Creator But the causes voluntary God Angels Men and diuers other creatures haue often in their wil and power i If we may call that power a will by which the brute beastes flye their owne hurt and desire their good by Natures instinct That there is a will in Angels I doe absolutely affirme be they good whom we call Gods Angells or euill whome we call the diuels Angels fiends or diuels them-selues So men good and bad haue all their wills and hereby it is apparant that the efficient causes of all effects are nothing but the decrees of that nature which is The spirit of life Aire or wind is called a Spirit But because it is a body it is not the spirit of life But the spirit of life that quickneth all things is the Creator of all bodies and all created spirits this is God a spirit from eternity vncreated in his wil there is that height of power which assisteth the wills of the good spirits iudgeth the bad disposeth of al giuing power to whom he pleaseth and holding it from whome he list For as he is a Creator of all natures so is hee of all powers but not the giuer of all wills for wicked wills are not of him beeing against that nature which is of him So the bodyes are all subiect vnto diuers wills some to our owne wills that is the wills rather of men then of beasts som to the Angels but all to the will of God vnto whom al wills are subiect because they haue no power but what hee giueth them The cause then that maketh all and is not made it selfe is God The other causes do both effect and are effected such are all created spirits chiefly the reasonable ones The corporal causes which are rather effects then otherwise are not to be counted as efficient causes because they came but to do that which the will of the spirit within them doth inioine thē how then can that set order of causes in Gods foreknowledge depriue our wils of power seeing they bear such a sway amongst the very causes them-selues But k let Cicero rangle his fellowes that say this order is fatall or rather fate it selfe which we abhor because of the word chieflly being vsed in a false beliefe but wheras he denieth that God knoweth assuredly the set order of those causes we detest his assertion worse then the Stoiks do for he either denieth God which he indeuoreth vnder a false person in his bookes De n◅t de Or if he do acknowledge him yet in denying him this fore-knowledge he saith but as the foole said in his heart There is no God for if God want the praescience of all future euents hee is not God And therefore l our wills are of as much power as God would haue them and knew before that they should be and the power that they haue is theirs free to do what they shall do truly and freely because he fore-knew that they should haue this power and do these acts whose fore-knowledge cannot be deceiued wherefore if I list to vse the m word fate in any thing I would rather say that it belonged to the weaker and that will belonged to the higher who hath the other in his power rather then grant that our liberty of will were taken away by that sette order which the Stoikes after a peculiar phraze of their owne call fate L. VIVES EIther a in God De diuinat lib 2. where in a disputation with his brother Quintus he indeauoureth to ouerthrow diuination for which Q. had stood in the booke before For he saith that There is nothing so contrary to reason and constancy as fortune is so that mee thinkes God him-selfe should haue no fore-knowledge of those casuall euents For if he haue it must come so to passe as he knoweth and then it is not casuall but casuall euents there are and therefore there is no fore-knowledge of them This in the said place and much more pertaining to the explaining of this chapter which it sufficeth vs to haue pointed out b A fate to the Stars They all doe so but some giue fate the originall from them excluding God c Lucilius Balbus In the end of the book thus he concludeth This said we departed Velleius holding Cotta's disputation for the truer and I being rather inclined to Balbus suit d Of him-selfe For in his 2. booke hee speaketh him-selfe and confuteth his brothers assertions for diuination e Stoikes Of this in the next chapter f Vnlesse fate Var. de Ling. lat l. 8. The destinies giue a fortune to the childe at the birth and this is called fate of fari to speake Lucan lib. 9. Non vocibus vllis Numen eget dixitquesem◅l nascentibus auctor Quicquid scire licet The Deities neuer need Much language fate but once no more doth read The fortune of each birth It seemes hee borrowed this out of the Psalme heere cited or out of Iob. chap. 33. v. 14. Hee hath spoke once and hath not repeated it againe Both which places demonstrat the constancy of Gods reuealed knowledge by that his once speaking as the common interpretation is the which followeth in the Psalme these two things c. some refer to them which followeth That power belongeth c. Others to the two testaments The Thargum of the Chaldees commeth neere this later opinion saying God hath spoken one law and wee haue heard it twise out of the mouth of Moyses the great scribe vertue is before our God and thou Lord that thou wouldst be bountifull vnto the iust g For Tullies In his booke de fato following Carneades he setteth down three kinds of causes naturall arising from nature as for a stone to fal downward for the fire to burne Voluntary consisting in the free wills of men wherein it is necessary there be no precedent causes but that they be left free and Casuall which are hidden and vnknown in diuers euents Herein he is of the N◅turalists opinion that will haue nothing come to passe without a cause h Naturall Fire hath no other cause of heate a stone of heauynesse a man of reason procreation of like c. then the will of natures Creator who had hee pleased might haue made the fire coole the stone mount vpwards the man a brute beast or dead or vnable to beget his like i If we may cal Arist de anima l. 3. Putteth will only in reasonable creatures and appetite being that instinct wherby they desire or refuse any thing in beastes Will in creatures of reason is led by reason and accompanied by election or rather is election it selfe k But Cicero With the Stoikes l Our wills are God created our wils free and that because it was his will so they may make choyce of contraries yet cannot go against Gods predestination not questionlesse euer would although they could for sure it is that much might bee done which neuer shal so
eyther excerciseth the humility or beates downe the pride nothing a at all in nature being euill euill being but a priuation of good but euery thing from earth to heauen ascending in a degree of goodnesse and so from the visible vnto the inuisible vnto which all are vnequall And in the greatest is God the great workeman yet b no lesser in the lesse which little thinges are not to be measured to their owne greatnesse beeing neare to nothing but by their makers wisedome as in a mans shape shane his eye-brow a very nothing to the body yet how much doth it deforme him his beauty consisting more of proportion and parilyty of parts then magnitude Nor is it a wonder that c those that hold some nature bad and produced from a bad beginning do not receiue GODS goodnesse for the cause of the creation but rather thinke that hee was compelled by this rebellious euill of meere necessity to fall a creating and mixing of his owne good nature with euill in the suppression and reforming thereof by which it was so foyled and so toyled that he had much adoe to re-create and mundifie it nor can yet cleanse it all but that which hee could cleanse serues as the future prison of the captiued enemy This was not the Maniches foolishnes but their madnesse which they should abandon would they like Christians beleeue that Gods nature is vnchangeable incorruptible impassible and that the soule which may be changed by the will vnto worse and by the corruption of sinne be depriued of that vnchangeable light is no part of God nor Gods nature but by him created of a farre inferiour mould L. VIVES NOthing a at all This Augustine repeats often and herein do al writers of our religion besides Plato Aristotle Tully and many other Philosophers agree with him Plato in his Timaeus holds it wicked to imagine any thing that God made euill he being so good a God him-selfe for his honesty enuied nothing but made all like him-selfe And in his 2. de rep he saith The good was author of no euill but only of things good blaming Hesiod and Homer for making Ioue the author of mischiefe confessing God to be the Creator of this vniuerse therby shewing nothing to be euill in nature I will say briefly what I thinke That is good as Aristotle saith iâ—…â—…s â—…etorik which we desire either for it selfe or for another vse And the iust contrary is euil wâ—…efore in the world some things are vsefull and good some auoideble bad Some 〈◊〉 and indifferent and to some men one thing is good and to others bad yea vnto one man at seuerall times seuerall good bad or neuter vpon seueral causes This opinioÌ„ the weaknesse of our iudgements respects of profit do produce But only that is the diuine iudgement which so disposeth all things that each one is of vse in the worlds gouernment And hee knoweth all without error that seeth all things to bee good and vsefull in their due seasons which the wise man intimates when hee saith That God made all things good each in the due time Therefore did hee blesse all with increase and multiplication If any thing were alwayes vnprofitable it should bee rooted out of the creation b No lesse Nature is in the least creatures pismires gnats bees spiders as potent as in horses oxâ—…n whales or elephants and as admirable Pliny lib. 11. c Those This heresie of the Manichees Augustine declareth De heres ad Quod vult deum Contra Faust. Manich. De Genes ad liter Of the error that Origen incurreth CHAP. 23. Bvt the great wonder is that some hold one beginning with vs of all thinges and that God created all thinges that are not of his essence otherwise they could neuer haue had beeing And yet wil not hold that plaine good beleefe of the Worlds simple and good course of creation that the good God made all thinges good They hold that all that is not GOD after him and yet that all is not good which none but God could make But the a soules they say not part but creatures of God sinned in falling from the maker being cast according to their deserts into diuers degrees down from heauen got certaine bodies for their prisons And ther-upon the world was made say they not for increase of good but restrrint of bad and this is the World Herein is Origen iustly culpable for in his Periarchion or booke of beginnings he affirmes this wherein I haue much maruaile that a man so read indiuine scriptures should not obserue first how contrary this was to the testimony of scripture that confirmeth all Gods workes with this And God saw that it was good And at the conclusion God saw all that hee made and loe it was very good Auerring no cause for this creation but onely that the good God should produce good things where if no man had sinned the world should haue beene adorned and filled b onely with good natures But sin being commited it did not follow that all should be filled with badnes the far greater part remaining still good keeping the course of their nature in heauen nor could the euil willers in breaking the lawes of nature auoyd the iust lawes of the al-disposed God For as a picture sheweth well though it haue black colors in diuers places so the Vniuerse is most faire for all these staines of sins which notwithstaÌ„ding being waighed by themselues do disgrace the lustre of it Besides Origen should haue seene and all wise men with him that if the world were made onely for a penall prison for the transgressing powers to bee imbodyed in each one according to the guilt the lesse offenders the higher and lighter and the greater ones the baser and heauier that then the Diuels the worst preuaricators should rather haue bin thurst into the basest that is earthly bodies then the worst men But that we might know that the spirits merits are not repaid by the bodies qualitie the worst diuell hath an c ayry body and man though he be bad yet of farre lesse malice and guilt hath an earthly body yea had ere his fall And what can be more fond then to thinke that the Sunne was rather made for a soule to be punished in as a prison rather then by the prouidence of God to bee one in one world as a light to the beauty and a comfort to the creatures Otherwise two ten or en hundred soules sinning all a like the world should haue so many Sunnes To auoyd which we must rather beleeue that there was but one soule sinned in that kind deseruing such a body rather then that the Makers miraculous prouidence did so dispose of the Sunne for the light comfort of things created It is not the soules whereof speake they know not what but it is their owne soules that are so farre from truth that they must needes be attanted and restraned Therefore these three I
that end which the order of the vniuerse requireth so that that corruption which bringeth all natures mortall vnto dissolution cannot so dissolue that which was but it may become that afterwards which it was before or that which it should be which being so then God the highest being who made all things that are not him-selfe no creature being fitte for that equalitie being made of â—…othing and consequently being not able to haue beene but by him is not to be discommended through the taking offence at some faults but to bee honored vpon the due consideration of the perfection of all natures L. VIVES A a certaine Euery thing keeping harmonious agreement both with it selfe and others without corrupting discorde which made some ancient writers affirme that the world 〈◊〉 vpon loue The cause of the good Angells blisse and the euills misery CHAP. 6. THE true cause therefore of the good Angells blisse is their adherence to that most high essence and the iust cause of the bad Angels misery is their departure from that high essence to reside vpon them-selues that were not such which vice what is it else but a pride For pride is the roote of all sinne These would not therefore stick vnto him their strength and hauing power to bee more b perfect by adherence to this highest good they preferred them-selues that were his inferiours before him This was the first fall misery and vice of this nature which all were it not created to haue the highest being yet might it haue beatitude by fruition of the highest being but falling from him not bee â—…de nothing but yet lesse then it was and consequently miserable Seeke the câ—…e of this euill will and you shall finde iust none For what can cause the wills 〈◊〉 the will being sole cause of all euill The euill will therefore causeth euill workes but nothing causeth the euill will If there be then either it hath a will or â—…one If it haue it is either a good one or a bad if good what foole will say a good will is cause of an euill will It should if it caused sinne but this were extreame absurditie to affirme But if that it haue an euill will then I aâ—…ke what caused this euill will in it and to limite my questions I aske the cause of the first euill will For not that which an other euill will hath caused is the first euill will but that which none hath caused for still that which causeth is before the other caused If I bee answered that nothing caused it but it was from the beginning I aske then wheâ—…er it were in any nature If it were in none it had no being if it were in any it corrupted it hurt it and depriued it of all good and therefore this Vice could not be in an euill nature but in a good where it might doe hurt for if it could not hurt it was no vice and therefore no bad will and if it did hurt it was by priuation of good or diminishing of it Therfore a bad will could be from eternity in that wherein a good nature had beene before which the euill will destroied by hurt Well if it were not eternall who made it It must be answered something that had no euill will what was this inferior superior or equall vnto it If it were the superior it was better and why then had it not a will nay a better will This may also bee said of the equall for two good wills neuer make the one the other bad It remaines then that some inferior thing that had no will was cause of that vicious will in the Angels I but all things below them euen to the lowest earth being naturall is also good and hath the goodnesse of forme and kinde in all order how then can a good thing produce an euill will how can good be cause of euill for the will turning from the superior to the inferior becomes bad not because the thing where-vnto it turneth is bad but because the diuision is bad and peruerse No inferior thing then doth depraue the will but the will depraues it selfe by following inferior things inordinately For if two of like affect in body and minde should beholde one beautious personage and the one of them be stirred with a lustfull desire towards it and the others thoughts stand chaste what shall wee thinke was cause of the euill will in the one and not in the other Not the seene beauty for it transformed not the will in both and yet both saw it alike not the flesh of the beholders face why not both nor the minde we presupposed them both alike before in body and minde Shall we say the deuill secretly suggested it into one of them as though hee consented not to it in his owne proper will This consent therefore the cause of this assent of the will to vicious desire is that wee seeke For to take away one let more in the question if both were tempted and the one yeelded and the other did not why was this but because the one would continue chaste and the other would not whence then was this secret fall but from the proper will where there was such parity in body and minde a like sight and a like temptation So then hee that desires to know the cause of the vicious will in the one of them if hee maâ—…ke iâ—… well shall finde nothing For if wee say that hee caused it what was hee ere his vicious will but a creature of a good nature the worke of GOD that vnchangeable good Wherefore hee that saith that hee that consented to this lustfull desire which the other with-stood both beeing before alike affected and beholding the beautifull obiect alike was cause of his owne euill will whereas he was good before this vice of will Let him aske why he caused this whether from his nature or for that hee was made of nothing and he shall finde that his euill will arose not from his naâ—…ure but from his nothing for if wee shall make his nature the effecter of his vicious will what shall wee doe but affirme that good is the efficient cause of euill But how can it bee that nature though it bee mutable before it haue a vicious will should doe viciously namely in making the will vicious L. VIVES BVt a pride Scotus holds that the Angels offence was not pride I thinke onely because hee will oppose Saint Thomas who held with the Fathers the contrary b Perfect in essence and exellence That we ought not to seeke out the cause of the vicious will CHAP. 7. LEt none therefore seeke the efficient cause of an euill will for it is not efficient but deficient nor is there effect but defect namely falling from that highest essence vnto a lower this is to haue an euill will The causes whereof beeing not efficient but deficient if one endeuour to seeke it is as if hee should seeke to see the darknesse or to heare
