before the time that is the iudgement wherein they and all men their sectaries are to bee cast into eternall torments as that l truth saith that neither deceiueth nor is deceiued not as hee saith that following the puffes of Philosophy flies here and there mixing truth and falshood greeuing at the ouerthrow of that religion which afterwards hee affirmes is all error L. VIVES HErmes a Of him by and by b His words We haue seene of his bookes greeke and latine This is out of his Asclepius translated by Apuleius c So doth humanity So humanity adapting it selfe to the nature and originall saith Hermes his booke d Trust So hath Hermes it Bruges copy hath Mistrust not your selfe e Beyond Apuleius and the Coleâ—…ne copy haue it both in this maner onely Mirth the Coleynists haue more then he f For Hermes I would haue cited some of his places but his bookes are common and so it is needelesse 〈◊〉 It being easier A diuersity of reading but of no moment nor alteration of sence h Of that which Reioycing that Christ is come whom the law and Prophets had promised So Iohn bad his disciples aske art thou he that should come or shall wee looke for an other i Peter This confession is the Churches corner stone neuer decaying to beleeue and affirme THAT IESVS IS CHRIST THE SONNE OF THE LIVING GOD. This is no Philosophicall reuelation no inuention no quirke no worldly wisdome but reuealed by GOD the father of all to such as hee doth loue and vouchsafe it k Because Hee sheweth why the deuills thought that Christ vndid them before the time l Truth Mat. 25. 41. Depart from meâ—… yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angells How Hermes openly confessed his progenitors error and yet bewayled the destruction of it CHAP. 24. FOr after much discourse hee comes againe to speake of the gods men made but of these sufficient saith hee let vs returne againe to man to reason by which diuine guift man hath the name of reasonable For we haue yet spoken no wonderfull thing of man the a wonder of all wonders is that man could fiâ—…e out the diuine nature and giue it effect Wherefore our fathers erring exceedinly in incredulity b concerning the deities and neuer penetrating into the depth of diuine religioÌ„ they inueÌ„ted an art to make gods whervnto they ioyned a vertue out of some part of the worlds nature like to the other and conioyning these two because they could make no soules they framed certaine Images whereinto they called either Angells or deuills and so by these mysteries gaue these Idols power to hurt or helpe them I know not whether the deuills being admited would say asmuch as this man saith Our fathers exceedingly erring saith he in incredulity concerning the deities not penetrating into the depth of diuine religion inuented an arte to make gods Was hee content to say they but erred in this inuention no he addeth Exceedingly thus this exceeding error and incredulity of those that looked not into matters diuine gaue life to this inuention of making gods And yet though it were so though this was but an inuention of error incredulity and irreligiousnes yet this wise man lamenteth that future times should abolish it Marke now whether Gods power compell him to confesse his progenitors error the diuills to bee made the future wrack of the said error If it were their exceeding error incredulity negligence in matters diuine that giue first life to this god-making inuention what wonder if this arte bee detestable and all that it did against the truth cast out from the truth this truth correcting that errour this faith that incredulity this conuersion that neglect If he conceale the cause and yet confesse that rite to be their inuention we if we haue any wit cannot but gather that had they bin in the right way they would neuer haue fallen to that folly had they either thought worthily or meditated seriously of religion yet should wee a ffirme that their great incredulous contemptuous error in the cause of diuinity was the cause of this inuention wee should neuerthelesse stand in need to prepare our selues to endure the impudence of the truths obstinate opponeÌ„ts But since he that admires yâ— power of this art aboue all other things in man and greeues that the time should come wherein al those illusions should claspe with ruine through the power of legall authority since he confesseth the causes that gaue this art first original namely the exceeding error incredulity negligeÌ„ce of his ancestor in matters diuine what should wee doe but thinke GOD hath ouerthrowne these institutions by their iust contrary causes that which errors multitude ordained hath truths tract abolished faith hath subuerted the worke of incredulity and conuersion vnto Gods truth hath suppressed the effects of true Gods neglect not in Egipt only where onely the diabolicall spirit bewaileth but in all the world which heareth a new song sung vnto the Lord as the holy scripture saith Sing vnto the Lord a new song Sing vnto the Lord all the earth for the c title of this Psalme is when the house was built after the captiuity the City of God the Lords house is built that is the holy Church all the earth ouer after captiuity wherein the deuills held those men slaues who after by their faith in God became principall stones in the building for mans making of these gods did not acquit him from beeing slaue to these works of his but by his willing worship he was drawn into their society a society of suttle diuills not of stupid Idols for what are Idols but as the Scripture saith haue eyes and see not all the other properties that may be said of a dead sencelesse Image how well soeuer carued But the vncleane spirits therein by that truly black art bouÌ„d their soules that adored theÌ„ in their society most horrid captiuity therefore saith the Apostle We know that an Idol is nothing in the world But the Gentiles offer to deuilis not vnto God I wil not haue them to haue society with the deuils So then after this captiuity that bound men slaue to the deuils Gods house began to be built through the earth thence had the Psalme the beginning Sing vnto the Lord a new song sing vnto the Lord all the earth Sing vnto the Lord and praise his name d declare his saluation e from day to day Declare his glorie amongst all nations and his wonders amongst all people For the Lord is great and much to be praised hee is to be feared aboue all gods For all the gods of the people are Idols but the Lord made the heauens Hee then that bewailed the abolishment of these Idols in the time to come and of the slauery wherein the deuills held men captiue did it out of an euill spirits inspiration and from that did desire the continuance of that captiuity
progresse to shew the proceeding of both 〈◊〉 Citties in their courses heauenly and earthly The generation of Iaphet the 〈◊〉 is the first that is recorded who had eight sonnes two of which had seaâ—…es further three the one and foure the other so that Iaphet had in all 〈◊〉 sons Now Cham the middle brother had foure sonnes one of which had â—…re and one of these had two which in all make eleauen These being reckâ—… the scripture returneth as to the head saying And Chush begat Nimrod 〈◊〉 a Gyant vpon the earth hee was a mighty hunter against the Lord whereâ—… it is said As Nemrod the mighty hunter against the Lord. a And the beginâ—… 〈◊〉 his Kingdome was Babilon and b Oreg and c Archad and Chalame 〈◊〉 â—…and of Seimar Out of that Land came Assur and d builded Niniuy and 〈◊〉 e Robooth and Chalesh and Dasem betweene Chalech and Niniuy 〈◊〉 great city Now this Chus the gyant Nembrods father is the first of Chams 〈◊〉 on that is named fiue of whose sons and two of his grand-children were 〈◊〉 before But he either begot this giant after all them or else and that I raâ—…d the scripture nameth him for his eminence sake because his Kingdom iâ—… 〈◊〉 also whereof Babilon was the head citty and so are the other citties 〈◊〉 â—…ons that hee possessed But whereas it is said that Assur came out of the 〈◊〉 of Semar which belonged vnto Nimrod and builded Niniuie and the oâ—…ee citties this was long after but named heere because of the greatnesse 〈◊〉 â—…yrian Kingdome which f Ninus Belus his sonne enlarged wonderfulâ—… 〈◊〉 was the founder of the great citty Niniuie which was called after his 〈◊〉 â—…niuie of Ninus But Assur the father of the Assyrians was none of 〈◊〉 â—…nes but of the progeny of Sem Noahs eldest sonne So that it is eurâ—… some of Sems sonnes afterward attained the Kingdome of this great 〈◊〉 went further then it and builded other citties the first of which 〈◊〉 Niniuie of Ninus from this the scripture returneth to another sonne 〈◊〉 Mizraim and his generation is reckned vppe not by perticular 〈◊〉 by seauen nations out of the sixt whereof as from a sixth sonne 〈◊〉 Philystiym which make vppe eight Thence it returneth backe aâ—… Chanaan in whom Cham was cursed and his generation is comprized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all their extents related together with some citties Thus casâ—… 〈◊〉 into one summe of Chams progeny are one and thirty descended Nâ—… 〈◊〉 remaineth to recount the stocke of Sem Noahs eldest sonne for the â—…ns beganne to bee counted from the youngest and so vpwards graâ—… him But it is some-what hard to finde where his race beginnes to 〈◊〉 â—…ted yet must we explaine it some way for it is chiefly pertayning to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read it g vnto Sem also the father of all the sonnes of Heber and elâ—… of Iaphet were children borne the order of the wordes is this And 〈◊〉 borne vnto Sem and all his children euen vnto Sem who was Iaphets elâ—… Thus it maketh Sem the Patriarch vnto all that were borne 〈◊〉 â—…ocke whether they were his sonnes or his grand-sonnes or their 〈◊〉 or their grand sonnes and so of the rest for Sem begot not Heâ—… is the first from him in lineall descent For Sem besides others beâ—… â—…t hee Canaan Canaan Sala and Sala was Hebers father It is not â—…g then that Heber is named the first of Sems progeny and before 〈◊〉 â—…nes beeing but grand-childe to his grand-childe vnlesse it bee that 〈◊〉 Hebrewes had their name from him quasi Heberewes as it may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were called Hebrewes quasi Abrahewes of Abraham But true it is they were called Hebrewes of Heber and Israel onely attained that language and was the people wherein Gods Citty was both prefiguted and made a pilgrim So then Sem first hath his sixe sonnes reckned and foure other sonnes by one of them and then another of Sems sonnes begot a sonne and this sonne of this last son was father vnto Heber And Heber had two sons one called Phalec that is diuision the scripture addeth this reason of his name for in his tiâ—… the earth was diuided which shal be manifested hereafter Hebers other sonne had twelue sonnes and so the linage of Seth were in all seauen and twenty Thus then the grand summe of all the generations of Noahs three sonnes is three score and thirteene Fifteene from Iaphet thirty and one from Cham and seauen and twenty from Shem. Then the scripture proceedeth saying These are the sonnes of Sem according to their families and their tongues in their countries and Nations And then of them all These are the families of the sonnes of Noah after their generations amongst their people and out of these were the Nations of the earth diuided after the floud Whence wee gather that they were three score and thirteene or rather as wee will shewe hereafter three score and twelue Nations not seauenty-two single persons for when the sonnes of Iaphet were reckned it concluded thus i Of these were the Islands of the gentiles diuided in their hands each one according to his tongue and families in their nations And the sonnes of Cham are plainely made the founders and storers of nations as I shewed before Mizraim begot all those that were called the Ludieim and so of the other sixe And hauing reckned Chams sonnes it concludeth in like manner These are the sonnes of Cham according to their tongues and families in their countries and their nations Wherefore the Scripture could not 〈◊〉 many of their sonnes because they grew vppe and went to dwell in other countries and yet could not people whole lands themselues for why are bâ—… two Iaphets eight sonnes progenies named three of Chams foure and two of Sems 〈◊〉 Had the other no children On wee may not imagine that but thâ—… did not growe 〈◊〉 into Nations worthy recording but as they were ioyâ—…ed themselues with other people L. VIVES ANd a the What those places were in Greekâ—… Eusebius Pamphilus and Iosephus 〈◊〉 whom 〈◊〉 also agreeth with what we neede wee will take thence the Reader may 〈◊〉 the â—…est in themselues for they are common bookes The field of Semar was in Chaldea in it was built the tower of Babel b Oreg The Hebrew is Arach but thus the seauenty 〈◊〉 Archad The Hebrew is Accad which they say is Nisibis in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d 〈◊〉 Thaâ—… of 〈◊〉 for there was another 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—…ue â—…wards That of Assyria Pliny calles Nâ—…s being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 standiâ—… 〈◊〉 Tygrâ—… and lying towards the 〈◊〉 â—…o saith 〈◊〉 also Diodorus calls it Nina and saith that Ninus Belus his sonne built it and that there was nâ—…er City since so â—…arge within the walls Their hight was one hundred foote they brâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue gone side by side vpon easily their compasse was foure hundred 〈◊〉 â—…ghty 〈◊〉 and
all this whole time from the vnion vnto him to the end of the time implyed in the thousand yeares The rest saith Saint Iohn shall not liue for now is the houre when the dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and they that he are it shall liue the rest shall not liue but the addition vntill the thousand yeares be finished implieth that they shall want life all the time that they should haue it in attayning it by passing through faith from death to life And therefore on the day of the generall resurrection they shall rise also not vnto life but vnto iudgement that is vnto condemnation which is truly called the second death for hee that liueth not before the thousand yeares be expired that is he that heareth not the Sauiours voyce and passeth not from death to life during the time of the first resurrection assuredly shall be throwne both body and soule into the second death at the day of the second resurrection For Saint Iohn proceedeth plainly This saith hee is the first resurrection Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection and part of it is his who doth not onely arise from death in sinne but continueth firme in his resurrection On such saith he the second death hath no power But it hath power ouer the rest of whome hee sayd before The rest shall not liue vntill the thousand yeares bee finished because that in all that whole time meant by the thousand yeares although that each of them had a bodily life at one time or other yet they spent it and ended it with-out arising out of the death of iniquitie wherein the deuill held them which resurrection should haue beene their onely meane to haue purchased them a part in the first resurrection ouer which the second death hath no power An answer to the obiection of some affirming that resurrection is proper to the body onely and not to the soule CHAP. 10. SOme obiect this that resurrection pertaineth onely to the body and therefore the first resurrection is a bodily one for that which falleth say they that may rise againe but the body falleth by death for so is the word Cadauer a carcasse deriued of Cado to fall Ergo rising againe belongeth soly to the body and not vnto the soule Well but what will you answer the Apostle that in as plaine terms as may be he calleth the soules bettring a resurrection they were not reuiued in the outward man but in the inward vnto whom he said If yee then be risen with Christ seeke the things which are aboue which he explaineth else-where saying Like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father so wee also should walke in newnesse of life Hence also is that place Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Now whereas they say none can rise but those that fall ergo the body onely can arise why can they not heare that shrill sound of the spirit Depart not from him least you fall and againe Hâ—… standeth or falleth to his owne maister and further Let him that thinketh hee sâ—…eth take heed least hee fall I thinke these places meane not of bodily falls but 〈◊〉 the soules If then resurrection concerne them that fall and that the soule â—…y also fall it must needs follow that the soule may rise againe Now Saint 〈◊〉 hauing said On such the second death shall haue no power proceedeth thus But 〈◊〉 shall bee the Priests of God and of Christ and shall reigne with him a thousand â—…es Now this is not meant onely of those whome the Church peculiarly calleth Bishops and Priests but as wee are all called Christians because of our mysticall Chrisme our vnction so are wee all Priests in being the members of â—…e Priest Where-vpon Saint Peter calleth vs A royall Priest-hood an holy nation And marke how briefly Saint Iohn insinuateth the deity a of Christ in these words of God and of Christ that is of the Father and of the Sonne yet as hee was made the sonne of man because of his seruants shape so in the same respect was he made a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech whereof wee haue spoken diuerse times in this worke L. VIVES DEity a of Christ For it were a damnable and blasphemous iniury to God to suffer any one to haue Priests but him alone the very Gentiles would by no meanes allowe it 〈◊〉 Philippic 2. Of Gog and Magog whom the Deuill at the worlds end shall stirre vp against the Church of God CHAP. 11. ANd when the thousand yeares saith hee are expired Sathan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall goe out to deceiue the people which are in the foure quarters of the earth euen God and Magog to gather them together into Battell whose number is as the sand of the sea So then the ayme of his decept shal be this warre for he vsed diuers waies to seduce before and all tended to euill He shall leaue the dennes of his hate and burst out into open persecution This shal be the last persecution hard before the last iudgement and the Church shall suffer it all the earth ouer the whole citty of the Diuell shall afflict the Citty of God at these times in all places This Gog and this Magog are not to bee taken for a any particular Barbarous nations nor for the Getes and Messagetes because of their litterall affinity nor for any other Countryes beyond the Romaines iurisdiction hee meaneth all the earth when hee saith The people which are in the foure quarters of the Earth and then addeth that they are Gog and Magog b Gog is an house and Magog of an house as if hee had sayd the house and hee that commeth of the house So that they are the nations wherein the Deuill was bound before and now that he is loosed cometh from thence they being as the house and hee as comming out of the house But wee referre both these names vnto the nations and neither vnto him they are both the house because the old enemy is hid and housed in them and they are of the house when out of secret hate they burst into open violence Now where as hee sayth They went vp into the plaine of the Earth and compassed the tents of the Saints about and the beloued City wee must not thinke they came to any one set place as if the Saints tents were in any one certaine nation or the beloued Citty either no this Citty is nothing but Gods Church dispersed throughout the whole earth and being resident in all places and amongst all nations as them words the plaine of the Earth do insinuate there shall the tents of the Saints stand there shall the beloued Ctty stand There shall the fury of the presecuting enemy guirt them in with multitudes of all nations vnited in one rage of
