so great and the pleasures thereof so small and fewe to make vs the more desirous of the heauenly life which is nothing els but ioy and pleasure And surely it seemeth by the speech of the Apostle that he knew well which was the better choyse of the twaine vvhen hee said * I desire to be dissolued or loosed Philip. 1 23 from this flesh and to be with Christ which is best of all For we know saith he that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroied we 2 Cor 5 1 2 haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And therefore doe wee sigh desiring to be clothed vvith our house which is from heauen §. 2. These things being thus ô howe happie Rauisius were it nowe saith Rauisius for vnhappie man if forgetfulnesse deceiued him not to remember the sickle estate of his life both how short it is and also how full of miserie vanitie and woe an approued exile and hath nothing in it permanent But is euen a continuall conflict strife Mar. Aurâ—l warre a wandering wildernesse and a vale of wretchednesse wherin we are continually compassed with most terrible fierce and feareful enemies to the deadly wounding sleying and ouer-throwing both of body and soule into hell All these miseries considered why should man then haue any desire to liue in this wretched world to abide in such a lothsome and laborious life VVere not death much rather to be desired VVere not the howre of death much better then the continuaunce of such a life For to the godly death is no death but rather the most happie messenger and quick dispatcher of all such displeasures the end of al trouble and sorrow the bedde of all rest the doore of good desires the gate of gladnesse the port of Paradice the hauen of heauen the entrance to felicity the manumission from all griefe and misery and the beginning of euerlasting ioy and blessednes Death therefore ought rather to be desired Hâ—rmes then despised for it changeth vs from this world of vncleanenes shame to the pure world of worship and worth From this transitory life to life euerlasting from a worlde of folly and vanities to a worlde of wisedome reason and truth and from a world of trouble trauaile and paine to a world of rest comfort and consolation Let each man therfore wisely consider of Pacuuius his own estate let him also feare to offend the maiestie of Almightie God and not feare the day nor howre of death but alwayes abide with patience his appoynted time and vvhen hee perceiueth that his turne is come let him giue thanks vnto his Maker for his change ¶ Of the parting of the soule from the bodie and of the immortalitie thereof §. 1. TO all thinges saith Salomon there Eccles. 3 1. 2 is an appointed time and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen a time to be borne a time to die a time to plant and a time to pluck vp that vvhich is planted For here haue we no continuing Citty Heb. 13 14 but we seeke one to come All flesh waxeth old as doth a garment Ecclê° 14. 17 and this is the condition of all times Thou shalt die the death For vvhat man is he that liueth shal Psal 89 48. not see death Sith that law is generall which coÌ„maundeth Salust to be borne and to die §. 2. All things that are of the earth saith Sirach Ecclê° 40 11 shall turne to earth againe and they that are of the waters shall returne into the Sea But the soule or spirit of man being immortal Eccles. 12. 7 shal returne vnto God that gaue it For as the beginning of our creation coÌ„meth Aristotle from GOD so it is meete that after death our soule returne vnto him againe §. 3. GOD hath created saith Beda three Beda kindes of liuing Spirits the first incorporeall proper to Angels onely the second couered ouer with flesh but not mortall or dying there-with that is the soule or Spirite of man dwelling in his body the third carnall and dying with the flesh namelie the spirite or life of beastes The soule of man also beeing once Augustine made shall surely endure for euer eyther in the body or out of the body For it should neuer beare the name to bee made according to the Image of Gods own likenesse if it might possibly be enclosed in the bonds of death §. 4. The most precious excellent creature Hermes that God hath created here on earth saith Hermes is man the most worthy thing in him is his soule or spirit vvhich endeuouring in this life to follow goodnes shall after death be rewarded with eternal glory For this is to be beleeued that the soules Socrates of good men so soone as they are foorth of the bodie they passe speedily into a better life but the soules of the wicked goe from this world to a worse If death were the dissoluing both of bodie Plato and soule then happy were the wicked which beeing once ridde of theyr bodie should also for euer after be ridde of theyr soule and wickednes but forasmuch as it is euident that the soule is immortall there is no comfort left for the vngodly to trust in For the immortalitie of the soule excludeth all hope from the wicked and establisheth the good in theyr goodnes §. 5. By the iustice of God saith Plato the Plato soule must needes be immortall and therfore no man ought to liue carelesse or negligent thereof For though the body die yet the soule Solon dieth not but by the stroke of death it passeth foorth of the body into another world more swiftly theÌ„ any bird that flieth Yea the soules of all men doubtlesse Socrates are immortall but the soules of the godlie are both immortall and diuine Wherefore if thy soule be good the Basill stroke of death cannot hurt thee for thy spirit shall thereby liue blessedly in heauen §. 6. But for better proofe of this matter then the speech of any Philosopher in the world can affoord we finde it plainly affirmed in the Gospell of S. Luke by the testimonie Luke 16 22 23. c. of Truth it selfe that the soule of Lazarus was no sooner out of his body but it vvas immediatly carried vp by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Contrariwise the soule of Diues after his death was speedily borne to hell torments The first to ioy pleasure the last to paine greefe Betweene which two places also there is such a great gulfe or swallowing pit sette that there cannot possibly be any passage from one of them to the other Saint Iohn likewise witnesseth in the Reuelation that wheÌ„ the 5. seale of the booke Reue. 6. 9. of God was opened he saw vnder the Alter in heauen the soules of them that were