them as deceitfull deuills both in their good words and in their bad But seeing this God this goddesse cannot agree about Christ truly men haue no reason to beleeue or obey them in forbidding christianity Truly either Porphyry or Hecate in these commendations of Christ affirming that he destinied the christians to error yet goeth about to shew the causes of this error which before I relate I will aske him this one question If Christ did predestinate all christians vnto error whether did hee this wittingly or against his will If hee did it wittingly how then can hee bee iust if it were against his will how can hee then bee happy But now to the causes of this errour There are some spirits of the earth saith hee which are vnder the rule of the euill Daemones These the Hebrewes wise men whereof IESVS was one as the diuine Oracle declared before doth testifie forbad the religious persons to meddle with-all aduising them to attend the celestiall powers and especially God the Father with all the reuerence they possibly could And this saith hee the Gods also doe command vs as wee haue already shewen how they admonish vs to reuerence GOD in all places But the ignorant and wicked hauing no diuine guift nor any knowledge of that great and immortall Ioue nor following the precepts of the gods or good men haue cast all the deities at their heeles choosing not onely to respect but euen to reuerence those depraued Daemones And where-as they professe the seruice of GOD they doe nothing belonging to his seruice For GOD is the father of all things and stands not in neede of anything and it is well for vs to exhibite him his worship in chastitie iustice and the other vertues making our whole life a continuall prayer vnto him by our search and imitation of him c For our search of him quoth hee purifieth vs and our imitation of him deifieth the effects in our selues Thus well hath hee taught God the Father vnto vs and vs how to offer our seruice vnto him The Hebrew Prophets are full of such holy precepts concerning both the commendation and reformation of the Saints liues But as concerning Christianity there hee erreth and slandereth as farre as his deuills pleasure is whome hee holdeth deities as though it were so hard a matter out of the obscenities practised and published in their Temples and the true worship and doctrine presented be fore GOD in our Churches to discerne where manners were reformed and where they were ruined Who but the deuill him-selfe could inspire him with so shamelesse a falsification as to say that the Christians doe rather honour then detest the Deuills whose adoration was forbidden by the Hebrewes No that God whome the Hebrewes adored will not allow any sacrifice vnto his holiest Angels whome wee that are pilgrims on earth doe not-with-standing loue and reuerence as most sanctified members of the Citty of heauen but forbiddeth it directly in this thundring threate Hee that sacrificeth vnto Gods shall be rooted 〈◊〉 and least it should be thought hee meant onely of the earthly spirits whome this fellow calles the lesser powers d and whome the scripture also calleth gods not of the Hebrews but the Heathens as is euident in that one place Psal. 96. verse 5. For all the Gods of the Heathen are Diuels least any should imagine that the fore-said prohibition extended no further then these deuills or that it concerned not the offring to the celestiall spirits he addeth but vnto the Lord alone but vnto one God onely Some may take the words nisi domino soli to bee vnto the Lord the sunne and so vnderstand the place to bee meant of Apollo but the oriâ—…â—…nd the e Greeke translations doe subuert all such misprision So then the Hebrew God so highly commended by this Philosopher gaue the Hebrewes a â—…awe in their owne language not obscure or vncertaine but already dispersed through-out all the world wherein this clause was literally conteined Hee that sacrificeth vnto Gods shall bee rooted out but vnto the Lord alone What neede wee make any further search into the law and the Prophets concerning this nay what need wee search at all they are so plaine and so manifold that what neede I stand aggrauating my disputation with any multitudes of those places that exclude all powers of heauen and earth from perticipating of the honors due vnto God alone Behold this one place spoaken in briefe but in powerfull manner by the mouth of that GOD whome the wisest Ethnicks doe so highly extoll let vs marke it feare it and obserue it least our eradication ensue Hee that sacrificeth vnto more gods then that true and onely LORD shall bee rooted out yet God him-selfe is farre from needing any of our seruices but f all that wee doe herein is for the good of our owne soules Here-vpon the Hebrewes say in their holy Psalmes I haue sayd vnto the Lord thou art my GOD my well-dooing â—…th not vnto thee No wee our selues are the best and most excellent sacrifice that hee can haue offered him It is his Citty whose mystery wee celebrate 〈◊〉 â—…ch oblations as the faithfull doe full well vnderstand as I sayd once already For the ceasing of all the typicall offrings that were exhibited by the Iewes aâ—…d the ordeyning of one sacrifice to bee offered through the whole world from East to West as now wee see it is was prophecied long before from GOD by the mouthes of holy Hebrewes whome wee haue cited as much as needed in conuenient places of this our worke Therefore to conclude where there is not this iustice that GOD ruleth all alone ouer the society that obeyeth him by grace and yeeldeth to his proâ—…tion of sacrifice vnto all but him-selfe and where in euery member belongâ—… to this heauenly society the soule is lord ouer the body and all the bad afâ—… thereof in the obedience of GOD and an orderly forme so that all the 〈◊〉 as well as one liue according to faith g which worketh by loue in â—…ch a man loueth GOD as hee should and his neighbour as him-selfe 〈◊〉 this iustice is not is no societie of men combined in one vniformity of 〈◊〉 and profite consequently no true state popular if that definition holde â—…ch and finally no common-wealth for where the people haue no certaine 〈◊〉 the generall hath no exact forme L. VIVES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is of Oraculous Phisosophy in which worke hee recites Apollos Orracles and others part whereof wee haue cited before b Photinus Hee was condemned by the counsell of Syrmium being confuted by Sabinus Bishoppe of Ancyra Cassiod Hist tripart He followed the positions of Samosatenus so that many accompted of both these heresies all as one c For our search Search is here a mentall inquisition whereby the mind is illustrate and purged from darke ignorance and after it hath found God studieth how to grow purâ—… and diuine like him d And whome the scripture
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
not the for bidden meates rehearsing the gratiousnesse of the New Testament from CHRISTS first comming euen vnto this Iudgement we haue now in hand For first he tells how GOD saith that hee commeth to gather the nations and how they shall come to see his glorie For all haue sinned saith the Apostle and are depriued of the glorie of GOD. Hee sayth also that hee will leaue signes amongst them to induce them to beleeue in him and that hee will send his elect into many nations and farre Islands that neuer heard of his name to preach his glory to the Gentiles and to bring their bretheren that is the bretheren of the elect Israell of whome hee spake into his presence to bring them for an offering vnto GOD in chariots and vpon horses that is by the ministerie of men or angells vnto holie Ierusalem that is now spread through-out the earth in her faithfull Cittizens For these when GOD assisteth them beleeue and when they beleeue they come vnto him Now GOD in a simily compares them to the children of Israel that offered vnto him his sacrifices with psalmes in the Temple as the church doth now in all places and hee promiseth to take of them for priests and for leuites which now wee see hee doth For hee hath not obserued fleshly kindred in his choise now as hee did in the time of Aurons priest-hood but according to the New Testament where CHRIST is priest after the order of Melchisedech hee selecteth each of his priests according to the merit which GODS grace hath stored his soule with as wee now behold and these b Priests are not to bee reckned of for their places for those the vnworthie doe often hold but for their sanctities which are not common both to good and bad Now the prophet hauing thus opened Gods mercies to the church addeth the seueral ends that shall befall both the good and bad in the last iudgement in these w◅ds As the new heauens and the new earth which I shall make shall remaine before mee saith the LORD euen so shall your seede and your name And from month to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come to worshippe before mee saith the LORD And they shall goe forth and looke vpon the members of the men that haue transgressed against mee for their women shall not die neither shall their fire bee quenshed and they shal be an abhorring vnto all flesh Thus endeth the Prophet his booke with the end of the world Some in this place for members read c carkasse hereby intimating the bodies euident punishment though indeed a carkasse is properly nothing but dead flesh but those bodies shal be lyuing otherwise how should they bee sensible of paine vnlesse wee say they are dead bodies that is their soules are fallen into the second death and so wee may fitly call them carkasses And thus is the Prophets former words also to bee taken The land of the wicked shall fall Cadauer a carkasse all knowes commeth of Cado to fall Now the translators by saying the carkasses of the men doe not exclude women from this damnation but they speake as by the better sexe beeing that woman was taken out of man But note especially that where the Prophet speaking of the blessed sayth all flesh shall come to worshippe Hee meaneth not all men for the greater number shal be in torments but some shall come out of all nations to adore him in the Heauenly Ierusalem But as I was a saying since here is mention of the good by flesh and of the bad by carkasses Verelie after the resurrection of the flesh our faith whereof these words doe confirme that which shall confine both the good and bad vnto their last limits shal be the iudgement to come L. VIVES AGainst a the vnfaithfull Hierome out of the hebrew and the seauenty readeth it Against his enemies b Priests are not to be It is not priest-hood nor orders that maketh a man any whit respected of GOD for these dignities both the Godly and vngodly doe share in but it is purity of conscience good life and honest cariage which haue resemblance of that immense that incorruptible nature of GOD those winne vs fauour with him c Carkasses So doth Hierome reade it But marke Saint Augustines vprightnesse rather to giue a fauorable exposition of a translation to which hee stood not affected then any way to cauill at it How the Saints shall goe forth to see the paines of the wicked CHAP. 22. BVt how shall the good goe forth to see the bad plagued Shall they leaue their blessed habitations and goe corporally to hell to see them face to face God forbid no they shall goe in knowledge For this implieth that the damned shal be without and for this cause the Lord calleth their place vtter darkenesse opposite vnto that ingresse allowed the good seruāt in these words Enter into thy Maisters ioye and least the wicked should be thought to goe in to bee seene rather then the good should goe out by knowledge to see them being to know that which is without for the tormented shall neuer know what is done in the Lords Ioye but they that are in that Ioye shall know what is done in the vtter darkenesse Therefore saith the Prophet they shall goe forth in that they shall know what is without for if the Prophets through that small part of diuine inspiration could know these things before they came to passe how then shall not these immortalls know them being passed seeing that in them the Lord is al in all Thus shall the Saints bee blessed both in seed and name In seed as Saint Iohn saith And his seed remaineth in him In name as Isaias saith So shall your name continue from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall they haue rest vpon rest passing thus from old and temporall types to new and euerlasting truthes But the paines of the wicked that eternall worme and that neuer dying fire is diuersly expounded either in reference to the bodie onelie or to the soule onely or the fire to belong to the bodie reallie and the worme to the soule figuratiuely and this last is the likeliest of the three But heere is no place to discusse peculiars Wee must end this volume as wee promised with the iudgement the seperation of good from badde and the rewards and punishments accordingly distributed Daniels prophecy of Antichrist of the iudgement and of the Kingdome of the Saints CHAP. 23. OF this Iudgement Daniel prophecieth saying that Antichrist shall fore-run it and so hee proceedeth to the eternall Kingdome of the Saints for hauing in a vision beheld the foure beasts types of the foure Monarchies and the fourth ouer-throwne by a King which all confesse to bee Antichrist and then seeing the eternall Empire of the Sonne of man CHRIST to follow Daniell saith hee Was troubled in spirit in the middest of my body and the visions of mine head made mee
silence wee know them both this by a the eare and that by the eye but not by any formes of theirs but priuation of formes Let none then seeke to know that of mee which I know not my selfe vnlesse hee will learne not to know what hee must know that hee cannot know for the things that we know by priuation and not by forme are rather if you can conceit mee knowne by not knowing and in knowing them are still vnknowne For the bodyes eye coursing ouer bodyly obiects sees no darkenesse but when it ceaseth to see And so it belongs to the eare and to no other sence to know silence which notwithstanding is not knowne but by not hearing So our intellect doth speculate the intelligible formes but where they faile it learneth by not learning for who can vnderstand his faults This I know that Gods nature can neuer faile in time nor in part but all things that are made of nothing may decay which doe not-with-standing more good as they are more essentiall for then doe they some-thing when they haue efficient causes but in that they faile and fall off and doe euill they haue deficient causes and what doe they then but vanity L. VIVES BY the a eare Contraries are knowne both by one methode say the Philosophers and the primatiue is knowne onely by seperation of the knowledge of the Positiue Of the peruerse loue whereby the soule goeth from the vnchangeable to the changeable good CHAP. 8. I Know besides that wherein the vicious will is resident therein is that done which if the will would not should not bee done and therefore the punishment falls iustly vpon those acts which are wills and not necesâ—…ities It is not the a thing to which wee fall but our fall that is euill that is wee fall to no euill natures but against natures order from the highest to the lower and therefore euill Couetise is no vice in the gold but in him that peruersly leaueth iustice to loue gold whereas iustice ought alwayes to bee preferred before ritches Nor is lust the fault of sweete bautious bodies but the soules that runnes peruersly to bodily delights neglecting temperance which scornes all company with those prepares vs vnto far more excellent and spirituall pleasures Vaine-glory is not a vice proper to humaine praise but the soules that peruersely affecteth praise of men not respecting the consciences testimonie Nor is pride his vice that giueth the power but the soules peruersly louing that power contemning the iustice of the most mighty By this then he that peruersly affected a good of nature though he attaine it is euill himselfe in this good and wretched being depriued of a better L. VIVES THE a thing It is not the action but the quality and manner thereof that is vicious said Plato Whether he that made the Angels natures made their wills good also by the infusion of his loue into them through his holy spirit CHAP. 9. SEeing therefore there is no naturall nor a essentiall cause effecting the euill of will but that euill of mutability of spirit which depraueth the good of nature ariseth from it selfe being effected no way but by falling from God which falling also hath no cause If we say also that good wills haue no efficient cause we must beware least they bee not held vncreated and coeternall with God But seeing that the Angels them-selues were created how can their wills but bee so also Besides being created whether were they created with them or without them first if with them then doubtlesse hee that made one made both and b as soone as they were created they were ioyned to him in that loue wherein they were created And therein were they seuered from the other because they kept their good-wills still and the other were changed by falling in their euill will from that which was good whence they needed not haue fallen vnlesse they had listed But if the good