ceasing and destruction ensuing which was performed by the Romanes as I erst related But the house of the New Testament is of another lustre the workemanship being more glorious and the stones being more precious But it was figured in the repaire of the old Temple because the whole New Testament was figured in the old one Gods prophecy therefore that saith In that place will I giue peace is to be meant of the place signified not of the place significant that is as the restoring that house prefigured the church which Christ was to build so GOD said in this place that is in the place that this prefigureth will I giue peace for all things signifying seeme to support the persons of the things signified as Saint Peter said the Rock was Christ for it signifyed Christ. So then farre is the glory of the house of the New Testament aboue the glory of the Old as shall appeare in the finall dedication Then shall the desire of all nations appeare as it is in the hebrew for his first comming was not desired of all the nations for some knew not whom to desire nor in whom to beleeue And then also shall they that are Gods elect out of all nations come as the LXX read it for none shall come truely at that day but the elect of whoÌ„ the Apostle saith As he hath elected vs in him before the beginning of the world for the Architect himself that sayd Many are called but few are chosen he spoke not of those that were called to the feast and then cast out but meant to shew that hee had built an house of his elect which times worst spight could neuer ruine But being altogither in the church as yet to bee hereafter sifited the corne from the chaffe the glory of this house cannot be so great now as it shal be then where man shal be alwaies there where he is once The Churches increase vncertaine because of the commixtion of elect and reprobate in this world CHAP. 49. THerefore in these mischieuous daies wherein the church worketh for his fu ture glory in present humility in feares in sorrowes in labours and in temptations ioying onely in hope when shee ioyeth as she should many rebrobaâ—…e liue amongst the elect both come into the Gospells Net and both swim at randon in the sea of mortality vntill the fishers draw them to shore and then the 〈◊〉 owne from the good in whom as in his Temple God is all in all We acknowledge therefore his words in the psalme I would declare and speake of them 〈◊〉 are more then I am able to expresse to be truly fulfilled This multiplication 〈◊〉 at that instant when first Iohn his Messenger and then himselfe in person 〈◊〉 to say Amend your liues for the Kingdome of God is at hand He chose him disâ—… and named the Apostles poore ignoble vnlearned men that what great 〈◊〉 soeuer was done hee might bee seene to doe it in them He had one who abused his goodnesse yet vsed hee this wicked man to a good end to the fulfilling of his passion and presenting his church an example of patience in tribulation And hauing sowne sufficiently the seed of saluation he suffered was buried and 〈◊〉 againe shewing by his suffering what wee ought to endure for the truth and 〈◊〉 resurrection what we ought for to hope of eternity a besides the ineffaâ—…ament of his bloud shed for the remission of sinnes Hee was forty daies 〈◊〉 with his disciples afterwardes and in their sight ascended to heauen â—…es after sending downe his promised spirit vpon them which in the comming gaue that manifest and necessary signe of the knowledge in languages of 〈◊〉 to signifie that it was but one Catholike church that in all those natiâ—…â—…uld vse all those tongues L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a the ineffable For Christs suffrance and his life hath not onely leaft vs the vertue 〈◊〉 Sacraments but of his example also whereby to direct ourselues in all good courses 〈◊〉 Gospell preached and gloriously confirmed by the bloud of the preachers CHAP. 50. 〈◊〉 then as it is written The law shall goe forth of Zion and the word of 〈◊〉 Lord from Ierusalem and as Christ had fore-told when as his disciplies â—…onished at his resurrection he opened their vnderstandings in the scripâ—… told them that it was written thus It behoued Christ to suffer and to rise 〈◊〉 the third day and that repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in 〈◊〉 â—…mongst all nations beginning at Ierusalem and where they asked him of 〈◊〉 comming and he answered It is not for you to know the times and seasons 〈◊〉 father hath put in his owne power but you shall receiue power of the Holie 〈◊〉 hee shall come vpon you and you shal be witnesses of mee in Ierusalem and in 〈◊〉 in Samaria and vnto the vtmost part of the earth First the church spred 〈◊〉 â—…om Ierusalem and then through Iudaea and Samaria and those lights 〈◊〉 world bare the Gospell vnto other nations for