shall rise againe incorruptible it is sowne in reproche but it is raised in glory it is sowâ—…n in weakenesse but raised in powre it is sowne an animated body but shall arise a spirituall body And then to prooue this hee proceedes for if there be a naturall or animated bodie there is also a spirituall body And to shew what a naturall body is hee saith The first man Adam was made a liuing soule Thus then shewed he what a naturall body is though the scripture doe noâ—… say of the first man Adam when God brâ—…athed in his face the breath of life that man became a liuing body but man became a liuing soule The first man was made a liuing soule saith the Apostle meaning a naturall body But how the spirituall body is to be taken hee sheâ—…eth also adding but the last man a quickning spirit meaning Christ assuredly who rose from death to dye no more Then hee proceedeth saying That was not first made which is spirituall but that which is naturall and that which is spirituall after-wards Here hee sheweth most plainly that he did meane by the liuing soule the naturall body and the spirituall by the quickning spirit For the naturall body that Adam had was first though it had not dyed but for that he sinned and such haue wee now one nature drawing corruption and necessity of death from him and from his sinne such also did Christ take vpon him for vs not needfully but in his power but the spirituall body is afterwards and such had Christ our head in his resurrection such also shall wee his members haue in ours Then doth the Apostle describe the difference of these two thus The first man is of the earth earthly the second is of heauen heauenly as the earthly one was so are all the earthly and as the heauenly one is such shall all the heauenly ones bee As wee haue borne the Image of the earthly so shall wee beare the image of the heauenly This the Apostle inferres vpon the sacrament of regeneration as hee saith else-where All yee that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ which shall then be really performed when that which is naturall in our birth shall become spirituall in our resurrection that I may vse his owne wordes for wee are saued by hope Wee put on the image of the earthly man by the propagation of sinne and corruption adherent vnto our first birth but wee put on that of Heauenly man by grace pardon and promise of life eternall which regeneration assureth vs by the mercy onely of the mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus whome the Angell calles the Heauenly man because hee came from Heauen to take vpon him the shape of earthly mortality and to shape it into heauenly immortality Hee calleth the rest heauenly also because they are made members of Christ by grace they and Christ being one as the members and the head is own body This he auerreth plainly in the chapter aforesaid by a man came dâ—…h and by a man came the resurrection from the dead for as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all bee made aliue and that into a quickning spirit that is a spirituall body not that all that die in Adam shall become members of Christ for many more of them shall fall into the eternall second death but it is said all and all because as none dy naturall but in Adam so none shall reuiue spirituall but in Christ wee may not then thinke that our bodies at the rusurrection shall be such as Adams was at the creation nor that this place As the earthly one was so are all the earthly is meant of that which was effected by the transgression for we may not thinke that Adam had a spiritual body ere he fell and in his fall was made a naturall one he that conceiueth it so giues but little regard to that great teacher that saith If ther be a natural body then is there also a spiritual as it is also written the first man Adam was made a liuing soule was this done after sinne being the first estate of man from whence the blessed Apostle tooke this testimony of the 〈◊〉 to shew what a naturall body was L. VIVES A Liuing a Or with a liuing soule but the first is more vsual in holy writ b A quickning â—…ssed and ioyned with God bâ—… which coniunction it imparteth integrity and immorâ—…â—…to the body c Forbidden Out of much diuersity of reading I hold this the best for 〈◊〉 â—…oule that liueth and the quickning spirit that giueth life d When soeuer Symmachus 〈◊〉 Hierome expounds this place better thou shalt be mortall But indâ—…ed we die as soone 〈◊〉 borne as Manilius saith Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet Being borne we die our ends hangs at our birth How Gods breathing life into Adam and Christs breathing vpon his Apostles when be said receiue the holy spirit are