fiue later against those that adored them for the life to come It remaines now according as wee promised in the first booke to proceede in our discourse of the two citties that are confused together in this world and distinct in the other of whose originall progresse and consummation I now enter to dispute eâ—…â—…oking the assistance of the almighty L. VIVES KInges a high or road the Kinges the Prâ—…tors and the Soldiors way the lawes held holy b Indian The Gymnosophists and the Brachmans much recorded for admirable deeds and doctrine c All the world Therfore is our fayth called Catholike because it was not taught to any peculiar nation as the Iewes was but to all mankind excluding none all may be saued by it and none can without it nor hath euery nation herein as they haue in Paganisme a seuerall religion But
aboundance at length hee concludeth thus they haue sayd Blessed are the people that bee so yea but blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. b Charity In the Apostle it is honesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The peace of Gods seruants the fulnesse whereof it is impossible in this life to comprehend CHAP. 27. BVt as for our proper peace we haue it double with God heere below by faith and here-after aboue a by sight But all the peace we haue here bee it publike or peculiar is rather a solace to our misery then any assurance of our felicity And for our righteousnesse although it be truly such because the end is the true good where-vnto it is referred yet as long as we liue here it consisteth b rather of sinnes remission then of vertues perfection witnesse that prayer which all Gods pilgrims vse and euery member of his holy Citty crying dayly vnto him Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. c Nor doth this prayer benefite them whose faith wanting workes is dead but them whose faith worketh by loue for because our reason though it be subiect vnto God yet as long as it is in the corruptible body which burdeneth the soule cannot haue the affects vnder perfect obedience therefore the iustest man stands in neede of this prayer For though that reason haue the conquest it is not without combat And still one touch of infirmity or other creepeth vpon the best conquerour euen when he hopes that he holds all viciousnesse vnder making him fall either by some vaine word or some inordinate thought if it bring him not vnto actuall errour And therefore as long as we ouer-rule sinne our peace is imperfect because both the affects not as yet conquered are subdued by a dangerous conflict and they that are vnder already doe deny vs all securitie and keepe vs dooing in a continuall and carefull command So then in all these temptations whereof God said in a word d Is not the life of man a temptation vpon earth who dare say hee liueth so as hee need not say to God Forgiue vs our trespasses none but a proud soule Nor is he mighty but madly vain-glorious that in his owne righteousnesse will resist him who giueth grace to the humble where-vpon it is written God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Mans iustice therefore is this to haue God his Lord and him-selfe his subiect his soule maister ouer his body and his reason ouer sinne eyther by subduing it or resisting it and to intreate God both for his grace for merite and his pardon for sinne and lastly to be gratefull for all his bestowed graces But in that final peace vnto which all mans peace and righteousnesse on earth hath reference immortality and incorruption doe so refine nature from viciousnesse that there wee shall haue no need of reason to rule ouer sinne for there shall bee no sinne at all there but GOD shall rule man and the soule the body obedience shall there bee as pleasant and easie as the state of them that liue shal be glorious and happy And this shall all haue vnto all eternity and shal be sure to haue it so and therefore the blessednesse of this peace or the peace of this blessednesse shall be the fulnesse and perfection of all goodnesse L. VIVES BY a sight Being then face to face with GOD. b Rather of sinnes For the greatest part of our goodnesse is not our well doing but Gods remission of our sinnes c Nor doth this For as a medecine otherwise holesome cannot benefit a dead body so this parcell of praier can doe him as little good that saith it if in the meane while hee bee not friends with his brother d Is not mans Our vulgar translation is Is there not an appointed time for man vpon earth but Saint Aug. followes the LXX as he vseth To liue sayth Seneca is to wage continuall warre So that those that are tossed vppe and downe in difficulties and aduenture vpon the roughest dangers are valourous men and captaines of the campe whereas those that sit at rest whilest others take paines are tender turtles and buy their quiet with disgrace The end of the wicked CHAP. 28. BVt on the other side they that are not of this society are desteined to eternall misery called the second death because there euen the soule being depriued of GOD seemeth not to liue much lesse the body bound in euerlasting torments And therefore this second death shal be so much the more cruell in that it shall neuer haue end But seeing warre is the contrary of peace as misery is vnto blisse and death to life it is a question what kinde of warre shall reigne as then amongst the wicked to answere and oppose the peace of the Godly But marke only the hurt of war it is plainly apparant to be nothing but the aduerse dispose and contentious conflict of things betweene themselues What then can be worse then that where the will is such a foe to the passion the passion to the will that they are for euer in-suppressible and ir-reconcileable and where nature and paine shall hold an eternall conflict and yet the one neuer maister the other In our conflicts here on earth either the paine is victor and so death expelleth sence of it or nature conquers and expells the paine But there paine shall afflict eternally and nature shall suffer eternally both enduring to the continuance of the inflicted punishment But seeing that the good and the badde are in that great iudgement to passe vnto those ends the one to bee sought for and the other to bee fled from by Gods permission and assistance I will in the next booke following haue a little discourse of that last day and that terrible iâ—…gement Finis lib. 19. THE CONTENTS OF THE twentith booke of the City of God 1. Gods iâ—…dgments continually effected his last iudgement the proper subiect of this booke following 2. The change of humaine estates ordered by Gods vnsearcheable iudgements 3. Salomons disputation in Eclesiastes concerning those goods which both the iust and vniust doe share in 4. The Authors resolution in this dicourse of the iudgement to produce the testimonies of the New Testament first and then of the Old 5. Places of Scripture proouing that there shal be a day of iudgment at the worlds end 6. What the first resurrection is and what the second 7. Of the two Resurrections what may bee thought of the thousand yeares mentioned in Saint Iohns reuelation 8. Of the binding and loosing of the deuill 9. What is meant by Christs raigning a thousand yeare with the Saints and the difference betweene that and his eternall reigne 10. An answere to the obiection of some affirming that resurrection is proper to the body only and not to the Soule 11. Of Gog and Magog whom the deuill at the worlds end shall stirre vp against the church of God 12. Whether
oppressed and such like as these Oh who can stand to collect or recount them These now albeit they kept this seemingly absurd order continually that in 〈◊〉 whole life wherein as the Prophet saith in the Psalme Man is like to 〈◊〉 and his daies like a shadow that vanisheth the wicked alone should posâ—… those temporall goods and the good onelie suffer euills yet might this 〈◊〉 referred to GODS iust iudgements yea euen to his mercies that such 〈◊〉 â—…ught not for eternall felicitie might either for their malice bee iustly 〈◊〉 by this transitory happinesse or by GODS mercie bee a comfort vnto the good and that they beeing not to loose the blisse eternall might for 〈◊〉 while bee excercised by crosses temporall either for the correction of 〈◊〉 or a augmentation of their vertues 〈◊〉 now seeing that not onely the good are afflicted and the badde exâ—… which seemes iniustice but the good also often enioy good and the 〈◊〉 euill this prooues GODS iudgements more inscrutable and his 〈◊〉 more vnsearcheable Although then wee see no cause why GOD â—…ld doe thus or thus hee in whome is all wisdome and iustice and no â—…nesse nor rashnesse nor iniustice yet heere wee learne that wee may 〈◊〉 esteeme much of those goods or misfortunes which wee see the badde share with the righteous But to seeke the good peculiar to the one and to aâ—… the euill reserued for the other And when we come to that great iudgement properly called the day of doome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consummation of time there we shall not onely see all things apparant but â—…ledge all the iudgements of GOD from the first to the last to bee firmeâ—…â—…ded vpon iustice And there wee shall learne and know this also why 〈◊〉 iudgements are generally incomprehensible vnto vs and how iust his â—…nts are in that point also although already indeede it is manifest vnto â—…full that wee are iustly as yet ignorant in them all or at least in the 〈◊〉 them L. VIVES 〈◊〉 augmentation That vertue might haue meanes to exercise her powers for shee 〈◊〉 â—…ction and leauing that shee languisheth nay euen perisheth as fire doth which 〈◊〉 â—…ell to worke vpon dieth But practise her vpon obiects of aduerse fortune and she 〈◊〉 out her owne perfection Salomons disputation in Ecclesiastes concerning those goods which both the iust and the vniust doe share in CHAP. 3. 〈◊〉 the wisest King that euer reigned ouer Israel beginneth his booke calâ—… a Ecclesiastes which the Iewes themselues hold for Canonicall in this 〈◊〉 b Vanity of Vanities all is vanity What remaineth vnto man of all â—…uells which hee suffereth vnder the Sunne Vnto which hee annexâ—… tormentes and tribulations of this declining worlde and the short â—…ift courses of time wherein nothing is firme nothing constant 〈◊〉 vanitie of althings vnder the Sunne hee bewayleth this also 〈◊〉 that seeing c There is more profitte in wisdome then in follie 〈◊〉 light is more excellent then darkenesse and seeing the wise-mans eyes are in his head when the foole wallketh in darkenesse yet that one condition one estate should befall them both as touching this vaine and transitory life meaning hereby that they were both a like exposed to those euills that good men and bad do some-times both a like endure Hee saith further that the good shall suffer as the bad do and the bad shall enioy goods as the good do in these words There is a vanity which is done vpon the earth that there bee righteous men to whome it commeth according to the worke of the wicked and there bee wicked men to whome it commeth according to the worke of the iust I thought also that this is vanity In discouery of this vanity the wise man wrote al this whole worke for no other cause but that wee might discerne that life which is not vanity vnder the sunne but truth vnder him that made the sunne But as d touching this worldly vanity is it not Gods iust iudgement that man being made like it should vanish also like it yet in these his daies of vanity there is much betweene the obeying and the opposing of truth and betweene partaking and neglecting of Godlinesse and goodnesse but this is not in respect of attayning or auoyding any terrestriall goods or euills but of the great future iudgment which shall distribute goods to the good and euils to the euil to remaine with them for euer Finally the said wise King concludeth his booke thus feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole duty of man for GOD will bring euery worke vnto iudgment e of euery dispisedman be it good or be it euill how can wee haue an instruction more briefe more true or more wholesome feare God saith he and keepe his commandements for this is the whole duty of man for he that doth this is full man and he that doth it not is in accompt nothing because he is not reformed according to the Image of truth but sticketh still in the shape of vanity for God will bring euery worke that is euery act of man in this life vnto iudgement be it good or euill yea the workes of euery dispised man of euery contemptible person that seemeth not tâ—… be noted at all God seeth him and despiseth him not neither ouer-passeth him in his iudgement L. VIVES ECclesiastes a Or the Preacher Many of the Hebrewes say that Salomon wrot this in the time of his repentance for the wicked course that he had runne Others say that he fore-saw the diuision of his kingdome vnder his sonne Rehoboam and therefore wrote it in contempt of the worlds vnstable vanity b Uanity of So the seauenty read it but other read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 smoke of fumes Hierome c There is more Wisdome and folly are as much opposed as light and darkenesse d Touching this But that GOD instructeth our vnderstanding in this vanity it would vanish away and come to nought conceyuing falshood for truth and lying all consumed with putrifiing sinne at length like a fume it would exhale a way vnto che second death e Of euery despised man Our translations read it with euery secret thing Hierome hath it Pro omni errato The authors resolution in this discourse of the iudgement to produce the testimonies of the New-Testament first and then of the old CHAP. 4. THe testimonies of holy Scriptures by which I meane to proue this last iudgement of God must bee first of all taken out of the New-Testament and then out of the Old For though the later bee the more ancient yet the former are more worthie as beeing the true contents of the later The former then shall proceed first and they shal be backt by the later These that is the old ones the law and the prophets afford vs the former the new ones the Gospells and the writings of the Apostles Now the Apostle saith By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne But now