Christ had armed them 〈◊〉 Feare not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule they had 〈◊〉 of loue that kept out the cold of feare finally by their persons who 〈◊〉 him aliue and dead and aliue againe and by the horrible persecutiâ—… by their successors after their death and by the euer conquered to 〈◊〉 â—…conquerable tortures of the Martires the Gospell was diffused 〈◊〉 all the habitable world GOD going with it in Miracles in vertues and 〈◊〉 of the Holy Ghost in so much that the nations beleeuing in him who 〈◊〉 for their Redemption in christian loue did hold the bloud of those Martires in reuerence which before they had shed in barbarousnesse and the Kings whose edicts afflicted the church came humbly to be warriours vnder that banner which they cruelly before had sought vtterly to abolish beginning now to persecute the false gods for whom before they had persecuted the seruants of 〈◊〉 true GOD. That the Church is confirmed euen by the schismes of Heresies CHAP. 51. NOw the deuill seeing his Temples empty al running vnto this Redeemer set heretiques on foote to subert Christ in a christiaÌ„ vizar as if there were yâ— allowance for them in the heauenly Ierusalem which their was for contrariety of Philosophers in the deuills BabiloÌ„ Such therfore as in the church of God do distast any thing and a being checked aduised to beware do obstinately oppose themselues against good instructions and rather defend their abhominations then discard them those become Heretikes and going forth of Gods House are to be held as our most eager enemies yet they doe the members of the Catholike Church this good that their fall maketh them take better hold vpon God who vseth euill to a good end and worketh all for the good of those that loue him So then the churches enemies whatsoeuer if they haue the power to impose corporall afflictioÌ„ they exercise her patience
before the time that is the iudgement wherein they and all men their sectaries are to bee cast into eternall torments as that l truth saith that neither deceiueth nor is deceiued not as hee saith that following the puffes of Philosophy flies here and there mixing truth and falshood greeuing at the ouerthrow of that religion which afterwards hee affirmes is all error L. VIVES HErmes a Of him by and by b His words We haue seene of his bookes greeke and latine This is out of his Asclepius translated by Apuleius c So doth humanity So humanity adapting it selfe to the nature and originall saith Hermes his booke d Trust So hath Hermes it Bruges copy hath Mistrust not your selfe e Beyond Apuleius and the Coleâ—…ne copy haue it both in this maner onely Mirth the Coleynists haue more then he f For Hermes I would haue cited some of his places but his bookes are common and so it is needelesse 〈◊〉 It being easier A diuersity of reading but of no moment nor alteration of sence h Of that which Reioycing that Christ is come whom the law and Prophets had promised So Iohn bad his disciples aske art thou he that should come or shall wee looke for an other i Peter This confession is the Churches corner stone neuer decaying to beleeue and affirme THAT IESVS IS CHRIST THE SONNE OF THE LIVING GOD. This is no Philosophicall reuelation no inuention no quirke no worldly wisdome but reuealed by GOD the father of all to such as hee doth loue and vouchsafe it k Because Hee sheweth why the deuills thought that Christ vndid them before the time l Truth Mat. 25. 41. Depart from meâ—… yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angells How Hermes openly confessed his progenitors error and yet bewayled the destruction of it CHAP. 24. FOr after much discourse hee comes againe to speake of the gods men made but of these sufficient saith hee let vs returne againe to man to reason by which diuine guift man hath the name of reasonable For we haue yet spoken no wonderfull thing of man the a wonder of all wonders is that man could fiâ—…e out the diuine nature and giue it effect Wherefore our fathers erring exceedinly in incredulity b concerning the deities and neuer penetrating into the depth of diuine religioÌ„ they inueÌ„ted an art to make gods whervnto they ioyned a vertue out of some part of the worlds nature like to the other and conioyning these two because they could make no soules they framed certaine Images whereinto they called either Angells or deuills and so by these mysteries gaue these Idols power to hurt or helpe them I know not whether the deuills being admited would say asmuch as this man saith Our fathers exceedingly erring saith he in incredulity concerning the deities not penetrating into the depth of diuine religion inuented an arte to make gods Was hee content to say they but erred in this inuention no he addeth Exceedingly thus this exceeding error and incredulity