Angels were at first with-out good wills and made those wills in them-selues without Gods working were they therefore made better of them-selues then by his creation God forbid For what were they without good wills but euill Or if they were not euill because they had no euill wills neither nor fell from that which they had not how-so-euer they were not as yet so good as when they had gotten good wills But now if they could not make them-selues better then God the best workeman of the world had made them then verily could they neuer haue had good wills but by the operation of the creator in them And these good wills effecting their conuersion not to them-selues who were inferiours but to the supreme God to adhere vnto him and bee blessed by fruition of him what doe they else but shew that the best will should haue remained poore in desire onely but that he who made a good nature of nothing capable of himselfe e made it better by perfecting it of himselfe first hauing made it more desirous of perfection for this must bee examined whether the good Angels created good will in them-selues by a good will or a badde or none if by none then none they created If by a badde how can a badde will produce a good if by a good then had they good wills already And who gaue them those but he that created them by a good will that is in that chast loue of their adherence to him both forming them nature and giuing them grace Beleeue it therefore the Angelles were neuer without good will that is Gods loue But those that were created good and yet became euill by their proper will which no good nature can do but in a voluntary defect from good that and not the good being the cause of euill either d receiued lesse grace from the diuine loue then they that persisted therein or if the had equall good at their creation the one fell by the euill wills and the other hauing further helpe attained that blisse from which they were sure neuer to fal as we shewed in our last booke Therefore to gods due praise wee must confesse that the diffusion of Gods loue is beâ—…owed as well vpon the Angells as the Saints by his holy spirit bestowed vpon them and that that Scripture It is good for me to adhere vnto God was peculiar at first to the holy Angells before man was made This good they all participate with him to whome they adhere and are a holy citty a liuing sacrifice and a liuing temple vnto that God Part whereof namely that which the Angells shall gather and take vp from this earthly pilgrimage vnto that society being now in the flesh vpon earth or dead and resting in the e secret receptacles of soules how it had first original must I now explaine as I did before of the Angels For of Gods worke The first man came all man kind as the scripture saith whose authority is iustly admired throughout the earth and those
5. 44. Abbot Agatho Ancid 4. Virg. Aâ—…g log 8. Apuleius accused of Magick Magike forbidden The elements chaiâ—…ed The deuills habâ—…ion Rom 1. 21. 22. 23. Isay 19 1 Luc. 1. Luc. 1. Mat 16. â—…6 Mat 8. 29 Spirits and deuills called into Images Psal. 96. 1. Cor. 1. 8. 4. How man doth make the deuill god The deuills benefâ—…es hurtfull De Philosoph Orac. Malice The Martires memory succeeded the Idols Mercuries tombe The Necia plaâ—…es Three Aesculapiâ—… The Crocodile The Mercury Hermopolis Trismegistus Cypâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Martires not to be adored Plaies of the passion of Iesus Christ vnlawfull The Louanists want this Isis. Ceres Wheate put barley out of credit In coÌ„uiuio Daemones Dâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pasâ—… An history of a Philosopher thaâ—… was in a stoâ—… at sea 〈◊〉 of 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phantasie Opinion Affects how 〈◊〉 man Pyey 〈◊〉 Angells why called after the affect that their offices releâ—…e Tâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subâ—…s â—…o pasâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Circian colours Apuleâ—… his description of maâ—… The deuills miserable immortality Plotine Eudemonâ—… Genâ—… Lareâ—… 〈◊〉 The golden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daemon Lâ—…res Lemures Maâ—…s The diâ—… eternally miserable Enuy. Phil 2. God not polluted by being present vnto wise men God incoÌ„prehensible God is to be partly knoâ—…ne of his creatures God assumed man All this commenâ—…ary the Lovanists do lâ—…aue quite out Daemon vsed alway in the scripture on the worst part 〈◊〉 â—…t it is 〈…〉 Daemâ—… Maâ—… 1. â—…4 Math 4. Christs miracles Temptation The diuels knowledge The diuels oâ—…en decemed Loue of fâ—…e obiâ—…s The certâ—…y of Gods wâ—… â—…s 50. 1. Pâ—… 130. 2. â—…s 95 3. â—…s 96 4 5. Mar. 1. 24. Ps. 82. 6. Men called Gods Why. Cor 1. 8. ver 5. 6 The diuelâ—… not to be worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods seruants Laâ—… Dulâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. 17 Mat. 5. 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa. 116. 12 13. Râ—…ligon The sum of â—…lle eligion Neighbors who bee they Our friend our second selfe Psal. 15. 2 Psa. 51 16 17. 〈◊〉 Psal. 50 1â—… 13. Ver. 14 15 Mich. 6 6 7. 8 Heb. 13. 16 Mercy â—…el 30. 23 Rom. 12 1 Verse 2. Psam â—…3 28 The christâ—…ans sacrifice The sacrament of the altar Psal. 87. 2 Gen. 17 1â—… Gen. 21 Genâ—…s Geâ—… 9 Exod. 14 Exod. 15 â—…od 23 The Teletae Goetia Magike Pharmacy Theurgy Plato's law Platos gods Psellus his Daemones Porphyries gods The deuills apparitions 2. Cor. 11. 14 Proâ—… Lib. 2. Chaeremon Porphyryes 〈◊〉 of the gods that loue sacrifices Isis. Osyris Man a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All time 〈◊〉 to God 〈◊〉 33 〈◊〉 Whether the Fathers â—…aw God or no. Heb 2. 2. Io 5 37. Exo. 33. 20 veâ—…se 23. Lycurgus Mâ—… 6. 2â—… 29. 30. Godâ—… proâ—… Periurgikes Tâ—… 〈◊〉 excell the Pagans The angels 〈◊〉 god Procurare Actius Naeuius Augur The 〈◊〉 â—…pent Claudia a Vestall Iuglerâ—… Illusionâ—… Aâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tâ—…e 〈◊〉 Exod. 13. â—…os 4. Ios. 6. 1 Kingâ—… 5. The diuels vvorke vvonders for their vvorship Ps. 72. Offices The Angels refuse honours Apoc. 19. Acts. 〈◊〉 The church a sacrifice Hovv The Martâ—…rs the diuels conquerers Heroes and Semigods 〈◊〉 Heâ—… Rapâ—… Proseâ—…p lib. 2. Scipio African Sin onely â—…euers man from God Exorcisme Porphyry his opinion of the Trinity Heed must bee had of discourse of the Trinity The Sabellian Heretikes Whether the Phylosophers kneâ—… the â—…inity Serapis his answere Plotine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 24. Pride 〈◊〉 one from light of the mistery of redemption Io. 1. 14. Io. 6. 60. Io. 8. 25. The 〈◊〉 â—…s 73. 28. Ps. 83. The flesh is cleansed by the heart Rom. 8. 24. Christ 〈◊〉 vpon hâ—…m whole mâ—…n Virgil. Eâ—… 4. The Theurgikes cannot purge or cleanse 〈◊〉 spâ—… 1. Cor. Abd. 1. Esay 33. The wisdome of the word foolishnesse Amelita Plato's opinion of thâ—… worlds creaâ—…on The Kings lâ—…gh way Genes 22 Psalm 60 Iohn 14 Esay 2 Luk. 24 A recâ—…pitulation of the former ten bookâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…7 2 〈◊〉 4â—… 1 〈◊〉 â—…6 How God speaketh vnto man No Godhead of the sonnes waisted in his assumption of man Faith concernes things inuisible Sensâ—… To see Whether the world be created Mâ—…odorus 〈◊〉 Time Eternity Gal. 4. 26. Knowledge of a creature Gods rest not personall but efficient Iob. 38. 7â—… Vnitie in 〈◊〉 Religious phrases God â—…ly 〈◊〉 〈…〉 A pure conscience Ioh. 8. 44. 〈◊〉 1. 3. 8. Thâ—… 〈◊〉 Iohn 8. 44 Psâ—… 17. 16. 〈◊〉 â—…4 12 〈◊〉 28. 13. 〈◊〉 15. Iob. 40. Psal. 104 Good 〈◊〉 better 〈◊〉 bad Angells Iob. 40 〈◊〉 â—…ill Câ—… 1 6 7 8 9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Louvaine copie defectiue Gen 1. 4. 5. Darknes Gen. 1. Plato The iust cause of the worlds creation Nothing â—…aturaly â—…ell Questons in the consideration of nature The holy spirit 〈◊〉 persoâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Louâ—…aine copy defectiue The parts of a vvorke man Vse Fruit. Fruitiâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wâ—… 1â—… The number of sixe Pro. 24. 16. The number of â—…auen Ps. 104. Mat. 18. 10. A beginning Iohn 13. Ps. 104. 30. Eph. 5. 8. Iameâ—… 4. Gen. 1. Ps. 95. Waters aboue heauen Elements how commixtures The seat of the brayne God the onely immutable good To adhere vâ—…o God Exod. 3. Essence Apoâ—…a Gods enemies Vice and 〈◊〉 Exod. 8 Natures absolute excellence euen in things that punish man Punishment of malefactor in the sunne The goodnesse of fire Salamander Eccl. 10. Psal. 19. The diuine essence neuer can faile Tâ—… inordinate loue of things bad not the things â—…selues The fall from good the cause of euill Psal. 73. The creation of the Angells Eze. 28. 12 The dgreeâ—… of grace The Egiptian yeares The Greeke histories 〈◊〉 thâ—…n the Egiptianâ—… in the computation of the Monarchies The liberty that the old wriâ—…ers vsed in computation of time The monthly years Nothing coâ—…uall that hath an extreame Ecc. 1. 9. 10 Rom 6. 〈◊〉 Thess. 4. Psal. 12. 7. Reuolution of times Isâ—… 65. 17. God eternall Psal. 11. Rom. 11. 14 Wisâ—… 3. Times 〈◊〉 12 〈◊〉 2 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what they are Arguments against the creation of things in time 2. Cor. 10 1â—… Gods vvorking his resting 〈◊〉 Number 〈◊〉 Wâ—… 11 17 Mâ—… 10 30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genes 〈◊〉 Psal. 148 Secula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 True felicity Our life 〈◊〉 to death Rom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The goodnesse of obedience Disâ—… amongst men vvorâ—… Gen. 2. Breathing in his face 1. Cor. 11. Angells the creators of nothing Angells Gods deputies and â—…rs Gen. 1. 〈◊〉 Cor. 37. 1. Cor. 1538 Hier. 1. Pliâ—…ib 8. A child like a dâ—…uill Iohn Lamuza Womens longing that are with child Alexandria Psal. 46. 8. In Timaeo Mariage commended in the creation Psa. 25. 10 The Louaynists are deafe on this side but not blind they can see to leaue out all this The forsaking of God â—…e death of the soule Maâ—… 10. 28 Death by sinne Psal 49 â—…0 Infants weaker theâ—… the young of any other creature Why death remaineth after baptisâ—… Gen. 2.
Manichees VVherefore setting aside these dotages when we read this precept Thou shalt not kill If wee hold it not to bee meant of fruites or trees because they are not sensitiue nor of vnreasonable creatures either going flying swimming or creeping because they haue no society with vs in reason which God the Creator hath not made common both to them and vs and therefore by his iust ordinance their deaths and liues are both most seruiceable and vse-full vnto vs then it followes necessarily that thou shalt not kil is meant only ofmen Thou shalt not kill namely Neither thy self or another For he that kils him-selfe kils no other but a man L. VIVES TO haue a sence Aristotle saith that plants are animate and liuing creatures but yet not sensitiue But Plato being of Empedocles his opinion holds them both liuing and sensitiue Either may be they may die because they do liue howsoeuer Of some sort of killing men which notwithstanding are no murthers CHAP. 20. Indeed the authority of the law diuine hath sette downe some exceptions wherein it is lawfull to kill a man But excepting those whome God commaundes to bee slayne either by his expresse law or by some particular commaund vnto any person by any temporall occasion and hee committeth not homicide that owes his seruice vnto him that commaundeth him beeing but as the sword is a helpe to him that vseth it And therefore those men do not breake the commandement which forbiddeth killing who doe make warre by the authority of a Gods commaund or beeing in some place of publike magistracie do putte to death malefactors according to their lawes that is according to the rule of iustice and reason Abraham was not onely freed from beeing blamed as a murtherer but he was also commended as a godly man in that hee would haue killed his sonne Isaack not in wickednesse but in obedience And it is a doubtfull question whether it bee to bee held as a command from God that b Iepthe killed his daughter that met him in his returne seeing that he had vowed to sacrifice the first liuing thing that came out of his house to meete him when hee returned conqueror from the warres c Nor could Sampson be excused pulling downe the house vpon him-selfe and his enemies but that the spirit within him which wrought miracles by him did prompt him vnto this act Those therfore beeing excepted which either the iustice of the law or the fountaine of all iustice Gods particular commaund would haue killed he that killeth either himself or any other incurreth the guilt of a homicide L. VIVES AVthority a of Gods command As the Iewes did they waged warres but it was by Gods expresse command But if they were counted godly that to please God though against natural humanitie afflicted his enemies with war and slaughter truly then cannot we butbe held the most vngodly of the world that butcher vp so many thousand Christians against the expresse will of God b Iepthe Iudges the 11. Chapt. Verse 31. Whose fact was like that which the Tragedians write of Agamemnon who sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia vnto Diana at Aulis Many reproue this sacrifice of Iephte for his vowe was to bee interpreted as ment of those things which were accustomed to be offred with Gods good pleasure and so was that of Agamemnons to haue bene construed also c Nor could Sampson Iudges the 16. chapter and the 30. verse That voluntary death can neuer be any signe of magnanimity or greatnes of spirit CHAP 21. WHo soeuer haue committed this homicide vppon them-selues may perhaps bee commended of some for their greatnesse of spirit but neuer for their soundnesse of iudgement But indeed if you looke a little deeper into the matter it cannot bee rightly termed magnanimitie when a man beeing vnable to indure either casuall miseries or others oppressions to auoid them destroyeth him-selfe For that minde discouereth it selfe to bee of the greatest infirmitie that can neither indure hard bondage in his bodie or the fond opinion of the vulgar and worthily is that spirit entitled great that can rather indure calamities then auoyde them And in respect of their owne purity and inlightned conscience can sette at naught the triuiall censures of mortall men a which are most commonly enclowded in a mist of ignorance and errour If wee shall thinke it a part of magnanimity to putte a mans selfe to death then is b Cleombrotus most worthie of this magnanimous title who hauing read Platoes booke of the immortality of the soule cast himself headlong from the toppe of a wall and so leauing this life went vnto another which hee beleeued was better For neither calamity nor guiltinesse either true or false vrged him to avoide it by destroying himselfe but his great spirit alone was sufficient to make him catch at his death and breake all the pleasing fetters of this life Which deed notwithstanding that it was rather great then good Plato himselfe whom he read might haue assured him who be sure would haue done it or taught it himselfe if he had not discerned by the same instinct whereby he discerned the soules eternity that this was at no hand to bee practised but rather vtterly c prohibited L. VIVES VVHich a Are indeed The ancient wise men were euer wont to call the people the great Maister of Error b Cleombrotus This was the Ambraciot who hauing read Plato's dialogue called Phaedo of the immortality of the soule that hee might leaue this life which is but as a death and passe vnto immortality threw himselfe ouer a wall into the sea without any other cause in the world Of him did Callimachus make an epigrame in Greeke and in Latine I haue seene it thus Vita vale muro praeceps delapsus ab alto Dixisti moriens Ambraciota puer Nullum in morte malum credens sed scripta Platonis Non ita erant animo percipienda tuo When Cleombrotus from the turret threw Himselfe to death he cried new life adue Holding death hurtlesse But graue Plato's sense He should haue read with no such reference There was also another Cleombrotus King of Lacedaemon whom Epaminondas the Thebane ouercame c Rather vtterly prohibited For in the beginning of his Phaedo hee saith it is wickednesse for a man to kill himselfe and that God is angred at such a fact like the maister of a family when any of his slaues haue killed themselues and in many other places he saith that without Gods command no man ought to leaue this life For here we are all as in a set front of battell euery one placed as God our Emperor and Generall pleaseth to appoint vs and greater is his punishment that forsaketh his life then his that forsaketh his colours Of Cato who killed himselfe being not able to endure Caesars victory CHAP. 22. BVt many haue killed themselues for feare to fal into the hands of their foes We dispute not here de facto whether
