slocke nor shall they bee anie longer lest to the spoile c. I vvil raise ouer them ONE PASTOR vvhich shall seede them my seruāt DAVID he shal seede them and he shal be their Shepheard Prince and I vvill be their God and vvil make vvith them a conenant of peace c. In which wordes not onlie we that are Christians but the later Iewes also them selues doe confesse in their Thalmud that Messias is called by the name of Dauid for that he shall descende of the seede of Dauide as by reason also it must needes be so for that king Dauid being dead fower hundred yeares before thes wordes were spoken as hath bene noted could not now come againe to feede gods people or gouerne them hym self Esay the prophet who Iyued about a hundred yeares before Ieremie and Ezechiel had maruelous for knowledge of the Meisias and his affaires and describeth hym verie particulerlie beginning i this maner In the later dayes the HILL of gods house shall be prepared vpon the toppe of mountaines and all Nations or Gentiles shal flovve vnto hym And manie people shal say come and lett vs ascende to the HILL of our Lord he shal teach vs his vvayes and vve shall vvalke in his pathes it shall iudge Nations c. Which verie wordes are also repeated in Micheas the prophet and are applied there as also here vnto the Messias and can haue no other meaning by the iudgement of the Iewes and Hebrues themselues And Esay doth prosecute the same matter afterwardes in diuers chapters As for exāple in the sowerth talking of the same Messias which before he calleth the HILL of Gods hovvse he addeth thes wordes In that daye shall the issue of our Lorde be in 〈◊〉 and glorie and the fruite of the earth in 〈◊〉 and exultation to all such as shal be saued of Israel In which wordes he calleth the Messias both the issue of God and the fruite of the earth for that he should be both God and man And in the nynthe chapter he calleth hym by thes termes Admirable Councelour God Stronge Father of the future vvorld and Prince of Peace In the eleuenth chapter he describeth hym most wonderfullie in thes wordes there shall goe soorth a bransh of the stock of Iesse whiche Iesse was Dauids father and out of the roote of that branche there shall mounte up a flovver and the spirite of our lord shall rest upon hym the spirite of vvisdome and of vnderstanding the spirit of councel and sortitude the spirite of knovvledge and pietie he shall not iudge according to the sight of fleshely eyes nor yet condemne according to the hearing of fleshely eares but he shall iudge poore men in iustice and shall dispute in equitie for the mylde men of the earth He shal strike th' earth vvith the rodde of his mouth and vvith the spirite of his lippes shall he flea the vvicked man Iustice shall be the girdle of his loynes faith shall be the bande of his reines c. Hytherto are the wordes of the Prophet wherin nothing trulie can be more plaine and euident then that by the rodde or branche of Iesse is meant the Virgine Marie who directelie descended of the linage of Iesse and by the flovver ascending from this branche must needes be vnderstoode Christ that was borne of her had all those excellences priuileges aboue other mē which Esay in this place assigneth vnto hym Whose further graces yet and speciall diuine properties the same Prophet expresseth more particulerlie in the chapters following wher he sayeth he shall for euer ouerthrovve and destroye death he shal open the eyes of the blinde and th' eares of the deafe he shal not crie nor cōtēde nor shal he accept the person of any man but in truth shal he bring foorth iudgement He shal not be sorrovvful nor turbulēt c. And finallie in the fortie and ninthe chapter he alleageth the wordes of God the father vnto Christ touching his commission in this sorte it is too litle that thou be to me a seruant to raise vp the tribes of Iacob and to conuert vnto me the dregges of Israel Behold I haue appointed thee also for a light vnto the Gentiles that thou he my saluation vnto the vttermost partes of all th' earth And to conclude this matter without alleaging more propheties for the same which in truth are infinite throughout the Bible Daniel that liued in th' ende of the captiuitie of Babylon a litle before Aggaeus Zacharias and Malachias who were the last Prophetes that euer florished amongest the Iewes almost fiue hūdred years before the natiuity of Christ this Daniel I say reporteth of hym self that being in Babylon and hauing fasted worne heare-cloth and prayed longe vnto God there came the Angel Gabriel vnto hym at the tyme of Euening sacrifice and fortolde hym not onlie of the deliuerance of the people of Israel from the captiuitie of Babylon out of hande for that the seuentie yeares of their punishement fortolde by Ieremie were now expired but also he tolde hym further that the tyme of th' vniuersal deliuerance of mankinde from the bondage and captiuitie of sinne was now shortened that after seuentie hebdomades which as shal be shewed after make vp iust the tyme that passed from the rebuilding of the temple of Ierusalem after their deliuerance from Babylon vnto the birth of Christ there should be borne the Saueour of the world and be putt to death for redemption of mankinde The Angels wordes are thes I am come to shevv vnto thee ô Daniel for that thou art a man of goode desires And therfore doe thou marke my speeche vnderstande this vision The seuētie hebdomades are shortened upon thie people and upon thie holie Cittie to th' ende preuarication may be consumed and sinne receyue an ende to th' ende iniquitie maye be blotted out and eternal iustice brought in her place to th' ende visiōs propheties maye be fulfilled and the SAINCTE OF SAINCTES annointed Knovv thou therfore and marke that from the ende of the speeche for rebuilding of Ierusalem vnto Christ the CAPTAINI there shall chebdomades seuen and hebdomades sixtie tvvo and after sixtie tvvo hebdomades Christ shal be putt to death and the people vvhich shall denie hym shall not be his people I might passe on futher to other Prophetes and propheties and make no ende if I would alleage what might be said in this behalfe for that the whole scripture runneth all to this one pointe to fortell and manifest Christ by signes figures parables and propheties and for this cause was it principallie writē But that which is alredie spoken shall be sufficient for our first consideration wherby is seene that among the Iewes from age to age Christ was prophetied and fortolde together with th' eternite of his kingedome that should be spiritual NOVV FOLLOVVETH there a
cōming the Prophete Malachies wordes are Beholde our Lord shal come and vvho shal be able to abide the daie of his comming And the Prophete Esaie addeth further touching the same cōming that the verie mountaines shalmelt at that daie before his face And yet further he describeth the same in an other place thus Beholde our Lord shal come in strength and sortitude as a storme of haile and as avvhyrle vvinde breaking and throvving doune vvhat soeuer standeth in his vvaie as a rage of many vvaters that ouer-stovve and rushe together c. Wherunto the Prophet Dauid annexeth that burning fire shal runne before his face and on euery side of him a violent tempest This terrible Iudge then being set and al creatures of the world conuented before him the Scripture laieth doune vnto vs the order of that iudgment described by Daniel in thes wordes I stoode saieth he vvith attention and I savve certaine seates placed and the Auncient of yeares sate doune in iudgment Thousand thousands vvere attendant to serue him and ten hundreth thousand thousands stood vvaiting before him The iudgment vvas settled and the bookes vvere opened Thus much was reueyled to Daniel without declaration what bookes thos were But to S. Iohn the same were made manifest who expoundeth the matter thus I savve saieth he a great bright throne and one that sate vpon the same before vvhos face both heauē and earth did tremble c. And I savve al thos that vvere dead both great and smal standing before the throne And the bookes vvere ther opened and al thos that vvere dead had their iudgemēt according to the thinges vvhich vvere vvriten in thos bookes euery one according to his vvorkes By which wordes we are gyué to vnderstand that the books which at that daie shal be opened and wherby our cause must be discerned shal be the euidences of our deedes and actions in this life recorded in the testimonie of our owne consciences and in the infallible memorie of Gods inscrutable wisdome Wherūto shal gyue witnes in that place against the reprobate both heauen and earth which were created for them the Sunne and Moone with all the starres and planetes which from the beginning of the world haue serued them the elements and other creatures inordinately loued and abused by them their compagnions ther present with whom they sinned their brethern whom they afflicted the preachers and other Saints of God whom they contemned and aboue al other thinges the ensigne and standard of their redemption I meane the triumphant Crosse of Christ which shal at that daie be erected in the sight of all the world Al thes I saye with infinite other thinges shal thē beare witnes against the wicked and condemne them of intollerable ingratitude in that they offended so gratious and bountiful a Lord as by so manifold benefites allured them to loue and serue him At this daie saieth the Scripture shal the iust stand in great constancie against thos by whom they were afflicted and oppressed in this life And the wicked seeing this shal be surprised with a horrible feare and shal saie vnto the hilles fal vpō vs and hide vs from the face of him that fitteth vpon the throne and from the indignatiō of the Lambe for that the great daie of wrath is now come O merciful Lord how great a daie of wrath shal this be how truly said thy Prophete in his meditation of this daie vvho can conceyue the povver of thy vvrath or vvho is able for very scare to recount the greatnes of thine indignatiō This is that daie of thine wherof thy seruant said so long before that thy zeale and surie should spare none in this daie of reuenge nether should yeeld or be moued vvith any mans supplication nor should admit revvards for the deliuery of any man This is that most dreadful daie of thine wherof thy holy Prophete admonished vs when he said Behold the daie of our Lord shal come a cruel daie ful of indignation vvrath and surie to bring the earth into a vvildernes and to crushe in peeces the sinners therof And an other Prophete of the self same daie behold the daie of our Lord dot bcome a daie of darknes and dimnes a daie of cloudes and stormes a most terrible daie and such an one as vvas neuer from the beginning of the vvorld nor shal be after in al eternitic This is thy daie ô Lord and so properly thou wilt haue it called like as it pleaseth thy goodnes to terme the course of this present life the daie of man For that as in the time of this present world thou art content to holde thy peace and be patient and suffer sinners to doe their wil euen so at this last daie thou wilt rise vp pleade for thine owne glorie and wilt make thy self knowen to the terrour of thine enimies according as thy seruant Dauid foretold of the when he said Cognescetur Dominus iudicia faciens God wil be knowé when he shal come to doe iudgment Good God what a maruailous daie shal this be when we shal see al the children of Adam gathered together from al corners and quarters of the earth when as S. Iohn saieth the sea and land shal yeeld their dead bodies and both hel and heauenshal restore the soules which they possesse to be vnited to thos bodies What a wonderful meeting wil this be deare Christian how ioyful to the good and how lamentable doleful and terrible to the wicked The godlie and righteous being to receyue the bodies wherin they liued into the league felowship of their eternal blisse shal embrase them with al possible swetnes and delight singing with the prophet Behold hovv good pleasant a thing it is for brethern or parteners to dvvel together in unitie But the miserable damned spirites beholding the carcaies which were the instruments and occasiós of their sinne wel knowing that their inspeakable tormentes shal be encreated by their mutual coniunction and association shal abhorre and vtterly derest the same curse the daic that euer they were acquainted together inueighing most bitterly against all the partes and semes therof as against the eies for whos curious delighte so many vanities were seught the eares for whos pleasure and daliance so great varietie of sweet sounds and melodie was procured the mouth and taste for whos contentemēt and fond satisfaction so innumerable delicacies were deuised And to be short the backe and belly with other sensual partes for contentatió of whos riotous volupteoulnes both sea and land were sifted and turmoiled This shal be the most sorowful condition of thes infortunate soules at that daie but this sorowe shal not auaile them For the iudgment must passe on And then saieth the Scripture shal christ separate the sheepe frō the goates shal place his sheepe on the right hand and the goates on the lest