them in these wordes b Gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum nauigat aequor Ilium in Italiam portans victosque penates The nation that I hate in peace sayles by with Troy and Troyes falne Gods to Italy c Yea would any wise-man haue commended the defence of Rome vnto Gods already proued vnable to defend them-selues but suppose d Iuno spoke this as a woman in anger not knowing what shee said what saies the so often surnamed e godly Aeneas him-selfe does he not say plainly f Panthus Otriades arcis Phoebique sacerdos Sacra manu Victosque deos parvumque nepotem Ipse trahit cursuque amens ad limina tendit Panthus a Priest of Phaebus and the Tower Burdned with his falne gods and in his hand His poore young nephew flyes vnto the strand Doth he not hold these Gods which he dares call falne rather commended vnto him then he to them it being said to him g Sacra suosque tibi commendat Troia penates To thee doth Troy commend her Gods her all If Virgill then call them fallen Gods and conquered Gods needing mans helpe for their escape after their ouerthrow and fall how mad are men to thinke that there was any witte shewen in committing Rome to their keeping or that it could not be lost if first it lost not them To worship conquered and cast Gods as guardians and defenders what is it but to put by good deityes and adore wicked i diuells Were there not more wisdome shewen in beleeuing not that Rome had not come to this calamitie vnlesse it had first lost them but that they had long since come to nothing had not Rome beene as the especially carefull keeper of them Who sees not that will see any thing what an idle presumption it is to build any impossibility of beeing conquered vpon defenders that haue bene conquered and to thinke that Rome therefore perished because it had lost the Gods k guardians when possibly the onely cause why it perished was because it would set the rest vpon such soone perishing guardians Nor listed the Poets to lye when they sung thus of these subuerted Gods it was truth that inforced their vigorous spirits to confesse it But of this more fitly in another place hereafter At this time as I resolued at first I wil haue a little bout as wel as I can with those vngrateful persons whose blasphemous tongues throw those calamities vpon Christ which are onely the guerdons of their owne peruersnesse But wheras Christs name alone was of power to procure them their vndeserued safety that they do scorne to acknowledge and being madde with sacrilegious petulancy they practise their foule tearmes vppon his name which like false wretches they were before glad to take vppon them to saue their liues by and those filthy tongues which when they were in Christes houses feare kept silent to remaine there with more safety where euen for his sake they found mercy those selfe-same getting forth againe shoot at his deity with al their envenomed shafts of mallice and curses of hostility L. VIVES QVo a semel Horace Epist. 2. Commonly cited to proue the power of custome in young and tender mindes such is this too Neque amissos Colores Lana refert madefacta fuco Wooll dyde in graine will not change hew nor staine b Gens inimica Aeneads the 1. Iuno was foe to Troy first because they came from Dardanus sonne of Ioue and Electra one of his whores Secondly because Ganymede Trois son being taken vp to heauen was made Ioues cup-bearer and Hebe Iunos daughter put by Thirdly because Antigone Laomedons daughter scorned Iunos beauty being therfore turned into a storke Lastly because shee was cast in the contention of beauty by the iudgement of Paris Priams sonne c Yea would any wise man The discourse of these Penates houshould or peculiar Gods is much more intricate then that of the Palladium I thinke they are called Penates quasi Penites because they were their penitissimi their most inward proper Gods Macrobius holdes with them that say they are our Penates by which we do penitùs spirare by whom we breath and haue our body by whom we possesse our soules reason So the Penates are the keepers or Gods Guardians of particular estates The Penates of all mankind were held to be Pallas the highest Aether Ioue the middle Aether and Iuno the lowest Heauen also hath the Penates as Martianus Capella saith in his Nuptiae And on earth euery Citty and euery house hath the peculiar Gods Guardians For euery house is a little Citty or rather euery Citty a great house And as these haue the Gods so hath the fire also Dionysius Halicarnasseus writeth that Romulus ordained perticular Vesta's for euery Court ouer all which his successor Numa set vp a common Vesta which was the fire of the Citty as Cicero saith in his 2. De legibus But what Penates Aeneas brought into Italie is vncertaine Some say Neptune and Apollo who as we read built the wals of Troy Other say Vesta For Virgill hauing said Sacra suosque c. To thee doth Troy commend her Gods c. Addes presently Sic ait manibus vittas Vestamque potentem Aeternumque adytis effert penetr alibus ignem This said he fetcheth forth th' eternall fire Almighty Vesta and her pure attire Now I thinke Vesta was none of the Penates but the fire added to them and therefore the Dictator and the rest of the Romaine Magistrates on the day of their instalment sacrificed to Vesta and the Gods guardians Of this Vesta and these Gods thus saith Tully in his twentith booke de natura deorū Nam vestae nomen c. The name of Vesta we haue from the Greekes it is that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And her power is ouer fires and altars Therefore in the worship of that Godesse which is the guardian to the most inward and internall things all the praiers and sacrifices offered are externall Nor are the Penates far different from the power aforesaid being either deriued from Penu which is whatsoeuer man eateth or of penitūs in that they are placed within and therefore called of the Poets Penetrales chamber or closetary gods Thus far Tully But here is no time for further dispute of this matter Dionysius in his first booke saith he saw in a certaine blinde obscure temple not far from the Forum two Images of the Troian gods like two young men sitting and hauing Iauelins in their hands two very old peeces of worke and vpon them inscribed D. Penates and that in most of the temples were Images in fashion and habit like these old ones I make no question these were Castor and Pollux for in other places they are called the Romanes Penates which Prudentius testifies vnto Symmachus in these wordes Gemini quoque fratres Corruptâ de matre nothi Ledeia Proles Nocturnique equites celsae duo numina Romae Impendent c. And the two
the gods but for the mother of any senatour of any honest man nay euen for the mothers of the players them selues to giue care too Naturall shame hath bound vs with some respect vnto our parents which vice it selfe cannot abolish But that beastlynesse of obâ—… speaches and actions which the Players acted in publike before the mother of all the gods and in sight and hearing of an huge multitude of both sexes they would be ashamed to act at home in priuate before their mothers g were it but for repitition sake And as for that company that were their specâ—… though they might easily bee drawn thether by curiosity yet beholding câ—…ity so fouly iniured me thinkes they should haue bene driuen from thence by the meete shame that immodesty can offend honesty withall What can â—…dges be it those were sacrifices or what can bee pollution if this were a purification and these were called h Iuncates as if they made a feast where all the vâ—…eane dâ—… of hell might fill their bellies For who knowes not what 〈◊〉 of spirit 〈◊〉 are that take pleasure in these obscurities vnlesse hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there bee any such vncleane spirits that thus illude men vnder the names of gods or else vnlesse hee be such an one as wisheth the pleasure and feares the displeasure of those damned powers more then hee doth the loue and wrath of the true and euerliuing God L. VIVES SAcriligious a mockories Inuerting this the holy plaies a phrase vsed much by the Pagans b The Enthusiastikes persons rapt This place requireth some speech of the mother of the gods Diodorus Siculus Biblioth lib. 4. tels the story of this Mother of the gods diuers waies For first hee writeth thus Caelus had by his wife Titaea fiue forty children two of which were women called Regina and Ops Regina being the elder and miser of the two brought vp all her other bretheren to doe her mother a pleasure and therefore she was called the mother of the gods and was marryed to hir brother Hiperion to whome shee 〈◊〉 Sol and Luna who being both murdered by their vncles wicked practises she fel mad ranging vp and downe the Kingdome with a noise of drummes and cimbals and that this grew to a custome after she was dead Then he addes another fable that one Menoes an ancient King of Phryâ—… had by his wife Dindimene a daughter whome he caused to be cast forth vpon mount Cyâ—… 〈◊〉 that the infant being nourished vp by wilde beasts grew to be of admirable beauty and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a â—…pheardesse was by her brought vp as her own childe and named Cibele of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was found that shee innented many arts of her owne head and taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on pipes danncing drummes and cimbals also farying of horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein shee was so fortunate that they named her The great mother Gâ—…ing vp vnto yeares she fell in loue with a youth of that country called Atis being with childâ—… by 〈◊〉 was sâ—… for backe by her father Menoes for a Uirgin but the guilt beeing knowne 〈◊〉 and the Nurses were put to death and Cibele being extreamely in loue with Atis fell madde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her fathers house along with a Timbrell and a cimball she came to Nisa to Dioniâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where sâ—… few yeares after she dyed And soone after a great famine togeâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Pâ—…gia the inhabitants were commanded by Oracle to giue diuine worship to Atis and Cibele and hence arose the first canonization of the Mother of the gods Thus farre Diodorus who no doubt hath declared the true originall of it as it was But some do guesse that she was the mother of Iupiter Iuno Neptune and Pluto and therefore was called Rhea and in latine Ops and Cibele and Vesta as all one Nor make I any question but that this history is confounded as is vsuall in euery fable of the gods that she was a virgin and therefore named Vesta and that therefore Atys was faigned to bee a goodly young man whom she louing and commanding that she should neuer meddle with any other woman he neglecting her command fell in loue with a Nimph called Sangritis which Cybele depriued him of those partes whereby hee was man and for that reason euer since will haue her Priests defectiue in that fashion And because that she was most ordinarily worshipped of the Phrygians vpon Mount Ida there vpon she got the name of the Idean mother and of Berecynthia as also of the Phrigian goddesse Hie Priests were called Galli of the riuer Gallus in Phrigia the water whereof beeing drunke maketh men madde And these Galli themselues doe wherle their heads about in their madnesse slashing their faces and bodies with kniues and tearing themselues with their teeth when they are either madde in shew or madde indeed Their goddesse which was nothing but a great stone vpon Mount Ida the Romanes transported into Italy the day before the Ides of Aprill which day they dedicated vnto her honours and the plaies called Megalesia as on that day were acted Liuy lib. 29. speaking of the Mother of the gods hath these words They brought the goddesse into the Temple of Victorie which is on the Mount Palatine the daie before the Ides of Aprill So that was made her feast daie And all the people brought giftes vnto the goddesse vnto the Mount Palatine and the Temples were spred for banquets and the Plaies were named Megalesia this is also in his sixteenth booke About the same time a Temple was dedicated vnto the great Idean mother which P. Cornelius receiued being brought out of Asia by sea P. Cornelius Scipio afterward surnamed Africane and P. Licinius beeing consulls M. Liuius and C. Claudius beeing censors gaue order for the building of the Temple And thirteene yeares after it was dedicated or consecrated by M. Iunius Brutus M. Cornelius and T. Sempronius beeing Consulls and the Plaies that were made for the dedication thereof beeing the first plaies that euer came on stage Antias Valerius affirmeth were named Megalesia Thus farre Liuy To whom Varro agreeth also liber 3. de lingua Latina Enthusiastiques or persons rapt Were men distraught taken with madnesse as Bertcynthia's Galli were Saint Augustine vpon Genesis calls them men taken with spirits possessed c Pipers Or the singers Symphoniacos it commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Harmony or consort In the feastes of Cybele was much of this numerall musicke with Pipes and Tymbrells Hereof Ouid singeth thus in his fastorum lib 4. Protinus inflexo Berecynthia tybia cornu Flabit Idaeae festa parentis erunt Ibunt Semimares inania tympana tundent Aeraâ—… tinnitus are repulsa dabunt Then Berecynthias crooked pipes shall blovv Th' Idaan mothers feast approcheth now Whose gelded Priests along the streetes doe passe With Timbrells and the tinckling sounds of brasse And a little after Tibia dat Phrygios vt
their followers will talke of certaine secret traditions and I know not what some closely muttred instructions tending to the bettring of mans life but let theÌ„ shew where euer they had any publike places ordained for to heare such lectures wherein the Plaiers did not present their filthy gesture and speeches nor where the a Fugulia were kept with all licentiousnesse of lust fitly called Fugalia as the Chasers away of all chastity and honesty but where the people might come and heare their gods doctrine concerning the restraint of couetousnesse the suppression of ambition and the brideling of luxury and riot where wretches might learne that which b Persius thunders vnto them saying Discitique 〈◊〉 miscri causas cognoscite râ—…rum Quid sunus aut quidnam victuri gignimuâ—…â—…or do Quis â—…tus aut metoe quà m mollis flexus Undeâ—… Quis modus orgenti quid fas optare quid aspeâ—… Vâ—… nuâ—…mus bâ—…et patriae charisque propinquis Quantum elargiri decet quem te Deus esse 〈◊〉 humana qua parte locatuses in re Learne wretches and conceiue the course of things b What man is and why nature forth him brings His settled c bounds froÌ„ whence how soone he straies d What welths mean e that for which the good man praies f How to vse mony how to giue to friends What we in earth g and God in vs intends c. Let them shew where these lessons of their instructing Gods were euer read or rehearsed whether euer ther worshippers were vsed to heare of any such matters as wee vse to doe continually in our Churches erected for this purpose in all places wheresoeuer the religion of Christ is diffused L. VIVES NOr a where the fugalia Of these feasts I doe not remember that I euer read any thing saue here I would not let to set downe some-what out of my coniecture that the reader might admit another word for it but that Augustine himselfe addeth truely called fugalia viz of chastity and honesty And though I know many coniectures which indeede whilest the truth is vnknowne are but truth beeing once discouered are ridiculous yet I will see what good may be done vnto others vnderstandings in this respect that if I reueale not the truth I may stirre vp others to seeke it First Uarro de lingua latina lib. 5. writeth that one day of the month of Iune was named Fugia because the people on that day fled into Rome in a tumult for it was not long after the Galles who had chased theÌ„ out were departed and then the Countries that lay about Rome as the Ficulneates and the Fidenates conspired all against them some significations of the flight of this day doe as yet remaine in the monuments whereof in our bookes of Antiquities you may read at large thus farre varro This was the feast of the goddesse fugia so called because they chased away their enemies For the next day after the Romanes conquered all their