queat prosint Coâ—stâ—t praeterea quantopere sua doctrina pietate Ecclesias promouerim stabiliuerint quomodo integras optimeque ordinatas posteris reliquerint integras optime ordinatas Yea Hype ius No we haue found a more holy and pure policy caelitus delapsam Quinetiam in hunc vsque diem experimur nos illorum sanctissimis lucubratioâ—bus mirificè adiuuari Omnem conseruandarum Ecclesiarum artem prudentiam ex ijsdem addiscamus necesse est not necessary neither if we find better at Geneua Denique non pauci qui nunc aliquid laude dignum scribendo praestant illorum plumis se subinde vestiunt ornant superbiunt quamuis callidè dissimulent Haec gitur quando ita se habent cquideÌ„ Inuidos Maledicos obtrectatores istos indignos arbitror aduersos quos plurimis verbis pro veÌ„dicaÌ„da sanctorum patrum dignitate à calumnijs dimicem propugnem Quod si tales mores ac vitae puritas par iteÌ„ doctrina in istis elucerent si tot in dicendo scribendoque labores exhaustos si tantum ardorem ad illustrandam Christi gloriaÌ„ confirmandasque Ecclesias si tantum animi râ—bur in sustinendis pro veritate periculis conspiceremus in superciliosis delicatis istis Aristarchis seu censoribus quanta haec omnia fuisse in priscis illis patribus nouimus fuerunt autem exceâ—entissimae tunc sanè nos aliquo pacto aurem ipsis accomodaremus Nurc vero quando nihil prorsus eiâ—smodi deprehendi in cis potest quamlibet scrupulosè omni ex paâ—te circumspectes nos audire eos nolumus multo minus respondebimus eorum câ—uillationibus Thus farre Hyperius for the Fathers Reade this Antipaters and be ashamed I know no reason in the world why they should either mislike or postpose most holy men Confestors Martyrs and miracle-workers the pillars of the Church the burning lampes of good life and lights of great knowledge but either because they are too learned as Festus said of Paul or else because they were reuerent Fathers of Gods Church and it may be that one herbe puts death in the pot and if the name of Bishop go by their eares it turnes the whole pot of pottage I will end this with the Wise mans aduice Eccl. 3. 2. Heare your fathers iudgement ô children and do thereafter that ye may be safe for the Lord will haue the fathers honoured of the children and hath confirmed the authoritie of the mother ouer the children Let me adde with Syracides cap. 44. 1 Let vs now commend the famous men and our fathers of whom we are begotten The Lord hath gotten great glorie by them and that through his great power from the beginning they haue borne rule in their kingdomes and were renowned for their power and were wise in counsell and declared Prophesies They gouerned the people by counsell and by the knowledge of learning meet for the people in whose doctrine were wise sentences All these were men honored in their generations and were well reported of in their times There are of them that haue left a name behind them so that their praise shall be spoken of their sâ—ed shall remaine for euer and their praise shall neuer be taken away their bodies are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore The people speake of their wisedome and the congregation talk of their praise though malice swell at betters pride disdaine at superiors humorists rage scismatickes cut off these conduitpipes of liuing water and that impura puritas as Nazianzene cals it storme and sonnes as our Sauiour foretold rise against the fathers and cause their name to die though their tongue bleare and their pen blot the names of the fathers which blessed Fliahs are now taken vp in heauen haue left vs their cloaks behind them yet let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth and my right hand also forget her poore cunning when either refuseth to proclaime from my heart The fathers the fathers the chariots of Israel and the horsmen therof So much indeed too much be said to their first vnreasonable reason of abandoning the Fathers sayings or names from our Sermons 2. Ob. It hindereth one from often preaching ergo 1. Resp It hindreth no artists as Preachers should be who were brought vp at the feet of Gamaliels in the Colledges of the Prophets and therefore haue this handmaid at a call with the Apostle to wait on her mistresse And they that want this knife of secular learning how can they diuide the word aright to Gods people Such runne before they be sent as the Prophet complaineth and x Lib. 2. de rat concion ad conci sacrat interdum assiliunt qualibet adolescentes lenes indocti c. Erasmus as I said obserued in his dayes Such wold be Doctors of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor whereof they affirme A Minister y 2. Tim. 2. must be apt to diuide the word aright therefore a Logician z T it 1. apt to argue and conuince the gainesayers therefore a Rhetorician a 1. Tim 3. apt to teach therefore furnished with all kind of learning do all things by order therefore methodicall and he that comes