THE HARMONIE OF holie Scriptures VVith the seuerall Sentences of sundry learned and vvorthy VVriters Collected for the comfort of all such as are desirous to seeke after theyr soules health ⧠By I. B. Vnum est necessarium Ecclesiastes 12. verse 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres draw neere wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them AT LONDON Printed by I. R. for Nicholas Ling and are to be sold at the West doore of Paules 1600. To the right Honourable VVilliam Ryder Lord Maior elected for the Citty of London And to the right Worshipfull Ma. Thomas Smith Ma. Thomas Cambell Esquires Sheriffes of the same Citty All happines wished in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ IT may be thought great boldnes in mee right Honorable right Worshipfull beeing one altogether vnknown to you that I should thus presume to seeke the patronizing of these my poore endeuours vnder the protection of your Honorable and Worshipfull countenaunces and so in some sort I doe my selfe acknowledge But if the name and nature of my booke be but rightly considered and your dignitie of place and office therewith iustly equalled that boldnes I hope wil be thought in mee but modest dutie and your kinde acceptance heereof the true testimonie of religious deuotion You are chosen in this Citty as cheefe Magistrates for this yeere ensuing first to see that God may be rightly honoured her Maiesties lawes iustly administred the people in peace loue discreetly gouerned and sin and iniquitie duly punished All which depending one vpon another as the parts in Musique doe and that you your selues with the rest of your worshipful brethren are the ground of this Oeconomicall Musique for all the rest that be vnder you to sing sweetly in tune by as example is the best guide to order and order cannot bee kept where example wanteth euen so this Harmonie of holy Scriptures in my poore opinion doth rightly challenge you as Patrons beeing drawne from the true foundation of your seated authoritie for whatsoeuer is not to Gods glory ought most carefullie to bee shunned In this regard I humbly desire that your Honour and Worships will but listen to this Harmonie and giue it such entertainement as it worthilie deserueth not for any matter of attribution to my selfe any way but for his sake to whose honour it is meant intended who blesse you and yours with all happinesse in this world and make you partakers of farre greater blessednes in the world to come Your Honors and Worships in all dutie Iames Bentley To the Reader SInce it hath beene obserued as a custome curteous Reader in all times heeretofore that in the publication of bookes some method or other of the VVriters meaning should be expressed for the Readers better vnderstanding I being bound as it were to that ceremony though no way distrustfull of thy kind opinion and iudgement first wishing thy health and happinesse in Christ and next intreating thy christianlike consideration of mee and this present labour pray thee to take notice of these few lines following These gathered places out of the most sacred Scriptures marshalled in the best manner that I could deuise concerning those nine necessarie poynts which in the page next after this Epistle are more at large explaned likewise the graue religious Sentences of the Doctors Fathers as also the sweete sayings of sundr◠Philosophers Though they haue cost me more paines then here I will expresse haue proued to my comfort as I pray they may to thine yet if thy freendly acceptance aunswere but my good meaning ouer-rash reading deliuer not as rude censuring I doubt not but our benefite hereby will proue both alike and all redound to his honour in whose reuerence it was vndertaken If thou demaund a reason why I entitle it by the name of The Harmonie of holy Scriptures my aunswere is that all the sentences heerein sette downe both in sounde sence and sweetnes doe sauour of a musicall imitation and concord together after the nature of a diuine harmonie as from the beginning to the end of each section thou maist easily perceiue Secondly as in Musique be there neuer so many parts yet all must agree make a perfect Vnison euen so do these aunswere to one another as in report all tending to one effect and purpose and all at full approuing the argument handled First the Scriptures being the ground and plaine-song the Doctors following thereon in sweet diuine descant and the Philosophers bearing a by part among to make vp the melodie and all in one sound sing to Gods glory As for the Heathen authorities heerein alleaged albeit they expresse not onely singuler wisedome but likewise sauour of a very deuoute though ignorant zeale they are not inserted with any intent in mee that by them should be prooued the very least principle of Christian Religion but rather to declare howe neere such men as came short of any right knowledge of God yet by the bare light of Nature onely aymed at the truth and made a kinde of religious vse to themselues of a further desire to know that truth If in the first poynt handled it shall be obiected that I haue not so iustly obserued the order of an harmonie as in the other following by vsing needles wordes of the Fathers as saith such a one and such a one I did the more willingly slip from my course in that case because the words are none of mine owne and I could not in my conceit giue right enough to them that owed them or sufficiently deliuer howe soundlie their sentences approued euery alleaged place Now if any nice eare whom no note can please to whom the very best musique seemeth vnpleasant shall in this flowing age of right skilful Maisters in Gods musicke whose number for his Names sake may hee more and more increase if such a one I say doe obiect what I freelie confesse that here wanteth such arte schollarship as such a serious subiect worthily deserued let me thus aunswere for my selfe As there be maister workmen in Gods buildings so there must be some to cary stones lime and morter of which place neither though I account my selfe any way worthy yet let not the poorest labourers paines in such a seruice be despised I did it diuers yeeres since for my owne instruction thought to haue kept it onely for my priuate comfort till others thinking better thereof then I my selfe can woulde needes preuaile with mee to haue it published which since I coulde not well denie let this serue for all obiections whatsoeuer The reuerend regard of Gods Name in me both began and finished the work desire to benefite others as simple as my selfe was the cheefe marke I aymed at the hope I haue that some good may ensue heereof is the onely recompence I request for my paines Hee then that began and ended thou that readest
