why did he leaue his accustomed progres Or how could he be a guide vnto the wyse men betwene Bethleem and Hierusalem being placed with the other starres in the firmament of heauen We read that the sunne stode vnder Iosue and went backward vnder Esechias but neuer of no star that left his ordeined circuite and wandred as one that loseth his way Peraduenture an aungell appered vnto the wyse men in the lykenes of a star for they appere in diuers likenesses and shapes At mouÌ„t Oreb an aungell spake vnto Moises out of a bush in the lykenes of fyre and at Galgall to Iosue the sonne of Nun like a man of armes Helias is caried vp to heauen in a charet of fyre and with horses of fyre The charet and the horse be the aungels of God whiche be ministring spirits accomplishing all his commaundementes The aungels appere vnto Abraham and Lot like thre wayfaring men Manne his wyfe sawe an angel talking with them as he had ben a Prophet So it may wel be that an aungel in the similitude of a star was a guide to the wise men For aungeles are called starres in the scriptures as in the reuelation of Iohn Stelle sep tem ecclesiarum angeli The seuen starres are the aungels of the seuen congregations Other thinke that this star was nether aungell nor a materiall star but the holy spirite whiche opened the incarnatioÌ„ of Christ both vnto the Iewes and to the Gentils but vnto the Iewes in the likenes of a Doue to the Gentils in the shape and similitude of a star of whiche Balaam an Astronomer prophecied long before Orietur stella ex Iacob there shall come a starre of Iacob that is a shining light of the holy ghost the which shal leade the HeatheÌ„ to the knowledge of Christ in the likenes of a star as he fell vpon the Apostles in the shape of fyre Thus muche I haue spoken of the starre that appered at the natiuitie of Christ bicause many by it wold proue fate and destinie But what say they is fate and destinie A stedfast and immutable order of causes wherby all thynges are done of necessitie called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 True it is nothing is done w tout a cause but yet many thiÌ„gs may seme to be done without any necessary cause for some causes be perfit some in our iudgement again may seme to be vnperfit Fire causeth heat perfectly and water cold but surfiting causeth sicknes a wound causeth death study causeth learning vnperfectly for a man may surfet be wounded and applie his study and yet nether be sick nedy ne learned If all causes were necessary but presuppose they were yet I wold deny all things to be ruled by their necessitie of fate and destinie for almighty God worketh what he will in them of his good pleasure He appered vnto Moises out of a bushe in a flame of fire and yet the bush consumed not He coÌ„maunded the fire not to hurt Ananias Azarias and Misael and saued them harmeles from the hote burning ouen Did necessitie of fate and destinie make Sara Elizabeth which were barren and past chyldren fruitfull Did destinie make Aarons rod bud the sunne to go bakward a maid to conceiue the blynd to see the deaf to heare the dead to aryse If almighty God then did al those thinges he leaueth not his creatures to be gouerned of causes which depeÌ„d one on another but ruleth them at his pleasure Salomon witnesseth of GOD that he doeth lengthen the lyfe of hys and shorten the life of the wicked saying The fear of the Lorde maketh a long life but the yeares of y e vngodly shalbe shortened There be many examples of this in the Bible The Prophet Esay commaundeth kyng Esechias to put his houshold in an order because he shoulde die out of hand and not liue and yet at his earnest request God lengthned his life .xv. yeares Thus we denie that the creatures are gouerned by stoicall destinie ether in their byrth death or any of their actions but only by the prouidence of God as the examples of the Scriptures concerning the birth of Iacob and Esau Phares and zara do witnes for the notable birth of Iacob Esau doth confute destinie and destroy the influence of the starres for they were borne both at one tyme in one place of one woman by one maÌ„ and yet they were as vnlyke as fier and water as lyght and darkenes as blacke white So were Phares and zara two twinnes also the chyldren of Iudas by his daugter Thamar These examples declare destinie influence of the starres to be but a fable yea they fortifie Gods prouidence teachyng him to be a gyuer of dyuers graces vnlyke fortunes and seuerall blessynges I graunt that an Astronomer may tell by the obseruation of the starres to what occupation to what estate of lyfe euery man is most feat most apâ— by nature but that he can tell mans fortune by any of his arte or cunning I deny vtterly For our lyfe is not ruled by the mouynge of the starres but by Gods prouidence who worketh all thynges in heauen and earth How