affraide Therefore I came to one of them that stood by and asked him the truth of all this so hee told mee and shewed mee the interpretation of these things These foure great beasts are foure Kings which shall arise out of the earth and they shall take away the Kingdome of the most high and possesse it for euer euen for euer and euer After this I would know the truth of the fourth beast which was so vnlike the other verie fearefull whose teeth were of Iron and his nayles of Brasse which deuoured brake in peeces and stamped the rest vnder his feete Also to knowe of the tenne hornes that were on his head and of the other that came vppe before whom three fell and of the horne that had eyes and of the month that spake presumptuous things whose looke was more stoute then his fellowes I beheld and the same horne made battaile against the Saints yea and preuailed against them vntill the Ancient of daies came and Iudgement was giuen to the Saints of the most high and the time approached that the Saints possessed the Kingdome All this Daniel inquired and then hee proceedeth Then hee sayd the fourth beast shal be the fourth Kingdome on the earth which shal be vnlike to all the Kingdomes and shall deuoure the whole earth and shall tread it downe and shall breake it in peeces And the tenne hornes are tenne Kings that shall rise and another shall rise after them and hee shal be vnlike to the first and hee shall subdue three Kings and shall speake wordes against the most high and shall consume the Saints of the most high and thinke that hee may change times and lawes and they shal bee giuen into his hand vntill a time and halfe a time But the iudgement shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it vnto the end And the kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome vnder the whole Heauen shal be giuen vnto the holy people of the most high whose Kingdome is an euerlasting Kingdome and all powers shall serue and obey him Euen this is the end of the matter I Daniell had many cogitations which troubled me and my countenance changed in me but I kept the matter in mine heart These foure Kingdomes some hold to bee a those of the Assirians Persians Macedonians and Romaines How fittly read Hieromes commentaries vpon Daniel and there you may haue full instruction But that Antichrists Kingdome shal be most cruell against the Church although it last but a while vntill the Saints receiue the Soueraignty none that reads this place can make question of The time times and halfe a time is three yeares and a halfe a yeare two yeares and halfe a yeare and this is declared by a number of daies afterwards and by the numbers of monethes in other places of the Scriptures Times in this place seemeth indefinite but the b duall number is here vsed by the LXX which the Latines haue not but both the Greekes and c Hebrewes haue Times then standeth but for two times Now I am afraid indeede that wee deceiue our selues in the ten Kings whome Antichrist shall find as tenne men by our account but there are not so many Kings in the Romaine Monarchy so that Antichrist may come vpon vs ere wee bee aware What if this number imply the fullnesse of regality which shal be expired ere hee come as the numbers of a thousand a hundred seauen and diuers more do oftentimes signifie the whole of a thing I leaue it to iudgement On with Daniel There shal be a time of trouble saith hee chap. 12 such as neuer was since there began to bee a nation vnto that same time and at that time thy people shal be deliuered euery one that shal be found written in the booke And many that sleepe in the dust of the Earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer How like is this place vnto that of the Ghospell concerning the resurection that saith They that are in the graues This they that are in the dust of the Earth that saith shall come forth this shal awake that they that haue done good vnto eternall life and they that haue done euill vnto euerlasting damnation this some to euerlasting life and some to perpetuall shame and contempt Nor thinke they differ in that the Gospell saith all that are in the graues and the Prophet saith â—…t Many for the Scripture sometimes vseth many for all So was it said vnto Abraham thou shalt bee a father of many nations and yet in another place in thy seed shall all nations be blessed Of this resurrection it was said thus to Daniell him-selfe a little after Go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand vp in thy lot at the end of the daies L. VIVES THose of the a Assirians For the first beast was like a Lyonesse bloudy and lustful and like an Eagle proud and long liued and such was the Assirian Empire The second like a Beare rough and fierry such was Cyrus founder of the Persian Monarchy The third like a winged Leopard head-long bloudy and rushing vpon death such was the Macedon who seemed rather to fly to souerainety then goe on foote for how soone did hee bring all Asia vnder the forth the strangest strongest bloudiest c. Of all such was the Romaine Empire that exceeded Barbarisme in cruelty filling all the world with the rust of hir owne breeding with bones of her massacring with ruines of her causing b The Duall The ancient Greekes had but singular and plurall the duall was added afterwards which the Latines would not imitate Dionys. Grammat yet the Greeke Poets doe often vse the plurall for the duall as yee may obserue in Homer c. c Hebrewes haue So saith Hierome vpon Daniel Dauids Prophecies of the worlds end and the last iudgment CHAP. 24. TOuching this last iudgment we finde much spoken of it in the Psalmes but I omit the most of it yet the plainest thereof I cannot but rehearse Thou afore time layd the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure they shall all waxe old as doth a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall bee changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile What reason now hath Porphyry to praise the Hebrewes for their adoration of the greatest God and yet blame the Christians for auoutching that the world shall haue an end seeing that these bookes of the Hebrews whose God hee confesseth to bee terrible to all the rest doe directly auerre it They shall perish what the heauens the greatest the safest the highest part of the world shall perish and shall
which is not God for the worship of it selfe is wicked That Varro his doctrine of Theologie hangeth no way together CHAP. 28. THerefore what is it to the purpose that so learned a man as Varro hath endeuoured to reduce all these gods to heauen and earth and cannot they slip from his fingers and fall away do what he can for being to speake of the goddesses seeing that as I said quoth he in my first booke of the places there are obserued two beginninâ—…s of the gods producing deities celestiall and terrestriall as befoâ—…e being to speake of the masculine gods we began with heauen concerning Ianus called heauen or the world so now of the feminine beginning with the earth Tellus I see how sore so good a witte is already plunged Hee is drawne by a likelyhood to make heauen the agent and earth the pacient therefore giueth the first the masculine forme and the latter the feminine and yet vnderstandeth not that hee that giueth those vnto both these two made them both And here-vpon he interpreteth a the Samothratians noble mysteries so saying that hee will lay open such things thereof to his nation as it neuer knew this he promiseth most religiously For he saith be hath obserued in Images that one thing signifieth earth another heauen another the abstracts of formes b Plato's Ideae hee will haue Ioue to bee heauen Iuno earth Minerua the Ideas Heauen the efficient earth the substance Idea the forme of each effect Now here I omit to say that Plato ascribed so much to these formes that he saith heauen doth nothing without them but it selfe was made by them This I say that Varro in his booke of the Select gods hath vtterly ouerthrowne this distinction of those three Heauen hee placeth for the masculine for tâ—…e feminine earth amongst which he putteth Minerua that but now was aboue heauen And Neptune a masculine God is in the sea therefore rather in earth then heauen Father Dis or c Pluto a male-god and their brother he is also in earth vpmost and Proserpina his wife vnder him How can those heauen-gods now be earth-gods or these earth-gods haue roomes aboue or reference to heauen what sobriety soliditie or certaintie is in this discourse And earth is all their mother that is serued with nothing but sodomy cutting and gelding Why then doth he say Ianus the gods chiefe and Tellus the goddesses where error neither alloweth one head nor furie a like time why goe they vainely about to referre these to the world e as if it could be adored for the true God the worke for the maker That these can haue no reference thether the truth hath conuinced referre them but vnto dead men deuills and the controuersie is at an end L. VIVES THe a Samothracians Of these gods I haue already spoken They are Heauen and earth Iâ—…e and Iuno that are the great Samothracian gods Uarro de ling. lat l. 4 And Minerua also To these three the stately temple of the Capitoll was dedicated In Greeke it is not well knowne who these Samothracian gods were Apollonius his interpretor hath these words they call the Samothracian gods Cahiri Nnaseas saith that their names are Axierus that is Ceres 〈◊〉 Proserpina Aziocersus father Dis and Mercury their attendant as Dionysodorus saith Aâ—…n saith that Ioue begotte Iasion and Dardanus vpon Electra The name Cabeiri serues to deriue from the mountaines Caberi in Phrygia whence these gods were brought Sâ—…e sâ—…y these gods were but two Ioue the elder and Dionysius the yonger Thus farre hee Hee that will read the Greeke it beginneth at these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now Iasion they say was Ceres sonne and called Caberus the brother of Dardanus others say laâ—… loued and lay with Ceres and was therefore slaine by thunder Hee that will read more of the Cabeiri let him go to Strabo lib. 10. b Plato's Idaea So called of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme or shape for hee that will make a thing first contemplateth of the forme and fitteth his worke therein A Painter drawes one picture by another this is his Idaea and therefore it is defined a forme of a future acte The Ideae of all things are in God which in framing of the world and cach part thereof hee did worke after and therefore Plato maketh three beginnings of all the minde that is God the worker the matter or substance of the world and the forme that it is framed after And God saith he in his Tymeus had an Idea or forme which hee followed in his whole fabricke of nature So that not onely the particuler spaces of the world but the 〈◊〉 heauen and the whole vniuerse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had the beginning from an Idea They are eâ—…all vncorporall and simple formes of things saith Apuleius Dogmat. Platon and from hence had God the figures of all things present and future nor can more the one Idea bee â—…nd in one whole kinde of creature according to which all of that kinde are wrought as 〈◊〉 of wâ—…e Where these Idea's are is a deeper question and diuersly held of the Platonists of that here-after c Pluto Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaine Dis in Latine quasi diues ritche for out of the 〈◊〉 bowels his treasurie do men fetch vp stones of worth and mettalls And therefore was â—…e said to dwell vnder the land of Spaine as Strabo saith because there was such store of mettalâ—…es corne cattle and meanes of commodity d One head for Ianus had two heads Cybels Prieâ—…s were mad e As if it or which if they could no godly person would worship the world That all that the Naturalists referre to the worlds parts should be referred to God CHAP. 29. FOr this their naturall theologie referreth all these things to the world which would they auoide scruple of sacriledge they should of right referre to the true God the worlds maker and creator of all soules and bodies Obserue but this we worship God not heauen nor earth of which a two parts of the world conâ—…h nor a soule or soules diffused through all the parts thereof but a God that made heauen and earth and all therein he made all creatures that liue brutish sencelesse sensitiue and reasonable b And now to runne through the operations of this true and high GOD briefly which they reducing to absurd and obscene mysteries induced many deuills by We worship that God that hath giuen motion existence and limits to each created nature that knowes conteines and disposeth of all causes that gaue power to the seedes and reason to such as hee vouchsafed that hath bestowed the vse of speech vpon vs that hath giuen knowledge of future things to such spirits as he pleaseth and prophecieth by whom he please that for mans due correction ordereth and endeth all warres worldly tribulations that created the violent and vehement fire of this world for the temperature of
by temptations the other enuying this the recollection of the faithfull pilgrims the obscurity I say of the opinion of these two so contrary societies the one good in nature and wil the other good in nature also but bad by wil since it is not explaned by other places of scripture that this place in Genesiis of the light and darknes may bee applyed as Denominatiue vnto them both though the author hadde no such intent yet hath not beene vnprofitably handled because though wee could not knowe the authors will yet wee kept the rule of faith which many other places make manifest For though Gods corporall workes bee heere recited yet haue some similitude with the spiritual as the Apostle sayth you are all the children of the light and the children of the day wee are no sonnes of the night nor darknes But if this were the authors mind the other disputation hath attained perfection that so wise a man of God nay the spirit in him in reciting the workes of God all perfected in sixe dayes might by no meanes bee held to leaue out the Angels eyther in the beginning that is because hee had made them first or as wee may better vnderstand In the beginning because hee made them in his onely begotten Word in which beginning God made heauen and earth Which two names eyther include all the creation spirituall and temporall which is more credible Or the two great partes onely as continents of the lesser beeing first proposed in whole and then the parts performed orderly according to the mistery of the sixe dayes L. VIVES INto a cheynes This is playne in Saint Peters second Epistle and Saint Iudes also The Angels sayth the later which kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation hath hee reserued in euerlasting cheynes vnder Darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Augustine vseth prisons for places whence they cannot passe as the horses were inclosed and could not passe out of the circuit vntill they had run b Pride Typhus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Pride and the Greeks vse Typhon of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee proud and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burne for the fiery diuell So sayth Plutarch of Typhon Osyris his brother that he was a diuell that troubled all the world with acts of malice and torment Augustine rather vseth it then the Latine for it is of more force and was of much vse in those dayes Philip the Priest vseth it in his Commentaries vppon Iob. c Iustice For God doth iustly reuenge by his good Ministers He maketh the spirits his messengers flaming fire his Ministers Ps. 103. d The desired There is no power on the earth like the diuels Iob. 40. Which might they practise as they desire they would burne drowne waste poyson torture and vtterly destroy man and beast And though we know not the diuells power directly where it is limited and how farr extended yet are wee sure they can do vs more hurt then we can euer repaire Of the power of Angels read Augustâ—… de Trinit lib. 3. Of the opinion that some held that the Angels weee meant by the seueral waters and of others that held the waters vncreated CHAP. 34. YEt some there a were that thought that the b company of Angels were meant by the waters and that these wordes Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it seperate the waters from the waters meant by the vpperwaters the Angels and by the lower eyther the nations or the diuels But if this bee so there is no mention of the Angels creation but onely of their seperation c Though some most vainely and impiously deny that God made the waters because hee neuer said Let there be waters So they may say of earth for he neuer said Let there be earth I but say they it is written God created both heauen and earth Did he so Then is water included therein also for one name serues both for the Psalm sayth The sea is his and he made it and his hands prepared the dry land but the d elementary weights do moue these men to take the waters aboue for the Angels because so an element cannot remayne aboue the heauens No more would these men if they could make a man after their principles put fleame being e in stead of water in mans body in the head f but there is the seate of fleame most fitly appointed by God but so absurdly in these mens conceits that if wee know not though this booke told vs playne that God had placed this fluid cold and consequently heauy humor in the vppermost part of mans body these world-weighers would neuer beleeue it And if they were subiect to the scriptures authority they would yet haue some meaning to shift by But seeing that the consideration of all thinges that the Booke of God conteineth concerning the creation would draw vs farre from our resolued purpose lette vs now together with the conclusion of this booke giue end to this disputation of the two contrary societyes of Angells wherein are also some groundes of the two societies of mankinde vnto whome we intend now to proceed in a fitting discourse L. VIVES SOme a there were as Origen for one who held that the waters aboue the heauens were no waters but Angelicall powers and the waters vnder the heauens their contraries diuels Epiph. ad Ioan. Hierosol Episc. b Companies Apocal. The peaple are like many waters and here-vpon some thought the Psalme meant saying You waters that bee aboue the heauens praise the name of the Lord for that belongs only to reasonable creatures to do c Though some Augustine reckoneth this for an heresie to hold the waters coeternall with God but names no author I beleeue Hesiods Chaos and Homers all producing waters were his originals d Elementary I see all this growes into question whether there be waters aboue the heauens and whether they be elementary as ours are Of the first there is lesse doubt For if as some hold the firmament be the ayre then the seperation of waters from waters was but the parting of the cloudes from the sea But the holy men that affirme the waters of Genesis to be aboue the starry firmament preuaile I gesse now in this great question that a thicke clowd commixt with ayre was placed betwixt heauen and earth to darken the space betweene heauen and vs And that part of it beeing thickned into that sea we see was drawne by the Creator from the face of the earth to the place where it is that other part was borne vp by an vnknowne power to the vttermost parts of the world And hence it came that the vpper still including the lower heauen the fire fire the ayre ayre the water this water includeth not the earth because the whole element thereof is not vnder the Moone as fire and ayre is Now for the nature of those waters Origen to begin with the