foes about them and therevpon these feastes were kept with great mirth sollemnity for they were in a great feare least the remainder of the Romane nation leaft by the Galles should haue beene vtterly destroied by the rest Hilus in his booke of the gods calles this goddesse Vitula now Philo saith that Uictoria was called Uitula as Macrobius testifieth in his Saturnalia wherefore these fugalia or fugialia were feasts kept with all mirth and reuells vnto the goddesse Laetitia the second of the Nones of Iune In which feast it is likely that the people let themselues loose to all riot and licentiousnesse This I speake not intending to preiudice any other mans assertion but onely to excite others to looke farther into the matter if they hold it a matter worth looking into b Persius In his third satire vpon an old sentence Nosce teipsum that had wont to bee written vpon the dore of Apollo his Temple dilateth as aforesaid c Bounds from which how soone In the Hippodromi or horse-races there were seauen bounders Domitian in certaine games ordained that they should runne but vnto the fift because he would haue the sports sooner performed Seauen times they touched all these bounds saith Suetonius in his life And there was great care and cunning in turning of their horses and chariots from bound to bound least hee that was behind by his quicker turne should get before him that led Propertius Aut prius infecto deposcit premia cursu Septima quam metam triuerit ante rota Or claimes his guerdon ere the course be done Before his wheeles past the seauenth marke haue run And hereto belongs that of Horace Od. I. Sunt quos curriculo puluerem Olympicum Collegisseiuuat metaque feruidis Euitata rotis c. Some loue to see th' Olympick dust to lie About their chariot and to thunder by The marke with heated wheeles c. In the courses amongst the Grecians there were some where it was not sufficient to run vnto the marke but they must runne backe againe to the start their turne at the halfecourse they called the Diaulodromâ—…s for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the going about of a certaine space as Vitruuius saith lib. 5. which those that compassed sixe times were called Dolichodromi and this is properly the signification of Meta and Flexus in the text Persius either thinketh that it is easie to turne out of a vertuous course into a vicious or contrariwise that it is hard to turne froÌ„ the later to the first when custome once hath rooted it in our affections giuen it powre to tiranize wherefore he wills vs to restraine that vse be-times because it is not in our powre to thrust the yoake of it from our necks when where we would Or he may meane of the variation of our age as when wee passe from child-hood vnto mans estate wherein it is fit wee alter our conditions as hee in Terence saith or when wee leaue our lusty and actiue part of life our mans state for a more settled and retired age Whereof Cicero in his first booke de Oratore saith thus If the infinite toyle of law businesses and the eployments of ambition should haue concurred with the ebbe of honours and the decay of our bodilie vigor through age c. But more plainely in his Oration for Marcus Caelius and in the same Metaphore In this declining age for I will hide nothing from you my trust of your humanity and wisdome is so great indeed the young mans fame stucke a little at the bound by reason of his vnhappy neighbourhood and knowledge of that woman c. Wee must not looke to these turnes in the horse-races onely but in our liues also and within our selues saith Seneca de tranquillit Uitae lib. 1. There were bounds also in their water-games or sea-sights when and where to turne Hic viridem Aeneas frondenti ex illice metam Constituit signum nautis pater vndereuerti
razed out Surely the loue of Saluting one another was great in Rome Highly was hee honored that was saluted and well was hee mannerd that did salute but great plausibility attended on both both were very popular and great steps to powrefulnesse Salust in Iugurth Truely some are verie industrious in saluting the people All the Latines writings are full of salutations b Sardanapalus The Grecians called Sardanapalus Thonos Concoloros Hee was the last King of the Assyrians a man throwne head-long into all kinde of pleasures Who knowing that Arbaces the Median prepared to make warres against him resolued to trie the fortune of warre in this affaire But beeing conquered as he was an effeminate fellow and vnfit for all martiall exercises hee fled vnto his house and set it on fire with himselfe and all his ritches in it Long before this when hee was in his fullest madnesse after pleasures hee causes this epitaph to bee engrauen vpon his tombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Tully translates it thus Haec habeò quae edi quaeque exaturata voluptas Hausit at illa iacent multa et preclara relicta What I consum'd and what my guts engross't I haue but all the wealth I left I lost What else could any man haue written saith Aristotle in Cicero vpon the graue of an Oxe rather then of a King hee saith he hath that being dead which he neuer had whilest hee liued but onely while he was a wasting of it Chrysippus applies the verses vnto his Stoicisme hereof reade Athenaeus lib. 5. Tully his opinion of the Romaine Common-wealth CHAP. 21. BVt if hee be scorned that said their common-wealth was most dishonest and dishonorable and that these fellowes regard not what contagion and corruption of manners doe rage amongst them so that their state may stand and continue now shall they heare that it is not true that Salust saith that their common-wealth is but become vile and so wicked but as Cicero saith it is absolutely gone it is lost and nothing of it remaines For hee brings in Scipio him that destroied Carthage disputing of the weale-publike at such time as it was a presaged that it would perish by that corruption which Saluste describeth For this disputation was b at that time when one of the Gracchi was slaine from which point Salust affirmeth all the great seditions to haue had their originall for in those bookes there is mention made of his death Now Scipio hauing said in the end of the second booke that as in instruments that go with strings or wind or as in voices consorted there is one certaine proportion of discrepant notes vnto one harmony the least alteration whereof is harsh in the care of the skilfull hearer and that this concord doth â—…onsist of a number of contrary sounds and yet all combined into one perfect musicall melody so in a cittye that is gouerned by reason of all the heighest meane and lowest estates as of soundes there is one true concord made out of discordant natures and that which is harmony in musike is vnity in a citty that this is the firmest and surest bond of safety vnto the commonweale and that a commonweale can neuer stand without equity when hee had dilated at large of the benefit that equity brings to any gouernment and of the inconuenience following the absence therof then c Pilus one of the company begins to speake and intreated him to handle this question more fully and make a larger discourse of iustice because it was then become a common report d that a commonwealth could not be gouerned without iniustice and iniury herevpon Scipio agreed that this theame was to be handled more exactly and replied that what was as yet spoken of the commonwealth was nothing and that they could not proceed any farther vntill it were proued not onely that it is faulse that a weale publike cannot stand without iniury but also that it is true that it cannot stand without exact iustice So the disputation concerning this point being deferred vntill the next day following in the third booke it is handled with great controuersie For Pilus he vndertakes the defence of their opinion that hold that a state cannot be gouerned without iniustice but with this prouision that they should not thinke him to bee of that opinion himselfe And he argued very diligently for this iniustice against iustice endevoring by likely reasons and examples to shew that the part hee defended was vse-full in the weale publike and that the contrary was altogether needlesse Then e Laelius being intreated on all sides stept vp and tooke the defence of iustice in hand and withal his knowledge laboured to proue that nothing wrackt a citty sooner then vniustice and that no state could stand without perfect iustice which when hee had concluded and the question seemed to be throughly discussed Scipio betooke himselfe againe to his intermitted discourse and first he rehearseth and approueth his definition of a commonwealth wherein he said it was the estate of the commonty then he determineth this that this commonty is not meant of euery rablement of the multitude but that it is a society gathered together in one consent of law and in one participation of profite Then he teacheth f the profite of definitions in al disputations and out of his definitions he gathereth that onely there is a commonwealth that is onely there is a good estate of the commonty where iustice and honesty hath free execution whether it be by g a King by nobles or by the whole people But when the King becomes vniust whom he calleth h Tyranne as the Greekes do or the nobles be vniust whose combination hee termeth i faction or the people them-selues be vniust for which hee cannot finde a fit name vnlesse he should call the whole company as he called the King a Tyran then that this is not a vicious common-wealth aswas affirmed the day before but as the reasons depending vpon those definitions proued most directly it is iust no common-wealth at all for it is no Estate of the people when the Tyran vsurpeth on it by Faction nor is the commonty a commonty when it is not a society gathered together in one consent of law and one participation of commodities as hee had defined a commonty before VVherefore seeing the Romane Estate was such as Saluste doth descipher it to bee it was now no dishonest or dishonorable Common-wealth as hee affirmed but it was directly no common-wealth at all according vnto the reasons proposed in that discourse of a common-wealth k before so many great Princes and heads thereof and as Tully himselfe not speaking by Scipio or any other but in his owne person doth demonstrate in the beginning of his fift booke where hauing first rehearsed that verse of l Ennius where he saith Moribus antiquis res stat Romana virisque Old manners and old men vpholden Rome Which verse quoth Tully whether you respect the
vncleane plaies as members of the heauenly society when thou holdest the men that onely acted them as vnworthy to bee counted in the worst ranke of the members of thy Cittie The heauenly Cittie is farre aboue thine where truth is the victory holinesse the dignity happinesse the peace and eternity the continuance Farre is it from giuing place to such gods if thy cittie doe cast out such men Wherefore if thou wilt come to this cittie shunne all fellowshippe with the deuill Vnworthy are they of honest mens seruice that must bee pleased with dishonesty Let christian reformation seuer thee from hauing any commerce with those gods euen as the Censors view seperated such men from pertaking of thy dignities But as concerning temporal felicity which is all that the wicked desire to enioye and temporall affliction which is all they seeke to auoide hereafter wee meane to shew that the deuills neither haue nor can haue any such power of either as they are held to haue though if they had wee are bound rather to contemne them all then to worshippe them for these benefites which seeing that thereby we should vtterly debarre our selues of that which they repine that wee should euer attaine hereafter I say shall it bee prooued that they haue no such powre of those things as these thinke they haue that affirme that they are to bee worshipped for such endes And here shall this booke end L. VIVES ANd a Fabricii Fabricius was Consull in Pyrrhus his warre at which time the Romaines vertue was at the height he was valourous poore continent and a stranger to all pleasure and ambition b If nature haue giuen thee The Stoikes held that nature gaue euery man some guifts some greater some lesser and that they were graced increased and perfitted by discipline education and excercise c it is now day Alluding vnto Paul Rom. 13. 12. The night is past and the day is at hand The day is the cleere vnderstanding of goodnesse in whose powre the Sunne is as the Psalmist faith The night is darke and obscure d in some of thy Children Meaning that some of the Romaines were already conuerted vnto Christ. e no stone of the Capitol Ioues Idoll vpon the capitoll was of stone and the Romaines vsed to sweare by Ioue that most holy stone which oth became afterwards a prouerbe f who will neither limmit They are the words of Ioue in Virgil Aeneid 1. promising the raysing vp of the Romaine Empire But with farre more wisdome did Saluste orat ad Caium Caesarem senen affirme that the Romaine estate should haue a fal And African the yonger seeing Carthage burne with the teares in his eyes recited a certaine verse out of Homer which intimated that Rome one day should come to the like ruine g Iuno did not Aeneides the first Finis Lib. 2. THE CONTENTS OF THE third booke of the City of God 1. Of the aduerse casualties which onely the wicked doe feare and which the world hath alwaies beene subiect vnto whilest it remained in Paganisme chapter 1. 2. Whether the Gods to whom the Romaines and the Greekes exhibited like worship had sufficient cause giuen them to let Troy be destroied chap. 2. 3. That the gods could not iustly be offended at the adultery of Paris vsing it so freely and frequently themselues chap. 3. 4. Of Varro's opinion that it is meete in pollicy that some men should faigne themselues to be begotten of the gods chap. 4. 5. That it is alltogither vnlikely that the gods reuenged Paris his fornication since they permitted Rhea's to passe vnpunished chap. 5. 6. Of Romulus his murthering of his brother which the gods neuer reuenged chap. 6. 7. Of the subuersion of Illium by Fimbria a captaine of Marius his faction chap. 7. 8. Whether it was conuenient to commit Rome to the custody of the Troian gods chap. 8. 9. Whether it bee credible that the gods procured the peace that lasted all Numa's raigne chap. 9. 10. Whether the Romaines might desire iustly that their citties estate should arise to preheminence by such furious warres when it might haue rested firme and quiet in such a peace as Numa procured chap. 10. 11. Of the statue of Apollo at Cumae that shed teares as men thought for the Grecians miseries though he could not help them cap. 11. 12. How fruitlesse their multitude of gods was vnto the Romaines who induced thē beyond the institution of Numa chap. 12 13. By what right the Romaines attained their first wiues chap. 13 14. How impious that warre was which the Romaines began with the Albanes and of the nature of those victories which ambition seekes to obtaine chap. 14 15. Of the liues and deaths of the Romaine Kings chap. 15 16. Of the first Romaine Consulls how the one expelled the other out of his country and he himselfe after many bloudy murthers fell by a wound giuen him by his wounded foe chap. 16 17. Of the vexations of the Romaine estate after the first beginning of the consulls rule And of the little good that their gods all this while did them chap. 17 18. The miseries of the Romaines in the African wars and the small stead their gods stood them there in chap. 18 19. Of the sad accidents that befell in the second African warre wherein the powres on both sides were wholy consumed chap. 19 20. Of the ruine of the Saguntines who perished for their confederacy with Rome the Romainē gods neuer helping them chap. 20 21. Of Romes ingratitude to Scipio that freed it from imminent danger and of the conditions of the cittizens in those times that Saluste commendeth to haue beene so vertuous chap. 21 22. Of the edict of Mythridates commanding euery Romaine that was to be found in Asia to be put to death chap. 22 23. Of the more priuate and interior mischieues that Rome indured which were presaged by that prodigious madnesse of all the creatures that serued the vse of man chap. 23 24. Of the ciuill discord that arose from the seditions of the Gracchi chap. 24 25. Of the temple of Concord built by the Senate in the place where these seditions and slaughters were effected chap 25 26. Of the diuers warres that followed afther the building of Concords temple chap. 26 27. Of Silla and Marius chap. 27 28. How Silla reuenged Marius his murders chap. 28 29. A comparison of the Gothes irrupsions with the calamities that the Romaines indured by the Gaules or by the authors of their ciuill warres chap. 29 30. Of the great and pernitious multitude of the Romaines warres a little before the comming of Christ. chap. 30 31. That those men that are not suffered as now to worship Idolls shew themselues fooles in imputing their present miseries vnto Christ seeing that they endured the like when they did worship the diuills chap. 31. FINIS THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE CITTY OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of the aduerse