to be vnderstood CHAP. 24. Sâ—…e therefore do vnaduisedly thinke that God when he breathed in his face the â—…th of life and man became a liuing soule did a not then giue him a soule but by the holy spirit onely quickned a soule that was in him before They ground 〈◊〉 Christs breathing vpon his Apostles after his resurrection and saying 〈◊〉 the Holy spirit thinking that this â—…was such another breathing so that 〈◊〉 â—…angelist might haue sayd they became liuing soules which if hee had 〈◊〉 it would haue caused vs to imagine all reasonable soules dead that are 〈◊〉 â—…kned by Gods spirit though their bodies seeme to bee a liue But it 〈◊〉 so when man was made as the Scripture sheweth plaine in these words 〈◊〉 â—…d GOD formed man being dust of the Earth which some thinking to 〈◊〉 translate c And GOD framed man of the Lome of the Earth because it was said before amist went vp from the earth and watred all the earth that lome should seeme to be produced by this mixture of earth and water for immediatly followeth And God framed man being dust of the earth as the Greeke translations d whence our latine is do read it but whether the Greeâ—…e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be formed or framed it maketh no matter e framed is the more proper word but they that vsed formed thought they avoyded ambiguity because that fingo in the latine is vsed f commonly for to feygne by lying or illuding This man therefore being framed of dust or lome for lome is moystned dust that this dust of the earth to speake with the scripture more expressly when it receiued a soule was made an animate body the Apostle affirmeth saying the man was made a liuing soule that is this dust being formed was made a liuing soule I say they but hee had a soule now already other-wise hee could not haue beene man being neither soule only nor body only but consisting of both T' is true the soule is not whole man
iustly L. VIVES THey that helped Marius Ater he returned out of Affrica hee called all the slaues to his standard and gaue them their freedome and with all cruelty spoyled the Collonies of Ostiae Antium Lavinium and Aritia Entring the Citty he gaue his soldiars charge that to whomsoeuer he returned not the salute they should immediatly dispatch him It is vnspeakeable to consider the innumerable multitude of all sortes Noble and ignoble that were slaughtered by this meanes His cruelty Lucan in few wordes doth excellently describe Vir ferus fatâ—…â—…vpienti perdere Romam Sufficiens Cruel fittest instrument for fate To wrack Rome by And yet this bloudy man as I said before in his seauenth Consulship died quietly in his bed as Lucan saith Folix â—…uersa Consull moritarus in vrbâ—… Happy dead Consull in his ruin'd towne Soone after his death came Sylla out of Asia and rooted out Marius his sonne and all the whole faction of them vtterly b Commodity Saint Augustine plaies with these Antitheses Compendio Superfluo Compendio Breifely or Compendio to their commodity whose contrary is Dispendium Excesse or Superfluity c Metellus Ualerius lib. 7. and Pliny lib. 7. Q. Metellis Macedonicus was iudged of all men the most happy as a man endowed with all good qualities of body and minde Hee was Consul he was Censor hee managed great warres with happy successe he attained the glory of a triumph hee left foure sonnes three of theÌ„ were Consuls two of which triumphed one of which was Censor his fourth was Praetor prickt for the Consulship and as Uelleius saith hee attained it Besides hee had three daughters all married to Noble and mighty houses whose children he him-selfe liued to see and by this illustrious company all sprung from his owne loines beeing of exceeding age he was borne forth to his funerall d Fiue Consuls to his sonnes This history is depraued by some smattering fellow For I do not thinke that Saint Augustine left it so Vnlesse you will take Quinque filios Consulares for Fiue sonnes worthy to be Consuls as my fine Commentator obserued most acutely which hee had not done vnlesse his skill in Logike had beene so excellent as it was so hee findes it to be Consulares quasi Consulabiles or Consulificabiles that is in the magisteriall phrase in potentia to become Consuls e And Cateline The life and conditions of L. Sergius Cateline are well knowne because Salust him-selfe the author that reporteth them is so well knowne It is said that amongst other reasons pouerty was one of the cheefe that set him into the conspiracy against his countrey for he was one whose excessiue spending exceeded all sufficient meanes for a man of his ranke In Syllas time he got much by rapine and gaue Sylla many guifts who vsed his help in the murder