of those that looked not into matters diuine gaue life to this inuention of making gods And yet though it were so though this was but an inuention of error incredulity and irreligiousnes yet this wise man lamenteth that future times should abolish it Marke now whether Gods power compell him to confesse his progenitors error the diuills to bee made the future wrack of the said error If it were their exceeding error incredulity negligence in matters diuine that giue first life to this god-making inuention what wonder if this arte bee detestable and all that it did against the truth cast out from the truth this truth correcting that errour this faith that incredulity this conuersion that neglect If he conceale the cause and yet confesse that rite to be their inuention we if we haue any wit cannot but gather that had they bin in the right way they would neuer haue fallen to that folly had they either thought worthily or meditated seriously of religion yet should wee a ffirme that their great incredulous contemptuous error in the cause of diuinity was the cause of this inuention wee should neuerthelesse stand in need to prepare our selues to endure the impudence of the truths obstinate opponeÌ„ts But since he that admires yâ— power of this art aboue all other things in man and greeues that the time should come wherein al those illusions should claspe with ruine through the power of legall authority since he confesseth the causes that gaue this art first original namely the exceeding error incredulity negligeÌ„ce of his ancestor in matters diuine what should wee doe but thinke GOD hath ouerthrowne these institutions by their iust contrary causes that which errors multitude ordained hath truths tract abolished faith hath subuerted the worke of incredulity and conuersion vnto Gods truth hath suppressed the effects of true Gods neglect not in Egipt only where onely the diabolicall spirit bewaileth but in all the world which heareth a new song sung vnto the Lord as the holy scripture saith Sing vnto the Lord a new song Sing vnto the Lord all the earth for the c title of this Psalme is when the house was built after the captiuity the City of God the Lords house is built that is the holy Church all the earth ouer after captiuity wherein the deuills held those men slaues who after by their faith in God became principall stones in the building for mans making of these gods did not acquit him from beeing slaue to these works of his but by his willing worship he was drawn into their society a society of suttle diuills not of stupid Idols for what are Idols but as the Scripture saith haue eyes and see not all the other properties that may be said of a dead sencelesse Image how well soeuer carued But the vncleane spirits therein by that truly black art bouÌ„d their soules that adored theÌ„ in their society most horrid captiuity therefore saith the Apostle We know that an Idol is nothing in the world But the Gentiles offer to deuilis not vnto God I wil not haue them to haue society with the deuils So then after this captiuity that bound men slaue to the deuils Gods house began to be built through the earth thence had the Psalme the beginning Sing vnto the Lord a new song sing vnto the Lord all the earth Sing vnto the Lord and praise his name d declare his saluation e from day to day Declare his glorie amongst all nations and his wonders amongst all people For the Lord is great and much to be praised hee is to be feared aboue all gods For all the gods of the people are Idols but the Lord made the heauens Hee then that bewailed the abolishment of these Idols in the time to come and of the slauery wherein the deuills held men captiue did it out of an euill spirits inspiration and from that did desire the continuance of that captiuity
hee is thought to liue after the 〈◊〉 Where-vpon some thinke that hee liued this time not vpon earth 〈◊〉 was not a soule of those escaped but in the place to which his sonne 〈◊〉 â—…slated with him vntill the deluge were come and gone because they 〈◊〉 call the authoritie of these truthes into question seeing the Church 〈◊〉 â—…wed them nor beleeue that the Iewes haue the truth rather then we 〈◊〉 that this should rather bee an error in vs then in those oâ—… of whome 〈◊〉 it by the Greeke But say they it is incredible that the seuenty 〈◊〉 â—…ers who translated all at one time and in one senâ—… could erâ—… or would falsifie in a thing impertinent vnto them but that the Iewes enuying out translations of their lawe and their Prophets altered diuerse things in their bookes to subuert the authoritie of ours This opinionatiue suspicion euery one may take as hee please but this is once sure Mathusalem liued not after the deluge but dyed in the same yeare if the Hebrewes accoumpt be true Concerning the Septuagints