tongue confessing at the last that they coulde find none other thing but that God was incomprehensible and vnmeasurable Chrystomus hom 28. operis imperfecti As no man can measure the winde or weigh the fire so no man can attaine vnto the vnsearchable iudgementes of the Lorde Euen as one standing vppon the shoare doth see the Sea and yet doth not see the breadth and depth of it so the Angels and all the other elect which bee in heauen do see God reallie yet they can not comprehende either the depth of his greatnesse or the altitude of his eternitie Lodouicus Granatensis lib. 1. Ducis peccatorum Euen as there can be found nothing more bright and visible then the sunne yet nothing is lesse seene then it by reason of the excellency of his brightnes and the weaknesse of our sight so there is nothing in it selfe more intelligible then God yet there is nothing in this life lesse vnderstood then he for the same reasons Ibidem As that painter when he depainted the funerall solemnitie of a certaine kinges daughter pourtraied her kinsfolkes with heauie countenaunces and her mother more sorrowfull then the rest but when he came to delineate the father he did couer his face with an artificiall shadow signifying thereby that his Art did here faile him so when we speake of God and the deepe mysteries of his diuinitie vnder awe of admiration we are to lay our hands on our mouthes and to adore him with ineffable and chast silence Ibidem God is not the Authour of sinne AS the Sun which is made to illustrate and enlighten things cannot obscure and darken them so God who is righteousnesse it selfe cannot do vniustly Origines lib. 3. contra Celsum As the wicked doe naughtily entreate the goodnesse of God so God dooth vse to good ende the euill workes of the vngodlie Eusebius Emissenus hom 4. de Epiphania As the Smith is not the cause why the iron rusteth nor the progenitour of a liuelie bodie is the cause of the filth and blemishes it afterwards gathereth so neither God although he make and order all things is the cause of any sinne and wickednesse in them Mercurius Trismegistus in Pymandro As it belongeth vnto God being onely good to bee the cause of euerie good worke so it is vnmeete and incongruous that he should be supposed the authour of anie euill Fulgentius lib. 1. As a maister that would try his seruant whether he bee good or badde setteth in place where he may come to sweet meats and money now if this seruant take any his maister compelled him not to doe ill but laid open his bad disposition so also God giuing vnto men occasion to sinne if they will sin hee doth not make them to sinne but manifesteth the maliciousnes of their hearts Chrisostomus homil 46. operis imperfecti As the sun is not hurtful although it seemeth so vnto weake and bleard eies and as hony is not bitter to the tast albeit sick folke deeme it so so God is not euill nor carelesse of mens actions albeit wicked reprobate men think him so Chrisost hom 7. in Ioan. As it is no wonderfull thing to make a goulden bracelet of golde but it is admirable to make pure goulde of base lead so to make good of good is a thing of no such wonder but to extract vertue out of vice this is diuine God out of the wickkednes of the vngodlie done against the righteous doth extract their profit yea out of our owne faultes hee doth produce our welfare for by it he worketh in vs contrition and by his fauour we bring forth the fruits of repentance Pintus in Eze. cap. 38. The patience and longanimity of God AS God patientlie suffered Ionas to bee swallowed of the Whaile not that hee should perish but that he being cast vp agayne might more submit himselfe vnder the mightie hande of God and more glorifie him so God from the beginning hath beene patient in suffering man to bee swallowed vp of that great Whaile who was the authour of preuarication not that he shoulde finally perish but that hee might prepare him to seeke for that saluation of which Ionas was a signe Irenaeus li. 3. contra haereses cap. 22. An housholder doth not suddainly cast forth a faithful seruant but desireth him to stay so the Lord long suffereth if any one hath beene faithfull vnto him August sermone 146. in Lucam As Cities and Common wealths doe nourish hangmen and executioners of iustice by whome they may execute offenders malefactors not praising the office of the hangmā but tollerating his ministry for necessary vses so God the great magistrate and iusticer