and my sword shall eate flesh for the blood of the slaine and of the captiues when I begin to take vengeance on the enemy And to make yet a little more manifest the might of our God and his preuailing power against the disturbers of his peoples peace the Prophet Dauid after his victories obtained in foure great battailes which 2 Sam 2â— hee had with the Philistians declareth the same most pithilie in the second booke of Samuell by the description of a tempest saying In my * trouble did I cal vpon the 2. Sam. 22. 7. Lord and cry to my God and hee heard my voyce out of his Temple and my cry did enter into his eares Then the earth trembled quaked the verse 8 9. 10 11. c. foundations of the heauens mooued and shooke because hee was angry Smoake went out of his nostrils consuming fire out of his mouth coales vvere kindled therat He bowed the heauens also came downe and darknesse was vnder his feete He rode vpon the Cherub and did flie and he was seene vppon the wings of the wind He made darknes a Tabernacle rounde about him with waters gathered together in thicke clowdes At the brightnesse of his presence the coales of fire were kindled the Lord thundred from heauen the most High gaue his voyce hee shot arrowes and scattered them to wit he sent lightning destroyed them The chanels also of the Sea appeared and the foundations of the world were discouered by reason of the rebuking of the Lord thorow the blast of the breath of his nostrils c. §. 21. By the which speech of the Prophet sundry other like precedent places to this purpose euery Christian Reader may indifferently perceiue the power of his Preseruer and by often contemplating the same be the better encouraged according to the example of holy Ieremie boldlie to confesse his Makers almightines saying There * is none like vnto thee ô Lord our Ierem 10 6 God thou onely art great and thy Name is great in power VVho woulde not feare thee ô King of verse 7 8. Nations For vnto thee appertaineth the dominion Among all the Wisemen of the Gentiles and in all theyr Kingdoms there is none like thee but altogether they doate and are foolish For the stock is a doctrine of vanitie But thou ô Lorde hast euer had great strength might and who can withstand Wisd 11. 18 19. the power of thine arme For as the small thing that the ballance wayeth so is the world before thee and as a droppe of the morning dewe that falleth downe vppon the ground Thine ô Lord is greatnes power and 1. Chro. 29 11. glory and victory and prayse for all that is in heauen and in earth is thine Both riches honour come of thee and 1. Chro. 29 12. thou raignest ouer all In thine hande also is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great to giue strength vnto all ¶ Of the Wisedome of God §. 1. WHere saith Iob is Wisedome Iob 28 12 13 14. to be founde Or where is the place of Vnderstandings habitation Surely no man can tell saith he how worthy a thing Wisedome is neither is shee to be founde in the Land of them that liue The deepe saith shee is not with me the Sea saith shee is not with mee Shee cannot bee gotten for the purest verse 15. 16 gold neither may the price of her be valued with any siluer She shall not be bought with the wedge of the gold of Ophir noâ— vvith the precious Onix nor the Saphir No Golde nor Christall may be compared verse 17 18 vnto her neither shal her exchange be for plate of the finest Golde For perfect Wisedome is more worth then any Golde or Pearles c. From whence then coÌ„meth Wisedome Iob 28 20. 21. and where is the place of Vnderstanding Seeing shee is hid from the eyes of all men liuing and from the foules of the ayre Destruction and Death say VVee haue verse 22 23 24 c. heard the fame of her with our eares but it is GOD that vnderstandeth her way he knoweth her place For hee beholdeth the ends of the world and looketh vpon all that is vnder heauen VVhen he wayed the windes and measured verse 25 26 27. c. the waters when he set the rayne in order and gaue the mighty floods a lawe then did hee see her then declared hee her prepared her and knew her And vnto man he sayd Behold to feare the Lord is Wisedome and to depart froÌ„ euill is Vnderstanding §. 2. There is one wise saith Sirach euen the Ecclê° 1 8 9 most high God the Creator of all things the Almightie the King of power glorie and maiestie of whoÌ„ men ought to stand greatly in awe vvhich sitteth vppon his throne Hee is the Lord that hath created Wisedome through the holy Ghost Hee hath seene her numbred her and measured her He also hath powred her out vppon all verse 10 flesh according to his gift and hee giueth her aboundantly vnto theÌ„ that loue him It is likewise the lord our God alone that by wisedome as Salomon saith hath layd Prou 3 19 20. the foundation of the earth and stablished the heauens through vnderstanding By his knowledge the deepes are broken vp and the clowdes drop downe the dew Hee onely as S. Augustine saith is the Augustine Author of all perfect wisedome knowledge and he of his goodnes giueth wisedome vnderstanding vnto whoÌ„ it pleaseth him Science as Aristotle saith may be had Aristotle by diligence but wisedome and discretion commeth from God For hee giueth vvisedome out of his Prou 2 6 mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding Yea all wisedome commeth from God Ecclus 1 1 and hath beene euer with him and is with him for euer §. 3. Wisedom as Sirach saith hath been created Ecclus 1 4 froÌ„ the beginning and the vnderstanding of Prudence from euerlasting Shee is the mother of beautifull loue of Ecclus 24 20 21 feare of knowledge and of holy hope In her is all grace life and truth and in her is all hope of life and vertue For shee as Salomon saith is the breath Wisd 7 25 of the power of God a pure influence that floweth from the Almightie therfore can no defiled thing come vnto her Yea Shee is the brightnes of the euerlasting verse 26 light the vndefiled mirrour of the maiestie of God the Image of his goodnesse Shee beeing one can doe all things and verse 27 beeing stedfast herselfe shee reneweth all and according to the ages she entereth into the holie soules and maketh them the freendes of God and Prophets For GOD loueth no man but him in verse 28 whom Wisedome dwelleth Wherefore if any man lacke Wisedom Iames 1 5 let him as the Apostle counselleth aske it of God
remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knovveth vvho are his And the Almightie himselfe talking with his seruant Moises saith * Thou hast Exod. 33. 17 found fauour in my sight I know thee by name Likewise vnto the Prophet Ieremie in the very beginning of his booke hee vseth these words * Before I formed thee in thy Ierem 1 5. mothers wombe I knew thee and before thou cammest out of the wombe I sanctified thee ordained thee to be a Prophet vnto the Nations §. 5. Now as by these few former places wee finde it most apparantly prooued that the freends and seruaunts of Almightie God are alvvayes knowne vnto him so may we likewise by this ensuing example speech of the Prophet to Senacharib certainly assure our selues that the Lord God knoweth vvho are his enemies also For when that proude-daring King of 2 Reg 18 28. 29 30. â— the Assvrians sent Rabsaketh his foule-mouthed messenger to blaspheme the Holie one of Israell the Almightie returned him this aunswere by the mouth of Esay saying * I knowe thy dwelling yea thy 2. Reg. 19 27 28. going out and thy comming in thy furie against mee And because thou ragest against mee and thy tumult is come vp to mine eares I will put my hooke in thy nostrils and my bridle in thy lippes and will bring thee backe againe the same way thou cammest Moreouer the Lord our God as Esdras affirmeth knoweth all them that sinne 2 Esd 15. 26 against him and therefore deliuereth hee them vnto death and destruction For there is as Iob sayth no darknesse Iob 34 22 nor shadow of death that can hide the wicked dooers from his sight Hee declareth the things past and the Ecclê° 42 19 things that are to come he also discloseth the path of those things that are secrete Hee searcheth the ground of the deepe 2. Esd 16. 49 and the treasures thereof hee hath measured the Sea and knoweth what it containeth §. 6. Let all men therefore as Cicero vvell sayth in this be truly perswaded that God â— Citeâ—s is the onely moderator gouernour of all things and that all things also be done by his power and appoyntment And that he it is which most cleerely beholdeth euery man both what hee doth what he admitteth in himselfe with what minde and godlines he doth loue fauour Religion and that hee hath also a respect to the proceedings both of all godly and wicked men Yea the Lord our God onely as Siluius Siluius saith by his eternall wisedom hath made all by his euerlasting prouidence hee preserueth all and by his most absolute vnderstanding he knoweth all For of him and through him and for Rom 11 36 him as the Apostle saith are all thinges to him be glory for euer Amen ¶ Of the great mercie and louing kindnesse of God §. 1. THE Lord our God according to Nehe. 9. 17 the confession of the Leuites in the ninth of Nehemiah is a GOD of mercies gracious and pittifull of long suffering and of great mercie Hee is as Dauid saith good to all and Psal 145 9 his mercies are ouer or aboue all the rest of his workes Yea hee is full of compassion mercy Psal 103 8 9. slow to anger and of great kindnesse Hee will not alway chide neither will he keepe his anger for euer Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities verse 10 11 12 13 For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie toward theÌ„ that feare him and as far as the East is from the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes from vs. * As a Father hath compassion on verse 14. 15. his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For hee knoweth whereof we be made hee remembreth that wee are but dust §. 2. Where saith Micah is there anie God Micah 7 18 like vnto the Lord our God that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by or winketh at the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him Hee is as Salomon saith gracious and Wisd 15 1 true long suffering gouerneth al things by mercy Hee is as Sirach saith kinde pittiful Ecclus 2 12 hee pardoneth and forgiueth sinnes hee saueth in the time of trouble hee is a defender of all theÌ„ that seeke him in the truth And * as his greatnes is so is his mercy Eccâ—us 2 21 Cyrill For he can no more cease to be mercifull then he can cease to be God The mercie that a man hath saith Sirach Ecclê° 18 12 reacheth vnto his neighbour but the mercy of the Lord is vpon all flesh He is the Father of mercies the God 2 Cor 1 3 of all comfort His mercie reacheth vnto the heauens Psalm 36 5 his faithfulnesse vnto the clowdes His mercie is euerlasting and his truth Psal 100. 5. endureth from generation to generation §. 3. Oh how excellent as Dauid saith is the Psalm 36 7 mercy of the Lord our God! therefore the chyldren of men saith he put theyr trust vnder the shadow of his winges The very remembrance of Gods mercie Bernard saith Bernard maketh glad the harts of all the godly and the hope of heauens helpe is comfortable to euerie penitent person The tongues of all men liuing saith Marlorate Marlorate cannot tell out Gods mercie nor the pennes of all the VVriters in the vvorld sufficiently expresse the same His wrath as Erasmus saith is alvvaies Erasmus giuen by weight but is mercie is infinite without either end or measure Besides if wee aske yet further after the Augustine seuerall workes of Gods mercy wee shall finde as S. Augustine saith that they passe all number as there can be no nuÌ„ber made of our miseries and daily necessities For what man liuing saith Becon can Becon tell how often through frailtie he hath offended or truely reckon how many waies he hath been preserued froÌ„ perrill through the onely mercy of the Almightie extended towards him Also If the sinnes of all the world were as S. Chrisostome saith in one man yet Chrisostome would they be nothing to the mercy of the Almightie but the burthen of them in comparison of his mercie woulde seeme like the Spyders webbe before the boysterous winde Yea the multitude of all mens offences â— Fulgentius in respect of Gods mercie is like a small drop of raine to the greatest Sea §. 4. Furthermore the mercy of the Lorde Chrisostome our God is as S. Chrisostome saith both generall and speciall It is generall in supplying the present wants both of the iust and vniust It is speciall in succouring the iust onely It is likewise temporary saith he in sparing the wicked for a time and it is euerlasting concerning the