fact by the villens of his Court and amongst the rest the Christians whom Nero was assured should smart for all because they were of a new religion so they did indeede and were so extreamely tortured that their pangs drew teares from their seuerest spectators Seneca meane while begged leaue to retire into the contrie for his healths sake which not obtayning hee kept himselfe close in his chamber for diuers moneths Tacitus saith it was because hee would not pertake in the malice that Nero's sacriledge procured but I thinke rather it was for that hee could not endure to see those massacres of innocents b Manichees They reuiled the old Testament and the Iewes lawe August de Haeres ad Quodvultdeum Them scriptures they sayd GOD did not giue but one of the princes of darkenesse Against those Augustine wrote many bookes That it is plaine by this discouery of the Pagan gods vanity that they cannot giue eternall life hauing not power to helpe in the temporall CHAP. 12. NOw for the three Theologies mythycall physicall and politicall or fabulous naturall and ciuill That the life eternall is neither to be expected from the fabulous for that the Pagans themselues reiect and reprehend nor from the ciuill for that is prooued but a part of the other if this bee not sufficient to proue let that bee added which the fore-passed bookes containe chiefely the 4. concerning the giuer of happinesse for if Felicity were a goddesse to whom should one goe for eternall life but to her But being none but a gift of GOD to what god must we offer our selues but to the giuer of that felicity for that eternall and true happinesse which wee so intirely affect But let no man doubt that none of those filth-adored gods can giue it those that are more filthyly angry vnlesse that worship be giuen them in that manner and herein proouing themselues direct deuills what is sayd I thinke is sufficient to conuince this Now hee that cannot giue felicity how can he giue eternall life eternall life wee call endlesse felicity for if the soule liue eternally in paines as the deuills do that is rather eternall death For there is no death so sore nor sure as that which neuer endeth But the soule beeing of that immortall nature that it cannot but liue some way therefore the greatest death it can endure is the depriuation of it from glory and constitution in endlesse punishment So hee onely giueth eternall life that is endlessely happy that giueth true felicity Which since the politique gods cannot giue as is proued they are not to bee adored for their benefits of this life as wee shewed in our first fiue precedent bookes and much lesse for life eternall as this last booke of all by their owne helpes hath conuinced But if any man thinke because old customes keepe fast rootes that we haue not shewne cause sufficient for the reiecting of their politique Theology let him peruse the next booke which by the assistance of GOD I intend shall immediately follow this former Finis lib. 6. THE CONTENTS OF THE seauenth booke of the City of God 1. Whether diuinity be to be found in the select gods since it is not extant in the politique Theology chapter 1. 2. The selected gods and whither they be excepted from the baser gods functions 3. That these gods elections are without all reason since that baser gods haue nobler charges 4. That the meaner gods beeing buried in silence more better vsed then the select whose 〈◊〉 were so shamefully traduced 〈◊〉 Of the Pagans more abstruse Phisiologicall doctrine 6. Of â—…rro his opinion that GOD was the soule 〈◊〉 world and yet had many soules vnder 〈◊〉 on his parts al which were of the diuine nature 7. Whether it stand with reason that Ianus and Terminus should be two gods 8. 〈◊〉 the worshippers of Ianus made him two 〈◊〉 yet would haue him set forth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…es power and Ianus his compared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ther Ianus and Ioue bee rightly diâ—… 〈◊〉 or no. 〈◊〉 Of Ioues surnames referred all vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God not as to many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter is called Pecunia also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the interpretation of Saturne and 〈◊〉 â—…roue them both to be Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the functions of Mars and Mercury 〈◊〉 Of certaine starres that the Pagans call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Apollo Diana and other select gods 〈◊〉 â—…ts of the world 〈◊〉 That Varro himselfe held his opinions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ambiguous 18. The likeliest cause of the propagation of Paganisme 19. The interpretations of the worship of Saturne 20. Of the sacrifices of Ceres Elusyna 21. Of the obscaenity of Bacchus sacrifice 22. Of Neptune Salacia and Venillia 23. Of the earth held by Varro to be a goddesse because the worlds soule his God doth penetrate his lowest part and communicateth his essence there-with 24. Of Earths surnames and significations which though they arose of diuers originalls yet should they not be accounted diuers gods 25. What exposition the Greeke wise-men giue of the gelding of Atys 26. Of the filthinesse of this great Mothers sacrifice 27. Of the Naturallists figments that neither adore the true Diety nor vse the adoration thereto belonging 28. That Varro's doctrine of Theology hangeth no way togither 29. That all that the Naturalists refer to the worlds parts should be referred to GOD. 30. The means to discerne the Creator from the Creatures and to auoide the worshipping of so many gods for one because their are so many powers in one 31. The peculiar benefits besides his common bounty that GOD bestoweth vpon his seruants 32. That the mistery of our redemption by Christ was not obscure in the precedent times but continually intimated in diuers significations 33. That Christianity onely is of power to lay open the diuills subtilly and delight in illuding of ignorant men 34. Of Numa his bookes which the Senate for keeping their misteries in secret did command should be burned 35. Of Hydromancy whereby Numa was mocked with apparitions FINIS THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Whether diuinity be to be found in the select Gods since it is not extant in the Politique Theologie CHAP. 1. VVHereas I employ my most diligent endeauor about the extirpation of inueterate and depraued opinions which the continuance of error hath deeply rooted in the hearts of mortall men and whereas I worke by that grace of GOD who as the true GOD is able to bring this worke to effect according to my poore talent The quicke and apprehensiue spirits that haue drawne full satisfaction from the workes precedent must beare my proceedings with pardon and pacience and not thinke my subsequent discourse to bee superfluous vnto others because it is needlesse vnto them The affirmation that diuinity is not to bee sought for terrestriall vies though thence wee must desire all earthly supplies that we neede but for the celestiall glory which is neuer not eternall
for the thing it selfe and a flaggon a set in Libers 〈◊〉 to signifie wine taking the continent for the contained so by that huâ—… shape the reasonable soule in the like included might bee expressed of 〈◊〉 â—…ure they say that God or the gods are These are the mysticall doctrines 〈◊〉 â—…is sharpe witt went deepe into and so deliuered But tell mee thou accâ—…n hast thou lost that iudgement in these mysteries that made thee say that they that first made Images freed the Cittie from all awe and added error to error and that the old Romaines serued the gods in better order without any statues at all They were thy authors for that thou spokest against their successors For had they had statues also perhaps feare would haue made thee haue suppressed thy opinion of abolishing Images and haue made thee haue sought further for these vaine Mythologies and figments for thy soule so learned and so ingenious which we much bewaile in thee by being so ingratefull to that God by whom not with whom it was made nor was a part of him but a thing made by him who is not the life of all things but all lifes maker could neuer come to his knowledge by these mysteries But of what nature and worth they are let vs see Meane time this learned man affirmeth the worlds soule intirely to bee truly God so that all his Theologie being naturall extendeth it selfe euen to the nature of the reasonable soule Of this naturall kinde hee speaketh briefly in his booke whence we haue this wherein wee must see whether all his mysticall wrestings can bring the naturall to the ciuill of which he discourseth in his last booke of the select Gods if he can all shall be naturall And then what need hee bee so carefull in their distinction But if they be rightly diuided seeing that the naturall that he liketh so of is not true for hee comes but to the soule not to God that made the soule how much more is the ciuill kinde vntrue and subiect that is all corporall and conuersant about the body as his owne interpretations being dilligently called out shall by my rehearsall make most apparent L. VIVES FLaggon a Oenophorum of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to carry Iuuenall vseth the word Sat. 6. and Apuleius Asin. l. 2. 8. and Martiall Pliny saith it was a worke of the rare painter Praxitales but he meanes a boy bearing wine Beroaldus out of this place gathereth that they vsed to set a flaggon of wine in Bacchus temple It is more then hee can gather hence though it may be there was such an vse Of Varro his opinion that God was the soule of the world and yet had many soules vnder him in his parts all which were of the diuine nature CHAP. 6. THe same Varro speaking further of this Physicall Theology a saith that he holds God to be the soule of the world which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and b that this world is God But as a whole man body and soule is called wise of the soule onely so is the world called God in respect of the soule onely being both soule and body Here seemingly he confesseth one God but it is to bring in more for so he diuides the world into heauen and earth heauen into the ayre and the skie earth into land and water all which foure parts he filles with soules the skye c highest the ayre next then the water and then the earth the soules of the first two hee maketh immortall the latter mortall The space betweene the highest heauen and the Moone hee fills with soules ethereall and starres affirming that they both are and seeme celestiall Gods d Betweene the Moone and the toppes of the windes he bestoweth ayry soules but inuisible saue to the minde calling them Heroes Lares and Genij This he briefly recordeth in his prologue to his naturall Theologie which pleased not him alone but many Philosophers more whereof with Gods helpe we will discourse at full when wee handle the ciuill Theologie as it respecteth the select gods L. VIVES THeology a saith The Platonists Stoiks Pythagorians and the Ionikes before them all held God to bee a soule but diuersly Plato gaue the world a soule and made them conioyned god But his other god his Mens he puts before this later as father to him The Stoikes and hee agree that agree at all Thales and Democritus held the worlds soule the highest god b That this Plato the Stoikes and many Phylosophers held this c Skie the highest Aristotle puts the fire aboue the ayre and the heauen the Platonists held the heauen to be fiery and therefore called Aether And that the ayre next it was a hurtlesse fire kindled by it This many say that Plato heldâ—… following Pythagoras who made the vniuersall globe of 4. bodies But Uarro heere maketh ayre to be next heauen as the Stoikes did especially and others also Though the Platoâ—… and they differ not much nor the Peripatetiques if they speak as they meane and be rightly vnderstood But aether is the aire as well as the skie and fire as caelum is in latine Virgil. Illa leuem fugiens raptim secat aethera pennis With swift-wing'd speede she cuts the yeelding aire a 〈◊〉 the moone The first region of the Ayre Aristotle in his Physicks ending at the toppe of the cloudes the second contayning the cloudes thunder rayne hayle and snowâ—… the 〈◊〉 from thence to the Element of fire Whether it stand with reason that Ianus and Terminus should bee two godees CHAP. 7. I 〈◊〉 therfore whome I begun with what is he The a world Why this is a plaine and brief answer but why hath b he the rule and beginnings then and another one Terminus of the ends For therfore they haue two c months dedicated to them Ianuary to Ianus and February to Terminus And so the d Terminaâ—… then kept when the e purgatory sacrifice called f Februm was also kept 〈◊〉 the moneth hath the name Doth then the beginning of things belong to the â—…ld to Ianus and not the end but vnto another Is not al things beginning 〈◊〉 world to haue their end also therein What fondnesse is this to giue him 〈◊〉 â—…se a power and yet a double face were it not better g to call that double-faced statue both Ianus and Terminus and to giue the beginnings one face and the 〈◊〉 another because he that doth an act must respect both For in all actions 〈◊〉 that regardeth not the beginning fore-seeth not the end So that a respectiue memory and a memoratiue prouidence must of force go together But if they imagine that blessednes of life is but begun and not ended in this world and that therefore the world Ianus is to haue but power of the beginnings why then they should put Terminus amongst the selected gods before him For though they were both imploied about one subiect yet Terminus should haue
