vndoubted faith in our scriptures all which made choyce rather to endure the tirany of their enemies then bee their owne butchers But now we will prooue out of their owne records that Regulus was Cato's better in this glory For Cato neuer ouer-came Caesar vnto whom he scorned to be subiect and chose to murder himselfe rather then bee seruant vnto him But Regulus ouer-came the Africans and in his generallship returned with diuers noble victories vnto the Romanes neuer with any notable losse of his Citizens but alwaies of his foes and yet being afterwards conquered by them hee resolued rather to endure slauery vnder them then by death to free himselfe from them And therein hee both preserued his paciencie vnder the Carthaginians and his constancy vnto the Romanes neither depriuing the enemy of his conquered body nor his countrymen of his vnconquered minde Neither was it the loue of this life that kept him from death This hee gaue good proofe of when without dread hee returned back vnto his foes to whō he had giuen worse cause of offence in the Senate-house with his tongue then euer he had done before in the battaile with his force therefore this so great a conqueror and contemner of this life who had rather that his foes should take it from him by any torments then that hee should giue death to himselfe howsoeuer must needes hold that it was a foule guilt for man to bee his owne murderer Rome amongst all her worthies and eternized spirits cannot shew one better then hee was for hee for all his great victories continued b most poore nor could mishap amate him for with a fixt resolue and an vndanted courage returned he vnto his deadliest enemies Now if those magnanimous and heroicall defenders of their earthly habitacles and those true and sound seruants of their indeede false gods who had power to cut downe their conquered foes by lawe of armes seeing themselues afterwardes to bee conquered of their foes neuerthelesse would not be their owne butchers but although they feared not death at al yet would rather endure to bee slaues to their foes superiority then to bee their owne executioners How much more then should the Christians that adore the true God and ayme wholie at the eternall dwellings restraine themselues from this foule wickednesse whensoeuer it pleaseth God to expose them for a time to taste of temporall extremities either for their triall or for correction sake seeing that hee neuer forsaketh them in their humiliation for whom hee being most high humbled himselfe so low e especially beeing that they are persons whom no lawes of armes or military power can allowe to destroy the conquered enemies L. VIVES IN a his flesh For hee was afflicted with a sore kinde of vlcere b Most poore Liuy in his eighteene booke and Valerius in his examples of pouerty write this When Attilius knew that his generallship was prolonged another yeare more hee wrote to the Senate to haue them send one to supply his place His chiefe reason why hee would resigne his charge was because his seauen acres of ground beeing all the land hee had was spoyled by the hired souldiers which if it continued so his wife and children could not haue whereon to liue So the Senate giuing the charge of this vnto the Aediles looked better euer after vnto Attilius his patrimony c Especialy being that they He makes fighting as far from Christian piety as religious humanity is from barbarous inhumanity That sinne is not to be auoided by sinne CHAP. 24. VVHat a pernicious error then is heere crept into the world that a man should kill himselfe because either his enemy had iniured him or means to iniure him whereas hee may not kill his enemy whether hee haue offended him or bee about to offend him This is rather to bee feared indeede that the bodie beeing subiect vnto the enemies lust with touch of some enticing delight do not allure the will to consent to this impurity And therefore say they it is not because of anothers guilt but for feare of ones owne that such men ought to kill themselues before sinne be committed vpon them Nay the minde that is more truly subiect vnto God and his wisdome then vnto carnall concupiscence will neuer be brought to yeeld vnto the lust of the owne flesh be it neuer so prouoked by the lust of anothers But if it be a damnable fact and a detestable wickednesse to kill ones selfe at all as the truth in plaine tearmes saith it is what man will bee so fond as to say let vs sinne now least we sinne hereafter let vs commit murder now least wee fall into adultery hereafter If wickednesse be so predominant in such an one as hee or shee will not chuse rather to suffer in innocence than to escape by guilt is it not better to aduenture on the vncertainety of the future adultery then the certainety of the present murder is it not better to commit such a sinne as repentance may purge then such an one as leaues no place at all for repentance This I speake for such as for auoyding of guilt not in others but in themselues and fearing to consent to the lust in themselues which anothers lust inciteth doe imagine that they ought rather to endure the violence of death But farre bee it from a Christian soule that trusteth in his God that hopeth in him and resteth on him farre bee it I say from such to yeeld vnto the delights of the flesh in any consent vnto vncleanesse But if that a concupiscentiall disobedience which dwelleth as yet in our b dying flesh doe stirre it selfe by the owne licence against the law of our will how can it bee but faltlesse in the body of him or her that neuer consenteth when it stirres without guilt in the body that sleepeth L. VIVES COncupiscentiall a Disobedience The lust of the bodie is mooued of it selfe euen against all resistance and contradiction of the will and then the will being ouercome by the flesh from hence ariseth shame as we will shew more at large hereafter b Dying flesh Our members being subiect vnto death doe die euery day and yet seeme to haue in them a life distinct from the life of the soule if then the lustfull motions that betide vs in sleepe bee faltlesse because the will doth not consent but nature effects them without it how much more faltlesse shall those bee wherein the will is so so farre from resting onely that it resists and striues against them Of some vnlawfull acts done by the Saints and by what occasion they were done CHAP. 25. BVt there were a some holy women say they in these times of persecution who flying from the spoylers of their chastities threw themselues head-long into a swift riuer which drowned them and so they died and yet their martirdomes are continually honored with religious memorialls in the Catholike Church Well of these I dare not iudge rashly in any thing
not exclude numbers from Gods knowledge Plato hauing so commended God for vsing them in the worlds creation and our Scripture saith of God Tâ—… 〈◊〉 ordered al things in measure number and weight and the Prophet saith He 〈◊〉 the world and the Gospell saith All the heires of your heads are numbred God forbid the that we should think yâ— he knoweth not number whose wisdome 〈◊〉 â—…standing is in numerably infinite as Dauid saith for the infinitenesse of 〈◊〉 â—…hough it bee beyond number is not vnknowne to him whose knowâ—… infinite Therefore if whatsoeuer bee knowne be comprehended in the 〈◊〉 that knowledge then is all infinitenesse bounded in the knowledge of 〈◊〉 â—…ecause his knowledge is infinite and because it is not vncomprehensiâ—… 〈◊〉 knowledge Wherefore if numbers infinitenesse bee not infinite vnâ—… knowledge nor cannot bee what are wee meane wretches that dare preâ—…â—…mit his knowledge or say that if this reuolution bee not admitted in 〈◊〉 renewing God cannot either fore-know althings ere hee made them 〈◊〉 them when hee made them whereas his wisdome beeing simply and â—…ly manifold can comprehend all incomprehensibility by his incomâ—…le comprehension so that whatsoeuer thing that is new and vnlike to all 〈◊〉 should please to make it could not bee new nor strange vnto him nor 〈◊〉 â—…ore-see it a little before but containe it in his eternall prescience L. VIVES 〈◊〉 Two men two horses or whatsoeuer make both one number I inquire not 〈◊〉 â—…hether the number and the thing numbred bee one or no the schooles ring of that â—…gh b Doth not The best reading Of the worlds without end or ages of ages CHAP. 19. 〈◊〉 doth so and that there is a continual connexion of those times which 〈◊〉 â—…lled Secula a seculorum ages of ages or worlds without end running 〈◊〉 indestinate difference onely the soules that are freed from misery reâ—…â—…ernally blessed or that these words Secula seculorum doe import the 〈◊〉 remayning firme in Gods wisdome and beeing the efficient cause of â—…ory world I dare not affirme The singular may bee an explication of 〈◊〉 as if wee should say Heauen of heauen for the Heauens of heauens â—…D calls the firmament aboue which the waters are Heauen in the sinâ—… 〈◊〉 and yet the Psalme saith and you waters that bee aboue the Heauens 〈◊〉 of the LORD Which of those two it be or whether Secula 〈◊〉 another meaning is a deepe question We may let it passe it belongs 〈◊〉 proposed theame but whether wee could define or but obserue 〈◊〉 discourse let vs not aduenture to affirme ought rashly in so obsâ—…â—…ouersie Now are wee in hand with the circulary persons that 〈◊〉 â—…ings round about till they become repaired But which of these opiniâ—… be true concerning these Secula seculorum it is nothing to these reuoâ—…â—…cause whether the worlds of worlds bee not the same revolued but oâ—…â—…uely depending on the former the freed soules remayning still 〈◊〉 â—…lesse blisse or whether the Worldes of worldes bee the formes 〈◊〉 â—…sitorie ages and ruling them as their subiects yet the circulariâ—…â—…o place heere how-soeuer The Saints b eternall life ouerthroweth 〈◊〉 L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a The scriptures often vse these two words both together Hierome in â—…p ad Gal. expounds them thus we 〈◊〉 saith he the difference betweene Seculum Seculum Secuâ—… and secula seculorum Seculuâ—… some-times a space of time some-times eternity the hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when it is written with the letter van before it it is eternity when otherwise it is 50. yeares or a Iubily And therefore the Hebrew seruant that loued his Maister for his wife and children had his care bored and was commanded to serue an age Seculum 50. yeares And the Moabites and Amonites enter not into the Church of God vntill the 15. generation and not vntill an age for the yeare of Iubily quit all hard conditions Some say that Seculum seculorum hath the same respect that Sanctu Sanctorum Caelum Caelorum the Heauens of heauens had or as the Works of workes or Song of songs That difference that the heauens had to those whose heauens they were and so the rest the holy aboue all holy the song excelling all songs c. So was secula seculorum the ages excelling all ages So they say that this present age includeth all from the worlds beginning vnto the iudgement And then they goe further and begin to graduate the ages past before and to come after it whether they were or shal be good or ill falling into such a forrest of questions as whole volumes haue beene written onely of this kinde b Eternall Returning no more to misery nor were that happy without certeynty of eternity nor eternall if death should end it Of that impious assertion that soules truely blessed shall haue diuers reuolutions into misery againe CHAP. 20. FOr what a Godly eares can endure to heare that after the passage of this life in such misery if I may call it a life b being rather so offensiue a death and yet c we loue it rather then that death that frees vs from it after so many intollerable mischieues ended all at length by true zeale and piety wee should be admitted to the sight of God and bee placed in the fruition and perticipation of that incorporeall light and vnchangeable immortall essence with loue of which we burne all vpon this condition to leaue it againe at length and bee re-infolded in mortall misery amongst the hellish immortalls where GOD is lost where truth is sought by hate where blessednesse is sought by vncleanesse and bee cast from all enioying of eternity truth or felicity and this not once but often being eternally reuolued by the course of the times from the first to the later and all this because by meanes of these circularities transforming vs and our false beaâ—…des in true miseries successiuely but yet eternally GOD might come to â—…ow his owne workes Whereas otherwise hee should neither bee able to rest from working not know ought that is infinite Who can heare or endure this Which were it true there were not onely more wit in concealing it but also 〈◊〉 speake my minde as I can more learning in not knowing it d for if wee shalbâ—…â—…ssed in not remembring them there e why doe wee agrauate our misery 〈◊〉 knowing them here But if wee must needs know them there yet let vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selues ignorant of them here to haue the happier expectation then the 〈◊〉 that wee shall attaine here expecting blessed eternity and there 〈◊〉 onely blisse but with assurance that it is but transitory But if they â—…y that no man can attaine this blisse vnlesse hee know the transitory reuolutions thereof ere hee leaue this life how then doe they confesse that the more one loues GOD the easilier shall hee attaine blisse and yet teach the way how 〈◊〉 â—…ll this louing affect 〈◊〉 will not but loue him lightly whome hee