then is that true whiche is wrytten in the boke of generation Compleuit Deus die septimo opus suum requieuit ab vni uerso opere c. He finished and he rested the seuenth day from all hys workes God rested the seuenth day from the workes of creation from formyng of newe creatures but not from gouerning of them The Carpenter after he hath finyshed the the house medleth no more therwith if God should doe so all creatures would peryshe If mans body can lyue without quickenyng of the soule the world may continue without his prouidence For he is to the worlde that the soule is to the body and more necessary to y e gouernauÌ„ce of it then y e soul to y e gouernaunce of the body forasmuch as he is y e maker both of soul body Thou must not imagin that God was wery with syxe dayes labour because he is sayd to haue rested the seuenth day who made all thynges and gouerneth them without labour and rested without werynes For resting signifieth endyng In the seuenth day God rested from al his workes that is he ended he finished the creation of the world Why then doeth not the scripture say he ended all his workes but that he rested from them Truly not without an vrgent cause for God is sayd to haue rested from all his workes whiche he made exceadyng good for because he wyll geue vs rest and quietnes from our trauayl if we wyll doe all good workes as he made all thynges exceading good This phrase of speakyng is vsed muche in the scripture as of the Apostle we knowe not what to desyre as we ought Spiritus intercedit pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilihus buâ—â—he spirit maketh intercession mightely for vs
earth and al the glorious fairnes of them they brought the children of Israel out of the house of bondage they preserued them from the tyranny and oppression of the Heathen they gaue also vnto the Heathen prosperitie and aduersitie peace war pouertie and riches â–ª they gouerne the vniuersal church whose workes be vnseparable Wherfore I thinke it necessary to declare what God is and what a persone signifieth in the deitie for as much as the commen sort of peple are ignoraÌ„t of their maker and gouernour and the signification of a persone is applied to diuerse things And because these two pointes be darke and hidden misteries and no lesse necessary to be knowen of al men then hard to teach I wil shape my speach after such a perceiuable fashioÌ„ that I may by Gods help make an Image of God for the capacitie of y e simple and vnlearned God spake to the Israelites out of the fire in the mount Oreb it is writteÌ„ y t they heard a voice but they sawe no Image because they should make none after it For it is a dishonor to God a derogation and defaming of the diuine nature to make any similitude therof ether of gold siluer stone wood or in thought and minde We must hear his voyce we must learn what God is out of Gods boke not of mans wisdome For if al thinges which be vnder the sunne be to hard for man as the wyse maÌ„ telleth how much more be the secretâ—â— of Gods nature hid from his eies of the whiche Esay wryteth Truly Lorde thou art hidden from vs counting himselfe one of the ignoraunt Simonides a famous clarke among the HeatheÌ„ teacheth vs how feble maÌ„s wyt is in declaring this misterie who when he was enquired of king Hiero what a thing God was he asked a day respite and the next day when he was enquired again he asked two daies more when they were expired he asked more not ceassing to double his daies vntil Hiero required of him why he did so For because said Simonides the more I consider it the darker it is vnto me And no maruel for as no man knoweth what is in man but y e spirit of maÌ„ so al men be ignorant what God is except thei be taught of y e spirit of God For seing Paul saith the eie hath not sene nor the eare hath not heard ne yet haue entred into the hert of maÌ„ the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him howe much more doeth he himself surmount our capacities But it foloweth God hath opened them vnto vs by his spirit for the spirit searcheth al things yea the botom of gods secretes And this spirit speaketh breatheth on vs in the scriptures as it is written My wordes are spirit and life Experience doth teache vs and the Apostle warneth vs how saÌ„tastical our heads be in searching Gods misteries For some imagine God to be a corporal thing of maÌ„s shape and forme because the scripture doth grauÌ„t in diuerse places vnto God hands fete eares eies mouth tong called comenly Anthropo morphites Read the .x. boke of the tripartite historie .vii. chap. and there you shal finde a great contention coÌ„cerning this matter betwene the monkes of Egipt and Theophilus bishop of AlexaÌ„dria albeit the sect of the Epicurus held this assercion long before as it appereth in the first bok of Tullie De natura deoruÌ„ wher this opinion is