of Heroes and demi-gods but euen of the gods them-selues their adulteries rapines tyranies chasings out of parents and marriages of bretheren and sisters truly I thought all these things both lawfull and lawdable and affected them very zealously For I thought the gods would neuer haue bin lechers nor haue gone together by th' eares amongst them-selues vnlee they had allowed al these for good and decent Thus far Lucian We haue rehersed it in the words of Thomas Moore whome to praise negligently or as if wee were otherwise imployed were grosenes His due commendations are sufficient to exceed great volumes For what is hee that can worthily limme forth his sharpnes of wit his depth of Iudgement his excellence and variety of learning his eloquence of Phrase his plausibility and integrity of manners his iudicious fore-sight his exact execution his gentle modesty and vprightnes and his vnmoued loyaltie vnles in one word he wil say they are al perfect intirely absolute exact in al their ful proportions vnles he wil cal them as they are indeed the patterns and lusters each of his kinde I speake much and many that haue not known Moore will wonder at me but such as haue wil know I speak but truth so wil such as shal either read his works or but heare or looke vpon his actions but another time shal be more fit to spred our sailes in this mans praises as in a spacious Ocean wherin we wil take this ful and prosperous wind write both much in substance and much in value of his worthy honours and that vnto fauourable readers g As Persius saith Satyrd 3. Cum dirâ—… 〈◊〉 bids Mouâ—… ingenâ—… ferâ—…ti â—…cta 〈◊〉 When the blacke lust of sinne Dipt in hot poison burnes the minde within It is meant indeed of any gaules which is hotte poyson But Augustine vseth it heare for the generatiue sperme which some call Virus h Here-vppon it is that Terence bringes In his Eunuchus Chaerea who was carried disguised for an Eunuch by Parmeno vnto Thais beeing enamourd on a wench that Thraso the soldior had giuen to her and telling his fellow Antipho how he had inioyed her reâ—…ates it thus While they prepare to wash the wench satte in the Parlour looking vpon a picture wherein was painted how 〈◊〉 sent downe the showre of gold into Danaes lappe I fell a looking at it with her and because hee hadde plaid the same play before me my mind gaue me greater cause of ioy seeing a God hadde turned him-selfe into a man and stolne vnto a woman through another mans chimney and what God Euen hee that shaketh Temples with his thunder should I beeing but a wretch to him make bones of it No I didde it euen withall my heart Thus farre Terence Danae beeing a faire Virgin her father Acrisius kept her in a Tower that no man should haue accesse vnto her Now Iupiter being in loue with her in a showre of gold dropt through the chimney into the Tower and so inioyed â—…er that is with golden guifts against which no locke no guard is strong ynough hee corrupted both the keepers and the maid her-selfe Of the Romaâ—…s Stage plaies wherein the publishing of their gods foulest imparities did not any way offend but rather delight them CHAP. 8. I But wil some say these things are not taught in the institutions of the gods but in the inuentions of the Poets I will not say that the gods misteries are more obicaene then the Theaters presentations but this I say wil bring history sufficient to conuince all those that shal denie it that those playes which are formed according to these poeticall fictions were not exhibited by the Romaines vnto their goddes in their sollemnities through any ignorant deuotion of their owne but onely by reason that the goddes them selues didde so strictly commaund yea and euen in some sort extort from them the publike presenting and dedication of those plaies vnto their honours This I handled briefly in the first booke For a when the citty was first of al infected with the pestilence then were stages first ordained at Rome by the authorization of the chiefe Priest And what is he that in ordering of his courses will not rather choose to follow the rudiments which are to be fetched out of plaies or whatsoeuer being instituted by his gods rather then the weaker ordinances of mortall men If the Poets didde falsely record Iupiter for an adulterer then these gods being so chast should be the more offended and punish the world for thrusting such a deale of villany into their ceremonies and not for omitting them b Of these stage-plaies the best and most tollerable are Tragedy and Comedy being Poetical fables made to be acted at these shewes wherein notwithstanding was much dishonest matter in actions but none at al of wordes and these the old men do cause to be taught to their children amongst their most honest and liberal studies L. VIVES FOr a when the citty was Because in this booke and in the other following Saint Augustine doth often make mention of Stage-plaies it seemeth a fit place here to speake somewhat thereof and what should haue beene seattered abroad vpon many chapters I will here lay all into one for the better vnderstanding of the rest And first of their Originall amongst the Greekes first and the Romaines afterwards for imitation brought them from Greece to Rome The old husbandmen of Greece vsing euery yeare to sacrifice to Liber Pater for their fruites first vsed to sing something at the putting of the fire on the altars in stead of prayers and then to please him the better they sung ouer all his victories warres conquests triumphs and his captiuation of Kings For reward of which paines of theirs a Goat was first appointed or the Skin of an offered Goat full of wine So these rewards partly and partly oftentation set many good wits work amongst these plaine countrimen to make verses of this theame meane and few at first but as al thinges else in processe of time they grew more elegant and conceited and because the Kings that Liber had conquered afforded not matter ynough for their yearely songs they fell in hand with the calamities of other Kings like to the former and sung much of them And this song was called a tragedy either of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Goate the reward of the conqueror in this contention or of the wine-leese wherwith they anoynted their faces called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now some wil haue the Comedy to haue had the Originall from these sacrifices also others froÌ„ the sollemnities of Apollo Nomius that is the guardian of sheapheards and villages some say that both these sacrifices were celebrated at once I wil set down the most common opinion When the Athenians liued as yet in dispersed cotages Theseus hauing not yet reduced them to a Citty The husbandmen vsed after their sacrifices to breake iests
old booke hath occenà sset should sing out and I thinke better then otherwise the ancient Latinists saith Festus vsed occentare for the same for which we vse conuitium facere to mocke or reproach which was done aloud and as it were sung out vnto others hearing a farre off and this was held dishonest That the diuills through their settled desire to doe men mischiefe were willing to haue any villanies reported of them whither true or false CHAP. 10. BVt those wicked spirits whoÌ„ these meÌ„ take to be gods were desirous to haue such beastly stories spred abroad of theÌ„ though they themselues had neuer acted any such thing only to keep mens mindes inueigled in such bestiall opinions as it were in snares or nets and by that meanes to draw them to predestinate damation for company whether it bee true that such men as those that loue to liue in errors doe select for gods did themselues commit any such things for which the diuills set themselues out to be adored by a thousand seuerall trickes of hurtfull deceite or that there were no such things done at all but onely those malicious and suttle diuills doe cause them to bee faigned of the gods to the end that there might bee sufficient authoritie deriued as it were from heauen to earth for men to commit all filthinesse by Therefore the Grecians seeing that they had such gods as these to serue thought it not fit to take away any liberty from the Poets in vsing these stage-mockes and shames â—…dt is they did either for feare least their gods should bee prouoked to anger against them in case they went about to make themselues into more honest moulds then they were and so seeme to preferre themselues before them or els for desire to bee made like their gods euen in these greatest enormities And from this imagined conuenience came it that they hold the very a actors of such plaies to bee worthy of honours in their Cities For in the same booke Of the Common-wealth b Aeschines of Athens an c eloquent man hauing beene an Actor of Tragedies in his youth is sayd to haue borne office in the Common-wealth And Aristodemus d another actor of Tragedies was sent by the Athenians vpon an Embassage to Phillip about especiall and weighty affaires of warre and peace For they held it an vnmete thing seeing they saw their gods approue of those actions and artes of playing to repute those worthy of any note of infamy that were but the actors of them L. VIVES THe very a actors Aemilus Probus speaking of the Greekish fashions saith In those countries it was no disgrace for any man to come vpon the stage and set himselfe as a spectacle to the people which wee hold for partly infamous and partly base and vnworthy of an honest man b Aeschines An â—…rator of Athens enemie to Demosthenes hee acted Tragedies vpon the stage And therefore Demosthenes in his Oration de Corona calles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An apish tragedian or a tragicall ape Quintilian saith hee was Hypocrita that is Histrio a stage-plaier Plutarche in 10. Rhetoribus saith hee was an Actor of Tragedies So saith Philostratus also in his booke De sophistis and that he did not leaue his country through constraint or banishment but beeing iudged to bee ouercome in a contention by â—…tesiphon hee went away vnto Alexander who as then was Emperor of Asia but hearing that hee was dead before he came at him hee bent his course for Rhodes and liking the sweet aptnesse vnto study that that soile afforded hee settled himselfe there Aeschines himselfe in an Epistle hee wrote to the Athenians seemes to affirme that hee had giuen ouer his stage-playing before hee bore any place in the Common-wealth c an eloquent man That hee was most eloquent is most plaine as also that his voice was sweete and full and some there are that asigne him next dignity vnto Demosthenes nature gaue him more worth then industry Some say hee was scholler vnto no man but of a sudden from a scribe hee became an oratour and that his first oration was against Phillip of Macedon and hereby hee got such fauor and credite amongst the people that they sent him Embassadour to the same King Others asigne him Plato and Isocrates for his Maisters and some Leodamas This Rhodian Rhetorikâ—… was a certaine meane betweene the Asian and the Athenian Aeschines inuented and taught it in his schoole at Rhodes after his retirement thether d Aristodemus another actor This man as Demosthenes writeth went Embassadour to King Philippe with Demosthenes himselfe and Aeschines This is hee who when Demosthenes asked him what fee hee had for pleading answered a talent I but quoth Demosthenes I had more for holding of my tongue Critolaus reporteth this That the Grecians admitted their Plaiers to beare office in their Commonwealths least they should seeme vniust in despising such men as were the pacifiers of their Gods CHAP. 11. THis was the Grecians practise absurd inough howsoeuer but yet most fitly applied vnto the nature of their gods a they durst not exempt the liues of their cittizens from the lashes of poeticall pennes and plaiers tongues because they saw their gods delighted at the traducing of themselues and they thought surely that those men that acted such things vpon the stage as pleased the gods ought not to be disliked at any hand by them that were but seruaÌ„ts to those gods Nay not onely that but that they ought to bee absolutely and highly honored by their fellow Cittizens for what reason could they finde for the honoring of the Priests that offered the sacrifices which the gods accepted well of and yet allowe the actors to bee disgracefully thought of who had learnt their profession by the speciall appointment of the selfe same gods that exact these celebrations of them and are displeased if they bee not sollemnized Especially seeing that b Labeo who they say was most exact in these matters distinguisheth the good spirits from the badde by this diuersity of their worshippes that c the badde ones are delighted with Slaughters and tragicall inuocations and the good with mirthfull reuells and sportfull honors such as Playes quoth he banquets and d reuelling on beddes are of which hereafter so God bee pleased wee will discourse more at large But to our present purpose whether it bee so that all kindes of honours bee giuen vnto all the gods mixt and confused as vnto onely good ones for it is not fit to say there are any euill gods although indeede they are all euill beeing all vncleane spirits or that according as Labeo saith there must bee a discretion vsed and that these must haue such and such particular rites of obseruances asigned and those other others howsoeuer the Greekes did most conueniently to hold both Priests and Plaiers worthy of honorable dignities the Priests for offring of their sacrifices and the Plaiers for acting of their enterludes least
his Inuectiues hee saith plainly It is our good-will and fame that hath made Romulus this Citties founder a God To shew that it was not so indeed but onely spred into a reporte by their good-will to him for his worthe and vertues But in his Dialogue called k Hortensius disputing of regular Eclipses hee saith more plainely To produce such a darkenesse as was made by the Eclipse of the Sunne at Romulus his death Here he feared not to say directly his death by reason hee susâ—…ained the person of a disputant rather then a Panegyricke But now for the other Kings of Rome excepting Numa and Ancus Martius that dyed of infirmities what horrible ends did they all come to Hostilius the subuerter of Alba as I sayd was consumed together with his whole house by lightning l Tarquinius Priscus was murthered by his predecessors sonnes And Seruius Tullius by the villanie of his sonne in lawe Tarquin the proude who succeeded him in his kingdome Nor yet were any of the gods gone from their shrines for all this so haynous a parricide committed vpon this so good a King though it bee affirmed that they serued wretched Troye in worse manner in leauing it to the licentious furie of the Greekes onely for Paris his adulterie Nay Tarquin hauing shedde his father in lawes bloud seazed on his estate himselfe This parricide gotte his crowne by his step fathers murder and after-wards glorying in monstrous warres and massacres and euen building the Capitoll vp with hence-got spoiles This wicked man the gods were so far from â—…or saking that they sat and looked on him nay and would haue Iupiter their principall to sit and sway all things in that stately temple namely in that blacke monument of parricide for Tarquin was not innocent when he built m the Capitoll and for his after-guilt incurred expulsion No foule and inhumaine murder was his very ladder to that state whereby he had his meanes to build the Capitol And n whereas the Romains expelled him the state and Citty afterwards the cause of that namely Lucresses rape grew from his sonne and not from him who was both ignorant and absent when that was done for then was he at the siege of Ardea and a fighting for the Romaines good nor know we what he woold haue done had he knowne of this fact of his sonne yet without all triall or iudgement the people expelled him from his Empire and hauing charged his army to abandon him tooke them in at the gates shut him out But he himselfe after he had plagued the Romaines by their borderers meanes with eztreame warres and yet at length being not able to recouer his estate by reason his friends fayled him retired himselfe as it is reported vnto o Tusculum a towne fourteene miles from Rome and there enioying a quiet and priuat estate liued peaceably with his wife and died farre more happily then his Father in law did who fell so bloudily by his meanes and p his owne daughters consent as it is credibly affirmed and yet this Taquin was neuer surnamed cruell nor wicked by the Romaines but the Proud it may be q because their owne pride would not let them beare with his As for the crime of killing that good King his Step-father they shewed how light they made of that in making him murder the King wherein I make a question whether the gods were not guilty in a deeper manner then he by rewarding so highly a guilt so horrid and not leauing their shrines all at that instant when it was done vnlesse some will say for them that they staid still at Rome to take a deeper reuenge vpon the Romaines rather then to assist them seducing them with vaine victories and tossing them in vnceasing turmoiles Thus liued the Romaines in those so happy times vnder their Kings euen vntil the expelling of Tarquine the proud which was about two hundred forty and three yeares together paying so much bloud and so many liues for euery victory they got and yet hardly enlarging their Empire the distance of r twenty miles compasse without the walles How farre then haue they to conquer and what store of stroks to share vntill they come to conquer a City of the s Getulians L. VIVES THeir owne a writers Dionisius lib. 2 saith that the senators tore him in peeces and euery one bore away a peece wrapped in his gowne keping it by this meanes from the notice of the vulgar b I know not whome this hee addeth either because the author is obscure or because the lye that Proculus told was vile periured c Ignorance Before that their Philosopers shewed men the causes of eclipses men when they saw them feared indeed either some great mischiefe or the death of the planets themselues nor was this feare only vulgar euen the learned shared in it as Stefichorus and Pindarus two lyrick Poets d They should not rather not is put into the reformed copies otherwise the sence is inuerted e that that eclipse the partly meeting of the Sun and Moone depriues vs of the Suns light and this is the Eclypse of the Sun but the shade of the earth falling from the suns place lineally vpon the moone makes the moones eclipse So that neither can the Sunne bee Eclipsed but in the Moones change and partile coniunction with him neither can the Moone be eclipsed but at her ful and in her farthest posture from the sunne then is she prostitute to obnubilation f The regular Regular and Canonicall is all one of Canon the Greeke word well was this waighed of the Augustine Monkes who holding the one insufficient would be called by them both g Adde vnto this Liuie A tempest suddainely arose with great thunder and lightning h Of Hostilius Some write that he and his whole house was burnt with lightning Some that it was fired by Martius Ancus his successor i Embase Vilefacere saith Saint Augustine but this is not well nor learnedly no if any of our fine Ciceronians correct it it must be Uilificare for this is their vsuall phrase Hominificare animalificare accidentificare asinificare k Hortensius Wee haue lost it that which some take to bee it is the fourth of the Tusculanes Marcellus l Tarquinius Priscus The fift Romaine King Demaratus his sonne of Corinth hee was slaine by shephards suborned by the sonnes of Martius Ancus After him came Seruius Tullus his step-sonne powrefull in peace and warre who adorned his Citty with many good institutions Hee was slaine by the meanes of Tarquin the proude This Tarquin was brutish and cruell to his people but exceeding valourous in warre and peace m The Capitol On the hill Saturnius afterwardes called Tarpeius did hee dedicate the Capitol to almighty Ioue n And whereas The seauenth and last King of the Romaines hee was expelled by Brutus Collatinus Lucretius Valerius Horatius c. Partly because of many old iniuries but chiefely for his sonne Sextus his Rape of Lucresse Hee was