in him Behold here dilectio in one place in both the respects But if any one seeke to know whether amor be vsed in euill wee haue shewne it in good let him reade this Men shal be louers of themselues c. Louers of pleasures more then louers of GOD. For an vp right will is good loue and a peruerse will is badde loue Loue then desyring too enioy that it loueth is desire and enioying it is ioy flying what it hateth it is feare feeling it it is sorrow These are euills if the loue bee euill and good if it bee good What wee say let vs prooue by scripture The Apostle aesires to bee dissolued and to bee vvith Christ And My heart breaketh for the continuall desire I haue vnto thy iudgements f Or if this bee better My soule hath coueted to desire thy iudgements And desire of wisdome leadeth to the Kingdome yet custome hath made it a law that where concupiscentia or cupiditas is vsed without addition of the obiect it is euer taken in a badde sence But Ioy or Gladnesse the Psalme vseth well Bee glad in the LORD and reioyce you righteous and thou hast giuen gladnesse to mine heart and In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye Feare is also vsed by the Apostle in a good sence Worke out your saluation vvith feare and trembling and Be not high minded but feare and But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his suttlety so that your mindes should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ. But as for that sorrow which Tully had rather call g egritude and Virgill dolour where hee saith dolentque gaudentque yet h I had rather call it tristitia sadnesse because egritude and dolour are oftner vsed for bodily affects the question whether it be vsed in a good sence or no is fit to bee more curiously examined L. VIVES MOre a then these Then these doe to auoide ambiguity b Then knâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here translated diligo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amâ—… both to loue c Some Orig. hâ—… 1. 〈◊〉 Câ—… The scripture I thinke being carefull saith he to keepe the readers in the tract of true vnderstanding it for the capacity of the weaker called that Charity or Dilectio which they thinke wise men called loue d Is vsed The Latinists vse these two words farre other-wise â—…ing Diligo for a light loue and amo for a seruent one Dol obellam antea diligebam nunc 〈◊〉 â—…ith Tully and elsewher more plainely Clodius Tribu Pleb valde me diligit seu vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addam valde me amat I grant that amor is the meaner word and oftener vsed in obâ—…y then dilectio The same difference that the latines put betweene amo and diligo the same 〈◊〉 the Greekes put between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e To shew The places here cited prooue nothing vnlesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be both vsed in a good or an euil sence for the latine translation is the 〈◊〉 of the interpretor not of the author But perhaps he desired to shew it because he delt agâ—… Grecian namely Origen f Or if For so the 70. translated it Here begins he to shew that none of the foure affects are bad of them-selues g Egritude Tusc quaest 3. and 4. h I had rather Tully a Tusc. qu. 2. calleth bodily vexation dolor and Iusc 4. defendeth egritudo to be in the mind as egrotatio is in the body and affirmeth lib. 3. that it hath not any distinct name from sorrow Of the three passions that the Stoickes alow a wiseman excluding sadnesse as foe to a vertuous minde CHAP. 8. THose which the Greekes call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Tully Constantiae the Stoickes make to be three according to the three perturbations in a wisemans mind â—…ng will for desire b ioy for exultation and warinesse for feare but insteed of â—…at egritude or dolour which wee to avoyd amphibology call sadnesse they â—…y that a wise mind can intertaine any thing for the will say they affecteth good which a wiseman effecteth ioy concerneth the good hee hath attayned 〈◊〉 warinesse avoideth that hee is to auoyd but seeing sadnesse ariseth from 〈◊〉 â—…ill cause already fallen out and no euill happineth to a wiseman thereâ—… wisdome admits nothing in place thereof Therefore say they none but â—…en can will reioyce and beware and none but fooles can couet exult 〈◊〉 â—…nd bee sad The first are the three constancies saith Tully and the later 〈◊〉 foure perturbations The Greekes as I said call the three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In c seeking the correspondency of this with the phrase of holy writ I found this of the prophet There is no c ioy saith the Lord vnto the â—…ed as if the wicked might rather exult then haue ioy in their mischiefes for â—…y is properly peculiar to the good and Godly That also in the gospell What soeuer yee would that men should dee vnto you euen so do yee to them this seemes to â—…imate that a man cannot will any euill thing but couet it by reason of which â—…ome of interpretation some translators added good What good soeuer c. for â—…y thought it fit for man to desire that men should do them no dishonesty and â—…rfore put in this least some should thinke that in their luxurious banquets to be silent in more obscene matters they shold fulfil this precept in doing to others as others did vnto them But e good is not in the originall the greeke but only as we read before What soeuer yee would c. for in saying yee would he meaneth good Hee sayd not whatsoeuer you coueâ—… yet must wee not alway tye our phrases to this strictnesse but take leaue at needfull occasions and when wee reade those that wee may not resist wee must conceiue them so as the true sence 〈◊〉 no other passage as for example sake in the savd places of the Prophet and the Apostle who knoweth not that the wicked exult in pleasure and yet there is no ioye saith the LORD to the wicked Why because ioye is properlie and strickly vsed in this place So may some say that precept Whatseouer 〈◊〉 vvould c. is not well deliuered they may pollute one another with vncleannesse or so Notwithstanding the commaunde is well giuen and is a most true and healthfull one Why because will which properly cannot bee vsed in euill is put in the most proper signification in this place But as for ordinary vsage of speech wee would not say Haue no vvill to tell any â—…e but that there is a badde will also distinct from that which the Angells praised saying f Peace in earth to men of good vvill Good were heere superfluous if that there were no will but good and howe coldlie had the Apostle praised charity in
their postâ—…re 〈◊〉 a quadrangle there were on the walls one thousand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…undred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Robooth Hieromes translation hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Râ—…ad onely Hee built Nâ—…iue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnlesse the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Niâ—… 〈◊〉 following the Phaenician Theology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonâ—… oâ—… 〈◊〉 and calleth him Iupiter Belus Now there was another 〈◊〉 sonne to Epaphus kinge of Egypt whome Ioue begot vnto this Belus Isis was mother 〈◊〉 Eusebius make him the sonne of Telegonus who maried Isis after Apis was dead 〈◊〉 reigning as then in Athens But Belus that was father to Ninus was a quiet King of 〈◊〉 anâ—… contented with a little Empire yet had hee this warlike sonne whereby he was â—…d as a God and called the Babilonian Iupiter This was their Belus say the Egyptians 〈◊〉 Egiptus whome they call the sonne of Neptune and Lybia and granchild to Epaphus 〈◊〉 â—…her Hee placed colonies in Babilon and seating him-selfe vpon the bankes of Euâ—…â—…stituted his Priests there after the Egyptian order That Belus whom they worshipped â—…outly in Assiria and who had a temple at Babilon in Plinies time was as he saith 〈◊〉 â—…tor of Astronomy and the Assirians dedicated a iewell vnto him and called it Belus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g Unto Sem also The seauenty lay it downe most playnely h Hebrewes Paul 〈◊〉 of Borgos a great Hebraician sayth they were called Hebrewes quasi trauellers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word intends trauellers they were indeed both in Egypt and in the land of Canaan i 〈◊〉 â—…ese were As Ilands are diuided from the continent by the sea so were they amongst â—…es by riuers mountaines woods sands deserts and marishes Of the confusion of tongues and the building of Babilon CHAP. 8. WHereas therefore the Scriptures reckneth those nations each according to his proper tongue yet it returneth backe to the time when they had 〈◊〉 â—…one tongue and then sheweth the cause of the diuersity Then the whole 〈◊〉 â—…th it was of one language and one speach And as they went from the East 〈◊〉 a plaine in the land of Semar and there they aboade and they sayd one to 〈◊〉 â—…me let vs make bricke and burne it in the fire so they had bricke for stone 〈◊〉 â—…ch for lime They sayd also come let vs build vs a citty and b a tower whose 〈◊〉 reach to the heauen that we c may get vs a name least we bee scattred vpon 〈◊〉 earth And the Lord came downe to see the citty and tower which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men builded And the Lord sayd behold the people is all one and haue all 〈◊〉 â—…ge and this they begun to do neither can they now be stopped from 〈◊〉 â—…er they haue imagined to effect come on let vs downe and confound 〈◊〉 â—…guage there that each one of them vnderstand not his fellowes speach So 〈◊〉 Lord scattered them from thence ouer the whole earth and they d left 〈◊〉 â—…ild the citty and the tower Therefore the name of it was called confuâ—…â—…cause â—…cause there the Lord confounded the language of the whole earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thence did the Lord scatter them vpon all the earth This Citty 〈◊〉 â—…ch was called confusion is that Babilon whose wounderfull building 〈◊〉 â—…d euen in prophane histories for Babilon is interpreted confusion 〈◊〉 we gather that Nembrod the Giant was as we said before the builder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripture saying the beginning of his kingdome was Babilon that is this 〈◊〉 metropolitane city of the realme the kings chamber and the chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest though it were neuer brought to that strange perfection that the 〈◊〉 and the proud would haue it to be for it was built to heigh which 〈◊〉 â—…as vp to heauen whether this were the fault of some one Tower which 〈◊〉 â—…ght more vpon then all the rest or of them all vnder one as wee will 〈◊〉 soldiour or enemy when we meane of many thousands and as the 〈◊〉 of Frogges and Locusts that plagued Egypt were called onely in the 〈◊〉 number the Frogge and Locust But what intended mans vaine presumption herein admit they could haue exceeded all the mountaines with their buildings height could they euer haue gotten aboue the element of ayre and what hurt can elleuation either of body or spirit do vnto God Humility is the true tract vnto heauen lifting vppe the spirit vnto GOD but not against GOD as that gyant was said to be an hunter against the Lord which some not vnderstanding were deceiued by the ambiguity of the greeke and translated before the Lord f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beeing both before and against for the Psalme vseth it so and kneele before the Lord our maker And it is also in Iob He hath stretched out his hand against God Thus then g is that hunter against the Lord to bee vnderstood But what is the worde Hunter but an entrapper persecutor and murderer of earthly creatures So rose this hunter and his people and raised this tower against GOD which was a type of the impiety of pride and an euill intent though neuer effected deserueth to bee punished But how was it punished Because that h all soueraignty lieth in commaund and all commaund in the tongue thus pride was plagued that the commaunder of men should not be vnderstood because he would not vnderstand the Lord his commander Thus was this conspiracy dissolued each one departing from him whom hee vnderstood not nor could he adapt himselfe to any but those that hee vnderstood and thus these languages diuided them into Nations and dispersed them ouer the whole earth as God who wrought those strange effects had resolued L. VIVES ANd a pitch Bitumen whereof there was great store in those places b A tower The like to this do the prophane writers talke of the Gyants wars against the Gods laying mountaine vpon mountaine to get foote-hold against heauen the nearer it Ter sunt conati inponere Pelion Ossae Ter pater extructos disiecit fulmine montes Pelion on Ossa three times they had throwne And thrice Ioues thunder struck the bul-warke downe Saith Uirgil The story is common it might be wrested out of this of the confusion as diuers other things are drawne from holy writ into heathenisme c We may get Let this bee a monument of vs all d Left off And the builders of the cittie ceased say the seauenty e Wonderfull In Pliny Solinus Mela Strabo Herodotus all the geographers and many of the Poets of this else-where f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So it is in latin also g Is that hunter Iosephus writeth that Nimrod first taught mankinde to iniure GOD and to grow proud against him for being wondrous valiant he perswaded them that they might thanke themselues and not God for any good that befell them And so ordeined he himselfe a souerainty and to prouide that God should not subuert it
fell a building of this tower to resist a second deluge if God should be offended And the multitude held it a lesse matter to serue man then God and so obeying Nimrod willingly began to build this huge tower which might stand all waters vncouered Of this tower Sybilla writeth saying When al men were of one language some fell to build an high tower as though they would passe through it vnto heauen But God sent a winde and ouerthrâ—… and confounded their language with diuers so that each one had a seuerall tongue and therefore that citty was called Babilon h All soueraignty The Princes words are great attactiues of the subiects hearts which if they bee not vnderstood make all his people avoide him And therefore Mithridates euen when hee was vtterly ouerthrowne had friends ready to succour him because he could speake to any nation in their owne language Of Gods comming downe to confound the language of those towre-builders CHAP. 5. FOr whereas it is written The Lord came downe to see the citty and tower which the sons of men builded that is not the sons of God but that earthly minded 〈◊〉 which we call the Terrestriall citty we must thinke that God remooued from no place for hee is alwaies all in all but he is sayd to come downe when he doth any thing in earth beyond the order of nature wherein his omnipotency is as it were presented Nor getteth he temporary knowledge by seeing who can neuer be igâ—… in any thing but he is said to see and know that which he laies open to the 〈◊〉 and knowledge of others So then he did not see that city as he made it bee 〈◊〉 when he shewed how farre he was displeased with it Wee may say GOD 〈◊〉 downe to it because his angells came downe wherein hee dwelleth as that also â—…ch followeth The Lord said Behold the people is one and they haue all one 〈◊〉 c. and then Come on let vs goe downe and there confound their language 〈◊〉 a recapitulation shewing how the LORD came downe for if he were come downe already why should he say Let vs go downe c. he spoke to the angells in whom hee came downe And he saith not come and goe you downe and 〈◊〉 confound their language but come let vs go c. shewing that they are his â—…rs and yet hee co-operateth with them and they with him as the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we labour together with God The manner how GOD speaketh to his Angells CHAP. 6. THat also where God saith Let vs a make man in our Image may be meant vnto the angells because hee saith not I will make but adding in our Image it is 〈◊〉 to thinke that God made man in the angells Image or that Gods and 〈◊〉 â—…re all one This therefore is an intimation of the Trinity which Trinity being â—…thelesse but one God when hee had said let vs make he adioyneth thus â—…ed the man in his Image hee doth not say the Gods created nor in the image of 〈◊〉 Gods and so here may the Trinity bee vnderstood as if the Father had sayd 〈◊〉 and the Holy Spirit come on let vs goe downe and there confound there 〈◊〉 this now if there bee any reason excluding the Angells in this point 〈◊〉 whom it rather befitted to come vnto God in holy nations and Godly â—…ns hauing recourse vnto the vnchangeable truth the eternall 〈◊〉 â—…at vpper court for they themselues are not the truth but pertakers of 〈◊〉 that created them and draw to that as the fountaine of their life takeâ—… 〈◊〉 of that what wanteth in themselues and this motion of theirs is firme 〈◊〉 to that whence they neuer depart Nor doth GOD speake to his 〈◊〉 wee doe one to another or vnto GOD or his angells to vs or wee to 〈◊〉 God by them to vs but in an ineffable manner shewne to vs after our 〈◊〉 and his high speach to them before the effect is the vnaltered order of 〈◊〉 not admitting sound or verberation of ayre but an eternall power in 〈◊〉 working vpon a temporall obiect Thus doth God speake to his angells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs being farre of him in a farre other manner and when we conceiue aâ—… by the first maner wee come neare the angells but I am not here to disâ—…e of Gods waies opening his will to others the vnchangeable truth doth 〈◊〉 speake ineffably from himselfe vnto reasonable creatures or by reasonable â—…ures mutable or spirituall either vnto our imagination and spirit or to 〈◊〉 â—…dily sense and whereas it is sayd And shall they not faine many things they 〈◊〉 this is no confirmation but rather a question as we vse in threatning 〈◊〉 â—…is verse Virgill declareth b Non arma expedient totâque ex vrbe sequentur And shall not all my powers take armes and run We must therefore take it as a question Otherwise it sheweth not as a threatning we must needs therefore adde the interrogatiue point Thus then the progenies of Noahs three sonnes were seauenty three or rather as wee haue said three score and twelue Nations who filled the earth and the Islands thereof c and the number of nations was farre aboue the number of languages for now in Africa wee haue many Barbarous countries that speake all one language and who doubteth that mankinde increasing diuers tooke shippes and went to inhabite the Islands abroad L. VIVES LEt a vs make Hierome and Augustine doe both take this as an intimation of the Trâ—…y b Non arma Dido's words in Virgil. Aenead 3. c And the number But I thinke it is â—…der to shew any one language then any one nation but I doe not contend but onely speake my minde Whether the remote Iles were supplied with the beasts of all sorts that were saued in the Arke CHAP. 7. BVt now there is a question concerning those beasts which man respects not yet are not produced by putrifaction as frogs are but only by copulation of male and female as wolues c. how they after the deluge wherein al perished but those in the Arke could come into those Islands vnlesse they were propagate from them that were preserued in the Arke we may thinke that they might some to the nearest Iles but there are some far in the maine to which no beast could swim If men desired to catch them and transport them thether questionlesse they might doe it a by hunting though we cannot deny but that the angells by Gods command might cary them thether but if they were produced from the earth as at first because God said let the earth bring forth the liuing soule then is it most apparant that the diuersity of beasts were preserued in the Arke rather for a figure of the diuers Nations then for restauration if the earth brought them forth in those Iles to which they could not otherwise come L. VIVES BY a hunting In the Canaries and other new found Iles there were none of