the watry playnes g The Moone Porph. Naturall deor interpretat That in the Sunne saith he is 〈◊〉 that in the Moone Miuerua signifiyng wisdome h Worlds fire Ours that we vse on earth belonging as I say to generation Though herein as in all fictions is great diuersity of opiâ—…ons Phurnutus saith Vulan is the grosser fire that wee vse and Iupiter the more pure fire and Prudentius saith Ipse ignis qui nostrum seruit ad usum Vulcanus ac perhibetur et in virtute supernâ Fingitur ac delubra deus ac nomine et ore Assimulatus habet nec non regnare caminis Fertur Aeoliae summus faber esse vel Aetna The fire that serues our vse Hight Vulcan and is held a thing diuine Grac't with a stile a statue and a shrine The chimeys god he is and keepes they say Great shops in Aetna and Aeolia i onely Heauen Ennius Aspice hoc sublime candens quem inuocant omnes Iouem behold yond flaming light which each call Ioue k Get the starre In the contention for Lucifier or the day starre That Varro him-selfe held his opinions of the Gods to be ambiguous CHAP. 17. BVt euen as these cited examples do so all the rest rather make the matteâ—… intricate then plaine and following the force of opiniatiue error sway this way and that way that Varro himselfe liketh better to doubt of them then to deliuer this or that positiuely for of his three last bookes hauing first ended that of the certaine gods then hee came into that of the a vncertaine ones and there hee saith If I set downe ambiguities of these gods I am not blame worthy Hee that thinketh I ought to iudge of them or might let him iudge when he readeth them I had rather call all my former assertions into question then propound all that I am to handle in this booke positiuely Thus doth hee make doubts of his doctrine of the certaine gods aswell as the rest Besides in his booke of the select ones hauing made his preface out of naturall theology entring into these politique fooleries and mad fictions where truth both opposed him antiquity oppressed him here qd he I wil write of the gods to whom the Romaines haue built temples diuersity of statues bâ—… I wil write so as xenophanes b Colophonus writeth what I thinke not what I wil defend for man may thinke but God is he that knoweth Thus timerously he promiseth to speake of things not knowne nor firmely beleeued but only opinatiue doubted of being to speake of mens institutions He knew that ther was the world heauen and earth stars al those together with the whole vniuerse subiect vnto one powerfull and inuisible king this he firmely beleeued but hee durst not say that Ianus was the world or that Saturne was Ioues father and yet his subiect nor of the rest of this nature durst he affirme any thing confidently L. VIVES THe a Vncertaine Of these I haue spoken before now a little of the vnknowne for it is an error to hold them both one The territories of Athens had altars to many vokowne gods Actes 17. and Pausanias in Attic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the altars of the vnâ—… gods These Epimenides of Creete found for the pestilence being sore in that country 〈◊〉 â—…d them to expiate their fields yet not declaring what god they should invoâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expiation Epimenides beeing then at Athens bad them turne the cattell that they would offâ—… into the fields and the priests to follow them and where they staied there kill them and â—…er them to the vnknowne propiciatory God Therevpon arose the erection of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which continued euen vnto Laertius his time This I haue beene the willinger to 〈◊〉 â—…cause of that in the Actes b Xenophanes Sonne to Orthomenes of Ionia where 〈◊〉 the Poet was borne Apolodorus out of Colophon Hee held all things incompreâ—… â—…nst the opinion of Laërtius Sotion Eusebius following Sotion saith hee did hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sences salfe and our reason for company he wrote of the gods against Homer and Heâ—… There was another Zenophanes a lesbian and a Poet. The likeliest cause of the propagation of paganisme CHAP. 18. OF all these the most credible reason is this that these gods were men that by the meanes of such as were their flatterers a had each of them rites and sacrifices ordained for them correspondent vnto some of their deedes manners wittes fortunes and so forth and that other men rather diuells sucking in these errors and delighting in their ceremonies nouelties so gaue them their propagation beeing furthered with poetiall fictions and diabolicall illusions For it were a likelier matter that an vngratious sonne did feare killing by as vngratious a father and so expelled him from his kingdome then that which hee saith that Ioue is aboue Saturne because the efficient cause which iâ—… â—…es is before the materiall which is Saturnes For were this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should neuer haue beene before Ioue nor consequently his faâ—…â—…or the cause goeth alwaies before the seede but the seede neuer geâ—… the cause But in this endeauor to honour the vaine fables or impiâ—… of men with naturall interpretations their most learned men are 〈◊〉 into such quandaries that wee cannot choose but pitty their vanity asâ—… 〈◊〉 the others L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a each In this place the Copies differ but our reading is the most authenâ—… and most ancient Some Copies leaue out By the meanes of such as were their 〈◊〉 But it is not left out in the olde manuscripts wee reade it as antiquitie leauâ—… 〈◊〉 The interpretations of the worship of Saturne CHAP. 19. Sâ—… say they deuoured all his children that is all seedes returne to 〈◊〉 earth from whence they came and a clod of earth was laide in steed of 〈◊〉 for him to deuoure by which is meant that men did vse to bury their 〈◊〉 in the earth before that plowing was inuented So then should Saturne bâ—… called the earth it selfe and not the seedes for it is the earth that doth as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deuoure the owne of-spring when as the seedes it produceth are all returned into it againe But what correspondence hath mens couering of corne with cloddes vnto the laying of Saturne a clod in steed of Ioue is not the corne which is couered with the clod returned into the earthes wombe as well as the rest For this is spoken as if hee that laid the clod tooke away the seede Thus say they by the laying of this clod was Ioue taken from Saturne when as the laying of the clod vpon a seede maketh the earth to deuoure it the sooner Againe beeing so Ioue is the seed not the seedes cause as was sayd but now But these mens braines runne so farre a stray with those fond interpretations that they know not well what to say A sickle hee beareth for his husbandry they say Now in a his raigne was not husbandry inuented and therefore as our author interpreteth the
that they would prouide that you should not bee ruled by any more gods but by many more deuills that delighted in such vanities But why hath Salacia that you call the inmost sea being there vnder her husband lost her place for you bring her vp aboue when shee is the ebbing tide Hath shee thrust her husband downe into the bottome for entertaining Venilia to his harlot L. VIVES LUst a flowes Alluding to the sea b Goeth and neuer returneth Spoken of the damned that neither haue ease nor hope at all He alludeth to Iob. 10. vers 21. Before I goe and shall not returne to the land of darkenesse and shadow of death euen the land of misery and darknesse which both the words them-selues shew and the learned comments affirme is meant of hell Of the earth held by Varro to be a goddesse because the worlds soule his god doth penetrate his lowest part and communicateth his essence there-with CHAP. 23. WE see one earth filled with creatures yet being a masse of elemental bodies and the worlds lowest part why call they it a goddesse because it is fruitfull why are not men gods then that make it so with labour not with worship No the part of the worlds soule say they conteined in her maâ—…eth hir diuine good as though that soule were not more apparant in man without all question yet men are no gods and yet which is most lamentable are subiected so that they adore the inferiors as gods such is their miserable error Varro in his booke of the select gods putteth a three degrees of the soule in all nature One liuing in all bodies vnsensitiue onely hauing life this he saith we haue in our bones nailes and haire and so haue trees liuing without sence Secondly the power of sence diffused through our eyes eares nose mouth and touch Thirdly the highest degree of the soule called the minde or intellect confined b onely vnto mans fruition wherein because men are like gods that part in the world he calleth a god and in vse a Genius So diuideth hee the worlds soule into three degrees First stones and wood and this earth insensible which we tread on Secondly the worlds sence the heauens or Aether thirdly her soule set in the starres his beleeued gods and by them descending through the earth goddesie Tellus and when it comes in the sea it is Neptune stay now back a little from this morall theologie whether hee went to refresh him-selfe after his toile in these straites back againe I say to the ciuill let vs plead in this court a little I say not yet that if the earth and stones bee like our nailes and bones they haue no more intellect then sence Or if our bones and nailes be said to haue intellect because wee haue it hee is as very a foole that calleth them gods in the world as hee that should â—…me them men in vs. But this perhaps is for Philosophers let vs to our ciuill theame For it may bee though hee lift vp his head a little to the freedome of 〈◊〉 naturall theologie yet comming to this booke and knowing what he had to â—…oe hee lookes now and then back and saith this least his ancestors and others should be held to haue adored Tellus and Neptune to no end But this I say seeing â—…th onely is that part of the worlds soule that penetrateth earth why is it not 〈◊〉 intirely one goddesse and so called Tellus which done where is Orcus 〈◊〉 and Neptunes brother father Dis and where is Proserpina his wife that some opinions there recorded hold to be the earths depth not her fertility If they say the soule of the world that passeth in the vpper part is Dis and that in the loâ—…er Proserpina what shall then become of Tellus for thus is she intirely diuided into halfes that where she should be third there is no place vnlesse some will say that Orcus and Proserpina together are Tellus and so make not three but one or two of them yet 3. they are held worshiped by 3. seuerall sorts of rites by their altars priests statues and are indeed three deuills that do draw the deceiued soule to damnable whoredome But one other question what part of the worlds soule is Tellumo No saith he the earth hath two powers a masculine to produce and a feminine to receiue this is Tellus and that Tellumo But why then doe the Priests as he sheweth adde other two and make them foure Tellumo Tellus c Altor Rusor for the two first you are answered why Altor of Alo to nourish earth nourisheth all things Why Rusor of Rursus againe all things turne againe to earth L. VIVES PUtteth three a degrees Pythagoras and Plato say the soule is of three kindes vegetable sensitiue reasonable Mans soule say they is two-fold rationall and irrationall the later two-fold affectionate to ire and to desire all these they doe locally seperate Plat. de Rep. l. 4. Aristotle to the first three addeth a fourth locally motiue But he distinguisheth those parts of the reasonable soule in vse onely not in place nor essence calling them but powers referred vnto actions Ethic. Alez Aphrodiseus sheweth how powers are in the soule But this is not a fit theame for this place But this is all it is but one soule that augmenteth the hayre and bones profiteth the sences and replenisheth the heart and braine b Onely vnto This place hath diuersities of reading some leaue out part and some do alter but the sence being vnaltered a note were further friuolous c Altor Father Dis and Proserpina had many names in the ancient ceremonies Hee Dis Tellumo Altor Rusor Cocytus shee Uerra Orca and Nâ—…se Tellus Thus haue the priests bookes them Romulus was also called Altellus of nourishing his subiects so admirably against their enuious borderers Iupiter Plutonius saith Trismegistus rules sea and land and is the nourisher of all fruitfull and mortall foules In Asclepio Of earths surnames and significations which though they arose of diuerse originals yet should they not be accompted diuerse Gods CHAP. 24. THerefore earth for her foure qualities ought to haue foure names yet not to make foure gods One Ioue serues to many surnames and so doth one Iuno in all which the multitude of their powers constitute but one God and one goddesse not producing multitude of gods But as the vilest women are some-times ashamed of the company that their lust calleth them into so the polluted soule prostitute vnto all hell though it loued multitude of false gods yet it som-times lothed them For Varro as shaming at this crew would haue Tellus to be but one goddesse They a call her saith hee the Great mother and her Tymbrell is a signe of the earths roundnesse the turrets on her head of the townes the seates about her of her eternall stability when all things else are mooued her 〈◊〉 Priests signifie that such as want seede must follow the earth