of this world doth suffer tyrants and oppressors as certain hagmē that by them hee may take vengeance of vngodly men and afterwardes deliuereth the tyrants vnto torment so God punished the children of Israell by the Assyrians Theodoretus ser 6. de Graecarum affectionū curatione Gods Prouidence AS a King when hee would keepe any man safe from daunger placeth him in his pallace that not onely the walles of the King but also the eyes of the King may defende him from his enemies then the which guard none can be safer so the heauenlie King by the same prouidence doth defend his Lodouicus Granatensis lib. 1. Ducis Peccatorum As the sun doth not only illuminate heauen the sea and the earth but shineth also thorow a windowe or a little creuice and doth cast light into the inmost place of the house so the diuine prouidence doth not only preserue great things but also respecteth the very least that are in the earth Clemens Alexandrinus lib. 7. stromatum As wee knowe that there are men in a ship that directly sayles into an hauen although we see none of them by reason of the right guydance of it so we know that God is the gouernour of all thinges by his prouidence albeit we cannot see him with our carnal eyes Theophilus Antiochenus lib. 1. ad Antolycum As an house decaieth without an inhabiter as a ship perisheth without a Pilot and as the body dyeth being forsaken of the soule so all thinges go to wracke and ruine without the diuine prouidence Lactantius Lib. 3. cap. 20. As a Wagoner directeh his chariot and a Pilot his ship so God guideth all his creatures Philo. lib. de Somnijs As wee knowe that there is a soule in a mans body by the motion of the body albeit the soule bee inuisible so God by his prouidence and ordering of all thinges is apprehended although by no eye hee can be discerned Theophilus Antiochenus lib. 1. ad Antolycum As an Eagle caryeth her young ones vpon her winges and as a mother carieth her child in her armes so God supporteth his Deuteron cap. 1. cap. 32. As God respecteth a litle bird of the sea called Alcyon that in the midst of winter hee sendeth a calme for fourteene dayes which the Mariners call Alcyon dayes til she hath hatched and fledged
Panacea called of Apothecaries Oppopanax hath a remedie for all diseases so the death of Christ is powerfull agaynst all hurtfull affections and dangerous desires Prior pars siâ—mil ex lib. 25. Plin. cap. 4. As Christs coate was without wemme so his life was without crime As without the Sunne there shoulde bee continuall night so without Christ there shoulde bee euerlasting destruction Clemens Alexandrinus ad Gentes As an Husband-man dooth cast his seede not in this corner and in that corner of his lande but casteth it euerye where throughout his whole lande so Christ commendeth the doctrine of pietie to rich and poore learned and ignoraunt to the strong and weake albeit hee knoweth what successe it shall haue Chrysostom Hom. 45. â—n Matthew As the soule is the life of the bodie so Christ is the life of the soule Petrus Chrysologus sermone 19. As at the comming of the diuell all nations mourned so at the comming of the Lord Iesus all people reioyced Arnobius in Psal 46. As an aduocate pleading for an offender taketh vppon himselfe the cause and faultes of him whome hee patronizeth as if they were his owne when notwithstanding hee is guiltlesse so Christ beeing without sinne tooke vpon him our transgressions and suffered for them as if they had beene his owne Chrysostome Sermone aduersus haereticos tom 5. As in a redde hote sworde there are actions and perfections of two natures the yron cuttes and the fire burnes so in Christ there is two Natures his Diuinitie and Humanitie and both haue their actions and perfections Damascenus lib. 3. cap. 15. defide As the Vnscorne by touching poysoned water with his Horne maketh it wholsome whereuppon Naturalistes saie that before hee drinkes hee putteth his Horne into the Water so Christ by his Humanitie hath made the poysoned Waters wholsome and hath purified our soules from infection Iacobus de Valentia in Psalmum 42. As Golde and a Pearle make one Ring so GOD and man make one Christ Themistocles hauing offended Philip the King of Macedonia and coulde no waye appease his anger meeting his young sonne Alexander tooke him in his armes and mette Philip in the face Philip seeing the smyling countenannce of the childe was well pleased with Themistocles euen so if through thy