India the Easterne sea Taproban and the Iles thereabouts all found out by the power of Alexanders nauy and those you shall find Antipodes to vs if you marke the posture of the Globe diligently for they haue the same eleuation of their South pole and bee in the same distance from the occidentall point that some of the countries in our climat haue of our North poynt b Their feete As Tully saith in Scipios dreame c Coniecture For the temperature of the Southerne Zone is iust like to ours d Each part The world is round and Heauen is euery where a like aboue it Of the generation of Sem in which the Citty of God lyeth downe vnto Abraham CHAP. 10. SEMS generation it is then that wee must follow to find the Citty of God after the deulge as Seth deriued it along before Therefore the Scripture hauing shewen the Earthly Citty to bee in Babilon that is in confusion returnes to the Patriarch Sem and carieth his generation downe vntill Abraham counting euery mans yeares when he had his sonne and how long hee liued where by the way I thinke of my promise of explayning why one of Hebers sonns was called Phalech because in his dayes the earth was diuided how was it diuided by the confusion of tongues So then the sonnes of Sem that concerne not this purpose being letten passe the Scripture reciteth those that conuey his seed downe vnto Abraham as it did with those that conueyed Seths seede before the deluge downe vnto Noah It beginneth therefore thus These are the generations of Sem Sem was an hundred yeares old and begat a Arphaxad two yeares after the floud And Sem liued after hee begat Arphaxad fiue hundred yeares and begat sonnes and daughters and dyed And thus of the rest shewing when euery one begot his sonne that belonged to this generation that descendeth to Abraham and how long euery one liued after hee had begotten his sonne and begot more sonnes and daughters to shew vs 〈◊〉 a great multitude might come of one least wee should make any childish 〈◊〉 at the few that it nameth Sems seede beeing sufficient to replenish so 〈◊〉 kingdomes chiefly for the Assyrian Monarchie where Ninus the subduer 〈◊〉 the East raigned in maiesty and left a mighty Empire to bee possessed 〈◊〉 yeares after by his posterity But let vs not stand vpon trifles longer then 〈◊〉 must wee will not reckon the number of euery mans yeares till he dyed â—…ely vntill hee begat the sonne who is enranked in this genealogicall rolle 〈◊〉 gathering these from the deluge to Abraham we will briefly touch at other â—…ents as occasion shall necessarily import In the second yeare therefore 〈◊〉 the deluge Sem being two hundred yeares old begat Arphaxat Arphaxat 〈◊〉 a hundred thirty fiue yeares old begat Canaan hee beeing a hundred and 〈◊〉 yeares old begat Sala and so old was Sala when hee begot Heber Heber 〈◊〉 hundred thirty and foure yeares old when he begat Phalec Phalec a hundâ—… and thirty and begat Ragau hee one hundred thirty and two and begat Seâ—…ruch one hundred and thirty and begot Nachor Nachor seauenty and nine 〈◊〉 got Thara b Thara seauenty and begot Abram whom God afterward 〈◊〉 Abraham So then from the deluge to Abraham are one thousand seauenty 〈◊〉 yeares according to the vulgar translation that is the Septuagints But 〈◊〉 Hebrew the yeares are farre fewer whereof wee can heare little or no 〈◊〉 shewen 〈◊〉 therefore in this quest of the Citty of God wee cannot say in this time 〈◊〉 those men were not all of one language those seauenty and two naâ—… meane wherein wee seeke it that all man-kinde was fallen from GODS 〈◊〉 â—…uice but that it remained onely in Sems generation descending to 〈◊〉 by Arphaxad But the earthly Citty was visible enough in that preâ—…ion of building the tower vp to heauen the true type of deuillish exalâ—… therein was it apparant and euer after that But whether this other 〈◊〉 â—…ot before or lay hid or rather both remained in Noahs sonnes the godly 〈◊〉 two blessed ones and the wicked in that one accursed from whom that 〈◊〉 giant-hunter against the Lord descended it is hard to discerne for it may 〈◊〉 that most likely that before the building of Babilon GOD might haue 〈◊〉 of some of Chams children and the deulil of some of Sems and Iaphets 〈◊〉 may not beleeue that the earth wanted of eyther sort For that saying 〈◊〉 all gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is not one that doth good no 〈◊〉 euen in both the Psalmes that haue this saying this followeth Doe not 〈◊〉 worke iniquity know that they eate vp my people as it vvere bread so that 〈◊〉 his people then And therefore that same No not one is meant restricâ—… 〈◊〉 the sonnes of men and not the sonnes of GOD for hee sayd before 〈◊〉 looked downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men to see if there were any 〈◊〉 â—…ld vnderstand and seeke GOD and then the addition that followeth 〈◊〉 that it was those that liued after the lawe of the flesh and not of the 〈◊〉 â—…ome hee speaketh of L. VIVES ARphaxad a From him saith Hierome the Chaldaeans descended b Thara The 70. call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew Terah Tha the Hebrew tongue so called afterward of Heber was the first language vpon the earth and remained in his family when that great confusion was CHAP. 11. VVHerefore euen as sinne wanted not sonnes when they had all but one language for so it was before the deluge and yet all deserued to perish therein but Noah and his family so when mans presumption was punished with his languages confusion whence the Citty Babilon their proud worke had the name Hebers a house failed not but kept the old language still Where-vpon as I said Heber was reckoned the first of all the sonnes of Sem who begot each of them an whole nation yet was hee the fift from Seth in descent So then because this language remained in his house that was confounded in all the rest being credibly held the onely language vpon earth before this hence it had the name of the Hebrew tongue for then it was to bee nominally distinct from the other tongues as other tongues had their proper names But when it was the tongue of all it had no name but the tongue or language of man-kinde wherein all men spake Some may say if that the earth was diuided by the languages in Phalechs time Hebers sonne it should rather haue beene called his name then Hebers O but wee must vnderstand that b Heber did therefore giue his sonne Phalec such a name that is diuision because hee was borne vnto him iust at the time when the earth was diuided so meanes the Scripture when it saith in his dayes the earth was deuided For if Heber were not liuing when the confusion befell the tongue that was to remaine in his family should not haue
had the name from him and there wee must thinke that it was first vniuersall because the confusion of tongues was a punishment which Gods people were not to cast off Nor was it for nothing that Abraham could not communicate this his language vnto all his generation but onely to those that were propagate by Iacob and arising into an euident people of God were to receiue his Testament and the Sauiour in the flesh Nor did Hebers whole progenie beare away this language but onely that from whence Abraham descended Wherefore though there be no godly men euidently named that liued at the time when the wicked built Babylon yet this concealement ought not to dull but rather to incite one to inquire further For whereas we read that at first men had all one language and that Heber is first reckoned of all the sonnes of Sem beeing but the fift of his house downeward and that language which the Patriarches and Prophets vsed in all their words and writings was the Hebrew Verily when woe seeke where that tongue was preserued in the confusion being to bee kept amongst them to whom the confusion could be no punishment what can wee say but that it was preserued vnto this mans family of whome it had the name and that this is a great signe of righteousnesse in him that where as the rest were afflicted with the confusion of their tongues hee onely and his family was acquit of that affliction But yet there is another doubt How could Heber and his sonne Phalec become two seuerall nations hauing both but one language And truly the Hebrew tongue descended to Abraham from Heber and so downe from him vntill Israell became a great people How then could euery sonne of Noahs sonnes progenies become a particular nation when as Heber and Phalec had both but one langâ—… The greatest probability is that c Nembroth became a nation also and yet was reckned for the eminence of his dignity and corporall strength to keepe the number of seauenty two nations inuiolate but Phalec was not named for growing into a nation but that that strange accident of the earths diuision fel out in 〈◊〉 daies for of the nation and language of Heber was Phalec also We need not 〈◊〉 at this how Nembroth might liue iust with that time when Babilon was 〈◊〉 and the confusion of tongues befell for there is no reason because Heber was the sixt from Noah and hee but the fourth but that they might both liue vnto 〈◊〉 time in one time for this fel out so before where they that had the least 〈◊〉 liued the longest that they that had the more died sooner or they 〈◊〉 â—…ad few sonnes had them later then those that had many for wee must conâ—… this that when the earth was builded Noahs sonnes had not onely all 〈◊〉 issue who were called the fathers of those nations but that these also 〈◊〉 and numerous families worthy the name of nations Nor may wee 〈◊〉 then that they were borne as they are reckened Otherwise how could 〈◊〉 twelue sonnes another sonne of Hebers become of those nations if hee 〈◊〉 â—…ne after Phalec as hee is reckned for in Phalecs daies was the earth 〈◊〉 Wee must take it thus then Phalec is first named but was borne long 〈◊〉 brother Ioktan whose twelue sonnes had all their families so great that 〈◊〉 â—…ht be sufficient to share one tongue in the confusion for so might he that 〈◊〉 borne be first reckned as Noahs youngest sonne is first named nameâ—… Cham the second the next and Shem the eldest the last Now some of 〈◊〉 â—…s names continued so that we may know to this day whence they are 〈◊〉 â—…s the Assirians of Assur the Hebrewes of Heber d and some conâ—… of time hath abolished in so much that the most learned men can 〈◊〉 finde any memory of them in antiquity For some say that the Egyptiâ—… they that came of Mizraim e Chams sonne here is no similitude 〈◊〉 at all nor in the Aethiopians which they say came of Chus another 〈◊〉 Chams And if wee consider all wee shall finde farre more names lost 〈◊〉 â—…ayning L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a house Some thinke they consented not vnto the building of the Tower and 〈◊〉 â—…efore had the first language left onely to them Herodotus writeth that Psametiâ—…â—…yptian â—…yptian king caused two children to be brought vp in â—…e woods without hearing 〈◊〉 mans mouth thinking that that language which they would speake of themselues 〈◊〉 â—…ould bee that which man spake at first after three yeares they were brought vnto 〈◊〉 â—…ey said nothing but Bec diuers times Now Bec is bread in Phrygian wherevpon 〈◊〉 the Phrygian tongue to bee the first but it was no maruaile if they cryed 〈◊〉 continually brought vp amongst the goates that could cry nothing else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophecying of what was to 〈◊〉 saith Hierom. c Nembroth became 〈◊〉 it is vncertaine where hee raigned is playne Gen. 2. In Babilon and Arach that 〈◊〉 Hierom Edessa and Accad that is now called Nisibis and in Chalah that 〈◊〉 â—…d called Seleucia of Seleucus or else that which is now called Ctesiphon Perhaps hee was the father but doubtlesse the great increaser of those nations d And some So saith Hierome of all Ioctans sonnes And no maruell since that all the mountaines hilles and riuers of Italy France and Spaine changed their names quite into barbarous ones within the compasse of two hundred yeares e Ghams sonne Nay Egipt saith Hierome bare Chams owne name for the seauenty put the letter X. for the Hebrew He continually to teach vs the aspiration dew to the word and here they translate Cham for that which in the Hebrew is Ham by which name Egipt in the countries proper language is called vnto this day Thus farre Hierome But it might bee that Egipt was called Mizraim of him that first peopled it as Hierome saith the Hebrews call it continually Egipt was also called afterwards Aeria because as Stephanus saith the ayre was thicke therein it was called further-more Neptapolis of the seauen citties therein And lastly Egypt of Egyptus Belus his sonne Homer calles the riuer Nilus Egipt f Ethiopians The Hebrews call Ethiopia Chus Hieron It was called Atlantia of Atlas and Ethiopia afterwards of Ethiops Uulcans sonne as some say But I thinke rather of the burnt hew of the inhabitants for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke is black Homer that old Poet saith there are two Ethiopa's Odyss 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This lyes vpon the East that on the West There is also a part of the I le Eubaea called Aethiopon Of that point of time wherein the citty of God began a new order of succession in Abraham CHAP. 12. NOw let vs see how the Citty of God proceeded from that minute wherein it began to bee more eminent and euident in promises vnto Abraham which now wee see fulfilled in Christ. Thus the holy Scripture teacheth vs then that
Abraham was then but seauentie two yeares of age and his father begetting him when he was seauentie yeares old must needs bee a hundred fortie fiue yeares old and no more at his departure Therefore hee went not after his fathers death who liued two hundred and fiue yeares but before at the seauenty two yeares of his owne age and consequently the hundred forty fiue of his fathers And thus the Scripture in an vsuall course returneth to the time which the former relation had gone beyond as it did before saying That the sonnes of Noahs sonnes were diuided into nations and languages c. and yet afterwards adioyneth Then the vvhole earth vvas of one language c. as though this had really followed How then had euery man his nation and his tongue but that the Scriptures returne back againe vnto the times ouer-passed Euen so here whereas it is said the daies of Thara were two hundred fiue yeares and he died in Charra then the scriptures returning to that which ouer-passed to finish the discourse of Thara first then the Lord said vnto AbrahaÌ„ get thee out of thy country c. after which is added So Abraham departed as the Lord spake vnto him and Lot went with him and Abraham was seauenty yeares old when he went from Charra This therefore was when his 〈◊〉 was a hundred forty and fiue yeares of age for then was Abraham seauenty fiue This doubt is also otherwise dissolued by counting Abrahams seauenty 〈◊〉 when he went to Charra from the time when he was freed from the fire of 〈◊〉 Chaldaaens and not from his birth as if he had rather beene borne then 〈◊〉 Saint Stephen in the Actes discoursing hereof saith thus The God of glory apâ—… to our father Abraham in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charra and said 〈◊〉 him get thee out of thy country from thy kindred and come into the land which 〈◊〉 giue thee According to these words of Stephen it was not after Tharas death 〈◊〉 â—…od spake to Abraham for Thara died in Charra but it was before he dwelt 〈◊〉 â—…rra yet was in Mesopotamia But he was gone out of Chaldaea first And â—…eas Stephen saith Then came hee out of the land of the Chaldaeans and dwelt in 〈◊〉 this is relation of a thing done after those words of God for hee went 〈◊〉 Chaldaea after God had spoken to him for hee saith God spake to him in Mesopotamia but that word Then compriseth all the time from Abrahams departure vntill the Lord spake to him And that which followeth After that his father 〈◊〉 dead God placed him in this land wherein he now dwelleth The meaning of the place is And God brought him from thence wher his father dyed afterwards and placed 〈◊〉 â—…ere So then we iust vnderstand that God spake vnto Abraham being in Mesoâ—…tamia yet not as yet dwelling in Charra but that he came in to Charra with â—…er holding Gods commandement fast and in the seauenty fiue yeare of 〈◊〉 departed thence which was in his fathers a hundred forty fiue yere Now 〈◊〉 that he was placed in Chanaan not he came out of Charra after his 〈◊〉 death for when hee was dead he began to buy land there and became 〈◊〉 possessions But whereas God spake thus to him after hee came from 〈◊〉 and was in Mesopotamia Get thee out of thy country from thy kindred 〈◊〉 thy fathers house this concerned not his bodily remouall for that hee 〈◊〉 before but the seperation of his soule from them for his mind was 〈◊〉 â—…arted from them if he euer had any hope to returne or desired it this â—…d desire by Gods command was to bee cut of It is not incredible 〈◊〉 â—…erwards when as Nachor followed his father Abraham then fulfilled the â—…nd of God and tooke Sara his wife and Lot his brothers sonne and so 〈◊〉 out of Charra L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a inextricable doubt So Hierome calles it and dissolueth it some-what â—…sly from Augustine although hee vse three coniectures dissolâ—…â—…us â—…us Hierome dissolueth it out of an Hebrew history for that which we read the 〈◊〉 of Chaldaea the Hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ur Shadim that is the fire of the Caldaeâ—…â—…pon the Hebrewes haue the story Abraham was taken by the Chaldaeans and 〈◊〉 he would not worshippe their Idols namely their fire he was put into it from whence 〈◊〉 â—…ed him by miracle and the like story they haue of Thara also his father that hee 〈◊〉 he would not adore their images was so serued and so escaped also as whereas it is 〈◊〉 Aram dyed before his father in the land where hee was borne in the country of 〈◊〉 they say it is in his fathers presence in the fire of the Chaldaeans wherein beâ—…â—…ould not worship it he was burned to death And likewise in other places of yâ— text 〈◊〉 â—…hen he comes to this point saith the Hebrew tradition is true that saith that Thara 〈◊〉 came out of the fire of the Chaldaees that Abraham being hedged round about in 〈◊〉 with the fire which he would not worshippe was by Gods power deliuered from thence are the number of his yeares accounted because then hee first confessed the Lord God and contemned the Chaldee Idols Thus farre Hierome without whose relation this place of Augustine is not to bee vnderstood Iosephus writeth that Thara hating Chaldaea departed thence for the greefe of his sonne Arams death and came to dwell in Charra and that Arams tombe was to bee seene in Vr of the Chaldees The order and quality of Gods promises made vnto Abraham CHAP. 16. NOw must we examine the promises made vnto Abraham for in them began the oracles presaging our Lord Iesus Christ the true God to appeare who was to come of that godly people that the prophesies promised The first of them is this The Lord said vnto Abraham get thee out of thy countrey and from thy kinred and from thy fathers house vnto the land that I will shew thee And I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee make thy name great and thou shalt be blessed I will also blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and in them shall all the families of the earth bee blessed Here wee must obserue a double promise made vnto Abraham the first that his seede should possesse the land of Canaan in these words Goe vnto the land that I will shew thee and I will make thee a great nation the second of farre more worth and moment concerning his spirituall seede whereby hee is not onely the father of Israel but of all the nations that follow his faith and that is in these words And in thee shall all the families of the earth bee blessed This promise was made in Abrahams seauentie fiue yeare as Eusebius a thinketh as if that Abraham did presently there vpon depart out of Charra because the Scripture may not be controuled that giueth
the father of all the nations but the progenie of his body onely by Isaac and Israel for their seed possessed this land L. VIVES VNto a Sichem This lay in the tribe of Ephraims part and Abimelech afterwards destroied iâ—… Iudg. 9. 45. It was called Sicima in Greeke and Latine and there remained some memoâ—… 〈◊〉 iâ—… iâ—… Hieromes time in the suburbes of Neapolis neare vnto Iosephs Sepulcher there was 〈◊〉 Sichem also vpon mount Ephraim a citty of the fugitiues Hier. de loc Hebraec How God preserued Saras chastity in Egipt vvhen Abraham vvould not be knowne that she vvas his vvife but his sister CHAP. 19. THere Abraham built an altar and then departed and dwelt in a wildernesse and from thence was driuen by famine to goe into Egipt where he called his wife his sister and yet a lyed not For she was his cousin germaine and Lot being his brothers sonne was called his brother So that he did onely conceale and not deny that she was his wife commending the custody of hir chastitie vnto God and auoyding mans deceits as man for if hee should not haue endeuoured â—…o eschew danger as much as in him laye hee should rather haue become a b 〈◊〉 of GOD then a truster in him whereof wee haue disputed against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manichee his callumnyes And as Abraham trusted vpon God so came it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Pharao the King of Egipt seeking to haue her to wife was sore afâ—… â—…d forced to restore her to her husband Where c God forbid that wee should 〈◊〉 her defiled by him any way his great plagues that hee suffered would no way permit him to commit any such out-rage L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a lied not For cousin-germaines are called brethren and sisters as wee shewed out of 〈◊〉 b A temple God would be trusted vnto firmely but no way tempted Thou shalt not 〈◊〉 Lord thy God saith Moyses in Deuteronomy which saying our Sauiour Christ made 〈◊〉 of Mat. 4. c God forbid Hierome sheweth by the example Hester that the women 〈◊〉 a full yeare to be prepared fit for the Kings bed ere hee touched them so that Phaâ—…â—…ght â—…ght be plagued and forced to returne Sara to her husband in the meane time Of the seperation of Lot and Abraham without breach of charity or loue betweene them CHAP. 20. 〈◊〉 Abraham departing out of Egipt to the place whence hee came Lot withâ—… any breach of loue betweene them departed to dwell in Sodome For beâ—…â—…th very ritch their sheppards and heard-men could not agree and so to aâ—… that inconuenience they parted For amongst such as all men are vnperâ—…â—…ere might no doubt bee some contentions now and then arising which eâ—… avoide Abraham said thus vnto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between 〈◊〉 me nor betweene my heardsmen and thine for we be brethren Is a not the 〈◊〉 â—…nd before thee I pray thee depart from me if thou wilt take the left hand I 〈◊〉 to the right or if thou vvilt goe to the right hand then I vvill take the left â—…ce b it may be the world got vppe an honest quiet custome that the elâ—…â—…ould euer-more diuide the land and the yonger should choose L. VIVES 〈◊〉 Abraham puttes him to his choice to take where hee would and hee would take 〈◊〉 b Hence it may bee This was a custome of old as the declamers lawes conâ—…â—…of this was one Sen. lib. declam 6. Of Gods third promise of the land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed for euer CHAP. 21. 