of Iacobs stock how can their sonnes sonnes or their sonnes be accompted amongst the seauentie fiue that went in this company vnto Egipt for there is Machir reckoned Manasses his sonne and Galaad Machirs sonne and there is Vtalaam Ephraims sonne reckoned Bareth Vtalaams sonne Now these could not be there Iacob finding at his comming that Iosephs children the fathers and grand-fathers of those foure last named were but children of nine yeares old at that time But this departure of Iacob thether with seauentie fiue soules conteineth not one day nor a yeare but all the time that Ioseph liued afterwards by whose meanes they were placed there of whome the Scripture saith Ioseph dwelt in Egipt and his brethren with him a hundred yeares and Ioseph saw Ephraims children euen vnto the third generation that was vntill hee was borne who was Ephraims grand-child vnto him was he great grand-father The scripture then proceedeth Machirs sonnes the sonne of Manasses were brought vp on Iosephs knees This was Galaad Manasses his grand-child but the scripture speaketh in the plurall as it doth of Iacobs one daughter calling her daughters as the a Latines vse to call a mans onely child if hee haue no more liberi children Now Iosephs felicitie being so great as to see the fourth from him in discent wee may not imagine that they were all borne when hee was but thirty nine yeares old at which time his father came into Egipt this is that that deceiued the ignorant because it is written These are the names of the children of Israel which came into Egipt with Iacob their father For this is said because the seauentie fiue are reckoned with him not that they all entred Egipt with him But in this transmigration and setling in Egipt is included all the time of Iosephs life who was the meanes of his placing here L. VIVES THe a Latines Sempronius Asellio called Sempronius Gracchus his onely sonne liberi and it was an vsuall phrase of old Gell. Herenn Digest lib. 50. Iacobs blessing vnto his sonne Iudah CHAP. 41. SO then if wee seeke the fleshly descent of Christ from Abraham first for the good of the Citty of God that is still a pilgrim vpon earth Isaac is the next and from Isaac Iacob or Israel Esau or Edom being reiected from Israel Iudah all the rest being debarred for of his tribe came Christ. And therefore Israel at his death blessing his sonnes in Egipt gaue Iudah this propheticall blessing Iudah a thy bretheren shall praise thee thine hand shall bee on the neck of thine enemies thy fathers sonnes shall adore thee As a Lyons whelpe Iudah shalt thou come vp b from the spoile my sonne Hee shall lye downe and sleepe as a Lyon or a Lyons whelpe who shall rouse him The scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a law-giuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiloe come and the people bee gathered vnto him Hee shall binde his Asse fole vnto the Vine and his Asses colt c with a rope of hayre he shall wash his stole in wine and his garment in the bloud of the grape his eyes shall be redde with wine and his teeth white with milke These I haue explained against Faustus the Manichee as farre I thinke as the Prophecie requireth Where Christs death is presaged in the worde sleepe as not of necessitie but of his power to dye as the Lion had to lye downe and sleepe which power him-selfe auoweth in the Gospell I haue power to lay downe my life and power to take it againe no man taketh it from mee but I lay it downe of my selfe c. So the Lion raged so fulfilled what was spoken for that same Who shall rouse him belongeth to the resurrection for none could raise him againe but he himselfe that said of his body Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will raise it vp againe Now his manner of death vpon the high crosse is intimated in this shalt thou come vp and these words Hee shall lye downe and â—…pe are euen these Hee bowed downe his head and giue vp the ghost Or it may meane the graue wherein hee slept and from whence none could raise him vp as the Prophets and he him-selfe had raised others but him-selfe raised him-selfe as from a sleepe Now his stole which hee washeth in wine that is cleanseth from sinne in his bloud intimating the sacrament of baptisme as that addition And his garment in the bloud of the grape expresseth what is it but the Church and eyes being redde with wine are his spirituall sonnes that are drunke with her cup as the Psalmist saith My cup runneth ouer and his teeth whiter then the milke are his nourishing wordes where-with hee feedeth his little weaklings as with 〈◊〉 This is he in whome the promises to Iudah were laide vp which vntill they 〈◊〉 there neuer wanted kings of Israell of the stock of Iudah And vnto him â—…ll the people bee gathered this is plainer to the sight to conceiue then the â—…gue to vtter L. VIVES IVda a thy brethren Iudah is praise or confession b From the spoile From captiuity saith the Hebrew all this is meant of Christs leading the people captiue his high and sacred ascention and the taking of captiuitie captiue Hierome c With a rope of hayre With a rope onely say some and his asses colte vnto the best vine saith Hierome from the Hebrew And for this Asses colte saith he may be read the Citty of God whereof we now speake the seuentie read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the vine branch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the twist of the Vine as Theophrastus saith and thence haue the two kindes of luy their names Diosor Plin. so might cilicium come into the Latine text that Augustine vsed if the Greeke were translated Helicium otherwise I cannot tell how Of Iacobs changing of his hands from the heads of Iosephs sonnes when he blessed them CHAP. 42. BVt as Esau and Iacob Isaacs two sonnes prefigured the two peoples of Iewes and Christians although that in the flesh the Idumaeans and not the Iewes came of Esau nor the Christians of Iacob but rather the Iewes for thus must the words The elder shall serue the yonger be vnderstood euen so was it in Iosephs two sonnes the elder prefiguring the Iewes and the yonger the Christians Which two Iacob in blessing laide his right hand vpon the yonger who was on his left side and his left vpon the elder who was on his right side This displeased their father who told his father of it to get him to reforme the supposed mistaking and shewed him which was the elder But Iacob would not change his hands but said I know sonne I know very well hee shall bee a great people also but his yonger brother shall be greater then hee and his seede shall fill the nations Here is two promises now a people to the one and a fulnesse of
the gods but for the mother of any senatour of any honest man nay euen for the mothers of the players them selues to giue care too Naturall shame hath bound vs with some respect vnto our parents which vice it selfe cannot abolish But that beastlynesse of obâ—… speaches and actions which the Players acted in publike before the mother of all the gods and in sight and hearing of an huge multitude of both sexes they would be ashamed to act at home in priuate before their mothers g were it but for repitition sake And as for that company that were their specâ—… though they might easily bee drawn thether by curiosity yet beholding câ—…ity so fouly iniured me thinkes they should haue bene driuen from thence by the meete shame that immodesty can offend honesty withall What can â—…dges be it those were sacrifices or what can bee pollution if this were a purification and these were called h Iuncates as if they made a feast where all the vâ—…eane dâ—… of hell might fill their bellies For who knowes not what 〈◊〉 of spirit 〈◊〉 are that take pleasure in these obscurities vnlesse hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there bee any such vncleane spirits that thus illude men vnder the names of gods or else vnlesse hee be such an one as wisheth the pleasure and feares the displeasure of those damned powers more then hee doth the loue and wrath of the true and euerliuing God L. VIVES SAcriligious a mockories Inuerting this the holy plaies a phrase vsed much by the Pagans b The Enthusiastikes persons rapt This place requireth some speech of the mother of the gods Diodorus Siculus Biblioth lib. 4. tels the story of this Mother of the gods diuers waies For first hee writeth thus Caelus had by his wife Titaea fiue forty children two of which were women called Regina and Ops Regina being the elder and miser of the two brought vp all her other bretheren to doe her mother a pleasure and therefore she was called the mother of the gods and was marryed to hir brother Hiperion to whome shee 〈◊〉 Sol and Luna who being both murdered by their vncles wicked practises she fel mad ranging vp and downe the Kingdome with a noise of drummes and cimbals and that this grew to a custome after she was dead Then he addes another fable that one Menoes an ancient King of Phryâ—… had by his wife Dindimene a daughter whome he caused to be cast forth vpon mount Cyâ—… 〈◊〉 that the infant being nourished vp by wilde beasts grew to be of admirable beauty and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a â—…pheardesse was by her brought vp as her own childe and named Cibele of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was found that shee innented many arts of her owne head and taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on pipes danncing drummes and cimbals also farying of horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein shee was so fortunate that they named her The great mother Gâ—…ing vp vnto yeares she fell in loue with a youth of that country called Atis being with childâ—… by 〈◊〉 was sâ—… for backe by her father Menoes for a Uirgin but the guilt beeing knowne 〈◊〉 and the Nurses were put to death and Cibele being extreamely in loue with Atis fell madde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her fathers house along with a Timbrell and a cimball she came to Nisa to Dioniâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where sâ—… few yeares after she dyed And soone after a great famine togeâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Pâ—…gia the inhabitants were commanded by Oracle to giue diuine worship to Atis and Cibele and hence arose the first canonization of the Mother of the gods Thus farre Diodorus who no doubt hath declared the true originall of it as it was But some do guesse that she was the mother of Iupiter Iuno Neptune and Pluto and therefore was called Rhea and in latine Ops and Cibele and Vesta as all one Nor make I any question but that this history is confounded as is vsuall in euery fable of the gods that she was a virgin and therefore named Vesta and that therefore Atys was faigned to bee a goodly young man whom she louing and commanding that she should neuer meddle with any other woman he neglecting her command fell in loue with a Nimph called Sangritis which Cybele depriued him of those partes whereby hee was man and for that reason euer since will haue her Priests defectiue in that fashion And because that she was most ordinarily worshipped of the Phrygians vpon Mount Ida there vpon she got the name of the Idean mother and of Berecynthia as also of the Phrigian goddesse Hie Priests were called Galli of the riuer Gallus in Phrigia the water whereof beeing drunke maketh men madde And these Galli themselues doe wherle their heads about in their madnesse slashing their faces and bodies with kniues and tearing themselues with their teeth when they are either madde in shew or madde indeed Their goddesse which was nothing but a great stone vpon Mount Ida the Romanes