any more the one the other And that which shall be as great a grief as any of the rest the sonne or daughter going to rest and ioye shal not take pitie of their owne parents or friends that are caried to calamities but rather shall reioice therat for that it redoundeth to Gods glorie for execution of his Iustice O my soule which now art here considering of thes thinges a farre of and thē shalt be present to see them actuallie before thine eyes what a doleful separation wil this be what a fare-wel what a parting whos hart would not breake at that daie to abide this intollerable seuering if a hart could then breake therby make some ende of his paines But so much ease wil not be permitted O yee children and louers of this world wher will al your delights recreations and vanities be at this daie Al your pleasant pastimes al your pride and brauerie in apparel your glistering in gold your sweet sauours of perfumes your honours of cappe and knee your adulation of flatterers your delicate faire and daintie dishes your musike your wanton daliances and pleasant entertainments Wher are all your good friēdes and merie compagniōs accustomed to laugh and disport the time with you Are al now gone O vanitie of vanities now when you haue most need of them they are furthest of from you and the remēbrāce therof shal doe nothing but tormēt you O my deare brethern how soure wil al the pleasures past of this world seeme at that howre How doleful wil the cogitation therof be vnto vs how friuolous a thing wil al our dignities riches offices and other preferments appeare wherin we take such excessiue delight now and doe weary out our spirites for gaining the same And on the contrarie side how ioyful wil that man be at this instant who hath attended to lead a vertuous life in resisting of finne doing good works albeit it were with much paine and contempt in this world Most happie creature shal he be that euer he was borne and ouer-whelmed with al ioye that euer he tooke that path in hād and no tongue but Gods can expresse his happines Wherfore here my louing brother to make an ende and to frame no other cōclusion of al this whole declaratiō but only that which Christ himself doth make vnto vs who being the chief actour that shal deale in this affaire knoweth best of al other what counsail to giue let vs cósider with our selues euē in the very bottō of our hartes how easie a matter it is now in this life with a litle paine and diligéce to auoide the danger of this most dreadful daie For which cause also it is most certaine that the same is foretolde vs and so often vrged in holy write to our remembrance as in like manner so particulerly described by our most merciful iudge Saueour to the ende we should by thes seuere earnest admonishmits be stirred vp to prepare our selues for it So Christ himself doth most euidentlie declare whē after al his former threatniges he cōcludeth in thes most sweete wordes of exhortation Looke about your selues watch and praie for you knowe not whé the time shal be But as I saie to you so I saie to al men be watchful And yet further in an other place he adioineth Attēd vnto your selues that your hartes be not ouercome with eating and drincking with the cares of this life and so that daio ouertake you vpon the suddaine c. Be you therfore watchful and alwayes praye that you may be worthie to escape althes thinges which are to come and to stand confidently before the sonne of mā at that daye Thes are the words and forewarnings of thy Iudge and Saueour vnto thee my soule And what more friendly and fatherly exhortation couldest thou desire Canst thou plead ignorance in this affaire hereafter If thou thincke so heare yet a further admonishment of his chief Apostle The daie of our Lord saieth he shal come as a theef when men thincke not of it In which the heauens and elemēts shal be dissolued and al the earth with her inhabitants shal be consumed with fire Which being so what maner of men ought we to be in holie conuersation and pietie expecting and going on to meet with this daie of our Lord c. In which wordes of S. Peter is diligently to be noted that this meeting with the daie of Iudgment wherunto he exhorteth vs is nothing els but the due examination of our present perilous estate and the speedie amendment of our life to the workes of pietie and holy conuersation which in deed is that onlie soueraine remedie wherof the wise man forwarneth vs when he saieth Prouide a medecine before the maladie and examine thy self before iudgment and so shalt thou finde fauour in the sight of God Wherunto S. Paul wel agreeth saying If vve vvould iudge our selues vve should not be iudged But for that no man entreth into this due iudgemét of himself his life state and actions here of it cōmeth that so few dot preuent this dangerous daie so few prepare themselues so fewe doe accept of the good counsaile of Christ so feweare watchful and so infinite doe fal a sleepe in the ignorance of their owne peril to their remediles destruction and vnauoidable damnation Our blessed Lord giue vs his holie grace to looke better about vs. OF THE NATVRE OF SINNE AND OF THE VNVVORTHINES OF HIM that committeth the same For iustifyinge the seueritie of gods iudgement setdoune and declared in the chapter going before CHAPT VIII TO THE ende that no man may iustly complaine of the seuere accoumpte whiche God is to take of vs at the last daye or of the rigour of his iudgemēt set doune in the chapter before it shal not be amisse to cōsider in this place the cause why God doth shew such seueritie against sinne and sinners as both by that which hath bene saide may appeare that he doth as also by the whole course of holy scripture where in euerie place almost he denounceth his extreme hatred wrath and indignatiō against the same as where it is sayed of hym that he hateth al those that vvorke īiquitie And againe that both the vvicked mā and his vvickednes are hateful in his sight And finallie that the whole life of sinners their thoughts wordes yea and their good actions also are abominations vnto him whiles they liue i sinne And that which yet is more he can not abide nor permit the sinner to praise him or to name his testament with his mouth as the Holie Ghost testifieth and therfore no meruaile if he shew such seueritie against him at the last daye whom he so extremelie hateth abhorreth in this life Of which great hatred there might be manie reasons alleaged as the vndutiful transgressiō cōtēpt of godes cōmandementes the great ingratitude of a sinner in respect of his diuine
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
of man and of his highest or supreme felicitie wherby the being of God is also cōfirmed And albeit I haue said some what of mans ende before yet that which in this place I am to adde is more proper and peculier to Moral philosophie For as other sciences may and doe consider the final endes of other creatures which are diuers yet all concurre for the seruice of man so this science of Moral philosophie doth properlie consider the final ende of man hym self calling it summum bonum his greatest and highest happines wherunto he was created and wherunto he tendeth in this life and wherin he resteth and reposeth without further Motion or appetit whē he hath obteined it For better vnderstanding wherof it is to be considered that euerie thing in this world hath some particuler ende together with an appetite and desire ingraffed by nature to that ende which desire ceaseth when the ende is obteined As for example a stone hath a natural appetite to goe downwarde to the Centre or middie of the earth and so it resteth in no place except by violence it be stayed vntill it come thyther On the countrary fyar reposeth no where excepte it be restrained vntill it moūte aboue the ayer to his peculier natural place of abode wher of it selfe it resteth And so in other thinges that are without sense their is a certaine natural appetite desire to their ende which ende beig once obteined that desire and appetite of it selfe reposeth In beastes likewise we behold that they haue a desire to fill their bellies and to satisfie their other senses which being satisfied they remaine contented and desire nothing els vntill the same appetite of sense wante his obiect againe Wherby we perceaue that sensualitie or contentation of the senses is the final ende desired of beastes and their verie summum bonum or supreme felicitie But in man albeit for maintenaunce of the bodie there be this appetite also to satisfie his senses according to the lower portion of his mynde that is called sensatiue yet according to th' other higher parte of his mynde whose name is Reasō or the reasonable parte which is the onlie parte in deede that is peculier to man and distinguisheth hym from vnreasonable beastes he hath an appetite of some more highe and excellent obiect then is the contentation of thes senses for that by experience we see and feele that often times when the senses be all satisfied yet is the mynde not quiet which argueth that sensualitie or sensual delectation is not our summum bonum wherin our mynde must rest and enioy here felicitie Here vppon haue Philosophers wise men fallen to dispute in all ages what should be the final felicitie and summum bonum of mankynde And Cicero sayeth that this pointe is cardo totius philosophie the hooke or hyndge wherō all philosophie hangeth for that this being once founde out cleare it is that all other thinges and actions are to be referred to th obteining of this ende happines And therfore aboute this pointe there hath bene maruelous contentiō and fight among Philosophers the Stoikes refuting the Epicures and the Peripateticues resuting againe the Stoikes and the Platoniques who went nearest the truthe impugning and refuting both th' one th' other and this dissentiō went so sarre foorth th' one parte assigning one thing and th' other an