I loue them exceedingly §. 6. Againe The Lavve of the Lorde our Psalm 19 7 8 9 10. God as the Psalmist saith is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedom vnto the simple the statutes of the Lorde are right and reioyce the hart the commandement of the Lord is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgements of the Lord are truth they are righteous altogether and more are they to be desired theÌ„ gold yea then much fine golde they are sweeter also then Honey and the Honey combe By them ô Lord saith he is thy seruant Psal 19 11 made circumspect in keeping of them there is great reward §. 7. VVhat-soeuer thinges are written afore Rom 15 4 time are written as the Apostle sayth for our learning that vvee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope For the whole Scripture saith hee is 2 Tim 3. 16 17. giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute beeing made perfect vnto all good workes Yea vvhat-soeuer is required for our saluation Chrisostome is already contained as S. Chrisostome saith in the holy Scripture He that is ignorant shall finde there what hee may learne hee that is stubborne and a sinner may find there scourges of the iudgements to come the which he may feare and hee that is troubled may finde there the ioyful promises of euerlasting life through the beholding of the which hee may be stirred vp to doe good workes Finally the Scripture of God as S. Basill Basill saith is like vnto an Apothicaries shop full stored with medicines of sundry sorts so that euery man may there choose a conuenient remedy for his disease And surely as Beda saith without the Beda vnderstanding of the will of God by the sacred Scriptures our sight is but blindnes our knowledge ignorance our wisedom foolishnes and our deuotion deuilishnes §. 8. Nowe although indeede as Granado Granado saith wee must confesse with Saint Peter that there are some places in the Booke of God * hard to be vnderstood yet may we 2. Pet. 3 16. likewise saith hee say with the same Apostle that those places are hard to such as are vnlearned and vnstable which peruert and wrest them to theyr owne destruction For euerie worde of God as Salomon Prou 30. 5. saith is pure And the precepts of the Lord are plaine Prou 8 9. to him that vvill vnderstande and easie vnto all them that desire to finde knovvledge Nay more It cannot be possible saith Vincentius that that man vvhich with earnest studie and feruent desire often readeth Vincentius the holy Scriptures should euermore be forsaken or left vvithout vnderstanding of Gods holy will For although he want the instruction of learned men yet God himselfe from aboue entering into his heart by his holy Spirit lightneth his minde poureth his beames of grace into his wits openeth those things that before were hidden and becommeth vnto such a man a Schoolemaister of that he knew not only if he wil do so much as lieth in him Besides the holy Ghost as S. Augustine Augustine saith hath by his wisedome so notably and wholsomely tempered the Word that hee might with the easie places thereof satis-fie the greedy hunger of men and vvith the darkest places of it take away our lothsomnesse For there is no point almost founde of the darkest meaning in one place but it is plainly spoken of and easie to be vnderstood in another So that if the Gospell of Christ bee yet hid it is hid as the Apostle saith * to them 2 Cor 4 3 4. that perrish whose mindes sathan the god of this world hath blinded to the end the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of GOD should not shine vnto them The certaine truth of which Gospell is so highlie to be esteemed and reuerentlie regarded that if an Angell from heauen Gala 1 8 should come and preach vnto vs any other doctrine then what we finde therein alreadie contayned we ought for his tydings to count him accursed ¶ Of the workes of God §. 1. THE workes of Almightie God although Chrisostome of themselues as S. Chrisostome saith they are infinite in nuÌ„ber yet may they all be reduced into these fiue heads following namely his worke of Creation his worke of Conseruation his vvorke of Redemption his vvorke of Iustification and his vvorke of Predestination §. 2. By the vvord of the Lord saith Dauid Psal 33 6 9 were the Heauens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth For hee spake and it was done he commaunded and it stoode As soone as hee saide Let the Earth be 2 Esdr 16 47 made it was made Let the Heauen bee created and it was created By his vvorde also vvere the Starres verse 48 established he knoweth the number of them Yea hee * counteth the number of the Psal 147 4. starres and calleth them all by their names At his commaundement likevvise the Ecclê° 39 17 water stoode as an heape and at the word of his mouth the vvaters gathered themselues He also hath shut the sea in the midst of 2. Esdras 16 50. the vvaters and vvith the vvorde of his mouth hath hee hanged the earth vppon the waters §. 3. Thy worde ô Lord saith Dauid endureth Psalm 119. 89 90 91 for euer in heauen thy truth also remaineth from one generation to another thou hast layd the foundation of the earth and it abideth They continue euen to this day by thine ordinaunces for all thinges serue thee The Heauens are thine the earth also is Psal 89. 11 thine thou hast layd the foundation of the World and all that therein is Thou spakest expresly in the first creation 2 Esdras 6 38. euen the first day and coÌ„maundedst that the Heauen Earth should be made and the vvorke followed thy word c. Vpon the second day thou createdst the 2 Esdr 6 41. heauenly ayre and commaundedst it that going betweene it should make a deuision betvveene the vvaters that the one part might remaine aboue and the other beneath Vpon the third day thou coÌ„maundedst that the waters should bee gathered together 2. Esd 6 42. in the seauenth part of the earth sixe parts hast thou dryed vp and kept them to the intent that men might sowe and occupie husbandâ—y therein Vpon the fourth day thou createdst the 2 Esdr 6. 45. 46. light of the Sunne and of the Moone and the order of the Sâ—arres and gauest them a charge that they should doe seruice euen vnto Man that was for to be created Vpon the fifth day thou sayd'st vnto 2 Esdr 6. 47. 48. the seauenth part where