transported into Italy the day before the Ides of Aprill which day they dedicated vnto her honours and the plaies called Megalesia as on that day were acted Liuy lib. 29. speaking of the Mother of the gods hath these words They brought the goddesse into the Temple of Victorie which is on the Mount Palatine the daie before the Ides of Aprill So that was made her feast daie And all the people brought giftes vnto the goddesse vnto the Mount Palatine and the Temples were spred for banquets and the Plaies were named Megalesia this is also in his sixteenth booke About the same time a Temple was dedicated vnto the great Idean mother which P. Cornelius receiued being brought out of Asia by sea P. Cornelius Scipio afterward surnamed Africane and P. Licinius beeing consulls M. Liuius and C. Claudius beeing censors gaue order for the building of the Temple And thirteene yeares after it was dedicated or consecrated by M. Iunius Brutus M. Cornelius and T. Sempronius beeing Consulls and the Plaies that were made for the dedication thereof beeing the first plaies that euer came on stage Antias Valerius affirmeth were named Megalesia Thus farre Liuy To whom Varro agreeth also liber 3. de lingua Latina Enthusiastiques or persons rapt Were men distraught taken with madnesse as Bertcynthia's Galli were Saint Augustine vpon Genesis calls them men taken with spirits possessed c Pipers Or the singers Symphoniacos it commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Harmony or consort In the feastes of Cybele was much of this numerall musicke with Pipes and Tymbrells Hereof Ouid singeth thus in his fastorum lib 4. Protinus inflexo Berecynthia tybia cornu Flabit Idaeae festa parentis erunt Ibunt Semimares inania tympana tundent Aeraâ—… tinnitus are repulsa dabunt Then Berecynthias crooked pipes shall blovv Th' Idaan mothers feast approcheth now Whose gelded Priests along the streetes doe passe With Timbrells and the tinckling sounds of brasse And a little after Tibia dat Phrygios vt
call her whore for to be a cuckold is a disgracefull thing x Minerua's forger Or fellow workers for they both haue charge of Ioues thunder and somtimes through his bolts Virgil Ipsa Iouis rapidum iaculata é nubibus ignem Quite through the cloud shee threw Ioues thundring fire Which there are but three may do saith Seruius Iupiter Minerua and Uulcan though Pliny bee of another mind De disciplin Etrusc Rom lib. 2. Minerua looketh vnto Iâ—…ues Aegis which was indeed his apparrell made by Minerua's wisdome and Vulcans labour And though Ioues bonnet be fire yet Pallas made it Mart. Nupt. Or is Vulcan her fellow forger because he begat Apollo on hir that hath the tuition of Athens Cic. de nat lib. 3. But Augustines minde I thinke rather is this that Uulcan is Minerua's fellow forger Because she is called the goddesse of all arts euen the mechanicall and he is godde of the Instruments vsed in all these mechanicall artes Fire is the instrument of all artes saith Plutarch if one knew how to vse it De vtilit inimic Besides Vulcan is said to gouerne artes him-selfe The warlike artes saith Eusebius were Minerua's charge the pyrotecknical or such as worke in fire Vulcans Theodoret saith that the Greekes vsed the word Vulcan for artes because few artes can be practised without fire Phurnutus saith that all arts are vnder Minerua and Vulcan because shee is the Theory and he the Instrument of practise And therefore Homer saith of a worke-man thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whome Vulcan taught and Minerua Of the multitude of Goddes which the Pagan Doctors auouch to bee but one and the same Iupiter CHAP. 11. WHerefore let them flourish with their physicks as long as they like Lette Iupiter be one while the a soule of this terrene world filling the whole fabrike of the foure Elements more or lesse as they please and another while but a quarter-ruler with his bretheren and sisters lette him be the skie now imbracing Iuno which is the aire vnder him and let him by and by be skye and aire both filling the lappe of the earth his wife and mother with fertile showers and seedes b This is no absurdity in their Diuinity And to omit the long and tedious catalogue of his remooues and strange transmutations lette him forth-with bee but one and that onely God of whome the famous Poet was thought to say Deumque namque ire per omnes Terrasque tractusque maris caelumque profundum c For God his spirit imparts To th' earths the seas and heauens profoundest parts d Let him be Iupiter in the sky Iuno in the Aire Neptune in the Sea Salacia in the seas depth Pluto in the earth Proserpina in the earths lowest part Vesta in the households fire Vulcan in the Smiths shop Sol Luna and the stars in the sphears e Apollo in diuination f Mercury in trafficke in g Ianus h the Porter in the Bounds Terminus in time Saturne in war Mars and i Bellona in the vineyards Bacchus in the Corne Ceres in the Woods k Diana in mens wits Minerua let him rule the l seed of man as Liber and of women as Libera as hee is father of the day let him be m Diespiter as ruler of the monthly disease of women lette him be the goddesse Mena and n Lucina that helpes in their child-birth And helping the fruits which increase let him take the name of Ops. Let him bee o Vaticanus that opens the childes mouth first to cry and Leuana that takes vp from the mother and Cunina that guards the Cradle Let none but him sing the destinies of the new-borne childe and be called p Carmentes lette him sway chance and bee stiled Fortune or womens dugges and bee called q Rumina because the ancients called a dugge Rumâ—… lette him bee r Potina and suckle the hog-babes or Educa and feed them Or Pauentia for frighting them or t Venilia for sodaine hope Volupia for pleasure Agenoria for action Stimula for prouocation Strenua for confirming mans courage Numeria for teaching children to tell twenty u and Camaena for singing Nay lette vs make him x Consus for his counsaile y Sentia for his sententious inspirations z Inuentas for the guiding of our a egresse from youth to fuller age For our chins sake which if he loue vs he clothes in haire let him be b Fortuna Barbata Nay free because he is a male-Godde lette him either bee Barbatus as Nodotus is or because hee hath a beard lette him not bee Fortuna but Fortunius Well on lette him bee Iugatine to looke to the Hills and at the loosing of a virgins nuptiall guirdle lette him bee inuoked by the name of Virginensis lette him bee c Mutinus which amongst the Greekes was Priapus but that it may bee hee will bee ashamed off Lette Iupiter alone bee all these that I haue reckoned and that I haue not reckoned for I haue thought fit to omit a great many or as those hold which make him the soule of the world many of whome are learned men let all these bee but as parts and vertues of him If it be so as I doe not yet inquire how it is what should they loose if they tooke a shorter course and adore but one God what one thing belonging vnto his power were dispised if him-selfe intirely were duly worshipped If they feare that some of his parts would be angry for being neglected why then it is not as they say that al this is but as the life of one soule containing all those gods as the parts powers vertues and faculties therof but euery part hath a life really and distinctly seperate from the other This must needs be true if one of them may be offended and another bee pleased and both with one act And to say that whole Ioue would be offended if al his parts were not seuerally worshipped this were foolish for ther were not one of them left out if the persoÌ„ were adored in whom they ar al iointly included For to permit the rest being inumerable wheras they say that the stars are al euery one real parts of Ioue and liue haue reasonable soules and therfore are absolute gods they say they know not what and see not how many of them they leaue without Altars without worship both which not-withstanding they haue exhibited them-selues and commanded others to exhibit vnto a certaine smal number of them Wherfore if they doubt the anger of the rest why are not they affraid to liue in the displeasure of the most part of heauen hauing giueÌ„ content but vnto so few Now if they worshipped al the stars inclusiuely in Iupiters particular person they might satisfie them all by this meanes in the adoration of him alone for so none of them would think much seeing they all were worshipped in him nor should any haue cause to think they were contemned VVhereas otherwise the greater part may conceiue iust anger for beeing thus omitted by those that giue all
had the spirit of prophecy She was called in Greeke Thespiodon in Latine Carmente Dionys. Of hir Ouid saith Ipsa Mone quae nomâ—…n habes de carmine dictum Quâ—… simul â—…thereos animo concâ—…perat ignes Ore dabâ—… pleno carmina vera Dei And thou that from the verse deriues thy name And againe And being filled with aethâ—…iall fyre She spake as Phaebus did her breast inspire There was the gate Carmentall in Rome called afterwards Scelerata and neare to it an Altar in the Capitoll where shee was placed There were also the Carmenae which told the destiuies of new borne children whence Nicostrata had hir name Varro They were also called 〈◊〉 and Camaenae without S. and they that honoured them were called Prophets of their prophecies There was also Faunus and Fauna brother and sister he-mens fortune-teller and she-womens q Rumina goddesse of dugs Plin. Fest. There-was the fig-tree Ruminall where the she-wolfe gaue Romulus and Remus sucke They offered milke and sprinckled the sacrifices with milke that were offered to this goddesse r Potina Or Potica Donat. in Terentii Phormio The children were consecrated to Educa Potica and Cuba goddesses of meate drinke and sleep Virg. Nec Deus hunc Mâ—…nsa dea nec dignata cubili est Nor would the god giue meat nor goddesse sleepe s Educa Not Edulica t Venilia Turnus his mother sister to Latinus his wife Amatâ—… Venilia of Ventus winde or of Venio to come Varro u Cumanae Cumanae were the Muses of Cano to sing Seru. or Cumaenae of Casta mens a chast minde saith Festus Their Temple was at Port Capena in the first ward or region of the citty Camaena in Latine is Musa in Greeke They ruled humanity and learning as wel as song Cic. Tus. quaest 1. They were called Muses of inquiring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Phylosophy x Consus This was Hippoposeidon Liâ—… Dion Plut. The Arcadians built him a Temple before Romulus and Remus calling him yâ— god of Counsels Wherfore his Altar neuer came out of the earth where it lay hidde but only at his feast He directed Romulus in the rape of the Sabines the Greekes say he strucke the earth with his mase and it brought forth the first horse and thence hath he his name True it is that he first tamed horses in those parts add made them fit for mans vse y Sentia Or Senta or Fauna oâ—… Fatua sister and wife to Faunus daughter to Picus So called à Fando because shee helped children to speake Senta because we speake our thoughts But this is but coniecturall we leaue it with the rest z Iuuaentas Of hir hereafter a Degrees from youth The text is Post praetextaâ—… Prâ—…texta was a vesture of dignity and magistracy brought from Hetruria to Rome not woâ—…e by boies vntill Tarquinius Priscus his son had the wearing of that and the golden Bosse for being valorous in the wars from that time all free children wore it mary the Bosse was only theirs whose fathers had bin Head-Officers Curules Macrob. At fourteene yeares they laid it by anâ—… took yâ— mans gowne Toga virilis the Senators sons the Latus clauus which some say Augustus first put on at yâ— age the Latus Clauus was a purple coat but not a gown b Fortuna baâ—…bata The men of old offered yâ— first shauings of their chins vnto Apollo as Theseus did for one going to Delos Plutarch c Mutinus Some ad Tutinus but it hath bin the falt of som copier 〈◊〉 old so he hath passed vn-obserued I do not think it was Augustins for in his 6. book he vsâ—… but Priapus for both these Lactantius readeth it well Mutinus though some of his 〈◊〉 haue Futinus d One soule Plato Cicero and the Stoicks held the world to be but one creature and to liue one life as a man liueth Of their opinion that held God to bee the soule and the world to bee the bodie CHAP. 12. WHat of this Ought not this to moue the sharpest wittes nay all in generall For indeed there is no great sharpnesse of wit required to the laying aside of all wrangling and to attend but whether God be the worlds soule or no and whether the world his body or no both making one