will conclude this whole matter with th' expresse wordes of God hym self concerning the ceremonies and preceptes of the olde law Dedreis praecepta non bona iudicia in quibus non viuent I gaue vnto them preceptes that were not good and iudgementes wherin they shall not lyue That is they were not good to continue perpetuallie nor shall they lyue in them for euer but vntill the tyme by me appointed of which tyme he determineth more particulerlie by Ieremie the prophet in thes wordes Beholde the dayes shall come and I vvil make a nevv Couenant or Testament vvith the house of Israel and Iuda not according to that Couenant vvhich I made vvith your fathers vvhēn brought them foorth of the land of Egypt Where you see that at the comming of Christ into this world for of hym and his birth he talketh at large in all this chapter there shal be a new Testament conteining a different law from that of th' old testament which was giuen to the Iewes at their going foorth of Egypt Thus much then hytherto hath bene shewed that Christ in all ages was fortolde promissed that he should be God and that his authoritie should be to chāge the law of Moyses that was gyuen but for a tyme and to establishe a new law and Couenant a new Testament of his owne that should endure and continue for euer AND ALBEIT thes thinges be very wounderfull and sufficient to establishe any mans beliefe in the world whē he shall see them fulfilled which shal be th' argument of my second Section yet resteth not the scripture here but passeth further and fortelleth euerie particuler acte accident and circumstance that shall fall oute of importance aboute the Messias in his comming incarnation birthe life death and resurrection As for example at what particuler tyme and season he should appeare Gen. 49. v 10. Dan. 9. v. 26. That he should be borne of a virgine Esay 7. v. 14. That the place of his birth should be the Toune of Bethleē Mic. 5. v. 1. That at his birth all the infantes rounde about Bethleem should be slaine for his sake Ierem. 31. v. 15. That the kinges of the easte should come and adore hym and offer gold and other giftes vnto hym Psal. 71. v. 10. That he should be presented by his mother in the Temple of Hierusalem Malach 3. v. 1. That he should flee into Egypt and be recalled thence againe Osee 11. v. 2. Esa. 19. v. 1. That Iohn Baptiste should goe before hym and crie in the desert Esa. 40. v. 3. Malach. 3. v. 1. After this that he should beginne his owne preaching with all humilitie quietnes and clemencie of spirit Esa. 42. v. 2. That he should doe straunge miracles and heale all diseases Esa. 29. v. 8. 35. v. 5. 61. v. 1. That he should die for the sinnes of all the world Esa. 53. Dan. 26. That he should be betrayed by his owne disciple Psal. 40. v. 10. 54. v. 14. 108. v. 8. That he should be solde for thirty peeces of siluer Zach. 11. v. 12. That with those thirtie peeces there should be bought afterward a field of Potshards Jerem. 30. That he should ride into Hierusalem vpon an asse before his passion Zacha. 9. v. 9. That the Iewes should beate and buffet his face and defile the same with spitting vpon hym Esa. 50. v. 6. That they should whippe and teare and rent his bodie before they putt hym to death Esa. 53. v. 2. Psal. 37. v. 18. That they should putt hym to death among thieues and male factours Esa. 53. v. 12. That they should gyue hym vineager to drinke deuide his apparel and cast lottes for his vpper garment Psal. 68. v. 22. 21. v. 19. That he should rise againe frō death the third daye Psal. 15. v. 19. Osee. 6. v. 3. That he should ascende to heauen and sitt at the right hande of God his father for euer Psal. 67. v. 19. 109. v. 1. All thes particularites and a number more were reueiled in scripture touching the Messias some fower thousand years some two thousand some a thousand and the last of all aboue fower hūdred yeares before Christ was borne Which if we laye together and doe consider withal how exactelie they were fulfilled afterward in the person of Iesus as in the next section shal be declared if we adde also to this that we haue receyued thes prophesies and predictions from a Nation that most of all other doth hate vs and that the same are to be seene and reade in their Bibles euen worde for word as they are in ours if you holde in memorie also what inuincible proofes were alleaged before in the second chapter for th' infallible truth certaintie of those Hebrue scriptures you shall fynde that hardlie anye thing can be imagined for manifestation of a truth before it come to passe which God hath not obserued in forshewing the Messias AND ALL THES cōsiderations are touchinge the Iewes There remaineth some what to be said of the Gētiles Who albeit they were to receyue their principal knowledge in this affaire from the Iuishe Nation to whom the Messias was first and principallie promissed and from whom the Gentiles had to expecte both their Saue our and his Apostles as also the scriptures for testimonie and witnesse of them both and finally all their certaine knowledge and sounde vnderstanding in the mysteries of Christ Yet had they also among them selues some kynde of notice and forwarning in this matter whiche being ioyned with that whiche I haue set downe before of the Iewes and examined at the light of Gods diuine propheties before alleaged it will make verie muche for confirmation of our Christian veritie And therfore this last consideration shal be of the fore-knowledge of Gentiles in this behalf For better vnderstanding wherof it is to be noted that besides all knowledge of the Messias that diuers Gentiles might haue by the Hebrue scriptures whiche as I haue shewed before were in the Greeke language diuers ages before Christ was borne or by th' instruction conuersation of Iewes with whom manie Pagans did liue familiarlie there remained three wayes peculier to Gentiles wherby they receyued some vnderstanding forwarning of this great mysterie The first was by tradition and writinges of their auncestours The second by propheties of their owne The third by admonishement of their Idoles Oracles especiallie when the tyme of Christes appearance drew neare And for the first way it is euident that as the Iewes receyued diuers thinges by succession from their forfathers they againe from Moyses Moyses from the Patriarches Iacob Isaac and Abraham who was the first man from whom that whole natiō proceeded and in whō they were distinguished from all other people in the world so had the Gētiles other Natiōs their succession also of
her wicked deedes shal beginne exceedingly to feare and tremble and would gladlie flie and leaue her deedes behinde her seekinge to entreate the Angels and to request but one hower space of delaye But that wil not be graunted and her euil workes crying out al together shal speake against her and save we wil not staye behinde or parte from the thou hast done vs and we are thy workes and therfore we wil follow the whether soeuer thou goest yea euen vnto the seate of iudgement This loe is the state of a sinners soule which partinge from his bodie with most horrible feare goeth onwardes to iudgemēt loden with sinnes and with infinite confusion Contrariwise the iust mans soule goeth out of his bodie with greate ioye and comforte the good Angels accompaininge her with exultation Wherefore brethren seinge these thinges are so doe you feare this terrible hower of death now to the ende you maye not feare when you come vnto it Foresee it now that then you maye be secure Thus farre S. Augustine And for that this holie father learned Doctour in Christes Church maketh mentiō in this place of good and euil Angels which are redie at the houre of death to receyue the soules of such as depart out of this life it shal not be from our purpose to note that oftentimes God doth permit the apparitions of Angels both good and euil as also of other saintes to some men lyinge on their death beddes for a tast ether of comforte or sorow touchinge that which shal ensue in the world to come And this is also one singuler priuiledge among other belonging to this passage And concerning the iust I haue shewed before an example out of S. Cyprian and S. Augustine touching one to whome Christ appeared at the hower of his death And S. Gregorie the greate hath diuers like narratiōs to that purpose i the fourth booke of his dialogues As for example sake of one Vrsinus to whom the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule appeared But as concerning euil spirites and wicked Angels which shewed thē selues vnto diuers sinners at the houre of death and denounced vnto them their eternal damnation and horrible tormentes appointed in hel we haue manie and most terrible exāples recorded in many graue aunciēt writers As among other that recorded by S. Gregorie of one Chrisorius a greate riche man but as ful of sinne as of wealth to whome lying on his death-bed the infernal fiendes in most vglie māner appeared shewing how now he was deliuered into their power and therfore would neuer depart from him vntil he dying left his soule vnto thē to be caried to eternal tormentes The like examples doth venerable Bede recount to haue happened in our countrie about his time And among other of a certaine wicked Courtier in great fauour with king Coenride to whom lying in the panges of death and being now a litle recouered both the good and euil Angels appeared visibly the one laying before him a verie smal booke of his good deedes the other a greate huge volume of his enormous crimes Which after they had caused him to reade by the permissiō of the good Angels they seazed vpō him assignig also vnto him the certaine houre of his departure according as both him selfe confessed openlie to al that came to visit him and as by his horrible desperate death ensuinge at the very hower by them appointed he manifestlie confirmed The like storie recordeth he in the chapter folowing of one whom he knew him self and as both he S. Gregorie and S. Cyprian also doe note al these such other visions were permitted for our sake which doe yet liue and maye take commoditie by the same and not for their good that died whom they nothing at al auailed Which being so deare Christian brother that is this passage of death being so terrible so daungerous yet so ineuitable as it is seing so manie mē doe perish and are ouer whelmed daylie in passing ouer this perilous gulfe as both holie scriptures and auncient fathers doe testifie by examples recordes vnto vs what man of discretion would not learne to be wise by other mens dangers or what reasonable creature would not take heede looke aboute him being warned so manifestlie and apparantlie of his owne peril if thou be a Christian and doest belieue in deede the thinges which Christiā faith doth teach the thē doest thou know an I most certainlic belieue also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition so euer thou be now yet must hy self which now in health mirth doest real this point and thinkest the same litle appertainig vnto thee one of these daies and that perhaps very shortlie after the readinge hereof come to proue al these thinge in thine owne person that is thou must with sorow and griefe beenforced to thy bed and there after al straggliges with the dartes of death thou must yelde thy bodie which thou louest now so dearly to be the baite of wormes and thy soule to the trial of iustice for her doinges in this life IMAGINE THEN my friend euē thou I saye which art so fresh and froelicke at this instant that the ten twentie or two yeres or perhaps two monethes or daies which thou hast yet to liue were now come to an ende and that thou were euen at this present stretched out vpon a bed wearied and worne with dolour and paine thy carnal frindes about the weepinge and howlinge and desiring thie goodes the phisitions departed with their fees as hauing gyuen the ouer and thou lyinge there alone mute and dumme in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to momēt the last stroke of death to be gyuen vnto the. Tel me in this instāt what would al the pleasures and commodities of the whole earth auaile the what comfort or ease would it be vnto the now to haue bene of honour in this world to haue gathered wealth and purchassed much to haue borne office and enioyed the princes fauour to haue left thy children and kinred in aboundance to haue trodden donne thine enimies to haue stirred much and borne greate swaye in this life what pleasure I saye or benefite would it be to the to haue bene beautiful to haue bene gallant in apparel goodlie in personage glittering in golde would not al thes thinges rather afflict then profit thee at this instant No doubt but now thou shouldest wel see throughlie perceaue the vanitie of thes trifles thou shouldest proue true the saying of the wise man non proderūt diuitie in die vltionis riches wil profit nothing in the day of Gods reuēge That most excellent demaunde of holie Iob would oftentimes offer it self vnto thie remembrāce Quid ad cum pertinet de domo sua post se What hath a man to doe with his house familie or kinred after he is gone what good what comfort shal he take therby VVho vvil
what eche tribe should attaine after his death by drawinge of lottes Againe the same Moyses forsawe and fortolde in publique hearing of all the people how in tymes to come longe after his death the Iewes should forsake God and for their synnes be cast into manie banishementes and finallie be forsaken and the Gentiles receaued in their roome as in deed it came to passe And whence trow you could he learne this but from God alone In the booke of Iosue there is a curse layed vpō the place where Iericho stoode and vpon what soeuer person should goe about to rebuild the same to wit that in his eldest sonne he should lay the foundations and in his yongest sonne should he builde the gates therof which is to saye that before the foundations were layed and gates builded he should be punished with the death of all his children Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundred yeares after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked kinge Achab to rebuild Iericho againe and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segub his children as the booke of kinges reportech according to the vvorde of our Lord vvhich he had spoken in the hande of Iosue the fonne of Nun And since that tyme to this no man ether Iewe or Gētile hath taken vpon hym to raise againe the said Citie albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of Stories and Geographers appeareth In the third booke of kinges it is recorded that when Ieroboam had withdrawen ten tribes from th' obedience of Roboam kinge of Iuda to th' ende they might neuer haue occasion to revnite thē selues againe to Iuda by their goinge to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the law they were appointed he builded for them a goodlie gorgeous highe Aulter in Bethel and there cōmanded them to doe their deuotions And when he was one day thero present hymself and offering his incense vpon the said Aulter and all the people lookinge on there came a man of God sayeth the scripture and stoode before the Aulter and cried out aloude and spake thes wordes O Aulter Aulter this sayeth our Lorde behold a childe shal be borne of the hovvse of Dauid vvhose name shal be Iosias and he shal sacrifice vpon thee thes idolatrous priestes that novv burne francomsense vpon the and he shal burne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence and hearinge of all the people more then three hundred yeares before Iosias was borne and it was registred prosentelie according to the manner of that tyme which I haue noted before and with the same were registred also the miracles which happened about that fact as that the Aulter clefte in two vpō the mans wordes and Ieroboam extendinge owt his hande to apprehend hym lost presentelie the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored againe by the said holie mans prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeyed Gods commandement in his returne and dyd eate with a prophet of Samar a which was forbidden hym he was slaine in his way homeward by a Lion and his bodie was brought backe againe buried in Bethel nigh the said Aulter amongest the sepulchers of those idolatrous preestes of that place but yet with a superscription vpon his tombe conteining his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yeares and Iosias was borne and came to reigne in Iuda And one daye cōming to Bethel to ouerthrow the Aulter and to destroye the sepulchers of those idolitrous priestes that had bene buried i that place whē he began to breake their tombes he fownde by chance the sepulcher of the said man of God with the superscription vpon it By which superscription and by relation of the citizēs of Bethel when he perceaued that it was the sepalcher of hym that had fortolde his byrth his name and his doinges so manie hundred years before he was borne he lett the same stande vntouched as the fowerth booke of kinges doth declare Now consider whether among anie people in the world but onlie amonge the Iewes ther were euer anie such prophetie so certaine so particuler so longe fortolde before the tyme and so exactelie fulfilled But yet the holie scriptures are full of the lyke and tyme permitteth me onlie to touch some few of the principal Esay the prophet is wonderful in fortelling the mysteries and actes of the Messias his natiuitie his life and all the particulers that happened in his passiō In so much that S. Ierome sayeth he may seeme rather to write a storie of deedes past then a prophetie of euentes to come But yet among other thinges it is to be noted that he liuing in a peaceable and prosperous tyme in Iuda when the Iewes were in amitie and greate securitie with the Babyloniās he forsawe and fortolde the destruction of Ierusalem by the said Babylonians and the greeuous captiuitie of Iewes vnder them as also the destruction of Babylon againe by Cyrus kinge of Persia whose expresse name and greatnes he published in writing almost two hundred yeares before he was borne saying in the person of God First to Ezechias king of Iuda that reioysed in the frindshippe he had with Babylon behold the dayes shall come vvhen all that thou and thye fathers haue layed up shall be caried avvay to Babylon and thy children shal be eunuches in the king of Babylons Palace And next to Babylō he said the destruction of Babylon vvhich Esay the sonne of Amos savve c. houle crie for that the day of our Lorde is at hande c. And thirdlie to Cyrus not yet borne who was preordained to destroye the same and to restore the people from banishemēt to rebuild the temple in Ierusalē he sayeth thus I say to Cyrus thou art my shepheard and thou shalt fulfill all my vvill I say to Ierusalem thou shalt be builded againe I say to the temple thou shalt be founded again This sayeth our Lord to my amointed Cyrus I vvill goe before thee vvill humble the glorious people of the earthe in thy presence I vvill breake their brasen gates crushe in peeces their yron barres for my seruant Iacobs sake haue I called thee by thie Name and haue armed the vvher as thou knovvest not me Can anie thing be more clearlie or miraculouslie spoken in the world then to name a heathé not yet borne that should conquerre so stronge a Monarchie as Babylon was at this tyme should builde againe the temple of Ierusalem which others of his owne religiō had destroyed before hym what cause what reason what lykeliehode could be of this yet Esay speaketh it so confidentelie as he sayeth that he savve it and he nameth two witnesses therof that is Vrias and Zacharias that were not borne in manie yeares after saying and I tooke vnto me tvvo faithful vvitnesses Vrias the prieste and Zacharias