translation I will speake my minde here-after when I come by Gods helpe to the times them-selues as the methode of the worke shall exact Sufficeth it for this present question to haue shewen by both bookes that the Fathers of old liued so long that one man might see a number of his owne propagation sufficient to build a cittie L. VIVES NOtable a question Hierome saith it was famous in all the Churches Hierom affirmes that the 70. erred in their accompt as they did in many things else and gathers out of the Iewes and Samaritanes bookes that Mathusalem dyed in that yeare wherein the deluge began Wherevpon Augustine doth iustly deride those that will rather trust the translation then the originall Of such as beleeue not that men of old time liued so long as is recorded CHAP. 12. NOr is any eare to bee giuen vnto those that thinke that one of our ordinary yeares would make tenne of the yeares of those times they were so short And therefore say they nine hundred yeares of theirs that is to say ninetie of ours their ten is our one and their hundred our tenne Thus thinke they that Adam was but twenty and three yeares olde when hee begot Seth and Seth but twentie and an halfe when hee begatte Enos which the Scriptures calles two hundred and fiue yeares For as these men hold the Scripture diuided one yeare into ten parts calling each part a yeare and each a part hath a sixe-folde quadrate because that in sixe dayes God made the world to rest vpon the seauenth whereof I haue already disputed in the eleuenth booke Now sixe times sixe for sixe maketh the sixe-fold quadrate is thirty sixe and ten times thirtie sixe is three hundred and sixtie that is twelue moneths of the Moone The fiue dayes remaining and that quarter of a day which b foure times doubled is added to the leape yeare those were added by the ancients afterwards to make vp the number of other yeares and the Romaines called them Dies intercalares dayes enterposed So Enos was nineteene yeares of age when hee begot Cayâ—…n the Scriptures saying hee was one hundred foure-score and ten yeares And so downe through all generations to the deluge there is not one in all our bookes that begot any sonne at an hundred or an hundred and twenty yeares or there-abouts but he that was the yongest father was one hundred and three score yeares of age because say they none can beget a childe at ten yeares of age which that number of an hundred maketh but at sixteene yeares they are of ability to generate and that is as the Scriptures say when they are one hundred and three-score yeere old And to prooue this diuersitie of yeares likely they fetch the Egiptian yeares of foure moneths the Acarnans of sixe moneths and the Latines of thirteene moneths c Pliny hauing recorded that some liued one hundred and fifty yeares some ten more some two hundred yeares some three hundred some fiue hundred some six hundred nay some eight hundred held that all this grew vpon ignorance in computation For some saith he made two years of summer and winter some made foure years of the foure quarters as the Arcadians did with their yeare of three monthes And the Egiptians saith he besides there little years of 4. months as we said before made the course of the Moone to conclude a yeare euery month Thus amongst them aithâ—…he are some recorded to haue liued a thousand yeares These probabilities haue some brought not to subuert the authority of holy writ but to prooue it credible that the Partiarches might liue so long and perswaded themselues thinking it no folly neither to perswade others so in like manner that their years in those daies were so little that ten of them made but one of ours a hundred of theirs ten of ours But I wil lay open the eminent falsenesse of this immediately Yet ere I do it I must first touch at a more credible suspicion Wee might ouerthrow this assertion out of the Hebrew bookes who say that Adam was not two hundred thirty but a hundred and thirty yeares old when hee begot his third son which if they make but thirteen years then he begot his first son at the eleauenth or twelfth yeare of his age And who can in natures ordinary course now beget a child so yong But let vs except Adam perhaps he might haue begotten one as soone as he was created for we may not thinke that he was created a little one as our children are borne But now his son Seth was not two hundred yeares old as wee read but a hundred and fifty when hee begot Enos and by their account but eleauen yeares of age What shall I say of Canaan who begot Malalehel at seauenty not at a hundred and seauenty yeares of age say the Hebrewes If those were but seauen yeares â—…at man can beget a child then L. VIVES EAch a part hath a A number quadrate is that which is formed by multiplication of it self 〈◊〉 three times