creature whether he be natures a store-house containing all things in him-selfe whether that out of his b soule that animateth al this whole masse the liues and beings of all liuing creatures be taken or no each one according to their natures and whether that there bee nothing on earth which is not part of God If this were true marke but the irreligious consequence hereof A man if it were so should not tread but still hee treades part of God vnder his feete and in euery creature that he killed he should kill a part of the Deitie I will not relate what others may thinke vpon I cannot speake it without exceeding shame L. VIVES NAtures Store-house Lucan Placido natura receptat Cuncta finu b Soule A Pythagoricall sentence which Virgill expresseth Principio calum terras composque liquentes Lucenâ—…â—…bum lunae Titaniaque astra Spiritus â—…lit totamque infuâ—…a per artus Mâ—…s agitat â—…olem magno se corpore miscet Heauen Earth and Sea each in his proper bound The moones bright globe and all the spangled round A spirit within doth feed doth moue and passe Through euery parcell of this spacious masse And likewise in his Georgikes lib. 4. His quidam signis atque haec exempla secuâ—…i Esse apibus partem diuinae mentis haâ—…stus Ethereoâ—… dixére Deum namque ire per omnes Terrasque 〈◊〉 maris Caelumque profundum Hinc pecudâ—…s armenta viros genus omne seraruÌ„ Quem que sibi tenuâ—…s nascentem arescere vitas Scilicet huc reddi deinde resoluta referri Omniâ—…â—…orti esse locum sed viâ—…a volare Sider is iâ—… numerum atque alto succedere caelo c. These signes made some affirme that in a Bee Was part of that celestiall Deity For Gods diffused essence doth appeare Regent in earth aire sea and euery sphere To which for life beasts birds and men do runne And when their slender vitall threedâ—…s are spunne To this they all returne death hath no right To ought of this but to the starry height They tâ—…wre and there sit ranckt in heauens high frame c. c According to Some more some lesse and some lesser The nearer him the more the farther the lesse This is the opinion of many and amongst others of Aristotle de mundo Of such as hold that the reasonable creatures onely are parts of the diuine essence CHAP. 13. IF they say indeed that all things in the whole world do not participate essence with God but yet all reasonable creatures doe truly I cannot see how that can stand Then all the world is not God for otherwise how can they keepe brute
Sarpedon from death the fates constrayning him to die and Neptune greeues that hee coulâ—… not hinder Vlisses his returne home and reuenge the blindnesse of his sonne Ciclops Fate hauing decreede the contrary and Iupiter in Ouid saith Tu sola insuperabile satum Nate mouere putas Daughter'tis onely thou Canst mooue relentlesse fate Saith he And a little after Quae â—…que conâ—…ursum caeli nec fulminiâ—… iram Nec â—…tuunt vllas tuta atque aeterna ruinas Which feare nor thunders gods nor powers infernall But stand vnaw'd vnmooued and eternall There were some that held nothing casuall but all fixed certaine and immutable Democritus Empedocles and Heraclitus were all of this opinion which many others maintained after them as others did the positions of Epicurus Lucane Phars lib. 2. declareth both the opinions in these words Siue parens rerum primùm informia regna Materiamque rudem flammâ cedente recepit Fiâ—…xit in aeternum causas quà cuncta coâ—… cet Se quoque lege tenens secula iussa â—…rentem Fatorum immoto diuisit limite mundum Siue nihil positum est sed sors incerta vagatur Fértque refertque vices habent mortalia casum c. Or natures God when first he bound the fire And wrought this maâ—…e into one forme intire Forged eternall causes all effecting Himâ—…elfe and all the worlds estate subiecting To destenies inchangeable directing Oâ—… bene our states in fortunes gouernance To rise or fall and all by onely chance Fortune is often vsed for destenie and the euents of things which when they fall out as wee desire that we call Felicitie if contrary Infelicitie Thus much here more else-where b The will of God Of this by and by c A power of the starrrs wherein the Stoickes Plato and almost all the other Philosophers do place Fate following the Chaldees and Aegiptians to whom all the Mathematitians also doe giue their voyces d Some do seperate Some say the operation of the starres is a distinct power from the will of God and in attributing this vniuersall power to them exclude Gods prouidence from humaine affaires Besides there are that affirme that although God doe looke to the state of the world yet the starres haue their peculiar dominion in vs neuerthelesse So hold Manilius and Firmicus and the Poets most commonly Others subiect them all vnto the will of GOD omnipotent as Plato and the Stoikes doe affirming all their operations to bee but the praescript lawes of him e But if the starres Origen vpon that place of Genesis Let them be for signes Chapt. 1. vers 14. Saith that the starres doe signifie but effect nothing They are saith he as a booke opened wherein may bee read all things to come which may bee prooued by this that they haue often signified things past But this booke cannot bee read by any witte of man Plotine was of Origens opinion also denying the starres any acte in those things but onely signification Seneca speaking of the Starres saith they either cause or signifie the effects of all things but if they doe cause them what auaileth it vs to know that we cannot alter and if they but signifie them what good doth it thee to fore-see that thou canst not auoide f Mars in such Mars is a starre bloudie fiery and violent Being in the seuenth house saith Firmicus lib. 3. in a partise aspect with the Horoscope that is in the West hee portendeth huge mischieues stayning the natiuities with murthers and many other villanies g To grant them Hee alludeth vnto Tullies Chrysippus de Fato that would teach the Mathematicians how to speake in their art Of the mutuall simpathie and dissimilitude of health of body and many other accidents in twins of one birth CHAP. 2. CIcero a saith that Hippocrates that excellent Phisitian wrote that two children that were brethren falling sicke and the sicknesse waxing and waning in both alike were here-vpon suspected to be twinnes b And Posidonius a Stoike and one much affected to Astrologie laboureth to prooue them to haue bin borne both vnder one constellation and c conceiued both vnder one So that which the Phisitian ascribeth to the similitude of their temperatures of body the Astrologian attributes to the power and position of the starrs in their natiuities But truly in this question the Phisitians coniecture standeth vpon more probabilitie because their parents temperature might bee easily transfused into them both alike at their conception and their first growth might participate equally of their mothers disposition of body then being nourished both in one house with one nourishment in one ayre countrie and other things correspondent this now might haue much power in the proportionating of both their natures alike as Physicke will testifie Besides vse of one exercise equally in both might forme their bodies into a similitude which might very well admit all alterations of health alike and equally in both But to drawe the figure of heauen and the starres vnto this purity of passions it being likely that a great companie of the greatest diuersitie of affects that could bee might haue originall in diuerse parts of the world at one and the same time were a presumption vnpardonable For d we haue knowne two twinnes that haue had both diuerse fortunes and different sicknesses both in time and nature whereof mee thinkes Hipocrates giueth a very good reason from the e diuersitie of nourishment and exercise which might bee cause of different health in them yet that diuersitie was effected by their wills and elections at first and not by their temperature of body But neither Posidonius nor any patron of this fate in the starres can tell what to say in this case and doe not illude the single and ignorant with a discourse of that they know not for that they talke of the space of time between that point which they call the f Horoscope in both the twinnes natiuities it is either not so significant as the diuersitie of will acte manners and fortune of the twinnes borne doth require or else it is more significant then their difference of honors state nobilitie or meannesse will permit both which diuersities they place onely in the figure of the natiuitie But if they should be both borne ere the Horoscope were fully varied then would I require an vnitie in each particular of their fortunes which g cannot be found in any two twinnes that euer yet were borne But if the Horoscope be changed ere both bee borne then for this diuersitie I will require a h difference of parents which twins cannot possibly haue L. VIVES CIcero a saith I cannot remember where I beleeue in his booke De fato which is wonderfully mutilate and defectiue as we haue it now and so shall any one finde that will obserue it b Whom Posidonius A Rhodian and a teacher of Rhodes Hee was also at Rome a follower of Panaetius Cicero c conceiued both for the conception is of as
Ceres was also called libera b To norish Hereof Plin. lib. 7. It is the matter or substance fitted for generation the masculine seed congealing in it and so growing to perfection when it flowes in women with child their burthen is dead or corrupted Nigidius Then this bloud menstruall there cannot be a more filthy nor venemous thing which alone is inough to curbe and dash the proud heart of man c Wife and sister Uirgill It is common d How can This is all the Philosophers saying a man is the wonder of the world and the mind the wonder of the man e That had charge In Mineruas feasts the children caried new yeares-gifts to their maisters and made a play day of that to do seruice to Minerua that ruled the memory the store-house of discipline and the especiall signe of wit in little children as Quintilian saith shee ruleth the wit also and was called the birth of Ioues braine Ouid. fastor Pallada nunc puri tener 〈◊〉 ornate puellae Qui bene plâ—…arit Pallada doctus erit Now Pallas temple youthes and damsells fill He that can please her shall haue wit at will And so he proceedeth f Many wicked Plato in his Thaetetus saith that the cholericke person is the best memoried gessing doubtlesse by the hot and dry braine g Many father gods Ioue is aboue Saturne and he aboue Caelus whose parents are vnknowne though Phurnutus calls his father by the name of Aemon Iuno also is more famous then Ops and shee then her mother h More loues coyne Querenda Pecunia primum est vertus post nummos Haec Ianus summus ab imo Perdocet Haec recinunt iuuenes dictata senesque First coyne then vertue this doth Ianus sing And this through mouthes of youth and age doth ring Euripides presents one in a humor neglecting althings all reproches for wealth his reason is why what doe they aske how good one is how honest no how ritch each one is that which hee possesseth i Then to that which A difference of reading but it is reformed the Axiâ—… is Aristotles Poster 1. That whose end respecteth another is not so good as the end it respecteth and principles are both plainer and before their conclusions in precedency though here he speake not so much of the finall cause as of the efficient But in his Ethickes he teacheth that the things respected are better then the things respecting That the meaner gods being buried in silence were better vsed then the select whose falts were so shamefully traduced CHAP. 4. NOw any one that longed after honor might gratulate those selected gods and say their selection had bin good if it had not rather beene vsed to their disgrace then their honors for the basenesse of the meaner sort kept them from scornes Indeed we do laugh when wee see how fond opinion hath parted them into squadrons and set them to worke vpon trifles like a spittle men or the b gold-smith in the siluer-streete where the cup goeth through so many hands ere it 〈◊〉 done when as one good worke-man might do all himselfe But I thinke they had each such little shares to learne their worke the sooner least the whole should haue beene too long in learning But we can scasely finde one of the vnselected gods that is be come infamous by any foule act doing but scarcely one of the select but on the contrary The latter came downe belike to the base workes of the first but the first ascended not to the high crimes of the later In c deed of Iaâ—…s I finde nothing blame-worthy perhaps