without these is like the bad Orator in b Lib. 2. de Ora. Tully who thinking he had moued his auditors to pitie whereof he declaimed asked Catulus after his Oration Num egregiè misericordiam mouisset Whether he had not maruellously moued pitie Yes truly great pitie quoth he for I thinke there were none so stonie harted and blockish but they pitied thee in thy speech Such may sooner moue pitie then pietie in their people God will one day say to such dispensers of his meate to his familie as he said to Shebnah the steward of his house Esa 22. Quid tu hîc What dost thou here Or as Ierome with others out of the Hebrew translate it Quidtu quasiquis hîc What dost thou here in templo Dei indignè ministrando as Lyra. Indignus tali habitatione as Aquinas Aut quasi quis hîc ac si esses alicuius valoris as Hugo glosseth Such a quasi quis should not sit in Moses chaire whereof the c 2. Cor. 2. 16. Apostle asked quis who is sufficient for these things though now they resolue the question quis into quisquis who is not sufficient for these things Where shall I lay the fault of such queasie quasi-ones Is it Rebeccah their mother who by commendatorie letters puts them in the apparell of Christ their elder brother that our auncient Isaaks know them neither by voice nor by hand and so steale they a blessing from dimme sights that know not whom they blesse Wheresoeuer it be a Minister without knowledge of the Arts cannot be apt to teach as d Lib. de rat Stud. Theolog. cap. 4. Hyperius proueth at large and if such haue them at a call how hinder they his often preaching 2. It hindered not the
gemella not onely brothers but twins which are most necessarie in the whole as hands feet eyes eares nostrels and such couples of the bodie signifying hereby that all these for mutuall helpe and not hurt are so diuided To teach them saith that Author that she made also two brethren of one seed not for disagreement and discord but that being seuered they might helpe each other in distresse Which bond of amitie if they breake they are not vnlike the fingers of one hand intangling wringing against nature and wresting one another or like the two feet tripping and ouerthrowing each other And therefore when b X 〈…〉 ph lib. 2 de faâ—t dict Socrat. Socrates saw Chaerephon and Chaerecrates two iarring brothers warring each with other Now saith he ye do as if the hands which God created to helpe one the other leauing this should hinder and hurt one the other Or as the feet which were framed to beare one anothers burthen neglecting this should supplant one the other or as the eares which are coauditors of mutuall good should waxe deafe to heare good one for the other or as the eyes which like Caleb and Iosua are fellow-spies in this little land for the good of other should not looke for either others helpe but looke asquint at the good of the other Were not this vnnaturall and great vnhappinesse in those members saith Socrates which should naturally helpe one another whether in the hands or feet or eyes or other parts which are produced * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double and by paires How much more monstrous in two brethren whose ayde may exceede the cooperation of hands or the mutuall prouidence of eyes or the coaudience of eares or the supportance of the feete Our c Polyd. Virgil. lib. 8. hist Aug. English Chronicle storieth that when king Edward the Confessor and Goodwin Earle of Kent were sItting at table together Herald the Kings Cup-bearer the Earles sonne did stumble so with one foote that he was almost downe but recouering himselfe with the other he neither fell nor shed the drinke Wherat his father the Earle obseruing that of Saint Paul how these two d 1. Cor. 12. 25. members had the same care one for the other that the one foot could not say to his fellow I haue no need of thee merily said Nunc frater fratrem iuvit Now one brother hath holpen another At which word Brother though spoken but in least the King then calling to mind his brother Alfreds death whome the Earle had slaine thence assumed the Apostles application that one brother might helpe another whereupon beholding Goodwin with a displeased countenance answered Sic mihi mâ—us frater auxilio esset si per te liâ— uisset so might my brother Alfred haue also holpen me if thou hadst not bene Thus could the Earle note in those twins of the body that lesson of e Eccles 4 9. Salomon Two are better then one for if they fall the one will help vp his fellow And the King as if he had bene taught at his cup-bearers feet applied from their mutuall supportance that following f Verse 10. Woe against himselfe but woe vnto him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a second to lift him vp For indeed one brother helping another is lâ—ke a defenced citie as g Sept Ierâ—m vulg 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ra Hugâ— Card. some reade it and their counsels like the barre of a pallace which is impregnable Prou. 18. 