of M. Marius many others f I omit to relate that Marius C. Marius hauing escaped alone out of the first battell of the ciuill wars fled to Minturnae a town of Campania The Minturnians to do Sylla a pleasure sent a fellow to cut his throat but the fellow being terrified by the words and maiesty of the man and running away as one-wholy affrighted the Minturnians turned their mallice to reuerence and began to thinke now that Marius was one whome the goddes had a meseriall care of so that they brought him into the holy Wood which was consecrated to Marica a little without the towne and then they sette him free to go whether hee would Plutarch in the life of Marius Velleius saith they brought him to the marish of Marica She that was first called Circe saith Lactantius after her deifying was enstiled Marica Seruius in Aenaeid lib. 8. saith Marica was the wife of Faunus and that she was goddesse of the Minturnians shores neare the riuer Lyâ—… Hâ—…race 〈◊〉 Maricae litterribus tenuisse Lyrim Held Lyris swimming neare Maricas shores But if we make her the wife of Faunus it cannot be so for the Topicall Gods that is the local gods of such and such places do neuer change their habitations nor go they into other countries But Poeticall licence might call her Marica of Laurentum when indeed she was Marica of Minturnum Some saie that by Marica should be vnderstood Uenus who had a Chappel neere vnto Marica wherin was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Temple of Venus Hesiod saith that Latinus was the sonne of Ulisses and Cyrce which Virgill toucheth when hee calles him His gransires forme the sonnes Solis aui specimen But because the times do not agree therefore we must take the opinion of Iginius touching this point who affirmes that there were many that were called by the names of Latinus and that therefore the Poet wresteth the concordance of the name to his owne purpose Thus much saith Seruius Of the Actes of Sylla wherein the Deuils shewed them-selues his maine helpers and furtherers CHAP. 24. NOw as for a Sylla him-selfe who brought all to such a passe as that the times before whereof he professed him-selfe a reformer in respect of those that hee brought forth were wished for againe and againe when he first of all set forward against Marius towardes Rome Liuie writes that the entrailes in the sacrifices were so fortunate that b Posthumius the Sooth-sayer would needes haue him-selfe to bee kept vnder guard with an vrgent and willing proffer to loose his head if all Syllas intents sorted not by the assistance of the goddes vnto his head if all Syllas intents sorted not by the assistants of the gods vnto most wished and happy effect Behold now the gods were not yet gone they had not as yet forsaken their altars when they did so plainly fore-shew the euent of Syllas purposes and yet they neuer endeuoured to mend Sylla's manners They stucke not to promise him wished happinesse but neuer proffered to suppresse his wicked affections Againe when he had vnder-taken the Asian warre against Mithridates L. Titius was sent to him on a message euen from Iupiter himselfe who sent him word that he should not faile to c ouer-come Mithridates no more he did indeed And afterwards when hee endeuoured to re-enter the citie and to reuenge himselfe and his iniured friends vpon the liues of the Citizens hee was certified that a certaine souldiour of the sixt legion brought him another message from Ioue how that he had fore-told him of his victorie against Mithridates before and how he promised him now the second time that hee would giue him power to recouer the rule of the weale-publike from all his enemies but not with out much bloud-shed Then Sylla asking of what fauour the souldior was when they had shewed him he remembred that it was hee that brought him the other message in the warre of Mithridates and that hee was the same man that now brought him this What can be said to this now that the gods should haue such care to acquaint Sylla