he liued honestly and out of the d ranke of villaines he receiued Saturne courteously being expelled his kingdome and shared his state with him and they built two cities the one Ianiculum the other Saturnia But those sencelesse adorers of Idolatry and filthinesse haue made him a very monster some-times with two faces some-times with foure Did they desire that since the other gods had lost all e honesty of face by their fowle actes his innocence should bee the more apparant by his many fore-heads L. VIVES I 〈◊〉 Spittle-men A diuerse reading ours is the best as I thinke Hee doth meane such 〈◊〉 as had the gathering of some abiect pence of little or no vse to the state some fragments of collections b Goldsmiths One carues one guildes one sets on an eare or a corner 〈◊〉 like though the plate sellers are not Gold-smiths but put their worke out to the gold-smiths them-selues or rather bankers or exchangers the workemen kept shops about the great market place Uitru l. 5. Liu. lib. 26. To get thee out of the market place is Plautus phrase in his 〈◊〉 Augustine vseth the Syluer-streete here for a place where the gold-smiths wrought c 〈◊〉 Hee was borne in Italy and raigned there with Cameses borne there also the 〈◊〉 as called Camesena the Cittie Ianiculum but he dying Ianus ruled all and entertained Saturne in his flight from Crete learned husbandry of him and shared his kingdome with 〈◊〉 giuing him Mount Tarpeius whereon there stood a tower and a little towne which he called Saturnia Aeneas would haue called it Aeneopolis afterwards but it kept the olde name Saturnia still there were some monuments of it remained long after the Saturnian gate called afterward Padana as the writing on the wall testifieth and the temple of Saturne in the entrance Tarquin the proud afterwards building Iunos temple and Saturne being as it were expelled from thence also by his sonne the whole Capitoll was dedicated in the name of Great omnipotent Iupiter Uirg Aeneid 8. Seru. ibid. Ouid. fast 1. Eutrop. Solin Macrob. Diony Pruâ—… There is a booke vnder Berosus the Chaldaeans name that saith Ianus was Noah I hold thâ—…â—…ke nothing but meere fables worthy of the Anian Commentaries Of Ianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall heare more d Ranke of villaines Ouid. fast 6. saith hee rauished 〈◊〉 who was afterwards called Carna and made goddesse of hinges But Augustine either 〈◊〉 forgot it or else held it but a false fiction e Honesty of face the face and the foreâ—…â—…en for shame Hence is Plinies Perfricare faciem frontem in Quintilianum to 〈◊〉 ashamed Lucan Nec color imperii nec frons erit vlla senatus The Court will want all shame the state all shape And Persius Exclamet Melicerta perisse Frontem de rebus Let Melicerta crye All shame is fledde Of the Pagans more abstruse Physiologicall doctrine CHAP. 5. 〈◊〉 let vs rather heare their naturall expositions where-with they would 〈◊〉 â—…ne to cloake their pitious errors as in cloudy mysteries First Varro so â—…nds them that he saith the pictures shapes and vestures of the gods were 〈◊〉 of old for the deuoute therein to contemplate the worlds soule and the parts thereof that is the true Gods in their mindes whereof such as erected huâ—…e shapes seemed to compare the immortall essence vnto the soule in man and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vessell should bee put
Of the Sonnes of the flesh and the Sonnes of promise CHAP. 2. THe shadow and propheticall image of this Citty not presenting it but signifying it serued here vpon earth at the time when it was to bee discouered and was called the holy Citty of the significant image but not of the expresse truth wherein it was afterwards to bee stated Of this image seruing and of the free Citty herein prefigured the Apostle speaketh thus vnto the Galatians Tell me you that wil be vnder the law haue yee not a heard the law for it is written that Abraham had two Sonnes one by a bond-woman and the other by a free But the sonne of the bond-woman was borne of the flesh and the sonne of the free-woman by promise This is b allegoricall for these are the two Testaments the one giuen c from Mount Syna begetting man in seruitude which is Agar for d Syna is a mountaine in Arabia ioyned to the Ierusalem on earth for it serueth with her children But our mother the celestiall Ierusalem is free For it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth into ioye and crie out thou that trauelest not without Child for the desolate hath more Children then the married wife but wee brethren are the sonnes of promise according to Isaac But as then he that was borne of the flesh e persecuted him that was borne after the spirit euen so it is now But what saith the scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne for the f bond-womans sonne shall not bee heire with the free womans Then bretheren are not we the children of the bond-womaÌ„ but of the free Thus the Apostle authorizeth vs to conceiue of the olde and new Testament For a part of the earthlie Cittie was made an image of the heauenly not signifying it selfe but another and therefore seruing for it was not ordeined to signify it selfe but another and it selfe was signified by another precedent signification for Agar Saras seruant and hir sonnewere a type hereof And because when the light comes the shadowes must avoide Sara the free-woman signifying the free Cittie which that shadowe signified in another manner sayd cast out the bond-woman and her sonne for the bond-womans sonne shall not bee heire with my sonne Isaac whom the Apostle calls the free womans sonne Thus then wee finde this earthlie Cittie in two formes the one presenting it selfe and the other prefiguring the Citty celestiall and seruing it Our nature corrupted by sin produceth cittizens of earth and grace freeing vs from the sinne of nature maketh vs celestiall inhabitants the first are called the vessells of wrath the last of mercie And this was signified in the two sonnes of Abraham thâ—… one of which beeing borne of the bond-woman was called Ismael beeing the sonne of the flesh the other the free-womans Isaac the sonne of promise both were Abrahams sonnes but naturall custome begot the first and gratious promise the later In the first was a demonstration of mans vse in the second was acommendation of Gods goodnesse L. VIVES NOt a heard Not read saith the Greeke better and so doth Hierome translate it b Allegoricall An allegorie saith Quintilian sheweth one thing in worde and another in sâ—…ce some-times the direct contrary Hierome saith that that which Paul calleth allegoricall â—…ere he calleth spirituall else-where c From mount So doe Ambrose and Hierome read it d Syna is I thinke it is that which Mela calles Cassius in Arabia For Pliny talkes of a mount Câ—…s in Syria That of Arabia is famous for that Iupiter had a temple there but more for Pomâ—… tombe Some thinke that Sina is called Agar in the Arabian tongue e Persecuted In Gâ—…sis is onely mention of the childrens playing together but of no persecution as Hieromeâ—…eth â—…eth for the two bretheren Ismael and Isaac playing together at the feast of Isaacs weaâ—…g Sara could not endure it but intreated her husband to cast out the bond-woman her â—…e It is thought she would not haue done this but that Ismael being the elder offered the yâ—…ger wrong Hierome saith that for our word playing the Hebrewes say making of Idols or â—…ing the first place in ieast The scriptures vse it for fighting as Kin. 2. Come let the children 〈◊〉 and play before vs whether it be meant of imaginary fight or military exercise or of a 〈◊〉 fight in deed f Bond-womans sonne Genesis readeth with my sonne Isaac and so doe 〈◊〉 â—…o but Augustine citeth it from Paul Galat. 4. 25. Of Saraes barrennesse which God turned into fruitfulnesse CHAP. 3. FOr Sara was barren and despaired of hauing any child and desiring to haue 〈◊〉 childe though it were from her slaue gaue her to Abraham to bring him â—…en seeing shee could bring him none her selfe Thus exacted she her a due 〈◊〉 husband although it were by the wombe of another so was Ismael borne 〈◊〉 begotten by the vsuall commixtion of both sexes in the law of nature and â—…-vpon said to be borne after the flesh not that such births are not Gods beâ—… or workes for his working wisdome as the scripture saith reacheth from 〈◊〉 to end mightily and disposeth all things in comely order but in that that 〈◊〉 the signification of that free grace that God meant to giue vnto man such a 〈◊〉 should be borne as the lawes and order of nature did not require for naâ—… denieth children vnto all such copulations as Abrahams and Saras were b 〈◊〉 and barrennesse both swaying in her then whereas she could haue no childe 〈◊〉 yonger daies when her age seemed not to want fruitfulnesse though fruitâ—…esse wanted in that youthfull age Therefore in that her nature being thus afâ—…d could not exact the birth of a sonne is signified this that mans nature beâ—… corrupted and consequently condemned for sinne had no claime afterward 〈◊〉 any part of felicity But Isaac beeing borne by promise is a true type of the â—…s of grace of those free cittizens of those dwellers in eternall peace where 〈◊〉 priuate or selfe-loue shall be predominant but all shall ioy in that vniuersall 〈◊〉 and c many hearts shall meete in one composing a perfect modell of â—…y and obedience L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a due by law of mariage b Age and For she was both aged and naturally barâ—… So some both men and women as Aristotle saith are borne so c Many hearts that â—…e concord of the Apostles of whom it is said The multitude of the beleeuers were of 〈◊〉 Acts. 4. 32. Of the conflicts and peace of the earthly Citty CHAP. 4. BVt the temporall earthly citty temporall for when it is condemned to perpetuall paines it shall be no more a citty hath all the good here vpon earth and therein taketh that ioy that such an obiect can affoord But because it is not a good that acquits the possessors of all troubles therefore this citty is diuided in it selfe into warres altercations and appetites of bloudy and deadly
had the name from him and there wee must thinke that it was first vniuersall because the confusion of tongues was a punishment which Gods people were not to cast off Nor was it for nothing that Abraham could not communicate this his language vnto all his generation but onely to those that were propagate by Iacob and arising into an euident people of God were to receiue his Testament and the Sauiour in the flesh Nor did Hebers whole progenie beare away this language but onely that from whence Abraham descended Wherefore though there be no godly men euidently named that liued at the time when the wicked built Babylon yet this concealement ought not to dull but rather to incite one to inquire further For whereas we read that at first men had all one language and that Heber is first reckoned of all the sonnes of Sem beeing but the fift of his house downeward and that language which the Patriarches and Prophets vsed in all their words and writings was the Hebrew Verily when woe seeke where that tongue was preserued in the confusion being to bee kept amongst them to whom the confusion could be no punishment what can wee say but that it was preserued vnto this mans family of whome it had the name and that this is a great signe of righteousnesse in him that where as the rest were afflicted with the confusion of their tongues hee onely and his family was acquit of that affliction But yet there is another doubt How could Heber and his sonne Phalec become two seuerall nations hauing both but one language And truly the Hebrew tongue descended to Abraham from Heber and so downe from him vntill Israell became a great people How then could euery sonne of Noahs sonnes progenies become a particular nation when as Heber and Phalec had both but one langâ—… The greatest probability is that c Nembroth became a nation also and yet was reckned for the eminence of his dignity and corporall strength to keepe the number of seauenty two nations inuiolate but Phalec was not named for growing into a nation but that that strange accident of the earths diuision fel out in 〈◊〉 daies for of the nation and language of Heber was Phalec also We need not 〈◊〉 at this how Nembroth might liue iust with that time when Babilon was 〈◊〉 and the confusion of tongues befell for there is no reason because Heber was the sixt from Noah and hee but the fourth but that they might both liue vnto 〈◊〉 time in one time for this fel out so before where they that had the least 〈◊〉 liued the longest