thinges as we beleeue by gyuing vs light and vnderstandinge with internal ioye and consolatiō in beleeuing them And owtwardle he gyueth testimonie to the same with so manie conueniences probabilites and argumentes of credibilitis as Diuines doe call them that albeit the verie pointe of that which is belieued remaine still with some obscuritie to th' ende there may be place for our will and merite yet are there so many circumstances of likelihodes to induce a man to the beliefe therof ' as in all reason it may seeme against reason to denie or mistrust them This shall easelie appeare by the treatise following of Christ and Christianitie and of the foundations of our religion which shal be confirmed by so manie pregnant reasons and most manifest circústáces of euidét probabilitie as I doubt not but the zelous Christiá shall take exceedig cófort therin esteeme hymself happie to haue a lotteī that faith religion wher he shall see and feele so much reason proofe and conueniencie to concurre and shew it self for his satisfaction And to this effect it shal be of no meane moment that I haue proued before the certaintie diuinitie and infallible truth of the Iewes scriptures or old testament which writinges we hauing receaued frō that Nation that doth as it were professe enimitie against vs the same being writen so many ages before the name of Christianitie was knowen in the world it can not bee but of singuler authoritie what so euer shal be alleaged out of those recordes for our purpose And therfore as before in prouing our first principle that there is a God we vsed onlie the testimonie of such witnesses as could not be partial so muche more in this confirmation of Christian religion shall we stande onlie ether vpon the confessions of such as are our enimies or vpon the recordes of others who must needes be indifferent in the cause for that they liued before ether cause or controuersie in Christianitie was knowen or called in question My whole purpose shal be then to make manifest in this chapter that Iesus Christ was the Saueour and Redeemer of mankind fore-promissed and expected from the beginning of the world that he was the sonne of God and God him self and consequentelie that what so euer he hath lefte vs in his doctrine and religion is true and sincere the onlie waie of Saluation vpon earth For clearer proof and declaration wherof I will reduce what soeuer I haue to saye herein vnto three principal heades or braunshes according to th' order of three distincte tymes wherin they fell out that is to saye in the first place shal be considered the thinges that passed before the natiuitie or incarnation of Christ. In the seconde the thinges dōne and verified from that tyme vnto his ascension which is the space of his aboode vpon earth And in the third place such euentes shal be cōsidered as ensued for cōfirmatiō of his deitie after his departure In declaration of which three general poinctes I hope by th' asistance of hym whose cause wee handle that so many cleare demonstrations shal be discouered as shall greatelie cōfirme thie faith gentle reader and remoue all occasions of temptations to infidelitie Hovv Christ vvas fortolde to Ievve Gētile Sect. 1. FIrst then for such thinges as passed before Christ appeared in fleshe and doe make for proofe of our Christian religion it is to be noted that they are of two sortes or at least-wise they are to be taken from two kindes of people that is partelie from the Iewes and partelie frō the Gentiles For seing that Christ was appointed from the beginning yea before the world was created as S. Paul affirmeth to worke the redemption both of Iewe and Gentile and to make them both one people in the seruice of his father herehēce it is that he was fortold and presignified to both thes Nations diuers forwarninges were left among them both for stirring them vp to expect his comminge as by the considerations following shall nost euidentelie appeare AND TO beginne with Iewes no man can denie but that throughout the whole bodie and course of their scriptures that is from the verie beginning to the last ending of their old testament they had promissed to thē a MESSIAS which is the same thing that we call CHRIST that is to saye a person annointed and sent from God to be a Saueour a Redeemer a Pacifier of Gods wrath a Mediatour betwene God and man a Satisfyer for the sinnes offences of the world a Restorer of our innocencie lost in Paradise a Master an Instructour a Lawgyuer and finally a spiritual and eternal king that should sitt rule and reigne in our hartes to conquer the power and tyrannie of Satan that ouer-came our first parentes and assaileth vs daylie This is euident by the first couenant of all that euer God did make with man whē he said to Adā our first father in Paradise In vvhat daye so euer thou shalt eate of the tree that is forbidden thou shalt die Which couenaunt being after broken on the parte of our said progenitour he receaued his iudgement but yet with a most benigne promisse of redemptiō for the tyme to come for thus God said to the deuil or serpent that had deceaued hym The seede of the vvoman shal crushe thy head thou shalt lye in vvayte to hurt his heele That is one shall proceede in tyme of the seede of the woman who shall cōquer death sinne that are thy weapons and shall not care for thy tēptatiōs but shall treade them vnder his feete this shal be Christ the Messias of the world Thus did not onlie the eldest Iewes and Rabbines vnderstād this place what so euer the latter haue dreamed that there Messias should be only a tēporal kīg but also the old Chaldie paraphrase named Thargum Hierosolymitanum expoūdeth it plainlie ī thes wordes applīed vnto the deuil that had deceaued Adam They haue a certaine and present remedie against the o deuil for that the tyme shall come vvhen they shall treate the dovvne vvith their heeles by the helpe of Messias vvhich shal be their kinge The same thing is confirmed by the verie same promise seuen tymes repeated and established vnto Abraham that liued verie neare two thousand yeares after Adam and againe to Isaac his sonne after hym In 〈◊〉 tuo benedicentur omnes gentes terrae All nations of the earth shal be blessed in thy seede Which had bene in deede but a verie small benediction to Abraham or to other Iewes after hym that neuer saw this Messias actuallie if he had bene onlie to be a temporal king And much lesse blessing had it bone to Gentiles and other nations if this Messias of the Iewes must haue bene a temporal and worldlie Monarche to destroye and subdue them to the seruitude of Iurie as fondlie thes later teachers of that nation doe
doctrine monumeÌ„tes euen from the beginning albeit the lower they went the more corrupt they were and more obscured in diuine knowledge by their excercise iÌ„ idolat ie So wee know that the Romans had their learning from the Grecians the Graecians froÌ„ th' Egyptians th' Egyptians from the Chaldaeans who were the first people that receyued instruction in diuine matters from Adam Methusalem Noe others of those first and auncient fathers Now then it is to be considered that by consent of writers there were three famous men that liued together in those auncient times to witt Abraham who descending from HEBER was the father and beginner of the Iewes or Hebrues And wth hym Iob and one Zoroastres that were not of that linage of Heber but as we call them for distinctioÌ„s sake either heathens or Gentiles albeit that difference was not then in vre And of Iob we know by the testimonie of his booke that he was a most holie and vertuous maÌ„ Of Zoroastres we know onlie that he was greatelie learned and left monumeÌ„tes therof vnto his posteritie This Zoroastres liuing in Abrahams time might by accompt of scripture see or speake with Noe. For that Abraham was borne aboue three skore yeares before Noe disceassed And Noe was borne aboue fyue hundreth yeares before Methusalem dyed which Methusalem had lyued two hundred and fortie yeares with our first father Adam that had enioyed conuersatioÌ„ both with God Angels And therby no doubt could tell many highe and secrete mysteries especiallie touchinge Christ in whom all his hope for redemption of his posteritie did consist Which mysteries hidden knowledge it is not vnlike but that AbrahaÌ„ Iob Zoroastres and others who lyued at that tyme with them might recevue at the third hand by Noe and his children I meane Sem Cham and Iaphet who had lyued before the Fludde and had seene Methusalem which Methusalem lyued as I sayed so many yeares with Adam Herehence it is that in the writinges of Zoroastres which are yet exstant or recorded by other authours in his name there are founde verie many plaine speches of the sonne of God whom he calleth Secundam mentem the second mynde And muche more is it to be seene in the writinges of Hermes Trismegistus who lyued after in Egypt receyued his learninge from this Zoroastres that thes first heathen philosophers had manifest vnderstanding of this second person in Trinitie whom Hermes calleth the first begotten sonne of God his onlie sonne his deare eternal immutable incorruptible sonne vvho Sacred name is inessable thos are his wordes And after hym againe among the Graecians were Orphens Hesiedus others that vttered the like specches of the sonne of God as also did the Platonistes whose wordes and sentences were to longe to repeate in this place But he that will see them gathered together at large lett hym reade either Origen against Celsus the heathen or els S. Cyril in his first booke against Iulian th Apostata And this shall suffice for this first way wherby the Gentiles had vnderstanding of Christ. For the second thing which I mentioned it is to be vnderstoode that amonge the GeÌ„tiles there were certaine prophetisses or women prophetes called Sibyllae which in the greeke tongue as Lactantius gathereth maye signifie so much as either Councelours to God or Reutilours of Gods Councel And thes women being endued as it seemeth with a certaine spirit of prophetie did vtter from tyme to tyme though in such termes as most GeÌ„tiles vnderstoode them not most wonderful particularities of Christ to come agreiÌ„g as it were wholie with the prophetes of Israel or rather setting downe manie thinges in much more plaine and euident speeche then did th' other th' one of them beginning her greeke meerer in thes verie wordes knovv thie God vvhich is the sonne of God c. An other of theÌ„ maketh a whole discourse of Christ in greeke verses called Accrostichi for that the begiÌ„ning of euerie verse is by some letter appointed in order foorth of some one senteÌ„ce that runneth through the whole As for example the sentence that passed throughe the beginning of those verses whiche now we talke of was this Iesus Christ Sonne of God Saueour Crosse. And there were so manie verses in the whole discourse as there are letters in this senteÌ„ce The total argumeÌ„t beiÌ„g of the incarnatioÌ„ life death glorie and iudgement of the sonne of God And the last two verses of all the meeter are thes He that hath bene here described by our Accrossike verses is an immortale Saueour and a Kynge that must suffer for our sinnes And for that thes propheties of the Sibylls are of marueilous importaÌ„ce to coÌ„firme the veritie of our Christian religioÌ„ and are alleaged ofteÌ„ for that purpose by the most graue learnedst fathers of our primatiue churche as for example by Iustinê° the martyr in his apologie for Christians by Origen against Celsus by Arnobius and his scholler LactaÌ„tius against Gentiles by S. Cyril against Iulian th' apostata by S. Augustine in his Cittie of God by Eusebius and Constantine th' Emperour and others I will say somewhat in this place for th' authoritie and credite of thes verses least anie man perhappes might imagine as some Gentiles in olde tyme would seeme to doe that they were deuised or inuented by Christians And the most of my proofes shall be out of a learned oration writen in latine by the foresaid Emperour to a Councel of Prelates in his dayes wherein he indeuoureth to shew the vndoubted authoritie of thes Sibyll propheties which he esteemed so much after diligent search made for their credite and sinceritie as they seeme to haue bene a great cause of his constant zele and feruour in Christianitie First then he sheweth that thes predictioÌ„s of the Sibylles could not be deuised or seigned by Christians or made after the tyme of Christes natiuicie for that Marcus varro a wost learned RomaÌ„ who liued almost a hundrethe yeares before Christ maketh mention at large of thes Sibylles who in number he saith were ten and of their writinges countries ages as also of the writers or authours that before his tyme had left memorie of them And both he and Fenestella an other heathé doe affirme that the writinges of thes Sibilles were gathered by the Romans from al partes of the world wher they might be heard of and layed vp with diligence and great reuerence in the Capitole vnder the charge and custodie of the highe priestes and other Officers in such sorte as no man might see or reade them but onlie certaine Magistrates called the Fistine and muche lesie might any man come to falsifie or corrupt them Secondlie he sheweth that Sibylla Erythraea who made the former Acrostike verses of Christ restisicth of her self that she liued about 600. years after the fludde of Noe and her
desolation and afflictiō to haue had among them the dead bodie of him on whos only life their vniuersal hope and confidence depended The Scribes Pharisees beīg a stonished with the sudaine newes of his rising againe cōfirmed vnto them by their owne souldiars that sawe it found no other waie to resist the fame therof but onely by saying as also their posteritie doe vnto this dave that his disciples came by night and stole away his bodie whiles the souldiours were a sleepe But what likelihood or possibilitie can there be in this For first it is euident to al the world that his Apostles thēselues who were the heads of al the rest were so dismaied discomforted and deiected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the dore For which cause only thos seely women who for their sexe esteemed them selues more free from violence presumed alone to visite his Sepulcher which no one man durst for feare of the souldiours vntil by thos women they were informed that the forsaid band of souldiours were terrefied and put to flight by Christes Resurrection And how then was it likely that men so much amazed ouercome with feare should aduenture to steale a bodie from a Guarde of Souldiours that kept it Or if their hartes had serued them to aduenture so greate a daunger what hope or probabilitie had ther bene of successe especiallie consideringe the said bodie lay e in a new sepulcher of stone shutt vp and locked and fast sealed by the Magistrate How was it possible I say that his disciples should come thyther breake vp the Monument take out his bodie and carie the same away neuer after to be sene or founde without espial of some one amōgest so many that attended ther Or if this were possible as in reason it is not yet what profite what pleasure what comfort could they receaue hereby We see that thes apostles and disciples of his who were so abandoned of life and hart in his Passion after two dayes onlie they were so changed as life and death can be no more contrarie For wheras before they kept home in all feare and durst appeare no wher except amonge their owne priuate friēdes now they came foorth into the streetes and common places and auouched with all alacritie and irresistible constancie euen in the faces and hearinge of their greatest enimies that Iesus was rysen frō death to life that they had sene hym spoken with hym and enioyed his presence And that for restimonie and confirmation hereof they were most redie to spēd their liues And could all this trow you proceede onlie of a dead bodie which they had gotten by stealth into their possession Would not rather the presence and sight of such a bodie so torne mangled deformed as Iesus bodie was both vpō the Crosse and before haue rather dismayed them more then haue gyuen them cōfort Yes trulie And therfore Pilat the Gouernour considering thes circumstances and that it was vnlikelie that either the bodie should be stolne without priuitie of the Souldiars or if it had bene that it should yeeld such life hart consolation courage to the stealers beganne to gyue eare more diligentelie to the matter and calling to him the Souldiars that kept the watch vnderstoode by them the whole truth of th' accident to witt that in their sight and presence Iesus was risen out of his sepulcher to life and that at his rising ther was so dreadful an earth-quacke with trembling opening of sepulchers rounde about such skriches cries cōmotion of all elementes as they durst not abyde longer but ranne and tolde the Iuishe magistrates therof who being greatelie discontented as it seemed with th' aduertisement gaue them money to saye that while they were sleeping the bodie was stolne by his disciples frō them All this wrote Pilate presentlie to his Lord Tyberius then Emperour of Rome And he sent withal the particuler examinations and confelsions of diuers other that had sene and spoken with such as were risen from death at the same tyme and had appeared to many of their acquaintance in Hicrusalem assuring them also of the resurrection of Iesus Which informations when Tyberius th' Emperour had considered he was greatelie moued therwith proposed to the Senate that Iesus might be admitted among the rest of the Roman Godes offering his owne consent with the priuiledge of his supreme royal suffrage to that decree But the Senate in no wise would agree therunto Whervpon Tyberius being offended gaue licence to all men to beleeue in Iesus that would and forbydde vpō paine of death that anie officer or other should molest or trouble such as bare good affectiō zeale or reuerence to that name Thus much testifiethe Tertulian againste the Gentiles of his owne knowledge who liuing in Rome a learned man pleader of causes diuers years before he was a Christian which was about 180. yeares after Christes Ascension had great abilitie by reason of th' honour of his familie learning and place wherin he liued to see and know the recordes of the Romās And the same doth cōfirme also Egesippus an other Auncient writer of no lesse authoritie then Tertulian before whom he liued Neither onlie diuers Gentiles had this opinion of Iesus resurrection againe from death but also sundrye Iewes of great credite and wisdome at that tyme were inforced to beleeue it notwithstanding it pleased not God to gyue them so much grace as to become Christians This appeareth plainelie by the learned Ioiephus who writing his storie not aboue fortie years after Christs Passion tooke occasion to speake of Iesus and of his disciples And after he had shewed how he was Crucified by Pilat at th' instance of the Iewes and that for all this his disciples ceased not to loue hym still he adioyneth furth with these wordes Idcirco iliis tertio die vita resumpta denuo apparuit That is for this loue of his disciples he appeared vnto them againe the third daye whē he had resumed life vnto hym Which expresse plaine and resolute wordes we may in reason take not as the consession onlie of Iosephus but as the common iudgement opinion and sentence of all the discrete and sober men of that tyme layed downe and recorded by this Historiographer In whose dayes ther were yet manie Christians a lyue that had seene spoken with Iesus after his resurrection and infinite Iewes that had heard the same protested by their fathers brethren kinlfolke friends who had bene them selues Eye-witnesses therof AND thus hauinge declared and prooued the resurrection of our Saue our Iesus both how it was forshewed as also fulfilled there remaineth nothing more of necessitie to be said in this Section For that who soeuer seeth and acknowledgeth that Iesus beinge deade could rayse hym selfe againe to life will easilie belieue also that he was able to ascende to heauē Wherof notwithstandinge S. Luke alleageth six