concurrences and vnions of time conception and constellation the children conceiued are the one a male the other a femalle I knowe two twinnes of diuers sexes both of them aliue and lusty at this day They are as like in fauour one to another as their difference of sexe can permit but in their fashion and order of life so vnlike that besides the actions which must of necessity distinguish betweene men and women hee is continually in warre in the office of a a Count and neuer commeth home shee continually in her country where she was borne and neuer goeth abroad Nay which is more incredible respecting the powres of the stars and not the wills of God and men he is a married man and shee is a holy Virgin hee hath many children she was neuer maried O but their Horoscopes had a great sway in all those things tush I haue showen the powre of that to bee iust nothing already 〈◊〉 but whatsoeuer it doth it is there in the natiuity that it must do it What and not in the conception wherein it is manifest that there was but one generatiue act concurrent for b natures powre is such that a woman hauing once conceiued cannot second any conception vntil she bee deliuered of the first and therefore it is necessary that the twinnes conceptions fall both in one moment were their diuers Horoscopes thinke you the cause that in their birth hee became a man-child and she a woman wherefore since it is no such absurdity to say that there are some planetary influences that haue effect onely vpon diuersity of formes in bodies as we see the alteration of the yeare by the sunnes accesse and departure diuers things to increase and decrease iust as the moone doth crabs for example and all shel-fishes besides the wonderfull c course of the sea but that the minde of man is not subiect vnto any of these powres of the starres those artists now desiring to binde our actes vnto this that wee see them free from doe shew vs plainely that the effectes of the starres haue not powre so much as vpon our bodies d For what is so pertinent vnto the bodie as the sexe thereof and yet wee see that two twinnes of diuers sexes may bee conceiued both vnder one constellation Wherefore what fonder affection can there bee then to say that that figure of Heauen which was one in the conception of them both had not powre to keepe the sister from differing in sexe from her brother with whom she had one constellation and yet that that figure of heauen which ruled at their natiuity had powre to make her differ so far from him in her Virgins sanctimony L. VIVES OFfice of a a Count A Count is a name of dignity vsed but of these moderne times Marcellinus nameth it in his 14. booke calling Nebridius Count of the Orient and Geronâ—…s count of Magnentia and in his sixteeneth booke Ursulus Count of the beneuolences and twenty one Philagrius Count of the Orient I know not whether these counts were those that were called in Greeke Acolithi and were alwaies at the Emperors elbowe b Natures Of all creatures onely the Hare and the Cony do conceiue double vpon the first conception and hauing young in their bellies will conceiue a fresh Arist. Plin. A woman saith Aristotle Hist. animal lib. 7. seldome conceiueth vpon her first young but sometimes she may if there passe but a 〈◊〉 space betweene the conceptions as Hercules and Iphyclus by report were conceiued There was an adulteresse also that bore two children at a birth one like her husband and another like her lemman This out of Aristotle and Plini lib. 7. but they are rare examples And if a man would expose them hee could not bee brought by reason to confesse that those children were conceiued one after another though I know that Erasistratus a worthy Phisitian hòldeth that all twins are conceiued one after another and so do diuers Stoicall Philosophers also hold of many twins but not of all But Hippon and Empedocles held that of one act of generation by reason of the abundance of seed were all twins conceiued Asclepiades ascribeth it to the vertue not the aboundance of seed c Wounderfull course of the sea Worthily wounderfull whereof the true cause is not fully knowne vnto this day neither of the double flowing dayly nor double flowing monethly which the Saylers cal the springâ—…des falling out at the moones full and the change d for what The male and female in all creatures are correspondente in all things but generation but in that he is the male that generateth in another and of himselfe she the female that can generate of an other and in her selfe therfore they talke of many women that haue beene changâ—…d into men Of the election of daies of maryage of planting and of sowing CHAP. 7. BVt a who can indure this foolery of theirs to inuent a new desteny for euery action a man vndertaketh That wise man aforesaid it seemes was not bornâ—… to haue an admirable sonne but rather a contemptible one and therefore elected â—…e his houre wherein to beget a worthy one So thus did he worke himselfe a desteny more then his starres portended and made that a part of his fate which was not signified in his natiuity O â—…ondnesse most fatall A day must now be chosen for marriage because otherwise one might light of an vnlucky day and so make an ill marriage But b where then is the desteny of your natiuity can a man change what his fate hath appointed by choosing this day or that and cannot the the fate of that day which he chooseth be altered by another fate againe if men alone of all the creatures of earth bee vnder this starry power why do they c choose daies to plant and daies to sowe and so forth daies tame cattle daies to put to the males for increase of oxen or horses and such like If the election of those daies bee good because the starres haue dominion in all earthly bodies liuing creatures and plants according as the times do change let them but consider how many creatures haue originall from one and the same instant and yet haue such diuers ends as hee that but noteth will deride those obseruations as childrens toyes for what sotte will say that all herbes trees beasts birds serpents wormes and fishes haue each one a particular moment of time to bee brought forth in yet men do vse for trying of the mathematicians skil to bring them the figures of the births of beasts which they haue for this end deligently obserued at home and him they hold the most â—…kild Mathematician that can say by the figure this protendeth the birth of a beast and not of a man nay they dare goe vnto what beast it is whether fit for bearing woll for carrages for the plough or the custody of the house for the are often asked counsell of the
asked him if he would go to Epirus with him he would giue him the forth part of his kingdom he replied it was not fit for al the people would wish rather to be vnder his coÌ„mand then Pirrhus his Pirrhus content with this answer admired the plaine magnanimity of the man offered him mony as a friend he would none m One that Cornelius Ruffinus this was Fabritius the Censor put him off the Senat for being worth ten pound in coined siluer Liu. libâ—… nay he had beene Dictator saith Gellius lib. 4. this was the first Cornelius that was called Sybiâ—… and then Silla of all the Cornelian family Macrob he was first consull with Manl. Cur. denatus and thirteen yeares after with C. Iunius n poore men Rome was neuer more fertile of continent honest men then in the warre of Pirrhus The difference betweene the desire of glory and the desire of rule CHAP. 19. THere is a difference betweene desire of glory and desire of rule for though the first do incline to the second yet such as affect the true humane glory haue a desire to be pleasing vnto good iudgments for ther is much good in manners whereof many can iudge well although many againe haue not this good not go that honest way to glory honor and soueraignty that Salust saith of He goeth the true way But whosoeuer desires to rule without that desire of glory which keeps men in awe of good iudgments he careth not by what villany he compasse affect and so his going about it will shew And therefore the hunter of glory either followeth the true tract or couers his courses so well that he is held to bee still in the true tract and thought to be good when hee is not so wherefore to the vertuous contempt of glory is a great vertue because God beholdeth it and not the iudgemeÌ„t of man for whatsoeuer he doth before men to shew this contempt hee hath no reason to thinke they suspect him amisse that thinke hee doth it for his more glory But he that contemneth their opinatiue praise contemneth also with it their vnaduised suspect yet not their saluation if he be good because he that hath his goodnesse from God is of that iustice that he loueth his very enemies and so loueth them that he wisheth his slanderers backe-bitâ—…rs reformed and to become his companions not here but in his eternall country for his commenders as he respecteth not their praises so hee neglecteth not their loues desiring neither to falsefie their prayses nor delude their loues and therefore vrgeth theÌ„ to the praise of him from whom euery one hath al his praise-worthy endowments But that man that despising glory doteth on dominatioÌ„ is worse then a beast both in a manners barbarisme lustes extremity Such men Rome hath had for though it had lost the care of credit yet it retained stil the affect of souerainty nay Rome saith History had many such But b Nero Caesar was he that got first of all to the top-turret of all this enormity whose luxury was such that one would not haue feared any manly act of his yet was his cruelty such as one ignoraÌ„t of him would not haue thought any effeminat sparke resideÌ„t in him yet euen such as this man was haue no dominion but from the great Gods prouidence holding mans vices soÌ„etimes worthy of such plagues The scripture of him is plaine By me kings raigne Princes Tyrans by me gouerne the earth But c least Tyrannus here should be taken only for vild wicked kings not as it it meant for al the old worthies heare Vir. Pars mihi pacis crit dextraÌ„ tetigisse Tâ—…ranni d Some peace I hope by touching your kings hands But elsewhere it is more plainely spoken of God that he maketh an hipocrite to raigne because the people are snared in peruersnesse Wherefore though I haue done what I can to show the cause why the true and iust God gaue the Romaines such assistance in erecting their Empires and Citties earthly glory vpon such a frame of Monarchy yet there may be a more secret cause then yet we see namely the diuers deserts of the world open to God though not to vs it being plaine to all godly men that no man can haue true vertue without true piety that is the true adoration of the one and true God nor is that vertue true neither when it serueth but for humane ostentation But those that are not of the etereternall citty called in the scriptures the citty of God they are more vse-full to their earthly citty e in possessing of that world-respecting vertue then if they wanted that also But if f those that are truly Godly and vp-right of life come to haue the gouernment of estates there can no greater happines befall the world then through the mercy of God to be gouerned by such men And they do attribute all their vertues be they neuer so admired vnto the grace of God only g who gaue them to their desires their faith and prayers besides they know how far they are from true perfection of iustice I meane such as is in the angelicall powers for whose fellowship they make them-selues fit But let that vertue that serueth humaine glory without piety be neuer so much extolled it is not comparable so much as with the vnperfect beginnings of the Saints vertues whose assured hope standeth fixed in the grace and mercy of the true God L. VIVES MAnners a Barbarisme or vices barbarisme read whether you will b Nero Sonne to Domitius Aenobarbus and Agrippina daughter to Germanicus adopted by Cl. Caesar his Stepfather and named Nero â—…aesar after him he succeded him and was the last of Caesars bloud that was emperor a man of strange cruelty and beastlinesse and for these vices left noted to all posterity otherwise as Suetonius saith he was desirous of eternity of same He called Aprâ—… after him-selfe Neroneus and ment to haue named Rome Neropolis c Least Tirans Of this before the King the tyran diffred not of old the word comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to command or sway Uirgill Te propter lybicae gentis Nomadumque Tyranni Odêre incensi for thee the Libians and Numidian Kings hated him fore c. and Horace carm 3. Princeps et innantem Maricae Littoribus tenuisse Lyrim latè Tyrannus c. Tyrannus is some-times Lord some-times a cruell Prince sometimes a Potent Prince Acron So Augustine here putteth worthy for Potent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke being both power and fortitude as Homer Pindarus often vse it In Nemeis de Hercule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my sonnes valor d Some peace Latinus his words of Aeneas whom he held to be a good man e In possessing A falty place the sence is when they haue that desire of human glory they are of more vse in an ea thly state theÌ„ when they want
holde nothing more excellent But the other two the first and the third them he distinguisheth and confineth to the Stage and the Citty for wee see that that the pertinence of them to the Cittie hath no consequence why they should pertaine to the VVorld though there bee Citties in the VVorld for false opinion may gette that a beleefe of truth in a Citty which hath not any nature nor place in any part of the VVorld And for the Stage where is that but in the Cittie There ordained by the Citty and for what end but Stage-playes And what Stage-playes but of their goddes of whome these bookes are penned with so much paynes L. VIVES FIrst a fabulare The word Snetonius vseth Hee loued saith hee of Tiberius the reading of Fabular History euen were it ridiculous and foolish b Second The Platonistâ—… chiefly the Stoikes reduced all these goddes fables vnto naturall causes and natures selfe as their heads Plato in Cratylo Cic. de nat deor Phurnut and others But this they doe wring for sometimes in such manner that one may see they do but dally c Heraclitus an Ephesian he wrote a book that needed an Oedipus or the Delian Swimmer and therfore he was called Scotinus darke He held fire the beginning and end of all thinges and that was full of soules and daemones spirits His opinion of the fire Hippasus of Metapontus followed d Numbers Pithagoras held that God our soules and all things in the world consisted vpon numbers and that from their harmonies were all things produced These numbers Plato learning of the Italian Pythagoreans explained them and made them more intelligible yet not so but that the râ—…ader must let a great part of them alone This Cicero to Atticus calleth an obscure thing Plato his numbers c Or of Atomes Epicurus in emulation of Democritus taught that all things consisted of little indiuisible bodies called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which notwithstanding he excluded neither forme magnitude nor waight f Then which they hold Nature knoweth nothing more faire or more spacious Seneca Plato in Timeo Tull. de nat deor 2. and other Phylosophers hold this Of the fabulous and pollitike diuinity against Varro CHAP. 6. VArro seeing thou art most acute and doubtlesse most learned yet but a man neither God nor assisted by Gods spirit in the discouery of truth in diuinity thou seest this that the diuine affaires are to bee excluded from humaine vanities and yet thou fearest to offend the peoples vitious opinions and customes in these publike superstitions being notwithstanding such as both thy selfe held and thy written workes affirme to bee directly opposite to the nature of the Deitiâ—…s or such as mens infirmitie surmized was included in the Elements What doth this humaine though excelling wit of thine in this place what helpe doth thy great reading afford thee in these straits Thou art desirous to honor the naturall gods forced to worship the ciuill thou hast found some fabulous ones whom thou darest speak thy minde against giuing a the ciuill some part of their disgrace whether thou wilt or no for thou saist the fabulous are for the Theater the naturall for the world the ciuill for the citty the world beeing the worke of God the Theater Citty of men nor are they other gods that you laugh at then those you worship Nor be your plaies exhibited to any but those you sacrifice vnto how much more subtile were they diuided into some natural and some instituted by men And of these later the Poets bookes taught one part and the priests another yet notwithstanding with such a cohaerence in vntruth yâ— the diueâ—… that like no truth approue theÌ„ both but setting aside your natural diuinity wherof hereafter pleaseth it you to aske or hope for life eternall of your Poetique ridiculous Stage-goddes No at no hand GOD forbid such sacriligious madnesse Will you expect them of those goddes whome these presentations do please and appease though their crimes bee the thinges presented I thinke no man so brainlessly sottish Therefore neither your fabulous diuinity nor your politique can giue you euerlasting life For the first soweth the goddes turpitude and the later by fauouring it moweth it The first spread lies the later collect them The first hanteth the deities with outragious fixions the later imputeth these fixions to the honour of the deities The first makes songs of the goddes lasciuious pranks and the later sings them on the gods feast daies The first recordeth the wickednesses of the goddes and the later loueth the rehearsall of those recordes The first either shameth the goddes or fayneth of them The later either witnesseth the truth or delighteth in the fixion Both are filthy and both are damnable But the fabulous professeth turpitude openly and the politique maketh that turpitude her ornament Is there any hope of life eternall where the temporall suffers such pollution Or doth wicked company and actes of dishonest men pollute our liues and not the society of those false-adorned and filthyly adored fiendes If their faultes be true how vile are they worshipped If false how wicked the worshippers But some ignorant person may gather from this discourse that it is the poeticall fixions only and Stage-presentments that are derogatory from the Deities glory but not the Doctrine of the Priests at any hand that is pure and holy Is it so No if it were they would neuer haue giuen order to erect playes for the goddes honour nor the goddes would neuer haue demaunded it But the Priestes feared not to present such thinges as the goddes honours in the Theaters when as they hadde practised the like in the Temples Lastly our said Author indeauoring to make Politike Diuinity of a third nature from the naturall and fabulous maketh it rather to bee produced from them both then seuerall from eyther For hee saith that the Poets write not so much as the people obserue and the Phylosophers write too much for them to obserue both with notwithstanding they do so eschew that they extract no small part of their ciuill religion from either of them Wherefore wee will write of such thinges as the Poetique and the politique diuinities do communicate Indeed we should acknowledge a greater share from the Phylosophers yet som we must thank the Poets for Yet in anotherplace of the gods generations hee saith the people rather followed the Poets then the Phylosophers for he teacheth what should be don there what was done that the Philosophers wrote for vse the Poets for delight and therfore the poesies that the people must not follow describe the gods crimes yet delight both gods and men for the Poets as he said write for delight and not for vse yet write such thinges as the gods effect and the people present them with L. VIVES GIuing a the ciuill The Coleine readeth Perfundas which wee translate Varro's reproches of the fabulous gods must needes light in part vpon the politique goddes who deriue from