manifolde sinnes and heynous offences thou prouoke the heauie displeasure of thy God insomuch as thou shalt tremble for horrour take his onelie begotten and welbeloued sonne Iesus in thine armes and then he neither can nor will be angrie with thee It is written that the blood of a Lambe dooth appease the cruell rage of a fierce Lyon so the bloud of the immaculate Lambe Christ dooth pacifie the wrath of God When the brethren of Ioseph had solde him to the Ismaelites to pacifie their Father Iacob they brought his Coate all to bee bloudyed so if wee will appease GOD our Father wee must bring vnto him the blouddie Garment of his sonne The Adamant though it bee so harde that nothing can bruse it yet if the warme bloud of a Goate bee powred vppon it it bursteth so although the heart of the Atheist vnbeleeuer be so hard that neither reward nor reuenge can mollifie it so stoute that no persuasion can breake it yet if the grace of God purchased by the bloud of Christ do but once touch it it renteth in sunder and is enforced to acknowledge an omnipotent and euerlasting Iehouah Astrologers say that the Sunne passeth through these three signes Leo Virgo and Libra so the Sonne of righteousnesse Chryst Iesus in the lawe came as a Lyon threatning and destroying in the time of grace he came into the lappe of a Virgine in great humilitie and at the daie of iudgement hee will come in Libra to giue to euerie one according as he hath deserued As Theseus beeing guided by Ariadnes threede which shee tyed at the entrance into Dedalus Labyrinth escaped all the daunger and errour of it euen so wee must make Christ the doore by which wee must enter into the Labyrinth of all our affayres and tie Rahabs threede at this entraunce and followe it all the waye that so wee maie bee safe and goe in and out and finde pasture As the life of Christ is the life of life so the death of Christ is the death of death It is reported that the Lybard vseth a strange kind of policie to the Ape He lyeth downe vpon the ground as though he were starke dead which the Apes seeing come altogether and in despight skip vpon him This the Libard beareth patiently till hee thinkes they haue wearied themselues with their sporting Then sodainly hee likewise leapes vp and catches one in his mouth and in each foote one which immediatly hee killeth and deuoureth so Christ being laid in the dust the diuell insulted ouer him and trampled vpon him but he like a liuely Libard starting vp on Easter day astonished the soldiours set to keepe him which were the Diuels Apes and made them lie like dead men As blind Sampson by his death killed the Philistins when they were playing the Apes in mocking and mowing at him so Christ by his death destroyed the diuell Straliger writeth that the Chamelion when he espies a serpent taking shade vnder a tree climes vp into that tree and le ts downe a threed breathed out of his mouth as small as a Spiders threed at the ende wherof there is a little drop as cleare as any pearle which falling vpon the Serpents head kils him so Christ climing vp into the tree of his Crosse le ts downe a threed of bloud issuing out of his side like Rahabs red threed hanging out of her window the least drop whereof being so pretious and so peerelesse falling vpon the serpents head kils him The wilde Bull of all thinges cannot abide any red colour therefore the hunter for the nonce standing before a Tree puts on a red garment whome when the Bull sees hee runnes harde at him as harde as hee canne driue but the Hunter slipping aside the Buls hornes sticke fast in the Tree as when Dauid slipped aside Sauls speare stucke fast in the wall so Christ standing before the Tree of his Crosse puts on a redde garment dipt and dyed in his owne bloud as one that commeth with redde garmentes from Bozra therefore the Diuell and his Aungels like wilde Bulles of Bazan runne at him but he shifting for himselfe their hornes sticke fast in his crosse as Abrahams Ram by his hornes stucke fast in the briers thus is the diuell caught and killed A Dragon indeede kils an Elephant yet so as the Elephant falling downe kils the Dragon with him an Elephant kils Eleazar yet so as Eleazar falling down kils the Elephant with him so the diuell killing Christ was killed of him When Mahomet the second of that name besieged Belgrade in Seruia one of his Captaines at length got vp vpon the wall of the Citie with banner displaied A noble Bohemian espying this ranne to the Captaine