which Plutarch in his forenamed booke doth report that in the later yeares of Tyberius raigne a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamour with hideous cries skriches and houlinges were heard by many in the Greciāsea complaining that the great God PAN was now departed And this Plutarch that was a Gētile affirmeth to haue bene alleaged and proued before th' Emperour Tyberius who maruailed greatly could not by al his diuines and South sayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accident But we Christians comparing the time wherin it happened vnto the time of Iesus death and passion and finding the same fully to agree may more then probably persuade our selues that by the death of their great God PAN which signifieth all was imported the ruine and vtter ouerthrow of all the wicked spirites and Idoles vpon earth AND THVS HATH the Deitie of Iesus bene declared and proued by his omnipotent power in subduing infernal enimies Now resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by his like power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of his enimies here on earth whos greatest punishment albeit for the most part he reserueth for the life to come yet sometimes for manifestation of his omnipotēcie as especially it was behoueful i thos first daics of his appearāce in the world he chasteneth thē also euen here on earth in the eye and sight of al men So we read of the most in famous and miserable death of Herode the first surnamed Ascolonita who after his persecution of Christ in his infancie and the slaughter of the infantes in Bethleem for his sake was wearied out by a lothsome life in feare and horrour of his owne wife and children whom after he had most cruelly murdered was enforced also by desperation thorough his inspeakable vexations grieues and torments to offer his owne hand to his owne destructiō if he had not bene staied by friends that stood about After him Archelaus his eldest sonne that was a terrour to Iesus at his returne from Egipt fel also by Gods Iustice into maruailous calamities For first being left as king by his father Augustus would not allow or ratefie that successiō but of a king made him a Tetrarch assigning to him onlie the fourth part of that dominion which his father had before And then againe after nine yeares space tooke that away in like maner with the greatest dishonour he could deuise seazing vpon al his treasure and riches by way of confiscation and condemning his person to perpetual banishment wherin he died most miserablie in Vienna in France Not long after this the second sonne of Herode the first named Herode Antipas Tetrarch of Galiley who put S. Ihon Baptist to death and scorned Iesus before his passion wherat both him self and Herodias his concubine were present was deposed also by Caius th' Emperour being accused by Agrippa his nearest kinseman and most contumeliously sent in exile first to Lions in France and after that to the most desert and inhabitable places of Spaine wher he with Herodias wandered vp and doune in extreme calamitie so long as they liued and finally ended their daies abandonned of al men In which miserie also it is recorded that the daunsing daughter of Herodias who had in her Iolitie demaunded Iohn Baptists Head being on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frosen riuer the yse brake and she in her fall had her head cut of by the same yse without hurting the rest of her body to the great admiration of al the lookers on The like euent had an other of Herode familie named Herod Agrippa th' acculer of the fornamed Herod the Tetrarch who in his great glorie and triumphe hauing yut to death S. Iames the brother of S. Ihon Euangelist and imprisoned S. Peter was soone after in a publique assemblie of Princes and Nobles at Caesarea striken from heauen with a most horrible disease wherby his bodie putrified and was eaten with vermine as both S. Luke reporteth and Iosephus confirmeth And the same Iosephus with no small maruaile in hym self declareth that at the verie time when he wrote his storie which was aboute 70 yeares after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and ofspring kinred and familie of the said Herod which he sayeth was exceeding great by reason he had niene wiues together with many children brothers sisters nephews and kinsefolke were all extinguished in most miserable sorte and gaue a testimonie saith Iosephus to the world of the most vaine confidence that men doe put in humane felicitie And as thes punishements lighted openlie vpon Iesus professed enimies in Iurie So escaped not also the Romans their chastissement I meane such as especiallie had their handes in persecution of hym or of his followers after hym For first of Pontius Pilate that gaue sentence of death against hym we reade that after great disgrace receyued in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and ther by manifold disfauours shewed vnto him by the Emperour his maister sel into such desperation as he slewe him self with his owne handes And secondlie of the very Emperours them selues who liued from Tyberius vnder whom Iesus suffred vnto Constātine the great vnder whom Christian religion tooke dominion ouer the world which contained the space of three hūdreth yeares very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadful iustice shewed vpon them at the knitting vp of their daies For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to liue freely and made a lawe against their molestation as before hath bene shewed died peaceably in his bedde But Caligula that folowed him for his contempt shewed against al diuine power in making him self a God was soone after murdered by the cōspiracie of his dearest friendes Nero also who first of al other beganne persecution against the Christians within fewe monethes after he had put S. Peter and S. Paul to death in Rome hauing murdered in like manner his owne mother brother wife maister was vpon the sudaine from his glorious estate and maiestie throwen doune into such horrible distresse and confusion in the sight of al men as being condemned by the Senate to haue his heade thrust into a pillorie and ther most ignominiously to be whipped to death was cōstrained for auoiding th' execution of that terrible sentence to massacre him self with his owne handes by the assistance of such as were dearest vnto him The like might be shewed in the tragical endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Macrinus Antoninus Alexander Maximinus Gordianus Aurelianus Decius Gallus Volutianus Aemilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Licinius and others whos miserable deathes a noble man Councellour wel neare a thousand yeares past did gather against Zosimus a heathen writer to shew therby the pouerful hand of
lyfe for then and not otherwise are we true Christians if we fulfill in workes that wherof we haue made promisse in wordes that is in the daye of our baptisme we promissed to renounce the pompe of this world togyther with all the workes of iniquitie which promisse if we perfourme now after baptisme thē are we true Christiās and maye be ioyful And in an other place the same holie father addeth this For that diuers men are Christians in profession and faith onlie and not in life herehence it is said by the voice of truth it self Not euerie one that shall say to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe vvhie doe you call me Lord Lord and doe not perfourme the thinges that I tell you Herehence it is that God cōplained of his olde people the Iewes saying this people ho noureth we vvith their lippes but their hart is sarre of from me And the Prophet Dauid of the same people they loued hym vvith their mouth and vvith their tongues they lyèd 〈◊〉 hym Wherfore lett no man trust that his faith may saue hym without good deedes seing that we know it is writen expresselie that faith vvithout vvorkes is dead and consequentelie can not be profitable or saue vs from damnation Hytherto S. Gregorie Which verie conclusion S. Chrysostome maketh with great vehemencie vpon consideration of that woesull chaunce and heauie iudgemet that happned vnto him who in the Ghospel was admitted to the feast of Christian faith and knowledge but for lacke of the ornament or garment of good life was most cōtumeliouslie depriued of his expectatiō of whō S. Chrysostoms wordes are thes He was īuited to the feast brought into the table but for that by his fowle garment he dishonored our Lord that had īuited hym heare how miserable and lamentable a punishemēt he suffered He was not onlie thrust from the table banquet but also bounde hand foote and cast into vtter darkenes wher ther is eternal weepinge and gnashing of teeth Wherfore lett vs not deare bretheren lett vs not I saye deceyue our selues and immagine that our faith will saue vs without good worckes For except we ioyne pure lyfe to our beleefe and in this heauenlie vocation of ours doe apparrel our selues with worthie garmentes of vertuous deedes wherby we may be admitted at the mariage daye in heauen nothing shall be able to deliuer vs from the damnation of this miserable man that wanted his weddinge weede Which thingt S. Paul well noteth when hauinge said vve haue an euerlasting hovvse in heauen not made by mans handes he addeth presentelie this exception sitamen vestiti non nudi inueniamur that is if we be founde at that daye well apparreled not naked Would God euerie Chistian desyrous of his saluation would ponder well this discourse and exhortation of S. Chrysostom And so with this alone to conclude our speech in this chapter without allegation of further matter or authorities which are infinite to this effect it may appeare by that which hath already bene set doune wherin the true profession of a Christian consisteth and therby eche man that is not partial or blinded in his owne affection as many are may take a vewe of his estate and condition and frame vnto him self a verie probable coniecture how he is like to speed at the last accompting daie that is what profite or dōmage he may expect by his knowledge and profession of Christian religion For as to him that walketh vprightly in that vocation and perfourmeth effectually euerie waye his professed dutie there remaine both infinite and inestimable rewardes prepared so to him that strayeth a syde and swarueth from the right path of lyfe or faith prescribed vnto him there are no lesse paines and punishmēts referued For which cause euery Christian that is careful of his saluation ought to fixe his eye verie seriouslie vpon them both and as in beleefe to shew him self constant firme humble obedient and in one worde Catholique so in life and conuersation to be honest iust pure innocent and holie And for that this second point concerning life and maners is of more difficultie as hath bene shewed then the other of beleefe wherof notwithstanding we haue also treated sufficiently in the former chapters the rest of this whole worke shal tende to the declaration of this later part I meane of good life therby to stirre vp and awake if so it may please the merciful goodnes of our blessed Saueour the slouthful hartes of Christians to the cogitatiō of their owne estate and make them more vigilant in this greate affaire wheron dependeth their endles woe or welfare ANNOTATION THE PRINT BEING come to this place M. Bunneys edition of this booke vvas deliuered to me out of vvhose infinite corruptions maymes and māglinges diuers thinges shal be noted hereafter in the margent OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL POINTES THAT DOE APPERTAINE TO A Christian life that is to saye To resist all synne and to excercise all kynde of vertue vvith the meanes and methode hovv to perfourme them both CHAPT VI. SVPPOSINGE that in the partes of this booke which ensue we are to deale only with suche as are instructed and settled in true Christian faith wherunto we haue proued before that vertuous life and good deeds are necessarily to be adioined it semeth conuenient in this place to treate of the pointes or prīcipal partes belonging therunto Which partes are briefly prescribed by God hym self in the writinges of Dauid Esaie and other prophetes of the olde testament exhorting men to decline from vice and to embrace vertue But much more plainly by S. Peter S. Paul and other Apostles of the Euangelical law the first affirming that the fruite and effect of Christes death and passion was that vve being dead to sinne should liue to Iustice and the other adioining that the grace of God our saueour appeared to al men instructing vs to this ende that vve renouncing al vvickeanes should liue iustly and godly in this vvorld By which testimonies of holy write is made cleare and euidēt that the whole dutie of a good Christian is reduced to thes two heades or principles to wit to the resistance of al euil and to th' exercise of al pretie and vertue In respect of the first wherof our life is called in holie scripture a warfare vpon earth and vertuous mē are termed souldiours for that as good souldiours doe lye in continual wayte to resist their ennemies so vigilant Christians doe carefully stand vpon their watche for resisting the suggestions and temptatiōs of sinne In regarde of the second pointe we are named labourers husbandmen sowers marchātes bankers stewards fermers and the like and our whole life is termed a marte and trafique for that as thes kinde of people doe attēd with diligēce to their gaine and encrease of tēporal riches in this life so ought we to applie
our selues wholy in the cōtinual exercise of good workes for augmētation of our merite and treasure in the world to come Thes then are the two partes of a good Christian life the two principal pointes wherupon we should meditate the exercises wherin we should be occupied the two legges wherupon we should walke towards our Countrie the two armes wherwith we should laye faste-hand on Godes eternal kingdome the two winges wherby we must flie and mount vp to heauē So that whosoeuer doth want any one of thes two partes albeit he had the other yet can he neuer ascende to Godes blisse no more then a bird can flie being maimed of one of her winges My meaning is that neither integritie of life is sufficiēt without good workes nor good workes auailable without a pure and vndefiled life The later is made cleare by Gods owne speeches to the people of Israel whos sacrifices oblations praiers and other such workes that were commended and commaunded by hymself he oftentimes reiected and accompted abhominable for that the presentours and exhibitours therof were men of impious and wicked conuersation The former also is apparantly shewed by Christes parable of the foolishe virgins who albeit they were Virgins and incontaminate from sinne yet because they lacked the oile of good workes to giue light in their lampes they were excluded from the mariage banquet as also that other most infortunate fellow was who wanted his wedding ornament Both thes pointes then are necessarie to a Christian mans saluation that so necessarie as the one without the other is not auailable AND FOR THE FIRST which is resisting of sinne we are commaunded by Godes holy worde to doe it manfully vigilantly and constantly And S. Paul addeth moreouer that in this resistance we ought to striue euen vnto death and to the shedding of our last blood if occasion doe require The same are we taught by diuers other Apostles and Saintes in Christes Church exhorting and instructing vs to this fight and cōbat with the flesh world deuil that entice vs to sinne For proofe wherof it shal suffice in this place to alleage thos last wordes of Iob which doe conclude his large discourse of the most dreadful power and crueltie of Leuiathā Memento belli be not vnmindeful of the warre which thou wagest with this ennimy Which warre and resistance is to be performed with such exquisite diligence and firme resolution on our behalf as it behoueth vs not only to withstand the committing of any one actual sinne but also the very consent of minde therunto For so we are commaunded expresly bevvare least at any time thou giue consent vnto any sinne Concerning which thing it is briefly to be noted that sinne may be committed either in deed or in wil alone And to this later kinde al diuines agree and proue it by S. Iames that ther are three degrees to witt Suggestion Delectation and Consent Wherof as the first is of the ennimie the second of our sensualitie the third of reason so may the first be without fault the second includeth for the most part some negligence the third conuinceth vs alwaies of iniquitie Or to vse the verie wordes of S. Gregorie the great In Suggestion is the seede of sinne in Delectation the norrishment in Consent the persection So that who soeuer doth but only yeeld consent of minde to the perfourmance of any vnlauful act so farr foorth as he would committ the same if he had time place and abilitie therunto is condemned by holy write in the guilt of that sinne as deeply as if in deed he had now actuallie committed the same So Christ him self in the matter of adulterie expresly pronounced and long before that by the mouth of Moyses he determined the like in other offenses of the people of Israel In consideration of which seuere determination it is most wonderful and dreadful to consider our selues being so negligent herein as we are what great attention watche care and feare holy Saintes of God in times past had in this point of resisting sinne and the very first motions and temptations therof In times past I saie in thos blessed daies of antiquitie when the spirite of God was yet hoate and boiling in the breastes of his deuout seruants and when recheles sensualitie had not so ouerwhelmed the world as now it hath We read of the iust and most blessed man Iob that notwithstanding all his integritie perfection of life yet did he diligently discusse and feare euery the least of his owne actions being wel assured as he protesteth that God doth not pardon such as are negligent and doe offend him therin Holy Dauid also though he were a king yet did he euery night brushe or svveepe his spiri e by diligēt examination or the very cogitations and inward motions of his hart In which exercise S. Paul that most worthie Apostle and exact obseruer of his maisters commaundemētes was so precise and careful as albeit he were assaulted with many strong and violent temptations of the flesh by Satans suggestion yet by his owne diligent resistance together with the assistance of Gods holy grace which was giuen vnto him particularly for that combat he preserued his minde so pure and vnspotted from al blot of cōsent as after the victorie obtained he durst affirme of him self that to his knowledge he was guiltie of no fault or offence For better obtaining of which victorie it is most probable that he vsed thos external helpes remedies of much fasting lōg praying paineful watchig rigourous chastising of his owne bodie which he mentioneth in his writinges To which ende appertained in like maner the same and like exercises recorded by S. Paul and other writers to haue bene vsed by the rest of the Apostles that is to saie diuers and frequent austerities and bodely mortifications therby to bring their flesh in subiection to their spirites and to make them selues more able to withstand al sinful temptations and suggestions of the aduersarie So Egisippus Eusebius and others doe make wonderful narrations of the strait diet apparrel and forme of life vsed by S. Iames the iust in whom they recorde among other thinges that with continual praying vpon his knees the skine therof was made so hard as the braune of a Camels knee The like or rather more straunge thinges doth Philo the Iewe set foorth in the life and exercises of S. Marke of his disciples that liued in Alexandria who by their exquisite seueritie in this behalf droue into admiration euen thos that were aduersaries of their religion By imitation of which first and perfect Christians in this combat of resisting sinne diuers other did afterward take in hand that strait course of life wherof we read with admiration in aunciēt writers as S. Anthonie whos life is recorded by holy Athanasius Paul and Hilarion