that they that had the more died sooner or they 〈◊〉 â—…ad few sonnes had them later then those that had many for wee must conâ—… this that when the earth was builded Noahs sonnes had not onely all 〈◊〉 issue who were called the fathers of those nations but that these also 〈◊〉 and numerous families worthy the name of nations Nor may wee 〈◊〉 then that they were borne as they are reckened Otherwise how could 〈◊〉 twelue sonnes another sonne of Hebers become of those nations if hee 〈◊〉 â—…ne after Phalec as hee is reckned for in Phalecs daies was the earth 〈◊〉 Wee must take it thus then Phalec is first named but was borne long 〈◊〉 brother Ioktan whose twelue sonnes had all their families so great that 〈◊〉 â—…ht be sufficient to share one tongue in the confusion for so might he that 〈◊〉 borne be first reckned as Noahs youngest sonne is first named nameâ—… Cham the second the next and Shem the eldest the last Now some of 〈◊〉 â—…s names continued so that we may know to this day whence they are 〈◊〉 â—…s the Assirians of Assur the Hebrewes of Heber d and some conâ—… of time hath abolished in so much that the most learned men can 〈◊〉 finde any memory of them in antiquity For some say that the Egyptiâ—… they that came of Mizraim e Chams sonne here is no similitude 〈◊〉 at all nor in the Aethiopians which they say came of Chus another 〈◊〉 Chams And if wee consider all wee shall finde farre more names lost 〈◊〉 â—…ayning L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a house Some thinke they consented not vnto the building of the Tower and 〈◊〉 â—…efore had the first language left onely to them Herodotus writeth that Psametiâ—…â—…yptian â—…yptian king caused two children to be brought vp in â—…e woods without hearing 〈◊〉 mans mouth thinking that that language which they would speake of themselues 〈◊〉 â—…ould bee that which man spake at first after three yeares they were brought vnto 〈◊〉 â—…ey said nothing but Bec diuers times Now Bec is bread in Phrygian wherevpon 〈◊〉 the Phrygian tongue to bee the first but it was no maruaile if they cryed 〈◊〉 continually brought vp amongst the goates that could cry nothing else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophecying of what was to 〈◊〉 saith Hierom. c Nembroth became 〈◊〉 it is vncertaine where hee raigned is playne Gen. 2. In Babilon and Arach that 〈◊〉 Hierom Edessa and Accad that is now called Nisibis and in Chalah that 〈◊〉 â—…d called Seleucia of Seleucus or else that which is now called Ctesiphon Perhaps hee was the father but doubtlesse the great increaser of those nations d And some So saith Hierome of all Ioctans sonnes And no maruell since that all the mountaines hilles and riuers of Italy France and Spaine changed their names quite into barbarous ones within the compasse of two hundred yeares e Ghams sonne Nay Egipt saith Hierome bare Chams owne name for the seauenty put the letter X. for the Hebrew He continually to teach vs the aspiration dew to the word and here they translate Cham for that which in the Hebrew is Ham by which name Egipt in the countries proper language is called vnto this day Thus farre Hierome But it might bee that Egipt was called Mizraim of him that first peopled it as Hierome saith the Hebrews call it continually Egipt was also called afterwards Aeria because as Stephanus saith the ayre was thicke therein it was called further-more Neptapolis of the seauen citties therein And lastly Egypt of Egyptus Belus his sonne Homer calles the riuer Nilus Egipt f Ethiopians The Hebrews call Ethiopia Chus Hieron It was called Atlantia of Atlas and Ethiopia afterwards of Ethiops Uulcans sonne as some say But I thinke rather of the burnt hew of the inhabitants for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke is black Homer that old Poet saith there are two Ethiopa's Odyss 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This lyes vpon the East that on the West There is also a part of the I le Eubaea called Aethiopon Of that point of time wherein the citty of God began a new order of succession in Abraham CHAP. 12. NOw let vs see how the Citty of God proceeded from that minute wherein it began to bee more eminent and euident in promises vnto Abraham which now wee see fulfilled in Christ. Thus the holy Scripture teacheth vs then that
farre beyond our ayme if I should heere stand to referre all the propheâ—… Salomons three true bookes that are in the Hebrew Canon vnto the truth 〈◊〉 Christ and his church Although that that of the Prouerbs in the persons of the wicked Let vs lay waite for the iust without a cause and swallow them vppe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that goe downe into the pit let vs raze his memory from earth and take 〈◊〉 his ritch possession this may easily and in few wordes bee reduced vnto CHRIST and his church for such a saying haue the wicked husbandmen in his euangelicall Parable This is the heire come let vs kill him and take his â—…tance In the same booke likewise that which wee touched at before â—…g of the barren that brought forth seauen cannot bee meant but of 〈◊〉 church of CHRIST and himselfe as those doe easilie apprehend 〈◊〉 snow CHRIST to bee called the wisdome of his father the wordes are Wisdome hath built her an house and hath hewen out her seauen pillers she hâ—…th killed her victualls drawne her owne wine and prepared her table Shee hath sent forth her maidens to crie from the higths saying He that is simple come hether to me and to the weake witted she saith Come and eate of my bread and drink of the wine that I haue drawne Here wee see that Gods wisdome the coeternall Word built him an house of humanity in a Virgins wombe and vnto this head hath annexed the church as the members hath killed the victuailes that is sacrificed the Mattires and prepared the table with bread and wine there is the sacrifice of Melchisedech hath called the simple and the weake witted for GOD saith the Apostle hath chosen the weakenesse of the world to confound the strength by To whom notwithstanding is said as followeth forsake your foolishnesse that yee may liue and seeke wisdome that yee may haue life The participation of that table is the beginning of life for in Eccelasiastes where hee sayth It is good e for man to eate and drinke we cannot vnderstand it better then of the perticipation of that table which our Melchisedechian Priest instituted for vs the New Testament For that sacrifice succeeded all the Old Testament sacrifices that were but shadowes of the future good as we heare our Sauiour speake prophetically in the fortieth psalme saying Sacrifice and offring thou dist not desire but a body hast thou perfited for me for his body is offered and sacrificed now insteed of all other offrings and sacrifices For Ecclesiastes meaneth not of carnall eating and drinking in those wordes that he repeateth so often as that one place sheweth sufficiently saying It is better to goe into the house of mourning then of feasting and by and by after the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of feasting But there is one place in this booke of chiefe note concerning the two Citties and their two Kings Christ and the deuill Woe to the land whose King is a child and whose Princes eate in the morning Blessed art thou O land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eate in due time for strength and not for drunkennesse Here he calleth the deuill a child for his foolishnesse pride rashnesse petulance and other vices incident to the age of boyish youthes But Christ he calleth the sonne of the Nobles to wit of the Patriarches of that holy and free Citty for from them came his humanity The Princes of the former eate in the morning before their houre expecting not the true time of felicity but wil hurry vnto the worlds delights head-long but they of the Citty of Christ expect their future beatitude with pacience This is for strength for their hopes neuer faile them Hope saith Saint Paul shameth no man All that hope in thee saith the psalme shall not be ashamed Now for the Canticles it is a certaine spirituall and holy delight in the mariage of the King and Queene of this citty that is Christ and the church But this is all in mysticall figures to inflame vs the more to search the truth and to delight the more in finding the appearance of that bridegrome to whom it is sayd there truth hath loued thee and of that bride that receiueth this word loue is in thy delights I ommit many things with silence to draw the worke towards an end L. VIVES HE a beganne well Augustine imitateth Salust In Bello Catil b Workes namely Iosephus affirmeth that he wrote many more viz. fiue thousand bookes of songs and harmonies three thousand of Prouerbs and Parables for hee made a parable of euery plant from the Isope to the Cedar and so did he of the beasts birds and fishes he knew the depth of nature and discoursed of it all God taught him bands exterminations and Amulets against the deuill 〈◊〉 the good of man and cures for those that were bewitched Thus saith Iosephus c Wisdome Some say that Philo Iudaeus who liued in the Apostles time made this booke He was the Apostles friend and so eloquent in the Greeke that it was a prouerbe Philo either Platonized 〈◊〉 Plato Philonized d Ecclesiasticus Written by Iesus the sonne of Syrach in the time of 〈◊〉 Euergetes King of Egipt and of Symon the high priest e For man to eate The Seauenty and vulgar differ a little here but it is of no moment Of the Kings of Israel and Iudah after Salomon CHAP. 21. VVE finde few prophecies of any of the Hebrew Kings after Salomon pertinent vnto Christ or the church either of Iudah or Israel For so were the two parts termed into which the kingdome after Salomons death was diuided for his sinnes and in his sonne Roboams time the ten Tribes that Ieroboam Salomons seruant attained beeing vnder Samaria was called properly Israel although the whole nation went vnder that name the two other Iudah and Beniamin which remained vnder Ierusalem least Dauids stocke should haue vtterly failed were called Iudah of which tribe Dauid was But Beniamin stuck vnto it because Saul who was of that tribe had reigned there the next before Dauid these two as I say were called Iudah and so distinguished from Israell vnder which the other ten tribes remained subiect for the tribe of Leui beeing the Seminary of Gods Priests was freed from both and made the thirteenth tribe Iosephs tribe being diuided into Ephraim and Manasses into two tribes whereas all the other tribes make but single ones a peece But yet the tribe of Leui was most properly vnder Ierusalem because of the temple wherein they serued Vpon this diuision Roboan King of Iudah Salomons sonne reigned in Ierusalem and Hieroboam King of Israel whilom seruant to Salomon in Samaria And whereas Roboaâ—… vould haue made warres vpon them for falling from him the Prophet forbad him from the Lord saying That it was the Lords deed So then that