And so much likewise affirmeth Socrates who was Platos Socrates Schoole-maister But King Salomon the sonne of Dauid beeing farre wiser in knowledge then eyther Socrates or Plato giueth in his Prouerbs many prayses of this vertue Telling vs plainly that * the feare of the Lord Prou 9. 10 which is a dutifull reuerence and avve of the Almighty firmely fixed in the harts of all the godly is Initium sapieâ—â—e the very beginning of vvisedome That in it is an assured strength Prou. 14. 26 Prou 10 27 Prou 14 27 That it increaseth our dayes That it is as a Well-spring of wisedome to auoyde the snares of death That it leadeth to life and that hee that Prou. 19. 23 is filled there-with shall prosper and shall not be visited with euill §. 3. Iesus likewise the sonne of Sirach who well deserueth the name of a second Salomon for his great wisedome telleth vs in the beginning of his Booke That the feare of the Lord is worship tryumph Ecclê° 1 11. gladnesse and a ioyfull crow 〈…〉 That it is an holy knowledge Ecclê° 1. 16. That it is both wisedome discipline Ecclê° 1 32. Ecclê° 25 13 That it is the beginning of the loue of GOD. That it passeth all things in clearenes Ecclê° 25 11 That it maketh a merry hart giueth Ecclê° 1 12. gladnesse ioy and long life That it expelleth sinne and driueth away Ecclê° 1 26. anger That it is the Crowne of vvisedome Ecclê° 1. 22 giueth pleace and perfect health That it is the roote of vvisedome and Ecclê° 1. 24. the branches thereof are long life That it is a pleasant garden of blessing Ecclê° 40. 27 that there is nothing so beautifull as it is Neither is there any thing sweeter then Basill the same §. 4. Besides Sirach doth not onely giue coÌ„mendations of this vertue it selfe but also vttereth sundry speeches in prayse of the man that is enriched there-with and consequently declareth how much mindfull it maketh them that haue it prouident to please God in all theyr proceedings saying Ecclê° 10. 25 The great man the Iudge and the man of authoritie are all of them honourable yet is there none of them greater then he that feareth the Lord. Hee that hath small vnderstanding and Ecclê° 19. 23 feareth God is better then hee that hath much wisedome and transgresseth the law of his Maker Oh howe great is the man that findeth Ecclê° 25. 10 wisedome knowledge yet is there none aboue him that feareth the Lord. §. 5. They that feare the Lord saith he will Ecclê° 2. 18 prepare their harts humble their soules in his sight They will also seeke out the thinges Ecclê° 2. 1â— that are pleasant vnto him They will keepe his commaundements Ecclê° 2. 19. Ecclê° 32. 15 And receiue his doctrine They will honour theyr Parents doe Ecclê° 3. 8 seruice vnto them Yea they that feare the Lord will be diligent Ecclus. 15. 1. Ecclê° 2. 16 to do good and will not disobey his VVorde And such as feruently loue the Lord wil euer be careful to keep his wayes For as by the feare of God our harts are Vincentius first framed to the obedience of his holy will so through the loue of God vvee are afterwards enforced to goe forward daily more and more with ioy and delight in his seruice Yet * Augustine â—ee that loueth GOD best alwayes feareth him most §. 6. VVith this holy religious and louing Gene 39 10 11. 12. feare of the Lorde was the hart of Ioseph the sonne of Iacob fully stored when beeing seruaunt with Potiphaâ— in Egipt hee fledde from the company and vnlawfull liking of his maisters wâ—fe This true and reuerent feare also of the Almightie kept the three young men Dan. 3. 18. mentioned in Daniell from falling downe before the false God vvhich Nabuchadnezzar the great King of Babell had sette vp It likewise caused Daniell himselfe to do Dan 6 10. contrary to the Decree of Darius And made the * faire and constant wife of Ioakim Dan 13. to withstand the wit-wanting Rethorick of the two Isralite Rulers Also whosoeuer else he be that truelie Gueuara feareth God as he ought shall vndoubtedlie finde the same such a stay vnto him in the time of temptation that he shall thereby be kept safe from falling in those dangers which lead men into destruction For the feare of God doth not onelie Boetius withdraw the hand the eye other members of the body from committing euill but it also helpeth to clense the minde and to keep the consent thereof from yeelding to euill Very well therefore saith Saint Bernard Bernard That there is nothing of greater force and efficacie to keepe vs in the grace fauour of God then to liue coÌ„tinually in his feare and to eschew by all meanes that may bee the performance of our proude and presumptious thoughts But if the feare of GOD be once gone Bernarde from a man then there remaineth in him nothing else but lewdnes of life extreame rashnes forgetfulnes of vertue a harmfull running head-long into all kindes of sinne and wickednes §. 7. It is written of Iob that hee was an vpright and iust man one that feared God Iob 1 1 and â—sâ—hewed euill VVhereby I vnderstand that the true feare of God kept him vpright in life and his abstaining froÌ„ euill caused him to be counted iust And to shew further that Iob ledde his whole life in the feare of God it is as a speciall testimony plainly expressed vnto vs by his owne speech where in effect hee thus speaketh saying * I am afrayd of all Iob 9 28 my dooings ô Lorde knowing that thou wilt not iudge mee innocent or without sinne in thy sight The Prophet Dauid likewise although himselfe be many times praysed in the sacred Scriptures for his religious holinesse and vprightnes of life yet to make known vnto all men how much he was acquainted with the true feare of GOD hee spareth not to reueale the same in the hundred and nineteene Psalme where hee saith * My Psalm 119 120. flesh trembleth for feare of thee ô Lord and I am afrayd of thy iudgements VVee finde furthermore that S. Paule the Apostle was commended by the Lord himselfe to be an elect and chosen vessell Acts 9 15 vnto him to beare his Name before the Gentiles and Kings of the Earth Yet notwithstanding in his first Epistle to the Corinthians by his owne words it is witnessed how greatly hee feared God in all his actions as namely in the 9. chapter where hee saith * I doe beate downe my 1 Cor. 9. 27 bodie and bring it into subiection least by any meanes it should come to passe that after I haue preached to others I my selfe should be reproued §. 8. Thus see wee both by seuerall sentences and