infinite and consequently deserueth infinite hatred and infinite punishment at gods handes Hereof foloweth the reason of diuers thinges both sayed and donne by God in the scriptures and taught by diuines towching the punishments of sinne which seeme verie straunge vnto the wisedome of the world and in deede to them scarce credible As first of al the most dreadful punishment of eternal and irreuocable damnation of so manie thowsandes or rather millions of Angels that were created to glorie with almost infinite perfection that for one onlie sinne but once committed and that onlye in thought as diuines are of opinion Secondlie the rigourous punishment of our first parents Adam and Eue and al their posteritie for the eatinge of a seely aple for which fault besides the chastisinge of the offenders themselues and al the creatures of the earth for the same and al their children and ofspring after them both before our redemption and after for albeit we are deliuered frō the guilte of that sinne yet tēporal punishmētes doe remaine vpon vs for the same as hunger thirst cold sicknes death and a thousand other miseries besides also the infinite soules damned for the same before the comming of Christ by the space offower thousand yeres as also since as wel infidels which are not baptized as others besides al this I say which in mās reason maye seeme seuere enough gods wrath and iustice could not be sufficiētly satisfied except his owne onlie sonne had come downe into the worlde takē our flesh vpon him and by his paines death made satisfaction for the same And when he was now come into the world had in our flesh subiected him self vnto his fathers iustice albeit the loue his father bare vnto him were infinite and euery litle paine that he endured for vs or at leastwise euery droppe of bloode which he shed for our cause had ben sufficient for the whole satisfactiō for that his fleshe being vnited to his godhead made euerie such satisfactorie action of his of infinite value and merite and consequently of infinite satisfaction correspondent to the infinitie of our first parents sinne yet to the ende that God might shew the greatnes of his hatred and iustice against the said sinne and al other he neuer ceased to adde affliction to affliction and to heape tormentes vpō the bodie and flesh of this his most deare and blessed sonne for by Esaye he sayeth that him self was the doer therof vntil he had brought him vnto that most rueful plight that his flesh being all mangled and most lamentably torne in peeces retained no one droppe of blood within it He spared him not I saye euen then when he beheld him sorowful vnto death and bathed in that agonie of blood and water when he hard him vtter thos most dolorous and compassionable speeches O my father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me And after that againe muche more pitifully vpon the Crosse O my God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me Notwithstanding al which cries and lamentatiōs his most merciful father louing him as he did would not deliuer him but for satisfying of his Iustice laied vpon him stripe vpon stripe paine vpon paine torment after torment vntil he had rendred vp his life soule into his sayed fathers handes which is a wounderful dreadful documēt of godes hatred against sinne I might here mention the sinne of Esau in selling his inheritance for a litle meate of which S. Paule sayeth he founde no place of repentance after though he sought the same vvith teares Also the sinne of Saule whos sinne beinge but one and that onlie of omissiō in not killinge Agag the kinge of Amalech and his cattel as he was willed was notwithstanding vtterlie cast of by God for the same though he were his annointed and chosen seruāt before could neuer get remission therof albeit both he and Samuel Gods holie prophet did greatly lament and bewaile and made intercession in that behalfe In like maner might I alleage the exāple of kinge Dauid whose two sinnes albeit vpon his hartie repentance God forgaue yet notwithstanding the said repentance and sorrow and all the weepinge fastinge watchinge lyinge on the grounde wearinge of sackloth and other bodilie chasticementes which this holie prophet recordeth that him self did put in vre God punished him besides with maruelous seueritie as by the death of his dearlie beloued childe by manie other continual afflictions and temporal punishementes during the rase of his whole life And al this to shew his hatred against sinne thereby to terrifie vs from committinge the same Of this also doe proceede al those harde and seuere speeches of holie write touching sinners which comming from the mouth of the Holie Ghost and therfore no doubt both true and certaine may iustlie yeeld greate cause of feare to al such as liue in sinful state As for example where it is saied death bloode contentiō edge of svvorde oppression hunger contrition and vvhippes all thes thinges are created for vvicked sinners And againe God shal raine snares of fyre vppon sinners brimstone vvith tēpestuous vvindes shal be the portion of their cup. And yet further ī manie other places thes most dreadful speeches and comminations are to be founde God wil be knowen at the day of iudgement vpon the sinner who shal be taken in the workes of his owne handes manie whippes belong vnto a sinner let sinners be turned into hell God shal scatter al sinners and shal dash ther teeth out of their mouthes God shal scoffe at a sinner when he seeth his daye of destructiō cōmeth on the sworde of sinners shall turne into their owne hartes The armes of sinners shal be crushed and broken and they shal wither and dry vp like haye from the face of the earth desire not the glorie and riches of a sinner for thou doest not know the suddaine subuersion which shall come vpon hym for God hath gyuē him riches to deceyue him therwith beholde the daye of our Lord shal come a cruel daye and ful of indignation wrath and furie to make desolate the earth and to crush in peeces her sinners within her Thē shal the iust man reioice seinge this reuenge and shal wash his handes in the blood of sinners Thes loe my deare brother and innumerable other such sentēces of scripture pronounced by the holie spirit of God against sinners maye instruct vs of their pitifull estate of the vnspeakable hatred of his diuine Maiestie against thē so lōg as they persist in their sinful life and cōuersation Of all which considerations the self same holie scriptures doe gather certaine conclusions greatelie to be obserued wherof the first and more general is that sinne bringeth al people to miserie secondlie and more particulerlie that he vvhich loueth sinne bateth his ovvn soule Or as the Angel Raphael
may perfectly conceyue the same but he that seeleth them albeit in part some smal coniecture may be made therof by thes three general pointes ensuing wherunto the rest may be referred THE FIRST IS THE excessiue paines which commonlie mē suffer in the separation of their soules and bodies which hauing liued so longe time together vnited as two deare frendes in loue and pleasure are now most loth to parte were it not that violently they are enforced therunto This paine may partlie be conceyued if we would driue out life but from the least parte of our bodie as for example out of our litle fingar like as surgeans are wont to doe when they wil mortifie any one place to make it breake What intolerable paine doth a man suffer before this member be dead what raging greefe doth he abyde If then the mortifying of one litle parte onlie doe so much afflict vs Imagine what the violent mortifying of al the partes together wil doe For we see that first the soule is driuen by death to leaue the extreamest partes as the toes feete and fingers then the legges and armes and so consequently one parte dieth after an other vntill life be restrained onlie to the harte which holdeth out longest as the principal part but yet finallie must be also constrained to render it self though with neuer so much paine and resistance Which paine how great and stronge it is may appeare by the breaking in peeces of the verie stringes and holdes wherwith it was enuironed through the excessiue vehemencie of this deadlie torment Neuertheles before it come to this pointe of yelding no man can expresse the cruel conflict that is betwixt death and her and what distresses she abideth in the time of her agonie Imagine that a prince possessed a goodlie citie in al peace wealth and pleasure and greatlie frinded of al his neighbours round about him who promised to assiste him in al his needes and affairs that vpon the sudden his mortal enimie should come and besiege this citie and taking one holde after an other one wall after another one castell after an other should driue this prince onlie to a litle tower and besiege him therin al his other holdes being beaten doune and his men slaine in his sight what feare anguishe and miserie woold this afflicted prīnce be in How often would he looke out at the windowes loope holes of his tower to see whether his friendes and neighboures would come to help him or no And if he saw them all to abandone him and his cruel enemie euen readie to breake in vpon him would he not trow you be in a most pitiful plight Euen so then fareth it with a poore soule at the hower of death The bodie wherin she raigned like a iolie princesse in al pleasure whiles it florished is now battered and ouerthrowen by her enimie which is death the armes legges and other partes wherewith she was fortified as with walles and wardes during time of health are now surprised and beaten to the grounde and she is driuen onlie to the harte as to the last and extremest refuge wherein also she is most fearcelie assayled in such sorte as she can not possiblie hold out longe Her dearest friendes who soothed her in time of prosperitie and promised assistance as youth agilitie strength courage diet phisicke and other humane helpes doe now vtterlie abandone her the enimie wil not be pacified or make any league at al but night and daye assaulteth this Turret wherein she is retired and which now beginneth to shake and shiuer in pecees in such sort as she expecteth hourelie when her enimie in most raging dreadful maner wil burst in vpon her What thinke you is now the state of this afflicted soule It is no maruaile if a wise man become a foole or a stoute worldling most abiect in this instant of extremitie as we often see they doe in such sorte that they can dispose of nothing well either towardes God or the world at this houre The cause wherof is the extremitie of paines oppressing their mindes as S. Austē wel noteth geuing vs ther withal a most excellent fore-warning of this daie if men were so happie as to follow it When you shal be in your last sicknes deare bretheren sayeth he ò how harde and painful a thing wil it be for you to repent of your faultes committed and of good deedes omitted and why is this but onlie for that all the intentiō of your minde wil runne thither where al the force of your paine is Manie impedimentes shall let men at that day As the paine of the bodie the feare of death the sight of children for the which their fathers shall often times thinke thē selues damned the weeping of the wife the flatterie of the world the temptation of the deuil the dissimulation of phisitions for lacre sake and the like And beleeue thou ò man which readest this that thou shalt quickelie proue al this trew vpon thy self and therfore I beseech the that thou wilt doe penance before thou come vnto this last daie Dispose of thy house and make thy testament whyle thou arte whole while thou art wise while thou art thine owne man for if thou tarie vntil the last daie thou shalt be led whether thou wouldest not Hitherto are S. Austens words THE SECONDE THING which shal make death most terrible and grieuous to a worldlie man is the sudaine parting and that for euer and euer from al the thinges which he loued most dearely in this life as from his riches possessiōs honours offices faire buildinges goodlie apparel and rich iewels as also from wife and children kindred and frindes and al other earthly delightes and commodities wherewith in this life he thought him self a most happie man And now to be plucked from thes vpon the sudaine without hope euer to see or vse them againe and that often times when he least doubteth any such matter must needes be a pointe of extreme griefe especiallie if he be in the state which holie Iob describeth when he saith The vvicked man dieth vvhen he is strōge and vvhole of bodie riche happie vvhile his entrals are ful of fatte and vvhiles his bones are vvel vvatred vvith marooe O Iesu what a griping griefe how intollerable a torment vvil this be O how true an oracle is that of God which saieth O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substantiis suid O death how bitter is thy memorie vnto a man that hath peace and rest in his substance riches as who would say there is no greater bitternes or greefe in the world to such a man then to remember or only thinke on death but much more to taste and trie it himself yea and that immediately when it shal be saied vnto him as Christ reporteth it was vnto that great wealthie man in the Ghospel which had his barnes ful and was nowe
length to crie out my soule doth thirst after God that is the liuelie vvel-spring vvhen shal I come and appeare before the face of God So that from the feare of death which is the first effect that springeth of the remembrance meditation therof he was come now to the loue and most earnest desire of the same which is the highest degree of comfort and the most supreme felicitie that saintes doe arriue vnto in this life Endeuour then my deare Christiā brother by frequent and diligent premeditation of this passage to attaine to this felicitie or at least wise to some parte or degree therof Feare death now that thou maist not feare it then For as God by his holie spirite assureth the he that feareth novv shal be in securitie at the last in the day of his departure Nay as holie Iob further describeth the matter he shal laugh at that day whē other mē are in spoile famine he shal not feare the beastes of the earth his legue shal be with the stones of Nations that is he shal be no more moued or terrified with comming of death then stones are he shal see that his tabernacle shal be that day in peace he shal enter into his sepulcher in al aboundance as a mow of corne in the haruest time that is he shal departe hence in aboundance of al grace and merit at the houre of his death which to a vertuous man is the day of haruest wherin he shal reape the rewardes of his good deedes which he hath sowen in this life Thus describeth Iob the blessed departure of a godlie man cōcluding his whole discourse with this admonition and exhortatiue clause Ecce hoc ita est quod auditum mente pertracta Behold this thing is as I haue said which thou hauing vnderstoode passe it not ouer sleightlie but reuolue and discusse the same diligentlie in thie minde OF THE GREATE AND SEVERE PAINES AND PVNISHMENTES APPOINted by God for sinners after this life As also of tvvo kindes and sortes herof the one temporal for them that shal be saued th' other eternal for the damned CHAPT XI AMONGST all the meanes which God vseth towardes the children of men in this life to moue them to the resolution wherof I entreate the strōgest most forcible is the consideratiō of punishmentes prepared by him for rebellious sinners and transgressours of his cōmaundemēts Wherfore he vseth this motiue often as may appeare by al the prophetes who doe almost nothing els but threaten plagues and destruction to offendours And this meane hath oftentimes preuailed more then anie other that could be vsed by reason of the natural loue which we beare towardes our selues and consequentlie the natural feare which we haue of our owne danger So we reade that nothing could moue the Niniuites so much as the fortelling them of their imminent destruction And S. Iohn Baptist albeit he came in a simple and contemptible maner yet preaching vnto the people the terrour of vengeance to come and that the axe vvas novv put vnto the tree to cut dovvne for the fire al such as repented not he moued the verie publicanes souldiers to feare being otherwise people of verie harde metal in such sort as they came vnto him vpon this terrible embassage and asked what they should doe to auoide these punishmentes For which cause hauing now cōsidered in the former chapters of death and of godes seuere iudgment ensuing thervpon wherin euerie man hath to receyue according to his workes in this life it followeth that we consider also of the punishmentes which are appointed for thē that shal be founde faultie ī that accounte hereby at leastwise if no other consideration wil serue to induce Christians to this resolution of seruinge God For as I haue noted before if euerie man haue naturallie a loue of him self and desire to cōserue his owne ease then should he also haue feare of peril wherby he is to fal into miserie calamitie This expresseth S. Bernard verie excellently according to his wonte O man saieth he if thou haue left al shame which appertaineth to so noble a creature as thou art if thou feele no sorow as carnal men doe not yet loose not feare also which is founde eué in brute and sauage beastes We vse to loade an asse and to werie him out with laboure and he careth not because he is an asse but if thou wouldest thrust him into fire or flinge him into a ditch he would auoide it as much as he coulde for that he loueth life and feared death Feare thou then and be not more insensible thā a beast Feare death feare iudgment feare hel This feare is called the beginning of wisdome and not shame or sorow for that the spirite of feare is more potent to resist sinne then the spirite of shame or sorow Wherfore it is saide remember the ende and thou shalt neuer sinne that is remember the final punishmentes appointed for sinne after this life Thus far S. Bernarde First therfore to speake in general of the punishmentes reserued for the life to come if the scriptures did not declare in particular their greatnes vnto vs yet are there manie reasons to persuade vs that they are most seuere grieuous and intollerable For first as God is a God in al his workes that is to saye greate wounderful and terrible so especiallie he sheweth the same in his punishmentes being called for that cause in holy scripture Deus iustitiae God of iustice as also Deus vltionum God of reuenge Wherfore seing al his other workes are maiestical and exceeding our capacities we may likewise gather that his hande in punishment must be also most wonderful God himself teacheth vs to reason in this maner when he sayeth And vvil ye not then feare me and vvil ye not tremble before my face vvho haue set the sande for limites to the sea and haue giuen the vvaters a commaundemēt neuer to passe the same no not then vvhen they are most troubled and the vvaues therof most outragious As who would say if I be wonderful and doe passe your imagination in these woorkes of the sea and other of this world which you behould dailie then haue yee iust cause to feare me considering that my punishmētes are like to be correspondent to the greatnes of my other actions An other coniecture of the great and seuere iustice of God in punishing may be the consideration of his infinite and vnspeakable mercie which as it is the verie nature it self of God and consequently without ende or measure as his godhead is so is also his iustice And these two are the two armes as it were of his diuine Maiestie embracing kyssing one th' other as the scripture saieth And therfore as in a man of this world if we had the measure of one arme we might easely cōiecture the length of the