other to be this felicitie or summum bonum that Marcus Varro a most learned Roman gathered two hundred fowerskore and eight diferent opinions as S. Augustine noteth about this matter And finallie when all was said and examined Plato founde that nothing which might be named or immagined in this life could be the felicitie or summum bonum of man for that it could not satisfie the desire of our mynde And therfore he pronounced this general sentence It is impossible that men should synde their felicitie or summum bonum in this life seeke vvhat vvay they vvill but in the next life vvithout all doubt it must be founde The reason of which sentence and determination was for that Plato was able to refute any thing that th' other Philosophers did or could name to be our felicitie final ende in this life were it Riches Honours Pleasures moral vertues or the like which eche secte did assigne As for example he proued that riches could not be our sammum bonum or happines for that they are vncertaine vndurable vaine variable and thinges that bring with them more danger oftē tymes and trouble of mynde thē doth pouertie Honours he refelled for that besides their vanitie they depende of the mouth and myndes of other men who are changeable and inconstante Pleasures of the body and voluptuousnes for that they are common to vs with beastes alwayes haue annexed their sting and discontentation when they are paste Moral vertues for that they consist in a certaine perpetual fight and warre with our owne passions which neuer gyue vs rest or repose in this life Finally whether so euer we turne our selues or what soeuer we laye our handes vpon in this life to make it our felicitie or summum bonum it faileth vs sayeth Plato nether gyueth it any durable contentation to our mynde wherfore this felicitie is to be sought and obteined in the life to come Thus farre arriueth Moral philosophie by reason to proue that mans felicitie or final ende can not be in any thing of this life or world It proueth also by the same reason as in parte it hath bene touched before that this felicitie of our mynde in the life to come must be a spiritual and immaterial obiecte for that our mynde and soule is a spirite it must be immortal for that our soule is immortal But what goeth yet humane philosophie any further or can Plato assigne the particuler pointe wherin it standeth Heare his wordes and confesse that not without reason he was called Diuine In this it cōsisteth saith he vt coniungamur Deo qui omnis beatutidinis fastigiū meta finis That we be ioined to God who is the toppe the butte and the ende of all blessednes And can any Christian thinke you say more then this yet harcken what a scholler of Platos sayeth for explication of his masters sentence Supremus hominis finis supremum bonum idest Dens The final ende of mā wherto he tendeth is a supreme or soueraine good thing this is God hym self By which wordes we see that thes heathens by the ende of man could finde out God which was the second argumēt propounded in Moral philosophie A thirde argument vseth the Moral Philosopher for proofe of God whiche shal be the last I will alleage in this place deduced from consideration of good and euel vice and vertue and especially of the rewarde which by nature reason equitie is due to th' one as also of the punishement belonginge to th' other For sayeth he as
contende This yet maketh the Patriarche Iacob more plaine who prophesing at his death of the comminge of Christ hathe thes wordes the scepter or gouernment shall not be taken from the house of Iuda vntill be come that is to be sent and he shal be the expectation of Nations Which later wordes the fornamed Chaldie paraphrase as also great Onkelos both of singuler authoritie amōgest the Iewes doe interprete thus Donee Christus seu Messias veniat c. vntil Christ or the Messias come which is the hope and expectation of all Nations as well Gentiles as of vs that are Iewes the gouernment shall not ceasse in the house or tribe of Iuda By which sentence of scripture and interpretation of the Iewes thē selues we come to learne besides the promisse for the Messias two cōsequences in this matter against the Iewes of later tymes First that if their Messias must be the hope and expectation as well of Gentiles as of Iewes then can he not be a temporal kinge to destroye the Gentiles as the latter Iewes would haue it but a spiritual king to reigne ouer them and to bring in subiection their spiritual enimies for them I meane the fleshe world and deuil as we Christians doe beloeue Secondlie if the temporal kingdome of the house of Iuda where of Christ must come shall ceasse and be destroyed at the comming of Messias as this scripture auoucheth how then can the Iewes expect yet a temporal king for their Messias as most fondlie they doe But to leaue this controuersie with the later Rabines and to goe forward in declaration of that which we tooke in hand that is to shew howe Christ was fortolde fore-promissed to the Iewes it is to be noted that after the death of Iacob last mentioned there is litle recorded in scripture of the doinges of his people during the fower hundred yeares of their bondoge in Egypt But yet the tradition of that Nation teacheth that as soone as they were deliuered out of Egypt and were in the desert towardes the lande of promisse the three sonnes of Chore called Aser Eleana Abiasaphe of whome there is mention in the sixth chapter of Exodus and other where made diuers songes and Psalmes in the praise and expectation of the Messias to come and that the holie men of that tyme did solace thē selues with singing the same and that king Dauid afterward in the second parte of his Psalmes begining from the 41. vnto the 87. gathered the most parte of those olde songes together as yet they are to be seene in his psalter But Moyses who liued with that people gouerned them in the wildernes had a cleare reuelatiō from God of this Messias in thes wordes I vvill raise vp a Prophet to this people from amongest their brethren euen as thy self and I vvill putt my vvordes in his mouth and he shal speak vnto them all thinges vvhich I shal ordaine vnto him and he that shal refuse to heare the vvordes vvhich he shal speake vnto thē in my name I vvill he reuenged vpon that man Which wordes that they can not be vnderstoode of anie other Prophet that euer liued after Moyses among the Iewes but onlie of Christ it appeareth plainelie by this testimonie of the holye ghoste And were arose not anie other Prophet in Israel like unto Moyses c. After Moyses about fower hundred yeares ensued Dauid whoe for that he was a holie man and the first king of the howse of Iuda out of whose linage the Messias was to come the particulers of this mysterie were more abundantlie and manifestlie reueiled vnto hym then vnto anie other And first for assurance that Christ should be borne of his stocke and linage thes are the wordes of God vnto hym I haue svvorne to Dauid my seruant I vvil prepare thie seed for eternitie and vvill build vp thie seat to all generations Which wordes albeit the later Iewes will applie to king Salomon that was Dauides sonne and in some sense they may so bee for that Salomon was a figure of Christ to come yet properlie thes wordes and his kingdome shal stand for euer and for all eternitie which are so often repeated in this and other places of scripture can not be verified in Salomō whose earthelie kingdome was rent torne in peeces straight after his death by Ieroboam and not longe after as it were extinguished but they must needes be vnderstoode of an eternal king which should come of Dauids seede as must also thes other wordes of God in the psalmes Thou arte my sonne this day haue I begotten the I vvill gyue vnto thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance Which was neuer fulfilled in Salomon nor in anie temporal king of Iurie after hym And muche lesse thes wordes that follow He shall endure vvith the sunne and before the moone from generation to generation There shal rise vp in his dayes peace vntil the moone be taken avvay he shal reigne from sea to sea vnto the endes of the vvorld All kinges shal adore hym and all Nations shal serue hym for that he shal deliuer the pooreman that had no helper he shal saue their soules and deliuer them from vsurie and from iniquitie all tribes of the earth shal be blessed in hym and all Nations shal magnisie hym Thes wordes of Christs eternal kingdome of his enduring to the worlds ende of his vniuersal raigne ouer Iew and Gentile of his adoration by all Nations of his deliuerie of soules from bondage of iniquitie and finallie of his making blessed all tribes of the earth can not possiblie be applied to anie temporal kinge that euer was among the Iewes or euer shal be but onlie to Christ. This promisse made vnto Dauid for Christ to come of his seede is repeated after his death by manie prophetes and confirmed by God as in Ieremie where God vseth thes wordes Behold the dayes come on and I vvill raise vp to Dauid a iust seede and he shal reigne a kinge and shal be vvise and shal doe iudgement and iustice vpon earth And in his dayes shal Iuda be saued and Israel shal dvvel confidentlie this is the name that men shall call hym OVR IVST GOD. All this was spoken of Dauids seede aboue fower hundred yeares after Dauid was dead Whiche proueth manifestlie that the former promisses and speeches were not made to Dauide for Salomon or for anie other temporal kinge of Dauids lyne but for Christ who was called so peculierlie the sonne and seede of Dauid for that Dauid was the first king of the tribe of Iuda and not onelie was Christs Progenitor in flesh but also did beare his Type and Figure in manie other thinges For which cause likewise in the prophet Ezechiel who lyued about the same tyme that Ieremie did the Messias is called by the name of Dauid hym self For this God spake at that tyme vnto Ezechiel I vvil saue my
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