the Delphike in Phocis called the Pythian games kept euery eight yeare Censorin Plutarch in Question saith that the Delphians celebrated three kindes of plaies euery ninth yeare the Stephateria the Heroides and their Chorilae But who ordeined these games at first is vncertaine One of Pindarus his interpetours saith that their Pythian games were of two sorts as Strabo also testifieth the most ancient inuented by Apollo himselfe vpon the killing of the dragon Python and in these diuers Heroës as Castor Pollux Peleus Hercules and Telamon were victors and al crowned with laurell the later ordeined by Amphycthions counsell after the Grecians by the helpe of Eurilochus the Thessalian had conquered their cursed aduersaries the Cirrhaeans this was in Solons time Aeschylus maketh mention of this warre Contra Ctesiphont g With Minerua Shee rather found out the tree then the fruite Virg. Minerua finder of the Oliue tree For Pliny lib. 7. ascribes the inuention of oyle and oyle-presses vnto Aristeus of Athens hee that found hony out first nay and wine also saith Aristotle making him a learned man and much beholding to the Muses Yet Diodorus deriues the drawing of oyle from one of Mineruaâ—… inuentions But that the oliue tree is consecrated to Minerua all writers doe affirme as is the laurell to Apollo the oke to Ioue the myrtle to Venus and the poplare to Hercules Virg. Pliny saith that the oliue that Minerua produced at Athens was to bee seene in his time lib. 16. And the conquerors at Athens are crowned with an oliue Ghirland And this vse the Romanes had in their lesser triumphs vsing crownes of oliue and myrtle and the troupes of souldiours in the Calends of Iuly were crowned with oliue branches as the victors in the Olympick exercises were with garlands of the Oliue and the tree whence Hercules had his crowne remained vnto Plinies time as himselfe writeth h Xanthus I thinke this is that successor of Deucalion whom Diodorus calleth Asterius lib. 5. Deucalion had Hellenus hee Dorus Dorus Tectanus who sailed into Crete and bare Iupiter three sons Rhadamanthus Minos and Sarpedon all which Asterius marying their mother hauing no childe by her adopted for his sonnes Eusebius saith hee begot them all vpon her But Strabo saith that Hellenus Deucalions son had two sons Dorus and Xuthus who marrying Creusa Erichtheus his daughter brought collonies into Tetrapolis in Attica founding Oenoa Marathon Probalinthus and Tricorythus Ioannes Grammaticus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of his opinion also adding one Aeolus a third sonne of Hellenus of whom the Aeolike dialect came as the Dorike did of Dorus and this is more likely For there are but foure score yeares betweene Deucalions floud and the rape of Europa namely from the thirtith yeare of Cecrops vnto the fortith of Erichthonius Some Greeke authors will not haue Dorus and Xuthus to bee sonnes vnto Hellenus but vnto Aeolus who married Creusa Of Ion sonne to this Panthus was the countries name changed from Aegialia into Ionia for he planted Colonies in twelue citties of Asia as the oracle of Delphos directed him according to Utruuius who emploieth both Xanthus and his son Iâ—… in this businesse yet did the country beare the sonnes name The Athenians had a feast called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or speedy helpe because they beeing in a dangerous warre with Eumolpus Neptunes sonne Xanthus came to their aide with wonderfull celerity for which Erichtheus made him his sonne in lawe Now this Xanthus they thinke is Asterius also for Xanthus and Xuthus are vsed both for one and hence came the claime that Androgeus son to Minos grand-child to Xanthus had against Aegeas Theseus his father vnto the kingdome of Athens and be being made away by the treasons of Aegeus Minos inuaded Attica and brought them to that streight that they were saine to pay him a yearely tribute of seauen boies and seauen virgin girles Orâ—… nameth one Asterius who went in the Argonautes voiage but that was the brother of Amâ—… not this Asterius i Europa Agenors daughter stolne by Pyrates from Sydon in Phaenicia and brought into Crete in a shippe called the White-Bull and from her had this third part of our world the name if reports bee true Herodotus saith the Cretans did steale her to auenge the rape of Io whom the Phaenicians had borne away before Then Paris to reuenge the Asians went and stole Hellen and so beganne the mischiefe Palaephatus Paruus declareth it thus There was one Taurus a Gnossian who making warre vpon Tyria tooke a many Virgins from them and Europa for one and hence came the fable The Greekes to make somewhat of the coniunction of Ioue and Europa say that hee begot Carnius on her whom Apollo loued and therefore in Lacedomon they had the feasts of Apollo Carnius Praxil k Rhadamanthus The Cretan law-giuer for his iustice feigned to be iudge of hel Homer calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is yellow or faire Rhadamanthus and I thinke hee toucheth at his father herein although hee call other faire personages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also Plato saith he was sonne to Asopus by Aegina on whom Ioue begot Adacus and gaue her name vnto an I le in Greece In Gorg. l Sarpedon Hâ—…er will not haue him the son of Ioue by Europa but by Laodamâ—…ia Bellerophons daughter He reigned in Cilicia where there is apromontory of his name in the vtmost part of his Kingdome Mela The common report is he was King of Lycia and so holds Strabo lib. 12. writing that Sarpedon brought two Colonies from Crete thether where he dwelt and where the son of Pandion Lycus reigned afterwards leauing his name to it which was called Myniae before and Solymi afterwards though Homer make two seuerall peoples of them Sarpedon was slaine by Menelaus before Troy to the great griefe of Ioue who could not comptroll the destenies herein m Minos King of Crete and their law-giuer also This some say was Minos the yonger and son to Iupiter Diodor. l. 5. n Hercules in Tyria Or in Syria But indeed Tyre is in Syria and all Phaenicia also For Syria is an huge thing Sixe Hercules doth Tâ—…ly as I said recken vp Eusebius makes Hercules surnamed Delphinas who was so famous in Phaenicia to liue in these times but if it were the Hercules that burnt himselfe on Oeta it was the Argiue and we must read Tyrinthia in Augustine and neither Tyria nor Syria Tyrinthia being a citty neare vnto Argos wherein Hercules the Argiue was brought vp therevpon called the Tyrinthianâ—…â—…e it was whom the Authors say did come into Italie and killed all the monsters But hee that came vnto the Gades was Hercules of Egipt as Philostratus saith l. 2. o Antaeus Son vnto Terra he dwelt in Tingen in Mauritania which was thervpon called Tingitana lying ouer against Spaine His sheeld saith Mela is there to be seene being cut out of the back of an Elephant of
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
talked with this Theodorus at Antioch 〈◊〉 asked him if hee felt no payne who told him no for there stood a young-man behind me in a white raiment who oftentimes sprinckled cold water vpon me and wiped my sweat a way with a towell as white as snow so that it was rather paine to mee to bee taken from the racke q Ualens An Arrian when Augustine was a youth this Emperour made a law that Monkes should goe to the warres and those that would not hee sent his souldiors to beate them to death with clubbes An huge company of those Monkes liued in the deserts of Egipt Euseb. Eutrop. Oros r By their owne Immediatly after Ualens his death Arianisme as then raging in the church s In Persia Vnder King Gororanes a deuillish persecutor who raged because Abdias an holy bishop had burnt downe all the Temples of the Persians great god their fire Cassiod Hist. trip lib. 10. Sapor also persecuted sore in Constantines time a little before this of Gororanes Of the vnknowne time of the last persecution CHAP. 53. THe last persecution vnder Antichrist Christs personall presence shall extinguish For He shall consume him with the breath of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnesse of his wisdome saith the Apostle And here is an vsuall question when shall this bee it is a saucy one If the knowledge of it would haue done vs good who would haue reuealed it sooner then Christ vnto his disciples for they were not bird-mouthed vnto him but asked him saying Lord wilt thou at this time a restore the Kingdome to Israel But what said he It is not for you to knowe the b times or seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power They asked him not of the day or houre but of the time when hee answered them thus In vaine therefore doe wee stand reckning the remainder of the worlds yeares wee heare the plaine truth tell vs it befits vs not to know them Some talke how it shall last 400. some fiue hundered some a thousand yeares after the Ascension euery one hath his vie it were in vaine to stand shewing vpon what grounds In a word their coniectures are all humane grounded vpon no certenty of scripture For hee that said It is not for you to know the times c. stoppes all your accounts and biddes you leaue your calculations But c this beeing an Euangelicall sentence I wonder not that it was not of power to respresse the audacious fictions of some infidels touching the continuance of christian religion For those obseruing that these greatest persecutions did rather increase then suppresse the faith of CHRIST inuented a sort of greeke verses like as if they had beene Oracle conteyning how CHRIST was cleare of this sacreledge but that Peter had by magike founded the worship of the name of CHRIST for three hundered three score and fiue yeares and at that date it should vtterly cease Oh learned heads Oh rare inuentions fit to beleeue those things of CHRIST since you will not beleeue in CHRIST to wit that Peter learned magike of CHRIST yet was he innocent and that his disciple was a witch and yet had rather haue his Maisters name honored then his owne working to that end with his magike with toile with perills and lastly with the effusion of his bloud If Peters witch craft made the world loue CHRIST so well what had CHRISTS innocence done that Peter should loue him so well Let them answere and if they can conceiue that it was that supernall grace that fixed CHRIST in the hearts of the nations for the attainment of eternall blisse which grace also made Peter willing to endure a temporall death for CHRIST by him to bee receiued into the sayd eternity And what goodly gods are these that can presage these things and yet not preuent them but are forced by one witch and as they affirme by one c child-slaughtring sacrifice to suffer a sect so miurious to them to preuaile against them so long time and to beare downe all persecutions by bearing them with patience and to destroy their Temples Images and sacrifices which of their gods is it none of ours it is that is compelled to worke these effects by such a damned oblation for the verses say that Peter dealt not with a deuill but with a god in his magicall operation Such a god haue they that haue not CHRIST for their GOD. L. VIVES AT this time a restore So it must bee read not represent b It is not for you He forbiddeth all curiosity reseruing the knowledge of things to come onely to himselfe Now let my figure-flingers and mine old wiues that hold Ladies and scarlet potentates by the eares with tales of thus and thus it shal be let them all goe packe Nay sir he doth it by Christs command why very good you see what Christs command is Yet haue wee no such delight as in lies of this nature and that maketh them the bolder in their fictions thinking that wee hold their meere desire to tell true a great matter in so strange a case c Euangelicall Spoken by Christ and written by an Euangelist Indeed Christs ascension belongeth to the Gospell and that Chap. of the Actes had been added to the end of Lukes Gospell but that his preface would haue made a seperation d Child-slaughtering The Pagans vsed to vpbraid the Christians much with killing of Children Tertull Apologet. It was a filthy lie Indeed the Cataphrygians and the Pepuzians two damned sects of heresie vsed to prick a yong childes body all ouer with needles and so to wring out the bloud wherewith they tempered their past for the Eucharisticall bread Aug ad Quodvultd So vsed the Euâ—…hitae and the Gnostici for to driue away deuills with Psell. But this was euer held rather villanies of magike then rites of christianity The Pagans foolishnesse in affirming that Christianity should last but 365. yeares CHAP. 54. I Could gather many such as this if the yeare were not past that those lies prefixed and those fooles expected But seeing it is now aboue three hundred sixty fiue yeares since Christs comming in the flesh and the Apostles preaching his name what needeth any plainer confutation For to ommit Christs infancy and child-hood where in he had no disciples yet after his baptisme in Iordan by Ihon as soone as he called some disciples to him his name assuredly began to bee â—…lged of whom the Prophet had said hee shall rule from sea to sea and from the 〈◊〉 to the lands end But because the faith was not definitiuely decreed vntill 〈◊〉 his passion to wit in his resurrection for so saith Saint Paul to the Athenians Now hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent because hee hath appoinâ—…da daie in which hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man in whom â—…ee hath appointed a faith vnto all men in that hee hath raised him from the dead Wee shall