other so beholding daily the wounderful examples of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we may therby conceyue the seueritie of his Iustice towards such as he reserueth to punishment in the life to come and whom for that cause he calleth in holy writ Vasa furoris that is vessels of furie wheron to exercise the rage of his dreadful and most terrible indignation A third consideration to induce vs to the vnderstāding of the greatnes of Gods punishmentes in general may be his maruailous patience and long suffering of sinners in this life As that for example he permitteth diuers mē from sinne to sinne from day to day from yeare to yeare frō age to age to liue continually in the contempt of his Maiestie and transgression of his commaundementes refusing al persuasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of grace and fauor that his merciful goodnes can deuise to offer for their amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortal hart were able by inestimable sufferāce for bearing in this life to shew such patience but now if al this should not be requited with seueritie of punishment in the worlde to come it might seeme to be against the law of iustice and equitie and so one arme in God to be longer then the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saith duest thou not knovv that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentance and thou by thy bard and impenitent hart doest heape vp vengeace vnto thy self in the day of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shal restore to euerie mā according to his vvorkes In which sentence S. Paul vseth the phrase of heaping wrath or vēgeāce to signifie therby that like as the couetous man doth laie vp money daily to make his heape encrease so the irrepentant sinner doth heape sinne vpon sinne and God on the contrary side heapeth vengeance to vengeance vntil his measure be ful to restore in the ende measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home according to the multitude of our ovvne abhominations This was the meaning of almightie God when he said to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet complet As also in the reuelations vnto S. Ionn Euangelist when he vsed this conclusion of that booke He that doth euil let him doe yet more euil and he that lieth in filth let him yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me to render to euerie man according to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his forbearance and tolleration with sinners in this life is an argument of his greater seueritie in the life to come which the prophet Dauid doth insinuate in like maner when talking of a careles sinner he saieth God shal deride him for that he seeth before hand that his daie vvil come Which daie no doubt is to be vnderstoode the daye of account and punishmēt after this life for so doth God more at large declare him self in another place in these wordes And thou sonne of man this saieth thy Lord God the end is come now I save the end is come vpon the. And I wil shew on the my furie and wil iudge the according to thy waies I wil laye against the al thine abominatiōs myn eye shal not spare the nether wil I take anie mercie vpon the but I wil laie thine owae waies vpon the thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affiction commeth on the end is come the end I saie is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come destruction is now come vpon the the time is come the daie of slaughter is at hand Shortlie wil I power out my wrath vpon the and I wil fil my furic in the and I wil iadge the according to thy waies and I wil lay al thy wickednes vpō the myn eye shal not pitie the nor wil I take any compassion vpon the but I wil lay thy waies vpon the and thy abhominations in the middest of the and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of almightie God deliuered by the mouth of his holie Prophete SEING THEN we now vnderstand in general that the punishmentes of God in the life to come are most certaine to be greate and seuere to al such as fal into thē for which cause S. Paul affirmeth that it is a horrible thing to fal into the handes of the liuing God Let vs consider some what in particuler what maner of paines and punishmentes they shal be For better conceyuing wherof it is to be noted that there be two sortes of sinners in this worlde the one which die in the guilt of mortal sinne and in the disfauour and hatred of almightie God of whom it is said the portion of vvicked men shal be in the lake burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is called the second death The other which haue the guilt of their sinne pardoned by their repentance in this life but yet haue not made that temporal satisfaction to gods iustice nor are so thoroughlie purged in this world as they may passe to heauen without punishmēt and of these it is writen They shal suffer detrimēt but yet they shal be saued as by fire Vpon which wordes of S. Paul the holie father S. Austen writeth thus Because S. Paul sayeth that these mē shal be saued by fire therfore this fire is cōtemned But surely though they shal be saued by it yet is this fire more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life albeit you know how greate and intollerable thinges men haue or maie suffer The same S. Augustine in an other place expoundeth yet further the words of the said Apostle i this maner They which haue donne thinges worthie of temporal punishment of whom the Apostle saieth they shal be saued by fire must passe through a firie riuer and most horrible shallowes of burning flames signified by the prophet when he saith and a fludd of fire vvent before him and looke how much matter there is in their sinnes so longe must they sticke in passing through how much the fault requireth so much shal the punishment of this fire reuenge And because the word of God doth compare the soule of a sinner to a pot of brasse saying put the pot emptie vpon the coles vntil al the rust be melted of therfore in this fire al idle speeches al filthie cogitations al light sinnes shal boile out and consume which by a shorte waie might haue bene seperated from the soule in this life by almes teares Hitherto S. Augustine And the same holie father in an other place hath these wordes If a sinner by his conuersion escape death and obtaine life yet for al that I can not promise him
euery sinful conscience commeth to answere almightie God as did Ierusalem when being admonished of her sinnes exhorted by his prophet to amendment of life she said Desperaui nequaquam faciam I ame become desperate I wil neuer thincke of any such thing To which lamentable estate when a sinful man is once arriued the next steppe he maketh is for auoiding al remorse and trouble of consciēce to engulfe him self into the depth of al detestable enormities and to abandone his soule to the verie sincke of al filth and abhominations according as S. Paul said of the Gentiles in like case that by despaire they deliuered them selues ouer to dis solute life therby to commit al maner of vncleanes Which wicked resolution of the impious is the thing as I haue noted before that most of al other offences vpon earth doth exasperate the ire of Almighty God depriuing his deuine Maiestie of that most excellent propertie wherin he cheifly deliteth and glorieth which is his infinite and vnspeacable mercie This might be declared by diuers and sondrie examples of holy writt how be it two only shal suffice for this present The first is of the people of Israel not long before their banishment to Babilon who being threatned from God by the Prophet Ieremie that manifold punishments were imminent ouer their heads for their grieuous sinnes committed against his Maiestie begāne in stead of repentance to fal to desperation and consequently resolued to take that impious course of al dissolute life alleaged before out of S. Paul for thus they answered God exhorting them by his threats to reforme their wicked liues VVe are novv grovven desperate therfore vve vvil hereafter folovve our ovvne cogitations and euerie one sulfil the vvickednes of his ovvne conceite Wherat God stormed infinitely and brake forth into this vehement interrogation Interrogate Gentes quit audiuit talia horribilia Aske and enquire of the verie Gentiles whether euer among them were heard any such horrible blasphemies And after this for more declaration of this intollerable iniurie herin offerred to his Maiestie he commaunded the Prophet Ieremie to goe forth of his owne house and to get him to a potters shope which in the village was framing his vessels vpon the wheele Which Ieremie hauing done he sawe befor his face a pot crushed and broken by the potter al in peeces vpō the wheele and thincking therby that the vessel had bene vtterly vnprofitable and to be cast away he saw the same clay ptesently framed agayne by the potter into a new vessel more excellent then before Wherat he maruailing God said vnto him Doest not thou thinck Ieremie that I can doe with the house of Israel as this potter hath done with his vessel Or is not the house of Israel in my handes as the clay is in the handes of this craftesman I wil denounce vpon the sodaine against a Nation and kingdome that I wil roote it vp and destroye it and if that nation or kingdome doe repent from their wickednes I also wil repent me of the punishment which I intended to laie vpon them And then he proceedeth foreward declaring vnto Ieremie the exceeding greif and indignation which he conceaueth that any sinner what soeuer should despaire of mercie pardon at his hands The second example is of the same people of Israel during the time of their banishment in Babilon at what time being afflicted with many miseries for their sinnes and threatned with many more to come for that they changed not the course of their former wicked conuersation they beganne to despaire of Gods mercie and to saie to the Prophet Ezechiel that liued banished among them exhorted them to amendment vpon assured hope of Gods fauour towards them Our iniquities and sinnes doe lye greeuouslie vpon vs and vve languish in them and vvhat hope of life then may vve haue At which cogitation and speech God being greatly moued appeared presently to Ezechiel said vnto him Tel this people I doe liue saieth the Lord God of hostes I vvishe not the death of the impious but rather that he should turne from his vvicked vvaies and liue VVhy vvil the house of Israel die in their sinnes rather then turne vnto me And then he maketh a large and vehement protestation that how greuously soeuer any person shal offend him how great punishments soeuer he shal denounce against him yea if he had giuen expresse sentence of death and damnation vpon him yet Si egerit paenitentiam a peccato suo seceritque iudicium iustitiam that is if he repent him self of his sinne and exercise iudgement and iustice for the time to come al his sinnes that he hath committed shal be forgiuen him saieth almightie God for that he hath done iudgment and Iustice. And this now might be sufficient albeit nothing els were spoken for remouing this first obstacle and impediment of true resolution which is the dispaire of Gods infinite goodnes and mercie Neuertheles for more euident clearing and demonstration of this matter and for the greater comfort of such as feele them selues burdened with the heauy weight of their iniquities committed against his deuine Maiestie I haue thought expedient in this place to declare more at large this aboundant subiect of Gods endles mercie towards al such as wil truly turne vnto him in what time state condition or age soeuer in this life which shal be shewed and set doune by thes foure points and partes that doe ensue FIRST OF AL by the infinite and incomprehēsible loue that almightie God beareth vnto man which loue is alwaies the mother of fauour grace and mercie If you demaund of me in what sort I doe proue that the loue of God is so exceeding great towardes man I answere as the Cosmographer is wont to doe who by the greatnes and multitude of the streames and riuers doth frame a coniecture of the fountaine frō which they flowe The proper riuers which are deriued and doe ronne forth of loue are good turnes and benefites which seing they are infinite endles and inestimable bestowed by God vpon man as in place before hath bene declared and the whole vniuersal frame of this world doth aboundantly beare witnesse it foloweth most euidently that the origine fountaine welspring of al thes fauours graces and good turnes must needs be infinite immeasurable and farre surpassing al compasse of mans vnderstanding If you require of me the cause and reason why almightie God should so wonderfully be affected towards man I can directly yeld you none at al but rather meruaile therat with holy Iob why so soueraine a Maiestie should set his hart vpon so base a subiect Notwithstanding the holy Scripture seemeth to alleage one principal reason of this loue when it saieth Nihil odistieorum quae secisti parcis omnibus quia tua sunt Domine quidiligis animas That is Thou O Lord which louest soules
this assurance vnto vs Christ sent that most sweet and comfortable embassage vnto his disciples presentlie vpon his resurrection Goe and tel my brethren that I doe ascend vnto my father and vnto your father vnto my God and vnto your God By which two wordes of Father and God the one of loue and th' other of power the one of wil the other of abilitie he tooke away al doubt of not speeding from each man that should make recourse to this merciful Lord and Father God him self also after many threates vsed by the prophet Ieremie against the people of Israel for their sinnes in the end lest they should dispaire turneth about his talke and changeth his stile assuring them of many graces and fauours if they would returne vnto him telling the house of Israel that he had loued her from the beginning and had sought to draw her vnto him by threates to the end he might take mercy vpon her and that now he intended to build her vp againe to adorne her with ioy and exultation to gather her children from al corners of the earth to refresh them with the waters and riuers of life al this saith he quia factus sum Israeli pater for that I am become now a Father to Israel And in the same place to wicked Ephraim the head citie of the rebellious kingdome of Samaria he saith Ephraim is become my honorable sonne my delicate and dearely beloued child therefore my bovvels are moued vvith compassion vpon him and in abundance of mercy vvil I take pitie of him So much attributed God to this respect of being a father vnto Israel and Ephraim and of their being his children that for this cause only notwithstanding their infinit enormous sinnes his bowelles of endles mercie were moued with loue and compassion towardes them And thes are thos tender merciful bowelles which holie Zacharie father to S. Iohn Baptist protesteth to be in almightie God towardes mankind that had offended him Thes are thos which were in that good old father mentioned in the Gospel who being not only offended but also abandoned by his yonger sonne yet after he saw him returne home againe notwithstanding he had wasted al his thrist and substance and had weried out his bodie with wicked life he was so far of from disdaining to receaue him as he came forth to meete with him sel vpō his neck and kissed him for ioy adorned him with new apparel and riche iewelles prouided a solemne banket for him inuited his friēdes to be merie with him and showed more exultation and triumph for his returne then if he had neuer departed from him By which parable our Saueour IESVS endeuored to set forth vnto vs the incomprehensible mercie of his heauenly Father towardes sinners in which respect he is truely called by his Apostle pater misericordiarum the father of mercies For that as S. Bernard wel noteth this sea Oceā of mercies doth flow peculiarly frō the hart of a father which can not be said so properly of the gulfe and depth of his iudgementes For which cause he is called in Scripture the God of iustice and reuēge and not the Father And finally this blessed name of father in God doth import vnto vs by Godes owne testimonie al sweetenes al loue al frendship al comfort al satherly prouidēce care and protection al certaintie of fauour al assurance of grace al securitie of mercie pardon and remission of our sinnes whensoeuer vnfainedly we turne vnto him And in this point his diuine Maiestie is so foreward and vehement to geue vs assurance that being not content to set forth his loue vnto vs by the loue of a fathers hart he goeth further and protesteth vnto vs that his hart is more tēder towardes vs in this behalf then the hart of any mother can be to the only child and infant of her own wombe For thus he saith to Sion which for her sinnes begā to doubt least he had forsaken her Can the mother forget her ovvainfant or can she not be merciful to the child of her ovvne vvombe if she could yet can I not forget or reiect thee behold I haue vvritten thee in the flesh of my ovvne handes And this for so much as God is called our Father Ther remaineth yet a third consideration which more setteth forth Gods inestimable loue then any of the other demonstrations before handled And this is that he gaue the life and blood of his only begotten and eternal sonne for purchasing and redeeming vs when wee were lost a price so infinite and inexplicable as no doubt his diuine wisdome would neuer haue giuen but for a thing which he had loued aboue al measure Which our Sauiour him self that was to make the paiment doth plainly signifie and therfore also seemeth as it were to wonder at such a bargaine when he saieth in the Ghosple So dearly hath God my father loued the vvorld that he hath giuen for it his only begotten sonne In which wordes he ascribeth this most wōderful dealing of his father vnto the vehemencie and exceeding aboundāce of loue as doth also his dearest disciple and Apostle S. Sohn saing In this appeareth the great loue and charitie of God towards vs that he hath sent his only begotten sonne into the world to purchase life for vs. In this I saie is made euident his exceeding charitie that we not louing him he loued vs first and gaue his owne sonne to be a ransome for our sinnes Wherunto also the holie Apostle S. Paul agreeth admiring in like maner the excessiue loue of God in thes wordes God doth maruailouslie commend and set forth his great loue vnto vs in that we being yet sinners he gaue his sonne to the death for our redemption And in an other place framing out as at were a measure of Gods mercie by this aboundance of his loue faieth thus God who is rich in mercie thorough the exceeding loue which he bore vnto vs we being dead in sinne he reuiued vs in Christ and raised vs vp euen vnto heauen making vs to sitte doune ther with him to the ende he might declare to al ages and worldes ensuing the most abundant riches of his grace and goodnes towards vs. This was the opinion of that noble Apostle S. Paul and of al his coequals Apostles Euangelistes Disciples Saints that this worke of our redemption proceeded only from the inflamed fornace of Gods immeasurable loue And therfore to make no other conclusion her of then that which S. Paul him self doth make If God haue not spared his owne proper only begotten soone but hath geuen him vp to death for gaining vs vnto him how can it be that with him he hath not geuen vnto vs al other thinges If when we were his enemies and thought not vpon him he sent to seeke vs so diligently by such a messinger as he loued so dearly allowing