three foure times foure and six times sixe The yeare hath 365. daies and sixe 〈◊〉 those computators did exclude the fiue daies and sixe houres and diuiding the three â—…dred sixty into ten partes the quotient was thirty sixe b Foure times Of this reade 〈◊〉 in Caesar. Censorin Macrob. and Bâ—…da Before Caesars time the yeare had three hundred â—…-fiue daies And obseruing that the true yeare required ten daies and six houres more it was put to the priests at the end of February to interpose two and twenty daies and because that these six houres euery fourth yeare became a day then it was added and this month was 〈◊〉 nothing but the intercalatory month In the intercalary month saith Asconius Tully 〈◊〉 for Milo Now this confused interposition Caesar beeing dictator tooke away comâ—…ding them to keepe a yeare of three hundred sixty fiue
and twenty yeares wee must not take it as though that it were a forewarning that a none after that should 〈◊〉 aboue that time for many after the deluge liued fiue hundred yeares But it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstood that God spake this about the end of Noahs fiue hundred 〈◊〉 that is when he was foure hundred and foure score yeares old which the 〈◊〉 ordinarily calleth fiue hundred taking the greatest part for the whole 〈◊〉 the sixe hundred yeare of Noah and the second month the floud beâ—…â—…o the hundred and twenty yeares were passed at the end of which manâ—… 〈◊〉 bee vnuersally destroyed by the deluge Nor is it fruteâ—…esse to beâ—…â—…e deluge came thus when there were none left on earth that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such a death not that a good man dying such a death should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worse for it after it is past But of all those of Seths progeny whome â—…he 〈◊〉 nameth there was not one that died by the deluge This floud the 〈◊〉 saith grew vpon this The Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was great 〈◊〉 and all the imaginations of his heart were onely and continually euill and 〈◊〉 â—…ued in his heart how he had made man in the earth and sayd I will aestroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the earth the man whome I haue made from man to beast and from the 〈◊〉 things to the fowles of the ayre for I am angry that I haue made them L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a none This Lactantius held lib. 2. His words are these The earth being dried the 〈◊〉 â—…ing the iniquity of the former world least their length of life should bee the mid wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shortned the daies of man by degrees vntill they came to a hundred and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there â—…e fiâ—… his bound not to be ouerpassed But Hierome goeth with Augusâ—… 〈◊〉 shall yet haue a hundred and twenty yeares to repent in not thaâ—… thâ—… life oâ—… no 〈◊〉 shall not exceed a hundred and twenty yeares as many erroneously vnderstand 〈◊〉 that Abraham after the deluge liued a hundred three-score and fifteene yeares 〈◊〉 hundred nay some aboue three hundred yeares Iosephus differs some-what 〈◊〉 but not much for hee sayth that after the floud mens dayes grew fewer vnâ—… 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 him the bound of mans life was set vp at a hundred and twenty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decree and according to the number also that Moyses liued b Reuolued 〈◊〉 but the seauenty haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recogitauit he reuolued in his thought Of Gods vnpassionate and vnaltering anger CHAP. 25. 〈◊〉 anger a is no disturbance of mind in him but his iudgement asâ—… sinne the deserued punishment and his reuoluing of thought is an 〈◊〉 ordering of changeable things for God repenteth not of any thing 〈◊〉 man doth but his knowledge of a thing ere it be done and his thought 〈◊〉 it is done are both alike firme and fixed But the Scripture without 〈◊〉 cannot instil into our vnderstandings the meaning of Gods workes 〈◊〉 the proud nor stire vp the idle nor exercise the inquirers nor deâ—… vnderstanders This it cannot do without declining to our low capaâ—… 〈◊〉 whereas it relateth the future destruction of beasts and birds It 〈◊〉 the greatnesse of the dissolution but doth not thereaten it vnto the 〈◊〉 creatures as if they had sinned L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a â—…ger Lactantius wrote a booke of Gods Anger we with Hierome refer the 〈◊〉 vnto him if he desire to know further That Noah his Arke signifieth Christ and his Church in all things CHAP. 26. NOw whereas Noah being as the truth saith a iust man in his time and perfect yet not as the Cittizens of God shall bee perfect in that immortality wherein they shall equalize the Angells but perfect