such ridiculous manner had no such power thus fâ—…r haue we proceeded in this book to take away the questioÌ„ of destiny fate least some man being perswaded that it was not the deed of the gods should rather ascribe it vnto fate then to gods wil so mighty so omnipotent The ancient Romains therfore as their histories report though like to all other nations exceping the Hebrewes they worshipped Idols and false goddes offering their sacrifices to the diuels not to the true Deity yet their desire of praise made them bountifull of their purses they loued glory wealth honestly gotten honor they dearly affected honestly offering willingly both their liues and their states for them The zealous desire of this one thing suppressed al other inordinate affects and hence they desired to keep their country in freedom and then in soueraingty because the saw how basenesse went with seruitude and glory with dominion Where-vpon they reiected the imperiousnesse of their Kings and set downe a yearely gouernment betweene two heads called Consuls à Consulendo of prouiding not Kings nor Lords of reigâ—… and rule though Rex do seeme rather to come à Regendo of gouerning regnum the Kingdome of Rex then otherwise but they held the state of a King to consist more in this imperious domination then either in his discipline of gouernance or his beneuolent prouidence so hauing expelled Tarquin and instituted Consuls then as a Salust saith wel in their praise the citty getting their freedom thus memorably grew vp in glorie as much as it did in power the desire of with glo ry wrought al these world-admired acts which they performed Salust praiseth also M. Cato and C. Caesar both worthy men of his time saying the CoÌ„mon-wealth had not had a famous man of a long time before but that theÌ„ it had a couple of illustrious vertue though of diuers conditions he praiseth Caesar for his desire of Empire armes and war wherby to exemplifie his valour trusting so in the fortune of a great spirit that he rouled vp the poore Barbarians to war tossing Bellona's bloudy enâ—…igne about that the Romaines might thereby giue proofe of their vigors This wrought he for desire of praise and glory Euen so in the precedent ages their loue first of liberty and afterward of soueraignty and glory whetted them to all hard attemâ—… Their famous Poet giues testimony for both saying Nec non Tarquinium eiâ—…ctum Porsenna iâ—…bebat Accipere ingeâ—…tique vrbem obsidiore premebaâ—… Aenead 〈◊〉 in serrum pro libertatâ—… râ—…bant c. Porsennâ—… guiâ—…ts them with a world of men Commands that Tâ—…rquin be restor'd But then To armes the Romaines for their freedome runne For then was it honour to die brauely or to liue freely but hauing got their freedome then succeeded such a greedynesse of glory in them that freedome alone seemed nothing without domination hammering vpon that which the same Poet maketh Ioue to speake in prophetique-wise Quin aspera Tuno Qua â—…re nunc terrasque metu câ—…lumque satigat 〈◊〉 in melius reseret mecumque fouebit 〈◊〉 rerum dominos gentemque togatum Sâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lustris labentibus â—…tas Câ—… dâ—… Aâ—…raci Phithiam charasque Mycenas 〈◊〉 prâ—…et ac victis dominabitur argis â—…nd Iuno though shee yet Fill heauen and earth with her disquiet fitte Shall turne her minde at length and ioyne with me To guard the Romaines c goâ—…ned progeny It stands succeeding times shall see the day That old d Assaracus his stocke shal sway e Phithia Micena and all Argos round c. VVhich Virgill maketh Iupiter speake as prophetically beeing falne out true before he wrote these verses But this by the way to shew that the Romaines affection of liberty and domination was a parcell of their most principall glory and lustre Hence it is that the same Poet in distributing the artes amongst the Nations giues the Romains the art of Domination soueraignty ouer others saying Exâ—… 〈◊〉 spâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…elius câ—…lique meatus 〈◊〉 râ—…dio surgentia sydera dicent Tâ—…ere imperio populos Romane memento 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…es pacique imponere morem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debellare superbos Others câ—… better câ—… in brasse perhaps f T is â—…ue or cutte the â—…one to humaine shapes Others can better practise lawes loud iarres Or teach the motions of the fulgid starres But Romanes be your artes to rule in warres To make all knees to sacred peace be bow'd To spare the lowly and pull downe the proud Thâ—…se artes they were the more perfect in through their abstinence from pleasurâ—… 〈◊〉 couetousnesse after ritches the corrupters both of body and minde from 〈◊〉 from the poore cittizen bestowing on beastly plaiers So that in thâ—… dominion of those corruptions which befell afterwards when Virgil and Saâ—… did both write the Romaines vsed not the fore-said arts but deceites and â—…es â—…o raise their glories And therefore Salust saith At first mens hearts gaue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…bition rather then couetousnesse because that was more neere to vertue for 〈◊〉 â—…rious and the sloathful haue both one desire of honor glory and souerainty But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he goeth the true way to worke the later by craft false means because he hâ—…â—…t the true course