eloquently confuted by Cotta a Senatour of Rome Other rob God of his glory geue it vnto his creatures worshipping y e Sun the Mone the fier yea and mortal men for the immortal God and vnreasonable beastes for the authour of al reason wisdome and vnderstanding And some dishonor him by honoring of dead saintes and worshipping of bread and wine without any coÌ„maundment of the scripture any exaÌ„ple in the old or new testament any authoritie of the doctors I wyll not stand in rehersing the sundry phantasies of men as touching God What is the cause of al these phansies diuersities but that for which Esay controleth vs saieng The oxe knoweth his Lord and the asse his masters stall but we know not god Come therfore good christen people harken to the wordes of the Lorde I wil shew you in them y e maiestie of God himself his face countenaÌ„ce his magnificeÌ„ce highnes which cannot abide the felowship of any creatures Paul vnto the Hebrues warneth vs that we be not caried away with diuerse and straung doctrine which 〈◊〉 much to say as if he shuld coÌ„maunde vs to flie mans doctrine For mâ—n be the strauÌ„gers whose doctrine he biddeth vs flie as Peter witnesseth â—early beloued I besech you as straungers Pilgâ—ims c. Paul also expouÌ„deth hâ—mâ—elf saying that Abraham Isaac and Iacob confessed themselues to â—e straungers and Pilgrimes vpoÌ„ the 〈◊〉 dwelling in tentâ—s And Christ saith that his shâ—pe hear not the voice of straungers that is the doctrine of men the whiche in the viii of Marâ—â—e is called the leauen of the Pharisies and of Herod Wherfore if we be shepe of his pasture and people of his handes let vs folow his counsel for he is our shepeheard our head and the truth and of his Apostles for they are his labourers and workemen remembring that Dauid saith vnderstanding is good to them that doe after it For he that knoweth his maisters wil and will not folow it he shal be more greuovsly punished Christ saith vnto a woman of Samaria at Iacobs wel besides Sichar y t she her people worshipped they knew not what for they leaned to custume fathers rather then to the text of Gods word saiyng our fathers worshipped in this mountain But the Ieweâ—â—leauing vnto Gods word and worshipping in the temple knew what they worshipped the whiche was written for our enstruction that we shuld repare vnto the scriptures in all doutes and controuersies the which is the only touch stone to examin and trie al doctrine the forged pretensed and false from the sincere germane true The weapons of our warre saith Paul are not carnal thinges but the power of God to cast down strong holdes to ouerthrow inuentions that is to vanquish heresie to destroy all il doctrine Verely the Gospel is that power of God for so Paul tearmeth it vnto saluation to all them that beleue The Gospel is the spiritual swerd that shall preuaile against Sathan much more against heretikes and his members this swerd shal ouercome Antechrist whom god shal sley w t the breath of his mouth With this swerd Christ confounded the deuil mainteined his disciples sclaundred of the Phariseis as Sabboth breakers proued the resurrectioÌ„ against the Saduces taught a certain yong man y e way to heauen contented the Phariseis touching mariage with this swerd the Apostels in diuerse assembles confuted the Iewes after Christes
here iustly say that euerlasting fier is taken for a long fier albeit the latin word eternum bee some tyme taken so Prodâ—uturno for the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is neuer taken but for euer more world without end As for their argument that the punishment must be no greater then the fault I answer that our least fault deserueth euerlasting fier because it is committed against GOD who is euerlasting all be 〈◊〉 the fault be begonne and ended in tyme so that he is more to be considered against whose diuine wil it is done then what is done For the scriptur denieth him y e kingdom of heauen that breaketh one of the least coÌ„mauÌ„dements Doth it not cry that in hel there is no redemptioÌ„ And in death who remeÌ„breth thee And who wil geue thee thankes in hell And where the tree falleth there it shall lie The continuance of hel fier is described notablie of Christ where he coÌ„maundeth vs to cut of our hand our fote and to pluck out our eie that is to prefer heauenly thinges to our fathers and mothers familiar frindes saying if thy hand offend thee cut hym of It is better for the to enter into lyfe maimed then hauing two handes to go into hel into fier vnquencheable where their worm dieth not and the fier neuer goth out What caÌ„ be more plainli more vehemently spokeÌ„ of the endles pain of the wycked then these wordes into fier vnquencheable where their worm dieth not and the fier neuer goeth out whiche termes in y e same place be repeated twise more afterward If there be no