my eyes sleepe or rest to the temples of my head vntill I find out the place that is appointed for my Lord the tabernacle or house for the God of Iacob And then the mysterie being reueiled vnto hym he sayeth presentely Beholde vve haue heard of it novv in Ephrata or Bethleem vve haue founde it out in the fieldes of vvoode And to shew how he reuerenced the place for that cause he addeth immediatelie vve vvill adore in the place vvher his seete haue stoode Wherby he for prophitieth not onlie th' adoration vsed after in that place vnto Iesus by the Magi or three kinges of th' east but also of all other adoratiō vsed in the same place in the memorie of Iesus by other deuout Christians vntill this daye For which respect Origē sayeth that the place of Bethleem was most famous and renoumed in his dayes For th' Angels appearing to the shepheardes in the night of the Natiuitie there can be no more said but the credite honestie and simplicitie of them that reported it and likelie it is they would neuer feigne a thing that might haue bene refuted by testimonie of the sheapheards them selues if it had bene false Of the name of IESVS gyuen to hym in his circumcision it was to be seene sett downe in a booke that how so euer it were not scripture yet was it extant in the worlde before Christ was borne I meane the fowerth booke of Esdras which hath thes wordes in the person of God the father Beholde the tyme shal come vvhen the signes shall appeare that I haue tolde c. And my sonne IESVS shal be reueiled vvith these vvho are vvith hym c. And after those yeares my sonne CHRIST shall dye and th' earth shall render thos that sleepe therin Rabi Hacadosch also proueth by arte Cabalist out of manie places and textes of scripture that the Messias name at his comming shal be IESVS And among other he addeth this reason that as the name of hym who first brought the Iewes out of bondage into the lande of promisse was Iesus or Iosue which is al one so must his name be Iesus that shall the second tyme deliuer thē from the bondage wherin they are and restore them to their olde aunciēt possession of Iurie which is the chiefe benefite they expect by the Messias Finallie it is not probable that the virgine Marie should feigne this name of her self for that among the Iewes there were manie other names of more honour and estimatiō at that tyme as Abraham Isaac Iacob Moyses and Dauid And therfore if she would haue feigned any it is like shee would haue taken one of thē as soone as this which had not bene the name of anie greate Patriarche THERE followeth the comming of the three Magi or wise men from th' easte of whom Cyprians wordes are it is an olde tradition of the churche that the Magi of th' easte vvere kinges or rather litle Lordes of particuler places Which is to be vnderstood such litle kinges as Iosue slew thirtie in one battaile And it is to be noted that S. Mathew maketh mention of the comming of thes kinges to Hierusalem as of a knowen and publique matter wherof all Ierusalem and Iurie was able to beare hym wituesse For he talketh of their open comming to Ierusalem and of their inquirie for the new borne king of their speech and conference had with Herod as also of Herodes consultation with the Scribes and Pharasies about the place of the Messias birth And finallie he sheweth the most pittiful murder that insued of almost infinite infantes in all the circuite of Bethleem for this matter Which could not be a thinge vnknowen to all Iurie much lesse feigned by S. Mathew for that he should haue gyuen his aduersaries the greatest aduātage in the world if hè had begunne his Ghospell with so notorious and opē an vntruth which might haue bene refuted by infinite persons that were yet a liue Epiphanius is of opinion that thes kinges arriued in Hierusalem two yeares after Christs Natiuitie for that Herod slew all infantes of that age But other hold more probablie that the starre appeared vnto them two yeares before Christs Natiuitie so that they came to Bethleē the thirtienth daye after Christs birth according as the Church doth celebrat th' epiphanie S. Basil thinketh that they were learned men and might by their learning and art magike wherin those countrimen at that tyme were verie skilful vnderstand and feele that the power of their heathē Godes was greatlie deminished and broken They might also be stirred vp with that commō brute and general prophetie spred ouer all th' east in those dayes as both Suetonius and Iosephus doe recorde that oute of Iurie should come an vniuersal Kinge ouer all the vvorld By thes meanes I say and by the prophetie of Balaam left a nonge them from Moyses tyme for he was a Gētile wherby was signified that a starre should rise and declare a greate and mightie king in Israel they might be induced at the sight of this Starre to take so longe a iourney as they did towardes Iurie This Starre as I haue said was fortold by Balaam a heathen Prophete aboue 1500. yeares before it appeared And after Balaam againe it was prophetied by Dauid that kinges of Arabia Saba and other Eastren countries should come and adore Christ and offer both gold and other gystes vnto hym The murder also of those infantes of Bethleem was presignified by Icremie in the weeping of Rachel for thee slaughter of her children which Rachell was buried in Bethleem and for that cause thos infantes were called her children albeit she were dead aboue 2000. yeares before they were slaine and aboue 1500. before Ieremie wrote the prophetie Amongest which infantes Herode also for more assurance slewe an infant of his owne For that as Philo noteth he was descended by his mother of the lyne of Iuda Which crueltie comming to Augustus eares he said as Macrobius reporteth that he had rather bee Herods swyne thē his sonne for that he being a Iewe was forbidden by his religion to kill his swine though not ashamed to kill his sonne The same Starre wherof we speake is mentiōned by diuers heathen writers as by Plinie vnder the name of a Comete for so they termed all extraordinarie Starres which appeared in the later ende of Augustus daies and was farre different from al other that euer appeared And therfore contrary to the nature of thos kind of Starres it was adiudged by the whole college of Southsaiers to portend vniuersal good vnto the earth and for that cause had an image of metal erected to it in Rome and as Plinies wordes are Is Cometa vnus toto orbe colitur that only Comete is worshipped throughout the whole world Origine also writeth of one Chaeremon a Stoike that was much moued with
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
called it AFLIA after th' Emperours name He droue al the progeny and ofspring of the Iewes furth of all thos countries with a perpetual lawe confirmed by the Emperour that they should neuer returne no nor so much as looke backe from any highe or eminent place to that countrie againe And this was done to that Iuishe Natiō by the Roman Emperours for accomplishing that demaund which their prīcipal elders had made not longe before to Pilate the Romau Magistrate concerning Iesus most iniurious death cryinge out with one cōsent and voice to wit Let his blood be vpon vs and vpon our posteritie AND HEERIN ALSO I meane in the most wonderful notorious chastisment or rather reprobation of this Iuishe people which of all the world was Gods peculier before is sett out vnto vs as it were in a glasse the seuenth and last pointe which we mentioned in the beginning of this section to witt the fulfilling of such speeches propheties as Iesus vttered when he was vpon earth as namely at one time after a long and vehement commination made to the Scribes Pharisees and principal men of that Nation in which he repeateth eight seueral times the dreadful threat woe he concludeth finally that al the iust blood iniuriouslie shedde from the first Martyr Abel should be reuenged verie shortelie vpon that generation And in the same place he menaceth the populous Citie of Ierusalē that itshould be made desert And in an other place he assureth thē that one stone should not be left standing therof vpon an other And yet futther he pronounced vpon the same Citie thes words The daies shal come vpon thee and thy enemies shal enuiron thee vvith a vval and shall besiege thee they shall straiten the on euery side and shal beate the to the grounde and thy children in thee And yet more particulerly he foretelleth the verie signes wherby his disciples should perceyue when the time in deed was come vsing this speeche vnto them VVhen you shal see Ierusalem besieged vvith an army then knovve ye that her disolation is at hand for that thes are the daies of reuenge to the ende al may be fulfiled vvhich is vvritten Great distresse shal fal vpon this earth and vengeance vpon this people They shal be slaine by dint of the svvord and shal be led as slaues into al countries And Jerusalem shal be trodden vnder seete by the Gentiles vntil the times of Nations be accomplished This foretold Iesus of the miserie that was to fal vpon Ierusalem and vpon that people by the Romanes and other Gentiles when the Iewes seemed to be in most securitie and greatest amitie with the Romanes as also they were when the same thinges were writē and consequently at that time they might seeme in all humane reason to haue lesse cause thē euer before to misdoubt such calamities And yet how certaine and assured foreknowlege and as it were most sensible forefeeling Iesus had of thes miseries he declared not only by thes expresse words and by their euēt but also by thos pittiful teares he shed vpon sight and consideration of Hierusalem and by the lamentable speeche he vsed to the women of that Citie who wept for him at his Passion persuading them to weepe rather for thē selues and for their children in respect of the miseries to followe then for him Which wordes and predictions of Iesus together with sundrie other his speeches fore shewing so particularlie the imminent calamities of that Nation and that as I haue said at such time when in humane discourse ther could be no probabilitie therof when a certaine heathen Chronicler and Mathematique named Phlegon about an hundreth yeares after Christs departure had diligently considered hauing sene the same also in his dayes most exactelie fulfilled for he was seruant to Adrianus th' Emperour by whos commandement as hath bene said before the final subuersion of the Iuishe nation was brought to passe this Phlegō I say though a Pagan yet vpon consideration of thes euentes and others that he saw as th' extreme persecution of Christians fortold by Christ and the like he pronounced that neuer any man foretold things so certainlie to come or that so preciselie were accomplished as were the predictions and propheties of Iesus And this testimonie of Phlegon was alleaged and vrged for Christians again't one Celsus a heathen Philosopher and Epicure by the famous learned Origen euen the very next age after it was writtē by th' authour so that of the truth of this allegation ther can be no doubt or question at all And now albeit thes predictions and propheties concerning the punishment and reprobation of the Iewes fulfilled so euidently in the sight of al the world might be a sufficient demonstration of Iesus for knowlege in affaires to come yet are ther many other thinges besides foreshewed by him which fel out as exactly as did thes notwithstanding that by no learning mathematical reason or humane cōiecture they were or might be forsene As for example the foretelling of his owne death the maner time and place therof as also the person that should betraie him together with his irrepentantende The flight feare and scandal of his disciples albeit they had promissed protested the contrarie The three seueral denials of Peter The particuler time of his owne resurrection and Ascension The sending of the Holy-Ghost and many other the like predictions propheties promisses which to his Apostles Disciples and folowers that heard them vttered and left them written before they fel out and saw them afterwarde accomplished and who by the falsehood therof should haue receyued greatest dōmage of all other mē if they had not bene true to thes men I saie they were most euident proofes of Iesus diuine prescience in matters that should ensue But yet for that an Infidell with whom onlie I suppose my self to deale in this place may in thes and the like thinges find perhapes some matter of cauillation and saie that thes propheties of Iesus were recorded by our Euangelistes after the particularities therin prophetied were effectuated and not before and consequentlie that they might be forged I wil alleage certaine other euentes both foretolde and registred before they came to passe and diuulged by publique writinges in the face of al the worlde when ther was smal semblance that euer the same should take effect Such were the particuler foretelling of the kinde maner of S. Peters death whiles yet he liued The peculier and differēt maner of S. Iohn th' Euāgelists ending from the rest of the Apostles The prerogatiue giuen to Peter aboue the rest that his Faith and Chaire should neuer faile which we see miraculouslie verefied euen vntil this day the successions of all other Apostles hauing failed and his not The forshewing describinge to his disciples the most extreme and cruel persecutions that should insue vnto Christians for his sake