19. and if one ouercome him two shall stand against him Eccles 4. 12. so naturall is their vnitie and strong their coadiuuance which nature hath framed double for mutuall assistance And therefore as nature their mother produced these her twins I meane the eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double and by twoes that they might helpe one the other so did that naturall father send out his two sonnes Iames and Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by twoes also to catch fish because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brethren in the flesh Math. 4. 21. And when their spirituall father called them to be fishers of men he h Mat. 10. 2. sent the same brethren foorth by two also Marke 6. 7. And therefore by two saith i Ser 2 â—e purâ—f Mar. gloss Lyrâ— in Luc. 10. 1. Hugo in Mar. 6. 7. Caâ—uin Arat. Janson in id Fer in Mat. 10. 1. vse exhorting Bernard with some other that as yoke-fellowes they might beare one anothers burden And it were to be wished that parents after their example would send out brothers into the world as two feete to support one another through loue howbeit themselues as k Georg. Remâ—s specileg in Prou. 18. 19. one iustly coÌ„plaineth for the most part offer occasions of iar and sow the seed of contention among their children either when in their last wils they make them vnequall in their grace who are equal by nature and making Reuben their eldest sonne so the excellencie of their dignitie and excellencie of power that they leaue not the rest of their substance for their other babes who often thereby conspire against the eldest as Iaakobs sonnes did against the yongest and resolue like them in the Gospell This is the heire come let vs kill him and the inheritance shall be ours Math. 21. 38. Or when like old l Gen. â—3 2â— Isaac in their dimme eye-sight and iudgement they mistake their sonnes though he rightly alone blessed where God onely loued Malac. 1. and bestowing the birth-right vpon the yonger resolue with that irreuocable will I haue blessed him in my will and he shall be blessed behold I haue made him Lord and all his brethen haue I made his seruants when the eldest crieth like Esau I am also thy son blesse me euen me also my father And this partiall affection causeth the elder to hate the yonger for stealing away the blessing and resolue that when the dayes of mourning for his father shall come he will be auenged of his brother A third occasion of filiall strife is when their parents wil die without will and departing intestate as he speaketh leaue all at randone to catch that catch may And this is indeed prouocare filios ad iram as the m Ephes 6. 4. Apostle speaketh to prouoke their children to anger and strife were they neuer so peaceable yea to set them by the eares for their portions like Ephraim against Manasses Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iuda A fourth cause of contention fathers beget in their sonnes when dis-inheriting filios irae the sonnes of their wrath they adopt aliants to be coheires in their inheritance A law indeede which Ephialtes as we n Alex. l. 16. ca. 10. reade gaue the Lacedemonians and not only o Val. Max. l. 7. c. 7. de test rescis cap. 8 de test rat iusperat stories but experience giues vs too great store of such to such too supernaturall adopters who like
Athenians after my death for these wrongs Neither let them draw curtaines ouer their bed-rid enmitie because Dauid forgaue Shimei his cursing 2. Sam. 19. and yet at his death left it Salomon in his will to kill him for his curses 1. King 2. For though Dauid at his comming to the crowne as our gracious king at his ingresse of this kingdome in his princely mercie not willing to begin his raigne with bloud pardoned railing Shimei as u In 2. Sam. 19. Martyr obserueth yet onely promised he him he should not die then nor for that onely fault nor at all by his hands as the learned x Lyra Hugo lun in 2. Sam. 19. interpret And whereas the iniurie to Dauid was double as one y Hugo Card. ibid. noteth priuate to him as a man and publike to him as a king the former according to the law Thou shalt not auenge nor be mindfull of wrong against the children of thy people Leuit. 19. he then wholly and freely forgaue whereas the other in the loue of iustice he willed Salomon to requite saith z Quast 18 19 in 1. Râ—g 2 Abulensis yet so that albeit he seeme to mention Shimei reuiling as a cause motiue of reuenge yet chargeth he not Salomon to kill him for that alone but when he takes him tripping in another offence he shall then pay him home for both For thou art a wise man saith he to his sonne and knowest what thou oughtest to do vnto him 1. Ki. 2. Wherefore let none by this example forgiuing the fault to his foe thinke by his sonne he may prosecute the offence A parable saith Salomon in the mouth of a foole is like a thorne in the hand of a drunkard wherewith he pricketh himselfe Prou. 26. 