which is not God for the worship of it selfe is wicked That Varro his doctrine of Theologie hangeth no way together CHAP. 28. THerefore what is it to the purpose that so learned a man as Varro hath endeuoured to reduce all these gods to heauen and earth and cannot they slip from his fingers and fall away do what he can for being to speake of the goddesses seeing that as I said quoth he in my first booke of the places there are obserued two beginninâ—…s of the gods producing deities celestiall and terrestriall as befoâ—…e being to speake of the masculine gods we began with heauen concerning Ianus called heauen or the world so now of the feminine beginning with the earth Tellus I see how sore so good a witte is already plunged Hee is drawne by a likelyhood to make heauen the agent and earth the pacient therefore giueth the first the masculine forme and the latter the feminine and yet vnderstandeth not that hee that giueth those vnto both these two made them both And here-vpon he interpreteth a the Samothratians noble mysteries so saying that hee will lay open such things thereof to his nation as it neuer knew this he promiseth most religiously For he saith be hath obserued in Images that one thing signifieth earth another heauen another the abstracts of formes b Plato's Ideae hee will haue Ioue to bee heauen Iuno earth Minerua the Ideas Heauen the efficient earth the substance Idea the forme of each effect Now here I omit to say that Plato ascribed so much to these formes that he saith heauen doth nothing without them but it selfe was made by them This I say that Varro in his booke of the Select gods hath vtterly ouerthrowne this distinction of those three Heauen hee placeth for the masculine for tâ—…e feminine earth amongst which he putteth Minerua that but now was aboue heauen And Neptune a masculine God is in the sea therefore rather in earth then heauen Father Dis or c Pluto a male-god and their brother he is also in earth vpmost and Proserpina his wife vnder him How can those heauen-gods now be earth-gods or these earth-gods haue roomes aboue or reference to heauen what sobriety soliditie or certaintie is in this discourse And earth is all their mother that is serued with nothing but sodomy cutting and gelding Why then doth he say Ianus the gods chiefe and Tellus the goddesses where error neither alloweth one head nor furie a like time why goe they vainely about to referre these to the world e as if it could be adored for the true God the worke for the maker That these can haue no reference thether the truth hath conuinced referre them but vnto dead men deuills and the controuersie is at an end L. VIVES THe a Samothracians Of these gods I haue already spoken They are Heauen and earth Iâ—…e and Iuno that are the great Samothracian gods Uarro de ling. lat l. 4 And Minerua also To these three the stately temple of the Capitoll was dedicated In Greeke it is not well knowne who these Samothracian gods were Apollonius his interpretor hath these words they call the Samothracian gods Cahiri Nnaseas saith that their names are Axierus that is Ceres 〈◊〉 Proserpina Aziocersus father Dis and Mercury their attendant as Dionysodorus saith Aâ—…n saith that Ioue begotte Iasion and Dardanus vpon Electra The name Cabeiri serues to deriue from the mountaines Caberi in Phrygia whence these gods were brought Sâ—…e sâ—…y these gods were but two Ioue the elder and Dionysius the yonger Thus farre hee Hee that will read the Greeke it beginneth at these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now Iasion they say was Ceres sonne and called Caberus the brother of Dardanus others say laâ—… loued and lay with Ceres and was therefore slaine by thunder Hee that will read more of the Cabeiri let him go to Strabo lib. 10. b Plato's Idaea So called of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme or shape for hee that will make a thing first contemplateth of the forme and fitteth his worke therein A Painter drawes one picture by another this is his Idaea and therefore it is defined a forme of a future acte The Ideae of all things are in God which in framing of the world and cach part thereof hee did worke after and therefore Plato maketh three beginnings of all the minde that is God the worker the matter or substance of the world and the forme that it is framed after And God saith he in his Tymeus had an Idea or forme which hee followed in his whole fabricke of nature So that not onely the particuler spaces of the world but the 〈◊〉 heauen and the whole vniuerse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had the beginning from an Idea They are eâ—…all vncorporall and simple formes of things saith Apuleius Dogmat. Platon and from hence had God the figures of all things present and future nor can more the one Idea bee â—…nd in one whole kinde of creature according to which all of that kinde are wrought as 〈◊〉 of wâ—…e Where these Idea's are is a deeper question and diuersly held of the Platonists of that here-after c Pluto Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaine Dis in Latine quasi diues ritche for out of the 〈◊〉 bowels his treasurie do men fetch vp stones of worth and mettalls And therefore was â—…e said to dwell vnder the land of Spaine as Strabo saith because there was such store of mettalâ—…es corne cattle and meanes of commodity d One head for Ianus had two heads Cybels Prieâ—…s were mad e As if it or which if they could no godly person would worship the world That all that the Naturalists referre to the worlds parts should be referred to God CHAP. 29. FOr this their naturall theologie referreth all these things to the world which would they auoide scruple of sacriledge they should of right referre to the true God the worlds maker and creator of all soules and bodies Obserue but this we worship God not heauen nor earth of which a two parts of the world conâ—…h nor a soule or soules diffused through all the parts thereof but a God that made heauen and earth and all therein he made all creatures that liue brutish sencelesse sensitiue and reasonable b And now to runne through the operations of this true and high GOD briefly which they reducing to absurd and obscene mysteries induced many deuills by We worship that God that hath giuen motion existence and limits to each created nature that knowes conteines and disposeth of all causes that gaue power to the seedes and reason to such as hee vouchsafed that hath bestowed the vse of speech vpon vs that hath giuen knowledge of future things to such spirits as he pleaseth and prophecieth by whom he please that for mans due correction ordereth and endeth all warres worldly tribulations that created the violent and vehement fire of this world for the temperature of
The knowledge De genes ad lit lib. 4. Where hee calleth it morning when the Angells by contemplating of the creation in themselues where is deepe darkenesse lift vp themselues to the knowledge of God and if that in him they learne all things which is more certaine then all habituall knowledge then is it day It growes towards euening when the Angels turne from God to contemplate of the creatures in themselues but this euening neuer becommeth night for the Angells neuer preferre the worke before the worke man that were most deepe darke night Thus much out of Augustine the first mentioner of mornings euenings knowledges What wee must thinke of Gods resting the seauenth day after his sixe daies worke CHAP. 8. BVt whereas God rested the seauenth day froÌ„ al his workes sanctified it this is not to be childishly vnderstood as if God had taken paines he but spake the word and a by that iâ—…telligible and eternal one not vocall nor temporal were all things created But Gods rest signifieth theirs that rest in God as the gladnesse of the house signifies those yâ— are glad in the house though some-thing else and not the house bee the cause thereof How much more then if the beauty of the house make the inhabitants glad so that wee may not onely call it glad vsing the continent for the contained as the whole Theaâ—…er applauded when it was the men the whole medowes bellowed for the Oxen but also vsing the efficient for the effect as a merry epistle that is making the readers merry Theâ—…fore the scripture affirming that God rested meaneth the rest of all things in God whom he by himself maketh to rest for this the Prophet hath promised to all such as he speaketh vnto and for whom he wrote that after their good workes which God doth in them or by them if they first haue apprehended him in this life by faith they shal in him haue rest eternal This was prefigured in the sanctification of the Saboath by Gods command in the old law whereof more at large in due season L. VIVES BY a that intelligible Basil saith that this word is a moment of the will by which wee conceiue better of things What is to be thought of the qualities of Angels according to scripture CHAP. 9. NOw hauing resolued to relate this holy Cities originall first of the angels who make a great part thereof so much the happier in that they neuer a were pilgrims let vs see what testimonies of holy wriâ—…t concerne this point The scriptures speaking of the worlds creation speake not plainly of the Angels when or in what order they were created but that they were created the word heauen includeth In the beginning God created heauen and earth or rather in the world Light whereof I speake now are there signified that they were omitted I cannot thinke holy writ saying that God rested in the seauenth day from all his workes the same booke beginning with In the beginning God created heauen and earth to shew that nothing was made ere then Beginning therefore with heauen earth and earth the first thing created being as the scripture plainely saith with-out forme and voide light being yet vn made and darknesse being vpon the deepe that is vpon a certaine confusion of earth and waters for where light is not darknesse must needes be then the creation proceeding and all being accomplished in sixe dayes how should the angels bee omitted as though they were none of Gods workes from which hee rested the seuenth day This though it be not omitted yet here is it not plaine but else-where it is most euident The three chilâ—… sung in their himne O all yee workes of the Lord blesse yee the Lord amongst which they recken the angels And the Psalmist saith O praise God in the heauens 〈◊〉 him in the heights praise him all yee his angells praise him all his hoasts praise 〈◊〉 sâ—…e and Moone praise him staâ—…res and light Praise him yee heauens of heauens 〈◊〉 the waters that be aboue the heauens praise the name of the Lord for hee spake the 〈◊〉 and they were made he commanded they were created here diuinity calls the â—…ls Gods creatures most plainly inserting them with the rest saying of all He spâ—…ke the word and they were made who dares thinke that the Angels were made after the sixe daies If any one bee so fond hearken this place of scripture confounds him vtterly e When the starres were made all mine angels praised mee with a loude voice Therefore they were made before the starres and the stars were made the fourth day what they were made the third day may wee say so God forbid That dayes worke is fully knowne the earth was parted from the waters and two â—…nts tooke formes distinct and earth produced all her plants In the second day then neither Then was the firmament made betweene the waters aboue and below and was called Heauen in which firmament the starres were created the fourth day c Wherefore if the angels belong vnto Gods sixe dayes worke they are that light called day to commend whose vnity it was called one day not the first day nor differs the second or third from this all are but this one doubled vâ—…to 6. or 7. sixe of Gods workes the 7. of his rest For when God said Let there be light there was light if we vnderstand the angels creation aright herein they are made partakers of that eternall light the vnchangeable wisdome of God all-creating namely the onely be gotten sonne of God with whose light they in their creation were illuminate and made light called day in the participation of the vnchangeable light day that Word of God by which they all things else were created For the true light that lightneth euery man that coÌ„meth into this world this also lightneth euery pure angell making it light not in it selfe but in God from whom if an Angell fall it becommeth impure as all the vncleane spirits are being no more a light in God but a darknesse in it selfe depriued of all perticipation of the eternall light for Euill hath no nature but the losse of good that is euill L. VIVES NEuer were a pilgrims But alwayes in their country seeing alwayes the face of the father b When the starres Iob. 38 7. So the Septuagints doe translate it as it is in the teâ—…t c Wherefore if The Greeke diuine put the creation of spirituals before that of things corporall making God vse them as ministers in the corporall worke and so held Plato Hierome following Gregorie and his other Greeke Maisters held so also But of the Greekes Basil and Dionysius and almost all the Latines Ambrose Bede Cassiodorus and Augustine in this place holds that God made althings together which agreeth with that place of Ecclesiasticus chap. 18. vers 1. He that liueth for euer made althings together Of the vncompounded vnchangeable Trinity the Father the Sonne
hee is thought to liue after the 〈◊〉 Where-vpon some thinke that hee liued this time not vpon earth 〈◊〉 was not a soule of those escaped but in the place to which his sonne 〈◊〉 â—…slated with him vntill the deluge were come and gone because they 〈◊〉 call the authoritie of these truthes into question seeing the Church 〈◊〉 â—…wed them nor beleeue that the Iewes haue the truth rather then we 〈◊〉 that this should rather bee an error in vs then in those oâ—… of whome 〈◊〉 it by the Greeke But say they it is incredible that the seuenty 〈◊〉 â—…ers who translated all at one time and in one senâ—… could erâ—… or would falsifie in a thing impertinent vnto them but that the Iewes enuying out translations of their lawe and their Prophets altered diuerse things in their bookes to subuert the authoritie of ours This opinionatiue suspicion euery one may take as hee please but this is once sure Mathusalem liued not after the deluge but dyed in the same yeare if the Hebrewes accoumpt be true Concerning the Septuagints translation I will speake my minde here-after when I come by Gods helpe to the times them-selues as the methode of the worke shall exact Sufficeth it for this present question to haue shewen by both bookes that the Fathers of old liued so long that one man might see a number of his owne propagation sufficient to build a cittie L. VIVES NOtable a question Hierome saith it was famous in all the Churches Hierom affirmes that the 70. erred in their accompt as they did in many things else and gathers out of the Iewes and Samaritanes bookes that Mathusalem dyed in that yeare wherein the deluge began Wherevpon Augustine doth iustly deride those that will rather trust the translation then the originall Of such as beleeue not that men of old time liued so long as is recorded CHAP. 12. NOr is any eare to bee giuen vnto those that thinke that one of our ordinary yeares would make tenne of the yeares of those times they were so short And therefore say they nine hundred yeares of theirs that is to say ninetie of ours their ten is our one and their hundred our tenne Thus thinke they that Adam was but twenty and three yeares olde when hee begot Seth and Seth but twentie and an halfe when hee begatte Enos which the Scriptures calles two hundred and fiue yeares For as these men hold the Scripture diuided one yeare into ten parts calling each part a yeare and each a part hath a sixe-folde quadrate because that in sixe dayes God made the world to rest vpon the seauenth whereof I haue already disputed in the eleuenth booke Now sixe times sixe for sixe maketh the sixe-fold quadrate is thirty sixe and ten times thirtie sixe is three hundred and sixtie that is twelue moneths of the Moone The fiue dayes remaining and that quarter of a day which b foure times doubled is added to the leape yeare those were added by the ancients afterwards to make vp the number of other yeares and the Romaines called them Dies intercalares dayes enterposed So Enos was nineteene yeares of age when hee begot Cayâ—…n the Scriptures saying hee was one hundred foure-score and ten yeares And so downe through all generations to the deluge there is not one in all our bookes that begot any sonne at an hundred or an hundred and twenty yeares or there-abouts but he that was the yongest father was one hundred and three score yeares of age because say they none can beget a childe at ten yeares of age which that number of an hundred maketh but at