〈◊〉 â—…hen Abraham and Lot were parted dwelt seuerall for necessities sake 〈◊〉 â—…ot for discord Abraham in Canaan Lot in Sodome God spake the 〈◊〉 to Abraham saying Lift vp thine eyes now and looke from the place where 〈◊〉 North-ward and South-ward and East-ward and to a the sea for all the 〈◊〉 seest will I giue to thee and thy seed for euer and I will make thy seed as the 〈◊〉 the earth so that if a man may number the sands of the earth then shall thy 〈◊〉 â—…bred also arise walke through the land in the length and bredth thereof for 〈◊〉 it vnto thee Whether these promise concerne his beeing the faâ—… 〈◊〉 nations it is not euidently apparant These words I vvill make 〈◊〉 the sands of the sea may haue some reference to that beeing a tropiâ—… of speech which the greekes call b Hyperbole But how c the 〈◊〉 vseth this and the rest not that hath reade them but vnderstandeth This trope now is when the wordes doe farre exceede the meaning For who seeth not that the number of the sands is more then all Adams seede can make from the beginning to the end of the world how much more then Abrahams though it include both the Israelites and the beleeues of all other nations compare this later with the number of the wicked d and it is but an handful though e this handfull bee such a multitude as holy writ thought to signifie hyperbolically by the sands of the earth And indeed the seed promised Abraham is innumerable vnto men but not vnto GOD f nor the sands neither and therfore because not onely the Israelites but all Abrahams seede besides which hee shall propagate in the spirit are fitly compared with the sands therefore this promise includeth both But this wee say is not apparant because his bodily progeny alone in time amounted to such a number that it filled almost all the world and so might by an hyperbole bee comparable to the sands of the earth because this multitude is onely innumerable vnto man But that the land hee spoke of was onely Canaan no man maketh question But some may sticke vpon this I will giue it to thee and thy seed for euer whether hee meane eternally here or no. But if we vnderstand this Euer to be meant vntill the worlds end as wee doe firmely beleeue it is then the doubt is cleared For though the Israelites bee chased out of Ierusalem yet doe they possesse other citties in Canaan and shall doe vntill the end and were all the land inhabited with christians there were Abrahams seed in them L VIVES TO the a sea Of Syria wherein Abraham was our sea is vpon the West so that hauing named the three quarters of the world before hee must needs meane that for the westerne sea which Pliny calls the Phaenician sea b Hyperbole When our words exceed our meaning Quintil. lib. 9. c The scriptures As in Hieremy the twentith an Hyperbole of many verses saith Hierome also Dan. 4. and Ecclesiastes 10. The foules of the heauen shall carry thy voice Origen saith that that place Rom. 1. 8. your faith is published through all the world is an hyperbole This figure is ordinary in the Ghospell also and vsed most to mooue the hearers Aug. contra Iulian. lib. 5. I wonder of some that had rather haue the scriptures speake rustically then learnedly d It is but Narrow is the way that leadeth
so shee was indeed both these and withall of such beauty that she was amiable euen at those years L. VIVES A Shower a of fire Of this combustion many prophane authors make mention Strabo saith that cities were consumed by that fire as the inhabitāts thereabout report the poole that remaineth where Sodome stood the chiefe city is sixty furlongs about Many of thē also mention the lake Asphalts where the bitumen groweth b Apiller Iosephus saith he did see it Of Isaac borne at the time prefixed and named so because of his parents laughter CHAP. 31. AFter this Abraham according to Gods promise had a son by Sarah and called him Isaac that is Laughter for his father laughed for ioy and admiration when he was first promised and his mother when the three men confirmed this promise againe laughed also betweene ioye and doubt the Angell shewing her that her laughter was not faithfull though it were ioyfull Hence had the child his name for this laughter belonged not to the recording of reproach but to the celebration of gladnesse as Sarah shewed when Isaac was borne and called by this name for she said God hath made me to laugh and all that heare me will reioyce with me and soone after the bond-woman and her son is cast out of the house in signification of the old Testament as Sarah was of the new as the Apostle saith and of that glorious City of God the Heauenly Ierusalem Abrahams faith and obedience proo◅ in his intent to offer his sonne Sarahs death CHAP. 32. TO omit many accidents for brenities sake Abraham for a triall was commanded to goe and sacrifice his dearest sonne Isaac that his true obedience might shew it selfe to all the world in that shape which GOD knew already that it bate This now was an inculpable temptation and some such there bee and was to bee taken thankfully as one of Gods trialls of man And generally mans minde can neuer know it selfe well but putting forth it selfe vpon trialls and experimentall hazards and by their euents it learneth the owne state wherein if it acknowledge Gods enabling it it is godly and confirmed in solidity of grace against all the bladder-like humors of vaine-glory Abraham would neuer beleeue that God could take delight in sacrifices of mans flesh though Gods thundring commands are to bee obeyed not questioned vpon yet is Abraham commended for hauing a firme faith and beleefe that his sonne Isaac should rise againe after hee were sacrificed For when he would not obey his wife in casting out the bond-woman and hir sonne God said vnto him In Isaac shall thy seede bee called and addeth Of the bond-womans sonne will I make a great nation also because hee is thy seede How then is Isaac onely called Abrahams seede when God calleth Ismael so likewise The Apostle expoundeth it in these words that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are accounted for the seede And thus are the sonnes of promise called to be Abrahams seede in Isaac that is gathered into the Church by Christ his free grace and mercy This promise the father holding fast seeing that it must bee fulfilled in him whom God commanded to kill doubted not but that that God could restore him after sacrificing who had giuen him at first beyond all hope So the Scripture taketh his beleefe to haue beene and deliuereth it By faith a Abraham offered vp Isaac when hee was tryed and hee that had receiued the promises offered his onely sonne to whom it was said in Isaac shall thy seede bee called for hee considered that God was able to raise him from the dead and then followeth for when hee receiued him also in a sort in what sort but as hee receiued his sonne of whom it is said Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him to dye for vs all And so did Isaac carry the wood of sacrifice to the place euen as Christ carried the crosse Lastly seeing Isaac was not to be slaine indeed and his father commanded to hold his hand who was that Ram that was offered as a full and typicall sacrifice Namely that which Abraham first of all espied entangled b in the bushes by the hornes What was this but a type of Iesus Christ crowned with thornes ere hee was crucified But marke the Angels words Abraham saith the Scriptures lift vp his hand and tooke the knife to kill his sonne But the Angell of the Lord called vnto him from heauen saying Abraham and he answered Here Lord then he said Lay not thy hand vpon thy sonne nor doe any thing vnto him for now I know thou fearest God seeing that for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Now I know that is now I haue made knowne for God knew it ere now And then Abraham hauing offered the Ram for his sonne Isaac called the place c the Lord hath seene as it is said vnto this day in the mount hath the Lord appeared the Angels of the Lord called vnto Abraham againe out of heauen saying By my selfe haue I sworne saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing lust not spared thine onely sonne for me surely I will blesse thee multiply thy seed as the starres of heauen or the sands of the sea and thy seed shal possesse the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast a obayed my voyce This is that promise sworne vnto by God concerning the calling of the Gentiles after the offering of the Ram the type of Christ. God had often promised before but neuer sworne And what is Gods oth but a confirmation of his promise and a reprehension of the faithlesse after this died Sara being ahundred twenty seauen yeares old in the hundred thirty seauen yeare of her husbands age for hee was ten yeares elder then she as he shewed when Isaac was first promised saying shall I that am a hundred yeares old haue a child and shall Sarah that is foure score and tenne yeares old beare and then did Abraham buy a peece of ground and buried his wife in it and then as Stephen sayth was hee seated in that land for then began hee to be a possessor namely after the death of his father who was dead some two yeares before L. VIVES BY a faith A diuersity of reading in the text of Scripture therefore haue wee followed the vulgar b in the bushes This is after the seauenty and Theodotion whose translation Hierome approues before that of Aquila and Symachus c The Lord hath seene The Hebrew saith Hierome is shall see And it was a prouerbe vsed by the Hebrewes in all their extremities wishing Gods helpe to say In the mount the Lord shall see that is as hee pitied Abraham so will hee pitty vs. And in signe of that Ramme that God sent him they vse vnto this day to blow
an horne thus much Hierome In Spaine this Prouerbe remaineth still but not as Augustine taketh it The Lord wil be altogither seene but in a manner that is his helpe shall bee seene d Obeyed Ob-audisti and so the old writersvsed to say in steed of obedisti Of Rebecca Nachors neece whome Isaac maried CHAP 33. THen Isaac being forty yeares old maried Rebecca neece to his vncle Nachor three yeares after his mothers death his father being a hundred and forty yeares old And when Abraham sent his seruant into Mesopotamia to fetch her and said vnto him Put thine hand vnder my thigh and I will sweare thee by the Lord God of heauen and the Lord of earth that thou shalt not take my sonne Isaac a wife of the daughters of Canaan what is meant by this but the Lord God of Heauen and the Lord of Earth that was to proceed of those loynes are these meane prophesies and presages of that which wee see now fulfilled in Christ. Of Abraham marrying Kethurah after Sarahs death and the meaning therefore CHAP. 34. BVt what is ment by Abrahams marrying Kethurah after Sarahs death God defend vs from suspect of incontinency in him being so old and so holy and faithfull desired he more sonnes God hauing promised to make the seed of Isaac 〈◊〉 the stars of Heauen and the sandes of the Earth But if Agar and Hismaell did signifie the mortalls to the Old-testament as the Apostle teacheth why may not Kethurah and her sonnes signifie the mortalls belonging to the New-testament They both were called Abrahams wiues his concubines But Sarah was neuer called his concubine but his wife only for it is thus written of Sarahs giuing Agar vnto Abrahā Then Sarah Abrahams wife tooke Agar the Egiptian her maid after Abraham had dwelled tenne yeares in the land of Canaan and gaue her to her husband Abraham for his wife And of Kethurah wee read thus of his taking her after Sarahs death Now Abraham had taken him another wife called Kethurah Here now you heare them both called his wiues but the Scripture calleth them both his concubines also saying afterwards Abraham gaeue all his goods vnto Isaac but vnto the sonnes of his concubines he gaue guiftes and sent them away from Isaac his sonne while he yet liued Eastward into the East country Thus the concubines sonnes haue some guifts but none of them attayne the promised kingdome neither the carnall Iewes nor the heretiques for none are heyres but Isaac nor are the sonnes of the flesh the Sonnes of God but those of the promise of whome it is said In Isaac shal be called thy seede for I cannot see how Kethurah whome hee married after Sarahs death should bee called his concubine but in this respect But hee that will not vnderstand these things thus let him not slander Abraham for what if this were appointed by God to shew a those future heretiques that deny second mariage in this great father of so many nations that it is no sinne to many after the first wife be dead now Abraham died being a hundred seauenty fiue yeares old and Isaac whome hee begat when hee was a hundred was seauenty fiue yeares of age at his death L. VIVES THose a future The Cataphrygians that held second mariage to bee fornication Aug ad quod vult Hierome against Iouinian doth not onely abhorre second mariage but euen disliketh of the first for he was a single man and bare marriage no good will The appointment of God concerning the two twins in Rebeccas womb CHAP. 33. NOw let vs see the proceedings of the Citty of God after Abrahams death So then from Isaacs birth to the sixtith yere of his age wherin he had children there is this one thing to be noted that when as he had prayed for her frutefulnes who was barren and that God had heard him and opened her wombe and shee conceiued the two twins a played in her wombe where-with she being trou bled asked the Lords pleasure and was answered thus Two nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shal be diuided out of thy bowells and the one shall bee mightier then the other and the elder shall serue the younger Wherin Peter the Apostle vnderstandeth the great mistery of grace in that ere they were borne and either done euill or good the one was elected and the other reiected and doubtlesse as concerning originall sin both were alike and guilty and as concerning actuall both a like and cleare But myne intent in this worke curbeth mee from further discourse of this point wee haue handled it in other volumes But that saying The elder shall serue the yonger all men interpret of the Iewes seruing the Christians and though it seeme fulfilled in b Idumaea which came of the elder Esau or Edom for hee had two names because it was afterward subdued by the Israelites that came of the yonger yet not-with-standing that prophecy must needs haue a greater intent then so and what is that but to be fulfilled in the Iewes and the Christians L. VIVES THe two twinnes a played So say the seauentie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or kicked Hierome saith mooued mouebantur Aquila saith were crushed confringebantur And Symmachus compareth their motion to an emptie ship at sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Idumaea Stephanus deriueth their nation from Idumaas Semiramis her sonne as Iudaea from Iudas another of her sonnes but he is deceiued Of a promise and blessing receiued by Isaac in the manner that Abraham had receiued his CHAP. 36. NOw Isaac receiued such an instruction from God as his father had done diuerse times before It is recorded thus There was a famine in the land besides the first famine that was in Abrahams time and Isaac went to Abymelech king of the Philistines in Gerara And the Lord appeared vnto him and said Goe not downe into Aegypt but abide in the land which I shall shew thee dwell in this land and I will bee with thee and blesse thee for to thee and to thy seed will I giue this land and I will establish mine oath which I sware to Abraham thy father and will multiply thy seede as the starres of heauen and giue all this land vnto thy seede and in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed because thy father Abraham obeyed my voyce and kept my ordinances my commandements my statutes and my lawes Now this Patriarch had no wife nor concubine more then his first but rested content with the two sonnes that God sent him at one birth And hee also feared his wiues beautie amongst those strangers and did as his father had done before him with-her calling her sister onely and not wife She was indeed his kinswoman both by father and mother but when the strangers knew that she was his wife they let her quietly alone with him Wee not preferre him before his father tho in that hee had but one
of Iacobs stock how can their sonnes sonnes or their sonnes be accompted amongst the seauentie fiue that went in this company vnto Egipt for there is Machir reckoned Manasses his sonne and Galaad Machirs sonne and there is Vtalaam Ephraims sonne reckoned Bareth Vtalaams sonne Now these could not be there Iacob finding at his comming that Iosephs children the fathers and grand-fathers of those foure last named were but children of nine yeares old at that time But this departure of Iacob thether with seauentie fiue soules conteineth not one day nor a yeare but all the time that Ioseph liued afterwards by whose meanes they were placed there of whome the Scripture saith Ioseph dwelt in Egipt and his brethren with him a hundred yeares and Ioseph saw Ephraims children euen vnto the third generation that was vntill hee was borne who was Ephraims grand-child vnto him was he great grand-father The scripture then proceedeth Machirs sonnes the sonne of Manasses were brought vp on Iosephs knees This was Galaad Manasses his grand-child but the scripture speaketh in the plurall as it doth of Iacobs one daughter calling her daughters as the a Latines vse to call a mans onely child if hee haue no more liberi children Now Iosephs felicitie being so great as to see the fourth from him in discent wee may not imagine that they were all borne when hee was but thirty nine yeares old at which time his father came into Egipt this is that that deceiued the ignorant because it is written These are the names of the children of Israel which came into Egipt with Iacob their father For this is said because the seauentie fiue are reckoned with him not that they all entred Egipt with him But in this transmigration and setling in Egipt is included all the time of Iosephs life who was the meanes of his placing here L. VIVES THe a Latines Sempronius Asellio called Sempronius Gracchus his onely sonne liberi and it was an vsuall phrase of old Gell. Herenn Digest lib. 50. Iacobs blessing vnto his sonne Iudah CHAP. 41. SO then if wee seeke the fleshly descent of Christ from Abraham first for the good of the Citty of God that is still a pilgrim vpon earth Isaac is the next and from Isaac Iacob or Israel Esau or Edom being reiected from Israel Iudah all the rest being debarred for of his tribe came Christ. And therefore Israel at his death blessing his sonnes in Egipt gaue Iudah this propheticall blessing Iudah a thy bretheren shall praise thee thine hand shall bee on the neck of thine enemies thy fathers sonnes shall adore thee As a Lyons whelpe Iudah shalt thou come vp b from the spoile my sonne Hee shall lye downe and sleepe as a Lyon or a Lyons whelpe who shall rouse him The scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a law-giuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiloe come and the people bee gathered vnto him Hee shall binde his Asse fole vnto the Vine and his Asses colt c with a rope of hayre he shall wash his stole in wine and his garment in the bloud of the grape his eyes shall be redde with wine and his teeth white with milke These I haue explained against Faustus the Manichee as farre I thinke as the Prophecie requireth Where Christs death is presaged in the worde sleepe as not of necessitie but of his power to dye as the Lion had to lye downe and sleepe which power him-selfe auoweth in the Gospell I haue power to lay downe my life and power to take it againe no man taketh it from mee but I lay it downe of my selfe c. So the Lion raged so fulfilled what was spoken for that same Who shall rouse him belongeth to the resurrection for none could raise him againe but he himselfe that said of his body Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will raise it vp againe Now his manner of death vpon the high crosse is intimated in this shalt thou come vp and these words Hee shall lye downe and â—…pe are euen these Hee bowed downe his head and giue vp the ghost Or it may meane the graue wherein hee slept and from whence none could raise him vp as the Prophets and he him-selfe had raised others but him-selfe raised him-selfe as from a sleepe Now his stole which hee washeth in wine that is cleanseth from sinne in his bloud intimating the sacrament of baptisme as that addition And his garment in the bloud of the grape expresseth what is it but the Church and eyes being redde with wine are his spirituall sonnes that are drunke with her cup as the Psalmist saith My cup runneth ouer and his teeth whiter then the milke are his nourishing wordes where-with hee feedeth his little weaklings as with 〈◊〉 This is he in whome the promises to Iudah were laide vp which vntill they 〈◊〉 there neuer wanted kings of Israell of the stock of Iudah And vnto him â—…ll the people bee gathered this is plainer to the sight to conceiue then the â—…gue to vtter L. VIVES IVda a thy brethren Iudah is praise or confession b From the spoile From captiuity saith the Hebrew all this is meant of Christs leading the people captiue his high and sacred ascention and the taking of captiuitie captiue Hierome c With a rope of hayre With a rope onely say some and his asses colte vnto the best vine saith Hierome from the Hebrew And for this Asses colte saith he may be read the Citty of God whereof we now speake the seuentie read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the vine branch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the twist of the Vine as Theophrastus saith and thence haue the two kindes of luy their names Diosor Plin. so might cilicium come into the Latine text that Augustine vsed if the Greeke were translated Helicium otherwise I cannot tell how Of Iacobs changing of his hands from the heads of Iosephs sonnes when he blessed them CHAP. 42. BVt as Esau and Iacob Isaacs two sonnes prefigured the two peoples of Iewes and Christians although that in the flesh the Idumaeans and not the Iewes came of Esau nor the Christians of Iacob but rather the Iewes for thus must the words The elder shall serue the yonger be vnderstood euen so was it in Iosephs two sonnes the elder prefiguring the Iewes and the yonger the Christians Which two Iacob in blessing laide his right hand vpon the yonger who was on his left side and his left vpon the elder who was on his right side This displeased their father who told his father of it to get him to reforme the supposed mistaking and shewed him which was the elder But Iacob would not change his hands but said I know sonne I know very well hee shall bee a great people also but his yonger brother shall be greater then hee and his seede shall fill the nations Here is two promises now a people to the one and a fulnesse of