geuē vnto vs against the same they crie with S. Paul that they finde a lavv in their members repugning to the lavv of their minde which is the rebellion of concupiscence left in our flesh by original sinne but they confesse not or cōsider not with the same apostle that the grace of God by Iesus Christ shall deliuer them from the same They remember not the comfortable saying of our Saueour vnto S. Paul in the middest of his greatest temptations Sufficie tibi gratia mea My grace is sufficient to strengthen thee against them al. Thes men I say doe as Helizeus his disciple did who casting his eyes onelie vpō the number of his enemies that is vpon the huge armie of Syrians redie to assault him thought hīself lost vtterly vnable to stand in their sight vntil by the prayers of his master the holie Prophet he was permitted by God to see the Angels that stoode there present to fight on his side and then he wel perceaued that his parte was the stronger So fareth it with the weake and distrustful people who feeling and considering onlie the miseries and infirmities of their own nature wherby day lie strong tentations do rise against them doe account the batail painful and the victorie vnpossible hauing not tasted in deed nor euer proued through their own default and negligence the manifold helpes of heauenlie and spiritual succours which almightie God neuer faileth to send vnto such as are content for his sake to take this cōflict in hand S. Paul had wel tasted that ayde who hauing reckned vp al the hardest incounters and impedimentes that might be he adioineth notwithstanding Sed in his omnibus superamus propter cum qui dilexit nos But we ouercome in al these combates by his assistance that loueth vs. And then falleth he to that most wonderful protestation wherof both heauen earth and hel may stand in admiration that nether death nor life nor Angels nor other thing should be able to seperat him from Christ or to make him abandon his seruice and al this vpon the confidence of spiritual ayd frō his said Saueour wherby he sticked not to auouch that he could doe al things The Prophet Dauid also had proued the force of this assistance when he saide I did runne the vvay of thy commaundementes ô Lord vvhen thoudiddest enlarge my hart This enlargement of hart was by spiritual consolation of internal vnction wherby a mans hart drawen together by anguishe and sorow is opened and enlarged at what time Gods holie grace is powred ito it no otherwise then a drie purse is softened and enlarged by annointing it with oyle Of which diuine oyle and heauenlie comfort when this blessed seruant of God had receaued his part he confessed presentlie that he did not onlie walke the wayes of Gods commandementes with ease but also did runne them ouer with exceeding pleasure Euē as a carte wheele which creketh and complaineth vnder a smal burden when it is drie doth runne on merilie and without al noise when a litle oyle is put vnto it Which thing aptlie expresseth our state and condition who without Gods assistance are able to doe nothing but with the ayde thereof are able to conquere and ouercome al things And surelie I would gladlie aske these men that imagine the way of Gods holy law to be so hard and ful of difficultie how the prophet could say who was a man as we are I haue taken pleasure ô Lord in the vvay of thy commaundementes euen as in al the riches of the vvorld And in an other place That the same commandementes vvere more pleasant and more to be desired then any gold or pretious stone and more svveter thē hony or the hony combe By which wordes he yeeldeth to vertuous life not onely due estimation of honour and value aboue al treasures in the world but also of pleasure delite and sweetnes therby to confound al those that abandone forsake the same vpon idle pretensed and feined difficulties And if king Dauid could say thus much in the old testament and of the old law which notwithstanding was infinitlie more hard thē is the new with how much more reason may we speake it now in the time of grace when not onlie the seruice of God in it self is without al comparison more sweet and easie but also the peculier helpes and assistances of almightie God much more effectual and abundant For further declaratiō wherof I would demand of thee thou poore infortunat Christian that deceauest thie self with thes bugges and fancies of imagined difficulties whie Christ our Saueour came into this world whie tooke he our flesh vpon him whie laboured he and tooke so much paines among vs whie shed he his blood whie praied he to his father so often for vs whie appointed he the Sacramentes as conduites to deriue his most holie grace vnto vs whie sent he the Holie Ghost into the world what signifieth Ghospel or good tidings what meaneth the words Grace Mercie brought with him what importeth the comfortable name of IESVS Is not al this to deliuer vs from sinne from sinne past I say by his only death from sinne present and to come by the same death and by the assistance of his holy grace bestowed on vs more abundantlie then before Was not this one of the prīcipal effectes of Christ his comming as the prophet noted that craggie pathes should be made streight and hard vvayes plaine was not this the cause whie he indued his church with the seuen blessed giftes of the Holie Ghost and with the vertues infused to make the yoke of his seruice sweet the exercise of good life easie the walking in his commandemētes pleasant in such sort as men might now sing in tribulations haue confidence in perils securitie in afflictions and assurance of victorie in al temptations is not this the beginning midle and ende of the Ghospel were not thes the promises of the Prophetes the tydinges of the Euangelistes the preachinges of the Apostles the doctrine beleef and practise of al saincts and finallie is not this verbum abbreuiatum The word of God abbreuiated and made short wherin doe consist al the riches and treasures of our Christian profession But for that this matter is of exceeding great weight to the strēgthening of Christians in their vocation against the temptations of pusilanimitie and deiectiō which are verie ordinarie dāgerous to most mē in the world it shal not be amisse perhappes to treate discusse the same more at large in this place laying doune the particuler meanes and helpes which euerie man hath or may haue in this busines if he want not wil to vse and applie the same to his assistance and commoditie And for that the feeld is large the matters are many which doe appertaine vnto this point I haue thought conuenient for more plainesse and perspicuitie
here though in deede it be such matter as no mā could euer be wearie to heare it There he sheweth how he was tossed and tombled in this conflict betwene the fleshe the spirite betwne God drawing on one side and the world the flesh and the deuil holding backe on the other parte He went to Simplicianus a learned old man a deuout Christian he went to S. Ambrose bishop of Milan and after his cōference with thē he was more troubled than before He consulted with his companions Nebridius and Alipius but al wold not ease him One daye after dinner there came into his house 2 Christian courtier and capitaine named Potinian and finding by chance S. Paules epistles vpon the borde where Augustine and his felowes were at playe by occasiō therof fel into talke of spiritual matters and among other thinges to recite vnto them the life of Saint Anthonie the monke of Egypt and the infinite vertues and miracles of the same which he had sound in a booke among Christians a litle before therby was him self conuerted to Christianitie Which storie after Augustin had heard as also that there was a monasterie of those monkes without the walles of Millā in which Citie this happened that they were nourished by S. Ambrose the bishope wherof Augustine before this knew nothing he was much more afflicted then before and after Potinian was departed withdrawing him self a side had a most terrible combate with him self wherof he writeth thus What did I not say against my self in this conflict how did I beate and whyppe my owne soule to make her folow thee ô lord But she held backe she refused excused her self and when al her argumentes were conuicted she remained in horrour and feare as of death to be restrained from her loose custome of sinne wherby she had now consumed her self euen vnto death After this he went into a garden with Alipius his companiō and there cried out vnto him Quid hoc est quid patimur surgunt indocti caelum rapiunt nos cum doctrinis nostris sine corde ecce vbi volutamur in carne saaguine What is this Alipius what suffer we vnder the tyrānie of sinne vnlearned men suche as Anthonie and others doe take heauē by violence and we with al our learning without hartes behold how we lie groueling in flesh and blood And he goeth forward in that place shewing the wonderful and almost incredible tribulations that he had in this fight that daie After this he went further into an orcharde and there he had yet a greater cōflict For there al his pleasures past represented thē selues together before his eyes saying vnto him Demittes ne nos a momēto isto nonerimus tecum vltra in 〈◊〉 c. What wilt thou abandone vs shal not we be with thee any more for euer after this momēt shal it not be lawful for the to doe this that any more hereafter And then saieth S. Augustin O Lord turne from the mind of thy seruant to think of that filth which they obiected to my soule What filth what shameful pleasures did they lay before mine eyes At length he saieth that after long and tedious combats a maruailous tempest of weeping came vpon him being not able to resist any longer he ranne away from Alipius and cast hym self vpon the ground vnder a figge tree and gaue ful scope vnto his eies which brought forth presentlie whole fluddes of teares Which after they were a litle past ouer he began to speake to God in this sort Et tu domine vsquequo quam diu quam diu cras cras quare non modo quare non hac hora finis est turpitudinis meae O Lord how long wilt thou suffer me thus how long how long shal I saye to morow to morow why should I not doe it now whie should there not be an end of my filthie life euen at this instant And after this foloweth his final miraculous conuersion together with the conuersion of Alipius his companion which because it is set downe breeflie by him self I wil recite his owne wordes which are as foloweth immediatlie vpon those that went before I did talke saith he in this sorte to almightie God and did weepe most bitterlie with a deepe contrition of my hart and behold I heard a voyce as if it had bene of some child singing from some house nere vnto me and oftentimes it repeated thes wordes take vp and read take vp and read And streight waies I chāging my countenance began to think most earnestly with my self whether children were wont to sing any such thing in any kind of game that they vsed but I could neuer remēber that I had heard any such thing before Wherfore repressing the force of my teares I rose vp interpreting no other thing but that this voice came from heauen to bidde me open the booke that I had with me which was S. Paules epistles and to read the first chapter that I should finde For I had heard before of S. Anthonie how he was admonished to his conuersion by hearing a sentence of the Gospel which was read when he by chance came into the Church the sentence was Goe and sel al thou hast and geue to the poore and thou shalt haue a treasure in heauen and come and folovv me Which saying S. Anthonie taking as spoken to him in particular was presentlie conuerted to thee ô Lord. Wherfore I went in hast to the place where Alipius sate for that I lad left my booke there whē I departed I snatched it vp and opened it and read in silence the first chapiter that offered it self vnto mine eyes and therein were these wordes Not in banquettinges or in dronkennes not in vvantonnes and chamber vvorkes not in contention and emulation but doe you put on our Lord Iesus Christ and doe you not performe the prouidence of flesh in concupiscences Further then this sentence I would not reade nether was it needful For presentlie with the end of this sentence as if the light of securitie had bene poured into my hart al the darknes of my doutfulnes fled away Wherepon putting in my finger or some other signe which now I remember not vpon the place I closed the booke and with a quiet countenance opened the whole matter to Alipius And he by this meanes vttered also that vocatiō which now wroght in him which I before knew not He desired that he might see what I had reade and I shewed the place vnto him He considered the whole and went further also then I had reade For it folowed in Saint Paul which I knew not take vnto you him that is yet vveake in faith Which saying Alipius applied vnto him self and opened his whole state of doutfulnes vnto me But by this admonition of S. Paul he was established and was ioyned to me in my good
who was chaffe Many lost their soules saith he in this combat many got them eternal crounes The edict was executed with al rigour and fury throughout al Prouinces at once and diuers were the issues of such as came into trial But the infinit glorie of such as conquered surpassed far the infamie of such as fel. And the ennemy in the end being vtterly confounded would gladly haue seemed to haue brought that to passe which he neither did nor could For whē by force he had drawen Christians vnto the tēples of the Idols he would haue had it seeme that they came voluntarily whē men would not sacrifice he was desirous at least-wise that they should permit him to say publish that they had sacrificed others being beaten doune with clubbes vpon their knees were reported to haue kneeled of their owne wils for adoring the Godes wherof some cried opēly notwithstanding that they neither had nor euer would doe so for any torment that could be laid vpon thē But the more resolute sorte they were dealt with in al most cruel and barbarous maner without measure reason or order Wherof you may reade both many and strange examples in the eight and ninth bookes of Eusebius who wrote the things as he saw them passe and when our Sauiour permitted al thes extremities to fal vpon his Church then was the time neerest that he had determined to beautifie her in earth with greatest peace rest riches and glorie euen as he did immediatly after by conuerting Constantine to be so zelous a Christian. AND HERE NOVV doth end the storie of Eusebius which conteinēth the conflictes of the first three hundred yeares after Christes departure But the ecclesiastical writers that doe ensue after him ech man in his age doe declare that after the times of Constantine the Catholique Church inioyed not longe her temporal peace but had her exercise from time to time albeit in an other sorte then before that is to saie not by Pagans but by such as some times had bene her owne childrē a far more lothesome odious cruel and dangerous afflictiō then the former For as soone as Constantine was deade and had left the Romane Empire diuided vnto his sonnes one of them which gouerned al the east being corrupted by his wife became an Arrian By whom and other Princes infected afterward with the same heresies the Church of God susteined incredible distresses for many yeares together And then againe after al the children of Costantine were dead one Iulian that had bene brought vp in Christian religiō came to haue the whole Empire to him self and falling from Christ became an Apostata of whom Ruffinus that liued at the same time writeth thus He was a more conning persecutour then the 〈◊〉 and consequently cruel proceeding not so much by force and tormentes a by rewardes honours flatteries 〈◊〉 and deceit By which meanes he ouerthrew more soules thē if he had proceeded altogether by violence The worthie father S. Gregorie Nazianzenus writeth two large 〈◊〉 this mans doings and sheweth that in his youth both he S. Basile were acquainted with Iulian in the grammer schole At what time he saith they wel fore saw great signes of wickednes in him notwithstánding at that time he seemed verie deuout and for deuotions sake though he were a great Prince he would needes take vpon him the office of lectorship in the Catholique Church and besides that saith S. Gregorie began to build Churches also to christian Martyrs But when he came to be Emperour he washed of his baptisme with bloud and profaned his hands of purpose saith S. Gregorie wher with before he had touched the most pure vnbloudy sacrifice of the aulter by vvhich vve are made partakers of the passion and diuinitie of our Saueour After this he made an edict for the spoiling and profaning saith this Sainct of al Church-stuffe mony sacred ornaments and holy vestements that were to be had for defiling of aulters for deshonoring preestes deacons and Virgins but principally for breaking downe of Martyrs sepulchres and for the distroying their Churches In respect wherof this holy father writeth vnto him thus Thou persecutour after Herod thou traitour after Iudas thou murderer of Christ after Pilat thou ennemy of God after the Iewes dost thou not reuerence those holie sacricrifices slaine for Christ Doest thou not feare those noble champions Iohn Peter Paul and others that past thorough fier sword beastes tyrantes and what other cruelties so euer might be denounced against them with a mery hart Doest thou not feare thē to whom now are assigned so great honours and to whom festiual daies are ordeined vpon earth by whom deuils ar driuen away and disseafes are cured and whose onely bodies ar able to doe the same miracles now which their holy soules did when they were vpon earth Their bodies I say when they are handled by vs honoured yea the only apparitions and predictions the onely dropes of bloud of thes bodies doe as great miracles as the bodies them selues Thes bodies therfore doest thou not worship c Thus far S. Gregorie Naziāzene But now after the death of wicked Iulian albeit some times good Emperors were sent by God yet indured they not long but the Arriā heretiques came in gouernmēt againe so did beare the swaie for diuers ages after afflicting persecuting most extremely the Catholiks as may appeare by al the ecclesiastical writers that are extāt of that time And for a better coniecture what was done and suffered in the whole world abrod I would wish thee gentle reader but to vew that which remaineth writé of one parte only and that for the space of few years I meane of the persecution of the Arrian Vandals in Africa which began not long before S. Augustins death and indured diuers years after and is recorded in three seueral bookes by the holy man Victor bishope of Vtica that was one of the sufferers The storie is strange and most worthie the reading for that it hath very many things which set foorth the perfect forme of times that haue insued since and yet doe indure Possidius that liued with S. Augustin after writ the storie of his life reporteth in the same that when the holy man saw but the beginninges of this persecution he was wonderfully afflicted with compassion in his minde For saieth he he saw now alredy Catholique Churches destitute of their priestes sacred Virgins and others that liued continent to be dissipated and cast out the Hymnes and praises of God to haue ceased in most Churches the buildings of Churches burned the solemne seruice due vnto almightie God to be no more vsed in their proper places the diuine sacrifices and sacramentes either not to be sought for any longer or els that ther were not easily found priestes to minister the same vnto such as sought them Hitherto are the wordes of