men in this life For of this were vttered thos wordes especiallie beare in minde the last end of all thinges and thon shalt iot synne euerlastinglie Which holie Dauid seemed to haue experienced in hym self when he wrote as foloweth I haue obserued the vvayes of my Lord neither haue I committed vvickedness against my God for that his iudgements vvere alvvaye in my sight and his iustice I haue not cast out of my mynd And by thes meanes I shal be vnspotted in his presence and vvill keepe my self from committing iniquitie Hence it is that the blessed Prophet Moyses when he saw the people of Israel careles in committing synne cried out in zeale ō foolishe Nation vvithout vvisdom or councel vvould God they had vvitt and vnderstanding and vvould forsee the end of thinges to come As who would say if they had so much witt as to consider this and what accompt they must gyue to God at the last day of their doinges they would not offend hym as they doe But as the scripture saith in an other place for that this day of reconing is disterred and for that Gods iudgment is not pronounced presentelie against the vvicked the children of men doe commit vvickednes daylie vvithout ail feare We haue then to consider in this place for our owne instruction and good admonishement in life what maner of accompting daye this shal be whos remembrance is so much and often commended vnto vs in holie scripture For better conceyuing wherof we shall deuide this chapter into three principal heades or pointes The first wherof shal be of preparatiōs or preābles assigned to goe before this daye The second of thinges that shall passe and be executed at that daye The third of that which is to ensue vpon the sentence gyuen and the iudgement ended CONCERNING THE FIRST it is to be noted that for the more dread and Maiestie of this great daie the eternal wisdome of God hath ordained and reuealed vnto vs that before the comming therof when it approcheth nere thershal most wonderful and horrible preparations signes and tokens appeare in the world The first wherof shal be the garboiles tumultes and commotions of all Nations kingdomes and people vpon earth Which our Saueour hymself described in thes wordes to his Apostles VVhen you shal heare the fame or brute of vvarres and vprores be not afraid for that thes thinges must be and yet presently the ende of the world shal not ensue One nation shal rise against an other and one kingdome shal impugne another ther shal be great earth-quakes pestilence and famine most terrible signes and tokens from heauē Vpon which wordes of our Saueour the blessed father S. Gregorie hath this discourse The last tribulation must haue many tribulations going before it and by thes manifold afflictions precedēt are declared the eternal afflictions that must ensue And therfore Christ said that after warres and vprores the ende should not immediatly folowe for that it behoueth that many transitorie calamities should goe before to denounce vnto vs the endles woes which are to come after Thes warres tumultes and most dreadfull confusions here signified by Christ are specified more plainly in other places of holie writ but especially by Ezechiel Daniel and S. Ihon in his reuelations Wher it is prophetied that a litle before the last general daie of iudgment ther shal be reuealed the man of sinne called Antechrist who after the conquest of many kings kingdomes shal make hym self the Monarch and absolute owner of the world and shal exercise vpon good Christians more barbarous crueltie and shed more innocent blood within the space of three yeares and a half which shal be the terme of his outragious tirannie then al other ennimies of God haue done from the beginning The matter is described most strangely by the Prophete Ezechiel Who after declaration of one most bloodie bataile to be fought by Ierusalem wherin he saieth figuratiuely that the weapons of such as shal be slaine shal be sufficient to make fire for seuen yeares after he adioyneth in the person of God this narration I haue spoken in my zeale and in the fire of my wrath haue I promised that in the last daies when Gog and Magog shal come into the world by thes names are signified the armie of Antechrist ther shal be a great commotion vpon the earth and the fishe of the sea the birdes of the aire the beastes of the field al that crecpeth on the groūd together with al humane generation which liueth vpon the face of the earth shal be in an vprore before my face Hilles shal be ouerturned hedges shal be broken doune euery strong wal shal fal to the ground I wil cal against them the sword from the toppes of al mountaines and euery mans sword shal be bent against his owne brother My iudgment shal be in pestilence and blood and vehement stormes in huge stones that shal fal doune I wil raine fire and brimstone c. And thou sonne of mā tel vnto al the foules birdes of the aire and to al the rauenous beastes of the field assemble your selues make haste come together from al quarters to feede of the sacrifice which I shal prepare vnto you a great sacrifice vpon the mountaines of Israel You shal eate the flesh of stoute champions and shall drincke the blood of Princes You shall feede of their fat vntil you be cloide and you shal drincke their bloode til you be druncke You shal be filled at this my table and al Nations shal see this my iudgement that I haue exercised and in what maner I haue stretched out my potent hād vpon them Thus much hath the word of God and muche more which for breuitie I doe omit of the greate miseries cōfusions that shal be among men some litle time before the daie of iudgment Which time being expired ther shal ensue other preparations in the heauens and eliments of the world much more dreadful then thes Which by Christ hym self and his Saintes are described in this maner At that daie ther shal be signes in the Sunne in the Moone in the starres The sunne shal be darkened the moone shal giue no light the starres shal fal from the skies and al the powers of heauen shal be moued The firmament shal forsake his situation with great violence the elements shal be dissolued with heat and the whole earth with al that is in it shal be consumed with fire The firme land shal moue and leaue her place and shal flie away like a doae the pressures of Nations vpō earth shal be inestimable by reason of thes thinges and through the confusion of hideous noise from the sea and floudes and men shal wither away and drie vp for feare and expectation of the thinges which at that day shal happen to the vniuersal world Thus farre out of the Ghospel But S. Iohn the
dearly beloued disciple of our Saueour setteth out the same more at large according as it was reuealed vnto him i this maner I heard saieth he a voice like the sound of a thunder saing come and see and I did see And beholde a white horse and one that sat vpon him that had a bowe and he went to conquere After which folowed a blacke horse and he that rode vpon him had a paire of balance in his hande After him passed forth a pale horse and he that sat vpon him was called DEATH and HEL folowed behinde him and he had authoritie giuen to him to slea by sword by death and by the beastes of the earth The earth did shake the sunne grewe blacke like a sacke the moone like blood the Starres fel from heauē the skie doubled it self like a folded booke euery hil and Iland was moued from his place the kinges of the earth and princes and tribunes and the riche and stoute hid thē selues in dennes and in the rockes of hilles Then appeared ther seuen Angels with seuen trumpetes and eche one prepared him self to blowe his blast At the first blast came ther haile and fire mixt with blood At the second blast came a whole mountaine of burning fire into the sea and the third part of the sea was made blood At the third blast fel ther a great Starre from heauen named Absinthiū burning like a torch and infected the riuers and fountaines At the fourth blast was stricken doune the third part of the sunne moone Starres an egle flewe into the element crying with a hideous voice woe woe woe to al them that dwel vpon the earth At the fifte blast fel an other starre from heauen which had the keye of the pit of hel he opened the pit and ther arose a smoke as from a great fornace and ther came forth certaine locustes like scorpions who tormented al such as had not the marke of God in their foreheads And at thes daies men shal seeke death and shal not finde it And thes locustes were like barbed horses with Crounes on their heads Their faces like men their heare like women their teeth like lions and the noise of their winges like the noise of many chariotes running together their tales like scorpiōs and their stinges were in their tailes their king was an Angel of hel named Abbadō which signifieth an vtter destroier At the sixt blast of the trumpet were loosed foure Angels tied before then rushed forth an army of horsmen in number twentie hundreth times tē thousand And I sawe the horses and they which sat vpon them had brestplaces of fire and brimstone The heads of thes horses were as lions out of their mouthes came fire smoke and brimstone wherby they slewe the third part of men which had not repented and their strength was in their tales which were like serpentes Then was ther an Angel which putting one foote vpon the sea an other vpon the land did sweare by him that liueth for euer and euer that after the blast of the seuenth trumpet ther should be no more time And so when the seuenth Angel had sounded ther came great voices from heauen saying the kingdome of this world is made to our Lord and his Christ and he shal raigne foreuer And I heard a great voice saying to the seuen Angels goe and poure out seuen cuppes of Godes wrath vpon the earth and so they did And the first brought forth cruel woundes vpō men The lecōd turned the sea into redde blood The third turned the riuers and fountaines into like blood The fourth afflicted men with fire and made them blaspheme God The fifte made them eate their owne tongues for sorowe The sixt dried vp the water And I sawe three foule spirites like frogges issue out of the mouth of a dragon And finally the seuenth cuppe being poured out ther came a mightie voice from the throne of God saying it is dispatched And ther folowed lightenings and thunders and voices and earthquakes such as neuer were since men dwelt vpon the earth Thus farre this Apostle Euange list and prophet S. Iohn And now tel me my good Christiā brother is it possible for any tongue either humane or Angelical to expresse a thing more forceblie thē this is here set doune what mortal hart can chuse but tremble euen at the reading and remembrāce only of thes inspeakable and incomprehensible terrours What maner of daie will that be trowest thou when the heauens shal mourne the whole earth shal shake the sunne and moone loose their light the Starres fal doune the sea and floods forsake their chanels and natural courses al the elementes be dissolued the face of the earth ouerflowed with blood and the vniuersal world on a flaming fire Is it maruaile now if the Scriptures auouch that the iust men and Angels them selues shal be afraid of that daie And then to reason as S. Peter doth if innocency Iustice shal scarsely esteeme them