doctrines of deuils vvhich speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue theyr consciences burned with an hote yron forbidding to marry and commaunding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued vvith giuing thanks of them which beleeue and knowe the truth For euery creature of God is good and verse 4 5 nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Yee therefore beloued seeing yee know 2. Pet. 3. 17 these things before beware least ye be also plucked away vvith the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse For of this sort are they vvhich creepe 2. Tim. 3. 6. 7. into houses and leade captiue simple women laden with sinnes and led with diuers lusts VVhich vvomen are euer learning and are neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth ¶ Against ouer-curious searching and adding of any thing to the word of God §. 1. SEeke not out saith Sirach the thinges Ecclus 3 22. that are too hard for thee neither search the things rashly which are too mightie for thee But what God hath commaunded thee verse 23. thinke vpon that with reuerence and bee not curious in many of his workes for it is not needfull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secrete Be not curious in superfluous matters for verse 24 25 many things are shewed vnto thee aboue the capacitie of men The medling vvith such hath beguiled many an euill opinion hath deceiued their iudgement Thou canst not see without eyes professe verse 26. not the knowledge therefore vvhich thou hast not §. 2. I through the grace that is giuen vnto Rom 12 3 mee saith the Apostle say to euery one that is among you that no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meet to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie as GOD hath dealt to euery man the measure of fayth For hee is sufficiently rich in vnderstanding Hermes that knoweth how to doe well and hee hath power enough that can refraine from dooing euill §. 3. Ye shal put nothing vnto the word which Deut 4 2 I commaund you saith Moises neyther shall yee take ought there-from that yee may keepe the commaundements of the Lord your GOD which I commaund you Therefore what soeuer I commaunde Deut. 12. 32. you take heede you doe it Thou shalt not turne away from it to the Iosua 1 7. right hand nor to the left that thou maist prosper whether soeuer thou goest §. 4. Put nothing vnto the word of God saith Prou. 30. 6. Salomon least hee reproue thee and thou be founde a lyer For I protest saith the holy Ghost vnto Reue. 22. 18 euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in thys Booke And if any man shall diminish of the Reue. 22 19 words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citty and from those thinges vvhich are vvritten in this booke ¶ Against foolish securitie §. 1. SAy not thou I will hide my selfe from Ecclê° 16 17 the Lord for who will think vpon me from aboue I shall not be knowne in so great an heape of people for what is my soule among such an infinite number of creatures But rather remember vvhat our Sauiour Christ saith in Saint Mathewes Gospell namely that one sparrow falleth not to the ground without the will of God our heauenly Math. 10. 29. 30. Father and that all the haires of our head are numbred by him Howe much more then may wee vndoubtedly beleeue that wee our selues are knowne and numbred of him For hee onely is the Creator and Preseruer of men and without his permission wee are not able to drawe our breath a minutes while §. 2. Besides thus speaketh the Lord himselfe Iere 23 23 24. interrogatiuelie by the mouth of Ieremy saying Am I a GOD at hand and not a GOD farre off Can any hide himselfe in secrete places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord And to this effect likewise tendeth the speech of the Prophet Dauid in the 139. psalme where he saith O Lord thou hast Psalme 139. 1. 2 3 c. tryed mee knowne mee thou knowest my sitting my rising thou vnderstandest my thought a farre off thou compassest my pathes and my lying downe and art accustomed to all my wayes For there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it vvholie ô lord Thou holdest mee straite behinde and before and layest thy hand vpon mee Thy knowledge is too wonderfull for mee it is so high that I cannot attaine vnto it Whether shall I goe from thy Spirit or whether shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend into heauen thou art there If I lie downe in hell thou art there Let mee take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea yet thither shall thy hand leade mee thy right hand hold mee If I say yet the darknesse shall hide me euen the night shall be light about mee Yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day and the darknes and the light are both alike For thou hast possessed my reines thou hast couered mee in my mothers vvombe ¶ Against the loue of the world §. 1. LOue not the vvorld saith Saint Iohn 1 Ioh 12 15. neither the things that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in the worlde as the lust verse 16 17 of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World And the vvorld passeth away the lust thereof but hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer Yee adulterers and adultresses know ye Iames 4 4 not that the amitie of the world is the enimitie of God Whosoeuer therefore vvill be a friende of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God And they that waite vpon lying vanities Ionas 2. 8. forsake theyr owne mercie §. 2. VVhat is there in the World saith Seneca Seneca wherefore it should be loued The flowers of this life to wit the lusts pleasures thereof are all of them false shewes shadowes and vanities the fruites of it are labour care sicknes and tediousnesse the tree it selfe is corruption frailety And hee that is enamored of the world Seneca may well be likened to the man which voluntarily runneth into the Sea who if hee chaunce to scape the dangers thereof men will say hee is greatly fortunate but if hee perrish they will say he was wilfully deceiued