as a mortall pilgrime of God may bee vpon earth was commanded by God to build an Arke wherein he his family and the creatures which God commanded to come into the Arke vnto him might bee saued from the waters this verily is a figure of Gods Citty here vpon earth that is his Church which is saued by wood that is by that where-vpon Christ the mediator betweene God and man was crucified For the dimensions of the length deapth and bredth of the Arke do signifie mans body in which the Sauiour was prophecyed to come and did so for a the length of mans body from head to foote is sixe times his bredth from side to side and tenne times his thickenesse measuring prependicularly from backe to belly lay a man a long and measure him and you shall finde his length from head to foote to containe his bredth from side to side sixe times and his height from the earth whereon he lyeth tenne times where-vpon the Arke was made three hundred cubites long fifty broad and thirty deepe And the dore in the side was the wound that the soldiers speare made in our Sauiour for by this do all men go in vnto him for thence came the sacraments of the beleeuers and the Arke being made all of square wood signifieth the vnmoued constancy of the Saints for cast a cube or squared body which way you wil it wil euer stand firme So all the rest that concerned the building of this Arke b were tipes of Ecclesiasticall matters But here it is too long to stand vpon them wee haue done it already against Faustus the Manichee who denied that the ould testament had any propheticall thing concerning Christ. It may bee one may take this one way and another another way so that all bee referred to the Holy Citty where-vpon wee discourse which as I say often â—…boured here in this terrestriall pilgrimage other-wise hee shall goe farre from his meaning that wrot it As for example if any one will not expound this place make it with the c lowest second and third roomes as I do in that worke against Faustus namely that because the Church is gathered out of al nations it had two roomes for the two sorts of men circumcised and vncircumcised whome the Apostle other-wise calleth d Iewes and Greekes and it had three roomes because all the world had propagation from Noah his three sonnes after the floud if any one like not this exposition let him follow his owne pleasure so hee controll not the true rule of faith in it for the Arke had roomes below and roomes aboue and therefore was called double roomed and it had roomes aboue those vpper roomes and so was called triple-roomed being three stories high In these may bee ment the three things that the Apostles prayseth so Faith Hope and Charity or and that farre more fittly the three euangelicall increases thirty fold sixty fold and an hundred fould chaâ—… marriage dwelling in the first chast widowhood in the second and chast virginity in the highest of all thus or otherwise may this bee vnderstood euer respecting the reference it hath to this Holy Citty And so I might say of the other things here to be expounded which
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
bodilesse for euer or else all soules shall haue their bodies againe and consequently they whose bodies perished before the time of perfection Which soeuer of these two be receiued for truth that which we will now by and by affirme concerning Infants is to be vnderstood of Ab-ortiues also if they haue any part in the resurrection Whether Infants shall rise againe in the stature that they died in CHAP. 14. NOw as touching infants I say they shall not rise againe with that littlenesse of bodie in which they died the sudden and strange power of GOD shall giue them a stature of full growth For Our Sauiours words There shall not one heire of our heads perish doe onely promise them all that they had before not excluding an addition of what they had not before The infant wanted the perfection of his bodies quantity as euery a perfect infant wanteth that is it was not come to the full height and bignesse which all are borne to haue and haue at their birth potentially not actually as all the members of man are potentially in the generatiue sperme though the child may want some of them as namely the teeth when it is borne In which hability of substance that which is not apparant vntill afterwards lieth as one would say wound vppe before from the first originall of the sayd substance And in this hability or possibility the infant may bee sayd to bee tall or low already because hee shall prooue such hereafter Which may secure vs from all losse of body or part of body in the resurrection for if wee should be made all a like neuer so tall or giantlike yet such as were reduced from a taller stature vnto that should loose no part of their bodie for Christ hath sayd they