selues secure in that fearful trial what shal become of sinne and iniquitie what shal become I saie of the careles and dissolute Christian when he shal see so infinite a sea of miseries rushe vpon him O that mē would thincke vpon this daie while they haue yet time O that they would awake and prepare them selues by vertuous life to stand secure confident at this woful houre Who is ther now a daye which taketh that care that holy Ierome did who was wont to saie hauing much lesse cause then wee that he did neuer eate nor drincke nor sleepe nor take any other action in hand without the fearful remembrance of this accompting daie And this of the preparations There foloweth the execution of thinges done in that iudgment VVHEN THE FORMER preparations shal be fulfilled and finished and the whole world brought to that pitiful state and plight which I haue described then saieth the Scripture shal the signe of the fonne of man appeare in the skie and al the tribes of the earth shal see him cōming in the cloudes of heauē amiddest al his Angels with much power and glorie in great authoritie and maiestie And ther in a moment in the twinckling of an eye he shal send his Angels with a trūpet with a great crie at midnight they shal gather together his elect from the foure partes of the world euen from heauen to earth Hitherto are the wordes of holie Scripture Wherin is set doune the first act of this dreadful iudgment which is the cōming of the Iudge to his throne and tribunal seate so much the more terrible and ful of maiestie in this his second appearāce by how much more contemptible he was and despised in his first being vpon earth for the worke of our redemption So S. Iohn affirmed that he which was siaine as a lambe should come againe to iudge as a Lion Of which
O most dreadful separation what would Alexander Caesar Pompeie and other such potentates of the earth giue at that daie to haue but the lowest roome amōg them of the right hand They I saie who had al the roome of this world at their pleasure al dignities vnder their owne commandrie would now make more accompt of the meanest place and corner among Gods elect then of al the pompe and brauerie of ten thousand worldes if they were to liue againe their cogitatiōs at this daie being farre different from that they were vpon earth and their iudgmēts wholy contrary But alas ther is no time of alteration or amendment now They must stand to that which is past and according to their former demeanours they must receyue their doome They haue a Iudge present whose power they can not auoide whos wisdome they can not deceyue whos equitie they can not bowe whos seueritie they can not mollefie whos indignation they can not appease whos determination they can not alter and from whose sentence they can not possiblie appeale O my deare and louing brother no tongue of man beleeue me can expresse what a singuler treasure a good consciēce wil be at this daie when thou shalt see al the Princes and Monarches of this world stand ther naked trembling appalled being vtterly destitute of an answere to the whole multitude of their most secret sinnes displaied openly before their faces An vnspottel conscience I say at this instant shal be a greater consolation then al the dignities or pleasures of a thousand worldes For wealth wil not help the iudge wil take no giftes our owne submission wil not be admitted intreatie of friēdes wil not preuaile intercession of Angels and other Saintes shal haue no place for that their glorie shal be at this daie as the prophete saieth to binde kings in fetters noble princes in yron manacles to execute vpon them the iudgement prescribed Alas what wil al thos delicate and daintie people doe at this instāt who liue now in ease and pleasures and can take no paine in the seruice of God nor abide to heare the naming of this daye what shift I saie wil they finde out ī thos extremities whether wil they tur ne thē whos help wil they craue They shal see al things crie vengeance round about thē al things yeeld them cause of feare and horrour but nothing any one sparcle of hope or consolation Aboue them they shal beholde their Iudge offended with their wickednes beneath them hel open and the cruel fornace redie boiling to recevue them to torment On the right hād shal be their sinnes accusing them on the left hād the Diuels redie to execute Gods eternal sentēce vpon them Within them shal lye their conscience gnawing without them al damned soules bewailing on euery side the whole world burning O merciful Iesus which art to behold this ruful spectacle what a passage shal this be what wil the wretched sinner doe saie or thincke when he shal be enuironed with thes inexplicable miseries how wil his hart susteine thes anguishes what waie wil he take To goe backe is impossible to goe foreward is intollerable to stand ther stil is not permitted what then shal he doe but as thou O Lord with thy sacred mouth hast foretold that he shal drie and wither vp for verie feare seeke death and death shal flie from him crie and beseech the hilles and mountaines to fal doune and couer him and they refusing to doe him that releefe or afford him so great a comfort he shal stand ther as a most desperate forlorne and miserable catise vntil he receyue that dreadful and irreuocable sentēce of thine Goe yee accur sed into euerlasting fire THIS SHALBE THE LAST act and conclusiō of this woful tragedie For so it is recorded by the Iudge him self Then shal the sonne of man saie to thos on his right hand Come yee blessed of my father and possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world I was hungrie and you gaue me to eate I was a straūger and you gaue me harbour I was naked and you clothed me I was sicke and you visited me I was in prison and you came to comfort me And to them on his left hand he shal saie Depart from me yee accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels for I was hungrie and you fedde me not I was a straunger and you harboured me not I was naked and you clothed me not I was sicke and in prison and you visited me not Then shal they saie vnto him O Lord when haue we sene the hungrie thirstie or a straunger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister vnto the And he shal answere I tel you for that you haue not done thes thinges to one of thes lesser your brethern you haue not done them to me And then thes wicked shal goe into eternal punishment and the iust into life euerlasting Hitherto are the wordes of Christ him self In which may be noted first that in recounting the causes of thes miserable mens damnation our Saueour alleageth not lacke of beleef or that they were not faithful wherof the reason may be that which him self vttereth in an other place of Infidels saying he that beleeueth not is alredy iudged And S. Paul of an heretique that he is condemned by his ovvne proper iudgmēt Secondly he obiecteth against them not any actual enormous sinnes wherof per haps maie be assigned for a reason which S. Iohn doth insinuate and signifie that such kinde of manifest deadlie sinners are now euidently appertaining to the dominion of Satan Wherfore Christ vrgeth only agaīst thes reprobates certaine omissions of good workes and charitable deeds commended vnto vs by the rule of Christiā perfectiō And for thes he pronounceth against them his most dreadful sentence of euerlasting damnation Which sentence being once passed the Iudges mouth and recevued in the eares of al that infinite assemblie ther present imagine thou my soule what an vniuersal shoute and outcrie will therupon straight ensue the saued reioysing and singing eternal praises in the glorie of their Saueour the damned bewailing blaspheming and cursing the daie of their natiuitie the Angels commending and extolling the equitie of that iudgment against which the parties that are conuicted shal not be able to finde any lest exceptiō Cōsider the intollerable vpbrading of thos most insolent infernal spirites against the miserable condemned soules that are deliuered to their praie with how bitter scoffes and tantes wil they traile them to their torments with what intollerable insultation wil they execute the sentence of God against them Consider the eternal separation that now must be made of Fathers and children of mothers and daughters friendes and companions the one to glorie the other to miserie without any hope euer to heare or see
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
sueing vnto sinners for their conuersion it followeth that we should in this third place examine some what more in particuler what certaine assurance his diuine Maiestie geueth of vndoubted pardon and ful remission of their sinnes to al such as vnfainedlie shal resolue them selues to make their refuge vnto him Which thing albeit euerie mā by that which before hath bene treated may sufficientlie conceaue yet for th' importāce of the matter it shal not be amisse in this place also to adde a word or two for more plaine and euidēt demonstration therof And this shal be donne by setting doune both the wordes and deedes that is both the promisses and perfourmāce which almightie God hath vsed and excercised in this behalf to al such as haue offended him whatsoeuer And for the first which are his promises most apparent it is as wel by the thinges which before haue bene discussed as also by the whole course bodie drift of holie scripture that the promises of mercie and pardon which his diuine Maiestie hath made to synners and wherunto by his sacred word he hath in a certaine maner obliged him self are both manifold vehement absolute resolute vniuersal VVho so euer shal depart from his vvicked vvayes and turne vnto me saith almightie God I vvil receaue him Behold the vniuersalitie of al people and persons without excluding any And then further At vvhat day soeuer an impious man shal returne vnto me from his impietie his vvickednes shal not hurt him saith the same L. God of hostes see the vniuersalitie of al times seasons without exceptiō But yet harken what God addeth besides Leaue of to doe peruerselie saith he to the Iewes c. and then doe you come and finde fault vvith me if you can For if your sinnes vvher as red as skarlet they shal be made as vvhite as snovve c. Consider the vniuersalitie of al kind of synnes be they neuer so greeuous so horrible or haynous And finallie God talking to a soule that hath oftentimes fallen most infinitelie offended him he saith thus it is a common receaued speech that if a womā depart from her husbād and doe ioine her self to an other man she may not returne to her first husband againe for that she is defiled and made contaminate And yet wheras thou hast departed from me and hast committed fornication with many other louers doe thou returne vnto me againe and I wil receaue the saith almightie God By which wordes is expressed the fowerth vniuersalitie containing al states qualities and conditions of men how many waies or how oftentimes or how contemptuouslie soeuer they haue committed sinnes against his diuine Maiestie And what may be added now more vnto this was ther euer prince that made so large an offer vnto his subiectes or was ther euer father that gaue so ample and vniuersal promise of pardō vnto his children Who can now mistrust him self to be excluded from this assurance of mercie wherin al sortes of people al kindes of sinnes al times and seasons al states and qualities of sinners are comprehended O most miserable and infortunate man that excludeth him self whom God excludeth not What is ther in this general