nations to the other What greater proofe need wee then this to confirme that the Israelites and all the world besides are contained in Abrahams seed the first in the flesh and the later in the spirit Of Moyses his times Iosuah the Iudges the Kings Saul the first Dauid the chiefe both in merite and in mysticall reference CHAP. 43. IAcob and Ioseph being dead the Israelites in the other hundred fortie foure yeares at the end of which they left Egypt increased wonderfully though the Egyptians oppressed them sore and once killed all their male children for feare of their wonderfull multiplication But Moses was saued from those butchers and brought vp in the court by Pharaohs daughter the a name of the Egiptian Kings God intending great things by him and he grew vp to that worth that he was held fit to lead the nation out of this extreame slauery or rather God did it by him according to his promise to Abraham First hee fled into Madian for killing an Egiptian in defence of an Israelite and afterwards returning full of Gods spirit hee foyled the enchanters h of Pharao in all their opposition and laide the ten sore plagues vpon the Egiptians because they would not let Israel depart namely the changing of the water into bloud Frogges c Lyce d Gnattes morren of Cattell botches and sores Haile Grashoppers darkenesse and death of all the first borne and lastly the Israelites being permitted after all the plagues that Egypt had groned vnder to depart and yet beeing pursued afterwards by them againe passed ouer the redde Sea dry-foote and left all the hoast of Egipt drowned in the middest the sea opened before the Israelites and shut after them returning vpon the pursuers and ouer-whelming them And then forty yeares after was Israell in the deserts with Moyses and there had they the tabernacle of the testimonie where God was serued with sacrifices that were all figures of future euents the law being now giuen with terror vpon mount Syna for the terrible voyces and thunders were full prooses that God was there And this was presently after their departure from Egipt in the wildernesse and there they celebrated their Passe-ouer fiftie dayes after by offring of a Lambe the true type of Christs passing vnto his father by his passion in this world For Pascha in Hebrew is a passing ouer and so the fiftith day after the opening of the new Testament and the offring of Christ our Passeâ—…ouer the holy spirit descended downe from heauen he whom the scriptures call the finger of God to renew the memory of the first miraculous prefiguration in our hearts because the law in the tables is said to be written by the finger of GOD. Moyses being dead Iosuah ruled the people and lead them into the land of promise diuiding it amongst them And by these two glorious captaines were strange battels wonne and they were ended with happy successe God himselfe auouching that the losers sinnes and not the winners merits were causes of those conquests After these two the land of promise was ruled by Iudges that Abrahams seede might see the first promise fulfilled concerning the land of Canaan though not as yet concerning the nations of all the earth for that was to be fulfilled by the comming of Christ in the flesh and the faith of the Gospell not the precepts of the law which was insinuated in this that it was not Moyses that receiued the law but Iosuab h whose name God also changed that lead the people into the promised land But in the Iudges times as the people offended or obeyed God so varied their fortunes in warre On vnto the Kings Saul was the first King of Israel who being a reprobate and dead in the field and all his race reiected from ability of succession Dauid was enthroned i whose sonne our Sauiour is especially called In him is as it were a point from whence the people of God doe flowe whose originall as then being in the youthfull time thereof is drawne from Abraham vnto this Dauid For it is not out of neglect that Mathew the Euangelist reckoneth the descents so that hee putteth foureteene generations betweene Abraham and Dauid For a man may be able to beget in his youth and therefore he begins his genealogies from Abraham who vpon the changing of his name was made the father of many nations So that before him the Church of God was in the infancie as it were from Noah I meane vnto him and therefore the first language the Hebrew as then was inuented for to speake by For from the terme of ones infancie hee begins to speake beeing called an infant k a non sancto of not speaking which age of himselfe euery man forgetteth as fully as the world was destroyed by the deluge For who can remember his infancie Wherefore in this progresse of the Cittie of God as the last booke conteined the first age thereof so let this containe the second and the third when the yoake of the law was laide on their necks the aboundance of sinne appeared and the earthly kingdome had beginning c. intimated by the Heifer the Goate â—…d the Ramme of three yeares old in which there wanted not some faithfull persons as the turtle-doue and the Pidgeon portended L. VIVES THe a name of To anoyde the supposition that Pharao that reigned in Iacob and Iosephs time was all one Pharao with this here named Pharao was a name of kingly dignity in Egipâ—… Hieron in Ezechiel lib. 9. So was Prolomy after Alexander Caesar and Augustus after the two braue Romaines and Abimelech in Palestina Herodotus speaketh of one Pharao that was blinde They were called Pharao of Pharos an I le ouer-against Alexandria called Carpathoâ—… of old Proteus reigned in it The daughter of this Pharao Iosephus calleth Thermuth b Of Pharao Which Pharao this was it is doubtfull Amasis saith Apion Polyhistor as Eusebius citeth him reigned in Egipt when the Iewes went thence But this cannot be for Amasis was long after viz. in Pythagoras his time vnto whom he was commended by Polycrates king of Samos But Iosephus saith out of Manethon that this was Techmosis and yet sheweth him to vary from him-selfe and to put Amenophis in another place also Eusebius saith that it was Pharao Cenchres In Chron. and that the Magicians names were Iannes and Iambres Prep euangel ex Numenio c Lyce So doth Iosephus say if Ruffinus haue well translated him that this third plague was the disease called Phthiriasis or the lousie euill naming no gnattes Peter denatalibus and Albertus Grotus saith that the Cyniphes are a kinde of flye So saith Origen Albertus saith that they had the body of a worme the wings and head of a flye with a sting in their mouth where-with they prick and draw-bloud and are commonly bred in fens and marishes troubling all creatures but man especially Origen calleth them Snipes They do flie faith he but are so
small that hee that discerneth them as they flie must haue a sharpe eye but when they alight vpon the body they will soone make them-selues knowne to his feeling though his sight discerne them not Super Exod. By this creature Origen vnderstands logick which enters the mind with such stings of vndiscerned subtlety that the party deceiued neuer perceiueth till he be fetched ouer But the Latines nor the Greekes euer vsed either Cynipes or Snipes nor is it in the seauentie eyther but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnat-like creatures saith Suidas and such as eate holes in wood Psal. 104. The Hebrew and Chaldee Paraphrase read lice for this word as Iosephus doth also d Horse-flyes Or Dogge-flies the vulgar readeth flyes onely e Grashoppers The fields plague much endamaging that part of Africa that bordereth vpon Egipt Pliny saith they are held notes of Gods wrath where they exceed thus f Groned vnder Perfracti perfractus is throughly tamed praefractus obstinate g Passe-ouer Phase is a passing ouer because the Angel of death passed ouer the Israelites houses smote them not hence arose the paschall feast Hieron in Mich. lib. 2. not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer as if it had beene from the passion In Matth. h Whose name In Hebrew Iosuah and Iesus seemes all one both are saluation and Iesus the sonne of Iosedech in Esdras is called Iosuah i Whose sonne Mat. 1. an 〈◊〉 all the course of the Gospell Christ is especially called the sonne of two Abraham or Dauid for to them was hee chiefly promised k à non fando And therefore great fellowes that cannot speake are some-times called infants and such also as stammer 〈◊〉 their language and such like-wise as being expresse dolts and sottes in matter of learning will challenge the names of great Artists Philosophers and Diuines Finis lib. 16. THE CONTENTS OF THE seauenteenth booke of the City of God 1. Of the times of the Prophets 2. At what time Gods promise concerning 〈◊〉 Land of Canaan was fulfilled and Israell â—…ed it to dwell in and possesse 3. The Prophets three meanings of earthly â—…lem of heauenly Ierusalem and of both 4. The change of the kingdome of Israel Anâ—…â—…uels mother a prophetesse and a type 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church what she prophecied 5. The Prophets words vnto Heli the priest â—…g the taking away of Aarons priestâ—… 6. The promise of the priest-hood of the 〈◊〉 and their kingdome to stand eternally â—…ed in that sort that other promises of 〈◊〉 â—…nded nature are 〈◊〉 kingdome of Israell rent prefiguring â—…all diuision betweene the spirituall â—…ll Israel 〈◊〉 â—…ises made to Dauid concerning his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfilled in Salomon but in Christ. 〈◊〉 â—…phecy of Christ in the 88. psalme 〈◊〉 â—…s of Nathan in the booke of Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuers actions done in the earthly Ieâ—… 〈◊〉 the kingdome differing from Gods 〈◊〉 to shew that the truth of his word conâ—…â—…he glory of an other kingdome and anâ—…â—…g 11. The substance of the people of God who 〈◊〉 Christ in the flesh who only had power to 〈◊〉 â—…e soule of man from hell 12. â—…her verse of the former psalme and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom it belongeth 13. Whether the truth of the promised peace may be ascribed vnto Salomons time 14. Of Dauids endeauors in composing of the psalmes 15. Whether all things concerning Christ his church in the psalmes be to bee rehearsed in this worke 16. Of the forty fiue psalme the tropes and truths therein concerning Christ and the church 17. Of the references of the hundreth and tenth psalme vnto Christs priest-hood and the two and twentith vnto his passion 18. Christs death and resurrection prophecied in psalme 3. et 40. 15. et 67. 19. The obstinate infidelity of the Iewes declared in the 69. psalme 20. Dauids kingdome his merrit his sonne Salomon his prophecies of Christ in Salomons bookes and in bookes that are annexed vnto them 21. Of the Kings of Israel and Iudah after Salomon 22. How Hieroboam infected his subiects with Idolatry yet did God neuer failed them in Prophets nor in keeping many from that infection 23. The state of Israel and Iudah vnto both their captiuities which befell at different times diuersly altered Iudah vnited to Israell and lastly both vnto Rome 24. Of the last Prophets of the Iewes about the time that Christ was borne FINIS THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of the times of the Prophets CHAP. 1. THus haue we attained the vnderstanding of Gods promises made vnto Abraham and due vnto Israel his seed in the flesh and to all the Nations of earth as his seed in the spirit how they were fulfilled the progresse of the Cittie of God in those times did manifest Now because our last booke ended at the reigne of Dauid let vs in this booke proceed with the same reigne as farre as is requisite All the time therefore betweene Samuels first prophecy and the returning of Israel from seauenty yeares captiuity in Babilon to repaire the Temple as Hieremy had prophecied all this is called the time of the Prophets For although that the Patriarch Noah in whose time the vniuersall deluge befel and diuers others liuing before there were Kings in Israel for some holy and heauenly predictions of theirs may not vndeseruedly be called a Prophets especially seeing wee see Abraham and Moses chiefly called by those names and more expressly then the rest yet the daies wherein Samuel beganne to prophecy were called peculiarly the Prophets times Samuel anoynted Saul first and afterwards he beeing reiected hee anoynted Dauid for King by Gods expresse command and from Dauids loines was all the bloud royall to descend during that Kingdomes continuance But if I should rehearse all that the Prophets each in his time successiuely presaged of Christ during all this time that the Cittie of God continued in those times and members of his I should neuer make an end First because the scriptures though they seeme but a bare relation of the successiue deeds of each King in his time yet being considered with the assistance of Gods spirit will prooue either more or as fully prophecies of things to come as histories of things past And how laborious it were to stand vpon each peculiar hereof and how huge a worke it would amount vnto who knoweth not that hath any insight herein Secondly because the prophecies concerning Christ and his Kingdome the Cittie of God are so many in multitude that the disputations arising hereof would not be contained in a farre bigger volume then is necessary for mine intent So that as I will restraine my penne as neare as I can from all superfluous relations in this worke so will I not ommit any thing that shall be really pertinent vnto our purpose L. VIVES CAlled a Prophets The Hebrewes called them Seers because they saw the Lord in his predictions or prefigurations of any thing with
the eyes of the spirit though not of the dull flesh hence it is that scriptures call a prophecy a vision and Nathan is called the Seer 1. Kings The Greekes some-times vse the name of Prophet for their priests poets or teachers Adam was the first man and the first Prophet who saw the mistery of Christ and his church in his sleepe Then followeth Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob and his children Moyses c. Yet are not these reckned amongst the prophets for none of them left any bookes of the visions but Moyses whose bookes concerned ceremonies sacrifices and ciuill orders also But these were all figures of future things nor were those the propheticall times as those from Samuel were wherein there neuer were prophets wanting whereas before God spake but seldome and his visions were not so manifest as they were from the first King vnto the captiuity wherein were foure great bookes of prophecies written and twelue of the small At what time Gods promise concerning the Land of Canaan was fulfilled and Israell receiued it to dwell in and possesse CHAP. 2. VVEE said in the last booke that God promised two things vnto Abraham one was the possession of the Land of Canaan for his seed in these words Goe into the Land that I will shew thee and I will make thee a great nation c. The other of farre more excellence not concerning the carnall but the spirituall seed nor Israell onely but all the beleeuing nations of the world in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall all nations of the earth be blessed c. This we confirmed by many testiâ—… Now therefore was Abrahams carnall seed that is the Israelites in the 〈◊〉 promise now had they townes citties yea and Kings therein and Gods 〈◊〉 were performed vnto them in great measure not onely those that hee 〈◊〉 signes or by word of mouth vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob but euen 〈◊〉 â—…so that Moyses who brought them out of the Egyptian bondage or any 〈◊〉 him vnto this instant had promised them from God But the proâ—…â—…cerning the land of Canaan that Israel should reigne ouer it from the 〈◊〉 Egipt vnto the great Euphrates was neither fulfilled by Iosuah that worâ—… of them into the Land of promise and hee that diuided the whole aâ—… the twelue tribes nor by any other of the Iudges in all the time after 〈◊〉 was there any more prophecies that it was to come but at this instant 〈◊〉 â—…ected And by a Dauid and his son Salomon it was fulfilled indeed and 〈◊〉 â—…gdome enlarged as farre as was promised for these two made all 〈◊〉 â—…ations their seruants and tributaries Thus then was Abrahams seed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so settled in this land of Canaan by these Kings that now no part of 〈◊〉 â—…ly promise was left vnfulfilled but that the Hebrewes obeying Gods â—…ements might continue their dominion therein without all disturâ—… in all security and happinesse of estate But God knowing they would 〈◊〉 vsed some temporall afflictions to excercise the few faithfull therein 〈◊〉 â—…ad left and by them to giue warning to all his seruants that the nations 〈◊〉 â—…erwards to containe who were to bee warned by those as in whom hee 〈◊〉 â—…llfill his other promise by opening the New Testament in the death of 〈◊〉 L. VIVES Bâ—…â—…id Hierome epist. ad Dardan sheweth that the Iewes possessed not all the lands 〈◊〉 promised theÌ„ for in the booke of Numbers it is sayd to be bounded on the South by the salt sea and the wildernesse of sinne vnto that riuer of Egypt that ranne into the sea by Rhinocorura on the west by the sea of Palestina Phaenicia Coele Syria and Cylicia on the North by Mount Taurus and Zephyrius as farre as Emath or Epiphania in Syria on the East by Antioch and the Lake Genesareth called now Tabarie and by Iordan that runneth into the salt sea called now The dead sea Beyond Iordan halfe of the land of the tribes of Ruben Gad lay and halfe of the tribe of Manasses Thus much Hierome But Dauid possessed not all these but onely that within the bounds of Rhinocorura and Euphrates wherein the Israelites still kept themselues The Prophets three meanings of earthly Ierusalem of heauenly Ierusalem and of both CHAP. 3. WHerefore as those prophecies spoken to Abraham Isaac Iacob or any other in the times before the Kings so likewise all that the Prophets spoke afterwards had their double refereÌ„ce partly to Abraháms seed in the flesh partly to that wherein al the nations of the earth are blessed in him being made Co-heires with Christ in the glory and kingdome of heauen by this New Testament So then they concerne partly the bond-woman bringing forth vnto bondage that is the earthly Ierusalem which serueth with her sonnes and partly to the free Citty of God the true Ierusalem eternall and heauenly whose children are pilgrims vpon earth in the way of Gods word And there are some that belong vnto both properly to the bond-woman and figuratiuely vnto the free woman for the Prophets haue a triple meaning in their prophecies some concerning the earthly Ierusalem some the heauenly and some both as for example The Prophet a Nathan was sent to tell Dauid of his sinne and to fortell him the euills that should ensue thereof Now who doubteth that these words concerned the temporall City whether they were spoken publikely for the peoples generall good or priuately for some mans knowledge for some temporall vse in the life present But now whereas wee read Behold the daies come saith the LORD that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israell and the house of Iudah not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egipt which couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them saith the Lord but this is the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the LORD I will put my law in their mindes and write it in their hearts and I wil be their GOD and they shal be my people This without aâ—…l doubt is a prophecy of the celestiall Ierusalem to whom God himselfe stands as a reward and vnto which the enioying of him is the perfection of good Yet belongeth it vnto them both in that the earthly Ierusalem was called Gods Cittie and his house promised to bee therein which seemed to be fulfilled in Salomons building of that magnificent temple These things were both relations of things acted on earth and figures of things concerning heauen which kinde of prophecy compounded of both is of great efficacy in the canonicall scriptures of the Old Testament and doth exercise the readers of scripture very laudably in seeking how the things that are spoken of Abrahams carnall seed are allegorically fulfilled in his seed by faith In b so much that some held that there was nothing in the scriptures fore-told and effected or
peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Let the church then say I haue reioyced in thy saluation there is none holy as the Lord is no God like to our GOD for hee is holy and maketh holy iust himselfe and iustifyiâ—… others none is holy besides thee for none is holy but from thee Finally it followeâ—… speake no more presumptuously let not arragance come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him are all enterprises establisâ—…d 〈◊〉 none knoweth what he knoweth for he that thinketh himselfe to be some thing seduceth himselfe and is nothing at all This now is against the presumptuous Babilonian enemies vnto Gods Cittie glorying in themselues and not in God as also against the carnall Israelites who as the Apostle saith beeing ignorant of the righteâ—…sse of God that is that which he being onely righteous and iustifying giueth man and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse 〈◊〉 as if they had gotten such themselues and had none of his bestowing 〈◊〉 not themselues vnto the righteousnesse of God but thinking proudly to please 〈◊〉 â—…stice of their owne and none of his who is the God of knowledge and the 〈◊〉 of consciences and the discerner of all mans thoughts which beeing 〈◊〉 â—…eriue not from him So they fell into reprobation And by him saith the 〈◊〉 arè all enterprises established and what are they but the suppression of 〈◊〉 and the aduancement of the humble These are Gods intents as it folâ—… the bow of the mighty hath he broken and guirded the weake with strength 〈◊〉 that is their proud opinions that then could sanctifie themselues withâ—…â—…spirations and they are guirded with strength that say in their hearts 〈◊〉 on mee O Lord for I am weake They that were full are f hired out for 〈◊〉 that is they are made lesser then they were for in their very bread that 〈◊〉 â—…ne words which Israel as then had alone from all the world that saâ—…â—…thing but the tast of earth But the hungry nations that had not the 〈◊〉 â—…ing to those holy words by the New Testament they passed ouer the 〈◊〉 found because they relished an heauenly tast in those holy doctrines 〈◊〉 a sauour of earth And this followeth as the reason for the barren hath 〈◊〉 â—…rth seauen and she that had many children is enfeebled Here is the whole 〈◊〉 opened to such as knowe the number of the Iewes what it is to wit â—…ber of the churches perfection and therefore Iohn the Apostle writeth 〈◊〉 seauen churches implying in that the fulnesse of one onely and so it 〈◊〉 â—…uely spoken in Salomon Wisdome hath built her an house and hewen out 〈◊〉 pillers For the Citty of God was barren in all the nations vntill shee 〈◊〉 that fruite whereby now we see her a fruitfull mother and the earthly 〈◊〉 that had so many sonnes wee now behold to bee weake and enfeebled 〈◊〉 the free-womans sonnes were her vertues but now seeing shee hath 〈◊〉 â—…nely without the spirit shee hath lost her vertue and is become 〈◊〉 â—…e Lord killeth and the Lord quickneth hee killeth her that had so many 〈◊〉 quickneth her wombe was dead before and hath made her bring 〈◊〉 although properly his quickning be to be implied vpon those whom 〈◊〉 â—…d for she doth as it were repeate it saying hee bringeth downe to the 〈◊〉 raiseth vp for they vnâ—…o whom the Apostle saith If yee bee dead with 〈◊〉 the things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 〈◊〉 â—…to saluation by the LORD vnto which purpose he addeth Set your 〈◊〉 vpon things aboue and not on things that are on the earth For you 〈◊〉 â—…oth hee behold here how healthfull the Lord killeth and then followâ—… â—…our life is hid with Christ in God Behold here how God quickneth I 〈◊〉 bring them to the graue and backe againe Yes without doubt all 〈◊〉 faithfull see that fulfilled in our head with whom our life is hidde in 〈◊〉 â—…e that spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all hee killed 〈◊〉 manner and in raysing him from death hee quickned him againe 〈◊〉 we heare him say in the psalme thou shalt not leaue my soule in the 〈◊〉 â—…ore he brought him vnto the graue and backe againe By his pouerty 〈◊〉 â—…ched for the Lord maketh poore and enritcheth that is nothing else 〈◊〉 humbleth and exalteth humbling the proud and exalting the 〈◊〉 â—…or that same place God resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the 〈◊〉 the text wherevpon all this prophetesses words haue dependance 〈◊〉 â—…hich followeth He raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth the begâ—… dunghill is the fittliest vnderstood of him who became poore for vs whereas he was ritch by his pouerty as I said to enritch vs. For he raised him from the earth so soone that his flesh saw no corruption nor is this sequence And lifteth the begger from the dunghill meant of any but him g for the begger and the poore is all one the dunghill whence hee was lifted is the persecuting route of Iewes amongst whom the Apostle had beene one but afterwards as he saith that which was aduantage vnto mee I held losse for Christs sake nay not oneâ—… losse but I iudge them all dunge that I might winne Christ. Thus then was this poore man raised aboue all the ritch men of the earth and this begger was lifted vp from the dunghill to sit with the Princes of the people to whom hee saith You shall sit on twelue thrones c. and to make them inherite the seat of glory for those mighty ones had said Behold we haue left all and followed thee this vowe had those mighties vowed But whence had they this vow but from him that giueth vowes vnto those that vow otherwise they should bee of those mighties whose bow he hath broken That giueth vowes saith she vnto them that vow For none can vow any set thing vnto God but hee must haue it from God it followeth and blesseth the yeares of the iust that is that they shal be with him eternally vnto whom it is written thy yeares shall neuer faile for that they are fixed but here they either passe or perish for they are gone ere they come bringing still their end with them But of these two hee giueth vowes to those that vow and blesseth the yeares of the iust the one wee performe and the other wee receiue but this alwaies by Gods giuing wee receiue nor can wee doe the other without Gods helpe because in his owne might shall no man be stronge The Lord shall weaken his aduersaries namely such as resist and enuy his seruants in fulfilling their vowes h The greeke may also signifie his owne aduersaries for hee that is our aduersary when we are Gods children is his aduersarie also and is ouercome by vs but not by our strength for in his owne might shall no man bee stronge The LORD the holy
the small of some of whom I now spake He prophecied vnder Iosia King of Iuda Ancus Martius being King of Rome hard before Israels captiuity vnto the fifth month of which hee prophecied as his owne booke prooueth Zephany b a small prophet was also in his time and prophecied in Iosias time also as himselfe saith but how long he saith not Hieremies time lasted all Ancus Martius his and part of Tarquinius Priscus his reigne the fift Romaine King For in the beginning of his reigne the Iewes were captiued This prophecie of Christ wee read in Hieremy The breath of our mouth the annoynted our Lord was taken in our sinnes Heere hee 〈◊〉 brieflie both Christ his deity and his sufferance for vs. Againe This is 〈◊〉 Gâ—…d nor is there any besides him he hath found all the wayes of wisdome taught 〈◊〉 to his seruant Iacob and to Israel his beloued Afterwards was hee seene vpon earth and hee conuersed with men This some say is not Hieremyes but d Baruchs his transcribers But the most hold it Hieremies Hee saith further Behold the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come saith the Lord that I will raise vnto Dauid a iust branch which shall 〈◊〉 as King and be wise and shall exetute iustice and iudgement vpon the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dayes shall Iudah be saued and Israell shall dwell safely and this is the name that they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse Of the calling of the Gentiles which we see now fullfilled he saith thus O Lord my God and refuge in the day of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thee shall the Gentiles come from the ends oâ—… the world and shall say Our fatherâ—… haue adored false Images wherein there was no profit And because the Iewes would noâ—… acknowledge Christ but should kill him the Prophet saith e The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things he is a man and who shall know him His was the testimoâ—… 〈◊〉 of the New Testament and Christ the mediatour which I recited in my 〈◊〉 Booke for hee saith Behold the dayes come that I will make a new couenant 〈◊〉 the house of Israel c. Now Zephany that was of this time also hath this of 〈◊〉 Wayte vpon me saith the Lord in the day of my resurrection wherein my â—…dgement shall gather the nations and againe The Lord will bee terrible vnto 〈◊〉 hee will consume all the gods of the earth euery man shall adore him from his 〈◊〉 â—…en all the Iles of the Heathen and a little after Then will I turne to the peoâ—… pure language that they may all call vpon the Lord and serue him with one conâ—… and from beyond the riuers of Ethiopia shall they bring mee offerings In that day 〈◊〉 thâ—… not bee ashamed for all thy workes wherein thou hast offended mee for then 〈◊〉 â—…use thee of the wicked that haue wronged thee and thou shalt no more bee proud of mine holie mountaine and I will leaue a meeke and lowly people in the mindes of thee and the remnant of Israell shall reuerence the name of the Lord. This is the remnant that is prophecied of else-where and that the Apostle mentioneth saying there is a remnant at this present time through the election of grace For a remnant of that nation beleeued in Christ. L. VIVES HIeremy a Of him already b Zephany Hee was a prophet and father to prophets and had prophets to his grand-father and great grand-father say the Hebrewes Chusi was his father who was sonne to Godolias the sonne of Amariaâ—… the son of Ezechias all prophets for al the prophets progeny named in their titles were prophets say the Hebrew doctors c The annointed There are many anointed many Lords but that breath of our mouth this annoynted is none but CHRIST our SAVIOVR the SON of GOD by whom we breath we moue and haue our being who if he leaue vs leaueth vs lesse life then if we lackt our soules d Baruchâ—… Hee was Hieremies seruant as Hieremies prophecy sheweth and wrote a little prophecy allowed by the Church because it much concerned Christ and those later times e Thâ—… heart This is the Septuagints interpretation Hierome hath it otherwise from the hebrew Daniels and Ezechiels prophecies concerning Christ and his Church CHAP. 34. NOw in the captiuity it selfe a Daniel and b Ezechiel two of the greater prophets prophecied first Daniel fore-told the very number of yeares vntill the comming of Christ and his passion It is too tedious to perticularize and others haue done it before vs. But of his power and glorie this he sayd I beheld a vision by night and behold the sonne of man came in the cloudes of heauen and approached vnto the ancient of daies and they brought him before him and hee gaue him dominion and honor and a Kingdome that all people nations and languages should serue him his dominion is an euerlasting dominion and shall neuer bee tane away his Kingdome shall neuer be destroied Ezechiel also prefiguring Christ by Dauid as the prophets vse because Christ tooke his flesh and the forme of a seruant from Dauids seed in the person of GOD the Father doth thus prophecy of him I will set vppe a sheapheard ouer my sheepe and hee shall feed them euen my seruant Dauid hee shall feed them and be their sheapheard I the Lord wil be their God and my seruant Dauid shal be Prince amongst them I the LORD haue spoaken it And againe One King shal be King to them all they shal be no more two peoples nor bee deuided from thence-forth into two Kingdomes nor shall they bee any more polluted in their Idols nor with their abhominations nor with all their transgressions but I will saue them out of all their dwelling places wherein they haue sinned and will cleanse them they shal be my people and I wil be their GOD and Dauid my seruant shal be King ouer them and they all shall haue one sheapheard L. VIVES DAniel a Hee was one of the captiâ—…ed sonnes of Iudah and so Daniel was named Balthazar by the Kings Eunuch that had charge of the children His wisdome made him highly esteemed of Balthazar the last King of Babilon and after that of Darius the Monarch of Media as Daniel himselfe and Iosephus lib. 10. doe testifie Methodius Apollinaris and Eusebius Pamphilus defended this prophet against the callumnies of Porphiry b Ezechiel A priest and one of the captiuity with Daniell as his writings doe record Of the three prophecies of Aggee Zachary and Malachy CHAP. 35. THre of the small prophets a Aggee b Zachary and c Malachy all prophecying in the end of this captiuity remaine still Aggee prophecyeth of Christ and his church thus diuersly and plainely Yet a little while and I will shake the heauens and the earth and the sea and the dry land and I will mooue all nations and the desire of all nations shall come saith the Lord of hostes This prophecie is partly come to effect and partly to bee effected
WHerefore although our righteous fore-fathers had seruants in their families and according to their temporall estates made a distinction betwixt their seruants and their children yet in matter of religion the fountaine whence all eternall good floweth they prouided for all their houshold with an equall respect vnto each member thereof This natures order prescribed and hence came the name of The Father of the family a name which euen the worst Maisters loue to bee called by But such as merit that name truely doe care that all their families should continue in the seruice of GOD as if they were all their owne children desyring that they should all bee placed in the houshold of heauen where commaund is wholy vnnecessary because then they are past their charge hauing attained immortality which vntill they bee installed in the Maisters are a to endure more labour in their gouernment then the seruants in their seruice If any bee disobedient and offend this iust peace hee is forth-with to bee corrected with strokes or some other conuenient punishment whereby hee may bee re-ingraffed into the peace-full stocke from whence his disobedience hath torne him For as it is no good turne to helpe a man vnto a smaller good by the losse of a greater no more is it the part of innocence by pardoning a small offence to let it grow vnto a fouler It is the duetie of an innocent to hurt no man but withall to curbe sinne in all hee can and to correct sinne in whome hee can that the sinners correction may bee profitable to himselfe and his example a terrour vnto others Euery family then beeing part of the cittie euery beginning hauing relation vnto some end and euery part tending to the integrity of the whole it followeth apparantly that the families peace adhereth vnto the citties that is the orderly command and obedience in the familie hath reall reference to the orderly rule and subiection in the cittie So that the Father of the familie may fetch his instructions from the citties gouernment whereby hee may proportionate the peace of his priuate estate by that of the Common L. VIVES THe Maisters a are to endure It is most difficult and laborious to rule well and it is as trouble-some to rule ouer vnruly persons The grounds of the concord and discord betweenethe Citties of Heauen and Earth CHAP. 17. BVt they that liue not according to faith angle for all their peace in the Sea of temporall profittes Whereas the righteous liue in full expectation of the glories to come vsing the occurences of this worlde but as pilgrimes not to abandon their course towardes GOD for mortall respects but thereby to assist the infirmity of the corruptible flesh and make it more able to encounter with toyle and trouble Wherefore the necessaries of this life are common both to the faithfull and the Infidell and to both their families but the endes of their two vsages thereof are farre different The faythlesse worldly citty aymeth at earthly peace and settleth the selfe therein onely to haue an vniformity of the Cittizens wills in matters onely pertayning till mortality And the Heauenly citty or rather that part thereof which is as yet a pilgrime on earth and liueth by faith vseth this peace also as befitteth vnto it leaue this mortall life wherein such a peace is requisite and therefore liueth while it is here on earth as if it were in captiuity and hauing receiued the promise of redemption and diuers spirituall guifts as seales thereof it willingly obeyeth such lawes of the temporall citty as order the things pertayning to the sustenance of this mortall life to the end that both the Citties might obserue a peace in such things as are pertinent here-vnto But because that the Earthly Citty hath some members whome the holy scriptures vtterly disallow and who standing either to well affected to the diuells or being illuded by them beleeued that each thing had a peculiar deity ouer it and belonged to the charge of a seuerall God as the body to one the soule to another and in the body it selfe the head to one the necke to another and so of euery member as likewise of the soule one had the witt another the learning a third the wrath a forth the desire as also in other necessaries or accidents belonging to mans life the cattell the corne the wine the oyle the woods the monies the nauigation the warres the mariages the generations each being a seuerall charge vnto a particular power whereas the cittizens of the Heauenly state acknowledged but one onely God to whom that worshippe which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was peculiarly and solly due hence came it that the two hierachies could not bee combined in one religion but must needs dissent herein so that the good part was faine to beare the pride and persecution of the bad but that their owne multitude some-times and the prouidence of GOD continually stood for their protection This celestiall society while it is here on earth increaseth it selfe out of all languages neuer respecting the temporall lawes that are made against so good and religious a practise yet not breaking but obseruing their diuersity in diuers nations all which do tend vnto the preseruation of earthly peace if they oppose not the adoration of one onely GOD. So that you see the Heauenly citty obserueth and respecteth this temporall peace here on Earth and the coherence of mens wills in honest morality as farre as it may with a safe conscience yea and so farre desireth it making vse of it for the attaynement of the peace eternall which is so truely worthy of that name as that the orderly and vniforme combination of men in the fruition of GOD and of one another in GOD is to be accompted the reasonable creatures onely peace which being once attained mortality is banished and life then is the a true life indeed nor is the carnall body any more an encombrance to the soule by corruptibility but is now become spirituall perfected and entirely subiect vnto the souerainety of the will This peace is that vnto which the pilgrime in faith referreth the other which he hath here in his pilgrimage and then liueth hee according to faith when all that hee doth for the obteining hereof is by him-selfe referred vnto God and his neighbour with-all because being a cittizen hee must not bee all for him-selfe but sociable in his life and actions L. VIVES THe a true life Ennius vsed the Latine phrase Uita vitalis to which Augustine alludeth Cicero That the suspended doctrine of the new Academy opposeth the constancie of Christianity CHAP. 18. AS for the new Academians whome Varro auoutcheth to hold no certeinty but this That all things are vncertaine the Church of God detesteth these doubts as madnesses hauing a most certaine knowledge of the things it apprehendeth although but in small quantity because of the corruptible body which is a burden to the soule and because as the