should not loose an haire And as for the meanes of addition how can that wondrous worke-man of the world want fit substance to ad where he thinketh good L. VIVES EUery a perfect infant Euery thing hath a set quantity which it cannot exceed and hath a power to attaine to it from the generatiue causes whereof the thing it selfe is produced by which power if it be not hindered it dilateth it selfe gradually in time till it come to the fulnesse where it either resteth or declineth againe as it grew vppe This manner of augmentation proceedeth from the qualities that nature hath infused into euery thing and neither from matter nor forme Whether all of the resurrection shal be of the stature of Christ. CHAP. 15. BVt Christ himselfe arose in the same stature wherein hee died nor may wee say that at the resurrection hee shall put on any other height or quantity then that wherein he appeared vnto his disciples after hee was risen againe or become as tall as any man euer was Now if wee say that all shall bee made equall vnto his stature then must many that were taller loose part of their bodies against the expresse wordes of CHRIST Euery one therefore shall arise in that stature which hee either had at his full mans state or should haue had if hee had not died before As for Saint Pauls words of the measure of the fulnesse of CHRIST they either imply that all his members as then beeing ioyned with him their head should make vp the times consummation or if they tend to the resurrection the meaning is that all should arise neither younger nor elder but iust of that age whereat CHRIST himself suffered and rose againe For the learned authors of this world say that about thirty yeares man is in his full state and from that time hee declineth to an age of more grauity and decay wherefore the Apostle saith not vnto the measure of the body nor vnto the measure of the stature but vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of CHRIST What is meant by the conformation of the Saints vnto the Image of the Sonne of GOD. CHAP. 16. ANd whereas he saith that the predestinate shal be made like to the Image of the Sonne of GOD this may be vnderstood of the inward man for he saith else-where fashion not your selues like vnto this world but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde So then when wee are changed from being like the world wee are made like vnto the Image of the Sonne of God Besides wee may take it thus that as hee was made like vs in mortality so wee should bee made like him in immortality and thus it is pertinent to the resurrection But if that it concerne the forme of our rysing againe then it speaketh as the other place doth onely of the age of our bodies not of their quantities Wherefore all men shall arise in the stature that they either were of or should haue beene of in their fulnesse of mans state although indeed it is no matter what bodies they haue of old men or of infants the soule and bodie beeing both absolute and without all infirmity So that if any one say that euery man shall rise againe in the same stature wherein hee died it is not an opinion that requireth much opposition Whether that women shall retaine their proper sexe in the resurrection CHAP. 17. THere are some who out of these words of Saint Paul Till wee all meete together in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of IESVS CHRIST would proue that no woman shall retaine her sexe in the resurrection but all shall become men for GOD say they made man onely of earth and woman of man But I am rather of their minde that hold a resurrection in both sexes For there shall be none of that lust which caused mans confusion For our first parents before their fall were both naked and were not ashamed So at the later day the sinne shal be taken away and yet nature still preserued The sexe in woman is no corruption it is naturall and as then shal be free both from child-birth nor shall the female parts be any more powerfull to stirre vp the lusts of the beholders for all lust shall then be extinguished but praise and glory shal be bee giuen to GOD for creating what was not and for freeing that from corruption which hee had created For In the beginning when a rib was taken from Adam being a sleepe to make Eâ—…e this was a plaine prophecy a of Christ and the Church Adams sleepe was CHRISTS death from whose side beeing opened with a speare as hee hung vpon the crosse came bloud and water the two Sacraments whereby the church is built vp For the word of the text is not formauit nor finxit but Aedificâ—…it eam in mulierem hee built her vppe into a woman So the Apostle calleth the church the aedification of the body of CHRIST The â—…man therefore was GODS creature as well as man but made of man b for vnity sake And in the manner thereof