and vniuersal promises wherof anie man in the world should haue pretence to make any least doubt or question Of the meaning perhapes and intent of him that promiseth O deare brother it is onlie loue and tharitie and consequentlie can not deceaue vs. Of the truth and suertie of his promisses It is infallible and more certaine then heauen and earth put together Of the power that he hath to perfourme his promisse It is infinite and not restrained by any boundes or limitation wherof thē may we doubt or in which of thes three pointes may we not conceaue most singuler consolation heare the comfortable meditation that blessed S. Bernard made vpon thes three particulers which wee haue now mentioned Tria considero saith he in quibus tota spes mea consistit charitatem vocationis veritatem promissionis potestatem redditionis c. That is I doe consider three thinges saith this holie mā wherin al my hope cōsisteth wherby it is made inuincible First the exceeding loue and charitie of him that calleth me to him by repentance secondlie the infallible truth and certaintie of his promise which he maketh to me of pardon and mercie thirdlie the endles power and abilitie he hath to perfourme whatsoeuer he promiseth This is that triple or threefold rope and chaine which holie scripture saith is hardlie broken for that by this rope let donne vnto vs from heauen which is our contrie into this world that is our prison we may ascende and mount vp if we wil euen vnto the sight and possession of Gods eternal kingdom and heauēlie glorie Thus farre that blessed father But now to the second pointe if we consider how faithfullie almightie God hath put in execution thos promises of his from time to time how no one man vpon earth so many ages as the world hath continued was euer yet frustrate of his hope in making his conuersion vnto his Maiestie if he made it from his hart we shal finde further cause for vs to confide For so much as it is not probable or ī reason to be imagined that he which neuer failed in times past wil breake his promise for the time to come especially seing now in Christianitie when we haue this aduantage aboue other former times as S. Iohn doth also note that he who was and is our iudge is become also our aduouocat to pleade our cause Cast backe thine eyes then my louing deare brother and take a vew of al ages times and seasons past and gone Beginne from the first creation of the world and come donneward euen vnto this daye examine indifferentlie whether in al this wide compasse of times persons places most greeuous offences committed against his diuine Maiestie ther were euer yet any one sinner vpon earth that returned vnsay nedlie and was not receaued The sinne of our first parentes was presentelie forgeuen vnto them vpon their first signification of greefe and sorowe for the same And not onlie this but our Saueour also Iesus Christ was promissed to be sent for restoring them and their posteritie to the glorie and felicitie which by their fal they had lost After this vntil the time of Abraham and of the people of Israel as some workes of Gods iustice are recorded in holie writ that were excercised vpon irrepentant offendours so are ther many more celebrated of his mercie and onlie two persons in particuler are mentioned who notwithstanding some sorow which they seemed to haue of their offences were yet reiected the first wherof was the murderer Cain who at the beginning denied his wickednes vnto God and then being conuicted despaired of remission The second was Esau whom S. Paul calleth a profane fornicator who
his simplicitie was deliuered frō the mouth of lions And so doe you runne ouer by cogitation al generations and you shal see that al those that hope in God shal not be vanquished And doe you not seare the vvordes of a sinful man for his glorie is nothing els but dung and vvormes to daie he is great and exalted and to morovv he shal not be found for he shal returne vnto his earth againe and al his fond cogitations shal perishe Wherfore take courage vnto you my children and plaie the men in the lawe of God For ther in shal be your honour glorie Hitherto are the wordes of scripture which shal suffice for the end of this chapter THE FOVRTH AND GREATEST IMPEDIMENT THAT HINdereth resolution to witte The loue and respect vvhich men beare to the pleasures and vanities of this vvorld CHAPT IIII. AS the former impedimentes which now by Gods grace we haue remoued be in verie deed great staies to many mē from the resolutiō we talke of so this that presently we take in hand is not onely of it self a strong impediment and let but also a general cause as it were a commō ground to al other impedimentes that be or may be For if a man could touch the hidden pulse of al such as refuse or neglect or doe differre to make this resolution he should find the true cause origine therof to be the loue and respect which they beare vnto this world what soeuer other excuses they pretend besides The noble men of Iewrie pretended feare to be the cause why they could not resolue to coniesse Christ openly but S. Iohn that felt their-pulses and knew their disease vttereth the true cause to haue bene for that they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God Demas that for sooke S. Paul in his bandes euen a litle before his death pretended an other cause of his departure to Thellalonica but S. Paul saieth it was quia diligebat hoc seculū for that he loued this world So that this world is a general and vniuersal impediment and more largely dispersed in mens hartes thē outwardly appeareth for that it bringeth forth diuers other excuses therby to couer it self in the people wher it abideth This may be confirmed by that most excellent parable of our Sauiour Christ recorded by three Euangelistes concerning the three sortes of men which are to be damned and the three causes of their damnation wher of the third and last most general including as it were both the two former is the loue of this world For the first sorte of men ther mentioned are compared to a high waie wherin al seed of life that is sowen ether withereth presentlie or els is eaten vp by the birdes of the ayer which is as Christ expoundeth it by the deuils in such careles men as contemne what-soeuer is said vnto thē such are insidels heretikes and other like obstinate and contemptuous people The second sorte of damnable people are compared to rockie groundes in which for lacke of depe roote the seed that falleth continueth not and by this are signified light and vnconstant persons that now choppe in and now runne owt now are seruent and by and by keie-colde againe so in time of tēptation they are gone saith Christ. The third sorte are compared to a feild wherin the seed of life groweth vp but yet there are so many thornes about the same which one father expoundeth to be the cares troubles miseries and deceinable vanities of this life as the good corne is choked vp and bringeth soorth no fruite By which last wordes lie signifieth that whersoeuer the doctrine of Christ groweth vp yet bringeth not forth due fruite that is to saie whersoeuer his faith is planted receaued and professed as among Christians it is and yet bringeth not forth vertuous life holie conuersation good workes and due seruice of God corespōdent to this seed ther the principal cause is for that it is choked with the loue and care of this present world This is a parable of maruailous greate importance as may appeare both for that Christ after the recital therof cried out with a lowde voice He that hath eares to heare let him heare As also for that he expounded it him self in secrete onelie to his Disciples And principallie for that before the exposition therof he vsed such a solemne preface saying to you it is geuen to knovv the misteries if the kingdome of heauen but to others not for that they seing doe not see and hearing doe not heare nor vnder stand Wherby Christ signifieth that the vnderstanding of this parable among others is of singular importance for conceauing the true misteries of the kingdome of heauen and that many are blinde which seeme to see and many deafe and ignorant that seeme to heare and know for that they vnderstand not wel the misteries of this parable For which cause also his diuine wisdome maketh this conclusion before he beginne to expound the parable Happie are your eies that see and biessed are your eares that heare After which wordes he beginneth his exposition with this admonitiō Vos ergo audite parabolam Doe you therfore heare and vnderstand this parable And for that this parable doth containe and touch so much in deede as may or is needful to be saied for remouing of this greate and dangerous impediment of worldly loue I meane to staie my self onelie vpon the explication the ros in this place and wil declare the force and truth of certaine wordes here vttered by Christ of the world and worldlie pleasures And forsome order and methodes sake I wil drawal to these six pointes folowing First how and in what sense al this whole world and commodities therof are meere vanities in them selues and of no value as Christ here signifieth and consequentlie ought not to be an impedimēt to let vs from so great a matter as the kingdome of heauen and seruing of God is Secondlie how they are not onelie vanities and trifles but also Deceptions as the wordes of Christ are that is to say deceyte and fallaces not performing to vs in deede those litle trifles which they doe promise Thirdlie how they are spinae that is pricking thornes as our Saueour affirmeth albeit they seeme to worldly men to be most sweet and pleasant thinges Fourthlie how they are arumnae that is to saie miseries and afflictions Fiftlie quomodo suffocant how they strangle or choke their possessours according as the sonne of God in this parable auoucheth Sixthlie how we may vse them notwithstanding without these daungers euils and to our great comfort gaine and preferment The first point of the parable AND NOVV for the first albeit I might stande vpon many reasons and demonstrations yet doe I not see how breefly pithelie it may be better declared that al the pleasures and goodlie shewes of this world are mere vanities