God knoweth those that bee his and the deuill cannot draw a soule of them vnto damnation For this God knoweth as knowing all things to come not as one man seeth another in presence and cannot tell what shall be-come either of him hee seeth or of him-selfe here-after The diuell was therefore bound and locked vp that hee should no more seduce the nations the Churches members whom he had held in errour and impiety before they were vnited vnto the Church It is not said that hee should deceiue no man any more but that he should deceiue the people no more whereby questionlesse hee meaneth the Church Proceed vntill the thousand yeares bee fulfilled that is either the remainder of the sixth day the last thousand or the whole time that the world was to continue Nor may wee vnderstand the deuill so to bee barred from seducing that at this time expired hee should seduce those nations againe whereof the Church consisteth and from which hee was forbidden before But this place is like vnto that of the Psalme Our eyes waite vpon the Lord vntill hee haue mercy vpon vs for the seruants of God take not their eyes from beholding as soone as he hath mercy vpon them or else the order of the words is this Hee â—…t him vp and sealed the doore vpon him vntill a thousand yeares were fulfilled all that commeth betweene namely that he should not deceiue the people hauing no necessary connexion here-vnto but beeing to bee seuerally vnderstood as if it were added afterwards and so the sence runne thus And he shut him vp and sealed the dore vpon him vntill a thousand yeares were fulfilled that hee should not seduce the people that is therefore hee shutte him vp so long that he should seduce them no more L. VIVES FRom the a thousand Iohns mention of a thousand yeares in this place and Christs words I will not drinke hence-forth of the fruite of the vine vntill that day that I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome together with many Prophecies touching Christs kingdome in Hierusalem made some imagine that Christ would returne into the world raise the Saints in their bodyes and liue a thousand yeares heere on earth in all ioy peace and prosperitie farre exceeding the golden age of the Poets or that of Sybilla and Esayas The first Author of this opinion was Papias Bishop of Hierusalem who liued in the Apostles times Hee was seconded by Irenaeus Apollinarius Tertullian lib. de fidelium Victorinus 〈◊〉 Lactantius Diuin Instit. lib. 7. And although Hierome deride and scoffe at this opinion in many places yet in his fourth booke of his Commentaries vpon Hieremy hee saith that hee dare not condemne it because many holy martyrs and religious Christians held it so great an authority the person some-times giueth to the position that we must vse great modesty in our dissention with them and giue great reuerence to their godlynesse and grauity I cannot beleeue that the Saints held this opinion in that manner that Cerinthus the heretique did of whome wee read this in Eusebius Cerinthus held that Christ would haue an earthly kingdome in Hierusalem after the resurrection where the Saints should liue in all societie of humaine lusts and concupiscences Besides against all truth of scripture hee held that for a thousand yeares space this should hold with reuells and mariage and other works of corruption onely to deâ—…iue the carnall minded person Dionisius disputing of S. Iohns reuelation and reciting some ancient traditions of the Church hath thus much concerning this man Cerinthus quoth he the author of the Cerinthian heresie delighted much in getting his sect authority by wresting of scripture His heresie was that Christs Kingdome should bee terrestriall and being giuen vp vnto lust and gluttony himselfe he affirmed nothing but such things as those two affects taught him That all should abound with banquets and belly-chere and for the more grace to his assertions that the feasts of the law should be renewed and the offring of carnall sacrifices restored Irenaeus publisheth the secresie of this heresie in his first booke they that would know it may finde it there Thus farre Eusebius Hist. Eccl. lib. 3. wherefore this was not Papias his opinion whose originall Hierome would otherwise haue ascribed vnto Cerinthus who was more ancient then Papias a little though both liued in one age nor would Iraeneus haue written against Cerinthus for he allowed of Papias his opinion neither did all the sects agree in one as touching this thousand yeares but each one taught that which seemed likeliest vnto him-selfe and no wonder in so vaine a fiction Dionisius of Alexandria as Hierome affirmeth In Esai lib. 18. wroâ—… an elegant worke in derision of these Chiliasts and there Golden Hierusalem their reparation of the temple their bloud of sacrifices there Sabbath there circumsitions there birth there mariages there banquets there soueraignties their warres and tryumphs c. b The cheare shall exceed So saith Lactantius The earth shall yeeld her greatest faecundity and yeeld her plenty vntilled The rockie mountaines shall sweate hony the riuers shall runne wine and the fountaines milke To omit Cerinthus his relations which are farre more odious c Chiliast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a thousand d On the sixt day There is a report that in the bookes of Elias the Prophet it was recorded that the world should last 6000. yeares 2000. vnder vanity vnto Abraham 2000. vnder the law vnto Christ. and 2000. vnder Christ vnto the iudgement This by the Hebrewes account for the LXX haue aboue 3000. yeares from Adam to Abraham And in Augustines time the world lackt not 400 yeares of the full 6000. So that now our Vulgar accoumpt is aboue 6700. yeares Namely from Our Sauiour 1522. Whom Eusebius and such as follow the LXX affirme to haue beene borne in the yeare of the world 5100. and somewhat more Therefore Augustine saith that the later end of the 6000. yeares passed along in his time And Lactantius who liued before Augustine vnder Constantine saith that in his time there was but 200. of the 6000. yeares to runne Of the binding and loosing of the Diuell CHAP. 8. AFter that saith S. Iohn he must be loosed for a season Well although the Diuell be bound and lockt vp that he should not seduce the Church shall hee therefore be looosed to seduce it God forbid That Church which God predestinated and setled before the worlds foundation whereof it is written God knoweth those that be his that the Deuill shall neuer seduce and yet it shal be on earth euen at the time of his loosing as it hath continued in successiue estate euer since it was first erected for by and by after hee saith that the Diuill shall bring his seduced nations in armes against it whose number shal be as the sea sands And they went vp saith hee vnto the plaine of the earth and compassed the tents of the Saints about and
would break the law that he bound him to and forsake his Maker yet did hee not take away his freedome of election fore-seeing the good vse that hee would make of this euill by restoring man to his grace by meanes of a man borne of the condemned seed of man-kinde and by gathering so many vnto this grace as should supply the places of the falne Angels and so preserue and perhaps augment the number of the heauenly Inhabitants For euill men do much against the will of God but yet his wisedome fore-sees that all such actions as seeme to oppose his will do tend to such ends as hee fore-knew to be good and iust And therefore wheras God is said To change his will that is to turne his meeknesse into anger against some persons the change in this câ—…se is in the persons and not in him and they finde him changed in their sufferances as a sore eye findeth the sun sharp and being cured findes it comfortable wheras this change was in the eie and not in the sun which keeps his office as he did at first For Gods operation in the hearts of the obedient is said to be his will where-vppon the Apostle faith It is God that worketh in you both will and deed For euen as that righteousnesse wherein both God him-selfe is righteous and whereby also a man that is iustified of God is such is termed the righteousnes of God So also is that law which hee giueth vnto man called his law whereas it is rather pertinent vnto man then vnto him For those were men vnto whom Christ said It is written also in your law though we read else-where The law of his God is in his heart and according vnto his wil which God worketh in man him-selfe is said to wil it because he worketh it in others who do will it as he is said to know that which hee maketh the ignorant to know For whereas S. Peter saith We now knowing God yea rather being knowne of God we may not hereby gather that God came but as then to the knowledg of those who hee had predestinate before the foundations of the world but God as then is said to know that which he made knowne to others Of this phraze of speach I haue spoken I remember heretofore And according vnto this Will wherby we say that God willeth that which he maketh others to will who know not what is to come hee willeth many things and yet effecteth them not The promise of the Saints eternall blisse and the wickeds perpetuall torment CHAP. 2. FOr the Saints doe will many things that are inspired with his holy will and yet are not done by him as when they pray for any one it is not hee that causeth this their praier though he do produce this will of praier in them by his holy spirit And therfore when the Saints do will and pray according to God wee may well say that God willeth it and yet worketh it not as we say hee willeth that him-self which he maketh others to wil. But according to his eternall wil ioined with his fore-knowledge therby did he create al that he pleased in heauen and in earth and hath wrought al things already as well future as past or present But when as the time of manifestation of any thing which God fore-knoweth to come is not yet come we say It shal be when God wil if both the time be vncertaine and the thing it selfe then we say It shall be if God will not that God shall haue any other will as than then hee had before but because that shall bee then effected which his eternall vnchanging will had from al eternity ordained The promise of the Saints eternall blisse and the wickeds perpetual torment CHAP. 3. VVHerefore to omit many wordes As we see his promise to Abraham In thy seed shall all nations be blessed fulfilled in Christ so shall that be fulfilled hereafter which was promised to the said seed by the Prophet The dead shal liue euen with their bodies shall they rise And whereas he saith I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde But be you glad and reioice in the things I shal create For behold I will create Hierusalem as a reioycing and her people as a ioy c. And by another Prophet At that time shall thy people be deliuered euery one that shall bee found written in the booke of life and many that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euer lasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And againe they shall take the kingdome of the Saintes of the most High and possesse it for euer euen for euer and euer And by and by after His Kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome c. Together with all such places as I eyther put into the twentith booke or left vntouched All these things shall come to passe and those haue already which the infidels would neuer beleeue For the same GOD promised them both euen hee whome the pagan goddes do tremble before as Porphyry a worthy Phylosopher of theirs confesseth Against the wise men of the world that hold it impossible for mans bodie to be transported vp to the dwellings of ioy iâ—… heauen CHAP. 4. BVt the learned of the world thinke that they oppose this all-conuerting power very strongly as touching the resurrection when they vse that place of Cicero in his third booke de repub Who hauing affirmed that Romulus and Hercules were both deified yet were a not their bodies saith hee translated into heauen for nature will alow an earthly body no place but in the earth This is the wise mans argument which GOD knowes how vaine it is for admit that wee were all meere spirits without bodies dwelling in heauen and beeing ignorant of all earthly creatures and it should be told vs that one day we should be bound in corporal bodies might we not then vse this obiection to more power and refuse to beleeue that nature would euer suffer an â—…ncorporeall substance to bee bound or circumscribed by a corporeall one Yet is the earth full of vegetable soules strangely combined with earthly bodies Why then cannot God that made this creature transport an earthly body into heauen as well as he can bring a soule a purer essence then any celestiall body downe from heauen and inclose it in a forme of earth Can this little peece of earth include so excellent a nature in it and liue by it and cannot heauen entertaine it nor keepe it in it seeing that it liueth by an essence more excellent then heauen it selfe is Indeed this shall not come to passe as yet because it is not his pleasure who made this that we daily see and so respect not in a far more admirable manner then that shall be which those wise men beleeue not for why is it not more strange that a most pure
at the consumation of all The Angells and the starres are witnesse of heauens moouing at Christs birth The miracle of a Virgins child-birth mooued the earth the preaching of Christ in the Iles and the continent mooued both sea and drie land The nations we see are mooued to the faith Now the comming of the desire of all nations that we doe expect at this day of iudgement for first hee must be loued of the beleeuers and then be desired of the expecters Now to Zachary Reioyce greatly O daughter of Syon saith hee of Christ and his church shoute for ioy O daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth to thee hee is iust and thy Sauiour poore and riding vpon an asse and vpon d a colt the fole of an asse his dominion is from sea to sea from the riâ—…er to the lands end Of Christs riding in this manner the Gospell speaketh where this prophecy as much as needeth is recited In another place speaking prophetically of the remission of sinnes by Christ he saith thus to him Thou in the bloud of thy testament hast loosed thy prisoners out of the lake wherein is no water This lake may bee diuersly interpreted without iniuring our faith But I thinke hee meaneth that barren bondlesse depth of humaine myseries wherein there is no streame of righteousnesse but all is full of the mudde of iniquitie for of this is that of the psalme meant Hee hath brought mee out of the lake of misery and 〈◊〉 of the myâ—…y clay Now Malachi prophecying of the church which wee see so happily propagate by our Sauiour Christ hath these plaine word to the Iewes in the person of God I haue no pleasure in you neither will I accept an offring at your hand for frâ—… the rising of the Sunne vnto the setting my name is great amongst the Gentiles 〈◊〉 in euery place shal be e incence offered vnto mee and a pure offering vnto my 〈◊〉 for my name is great among the heathen saith the LORD This wee see offered in euery place by Christs priest-hood after the order of Melchisedech but the sacrifice of the Iewes wherein God tooke no pleasure but refused that they cannot deny is ceased Why do they expect an other Christ and yet see that this prophecy is fulfilled already which could not bee but by the true Christ for he 〈◊〉 by by after in the persoÌ„ of God My couenant was with him of life and peace I 〈◊〉 him feare and he feared me and was afraid before my name The law of truth was 〈◊〉 his mouth he walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from iniâ—… for the priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his 〈◊〉 for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes No wonder if Christ be called 〈◊〉 as he is a seruant because of the seruants forme he tooke when he came to men so is hee a messenger because of the glad tydings which hee brought vnto men For Euangelium in greeke is in our tongue glad tydings and he saith againe of him Behold I will send my messenger and hee shall prepare the way before mee the Lord whom you seeke shall come suddenly into his Temple and the messenger of the couenant whom you desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hostes but who maâ—… abide the daie of his comming who shall endure when he appeareth This place is a direct prophecy of both the commings of Christ of the first He shall come suddenly into his temple his flesh as hee sayd himselfe Destroy this temple and in three daies I will raise it againe Of the second Behold hee shall come saith the LORD of hostes but who may abide the day of his comming c. But those words the Lord whom you seeke and the messenger of the couenant whom you desire imply that the Iewes in that manner that they conceiue the scriptures desire and seeke the comming of CHRIST But many of them acknowledged him not being come for whose comming they so longed their euill desertes hauing blinded their hearts The couenant named both heere and there where hee sayd My couenant was with him is to bee vnderstood of the New Testament whose promises are eternall not of the Old full of temporall promises such as weake men esteeming too highly doe serue GOD wholy for and stumble when they see the sinne-full to enioy them Wherefore the Prophet to put a cleare difference betweene the blisse of the New Testament peculiar to the good and the abundance of the Old Testament shared with the badde also adioyneth this Your words haue beene stout against me saith the Lord and yet you said wherein haue we spoken against thee you haue sayd it is in vaine to serue GOD and what profit haue we in keeping his commandements and in walking humbly before the LORD GOD of hostes and now wee haue blessed others they that worke wickednesse are set vppe and they that oppose God they are deliuered Thus spake they that scared the Lord each to his neighbour the Lord hearkned and heard it and wrote a booke of remembrance in his sight for such as feare the Lord and reuerence his name That booke insinuateth the New Testament Heare the sequele They shal be to mee saith the Lord of hostes in that day wherein I doe this for a slocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Then shall you returne and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked and betweene him that serueth GOD and him that serueth him not For behold the day commeth that shall burne as an oven and all the proud and the wicked shal be as stubble and the day that commeth shall burne them vppe saith the LORD of Hostes and shall leaue them neither roote nor branch But vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnesse arise and health shal be vnder his wings and you shall goe forth and growe vppe as fatte Calues You shall tread downe the wicked they shal be as dust vnder the soles of your feete in the day that I shall doe this saith the LORD of Hostes. This is that day that is called the day of iudgement whereof if it please God wee meane to say some-what in place conuenient L. VIVES AGgee a Zachary Esdras nameth them chap. 6. 1. where he calleth Zachary the sonne 〈◊〉 Addo whom Zachary himselfe saith was his grand-father and Barachiah his father Thâ—… saith Hierome was doubtlesse that Addo that was sent to Hieroboam the sonne of Nabaâ—… in whose time the Altar cleft and his hand withered and was restored by this Addes prayers Kings 1. 1â—… Chro. 2. 12. But hee is not called Addo in either of these 〈◊〉 the Kings omit his name the Chronicles call him Semeius But a prophet of that time must bee great great grand-father at least to a sonne of the captiuity This Zachary was not the sonne of 〈◊〉 whome Ioash the King