redemption in hell how is it written in the boke of the kynges our Lord bryngeth folke doune into hel and bryngeth theÌ„ again we read also that Anania Azaria and Misaell blessed the Lorde for delyuering them out of hel and sauing from y e power of death This worde hel in the first place doth not signifie that which is commenly ment therby but a graue or pit that is digged for the Hebrue worde is sheol If any euill chaunce vnto my sonne Ben Iamin in the land whether you go you shal bring down myne hore heares with sorow vnto hel that is into my graue In Daniel it signifieth aduersitie trouble and misery as in many other places The .xi. Chapter ¶ God is ful of rightuousnes and of the prosperitie of euill men and the affliction of good men This endles punishment of the wicked is no derogacioÌ„ to Gods great mercy but rather a mirrour of his rightuousnes for as he is merciful so is he rightuouse as the mercy endureth for euer toward thâ— good so his rightuousnes endureth no lesse time toward the euil Dauid testifieth him to be iust in al his waies holy in al his workes By his rightuousnes he hated Cain Esau the thief on the left hand by his mercy he loued Abel Iacob hym that hong on y e right hand thorow these two happened the blindnes of y e Iewes and the fulnes of the Gentils If he be vnrightuous how shal he iudge y e world His sainctes iudgements be rightuous he shutteth the vnrightuous out of heauen he rewardeth right dealers wherfore he himself must nedes be a rightuous God Thou wilt say why theÌ„ doth he suffer the wicked to prosper geuyng them riches honour and children And why doth he punish the godly with pouertie sicknes and al kind of misery Why doth he suffer wicked Manasses to murder cruelly Esai Why doth he let Ieremy be slaine of Apires Zacharie of the hie priestes Iohn Baptist of Herode Christ of Pilate Why doth he suffer the Deuil to plage y e pacient maÌ„ Iob with al kind of aduersitie Why wyll he al good meÌ„ to bear a crosse in this world S. Paul telleth vs when we ar iudged we are chastened of the Lord lest we be damned with the world And it is good for me said Dauid that I haue bene in trouble that I may learn thy statutes Here two causes be rehearsed why God layeth affliction trouble and the crosse vpon the shulders of his elect that they may auoid dampnation and learne to kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts for trouble geueth vnderstanding Lord saith Esay in trouble they cry vnto thee the aduersitie which they suffer is a lesson vnto theÌ„ When the outward man perisheth the inward is renued day by day Moreouer God hath set at the entring of the garden of pleasure Cherubin with a fyrie sweard mouing in and out to kepe y e way to the tree of life to which there is no accesse but by affliction which is porter as it is written we must enter thorow much trouble into the kingdom of heauen Wherfore God loueth them whom he troubleth and he scourgeth euery sonne y t he receiueth they that are vnder no correctioÌ„ ar called bastards no sonnes Cato when Pompey was ouerthrowen of valeaunt Iulius Ceasar began to be angry w t God thinking hym percial but we christen mâ—n may not do so knowing aduersitie to be a token of Gods fauour an occasion of vnderstandiÌ„g a cause of ameÌ„dmeÌ„t These scripturs teach vs y t God punisheth his elect for their erudicion and coÌ„moditie nor for any vnrightuousnes albeit y e holiest man that euer was deserueth a crosse in this life His rigtuousnes enpouerisheth vs plageth vs and condempneth vs hys mercy enricheth vs healeth vs crouneth vs. But it is written of Iacob Esau that or they were borne or they had done good or euil God loued the one hated the other which was contrary to al true iudgement S. Paul in the same place compareth God to a potter and men to clay The potter hath power ouer the clay to make euen of one the same lompe one vessel vnto honour and another vnto dishonour And hath not God power ouer vs which be but clay that is naught the children of wrath to condempne or to saue The Latin worde here declareth more plainly what we be which is Ex eodem luto We be al becom durt by the faul of the first Adam If he croune durt it is his mercy thorowe the second Adam If he coÌ„dempne it he geueth right iudgement Thou wilt say then why blameth he vs For who can resist his wyl He made thee not clay that is the child of death but after the Image of God without sin Thou art durt and clay thorow the sinne of Adam not because of thy creation For God wold haue al meÌ„ saued And why be thei not the cause is not in hym but in vs not that we be able to withstand his wil but bycause he will saue none against their wil he wil saue al that is al that wil take it when it is offred them al that refuse not the saluation of their own souls as the Israelites did For Christ saieth vnto them that he wold haue