we wolde exercise our selues in these maner of cogitations we might easilie keepe our hartes pure and vnspotted before God in beholding the beautie of his creatures But for that we vse not this passage from the creature to the creator but doe rest onely in the external appearance of a deceatful face letting goe the bridle to our foule cogitations and setting wilfully on fire our own concupiscences hence it is that infinite men doe perish day lie by occasion of this fond vanitie I cal it fond for that euerie childe may discrie the deceate and vanitie therof For take the fairest face in the world wherwith infinite folish men fal in loue vpon the sight therof and rase it ouer but with a litle scrach and al the matter of loue is gone let there come but an Ague for foure daies and al this goodly beautie is distroyed let the soule depart but one halfe hower from the bodie and this louing face is vglie to looke on let it lie but two daies in the graue and those who were so hote in loue with it before wil skarse abyde to beholde it or come neare it And if none of those things happen vnto it yet quicklie cometh on olde age which riueleth the skinne draweth in the eies setteth-owt the teeth and so disfigureth the whole visage as it becometh more contemptible and horrible now then euer it was beautiful and alluring before And what then can be more vanitie then this What more madnesse then ether to take a pride therof if we haue it our selues or to indanger our soules for the same if we behould it in others THE SIXT vanitie belonging to pride of life is the glorie of fine apparel against which the scripture saith In vestitu ne gloriaris vnquam See thou neuer take glorie in apparel Of al vanities this is the greatest which yet we see so common among men of this world If Adam had neuer sallen we had neuer vsed apparel For that apparel was deuised to couer our shame of nakednes and other infirmites contracted by that fal Wherfore we that take pride and glorie in apparel doe as much as if beggar should glorie take pride of the olde cloutes that do couer his sores S. Paul said vnto a bishop If vve haue vvhervvithal to couer our selues let vs be content And Christ touched deeplie the daunger of nice apparel when he cōmended so much S. Iohn Baptist for his austere attire adding for the contradictorie Qui moliibus vestiuntur in domibus regum sunt They which are clothed in soft and delicate apparel are in kinges courtes that is in kinges courtes of this world but not in the kinges court of heauen For which cause in the descriptiō of the riche man damned this is not omitted by our Sauiour That he vvas apparelled in purple and silke It is a wounderful thing to consider the different proceeding of God and the world herin God him self was the first tailer that euermade apparel i this world and he made it for the most noble of al our auncestous in paradise yet he made it but of beasts skinnes And S. Paul testifieth of the noblest saintes of the olde testament that they were couered onelie with goates skinnes and with the heares of Cameles What vanitie is it then for vs to be so curious in apparel and to take such pride therin as we doe we robbe spoile al creatures in the world to couer our backes and adorne our bodies From one we take his wolle from an other his skinne from an other his furre and from some other their verie excrementes as the silk which is nothing els but the excrementes of wormes Nor yet content with this we come to fishes and doe begge of them certaine pearles to hang about vs. We goe doune into the grounde for gold and siluer and turne vp the sandes of the sea for pretious stones and hauing borowed al this of other creatnres we iette vp doune prouoking men to looke vpō vs as if al this now were our own When the stone shineth vpon our fingar we wil seeme forsooth therby to shine When the siluer and silkes doe glister on our backes we looke bigge as if al that beautic came from vs. And so as the prophet saith we passe ouer our daies in vanitie and doe not perceaue our owne extreme folie AND THVS much now may suffice for declaration of the first general head of worldlie vanities termed by S. Iohu Pride of life Ther followeth the seconde which he calleth Concupiscence of the eyes wherunto the auncient fathers haue referred al vanities of riches and wealth of this world Of this S. Paul writeth to Timothie Geue commandement to rich men of this vvorld not to be high minded nor to put confidence in the vncertaintie of their riches The reason of which speech is vttered by the scripture in an other place when it saieth Riches shal not profit a man in the daie of reuēge That is at the daie of death and iudgement Which thing the rich men of this world doe confesse them selues though to late now being in tormentes diuitiarum iactantia quid nobis contulit what hath the brauerie of our riches profited vs Al which doth euidentlie declare the great vanitie of worldlie riches which can doe the possessour no good at al whē he hath most need of their help Riche men haue slept their sleepe saith the prophet and haue found nothing in their handes that is riche mē haue passed ouer this life as mē doe passe ouer a slepe imagining them selues to haue goldē mountaines and treasures wher with to help them selues in al needes that shal occurre when they a wake at the daie of their death they finde themselues to haue nothing in their hādes that can doe thē good In respect wherof the prophet Baruch asketh this question VVhere are they novv vvhich heaped together gold siluer vvhich made no end of their scraping together And he answereth him self immediatlie Exterminati sunt ad inferos descenderunt They are now rooted owt and are gone down vnto hel To like effect saith S. Iames Novvye riche mco doe ye vveepe and vvaile and houle in your miseries that come vpon you your riches are rotten and your gold and siluer is rustie and the rust therof shal be in testimonie against you it shal seede vpon your one flash as if it vvere fire you haue hoarded vp vvrath to your ovvn selues in the last daie If wealth of this world be not onelie so vaine but also so perilous as here is affirmed what vanitie then is it formen to set their mindes so vpon it as they doe S. Paul saieth of him self that he esteemed al but as dung of the earth And he had great reasō surely to say so seing in deed riches are no better then the verie excrements of the earth and fownde onelie in
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
their last extremety shal cry for help and their crie shal be as sharp to pearse mēs eares as a sword is yet notwithstāding no mā shal heare thē And thou ô Lord which onely canst help them shalt be so farre of from hearing or pitying their case as thou shalt also laugh at their miserie and destruction By al which is signified the great calamitie of such as deferre their conuersion vnto the last day expressed by three circumstances in the former sentence alleaged For first he saith they vvil turne at the euening that is at the houre of death For as the euening is the end of the day and the beginning of night euen so is this time the end of light and the beginning of al darkenes vnto the wicked In which sense Christ said I must vvorke the vvorkes of him that sent me vvhiles the day lasteth for night vvil come on vvhen no man can vvorke more At this time then that is at this euening in this twy light betwene day and darkenes when the pleasant brightnes and heate of al sunne beames is past the brightnes I meane of honour of vainglorie and of worldlie pompe is consumed when the heat of concupiscence of carnal loue of delicate pleasures is quenshed when the beautiful sommer day of this life is ended and the boisterous winter night of death draweth on thē saieth the prophet wil the wicked man beginne of force to turne vnto God then wil he forsooth repent then wil he resolue him self and make his conuersion But what shal this be accepted You haue heard the prophets request to God Non miserearis doe not take mercie on them Not for that the prophet wisheth God to be vnmerciful but for that he wel knew Gods immutable iustice towardes such kinde of men Who 's miserie in this extremitie he expresseth further by saying they shal suffer hungar as dogges which is as if he should haue saied euen as dogges when they are hungrie are rauenous doe seeke by al meanes for meate be it neuer so homelie and wil refuse nothing that is offered but wil deuoure al thos things most gredilie which they contemned whiles their bellies were ful so thes men that would not heare of penance while they were in health wil now admit any thing and make strange of nothing Now I say when they can liue no longer wil they promise any paines what praiers you wil what fasting you please what almes deedes you can desire what austeritie soeuer you can imagine They wil promise it I say vpon conditiō they might now haue life againe vpon condition that the day might be prolonged vnto them albeit if almightie God should graunt them their request in this also as many times he doeth they would performe no one point therof but would be as careles as euer they were before yet for the present you shal see thē as hungrie as dogges saieth the prophet most redie to deuour any thing that may be deuised for their saluation And not contented with this the same prophet addeth yet a further clause of miserie And that is that they shal circuite or runne about the cilic euen as dogges doe when they are hungrie putting in their heades at eucry dore for releef though it be with great danger to be beaten out againe This expresseth an vnspeakable distresse and calamitie of wicked men at the last day when they shal circuite and runne about the whole citie of God both in heauen and earth to seeke help and shal finde none When they shal crie with sighes and grones as pearsing as a sword and yet shal not be heard For whether wil they turne them selues in this distresse vnto their worldly wealth power or riches alas they are gone and the scripture saieth riches shal not profit in the day of reuenge Wil they turne vnto their carnal frends But what comfort can they geue besides onely weeping and comfortles mourning Wil they aske helpe of the Saints in heauen to pray for them in this instant It is good surely so to doe but yet they can not chuse but remember what is writen The sainies shal reioise in glorie exultation shal be in their throtes and tvvo edged svvordes in their handes to take reuenge vpon nations and increpations vpon people to binde kings in fetters and noble men in manacles of iron to execute vpon them the prescript iudgement of God and this is the glorie of al bis saintes Their onely refuge thē must be vnto God who in deed is the onely sure refuge of al but yet in this case the prophet saieth here that he shal not heare them but rather contemne and laugh at their misery Not that he is contrarie to his promise of reccauing a finner at what time soeuer he repēteth and turneth from his sinne but for that this turning at the last day is not commonly true repentance and conuersion for the causes before rehearsed To conclude then this matter of delay what wise man is ther in the world who reading this wil not feare the deferring of his conuersion though it were but for one day Who doeth know whether this shal be the last day or no that euer God wil cal him God saith I called and you refused to come I held out my hand and you vvold not looke tovvardes me and therfore vvil I forsake you in your extremitie He doth not say how many times or how long he did cal and hold out his hand God saith I stand at the dore and knocke but he saith not how often he doth that or how many knockes he geueth Againe he said of wicked Iezabel the faigned prophetesse in the Apocalips I haue geuen her time to due penance and she vvold not and therfore shal she perish but he saieth not how long this time of repentance endured We read of wonderful examples herin HEROD the father had a cal geuen him and that a lowd one when Iohn baptist was sent vnto him and when his hart was so farre touched as he willingly heard him and folowed his counsaile in many thinges as one Euangelist noteth But yet because he deferred the matter and tooke not time when it was offered he was cast of againe and his last doings made worse then his former HEROD tetrarche the sonne had a cal also when he felt that desire to see Christ some miracle done by him but for that he answered not vnto the cal it did him no good but rather much hurt What a great knocke had PILATE geuen him at his hart if he had bene so fortunate as to haue opened the dore presently when he was made to vnderstand the innocencie of Christ as appeareth by washing his handes in testimonie therof and his wife also sent vnto him an admonition about the same No lesse knocke had king AGRIPPA at his dore when he cried out vpon the hearing of S. Paul O Paul thou