baptised for the gaining of heauen But it shal not be amisse perhappes to alleage S. Austens very wordes vpon this matter For thus he writeth It is a remediles peril when a man giueth him self ouer so much to vices as he forgeteth that he must geue accōpt therof to God And the reason why I am of this opinion is for that it is a great punishment of sinne to haue lost the feare and memorie of the iudgement to come c. But dearlie beloued least perhappes the newe felicitie of the beleeuing theefe on the Crosse doe make any of you too secure and remisse least peraduenture some of you saye in his hart my guiltie cōscience shal not trouble nor torment me my naughtie life shal not make me verie sadde for that I see euen in a momēt al sinnes forgeuen vnto the theefe we must consider first in that theefe not onelie the shortnes of his beleefe and confession but his deuotion and the occasion of that time euen when the perfection of the sust did staggar Secondlie shew me the faith of that theefe in thy self and then promise to thy self his felicitie The deuil doth put into thy head this securitie to the end he may bring thee to perdition And it is vnpossible to number al them which haue perished by the shadowe of this deceitful hope He deceiueth him self and maketh but a ieste of his owne damnatiō which thinketh that Gods mercie at the last daie shal help or releeue him It is hateful before God when a man vpon confidence of penance in his old age doth sinne the more freelie The happie theefe wherof we haue spoken happie I saie not for that he laied snares in the waie but for that he tooke hold of the waie it self in Christ laying handes on the praie of life and after a strange maner making a bootie of his owne death he I saie nether did deferre the time of his saluatiō wittinglie nether did he deceitfullte put the remedie of his estate in the last momēt of his life nether did he desperatlie reserue the hope of his redemotion vnto the houre of his death nether had he any knowlege ether of religion or of Christ before that time For if he had had perhappes he would not haue bene the last in number among the Apostles which was first in the king some of heauen By thes wordes of S. Augustin we are admonished as you see that this particular facte of Christ maketh no general rule of remission to al men not for that Christ is not alwaies redie to receaue the penitent as he promiseth and was to receaue this theef but for that euerie man hath not the time or grace to repent as he should at the last houre according as hath bene declared before The general waie that God proposeth to al is that which S. Paul saith Finis secundum opera ipsorum The end of euil men is according to their workes Looke how they liue and so they die To that effect saieth the prophet Once God speke and I heard thes tvvo things from his mouth Povver belongeth to God and mercie vnta thee ô. Lord for that thou vvilt render to euery man according to his vvorkes The wise man maketh this plaine saying the vvay of simers is paued vvith stones and their ende is hel darkenes and punishmentes Finally S. Paul maketh this general and peremptorie cōclusion Be not deceiued God is not mocked looke vvhat a man sovveth and that shal be reape He that sovveth in flesh shal reape corruption he that sovveth in spirit shal reape life euerlasting In which wordes he doeth not onely lay downe vnto vs the general rule wherto we must trust but also saieth further that to persuade our selues the cōtrary therof were to mocke abuse God which hath laied doune this general law vnto vs. Notwith standing as I haue said this general law barreth not the mercie of almightie God from vsing a priuilege to some particular man euen at the verie last cast But yet miserable is that soule which placeth the ancker of his eternal wealth or woe vpon so tyclesome a point as this is I cal it ticlesome for that al diuines who haue writen of this matter doe speake verie dowtfullie of the penance or conuersiō of a man at the last end And albeit they doe not absolutely condemne it in al but doe leaue it as vncertaine vnto Gods secret iudgement yet doe they incline to the negatiue part and doe alleage fower reasons for which that conuersion is to be doubted as insufficient for a mans saluation The first reason is for that the extreme feare paines of death being as the philosopher saith the most terrible of al terrible thinges doe not permit a man cōmonlie so to gather his spirites senses at that time as is required for the treating of so weightie a matter with almightie God as is our conuersion and saluation And if we see often times that a vetie good mā can not fixe his minde earnestlie vpon heauenlie cogitations at such time as he is troubled with the passions of cholicue or other sharpe diseases how much lesse in the anguishes of death can a worldlie man doe the same being vnacquainted with that exercise and lodened with the guilt of many and great sinnes and cloyed with the loue both of his bodie and things belonging therunto The second reason is for that the conuersion which a man maketh at the last day is not for the most part voluntarie but vpon necessitie and for feare such as was the repentance of Semei who hauing greeuously offended king Dauid in time of his affliction afterward when he saw him in prosperitie againe and him self in daunger of punishment he came and fel doune before him and asked him forgiuenes with teares But yet Dauid wel perceiued the matter how it stood and therfore albeit he spared him for that day wherein he would not trouble the myrth with execution of iustice yet afterwards he gaue order that he should be vsed according to his deserts The third reason is for that the custome of sinne which hath continued al the life long can not easely be remoued vpon the instant being growen now as it were into nature it self For which cause God saieth to euil men by the prophet Ieremie If an Ethiopian can change his black shinne or a leoparde his spottes that are on his backe then can you also doe vvel hauing learned al dayes of your Life to doe euil The fowerth cause is for that the actes of vertue them selues can not be of so great value with God in that instant as if they had bene done in time of health before For what great matter is it for exāple sake to pardō thy enemies at that time when thou canst hurt thē no more to geue thy goodes awaie when thou canst vse them no more to abandon thy concubine when thou canst keepe her
no lōger to leaue of sinne when sinne must leaue thee Al thes thinges are good and holie and to be done by him which is in that last state but yet they are of no such value as other wise they wold be by reason of this circumstāce of time which I haue shewed Thes are the reasons whie the holie Fathers and doctors of Christ his Churh doe speake so dowtfullie of this last conuersion not for any want on Gods part but on theirs who are to doe that great acte I might here alleage great store of authorities for this purpose But one place of S. Austen shal serue for al. Thus then he writeth of this matter in a certaine homilie of his If a man haue done penance truelie and do die being absolued from the bondes wherwith he was tied seperated frō the bodie of Christ he goeth to reste But if a man in the extreme necessitie of his sickenesse doe desire to receiue penance and doe receiue it and doe passe hence recōciled I confesse vnto you that we doo not denie him that which he demaundeth but yet we presume not that he goeth hence in good case I doe not presume I tel you plainely I doe not presume A faithful man that hath liued wel goeth awaie securelie He that dieth the same houre he was baptised goeth hence securelie He that is reconciled in his health and doeth penance and afterward lineth wel goeth hence securelie But he that is reconciled and doeth penance at the last end I am not secure that he goeth hence securely Where I am secure I doe tel you doe geue securitie And where I am not secure I may geue penance but I can geue no securitie But here perhappes some mā wil say to me good priest if you know not in what state a man goeth heace nor can geue securitie that he is saved to whom penance was assigned at his death teach vs I beseech you how we must liue after our conuersion and penāce I say vnto you abstaine from dronkennes from coucupiscence of the flesh from theft from much babling from immoderate laughter frō idle wordes for which men are to geue account in the day of iudgement Loe how smal thinges I haue named in your sight But yet al thes are great matters and pestilent to thos which commit them Nay yet I tel you further a man must not onely abstaine from thes vices and the like after penance but also before when he is in health For if he driue it of to the last ende of his life he can not tel whether he shal be able to receiue penance and to confesse his sinnes to God and to the priest or no. Behold the cause why I said vnto you that a man should liue wel before penance and after penance better Marke wel what I saie and perhappes it shal be needful to expounde my meanīg more plainlie least any man mistake me What say I then that this man which repenteth at the end shal be damned I doe not say so What then Doe I saie he shal be saued no. What then doe I saie I say I know not I say I presume not I promise not I know not Wilt thou deliuer thy self forth of this doubt wilt thou escape this dangerous and vncertaine point doe penance thē whiles thou art whole For if thou doe penāce while thou art in health and the last day chaunce to come vpon thee runne presentlie to be reconciled and so doing thou art safe And whie art thou safe for that thou diddest penance in that time wherin thou mightest haue sinned But if thou wilt doe penance then when thou canst sinne no longer thou leauest not sinne but sinne leaueth thee But you wil saie to me how knowest thou whether God wil forgeue a mans sinnes at the last houre or no You say wel I know it not For if I knewe that penance wold not profit a man at the last houre I would not geue it him Againe if I knewe that it wold deliuer him I wold not warne you I would not terrifie you as I doe Two thinges there are in this matter ether God pardoneth a man doing penāce at the houre of death or he doeth not pardon him Which of thes two shal be I know not Wherfore if thou be wise take that which is certaine let goe the vncertaine Hitherto are S. Austēs wordes of the dowtful case of thos which doe penance at the last daie And here now wold I haue the careful Christian to cōsider with me but this one comparison that I wil make If they that repent and doe such penance as they may at the last daie doe passe hence notwithstāding in such dangerous doutfulnes as S. Augustine sheweth what shal we thinke of al such who lacke either time or abilitie or wil or place or meanes or grace to doe any penance at al at that houre what shal we say of al thos who are cut of before which die suddenlie which are stricken dumme or deafe or senseles or frantike as we see many are what shal we say of thos which are abādoned by God and left vnto vice euen vnto the last breath in their bodie I haue shewed before out of S. Paul that ordinarily sinners die according as they liue So that it is a priuilege for a wicked man to doe penance at his death And then if his penance when it is done be so doutful as S. Austen hath declared what a pitiful case are al other in I meane the more part which repēt not at al but die as they liued and are forsaken of almightie God in that extremitie according as he promiseth when he saieth For that I haue called you and you haue refused to come for that I haue held out my hande and none of you would vouchsafe to looke towardes me I wil laugh also at your destruction when anguish and calamitie commeth on you You shal cal vpon me and I wil not heare you shal rise betimes in the morning to see me but you shal not finde me It is both dreadful and lamentable which the prophet saith of such as deferre their conuersion from time to time Conuertentur ad vesperam famem patientur vt canes circuibuat ciuitatem They wil cōuert them selues to God at the euening then shal they suffer hungar as dogges and shal runne about the citie The wordes that goe immediatly before and doe immediatly ensue after doe expresse more plainly the greatnes of this threate For before the verse is Attend o Lord to visit al nations take no mercie vpon al thos that vvorke iniquitie That is which worke iniquitie vnto the end without change for otherwise the wish were hard And immediatly after enseweth Thes men shal speake vvith their mouth and a svvord shal be in their lippes for vvho hath heard them and thou ô Lord shalt skoffe at them That is to say thes men in
540. The 2. 3. partes of the same chap. how and by how many waies God expresseth his forsaid loue vnto vs and what assurance he geueth of pardon to such as repent from Pag. 540. vnto 560. Tuesday The 4. part of the same chap. containing exāples and instructions how to auoide temptations of desperation 560. The 1. part of the 2. chap. of the fallacie of suppused difficulties with the particuler helpes to ouercome the same Pag. 570. vnto 618. VVednesday The 2. part of the same chap. containing means and instructions for ouercomming of difficulties Pag. 618. vnto the end The first 2. pointes of the 3. chap. about Tribulatiō beginning Pag. 631. vnto 656. Thursday The second 2. pointes of the same chap. begīning Pag. 656 vnto the end of the cha The 1. point of the 4. chap. treating of the vanities of the world Pag. 688. vntil 720. Friday The other partes of the same chap. 720. vntil the ende The 5. chap. of examples of Resolution Saturday The sixt chap. against Presumption The 7. chap. of Delay Sonday The first part of the 8. chap. of Slothe vntil Pag. 861. The 2. and 3. partes of the same chap. treating of Negligence and hardnes of hart from Pag. 860. vntil the ende FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS HANDLED in this booke A ACcompting day 349. Tvvo accompting daies or iudgements and the reasons therof 352. Angels appearing at the houre of death 434. Antichrist vvhat vvonderful slaughter he shal make at his comming 358. Apostles called by Iesvs 225. their miraculous doings 251. Archilaus Herodes sonne hovv he ended 275. Arist rus a Gentile vvhat testimony he giueth to our scriptures 79. Ascension of Christ proued 243. Atheists of old time 34. vvhat Zeno said of their deathes 〈◊〉 9. Tvvo causes of Atheisme in thes our daies 862. S. Augustins most notable conuersion 620. B S. Iohn Baptists behauiour to Christ and the vvhole story proued 118. Beautie hovv vaine a thing 706. Beginners in Gods seruice cheefly by God cherished 596. hovv they must behaue them selues 619. The better men they are to be aftervvards the greater cōflicts they haue at their conuersion 617. Benefits of God bestovved vpon vs 407. Bethleem appointed before for Christs Natiuitie 209. Bondage and slauery of vvicked men to their sensuality 607. Bookes of deuotion mere profitable then of controuersies praef 6. a. only vvriten by Catholiques 9 a. vvhy they can not be vvritē by Heretiques Ibid. 22. a. Buny hovv he hath set forth this booke of mine praef 10. b. vvhy he dedicateth the same to my L. of Yorke Ibid. 8. a His ignorāce 8. b. He maketh his aduersaries to speake like him self Ibid. 11. a. He inserteth parētheses Ibi. 11. b. He maketh marginal notes Ibid. 12. a. He thrusteth out Ib. 14. a. He mangleth Ib. 15. a. His foolish pacification Ibid. b. C Catholique vvhat it meaneth vvhy inuented 305. vvho is a good Catholique 308. Charitable deeds of our forfathers 343. Christ promised diuersly 141. promised as a spiritual and not a temporal K. 144. promised to be God and man 152. that he should change Moyses lavv 162. hovv he vvas fortold to Gentiles 169. false Christs diuers 203. Christs birth and infancy 207. Christs doctrine vvhat it vvas 220 his Passion and Resurrection 229. Christian Religiō proued pa. 131. It hath bene in substance from the beginning of the vvorld and none euer saued but by it 134. The definition of a good Christian. 338. Christian faith can not be obscure 300. Christian vvisdome vvherin it standeth 340. Christian vocation hovv perfect if it vvere fulfilled 344. Church of Christ hovv it encreased streight after he departed 246. Clemency and mercy hovv vvonderful in Christ. 558. Concupiscence and vvhat misery it bringeth men vnto by yeelding therunto 334. Consideration See the vvhole Chapter pag. 1. See inconsideration Consolation internal of Gods seruants 595. the force therof 593. Conuersion hovv it ought to be made 619. Item 628. VVhy it auaileth not ordinarily vvhen it is made at the last instant 835. The vvatche of Christians the dore vvherof is Consideration 13. D Death hovv terrible it vvil be See the vvhole 10. chap. 419. the causes of miserie to vvordly men in the same 413. the frequent premeditation of death most profitable 440. Delay of our conuersion from day to day hovv dangerous and hurtful See the vvhol 〈◊〉 chapt par 1. the cause vvhy the diuel persuadeth vs to delay 819. Dispaire of Gods mercie hovv greeuous a sinne and hovv to be auoided chap. 1. part 2. pag. 523. 524. 525. c. Hovv to resist al temptations of the diuel therunto pag. 561. 562. c. Difficulties vvhich are imagined in vertuous life remoued See al the 2. chapt 570. Doctrine of Christ vvhat it vvas 220. E The Ende for vvhich man vvas created cha 3. pa. 110. Enimies of Christ and Christians vvhat end they haue 274. Eternitie vvhat a thing it is and hovv to be esteemed 470. Euangelistes of Christes did vvrite most truly 258. F Fatherhood vvhat à thing it is by comparison of God tovvarde mankind 533. 534. c. Faith is easily discerned in Christian religion vvhich is the true 301 at large The vvaye to auoide al errour in beleefe 303. Faith vvithout vvorkes is not sufficiēt Feare of Godes iudgementes necessarie 398. lacke of feare proceedeth of infidelitie 406. the force of Feare 445. the praise of true Feare 810. tvvo kindes of Feare 813. Felicitie of man and beastes 54. G Gentiles hovv they had Christ fortold vnto them 169. vnto 184. Holy Ghost vvhat he did at his comming 247. Glorified bodies haue 7. priuileges 495. God is proued against Atheistes 25. God proued one by al sectos of Philosophers 51. Grace of God hovv strong and forcible 579. 580. c. H Hardnes of hart hovv dangerous an impediment 867. tvvo degrees thei of ibid. Heauen and the revvardes ther resorued see the vvhol 12. chapt Hovv the greatnes therof is found out 483. Heauen hovv it is bought 515. Heresies hovv they first rose and vvhy and hovv they are auoided 306. tvvo causes of Heresies vvith their effectes 311. Heretical practice in corrupting bookes prefat 9. b. Heretical pride Ib. 16. Herod Ascolonita or the elder vvhat he vvas hovv he rose and hovv he liued 189. hovv miserably he died 124. 8 274. Herod Antipas or the second his ende 124 175. Herod Agrippa hovv he died 125. 276. see the death of Herodias Ibid. Hel the names nature therof 456. The intollerable paines therof 459. Honour of the vvorld hovv vaine 701. Hope in the good bade hovv different 599. I Ievvishe nation hovv obstinate against Christian religion according as vvas foreprophetied 184. hovv they vvere chastened and destoyed 278. 279 c. Ignorance voluntarie hovv greeuous a thing pa 8. 9. Immortalitie of the soule proued therby also God being 47. Inconsideration soe chap 1.