otâ—… iâ—…â—…uffeth vp that is filleth one with vaine glory So then In the diuels is thâ—…â—…owledge without charity and thence they are puffed so big so proud that thâ—… 〈◊〉 honours which they well know to be Gods due they haue euer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…em-selues and as far as they can doe so still Now what power the 〈◊〉 oâ—… Câ—…â—…hat came in forme of a seruant hath against this diuels pride as men deserued â—…ered in their hearts mens wretched minds beeing diueleshly as yet puffed vppe can by no meanes because of their proud tumor compâ—…hend or conceiue L. VIVES GReeke a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the old greeke was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know Thence came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the author of the great Etymology All knowing And 〈◊〉 of the same minde for their knowledge In Cratylo Capella followeth him and so â—…ers Lactantius also lib. 2. giues them this name for their vnderstanding And so doth â—…lcidius vpon Plato his Timaeus In what manner the Lord would make him-selfe knowne to the Diuells CHAP. 21. FOâ—… the diuels hadde this knowledge they could say to the Lord in the flesh 〈◊〉 haue we to do with thee O Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroy vs 〈◊〉 time Here is a plaine knowledge without charity they feare to be plaâ—…y him but loued not the iustice in him Their knowledge was bounded â—…is will and his will with conuenience But they knew him not as the Angels 〈◊〉 him that participate of his Deity in all eternity but vnto their terror out of 〈◊〉 clutches he quit those yâ— he had predestinated to his Kingdom of true eterâ—…y and eternall glorious truth The diuels therefore knew him not as hee 〈◊〉 life eternall the vnchangeable light illuminating all the godly who reâ—…hat light to the purification of their hearts by faith but they knew him by â—…mporall effects of his presence and secret signes of his vertue which the diâ—… angelicall sences might easilier obserue then mans naturall infirmity â—…gnes when he suppressed the Prince of diuels made question of his Deiâ—…empted him for the b tryall of his Deity trying how farre hee would â—…m-selfe to bee tempted in c adapting his humanity vnto our imitatiâ—… d after his temptation when the good and glorious Angels whome â—…els extremely feared came and ministred vnto him then the diuels gotte â—…nd more knowledge of him and not one of them durst resist his command 〈◊〉 hee seemed infirme and e contemptible in the flesh L. VIVES ANgelicall a sences Christs miracles were more admired of the Angells and Diuels then of men because they knowing the causes of thinges saw natures power conâ—… and transcended Now men though they saw them strange yet wanted there not 〈◊〉 to say hee cast out diuels by Beelzebub their Prince not so much beleeuing this indeed â—…g that the simple multitude should beleeue it And others of later time haue falseâ—…ged him with art Magicke against whome by GODS helpe I will deale at large 〈◊〉 bookes De sapientia Christiana b For tryall The Diuell generally tempts man to 〈◊〉 but here he aymed not so much at sinne for he knew his sanctity at least neare inexâ—…ble but his fetch was to see whether the Deity were in this humaine forme c Aâ—…g Because he would not seeme exempted by passing vntempted from humaine conâ—… Nor should his seruants after him thinke much to be tempted seeing that old 〈◊〉 â—…nemy of man didde not spare CHRIST him-selfe d After temptation This â—…mplary also For as none shall passe vntempted so if none yeeld to the temptation 〈◊〉 shall all inioy the solace and ministery of Angels as Hierome saith e Contemptible 〈◊〉 needy of meane birth and place farre from ostentation and hauing his society of such like as hee was The difference of the holy Angels knowledge and the Diuels CHAP. 22. VNto the good Angels the knowledge of all temporall things that puffes vp the Diuels is vile not that they want it but in that they wholy respect the loue of that God that sanctifieth them in comparison of which ineffable and vnchangeable glory with the a loue of with they are inflamed they contemne al that is vnder it that is b not it yea and euen them-selues that al their good may be imployed in inioying that onely good And so came they to a more sure knowledge of the world viewing in God the principall causes of the worlds creation which causes do confirme this frustrate that and dispose of all now the c diuels are fat from beholding those eternall and fundamentall causes in the wisedome of God only they can extract a notion from certaine secret signes which man is ignorant in haue more experience and therefore may oftener presage euents But they are often deceiued mary the Angels neuer For it is one thing to presage changes euents from changeable and casuall grounds and to confound them by as changeable a will as the diuels are permitted to do another thing to fore-see the changes of times and the wil of God in his eternall vnalterable decrees most d certain most powerful by the participatioÌ„ of his diuine spirit as the Angels ar vouchsafed by due gradation to do So are they eternal and blessed He is their God that made them for his participation and contemplation they do e continually inioy L. VIVES THe a loue Loue alwayes worketh on beauteous obiects Socrates in Plato's Phado saith that if corporall eyes could behold the face of honesty and wisedome they would hold it most deer and amiable What then if we could see Gods face whose fayrenesse saith the booke of wisedom appeares euen in this that our fayrest obiects are of his making Diotina in Plato's Conui as wee said aboue holds but one pulchritude worthy the loue of an honest man that desires beatitude b Is not all that is not God being vile in respect of God the Angels contemne both all and them-selues in respect of him which cogitation fastneth them so firme in Vnion with God that his beatitude sufficeth without all other appendances to make them eternally blessed c The diuels For they cannot behold the pole or foundation where-vpon all causes are grounded and turned nor the fount whence they arise but only by their pregnancy and wit surmounting ours as also by experence more then ours beeing immortall they haue a quicke conceipt of things present and a surer presage in things to come then we haue Whereby coniecturing euents not from the proper cause but their owne coniectures they are oftentimes deceiued ly when they think they speak most true boasting that they know al things Nor do the vnpure diuels faile herein onely but euen the gods them-selues saith Porphyry d Most certaine Gods will hath this certainty it effecteth what it pleaseth else were it not certaine as not being in his power but all effects
through the world how farre more honestly might we beleeue that the soules returne but once into their own bodies rather then so often into others But as I said Porphiry reclaimed this opinion much in subuerting those bestial transmigrations and restraining them only to humaine bodies He saith also that God gaue the world a soule that it learning the badnesse of the corporall substance by inhabiting it might returne to the father and desire no more to be ioyned to such contagion Wherin though he erre something for the soule is rather giuen to the body to do good by nor should it learne any euill but that it doth euil yet herein he exceeds corrects all the Platonists in houlding that the soule being once purified and placed with the father shal neuer more suffer worldly inconuenience Wher he ouerthrowes one great Platonisme viz. that the dead are continually made of the liuing the liuing of the dead prouing that c Platonical position of Virgill false wher hee saith that the soules being purified sent vnto th' Elisian fields vnder which fabulous name they figured the ioyes of the blessed were brought to drinke of the riuer Lethe that is to forget things past Scilicet immemores supera vt conuexa reuisent Rursus incipiant in corpora velle reuerti The thought of heauen is quite out of the brayne Now gin the wish to liue on earth againe Porphiry iustly disliked this because it were foolish to beleeue that men being in that life which the onely assurance of eternity maketh most happy should desire to see the corrupton of mortality as if the end of purification were still to returne to nâ—…w pollution for if their perfect purification require a forgetfulnesse of all euills and that forgetfulnesse produce a desire in them to be imbodied againe and consequently to bee againe corrupted Truely the height of happyinesse shall be the cause of the greatest vnhappynesse the perfection of wisdome the cause of fooâ—…nesse and the fullnesse of purity mother vnto impurity Nor can the â—…oule eâ—…r be blessed being still deceiued in the blessednesse to be blessed it must be seâ—…e to be secure it must beleeue it shal be euer blessed and that falsely because it must sometimes be wretched wherefore if this ioy must needs rise of a false cause how can it be truely ioyfull This Prophiry saw well and therefore held that the soules once fully purified returned immediatly to the Father least it should bee any more polluted with the contagion of earthly and corruptible affects L. VIVES SVâ—… a it is Plato Pythagorizing held that the soules after death passed into other boâ—… â—…n his Timaeus anâ—… his last de Repub. and in his Phaedrus also in which last hee proâ—…ds the necessity of the Adrastian law commanding euery soule that hath had any true spâ—…lation of God to passe straight to the superior circle without impediment and if it perseuer there then is it to become blessed eternally continuing the former course but if it â—…ge that and fall vnder the touch of punishment then must it returne to a body And if it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come to those aforesaid degrees then the knowledge maketh it a Philosopher the next degree vnder it a King Emperour or valiant man the third a magistrate or the father of a 〈◊〉 the fourth a Phisitian or chirurgian the fift a Priest or a Prophet the sixth a poet the â—…nth a tradesman or an husband man the eight a Sophister or guilder the ninth a tyâ—… Thus do soules passe vnto life and passing that well are exalted if not depressed for it is 10000. yeares ere the soule returne to his first state no soule recouereth his broken wings beâ—… that time but hee that hath beene a true Philosopher for he that passeth three courses so shall bee reinstalled at 3000. yeares end for the rest some of them shall bee bound vnder the earth in paines and others inuested with blisse in heauen at the prefixed time of iudgmâ—… but all shall returne to life after a 1000. yeares and each one shall haue his choice so that some that were men before become beasts and some that were beasts before men if so bee that they were euer men before for that soule that neuer looked vpon truth shall neuer haue 〈◊〉 forme This is Platonisme Now Plato speaking of these choices in his last de repub saith that their election still flolloweth the fashions of their former liues So that Orpheus his soule chose a swan to liue in nor would become a woman for his hate of them Thamiris soule went 〈◊〉 a nightingale and a swans soule went into a man Aiax into a lion Agamemnon into 〈◊〉 â—…gle and Thersites into an ape b Plato Some read Plotine Prophyry writes that in the 〈◊〉 yeare of Gallienus his raigne hee came into Italy Plotine being then fifty yeares of age 〈◊〉 that hee heard him fiue yeares And Plotine was a direct Platonist in this theame of transâ—…gration of soules So that both their names may well be recited in the text c Platonicall Plato de Rep. li. 10. saith that the soules go into the lâ—…thean field wherein groweth nothing and there they all ly downe and drinke of the riuer Amelita and those that drinke largly forget al things Amelita indeed is obliuion or neglect of things past this done they fall a sleepe and about mid-night a great thunder awaketh them and so they returne to life Anchises in Uirgil speaketh of these in this manner Has omnes vbi mille rotam voluere per annos Lethaum ad fluuium Deus euocat agmine maguo Scilicet immemores c. And when the thousand yeares are come and gone God calls them all to Letha euery one So they forget what is past and respect not what is to come and this they doe not willingly but of necessity Against the Platonists holding the soule coeternall with God CHAP. 31. BVt altogether erronious was that opinion of some Platonists importing the continuall and a necessary reuolution of soules from this or that and to it againe which if it were true what would it profit vs to know it vnlesse the Platonists will preferre them-selues before vs because we know not that they are to be made most wise in the next life and blessed by their false beleefe If it bee absurd and foolish to affirme this then is Porphyry to be preferred before all those transporters of soules from misery to blisse and back againe which if it be true then here is a Platonist refuseth Plato for the better and seeth that which he saw not not refusing correction after so great a maister but preferring truth before man and mans affection Why then doe we not beleeue diuinity in things aboue our capacitie which teacheth vs that the soule is not coeternall with God but created by God The Platonists refuse vpon this seeming sufficient reason that that which hath not beene for euer cannot be for euer I but Plato saith directly
that it was good CHAP. 20. 〈◊〉 may we ouerslip yâ— these words of God Let there be light there was light 〈◊〉 immediatly seconded by these And God saw the light that it was good not 〈◊〉 â—…ad seperated the light and darknes and named them day and night least â—…d haue seemed to haue shewne his liking of the darknes as wel as yâ— light â—…ras the darknes which the conspicuous lights of heauen diuide from the 〈◊〉 inculpable therfore it was said after it was not before And God saw that 〈◊〉 And God saith he Set them in the firmament of heauen to shine vpon the â—…d to rule in the day and night and to seperate the light from the darknes and 〈◊〉 that it was good Both those he liked for both were sin-les but hauing sayd 〈◊〉 be light and there was so hee adioines immediatly And God saw the light 〈◊〉 good And then followeth God seperated the light from the darknes and 〈◊〉 the light day and the darknesse night but heere he addeth not And God 〈◊〉 it was good least hee should seeme to allow well of both the one beeing â—…turally but voluntary euill Therfore the light onely pleased the Creator the Angelicall darknesses though they were to bee ordained were not to bee approued L. VIVES IMmediately a seconded The Scripture speaking of the spirituall light the Angels before yâ— part of this light that is part of the Angels became dark God approued the light that is all the Angels whom he had made good light but speaking of our visible light made the fourth day God approueth both light and darknes for that darknes God created and it was not euil as yâ— Angels that became dark were therfore were not approued as the fourth daies darknesse was Of Gods eternal vnchanging will and knowledge wherein he pleased to create al things in forme as they were created CHAP. 21. VVHat meanes that saying that goeth through all and God saw that it was good but the approbation of the worke made according to the work-mans art Gods wisedome God doth not see it is good beeing made as if he saw it not so ere it was made But in seeing that it is good being made which could not haue beene made so but that hee fore-saw it hee teacheth but learneth not that it is good Plato a durst go further and say That God had great ioy in the beauty of the Vniuerse He was not so fond to thinke the newnesse of the worke increased Gods ioy but hee shewed that that pleased him beeing effected which had pleased his wisedome to fore-know should be so effected not that Gods knowledge varyeth or apprehends diuersly of thinges past present and future He doth not foresee thinges to come as we do nor beholds things present or remembers thinges past as wee doe But in a maner farre different from our imagination Hee seeth them not by change in thought but immutably bee they past or not past to come or not to come all these hath he eternall present nor thus in his eye and thus in his minde he consisteth not of body and soule nor thus now and otherwise hereafter or heretofore his knowledge is not as our is admitting alteration by circumstance of time but b exempted from all change and all variation of moments For his intention runnes not from thought to thought all thinges hee knowes are in his vnbodily presence Hee hath no temporall notions of the time nor moued he the time by any temporall motions in him-selfe Therfore hee saw that which hee had made was good because he fore-saw that he should make it good Nor doubted his knowledge in seeing it made or augmented it as if it had beene lesse ere he made it he could not do his works in such absolute perfection but out of his most perfect knowledge VVherfore if one vrge vs with who made this light It sufficeth to answer God if wee be asked by what meanes sufficeth this God said let there be light and there was light God making it by his very word But because there are three necessary questions of euery creature who made it how hee made it and wherefore hee made it God sayd quoth Moyses let there bee light and there was light and God saw the light that it was good Who made it God How God sayd but let it be and it was wherfore It was good No better author can there bee then God no better art then his Word no better cause why then that a good God should make a good creature And this c Plato praysed as the iustest cause of the worlds creation whether he had read it or heard it or got it by speculation of the creatures or learned it of those that had this speculation L. VIVES PLato a durst not In his Timaeus The father of the vniuerse seeing the beauty of it and the formes of the eternall goddes approued it and reioyced b Expelled from all Iames 1. 