9. And this is to wrest the Scripture or to vse Saint a 2. Pet. 3. 18. Peters word to make it * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke a squint to their owne destruction And indeed it is lamentable to behold how wilfull children execute the last will of their malicious parents to reuenge and like those hostile beasts in b Lib. de mirab mun ls Albertus which being at deadly enmity in time of their life partes eorum pili their parts and haire are enemies after their death Or as ' Plutarch reports of Eagles and Dragons Crowes and Owles the Libbard and Linnet whose c Lib. dâ— inuid olâ—â— enmitie while they liued makes their bloud after death at such strife that it can neuer agree or be ioyned together in one vessell But let vs learne beloued of the liuing God at our death to leaue peace to our children the best legacie of our will and remit all though greatest offences and thereof both the guilt and punishment before we die to forgiue each one from our hearts all trespasses Vnto seuenty times seuen times For it may be thou replyest 5. Time when Alwaies saith d Lâ—b â—e constit viâ— vâ—â—t c. 9. Austine he hath offered me so many wrongs and offended so often that I am wearie with bearing and forbearing reuenge And indeed we which are debters of loue to many say like him who is debter to no man in the first of Amos For three offences of Edom and for foure I will not turne to it because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pittie and his anger spoiled him euermore and his wrath watched him alway and remembred not the brotherly couenant for three offences and for foure I will not turne to it This is the manner of mankind and therefore euen Peter himselfe asked his Lord to set downe some definite number of forgiuing Mat. 18. 21. Maister how oft shall my brother trespasse against me I shall forgiue him Vnto seuen times The worlds custome is to forgiue but once or twice or three times at the most and therefore Peter thought himselfe very liberall saith e Homil. 6â— in Mat. 18. Chrysostome if he went so farre beyond worldlings as seuen times to forgiue What vnto seuen times Lord Indeed the number of seuen is wont in Scripture to import an vniuersalitie of all saith venerable f Ser. Post 1 Do quadrag tom 7. Bede as all time is limited by seuen daies and all vice by seuen euill spirits Mat. 12. 45. as with Chrysostome Ansclmus doth obserue Neuerthelesse because the number of sixe seemes to be a number of worke and labour and seuen a number of rest therefore Peter vnderstanding this saith g Tract â— in Mat. 18. Origen thought in sixt times as in sixe dayes he might finish his worke of forgiuenesse and rest the seuenth time from all his labour Wherefore Christ his Lord and maister scoreth vp a greater number of remission I say not to thee vnto seuen times but vnto seuenty times seuen times alluding saith Hilarie to that number of Caine and Lamechs punishment Gen. 4. 24. If Caine shall be auenged seuen times truly Lamech seuenty times seuen times that as their auengement and requitalll was by this imported infinite so his forgiuenesse hereby should not be lesse finite For this is a number finite put for an infinite saith Chrysostome as if he had said Wilt thou know how often Peter doest thou tell me of seuen times man I tell thee vnto seuentie times seuen times in h Chrysost ibid. which number yet is no bound nor limitation but seuen times i that is semper alwaies or seuen dayes in a weeke yea seuen times in a day saith our Sauior Luk. 17. 4. or toties quoties as with k Dionys Carthus in hunc lâ—cum others l Ser. 15. de verb Dâ—m in Mat. Austine doth expound it and by this is meant a toties quoties of forgiuenesse as that number seuen is vsed Prou. 24. 16. This infinite number our Sauiour there setteth downe to condemne the mercilesse debter Mat. 18. who it seemes standing vpon the number would not forgiue his fellow because he had runne so long on his score that the debt was now growne to an hundred pence Howbeit let vs be followers of God as deare children who forgiueth not onely talents and great sinnes but euen tenne thousand that is all sinnes committed saith m Ibid. Austine against the ten commaundements Let vs I say be mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull who when he had often deliuered the Iewes from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the Ammonites and from the Philistines and from the Zidonians and from the Amalekites and from the Moabites pardoned them often vpon the promise of amendement Iudg. 10. 11. though when after breach of their couenant they cryed againe for further pardon he answered I haue done it so often and still ye offend wherefore I will deliuer you no more vers 13. yet for all this when they cryed We pray thee onely deliuer vs this day and saue vs this once he heard their complaint and pittying them