sixteene yeares they are of ability to generate and that is as the Scriptures say when they are one hundred and three-score yeere old And to prooue this diuersitie of yeares likely they fetch the Egiptian yeares of foure moneths the Acarnans of sixe moneths and the Latines of thirteene moneths c Pliny hauing recorded that some liued one hundred and fifty yeares some ten more some two hundred yeares some three hundred some fiue hundred some six hundred nay some eight hundred held that all this grew vpon ignorance in computation For some saith he made two years of summer and winter some made foure years of the foure quarters as the Arcadians did with their yeare of three monthes And the Egiptians saith he besides there little years of 4. months as we said before made the course of the Moone to conclude a yeare euery month Thus amongst them aithâ—…he are some recorded to haue liued a thousand yeares These probabilities haue some brought not to subuert the authority of holy writ but to prooue it credible that the Partiarches might liue so long and perswaded themselues thinking it no folly neither to perswade others so in like manner that their years in those daies were so little that ten of them made but one of ours a hundred of theirs ten of ours But I wil lay open the eminent falsenesse of this immediately Yet ere I do it I must first touch at a more credible suspicion Wee might ouerthrow this assertion out of the Hebrew bookes who say that Adam was not two hundred thirty but a hundred and thirty yeares old when hee begot his third son which if they make but thirteen years then he begot his first son at the eleauenth or twelfth yeare of his age And who can in natures ordinary course now beget a child so yong But let vs except Adam perhaps he might haue begotten one as soone as he was created for we may not thinke that he was created a little one as our children are borne But now his son Seth was not two hundred yeares old as wee read but a hundred and fifty when hee begot Enos and by their account but eleauen yeares of age What shall I say of Canaan who begot Malalehel at seauenty not at a hundred and seauenty yeares of age say the Hebrewes If those were but seauen yeares â—…at man can beget a child then L. VIVES EAch a part hath a A number quadrate is that which is formed by multiplication of it self 〈◊〉 three times three foure times foure and six times sixe The yeare hath 365. daies and sixe 〈◊〉 those computators did exclude the fiue daies and sixe houres and diuiding the three â—…dred sixty into ten partes the quotient was thirty sixe b Foure times Of this reade 〈◊〉 in Caesar. Censorin Macrob. and Bâ—…da Before Caesars time the yeare had three hundred â—…-fiue daies And obseruing that the true yeare required ten daies and six houres more it was put to the priests at the end of February to interpose two and twenty daies and because that these six houres euery fourth yeare became a day then it was added and this month was 〈◊〉 nothing but the intercalatory month In the intercalary month saith Asconius Tully 〈◊〉 for Milo Now this confused interposition Caesar beeing dictator tooke away comâ—…ding them to keepe a yeare of three hundred sixty fiue
Astronomer whence the fable arose of his supporting heauen vpon his shoulders Yet there is an huge mountaine of that name whose height may seeme to an ignorant eye to hold vp the heauens And now began Greece to fill the stories with fables but from the first vnto i Cecrops his time the king of Athens in whose reigne Athens got that name and Moses lead Israel out of Egipt some of the dead Kings were recorded for Gods by the vanity and customary superstition of the Greekes As Melantonice Crias his wife k Phorbas there sonne the sixt king of Argos and the sonne of l Triopas the seauenth King m Iasus and n Sthelenas or Sthelenus or Sthenelus for hee is diuersely written the ninth And o in these times also liued Mercury Altas his grandchild borne of Maia his daughter the story is common Hee was a perfect Artist in many good inuentions and therefore was beleeued at least men desired he should be beleeued to bee a deity p Hercules liued after this yet was he about those times of the Argiues some thinke hee liued before Mercury but I thinke they are deceiued But how-so-euer the grauest histories that haue written of them q auouch them both to be men and r that for the good that they did man-kinde in matter of ciuillity or other necessaries to humane estate were rewarded with those diuine honors s But Minerua was long before this for shee they say appreaed in Ogigius his time t at the lake Triton in a virgins shape wherevpon she was called Trytonia a woman indeed of many good inuentions and the likelyer to be held a goddesse because her originall was vnknowne for u that of Ioues brayne is absolutely poetique and no way depending vpon history There was in deed x a great deluge in Ogigius his time not so great as that wherein all perished saue those in the Arke for that neither Greeke author y nor Latine do mention but greater then that which befell in Ducalions daies But of this Ogigius his time the writers haue no certainty for where Varro beâ—… his booke I shewed before and indeed he fetcheth the Romaines origiâ—…â—…o further then the deluge that befell in Ogigius his time But our z chroâ—… Eusebius first and then Hierome following other more ancient authors herein record Ogigius his Deluge to haue fallen in the time of Phoroneus the seâ—… King of Argos three hundred yeares after the time before said But howsoeuer this is once sure that in a Cecrops his time who was either the builder or â—…er of Athens Minerua was there adored with diuine honors L. VIVES SAphrus a Machanell saith Eusebius reigned iust as long as his father Manitus fourty yeares and Iphereus succeeded him and raigned twenty yeares and in the eighâ—… yeare of his raigne was Moyses borne in Egypt b Orthopolus Orthopolis saith Euâ—… and Pausanias making him the sonne of Plemneus whome Ceres brought vp The 〈◊〉 oâ—… which you had before â—…sus Pyrasus saith Pausanias he rayned fifty foureyeares d Moyses was borne The wriâ—… not about Moyses birth Porphiry saith from Sanchoniata that he liued in Semiramis 〈◊〉 No but in Inachus his time saith Appion out of Ptolomy 〈◊〉 the Priest Amosis 〈◊〉 then King of Egypt Polâ—…mon Hist. Gre. maketh him of latter times Making the peoâ—… led to depart out of Egypt and to settle in Syria in the time of Apis Phoroneus his sonne 〈◊〉 Assirius brings a many seuerall opinions of men concerning this poynt some maâ—… Moyses elder then the Troyan warre and some equall with it But the arguments which 〈◊〉 selfe brings proueth him to haue beene before it His words you may read in Euseb. 〈◊〉 â—…ang lib. 10. Numenius the Philosopher calleth Moses Musaeus and Artapanus saith 〈◊〉 Greekes called him so and that Meris the daughter of 〈◊〉 King of Egypt haâ—… child herselfe adopted him for her son and so he came to great honor in Egipt because 〈◊〉 diuine knowledge inuentions in matter of learning and gâ—…rnment e Prometheus 〈◊〉 Euseb. from others Affricanus I thinke who maketh Prometheus to liue ninety foure yeares after Ogigius Porphiry putteth Atlas and him in Inachus his time But Prometheus was sonne to Iaepellis and Asia Hesiod calls his mother Clymene His falling out with Ioue saith Higin hist. Celest. and many other do touch at this grew vpon this cause being to smal in sacrifices to offer great offrings the poore being not able to offord them Prometheus suttely agreed with Ioue that halfe of their sacrifice onely should bee burnt the rest shold be reserued for the vse of men Ioue consented Then offers Prometheus two Bulls vnto Ioue and putteth all their bones vnder one of the skins and all their flesh vnder the other and then bad Ioue to choose his part Ioue a good plaine dealing God looking for no cousnage tooke that was next to hand light on the bones there at being angry he tooke away the fire froÌ„ mankind that they could sacrifice no more But Prometheus vsing his ordinary trickes stole a cane full of the fire â—…elestiall and gaue it vnto man where-vpon hee was bound to Caucasus and an Eagle set to feed continually vpon his liuer euer growing againe Some say that Prometheus made those creatures who haue fetcht Ioue downe so often women Prometheus his complaint in Lucian is thus answered by Vulcan and Mercury Thou cousonedst Ioue in sharing thou stolest the fire thou madest men and especially women For so it is said that he made men of clay and then put life into them by the fire which hee had stolne from Ioue where-vpon sath Horace commeth man-kinds diseases and feuers Seruius saith that Minerua woundted at this man this worke of Prometheus and promised to perfit it in all it lackt and that Prometheus affirming that hee knew not what was best for it she tooke him vp to heauen and setting him by the sonns Chariot gaue him a cane full of the fire and sent him downe to man with it Hesiod in one place toucheth at that story of Higinus saying that Ioue tooke away the fire from man and Prometheus got it againe to reuenge which iniury Vulcan by Ioues command made Pandora a woman endowed with all heauenly guifts and therefore called Pandora and sent her downe into the earth by Mercury to be giuen as a guift vnto Epimetbeus Prometheus his brother and being receaued into his house she opened a tunne of all the mischiefes that were diffused throughout all mankinde only hope remayning in the bottom and Prometheus as Aeschilus saith was bound vpon Cancasus for thirty thousand yeares neare to the Caspian streights as Lucian saith in his Caucasus Philostratus saith that that mount hath two toppes of a furlong distance one of the other and that the inhabitants say that vnto these were Prometheus his hands bound In vita Apollon So saith Lucian This Eagâ—…e some say was begotten betweene Typhon and Echydna Higin some say betweene
God knoweth those that bee his and the deuill cannot draw a soule of them vnto damnation For this God knoweth as knowing all things to come not as one man seeth another in presence and cannot tell what shall be-come either of him hee seeth or of him-selfe here-after The diuell was therefore bound and locked vp that hee should no more seduce the nations the Churches members whom he had held in errour and impiety before they were vnited vnto the Church It is not said that hee should deceiue no man any more but that he should deceiue the people no more whereby questionlesse hee meaneth the Church Proceed vntill the thousand yeares bee fulfilled that is either the remainder of the sixth day the last thousand or the whole time that the world was to continue Nor may wee vnderstand the deuill so to bee barred from seducing that at this time expired hee should seduce those nations againe whereof the Church consisteth and from which hee was forbidden before But this place is like vnto that of the Psalme Our eyes waite vpon the Lord vntill hee haue mercy vpon vs for the seruants of God take not their eyes from beholding as soone as he hath mercy vpon them or else the order of the words is this Hee â—…t him vp and sealed the doore vpon him vntill a thousand yeares were fulfilled all that commeth betweene namely that he should not deceiue the people hauing no necessary connexion here-vnto but beeing to bee seuerally vnderstood as if it were added afterwards and so the sence runne thus And he shut him vp and sealed the dore vpon him vntill a thousand yeares were fulfilled that hee should not seduce the people that is therefore hee shutte him vp so long that he should seduce them no more L. VIVES FRom the a thousand Iohns mention of a thousand yeares in this place and Christs words I will not drinke hence-forth of the fruite of the vine vntill that day that I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome together with many Prophecies touching Christs kingdome in Hierusalem made some imagine that Christ would returne into the world raise the Saints in their bodyes and liue a thousand yeares heere on earth in all ioy peace and prosperitie farre exceeding the golden age of the Poets or that of Sybilla and Esayas The first Author of this opinion was Papias Bishop of Hierusalem who liued in the Apostles times Hee was seconded by Irenaeus Apollinarius Tertullian lib. de fidelium Victorinus 〈◊〉 Lactantius Diuin Instit. lib. 7. And although Hierome deride and scoffe at this opinion in many places yet in his fourth booke of his Commentaries vpon Hieremy hee saith that hee dare not condemne it because many holy martyrs and religious Christians held it so great an authority the person some-times giueth to the position that we must vse great modesty in our dissention with them and giue great reuerence to their godlynesse and grauity I cannot beleeue that the Saints held this opinion in that manner that Cerinthus the heretique did of whome wee read this in Eusebius Cerinthus held that Christ would haue an earthly kingdome in Hierusalem after the resurrection where the Saints should liue in all societie of humaine lusts and concupiscences Besides against all truth of scripture hee held that for a thousand yeares space this should hold with reuells and mariage and other works of corruption onely to deâ—…iue the carnall minded person Dionisius disputing of S. Iohns reuelation and reciting some ancient traditions of the Church hath thus much concerning this man Cerinthus quoth he the author of the Cerinthian heresie delighted much in getting his sect authority by wresting of scripture His heresie was that Christs Kingdome should bee terrestriall and being giuen vp vnto lust and gluttony himselfe he affirmed nothing but such things as those two affects taught him That all should abound with banquets and belly-chere and for the more grace to his assertions that the feasts of the law should be renewed and the offring of carnall sacrifices restored Irenaeus publisheth the secresie of this heresie in his first booke they that would know it may finde it there Thus farre Eusebius Hist. Eccl. lib. 3. wherefore this was not Papias his opinion whose originall Hierome would otherwise haue ascribed vnto Cerinthus who was more ancient then Papias a little though both liued in one age nor would Iraeneus haue written against Cerinthus for he allowed of Papias his opinion neither did all the sects agree in one as touching this thousand yeares but each one taught that which seemed likeliest vnto him-selfe and no wonder in so vaine a fiction Dionisius of Alexandria as Hierome affirmeth In Esai lib. 18. wroâ—… an elegant worke in derision of these Chiliasts and there Golden Hierusalem their reparation of the temple their bloud of sacrifices there Sabbath there circumsitions there birth there mariages there banquets there soueraignties their warres and tryumphs c. b The cheare shall exceed So saith Lactantius The earth shall yeeld her greatest faecundity and yeeld her plenty vntilled The rockie mountaines shall sweate hony the riuers shall runne wine and the fountaines milke To omit Cerinthus his relations which are farre more odious c Chiliast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a thousand d On the sixt day There is a report that in the bookes of Elias the Prophet it was recorded that the world should last 6000. yeares 2000. vnder vanity vnto Abraham 2000. vnder the law vnto Christ. and 2000. vnder Christ vnto the iudgement This by the Hebrewes account for the LXX haue aboue 3000. yeares from Adam to Abraham And in Augustines time the world lackt not 400 yeares of the full 6000. So that now our Vulgar accoumpt is aboue 6700. yeares Namely from Our Sauiour 1522. Whom Eusebius and such as follow the LXX affirme to haue beene borne in the yeare of the world 5100. and somewhat more Therefore Augustine saith that the later end of the 6000. yeares passed along in his time And Lactantius who liued before Augustine vnder Constantine saith that in his time there was but 200. of the 6000. yeares to runne Of the binding and loosing of the Diuell CHAP. 8. AFter that saith S. Iohn he must be loosed for a season Well although the Diuell be bound and lockt vp that he should not seduce the Church shall hee therefore be looosed to seduce it God forbid That Church which God predestinated and setled before the worlds foundation whereof it is written God knoweth those that be his that the Deuill shall neuer seduce and yet it shal be on earth euen at the time of his loosing as it hath continued in successiue estate euer since it was first erected for by and by after hee saith that the Diuill shall bring his seduced nations in armes against it whose number shal be as the sea sands And they went vp saith hee vnto the plaine of the earth and compassed the tents of the Saints about and