much latine spoken in their Prouinces in so much that Spaine and France did wholy forget their owne languages and spake all latine Nor might any Embassage bee preferred to the Senate but in latine Their endeauour was most glorious and vsefull herein whatsoeuer their end was c Yea but Here hee disputeth against the Gentiles out of their owne positions That true friendship cannot bee secure amongst the incessant perills of this present life CHAP. 8. BVt admit that a man bee not so grossely deceiued as many in this wretched life are as to take his foe for his friend nor contrariwise his friend for his foe what comfort haue wee then remayning in this vale of mortall miseries but the vnfained faith and affection of sure friends whom the a more they are or the further of vs the more we feare least they bee endamaged by some of these infinite casualties attending on all mens fortunes We stand not onely in feare to see them afflicted by famine warre sicknesse imprisonment or so but our farre greater feare is least they should fal away through treachery malice or deprauation And when this commeth to passe and wee heare of it as they more friends wee haue and the farther off withal the likelier are such newes to be brought vs then who can decypher our sorrowes but he that hath felt the like we had rather heare of their death though that wee could not heare of neither but vnto our griefe For seeing wee enioyed the comfort of their friendships in their life how can wee but bee touched with sorrowes affects at their death hee that forbiddeth vs that may as well forbid all conference of friend and friend all sociall curtesie nay euen all humane affect and thrust them all out of mans conuersation or else prescribe their vses no pleasurable ends But as that is impossible so is it likewise for vs not to bewaile him dead whom wee loued being aliue For the b sorrow thereof is as a wound or vlcer in our heart vnto which bewaylements doe serue in the stead of fomentations and plaisters For though that the sounder ones vnderstanding be the sooner this cure is effected yet it proues not but that there is a malady that requireth one application or other Therefore in al our bewayling more or lesse of the deaths of our dearest friēds or companions wee doe yet reserue this loue to them that wee had rather haue them dead in body then in soule and had rather haue them fall in essence then in manners for the last is the most dangerous infection vpon earth and therfore it was written Is not mans life a b temptation vpon earth Wherevpon our Sauiour said Woe bee to the world because of offences and againe Because iniquity shal be increased the loue of many shal be cold This maketh vs giue thankes for the death of our good friends and though it make vs sad a while yet it giueth vs more assurance of comfort euer after because they haue now escaped all those mischieues which oftentimes seize vpon the best either oppressing or peruerting them endangering them how-soeuer L. VIVES THe a more they are Aristotles argument against the multitude of friends b Temptation The vulgar readeth it Is there not an appointed time to man vpō earth Hierom hath it a warfare for we are in continuall warre with a suttle foxe whom wee must set a continuall watch against least he inuade vs vnprouided The friendship of holy Angells with men vndiscernable in this life by reason of the deuills whom all the Infidells tooke to be good powers and gaue them diuine honours CHAP. 9. NOw the society of Angells with men those whom the Philosophers called the gods guardians Lars and a number more names they set in the fourth place comming as it were from earth to the whole vniuerse and here including heauen Now for those friends the Angels we need not feare to be affected with sorrow for any death or deprauation of theirs they are impassible But this friendship betweene them and vs is not visibly apparant as that of mans is which addes vnto our terrestriall misery and againe the deuill as wee reade often transformes himselfe into an Angell of light to tempt men some for their instruction and some for their ruine and here is need of the great mercy of God least when wee thinke wee haue the loue and fellowship of good Angells they prooue at length pernicious deuills fained friends and suttle foes as great in power as in deceipt And where needeth this great mercy of GOD but in this worldly misery which is so enveloped in ignorance and subiect to be deluded As for the Philosophers of the reprobate citty who sayd they had gods to their friends most sure it was they had deuills indeed whom they tooke for deities all the whole state wherein they liued is the deuills monarchy and shall haue the like reward with his vnto all eternity For their sacrifices or rather sacriledges where-with they were honored and the obscaene plaies which they themselues exacted were manifest testimonies of their diabolicall natures Thereward that the Saints are to receiue after the passing of this worlds afflictions CHAP. 10. YEa the holy and faithfull seruants of the true GOD are in danger of the deuills manifold ambushes for as long as they liue in this fraile and foule browed world they must be so and it is for their good making them more attentiue in the quest of that security where their peace is without end and without want There shall the Creator bestowe all the guifts of nature vpon them and giue them not onely as goods but as eternall goods not onely to the soule by reforming it with wisdome but also to the body by restoring it in the resurrection There the vertues shall not haue any more conflicts with the vices but shall rest with the victory of eternall peace which none shall euer disturbe For it is the finall beatitude hauing now attained a consummation to all eternity Wee are sayd to bee happy here on earth when wee haue that little peace that goodnesse can afford vs but compare this happinesse with that other and this shall be held but plaine misery Therefore if wee liue well vpon earth our vertue vseth the benefits of the transitory peace vnto good ends if we haue it if not yet still our vertue vseth the euills that the want thereof produceth vnto a good end also But then is our vertue in full power and perfection when it referreth it selfe and all the good effects that it can giue being vnto either vpon good or euill causes vnto that onely end wherein our peace shall haue no end nor any thing superior vnto it in goodnesse or perfection The beatitude of eternall peace and that true perfection wherein the Saints are installed CHAP. 11. WEE may therefore say that peace is our finall good as we sayd of life eternall because the psalme saith vnto that citty whereof we write this
laborious worke Prayse thy LORD O Ierusalem praise thy LORD O Zion for hee hath made fast the barres of thy gates and blessed thy children within thee hee hath made peace thy borders When the barres of the gates are fast as none can come in so none can goe out And therefore this peace which wee call finall is the borders and bounds of this citty for the misticall name hereof Ierusalem signifieth A vision of peace but because the name of peace is ordinary in this world where eternity is not resident therefore wee choose rather to call the bound where in the chiefe good of this citty lieth life eternall rather then peace Of which end the Apostle saith Now beeing freed from sinne and made seruants to GOD you haue your fruite in holynesse and the end euerlasting life But on the other-side because such as are ignorant in the scriptures may take this euerlasting life in an ill sence for the life of the wicked which is eternally euill either as some Philosophers held because the soule cannot die or as our faith teacheth because torments cannot cease yet should not the wicked feele them eternally but that they haue also their eternall life therefore the maine end of this citties ayme is either to be called eternity in peace or peace in eternity and thus it is plaine to all For a the good of peace is generally the greatest wish of the world and the most welcome when it comes Whereof I thinke wee may take leaue of our reader to haue a word or two more both because of the citties end whereof we now speake and of the sweetnesse of peace which all men doe loue L. VIVES THe a good of peace Nothing is either more pleasant or more profitable more wished or more welcome Peace is the chiefe good and warre the chiefe euill Xenoph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the peace of minde is that which Democritus called the great faelicity The Stoikes make concord one of beatitudes chiefest goods That the bloudiest warres chiefe ayme is peaces they desire which is naturall in man CHAP. 12. VVHich hee that marketh but mans affaires and the a generall forme of nature will confesse with me For ioy and peace are desired a like of all men The warrior would but conquer warres ayme is nothing but glorious peace what is victory but a suppression of resistants which beeing done peace followeth So that peace is warres purpose the scope of all military discipline and the limmite at which all iust contentions leuell All men seeke peace by war but none seekes warre by peace For they that perturbe the peace they liue in do it not forâ—…e of it but to shew their power in alteration of it They would not disanull it but they would haue it as they like and though they breake into seditions from the rest yet must they hold a peace full force with their fellowes that are engaged with them or els they shall neuer effect what they intend Euen the theeues themselues that molest all the world besides them are at peace amongst themselues Admit one be so strong or suttle that he will haue no fellow but plaieth all his parts of roguery alone yet such as hee can neither cut off nor liâ—… to make knowne his facts vnto with those he must needs hold a kinde of peace And at home with his wife and family there must he needs obserue quietnesse and questionlesse delighteth in their obedience vnto him which if they faile in â—…e chafes and chides and strikes setting all in order by force if need bee or by cruelly which he seeth he cannot doe vnlesse all the rest be subiected vnder one head which is himselfe And might hee haue the sway of a citty or prouince in such sort as he hath that of his house he would put off his theeuish forme and put on a Kings albeit his couetousnesse and malice remained vnchanged Thus then you see that all men desire to haue peace with such as they would haue liue according to their liking For those against whom they wage warre they would make their owne if they could and if they conquere them they giue them such lawes as they like b But let vs imagine some such insociable fellow as the poets fable recordeth calling him c Halfe-man for his inhumaine barbarisme Now he although his Kingdome lay in a lightlesse caue and his villanies so rare that they gaue him that great name of d Cacus which is Euill though his wife neuer had good word of him hee neuer plaied with his children nor ruled them in their manlier age neuer spake with friend not so much as with e his father Vulcan then whom he was farre more happy in that he begot no such monster as Vulcan had in begetting him though hee neuer gaue to any but robbed and reaued all that hee could gripe from all manner of persons yea and f the persons themselues yet in that horred dungeon of his whose flore walls were alwaies danke with the bloud of new slaughters hee desired nothing but to rest in peace therein without molestation He desired also to bee at peace with himselfe and what hee had he enioyed he ruled ouer his owne bodie and to satisfie his owne hungry nature that menaced the seperation of soule and body he fell to his robberies with celerity and though he were barbarous and bloudie yet in all that he had a care to prouide for his life and safety and therefore if hee would haue had that peace with others which he had in the caue with himselfe alone hee should neither haue beene called Halfe-man nor Monster But if it were his horrible shape and breathing of fire that made men avoide him than was it not will but necessity that made him liue in that caue and play the thiefe for his liuing But there was no such man or if there were hee was no such as the poets faigne him For vnlesse they had mightily belied Cacus they should not sufficiently haue h commended Hercules But as I sayd it is like that there was no such man no more then is truth in many other of their fictions for the very wild beasts part of whose brutishnesse they place in him doe preserue a peace each with other i in their kinde begetting breeding and liuing together amongst themselues beeing otherwise the insociable births of the deserts I speake not here of Sheepe Deere Pigeons Stares or Bees but of Lions Foxes Eagles and Owles For what Tyger is there that doth not nousle her yong â—…s sawn vpon them in their tendernesse what Kite is there though he fly soâ—…ily about for his prey but wil tread his female build his nest sit his egges seed his young and assist his fellow in her motherly duety all that in him lieth Farre stronger are the bands that binde man vnto society and peace with all that are peaceable the worst men of all doe fight for their fellowes quietnesse and