dealeth with the woorth and value of vertues is to knowe the price and dignitie of them that comparing them betweene themselues he may see which is to bee preferred before others and render and tender to euerie one her due honour ibidem Euen as wee make greater account of an heape of Gold then of Siluer and doe more esteeme an eye then a finger so also it is meete and requisite that with greater endeuour and diligence wee shoulde applie our selues to the worthier vertues and with the lesser to the lesse worthie lest we disturbe the spirituall businesse Idem lib. 2. Ducis peccatorum As in all thinges as well artificiall as naturall there are founde some truel and some seeming and appearing so but are not so in deede and as there is both true Golde and that which is false lawfull money and counterfeite coyne true Gemmes and false Gemmes so also among Vertues some are true and some that appeare to bee so but are not so in truth ibidem As the foule Toade hath a faire stone in his heade the fine Golde is founde in the filthie earth the sweete Kernell lyeth in the harde shell so Vertue is manie tymes harboured in the heart of him that most men esteeme mishapen As the precious stone Sandastra hath nothing in outwarde appearance but that which seemeth blacke but beeing broken powreth foorth beames lyke the Sunne so Vertue sheweth but bare to the outwarde eye but beeing pierced with inward desire shyneth like Christall Faith AS a childe that learneth his first elements ought to beleeue that his maister teacheth him and not to aske the reason whie this Letter is called A and that B so in the mysteries of Fayth wee must not aske the reason howe this may bee and that may bee but wee must giue credite to the Scriptures Lodouicus Granat in lib. de deuotione As he that hauing neuer seene glasse before seeing a curious and an excellent vessell made of it and set before his eyes can not bee induced to beleeue that it was made of a certain kind of straw and sand and that only by the breath of man so is it in matters of Fayth being considered of by the light of reason ibidem As wee cannot imitate nor well vnderstande the Arte of Bees in making their honie combes and tempering their honie nor the Arte of Spiders in weauing their Webbes nor the Arte of Silke wormes in spinning their Silke so much lesse can wee imitate the diuine workes or comprehende in our reasonable vnderstanding the mysteries of Fayth ibidem If thou hast life thou hast heate so if thou hast a liuely Fayth thou hast good workes Nazianzene As fire cannot be without heate nor the Sunne without light so a iustifying Fayth cannot be without iustifying workes As a riuer commeth from a fountaine so faith commeth from the Lord. As water maketh the earth fruitfull so fayth enricheth the soule with good works As the Carbuncle shineth in the night and in darknes casteth light vnto the eies so faith shineth in the darknes of heresie and in the night of persecution neither can it be ouercome or extinguished of either As there are twelue kindes of a Carbuncle so there are twelue Articles of our saith Isidorus As a garment touched with the stone Amiathon doth resist fire if you hang it ouer the fire it will not burne but become brighter so the soule beeing endued with Fayth dooth resist the heate of persecution and by it becomes more glorious Isidorus As Quicksiluer is the Element or matter of all mettals according to the Philosopher so Faith is the foundation of all vertues As the Almond tree flourisheth before any other tree so Faith ought to flourish before any other vertue As we cannot liue without the elements so we cannot attaine knowledge without Faith Clemens Alexandrinus li. 2. Stromat As nothing is delectable vnto men without light so nothing is acceptable vnto God without Fayth Origenes lib in Iob. As a light is not lightned of Oyle but is nourished by Oyle so Fayth doth not growe of workes but is nourished by workes Chrysostomus hom 18. operis imperfecti Hope EVen as an Anchor fastened into the earth keepeth the shippe safe which stayeth in the midst of the waues and maketh it that it feareth not the billowes of the raging sea so liuely Hope being firmly fixed vpon the heauenly promises preserueth the minde of the righteous vnremoued in the middest of the waues of this world maketh it that it contēneth and despiseth al the storme and tempest of the winds Lod Granat lib. 1. Ducis peccat