〈◊〉 will be 〈◊〉 vp his 〈◊〉 in displeasure His displeasure say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that 〈◊〉 vn 〈◊〉 of eternall life to eternall torment But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little or long how can it be then that the Psalme 〈◊〉 〈…〉 vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in displeasure It saith not Will hee shutâ—… 〈◊〉 vâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee will not shutte them vp at all Thus doe they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of GOD is not false although hee condemne none no more then his threatning to destroy Niniuy was false though it was not effected say they notwithstanding that he promised it without exception Hee sayd not I will destroy it vnlesse it repent but plainely without addition Niniuy shal be destroyed This threaâ—…g doe they hold true because GOD fore-told plainely what they had deserued though he pake not that which he meant to doe for though hee spared them yet knew hee that they would repent and yet did hee absolutely promise their destruction This therefore say they was true in the truth of his seuerity which they had deserued but not in respect of his mercy which he did not shut vp in displeasure because he would shew mercy vnto their praiers whose pride hee had threatned to punish If therefore he shewed mercy then say they when he knew hee should thereby grieue his holy prophet how much more will hee show it now when all his Saints shall intreate for it Now this surmise of theirs they thinke the scriptures doe not mention because men should bee reclaimed from vice by feare of tedious or eternall torment and because some should pray for those that will not amend and yet the scriptures say they doe not vtterly conceale it for what doth that of the Psalme intend How great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd vppe for them that feare thee Thou keepest them secret in thy tabernacle from the strife of tongues That is say they this great sweetnesse of GODS mercy it kept secret from vs to keepe vs in the more awe and therefore the Apostle sayth GOD hath shut vppe all in vnbeleefe that hee might haue mercy on all to shew that hee will condemne none Yet these Opinionists will not extend this generall saluation vnto the deuills â—…t make mankinde the onely obiect of their pitty promising impunity to their owne bad liues withall by pretending a generall mercy of GOD vnto the whole generation of man and in this they that extend Gods mercy vnto the deuill and his angells doe quite exceed these later Of such as hold that heretiques shal be saued in that they haue pertaken of the body of CHRIST CHAP. 19. OThers there are that cleare not hell of all but onely of such as are baptized and pertakers of Christs body and these they say are saued bee their liues or doctrines whatsoeuer wherevpon CHRIST himselfe sayd This is the bread which commeth downe from heauen that he which eateth of it should not die I am the â—…ing bread which came downe from heauen Therefore say these men must all such 〈◊〉 saued of necessity and glorified by euerlasting life Of such as allow this deliuerance onely to wicked and reuolted Catholikes CHAP. 20. ANother sort restraine the former position onely to Catholikes line they neuer so vilely because they haue receiued CHRIST truly and bin 〈◊〉 in his body of which the Apostle faith We that are many are one bread 〈◊〉 one body because wee all are pertakers of one bread So that fall they into neuer â—…o 〈◊〉 afterwards yea euen into Paganisme yet because they receiued the Baptisme of Christ in his Church they shall not perish for euer but â—…hall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life 〈◊〉 shall their guilt make their torments euer-lasting 〈◊〉 temporall though they may last a long time and bee extreamly 〈◊〉 Of such as affirme that all that abide in the Catholique faith shall be saued for that faith â—…ly be their liues neuer so worthy of damnation CHAP. 21. THere 〈◊〉 some who because it is written Hee that endureth to the end hee shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe affirme that onely they that continue Catholiques how-soeuer they liue shall be saued by the merite of that foundation whereof the Apostle 〈◊〉 Other foundation can no man try then that which is laide which is Christ 〈◊〉 And if any man build on this foundation gold siluer precious stones timâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stubble euery mans worke shall bee made manifest for the day of the Lord shall declare it because it shall bee reuealed by the fire and the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is If any mans worke that hee hath built vpon abide hee shall receiue wages If any mans worke burne he shall lose 〈◊〉 hee shall bee 〈◊〉 him-selfe yet as it were by fire So that all Christian Caâ—… 〈◊〉 say â—…hey hauing Christ for their foundation which no heretiques 〈◊〉 off from his body bee their liues good or bad as those that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or stubble vpon this foundation shall neuer-the-lesse be saâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—… shall bee deliuered after they haue endured the paines of the 〈◊〉 which punisheth the wicked in the last iudgment Of such 〈◊〉 affirme that the sinnes committed amongst the workes of mercy shall not bee called into iudgement CHAP. 22. ANd some I haue mette with that hold that none shall bee damned eternally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—… neglected to satisfie for their sinnes by almes-deedes alledging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thâ—… shall bee iudgment mercilesse vnto him that sheweth no mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they though hee amend not his life but liue sinâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full workes shall neuer-the-lesse haue so mercifull a iudgâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall either not bee punished at all or at least bee freed from his 〈◊〉 after his sufferance of them for some certaine space more or lesse And 〈◊〉 the iudge of quicke and dead would mention no other thing in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those on both sides of him for the saluation of the one part and the 〈◊〉 of the other but onely the almes-detâ—…s which they had either done 〈◊〉 To which also say they doth that part of the Lords prayer perâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. For he 〈◊〉 an offence done to him doth a worke a of mercy which Christ 〈◊〉 â—…ee sayd If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly faâ—… 〈◊〉 but if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgiue you 〈◊〉 trespasses So that here-vnto belongeth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There shall bee iudgement mercilesse c. The LORD sayd not Your small trespasses say they nor your great but generally your trespasses and therefore they hold that those that liue neuer so viciously vntill their dying day haue notwithstanding their sinnes absolutely pardoned euery day by this praier vsed euery day if withall they doe remember freely to forgiue all such as haue offended them when they intreate for pardon when all those errors are confuted I will GOD willing make an
end of this present booke L. VIVES A a Worke of mercy For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the properly mercy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue mercie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in diuers more examples Against those that exclude both men and deuills from paines eternall CHAP. 23. FIrst then wee must shew why ' the church hath condemned them that affirme that euen the very deuills after a time of torment shal be taken to mercy The reason is this those holy men so many and so learned in both the lawes of GOD the Old and the New did not enuy the mundification and beatitude of those spirits after their long and great extremity of torture but they saw well that the words of Our Sauiour could not bee vntrue which hee promised to pronounce in the last iudgement saying Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his Angells Hereby shewing that they should burne in euerlasting fire likewise in the Reuelation The deuill that deceiued them was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet shal be tormented euen day and night for euermore There hee saith euerlasting and here for euermore in both places excluding all termination and end of the time Wherefore there is no reason either stronger or plainer to assure our beleefe that the deuill and his angells shall neuer more returne to the glory and righteousnesse of their Saints then because the scriptures that deceiue no man tell vs directly and plainely that GOD hath not spared them but 〈◊〉 them downe into hell and deliuered them vnto chaines of darkenesse there to bee 〈◊〉 vnto the damnation in the iust iudgement then to bee cast into eternall fire and there to burne for euermore If this bee true how can either all or any men bee â—…iuered out of this eternity of paines if our faith whereby we beleeue the deâ—… to bee euerlastingly tormented be not hereby infringed for if those either all or some part to whome it shal be sayd Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angells shall not continue for eâ—… in the fire what reason haue wee to thinke that the deuill and his angells 〈◊〉 Shall the word of GOD spoken alike both to men and deuills be prooued 〈◊〉 vpon the deuills and not vpon the men So indeed should mans surmises â—…of more certainety then Gods promises But seeing that cannot bee they 〈◊〉 desire to escape this paine eternall must cease to argue against GOD and 〈◊〉 his yoake vpon them while they haue time For what a fondnesse were it to value the paines eternall by a fire only of a long contiâ—… but yet to beleeue assuredly that life eternall hath no end at all seeing 〈◊〉 the LORD in the same place including both these parts in one senâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…plainely These shall goe into euerlasting paines and the righteous into life 〈◊〉 Thus doth he make them parallells here is euerlasting paines and there 〈◊〉 eternall life Now to say this life shall neuer end but that paine shall were groâ—…sly absurd Wherefore seeing that the eternall life of the Saints shall bee without end so therefore is it a consequent that the euerlasting paine of the damned shal be as endlesse as the others beatitude Against those that would prooue all damnation frustrate by the praters of the Saints CHAP. 24. THis is also against those who vnder collour of more pitty oppose the expresse word of GOD and say that GODS promises are true in that men are worthy of the plagues he threatens not that they shal be layd vpon them For he will giue them say they vnto the intreaties of his Saints who wil be the readier to pray for them then in that they are more purely holy and their praiers wil be the more powerfull in that they are vtterly exempt from all touch of sinne and corruption Well and why then in this their pure holinesse and powrefulâ—…se of praier will they not intreate for the Angells that are to be cast into euerlasting 〈◊〉 that it would please GOD to mitigate his sentence and set them free from that intollerable fire Some perhaps will pretend that the holy Angells 〈◊〉 ioyne with the Saints as then their followes in praier both the Angells and men also that are guilty of damnation that God in his mercy would be pleased to pardon their wicked merit But there is no sound christian that euer held his or euer will hold it for otherwise there were no reason why the Church should not pray for the deuill and his Angells seeing that her LORD GOD hath willed her to pray for her enemies But the same cause that stayeth the Church for praying for the damned spirits her knowne enemies at this day the â—…ame shall hinder her for praying for the reprobate soules at this day of iudgement notwithstanding her fulnesse of perfection As now shee prayeth 〈◊〉 her enemies in mankinde because this is the time of wholesome repentance and therefore her chiefe petition for them is that GOD would grant them peniâ—… and escape from the snares of the deuill who are taken of him at his will as the Apostle â—…aith But if the church had this light that shee could know any of those wâ—… though they liue yet vpon the earth yet are predestinated to goe with the deuill into that euerlasting fire shee would offer as few praiers for them as shee doth for him But seeing that shee hath not this knowledge therefore praieth 〈◊〉 for all her foes in the flesh and ye is not heard for them all but onely for those who are predestinated to become her sonnes though they bee as yet her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any shall die her impenitent foes and not returne into her boâ—… 〈◊〉 doth shee pray for them No because they that before death are not 〈◊〉 into CHRIST are afterward reputed as associates of the deuill And 〈◊〉 the same cause that forbids her to pray for the reprobate soules as then stoppâ—…â—…er for praying for the Apostaticall Angells as now and the â—…ame reason 〈◊〉 why wee pray for all men liuing and yet will not pray for the wicked nor 〈◊〉 being dead For the praier either of the Church or of some Godly persons is heard a for some departed this life but for them which being regenerat in Christ haue not spent their life so wickedly that they may be iudged vnworthy of such mercy or else so deuoutly that they may bee found to haue no neede of such mercy Euen as also after the resurrection there shal be some of the dead which shall obtaine mercy after the punishments which the spirits of the dead do suffer that they be not cast into euerlasting fire For otherwise that should not be truly spoken concerning some That they shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to