17. in whom is no variablenes nor shadowing by turning Hierome contra Iouin reades it in whome is no difference or shadowing by moment Augustine vseth moment also whether referring it to time or quality I know not For neyther retyres at all from his light to a shadow nor is any the least shadow intermixt with his light Momentum is also a turning a conuersion or a changeable motion comming of moueo to moue it is also an inclination as in balances This place may meane that God entertaines no vicissitude or passe from contrary to contrary as we doe c Plato Let vs see saith hee What made the Worldes Creator go about so huge a worke Truly hee excelled in honesty and honesty enuyeth not any mâ—…an and therefore hee made all things like him-selfe beeing the iustest cause of their originall Concerning those that disliked some of the good Creators creatures and thought some things naturaly euil CHAP. 22. YEt this good cause of the creation Gods goodnesse this iust fit cause which being well considered would giue end to all further inuestigation in this kind some heretikes could not discerne because many thinges by not agreeing with this poore fray le mortall flesh beeing now our iust punishment doe offend and hurt it as fire cold wilde beastes c. These do not obserue in what place of nature they liue and are placed nor how much they grace the vniuerse like a fayre state with their stations nor what commodity redounds to vs froÌ„ them if we can know how to vse them in so much that poyson a thing one way pernicious being conueniently ministred procureth health and contrary wise our meat drinke nay the very light immoderately vsed is hurtfull Hence doth Gods prouidence advize vs not to dispraise any thing rashly but to seeke out the vse of it warily and where our wittte and weakenesse failes there to beleeue the rest that is hidden as wee doe in other thinges past our reach for the obscurity of the vse
painfull is iustly termed 〈◊〉 death then life and therefore is it called the second death because it folâ—…th the first breach of nature either betweene God and the soule or this and the â—…dy of the first death therefore wee may say that it is good to the good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the bad But the second is bad in all badnesse vnto all good to none L. VIVES IT a is called Bruges copy differs not much all is one in substance b Second death 〈◊〉 2. 11. and 21 8. Whether death propagated vnto all men from the first be punishment of sinne to the Saints CHAP. 3. â—…ere's a question not to be omitted whether the first death bee good to 〈◊〉 â—…ood If it be so how can it be the punishment of sinne for had not our 〈◊〉 sinned they had neuer tasted it how then can it bee good to the vpâ—… cannot happen but vnto offenders and if it happen but vnto offenders 〈◊〉 not be good for it should not be at all vnto the vpright for why should 〈◊〉 punishment that haue no guilt Wee must confesse then that had not 〈◊〉 parents sinned they had not dyed but sinning the punishment of death â—…cted vpon them and all their posteritie for they should not produce 〈◊〉 â—…ng but what them-selues were and the greatnesse of their crime depraued 〈◊〉 â—…ture so that that which was penall in the first mans offending was made 〈◊〉 in the birth of all the rest for they came not of man as man came of the 〈◊〉 The dust was mans materiall but man is mans parent That which is earth is 〈◊〉 flesh though flesh be made of earth but that which man the father is man the 〈◊〉 is also For all man-kinde was in the first man to bee deriued from him by the 〈◊〉 when this couple receiued their sentence of condemnation And that 〈◊〉 man was made not in his creation but in his fall and condemnation that 〈◊〉 â—…got in respect I meane of sinne and death For his sinne a was not cause of 〈◊〉 weaknesse in infancie or whitenesse of body as we see in infants those God would haue as the originall of the yonglings whose parents he had cast downe to 〈◊〉 mortality as it is written Man was in honor and vnderstood not but became 〈◊〉 the beasts that perish vnlesse that infants bee weaker in motion and appetite 〈◊〉 all other creatures to shew mans mounting excellence aboue them all comâ—…le to a shaft that flieth the stronger when it is drawne farthest back in the 〈◊〉 Therefore mans presumption and iust sentence adiudged him not to those â—…lities of nature but his nature was depraued vnto the admission of conâ—…entiall in-obedience in his members against his will thereby was bound to death by necessity and to produce his progeny vnder the same conditions that his crime deserued From which band of sin if infants by the mediators grace be freed they shall onely bee to suffer the first death of body but from the eternall penall second death their freedome from sinne shall quit them absolutely L. VIVES HIs sinne a was not Here is another question in what state men should haue beene borne had they not sinned Augustine propounds it in his booke De baptis paruul some thinke they should haue beene borne little and presently become perfect men Others borne little but in perfect strength onely not groweth and that they should presently haue followed the mother as we see chickens and lambes The former giue them immediate vse of sence and reason the later not so but to come by degrees as ours do Augustine leaues the doubt as hee findes it seeming to suppose no other kinde of birth but what we now haue Why the first death is not withheld from the regenerat from sinne by grace CHAP. 4. IF any thinke they should not suffer this being the punishment of guilt and there guilt cleared by grace he may be resolued in our booke called De baptismo paruulorum There we say that the seperation of soule and body remaineth to succeed though after sinne because if the sacrament of regeneration should be immediately seconded by immortality of body our faith were disanulled being an expectation of a thing vnseene But by the strength and vigor of faith was this feare of death to be formerly conquered as the Martires did whose conflicts had had no victory nor no glory nay had bin no conflicts if they had beene deified and freed from corporall death immediatly vpon their regeneration for if it were so who would not run vnto Christ to haue his child baptised least hee should die should his faith be approued by this visible reward no it should be no faith because he receiued his reward immediatly But now the wounderfull grace of our Sauiour hath turned the punishment of sinne vnto the greater good of righteousnesse Then it was said to man thou shalt die if thou sinne now it is said to the Martir die to auoid sin Then if you breake my lawes you shall dy now if you refuse to die you breake my lawes That which we feared then if we offended we must now choose not to offend Thus by Gods ineffable mercy the punishment of sin is become the instrument of vertue and the paine due to the sinners guilt is the iust mans merit Then did sinne purchase death and now death purchaseth righteousnes I meane in the Martires whome their persecutors bad either renounce their faith or their life and those iust men chose rather to suffer that for beleeuing which the first sinners suffred for not beleeuing for vnlesse they had sinned they had not dyed and Martires had sinned if they had not died They dyed for sinne these sinne not because they die The others crime made death good which before was euill but God hath giuen such grace to faith that death which is lifes contrary is here made the ladder whereby to ascend to life As the wicked vse the good law euill so the good vse death which is euill well CHAP. 5. FOr the Apostle desiring to shew the hurt of sin being vnpreuented by grace doubted not to say that the law which forbids sinne is the strength of sinne The sting 〈◊〉 saith he is sinne and the strength of sinne is the lawe Most true for a forbidding of vnlawfull desires increase them in him where righteousnesse is not of power to suppresse all such affects to sinne And righteousnesse can neuer be lâ—…d without gods grace procure this loue But yet to shew that the law is not euill though hee calls it the strength of sinne hee saith in another place in the 〈◊〉 question The law is holy and the commandement holy and iust and good Was that then which is good saith he made death to me GOD forbid buâ—… sinne that it might appeare sinne wrought death in me by that which is good b that siâ—…e might be out of measure sinfull by the commandement Out of measure 〈◊〉
nations to the other What greater proofe need wee then this to confirme that the Israelites and all the world besides are contained in Abrahams seed the first in the flesh and the later in the spirit Of Moyses his times Iosuah the Iudges the Kings Saul the first Dauid the chiefe both in merite and in mysticall reference CHAP. 43. IAcob and Ioseph being dead the Israelites in the other hundred fortie foure yeares at the end of which they left Egypt increased wonderfully though the Egyptians oppressed them sore and once killed all their male children for feare of their wonderfull multiplication But Moses was saued from those butchers and brought vp in the court by Pharaohs daughter the a name of the Egiptian Kings God intending great things by him and he grew vp to that worth that he was held fit to lead the nation out of this extreame slauery or rather God did it by him according to his promise to Abraham First hee fled into Madian for killing an Egiptian in defence of an Israelite and afterwards returning full of Gods spirit hee foyled the enchanters h of Pharao in all their opposition and laide the ten sore plagues vpon the Egiptians because they would not let Israel depart namely the changing of the water into bloud Frogges c Lyce d Gnattes morren of Cattell botches and sores Haile Grashoppers darkenesse and death of all the first borne and lastly the Israelites being permitted after all the plagues that Egypt had groned vnder to depart and yet beeing pursued afterwards by them againe passed ouer the redde Sea dry-foote and left all the hoast of Egipt drowned in the middest the sea opened before the Israelites and shut after them returning vpon the pursuers and ouer-whelming them And then forty yeares after was Israell in the deserts with Moyses and there had they the tabernacle of the testimonie where God was serued with sacrifices that were all figures of future euents the law being now giuen with terror vpon mount Syna for the terrible voyces and thunders were full prooses that God was there And this was presently after their departure from Egipt in the wildernesse and there they celebrated their Passe-ouer fiftie dayes after by offring of a Lambe the true type of Christs passing vnto his father by his passion in this world For Pascha in Hebrew is a passing ouer and so the fiftith day after the opening of the new Testament and the offring of Christ our Passeâ—…ouer the holy spirit descended downe from heauen he whom the scriptures call the finger of God to renew the memory of the first miraculous prefiguration in our hearts because the law in the tables is said to be written by the finger of GOD. Moyses being dead Iosuah ruled the people and lead them into the land of promise diuiding it amongst them And by these two glorious captaines were strange battels wonne and they were ended with happy successe God himselfe auouching that the losers sinnes and not the winners merits were causes of those conquests After these two the land of promise was ruled by Iudges that Abrahams seede might see the first promise fulfilled concerning the land of Canaan though not as yet concerning the nations of all the earth for that was to be fulfilled by the comming of Christ in the flesh and the faith of the Gospell not the precepts of the law which was insinuated in this that it was not Moyses that receiued the law but Iosuab h whose name God also changed that lead the people into the promised land But in the Iudges times as the people offended or obeyed God so varied their fortunes in warre On vnto the Kings Saul was the first King of Israel who being a reprobate and dead in the field and all his race reiected from ability of succession Dauid was enthroned i whose sonne our Sauiour is especially called In him is as it were a point from whence the people of God doe flowe whose originall as then being in the youthfull time thereof is drawne from Abraham vnto this Dauid For it is not out of neglect that Mathew the Euangelist reckoneth the descents so that hee putteth foureteene generations betweene Abraham and Dauid For a man may be able to beget in his youth and therefore he begins his genealogies from Abraham who vpon the changing of his name was made the father of many nations So that before him the Church of God was in the infancie as it were from Noah I meane vnto him and therefore the first language the Hebrew as then was inuented for to speake by For from the terme of ones infancie hee begins to speake beeing called an infant k a non sancto of not speaking which age of himselfe euery man forgetteth as fully as the world was destroyed by the deluge For who can remember his infancie Wherefore in this progresse of the Cittie of God as the last booke conteined the first age thereof so let this containe the second and the third when the yoake of the law was laide on their necks the aboundance of sinne appeared and the earthly kingdome had beginning c. intimated by the Heifer the Goate â—…d the Ramme of three yeares old in which there wanted not some faithfull persons as the turtle-doue and the Pidgeon portended L. VIVES THe a name of To anoyde the supposition that Pharao that reigned in Iacob and Iosephs time was all one Pharao with this here named Pharao was a name of kingly dignity in Egipâ—… Hieron in Ezechiel lib. 9. So was Prolomy after Alexander Caesar and Augustus after the two braue Romaines and Abimelech in Palestina Herodotus speaketh of one Pharao that was blinde They were called Pharao of Pharos an I le ouer-against Alexandria called Carpathoâ—… of old Proteus reigned in it The daughter of this Pharao Iosephus calleth Thermuth b Of Pharao Which Pharao this was it is doubtfull Amasis saith Apion Polyhistor as Eusebius citeth him reigned in Egipt when the Iewes went thence But this cannot be for Amasis was long after viz. in Pythagoras his time vnto whom he was commended by Polycrates king of Samos But Iosephus saith out of Manethon that this was Techmosis and yet sheweth him to vary from him-selfe and to put Amenophis in another place also Eusebius saith that it was Pharao Cenchres In Chron. and that the Magicians names were Iannes and Iambres Prep euangel ex Numenio c Lyce So doth Iosephus say if Ruffinus haue well translated him that this third plague was the disease called Phthiriasis or the lousie euill naming no gnattes Peter denatalibus and Albertus Grotus saith that the Cyniphes are a kinde of flye So saith Origen Albertus saith that they had the body of a worme the wings and head of a flye with a sting in their mouth where-with they prick and draw-bloud and are commonly bred in fens and marishes troubling all creatures but man especially Origen calleth them Snipes They do flie faith he but are so