Euen as a sonne in all his troubles and necessities which happen vnto him trusteth and affiaunceth his repose in his Father especially if he be riche powerfull that his helpe and fatherly prouidence will not at any time faile him so shoulde man haue this heart of a sonne to God his father who both can and will helpe his children better then all the fathers in the world Idem lib. 2. Ducis peccatorum As a ship by the anchor is kept from the violence of tempests so the soule by Hope is kept from the rage of temptations F. Ioannes a S. Geminiano lib. 9. de Artificib reb Artif cap. 70. As a staffe doth support a man so doth Hope ibidem As the husbandman soweth his land in hope of fruit so men performe the duties of Christianity in Hope of heauen Macar hom 14. As a Merchant taketh paines to furrow the vast Ocean in hope of earthly gains so a christian strugleth through the waues billowes of this life in hope of heauenlie reward Basil in Psal 1. As the hope of a crowne and victorie maketh the discommodities of war tollerable so the hope of heauen maketh the griefes and turmoyles of this life portable Chrysost lib. 3. de prouidentia dei As an helmet defendeth the head so Hope defendeth the soule idem homilia nona in priorem ad Thessalonicenses As pillers support and vpholde earthly buyldings so Hope supporteth and vpholdeth spirituall buildings Laurentius Iustinianus in ligno vitae cap. 2. de spe As it did not hurt Rahab to dwell with the people of Iericho but her faith kept her safe so sinne doth not hurt them that in Faith and Hope doe expect their redeemer Macarius hom 31. As without sustenance the body would sinke so without hope the heart woulde burst As Abraham begat Isaac so faith begets hope Charity AS the Phisitian hateth the disease yet loueth the person of the diseased so we must loue that in our neighbour which is good and made of God and abhor that which man and the diuel haue made euil Lod. Granat lib. 1. Ducis Peccat As the members of the same body albeit hauing diuerse duties and functions and differing also in forme do tenderly mutually loue one another be cause they liue by one the selfe same reasonable soule so much more ought faithful Christians to loue one another who
As the Cedar tree is vnfruitful stiffe so a proude man is vnfruitfull and obstinate Basilius in psal 28. As a blind man may be easily discerned of all so may a proude man that knowes not the Lorde for the beginning of pride is the ignorance of God be easily known as beeing depriued of his greatest lighte Chrysostomus hom de Ozia As the shippe that hath passed many waues and escaped many tempests at the length shipwracking in the very hauen doth loose all the treasure it contained so the proude Pharisie after that he had vndergone the labours of fasting and had performed the exercise of many notable vertues through his pride and arrogancie made shipwracke of them all in the very hauen Idem hom de profectu Euangelij That body which hath lost a good temperature is subiect to diseases so that soule that hath lost humilitie is endāgered with pride rashnes weaknes and foolishnesse Idem ser contra desperationem et superbiam As he that is frantik knowes neither himselfe nor those thinges that are before his feete so a proud man neither knowes him selfe nor any man about him ibidem As couetous men the more they receiue the more they stande in neede of so a proude man the more he is honoured the more honour he desireth Idem hom 1. in secundam ad Thessalonicenses As they that are swelled are not in good health so they that are proude are not in their right wits idem hom 17. in 1. Timoth. As in an heap of wheat the chaffe lies higher then the wheate not that it is worthier but bicause it is lighter being lighter it getteth the higher place so in this life a proude man is lifted aboue an humble man not for his merite and vertue but for his vanitie and false opinion of himselfe and being vaine of himselfe he preferreth himselfe before those of whō hee is excelled in vertue Hector Pint. in c. 15. Ezech. As pride is the beginning of all vices so it is the ruine of all vertues Isidorus They that are sicke of the dropsie by reason of the grossenesse of their bodies seeme to bee in good estate notwithstanding they be full of nothing but water and such euill humours which in the ende are the cause of their death so they that are proud by reason of their ouerweening cōceits seeme to be in greate reputation