this place Dan. 9. v. 〈◊〉 5. The exact number of vveekes froÌ„ the building of the secoÌ„d TeÌ„ple to the death of Christ. 62 Th' accoÌ„pt of Daniels vveekes The. 6. proofe The traditioÌ„s of Rabines Thalm. tract SaÌ„dr cap helec alibi Thalm. in tract Auodazara Esa. 9. v. 6. An obseruatioÌ„ of the Cabalistes Th. lm in lib Sabbath in tract Sanhedrin Esa. 7. Mat. 2. Th' obseruation of Rab. Moses Rab. Mos. Ben. Maimon ep ad Iudaeos African Rab. Iosue ben leui in Thal. tract Sanhed c. helec Esa. 66. v. 7. Christ hydeth hym self in the sea Th' obseruatioÌ„ of the Talmud Talm. tract Sanhed c. helec Rab. Iohanan Rab. Iuda Rab. Nehorai c. Ioseph l. 20 antiq cap. 6 8. lib. 6. de bello Iud. 15. lib. 7. c. 9. The. 7. proof ForebodiÌ„g Tacit. l. 21. Sueton. in vita Vesp. Ioseph de bello Iudai I. 7. c. 12. The. 8. proofe The general expectation of the people Ioh. 1. Ioh. 10. Diuers false Christes did rise in luric Act. 5. Ioseph l. 17 c. 8. l. 18. c. 1. 2. l. 20. c. 2. 6. Talm. tract Sanh cap. helec Rab. Mos. Ben. Maim in Sententiis Nicol Damascenus Ioseph 1 14 antiq c. 2. Mat. 22. Marc. 3. 12. The coÌ„clusioÌ„ of this first coÌ„sideration of the ryme THE. 2. Consideration Christ his Birthe 1. Iesus Lym. * 3. Reg. 7. Psal. 30. Esa. 11. Mat. 1. Luc. 3. * Of this matter vvri teth Iosephus l. 18. c. 1. antiq 1. Reg. 17 2. Reg. 2. Mat. 13. Luc. 6. Thal. tract SeÌ„h c. Nigmar had 2. The maner of his conception Luc. 1. Mat. 1. Augustin Lib. 4. de Trin. c. 5. l. cont Iudzos c. 5. Chrysost. in cap. 1. Luc. 3. The maner of Iesus natiuitie Esa. 7. Parthenm Rab. SimeoÌ„ Ben. Iohai in cap. 2. Gen. Rar Mos. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 14 v. 12. Iere. 31. v. 22. Rab. Hacad quest 3. in E a. c. 9. Betuleins in l. de car Sibyl Clem. in recognit 4. The place appointed for the birth of the Messias Mich. 5. * Gen. 35. 48. 1. Para. 2. Psal. 131. * This he saith for that in Danites tyme Bethleem stoode nigh vnto vvoods Math. 2. Orig. cont Cels. 5. Th' Angels singinge 6. The name Iesus 4. Esd. 7. Rab. Haca in Esa. 9. Gen. 49 psal 71. 95. Note this reason 7. The coming of the three kinges Mat. 2. * Cypr. ser. de Bapt. ideÌ„ Tert. l 3. coÌ„t Marcion hillar l. 4 de Trin. los. 12. * 14. Thousad as saith the Lyturgie of the AEthiopians and Calend. Gracorum Bpiph haeret 51. Ammon Alex. in 〈◊〉 Niceph. l. 1. c. 13. Basil. ser. in nati dom Suet. in Vespas c. 4. Ioseph l. 7. de bel c. 12. Num. 24. Propheties of thinges that should fall out in Bethleem Num. 24. Psal. 71. v. 10. Iere. 31. v. 15. Gen. 35. v. 18. Philo l. de temp Macrob. l. 2 Saturnal cap. 4. Augustus speech of Herode Plin lib. 2. cap. 25. HeatheÌ„ testimonies for the Starre vvhiche guided the vvise men Origen coÌ„t Celsum Chalcid apud Marsil Ficin tract de stella Mag. Sybil. Samia apud Betul Eglog 4. Luc. 12. 7. The presentation of Iesus in HierusaleÌ„ Anna the prophetisse Simeon Thal. tract pitkei Auoth Thal. tract Ioma cap. Tereph Eccalpi 9. Christs flight into Egypt Luc. 2. Osee 11. Esa. 19. Euseb. li. 6. dem c. 20. l. 9. c. 2. 3. 4. The benifite that Egypt receaued by Christes flight vnto it THE. 3. Consideration THE LIFE Actions of Iesus Iust. in Tripho Chrys. in Iohan. Aug. l. 4. de Trinit c. 5. 1. Of S. Iolm Baptiste Ioseph l. 18 antiq ca. 7. Malac. 31 S. Iohns behauiour tovvardes Christ. Math. 3. Marc. 1. Luc. 3. 2. The preaching and doctrine of Iesus Deut. 6. Met. 2. Heathen doctrine Iuishe ceremonies Turkish Alcoran The coÌ„parison of Christs lavv vvith that of Moyses Mat. 5. Th' effect of Christs doctrine 3. The life conuersatioÌ„ of Iesus Esa. 42. Zach. 9. Porphyr li. de laud. Philos. Ioseph l. 18 antiq c. 7. 4. Of Iesus Miracles Predictions of the Messias Miracles Lact. I 4. diuina Instit. cap. 15. Thal. tract Beracoth ca. Mermathas Colin Misdrasch Coheleth cap. 1. The confession of Iesus miracles by his enimies Thalm. in tract Auoda Zara. Misdrasch Coheleth Alcoran Azoar 1. 4. 11. 13. The calling of the Apostles Iosep. li. 18. antiq c. 4 A greate Miracle The miraculous facts of Ièsus Ioh. 11. Ioseph l. 17 antiq c. 11. Math. 9. Marc. 5. Luc. 7. Ioh. 5. Mat. 8. Marc. 5. Mar. 14. Luc. 9. Luc. 14. The coÌ„clusion of this coÌ„sideratioÌ„ Ioh. 10. THE. 4. Consideration THE PassioÌ„ and Resurrection Ioseph l. 18. antiq c. 4. Christes ascendinge to HierusaleÌ„ to receaue his passion Math. 20. Marc. 8. Mat. 21. Zach. 9. Mat. 10. 16. Psal. 40. 54. 108. Esa. 50. The barbarous abusage of Iesus fortolde by prophetie Psal. 21. Christes death most plainlie fortolde Gen. 21. 22. Num. 21. Dan. 9. Zach. 12. The most vvonderful predictioÌ„ of Christ his passion by Esay Esa. 17. Christes deformitie vpon the Crosse. Christ appointed to die for our synnes Th' increase of Christs Kingdome after his resurrectioÌ„ * That is in makinge hym selfe knovveÌ„ or reucilinge the knovvledge of hym self to the vvorld The coÌ„sent of Rabynes Thal. tract Saphed c. helec Misdrasch Ruth Rab. Ioseph in I. Siph. Rab. Iacob R. Hanina in cap helec Fsay 〈◊〉 Rab. SimeoÌ„ Ben. Iohai l. b. de spc Rab. Hadars in Dan. Dan. 9. v. 27. Misdrasch Tehilim Of the Miracles that fell out in Christ his death and Passion LactaÌ„ li. 4. Diuin instit cap. 19. Mat. 17. Euseb. in Chron. An. Domi. 3. 2. Phleg. Trallian Li. 14. Chron. An. 4. Olim. 202. * See Orig. cont Cels. l. 6. Suid. in verbo Iesus Tere. in Apolog. Dionys. Areop in cp Lucian praesb apud Euseb. Of Iesus resurrection Ionas 2. Psal. 15. Osee 6. Lact. lib. 4. Inst. Diuin cap. 19. Mat. 12. 16. 17. 20. Mar. 8. 9. 10. Luc. 11. 18. Iohan. 2. Mahom. in Alcor Azoar 17. The appeariÌ„gs vvhich Iesus made after his resurrection Mat. 16. Mat. 28. 1. Cor. 15. Luc. 24. Ioa. 20. 1. Cor. 15. Ioa. 20. Ioa. 21. Mat. 28. 1. Cor. 15. Ibid. Act. 1. 1. Cor. 15. Act. 1. CircumstaÌ„ces that coÌ„fâ—me the true Resurrection of Iesus Greate improbabilitics The great change in Iesus disciples by his resurrectioÌ„ Th' examinatioÌ„ of the matter by Pilate Pylates letter to Tyberius and his proceeding thervpon Tertul. in apolog pro Christian. Egesip l. 1. hist. Euseb. l. 4. c. 21. Rutsin l. 1. c. 22. Th' opinion of the vviser sorte of Ievves touchinge Iesus resurrectioÌ„ iÌ„ that time Ioseph l. 14 antiq c. 4. Of Iesus AsceÌ„sion Act. 1. Lykelihodes of truthe The coÌ„clusion of this secoÌ„d sectioÌ„ The conteÌ„tes of this third sectioÌ„ The diuisioÌ„ of the particuler considerations insuinge THE. 〈◊〉 Consideration CHRISTES Church The
vpon the words of Ieremie before recited in which for that he findeth the Messias to be called Iehoua which word in hebrue is compounded of the three letters Iod and Vau and He twise repeated this doctor maketh his discourse by arte Cabalist in this maner Euen as sayeth he the letter He in Iehoua is compounded of two other letters named Daleth and Vau as appeareth by their forme so shall the Messias that is signified by this word Iehoua be made of two natures th' one diuine th' other humane And as in Iehoua there is twise He and consequentelie two Daleths and two vaus conteined therin so are there two birthes filiations or chyldehodes in Messias th' one wherby he shal be the soÌ„ne of God and th' other wherby he shal be the sonne of a virgine which Esay calleth the Prophetise And as in Iehoua the letter He is twise putt yet both Hes doe make in effect but one letter so in Messias there shal be two distinct natures and yet shall they make but one Christ. Thus playeth this Cabaliste vpon the letters of Iehoua according to the maner of their diuinitie and draweth great mysteries as ye see from letters endes In which kinde of reasoning albeit we putt no grounde or strength at all yet is it sufficient to shew that amoÌ„g th' elder Iewes it was a knoweÌ„ and confessed doctrine that Christ should be both God and man and haue two natures conioyned distinctelie in one person which is the same that we Christians doe affirme Nay I will adde further and this is greatly to be obserued that the self same auÌ„cient Iewes as some also of the later doe holde proue by scripture that christ shal be for alwayes they speake of the Messias to come the verie sonne of God verbum Dei incarnatum and the worde of God incarnate or made fleshe And for the first that he shall be the soÌ„ne of God they proue it out of diuers places alleaged by me before as for example out of Genesis wher the latine texte hath the scepter of Iuda shall not be taken avvaye vntil he come that is to be sent the Hebrue hath vntil Silo come which Silo Rabbi Kimhi proueth by a longe discourse to signifie so much as siliê° eiê° his sonne that is the sonne of God The same they proue by the place of Esay wher the Messias is called germen Iehoua the seede or sonne of Iehoua Which the Chaldaye Paraphrase turneth the Messias of Iehoua They proue the same also out of diuers Psalmes wher Christ is called plailie the sonne of God as where it is said he shall saye vnto me thou art my father c. I vvill put hym my eldest sonne more higher then all the kinges of th' earth c. Iehoua said vnto me thou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thee c. Kisse the sonne ye kinges and iudges of the earth and happie are all they that place their hope in hym Which last words can no waye be vnderstoode of the sonne of anie man for that it is writen cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man Wherfore Rabbi Ionathan Rabbi Nathan Rabbi Selomoth Aben Ezra and others doe conclude by thes and other places which they alleage that the Messias must be the verie sonne of God And for the second pointe they goe yet further affirming this sonne to be verbum patris the word of God the father Which the forsaid Ionathan in his Chaldaye Paraphrase doth expresse in many translations as for example wher Esay sayeth Israel shal be saued in Iehoua vvith eternal saluation which Iehoua signifieth Christ as all men confesse Ionathan turneth it thus Israel shal be saued by Gods vvord So againe wher God saith by Osee I vvil saue the house of Iuda by Jehoua their God which is by Christ IonathaÌ„ traÌ„stateth it thus I vvill saue Iuda by the vvorde of their God In like maner wher Dauid writeth Iehoua said to my Lord sitt at my righte hand c. IonathaÌ„ expresseth it thus Iehoua said vnto his vvorde sit at my right hand So Rabbi Isaac Arama writing vpon Genesis expoundeth this verse of the psalme he sent his vvorde and healed them c. to be meát of Messias that shal be Gods worde And Rabbi Simeon the chief of all the Cabalistes vpon those wordes of Iob I shall see God in my flesh gatheretn that the worde of God shall take flesh in a womans bellie So that this doctrine was nothing straunge among th' auncient Rabines For further confirmation wherof also seing the matter is of so greate importance consider what is recorded in a treatise called Zoar of highe authoritie amonge the Iewes where Rabbi Simeon that was last before alleaged citeth a place oute of olde Rabbi Ibba vpon thes wordes in Deuteronomie Iehoua our Lord is one Iehoua Which wordes the said auncient Rabbi Ibba interpreteth thus by the first Iehoua in this sentence being th' incommunicable name of God is signified sayeth he God the father prince of all thinges By the next wordes our Lorde is signified God the sonne that is fountaine of all sciences And by the second Iehoua in the same sentence is signified God the holie Ghost prooceeding of them both To all whiche is there added the word One to signifie that thes three are indiuisible But this secrete shall not be reueiled vntill the comming of Messias Hytherto are the wordes of Rabbi Ibba reported in Zohar by Rabbi SimeoÌ„ where also the said Rabbi Simeon interpreteth thes wordes of Esay Holie Holie Holie Lord God of Sabaoth in this maner Esa. by repeating three tymes holie saith he doth as much as if he had saide Holie father holie sonne and holie spirit which three holies doe make but one onlie Lord God of Sabaoth Finallte I will conclude this controuersie betwene the later Iewes and vs with th' authoritie of learned Philo who liued in the verie same tyme with Christ and was sent Embassadour twise to Rome in the behalf of his Nation in AlexaÌ„dria that is first in the. 15. yeare of Tyberius th' Emperour which was three yeares before Christes passion and the very same yeare wherin he was baptised by S. Iohn and the second tyme about eight yeares after to witt in the first of the reigne of Caligula This man that was the learnedst that euer wrote among the Iewes after the writers of holie scripture ceased made a special booke of the banishment of his countrimen where he hath this discourse insueing What tyme maye be appointed saith he for the returne home of vs baninshed Iewes it is hard to determine For by tradition we haue that we must expect the death of a high priest But of those some die quickelie and some liue longer But I am of opinioÌ„ that this high priest shal be the verie worde of God Whiche shal be
voide of all sinne both voluntarie and involuntarie whose father shal be God and this worde shal be that fathers wisdome by which all thinges in this world-were created His head shal be annointed with oyle his kingedome shall florishe shine for euer This wrote Philo at that tyme whē he litle imagined that the same high priest whom he so much expected and the same worde of God whose kingdom he describeth was now alredie come into the world And this shal suffice for our second consideration what maner of Messias the Iewes did expect NOVV IN THE third place commeth it to be considered what authoritie and power the Messias should haue at his appearance vpon earth and whether he should change and abrogate the lawe of Moyfes or no wherin there is no lesse controuersie betwene vs and the later Iewes then in the former pointe of his diuinitie For we holde with S. Paul that the lawe of Moises was gyuen vnto the Iewes but for a tyme to entertaine that people withall and by th' outward signes ceremonies which it had wherof the most parte or all prefigured Christ to come to be their schoolmaster leader to the tymes of faith wherin it should be abrogated and a farre more perfect law sett downe by Christ in place therof This we proue first for that the law of Moyses was an imperfecte law bringing nothing to perfection as S. Paul well noteth It was as S. Peter saith a burdensome law which the Iewes them selues were not able to beare for the multitudo of ceremonies therin contained It was a carnal and seruile law consisting most in th' external It was a law of terrour and feare more then of loue and libertie of spirit It was a law as I said before of signes and figures for thinges to come consequentelie to cease when those thinges which it prefigured should come to be present It was a law peculier and properfor the Iewes alone without respect of all the rest of the world and th' excercise therof was allowed onlie in the coūtrie of Iurie that which is more it was not pmitted but ī one place onlie of that countrie that is in Hierusalem whether euerie mā was boūd to repaire thre tymes a yeare to witt at the Pasqua at the Pētecoste at the feaste of Tabernacles in that place alone to make their sacrifices in no other countrie or place besides Now then reasoneth the learned Diuine if this law of Moyses were for the Iewes and Iurie onlie how could it serue for the tyme of the Messias who was to be kinge as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes to rule all people in the world that should beleeue in hym vnder one law If th' excercise of this law were allowable onlie and lauful in Hierusalemt how coulde it possiblie bee fulfilled by Christians that are dispersed ouer all the world As for example how could they repaīre to Hierusalem thrise euerie yeare how could euerie woman that should dwell in England or India repaire to Hierusalem for her purification after euerie childebirth as by the law she was commāded Most euident it is then which we said before that this law was gyuen but to idure for a tyme. And to vse S. Pauls owne wordes it was but introductio melioris spci an introduction to a better hope It was but an entertainement of that people which by their being amōg th' Egyptians were prone to idolatrie vntill Christ should come and ordaine a perfect law That is a law of spirit and internal affection a law of loue and libertie a law that should be common to all men serue for all countries tymes places and persons a law that should be writen in the bowels of our hartes a law that should be tollerable easie sweet plaine light brief and factible as well to the poore as to the riche a law to conclude that should consist in charitie This signified Moyses when he said to his people after he had deliuered the former law vnto them your Lord shall raise vnto you a Prophet of your ovvne Nation and from among your ovvne brethren as my self hym shall you heare As though he had said you shall heare me but vntill he come that must be a law gyuer as my self but yet of a more perfect law and therfore more to be heard and obeyed And then he addeth vvho so euer shall refuse to heare the vvords of this Prophet I my self vvill reuenge it sayeth our Lord God Which wordes can not be verified in anie other Prophet after Moyses vntill Christ for that of those Prophetes the scripture sayeth there arose no Prophet like vnto Moyses in israel Which is to be vnderstoode that they had no authoritie to be Lawmakers as Moyses had but were all bounde to th' obseruation of that law onlie which Moyses left vntill Christ came whom Moyses here calleth a Prophet as hym self that is a Lawmaker exhorteth all men to heare obey hym This yet is made more plaine by the prophetie of Esay who sayeth out of Sion shall come a lavve and the vvorde of God out of Hierusalem Which can not be vnderstood of Moyses law that had bene published 800. yeares before this was spoken and that from the mount Sinai and not from Sion but Christs law began from Sion and Hierusalem and from thence was spred into all the world Which the same Esay forsawe when talking of the comming of Messias he sayeth In that daye there shal be an Aulter to God in the middest of the lād of Egypt And the title of our Lord at the ende therof c. and God shal be knovven to the Egytians at that daye and they shall honour hym vvith sacrifices and oblations Which wordes could not be verified i th' old law of Moyses for that by that law th' Egyptiās could haue neither aulter nor sacrifice but at Christes comming it was fulfilled when th' Egyptians were made Christians and enioyed both th' Aulters sacrifices that Christians doe vse The same thing was fortolde by God in Malachie wher he sayeth to the Iewes and of the Iuishe sacrifices I have no pleasure in you neither vvill I receyne oblations at your handes For that from th' vprising of the sunne vnto the going dovvne therof my name is great among the Gentiles and they doe sacrifice vnto me euerie vvher and doe offer vnto my name a pure oblation saith the Lord God of hostes In which worlds we see first a reprobation of the Iuishe sacrifice and consequentlie of the law of Moyses which depended principallie of that sacrifice Secondlie we see that among the Gentiles there should be a pure maner of sacrifice more gratefull vnto God then th' other was and such as might be perfourmed in euerie place of the world and not be tied to one place onlie as the Mosaical law and sacrifice was And finallie I