before-said but he that kept the heards of King o Admetus with Hercules yet was hee afterwards held a God and counted one and the same with the other And then did p father Liber make warre in India leading a crue of women about with him in his armie called Bacchae being more famous for their madnesse then their vertue Some write that this Liber q was conquered and imprisoned some that Perseus slew him in the field mentioning his place of buriall also and yet were those damned sacriligious sacrifices called the Bacchanalls appointed by the vncleane deuills vnto him as vnto a God But the Senate of Rome at length after long vse of them saw the barbarous filthinesse of these sacrifices and expelled them the citty And in this time r Perseus and his wife Andromeda being dead were verily beleeued to bee assumed into heauen and there vpon the world was neither ashamed s nor affraide to giue their names vnto two goodly constellations and to forme their Images therein L. VIVES THe fiction of a Triptolemus His originall is vncertaine ignoble saith Ouid his mother was a poore woman and he a sickly childe and Ceres lodging in his mothers house bestowed his health of him Lactantius making him sonne to Eleusius King of Eleusis and Hionâ—… that Ceres bestowed immortality vpon him for lodging a night in his fathers house on the day she fedde him in heauen with her milke and on the night she hidde him in fire Celeus was his father saith Seruius But Eusebius maketh him a stranger to Celeus and landeth him at Eleusis Celeâ—… his citty out of a long ship But the Athenians generally held him the sonne of Celeus so did not the Argiues but of Trochilus Hieropanta who falling out with Agenor flying from Argos came to Eleusis there married and there had Triptolemus and Euboles Some hold him and so Musaeus did some say the sonne of Oceanus and Terra that Eubolis and Triptolemus were Dysaulis sonnes saith Orpheus Chaerilus of Athens deriues him from Rharus and one of Aâ—…hyctions daughters Diodorus from Hercules and Thesprote King Phileus his daughter Now Ceres they say gaue him corne and sent him with a chariot with two wheeles onely for swiftnesse sake saith Higin drawne by a teame of Dragons through the ayre to goe and â—…each the sowing of corne to the world that he first sowed the field Rharius by Eleusis and reaped an haruest of it wherfore they gathered the Mushromes vsed in the sacred banquets froÌ„ that field Triptolemus had his altar also and his threshing place there The pretended truth of this history agreeth with Eusebius for it saith that Triptolemus was sonne to Elusus King of Eâ—…s who in a great dearth sustained the peoples liues out of his owne granary which Trâ—…mus vpon the like occasion beeing not able to doe fearing the peoples furie hee tooke along ship called the Dragon and sayling thence within a while returned againe with aboundance of corne and expelling Celeus who had vsurped in his abscence releeued the people with come and taught them tillage Hence was he termed Ceres his pupill Some place Lyncus for Câ—…s He saith Ouid was King of Scythia because he would haue slaine Ceresâ—…ed â—…ed him into the beast Lynx which we call an Ounce b The Minotaure Minos of Crete â—…ied Pasiphae the Suns daughter he being absent in a war against Attica about his claime to the â—…ingdom the killing of his son Androgeus she fell into a beastly desire of copulation with a Bull and Daedalus the Carpenter framed a Cow of wood wherein she beeing enclosed bad her lust satisfied and brought forth the Minotaure a monster that eate mans flesh This Uenus was cause of Seru. For the Sunne bewraying the adultery of Mars and Uenus Uulcan came and tooke them both in a Wyre nette and so shamefully presented them vnto the view of all the gods Here-vpon Uenus tooke a deadly malice against all the Sunnes progenie and thus came this Minotaure borne but Seruius saith he was no monster but that there was a man either Secretary to Minos or some gouernour of the Souldiours vnder him called Taurus and that in Daedalus his house Pasiphae and he made Minos Cuckold and shee bringing forth two sonnes one gotten by Minos and the other by Taurus was said to bring forth the Minotaure as Uirgill calleth it Mistumque genus prolemque biformem A mungrell breed and double formed-birth Euripides held him halfe man and halfe bull Plutarch saith he was Generall of Minos forces and either in a sea-fight or single combate slaine by Theseus to Minos his good liking for hee was a cruell fellow and the world reported him too inward with Pasiphae and therefore after that Minos restored all the tribute-children vnto Athens and freed them from that imposition for euer Palephratus writeth that Taurus was a goodly youth and fellow to Minos that Pasiphaë fell in loue with him and hee begot a child vpon her which Minos afterwards vnderstood yet would not kill it when it was borne because it was brother to his sonnes The boy grew vp and the King hearing that hee iniured the Sheapheards sent to apprehend him but he digged him a place in the ground and therein defended himselfe Then the King sent certaine condemned Malefactors to fetch him out but he hauing the aduantage of the place slew them all and so euer after that the King vsed to send condemned wrâ—…ches thether and hee would quâ—…ckly make them sure So Minos sent Theseus thether vnarmed hauing taken him in the warres but Ariadne watched as he entred the caue and gaue him a sword wherewith he slew this Minotaure c The Labyrinth A building so entangled in windings and cyrcles that it deceiueth all that come in it Foure such there were in the world but in Egipt at Heracleopolis neare to the Lake Maeris Herodotus saith that he sawe it no maruell for it was remaining in Plinyes and Diod. his time These two and Strabo and Mela do describe it Mela saith Psameticus made it Pliny reciteth many opinions of it that it was the worke of Petesucus or else of Tithois or else the palace of Motherudes or a dedication vnto the Sunne and that is the common beleefe Daedalus made one in Crete like this Diod. Plin. but it was not like Egypts by an hundred parts and yet most intricate Ouid. 8. Metamorph. Philothorus in Plutarch thinketh that it was but a prison out of which the enclosed theeues might not escape and so thinketh Palaephatus The third was in Lemnos made by Zmilus Rholus and Theodorus builders The ruines of it stood after those of Crete and Italy were vtterly decayed and gone Plyn The fourth was in Italy by Clusium made for Porsenna King of Hetruâ—…a Varro d The Centaures Ixion sonne to Phlegias the sonne of Mars louing Iuno and shee telling Ioue of it hee made a cloud like her on which cloud Ixion begot the Centaures Sure
the meanes alone to him who concealeth the plainest workes of nature from our apprehensions Esaias his doctrine concerning the iudgement and the resurrection CHAP. 21. THe dead saith the prophet Esaias shall arise againe and they shall arise againe that were in the graues and all they shal be glad that are in the earth for the Dew that is from thee is health to them and the Land or earth of the wicked shall fall All this belongs to the resurrection And whereas he saith the land of the wicked shall fall that is to bee vnderstood by their bodies which shal be ruined by damnation But now if wee looke well into the resurrection of the Saints these wordes The dead shall arise againe belong to the first resurrection and these they shall arise againe that were in the graues vnto the second And as for those holie ones whom CHRIST shall meete in their flesh this is fittely pertinent vnto them All they shal be glad that are in the earth for the dewe that is from thee is health vnto them By health in this place is meant immortality for that is the best health and needes no daiely refection to preserue it The same prophet also speaketh of the iudgement both to the comfort of the Godly and the terror of the wicked Thus saith the Lord Behold I will incline vnto them as a floud of peace and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame Then shal yee suck yee shal be borne vpon her shoulders and be ioyfull vpon her knees As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and yee shal be comforted in Ierusalem And when yee see this your hearts shall reioyce and your bones shal flourish as an herbe and the hand of the Lord shal be knowne vnto his seruants and his indignation against his enemies For be hold the Lord will come with fire and his chariots like a whirle-winde that hee may recompence his anger with wrath and his indignation with a flame of fire for the LORD will iudge with fyre and with his sword all flesh and the slaine of the LORD shal be many Thus you heare as touching his promises to the good hee inclineth to them like a floud of peace that is in all peacefull abundance and such shall our soules bee watred withall at the worldes end but of this in the last booke before This hee extendeth vnto them to whom hee promiseth such blisse that wee may conceiue that this floud of beatitude doth sufficently bedewe all the whole region of Heauen where we are to dwell But because he bestoweth the peace of incorruption vpon corruptible bodies therefore hee saith he will incline as if hee came downe-wards from aboue to make man-kinde equall with the Angells By Ierusalem wee vnderstand not her that serueth with her children but our free mother as the Apostle saith which is eternall and aboue where after the shockes of all our sorrowes bee passed wee shall bee conforted and rest like infants in her glorious armes and on her knees Then shall our rude ignorance bee inuested in that vn-accustomed blessednesse then-shall wee see this and our heart shall reioyce what shall wee see it is not set downe But what is it but GOD that so the Gospell might bee fulfilled Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD. And all that blisse which wee now beleeue but like fraile-men in farre lesse measure then it is wee shall then behold and see Here wee hope there wee shall enioye But least wee should imagine that those causes of ioye concerned onelie the spirit hee addeth And your bones shall flourish as an herbe Here is a plaine touch at the resurrection relating as it were what hee had omitted These things shall not bee done euen then when wee doe see them but when they are already come to passe then shall wee see them For hee had spoken before of the new heauen and earth in his relations of the promises that were in the end to bee performed to the Saints saying I will create new Heauens and a new Earth and the former shall not hee remembered nor come into minde but bee you glad and reioyce therein for behold I will create Ierusalem as a reioycing and her people as a ioye and I will reioyce in Ierusalem and ioye in my people and the voice of weeping shal be heard no more in her nor the voice of crying c. This now some applie to the proofe of Chiliasme because that the Prophets manner is to mingle tropes with truthes to excercise the Reader in a fitte inquest of their spirituall meanings but carnall sloath contents it selfe with the litterall sence onely and neuer seekes further Thus farre of the Prophets wordes before that hee wrote what wee haue in hand now for-ward againe And your bones shall flourish like 〈◊〉 herbe that hee meaneth onelie the resurrection of the Saintes in this his addition prooues And the hand of the LORD shal bee knowne amongst his seruantes What is this but his hand distinguishing his seruants from such as scorne him of those it followeth And his indignation against his enemies or as another interprets it a against the vnfaithfull This is no threatning but the effect of all his threatnings For behold saith hee the LORD will come with fire and his chariots like a whirle-winde that hee may recompence his anger with wrath and his indignation with a flame of fire For the LORD will iudge with fire and with his sword all flesh and the slaine of the LORD shal bee many whither they perish by fire or sword or whirle-winde all denounce but the paine of the Iudgement for hee saith that GOD shall come as a whirle-winde that is vnto such as his comming shal be penall vnto Againe his chariots beeing spoke in the plurall imploy his ministring Angells But whereas hee saith that all flesh shal bee iudged by this fyre and sword wee doe except the Saints and imply it onelie to those which minde earthlie things and such minding is deadlie and such as those of whome GOD saith My spirit shall not alwaie striue with man because hee is but flesh But these words The slaine or wounded of the LORD shal bee many this implieth the second death The fire the sword and the stroke may all bee vnderstood in a good sence for GOD hath sayd hee would send fyre into the world And the Holie Ghost descended in the shape of fiery tongues Againe I came not saith CHRIST to send peace but the sworde And the scripture calls GODS Word a two edged sworde because of the two Testaments Besides the church in the Canticles saith that shee is wounded with loue euen as shotte with the force of loue So that this is plaine and so is this that wee read that the LORD shall come as a Reuenger c. So then the Prophet proceedes with the destruction of the wicked vnder the types of such as in the olde law forbare
his workes which GOD began to make For we our selues also bee the seauenth day when wee shall be replenished and repaired with his benediction and sanctification There being freed from toyle wee shall see because hee is GOD which wee our selues would haue beene when we fell from him hearing from the Seducer Ye shal be as goods and departing from the true GOD by whose meanes we should be gods by participation of him not by forsaking him For what haue wee done without him but that we haue fayled from him and gone back in his anger Of whom we being restored and perfected with a greater grace shall rest for euer seeing that he is GOD with whom we shal be replenished when hee shal be all in all for our good workes also although they are rather vnderstood to bee his then ours are then imputed vnto vs to obtaine this Sabbath because if wee shall atrribute them vnto our selues they shal be seruile when it is sayd of the Sabboth Yee shall not doe any seruile worke in it For which cause it is sayd also by the Prophet Ezechiel And I haue giuen my Sabbaths vnto them for a signe betweene mee and them that they might know that I am the LORD which sanctifie them Then shall wee know this thing perfectly and wee shall perfectly rest and shall perfectly see that he is GOD. If therefore that number of ages as of daies bee accompted according to the distinctions of times which seeme to bee expressed in the sacred Scriptures that Sabbath day shall appeare more euidently because it is found to be the seauenth that the first age as it were the first day bee from Adam vnto the floud then the second from thence vnto Abraham not by equality of times but by number of generations For they are found to haue a tenth number From hence now as Mathew the Euangelist doth conclude three ages doe follow euen vnto the comming of CHRIST euery one of which is expressed by foureteene Generations From Abraham vnto Dauid is one from thence euen vntill the Transmigration into Babilon is another the third from thence vnto the incarnat Natiuity of CHRIST So all of them are made fiue Now this age is the sixt to bee measured by no number because of that which is spoken It is not for you to know the seasons which the father hath placed in his owne powre After this age GOD shall rest as in the seauenth day when GOD shall make that same seauenth day to rest in himselfe which wee shal be Furthermore it would take vp a long time to discourse now exactly of euery one of those seuerall ages But this seauenth shal be our Sabbath whose end shall not be the euening but the LORDS day as the eight eternall day which is sanctified and made holy by the resurrection of CHRIST not onely prefiguring the eternal rest of the spirit but also of the body There we shall rest and see wee shall see and loue wee shall loue and we shall praise Behold what shal be in the end without end For what other thing is our end but to come to that Kingdome of which there is no end b I thinke I haue discharged the debt of this great worke by the helpe of GOD. Let them which thinke I haue done too little and they which thinke I haue done too much grant mee a fauorable pardon But let them which thinke I haue performed enough accepting it with a kinde congratulation giue no thankes vnto me but vnto the LORD with me Amen L. VIVES HOw a great shall that felicity be Innumerable things might be sayd but Augustine is to bee imitated in this and wee must neither speake nor write any thing rashly of so sacred and holy a matter neither is it lawfull for vs to search out that by Philosophy and disputations of men which the LORD hath commaunded to be most secret neither hath vnuailed to the eies nor vttered to the eares nor hath infused into the thoughts and vnderstandings of mortall men It is his will that we should beleeue them to bee great and admirable and onely to hope after them then at last to vnderstand them when we being made partakers of our desire shall behold openly all things being present and with our eyes and so conioyned and affixed vnto our selues that we may so know as we are now knowne neither ought we to enquire whether that blessednesse be an action of the vnderstanding or rather of the will whether our vnderstanding shal behold al things in GOD or whether it shal be restrained from some things least if we enquire these things ouer contentiously there be neither blessednesse of our vnderstanding nor of our will nor wee see any thing in GOD. Althings shal be full of ioyes and beatitudes not onely the will and vnderstanding but the eyes eares hands the whole body the whole minde the whole soule Wee shall see al things in GOD which wee will and euery one shal be content with the degree of his owne felicity nor will enuy another whom hee shall behold to bee nearer vnto GOD because euery man shal be so blessed as hee shall desire I thinke a I haue discharged the debt of this great worke And I likewise thinke that I haue finished no lesse worke and disburdened my selfe of no lesse labour then Augustine thinketh hee hath done For the burden of these meane and light Commentaries hath beene as heauy to our imbecillity and vnskilfullnesse as the admirable burden of those volumes was to the vigor and strength of his wit learning and sanctity If I haue sayd any thing which may please let the Reader giue thankes vnto GOD for mee if any thing which may displease let him pardon me for GODS sake and let things well spoken obtaine fauour for things il-spoken But if he shall kindly amend and take away the errors he shall deserue a good turne of me and the Readers which peraduenture relying vpon me might be deceiued FINIS An alphabeticall Index pointing out memorable matters contained in these bookes of the Citty of God A ARion who hee was fol. 24 Ttilius Regulus fol. 26 Abraham no murtherer fol. 37 Agamemnon who hee was fol. 34 Atis who he was fol. 56 Alcibiades his law fol. 64 Aeschines who he was fol. 69 Aristodemus who he was ibid. Attelan Comedies fol. 73 Athens lawes imitated in Rome fol. 78 Agrarian lawes fol. 84 Apollo and Neptune build Troy fol. 108 Anubis who he was fol. 76 Aedile his office fol. 103 Athenian ambassadors fol. 90 Ages of men fol. 117 Aesculapius who he was fol. 120 Aetnas burning fol. 157 Assyrian monarchie fol. 161 Anaximander who hee was fol. 299 Anaximines who hee was fol. 300 Anaxogoras who he was ibid. Archelaus who hee was ibid. Aristippus who he was fol. 302 Antisthenes who he was ibid. Atlas who he was fol. 313 Aristole who hee was fol. 318 Academia what it was ibid. Alcibiades who he was fol. 507 Arke