killed heere on earth for the word of God and for the testimonie of his truth And to shew that they liue there he further addeth in the next veâ—se folowing that they cryed vnto God with a loude voyce verse 10 saying Howe long Lorde holy and true tariest thou to iudge auenge our blood c. King Salomon also in his booke of wisdome affirmeth that the soules of the righteous Wised 3. 1. 2 3 4. are in the hande of God and no torment shall touch theÌ„ Though in the sight of the vnwise saith hee they appeared to die and their end was thought greeuous and their departing from vs destruction yet they rest in peace and though they suffer paine before men yet is theyr hope full of immortality §. 7. Besides these former places of holy scripture wee finde also diuers other proofes in the booke of God concerning this poynt as namely the hopefull speech of Dauid vvho when newes was brought him that his base-borne child for whom hee fasted prayed and wept was dead hee lamented no longer but presently washed his handes and called for meate And being demaunded 2 Sam 12. 23. the reason thereof by his seruants hee aunswered I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to mee Also when old Tobias was derided of his kinsfolkes and acquaintance and scoffingly Tobie 2. demaunded by theÌ„ where his hope was for the which he had doone almes and buried the dead considering he was now euen after the finishing of a good vvorke suddainly smitten blinde hee nothing there-with dismayed confidently rebuked them saying Say not so for wee are the children of holy men and looke for the life which God shall giue vnto them that neuer turne their beleefe from him The same Tobias also at another time to witnesse vnto the worlde vvhat confident hope hee alwaies had of the soules immortalitie earnestly requested of the Almightie Tobie 3 6 that his spirit might be taken from him and that his body might be dissolued and become earth The like may be read in the prayer of Elias wheÌ„ he desired to die saying ô Lord 1 Reg 19 4 I pray thee take my soule for I am no better then my Fathers c. §. 8. And to shew yet a little further that it resteth in the power of God to take the soule from the body and to giue it againe at his pleasure vvee finde in the first Booke of Kings that the fore-said Elias found such 1 Reg 17 22 23. fauour in the sight of God that vvhen the sonne of his hostesse was dead he through his earnest prayer obtained that the childes soule was restored to him againe So did Elisha in the same manner obtaine 2 Reg 4 32 33. his peticion of the Lord and reuiued the dead body of the Shunamites sonne We reade also in the Gospell written by S. Mathew that after our Sauiour had giuen vp the Ghost the Scpulchers of dead Math 27 52 53. men through the miraculous working of the Almightie opened themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came foorth of the graues after his resurrection and vvent into the holie Citty and appeared vnto many So that by these sayings and examples Gene 5 24. 2 Reg 2 1â— Num 16 32 33 with the taking vp of Henoch and Elias both body and soule into heauen the swallowing downe of Corath Dathan and Abiram quicke into hell and sundry other proofes in the Booke of God to this purpose we may sufficiently assure our selues that the soule of Man is immortall that there is not onely a place of rest ordayned of God for the godly but also a lothsome pitte or place of punishment appointed by him for the wicked after this life The veritie whereof is likewise further witnessed vnto vs by the wordes of S. Augustine Augustine where he sayth The soules of the godly beeing separated from their bodies are in rest and the soules of the vngodlie doe suffer punishment vntill such time as the bodies of the righteous doe rise againe vnto life euerlasting and the bodies of the vnrighteous vnto eternall death which is also called the second death ¶ Of the first Iudgement after death called by Diuines particuler Iudgement when the soule of euery man after it is parted foorth of his body shall presently receiue sentence from God eyther of eternall ioy or euerlasting payne §. 1. IT is appointed vnto men saith the Apostle Heb 9 27 that they shal once die and after that commeth the iudgement For wee must all appeare before the Iudgement-seate of Christ that euery man 2 Cor 5 10 may receiue the workes which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Also at the very houre of death the soule Cyprian must render vp a particuler account vnto God concerning all her doings in this life and then shall it be iudged knowe assuredly what shall become of it for euer If it finde fauour in the sight of God it Basill shal presently enter into the rest and ioy of the righteous if otherwise it shall be condeÌ„ned by the Iudge to perpetual torments Yea Of euery idle vvorde that men Math. 12. 36 shall speake in this life they shal giue an account at the day of iudgement For GOD will bring euery worke into Eccles. 12. 14. iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Hee vvill render vnto man according to Iob 34 11. his worke and cause euery one to finde according to his way That is to them which by continuaunce Rom 2 7 8 in well dooing seeke glorie and honor immortalitie shall be eternall life but vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish also shall be Rom 2 9 10 vpon the soule of euery man that doth euil of the Iewe first and also of the Grecian But to euery man that doth good shall be glory and honour and peace c. §. 2. Againe so soone as the soule of man saith Augustine S. Augustine is parted froÌ„ the body it passeth presently to the tribunall seate of God vnder the custodie both of good and euill Angels and after it hath there abidden the triall of a straite examination it shall forthwith receiue the sentence either of eternall blessednes or els of endlesse vvoe and miserie Yea euery one of vs shall giue accounts Rom 14 12 of himselfe to God And euery man shall receiue his wages 1 Cor 3 8. or reward according to his worke But in most happy state shall the soules Beda of all the godly bee after theyr departure hence vvho through grace giuen them from GOD haue earnestly in this life resisted euill and followed goodnes for they shall then enter into that place of perpetuall happines which Christ their Captaine hath prepared