and credit when before God they are most abominable and detestable Couetousnesse AS fire when there is more wood cast on burneth more fiercely so couetousnesse the more wealth it hath the more it desireth Lod. Granat lib. 2. ducis peccatorum As drink in a dropsie is the cause of greater thirst so riches in couetous men are the causes of greater auarice Ibidem As the hollow spoute receiueth much water yet retaineth nothing but aire so the couetous man gathereth much wealth and yet possesseth nothing but cares As the fish Polypus vseth great skill in taking of other fishes being otherwise a stupide and foolish creature so many men are very wise for their owne lucre and gaine but in other thinges very blockish and brute beasts As vultures doe smell three daies before hande where any deade carkasses will fall and doe flie thither so greedy gapers after liuings doe many yeares before hand long for the death of the possessors Plin. lib. 10. cap. 6. Couetousnesse is like the serpent Hidaspis the more it sucks the more it is a thirst eating men aliue as the Crocodile and it is a vice of as dangerous allurement as the place where the Syrens sitte and chaunt their preiudiciall melody There is a certaine thorne among the Indians the iuice of which being sprinkled into the eies doeth bring blindnesse to all liuing creatures so the dust of golde beeing cast into the eies of men doeth make them starke blind As phisitians say that colde doeth hurte the bones the sinewes and the teeth so Paul doeth say more breefly because he is the master of breuity that couetousnesse is the roote of all euill Chrysost hom 75 in Matth. As bees flock vnto a hony deaw so couetous men hunte after the smell of gaine Plutarchus in Moralibus Meminit eius etiam Maximus sermone 12. As great fishes deuoure the small so couetous cormorants eate vp the poore Basilius hom 7 exameron As gluttons cannot spare any thing from their owne bellies so couetous men cannot spare any thing from their owne purses Idem hom in ditescentes As the sea is neuer seen without waues so the mindes of couetous men are neuer without perturbations cares daungers trembling and feare Chrysostom Hom. 36. in Matth. As a moath doth corrupt a garment so doth couetousnes eat and rust a wretched soule Idem hom 48. As the man of Chios solde his best wine to others and drunke the deade wine him selfe so doe couetous men they enioy the worst of their wealth and keep the best for wormes moathes and rust Plut. As an itchy scabby place standeth need alwaies of friction and rubbing so the thirst of a couetous minde is neuer quenched idem As they that fall a sleepe through heauinesse dreame of sorrowfull things so they that hunt after wealth and are couetous doe dreame of vsury extortion enhaunsing of rentes and such like dishonest gripings Idem As adulterers loue other mens wiues and contemne their owne so some men are more delighted with searching after other mens goodes then with enioying their owne idem As the roote of a reede beeing beaten small and laid vpon the root of ferne doth bring forth a stem and also as the roote of ferne beeing beaten small and laide vpon the root of a reed doeth extract a stalke so in like manner the desire of money doeth driue out of the soule the loue of wisdome and wisdome doeth driue out of the soule the loue of money As among the Myconians baldnes is no vnseemly thing because all are borne bald there so amongst Londoners pride and vsury and among lawyers couetousnes and bribery are counted small faults or rather none because these vices are as a generall murraine among them As an Adamant doth draw iron from a lodestone so the loue of mony doth draw men from christian piety doth call them away from all goodnes neither doth suffer them to sticke vnto Christ In the I le of Chios the face of Diana is placed aloft whose countenance seemeth heauy to those that enter in but chearefull to them that goe out so certaine sordide illiberall pesauntes doe with heauie countenaunces entertaine their friendes fearing least they should put them to cost and shoulde aske any thing of them but they are chearfull at their departure Plin. lib. 35. cap. 5. As the Emmots of India do onely keep the gold digged out of the cauerns of the earth but doe not enioy it so a couetous rich man neither himselfe enioyeth his riches neither vouchsafeth the vse of them to any other Plin. lib. 11. cap. 31. et Herodot lib. 3. Horseleaches and