The true are these to come to honor by vertue not by ambitiâ—… 〈◊〉 honor Empire and glory good and bad wish both alike But the good goeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by vertue leading him directly to his possession of honor glory soueâ—… Tâ—…t this was the Romanes course their temples shewed vertues honors being 〈◊〉 close togither though herein they tooke Gods gifts for gods themseluâ—… wherein you might easily see that their end was to shew that their was no accesse to honor but by vertue wherevnto all they that were good referred it fâ—…â—…e euil had it not though they laboured for honor by indirect means namely by â—…ceite and illusion The praise of Cato excelleth of whom he saith that the 〈◊〉 â—…ned glory the more it pursued him For this glory that they seeke is the gooâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ion of men concerning such or such And therefore that is the best vertue that sâ—…h not vpon others iudgements but vpon ones own conscience as the Apâ—…â—…h Our glory is this the testimony of our conscience and againe Let euery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne worke and so shall hee haue glory in himselfe onely and not in anoâ—… â—…o that glory honor which they desire so aime so after by good means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go before vertue but follow it for there is no true vertue but leuelleth 〈◊〉 chiefest good And therefore the honors that Cato required i he should not haue required but the city should haue returned him them as his due desart But whereas there were but two famous Romaines in that time Caesar Cato Catoes vâ—…tue seemes far nerer the truth of vertue then Caesars And let vs take Cato's
it f Those that They are the true Philosopers and if they should rule or the rulers were like them happy should the states be saith Plato g Who gaue Iames. 1. 5 6. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and he shall giue it him But let him aske in faith and wauer not c. That vertue is as much disgraced in seruing humaine glory as in obeying the pleasures of the body CHAP. 20. THe Philosophers that a make vertue the scope of all humaine good do vse in disgrace of such as approued vertue and yet applied it all to bodily delight holding this to be desired for it selfe and vertue to be sought onely for respect to this pleasure to deliniate a Picture as it were with their tongues wherein pleasure sitteth on a throne like a delicate Queene and all the Vertues about her ready at a becke to do her command There she commands prudence to seeke out a way whereby pleasure may reigne in safety Iustice must go do good turnes to attaine friends for the vse of corporall delights and iniury none fortitudes taske is that if any hurt not mortall inuade the body she must hold pleasure so fast in the mind that the remembrance of delights past may dull the touch of the paine present Temperance must so temper the norishment that immoderation come not to trouble the health and so offend Lady pleasure whome the Epicures do say is chiefly resident in the bodies soundnesse Thus the virtues being in their owne dignities absolute commanders must put all their glories vnder the feete of pleasure and submit them-selues to an imperious and dishonest woman Then this picture there cannot be a sight more vild deformed and abhominable to a good man say the Phylosophers and it is true Nor thinke I that the picture would be so faire as it should be if humaine glory were painted in the throne of pleasure for though it be not a b nice peece as the other is yet it is turgid and full of empty ayre so that ill should it beseeme the substantiall vertues to be subiect to such a shadow that prudence should fore-see nothing iustice distribute nothing fortitude endure nâ—…thing temperance moderate nothing but that which aymeth at the pleasing of men seruing of windy glory Nor are they quite from this blot who contemning the iudgements of others as scorners of glory yet in their owne conceit hold their wisdome at a high prise for their vertue haue they any serueth humaine glory in another maner for he that pleaseth him-selfe is c but a man but he that builds and beleeues truly and piously vpon God whome he loueth applieth his thoughts more vpon that which hee displeaseth himselfe in then vpon those things which if they be in him do rather please the truth then him nor doth he ascribe the power he hath to please vnto other but vnto his mercy whom he feareth to displease giuing thankes for the cure of this and praying for the cure of that L. VIVES PHilosophers that a make The Stoikes as Cleanthes This picture Tully talketh of De finib l. 2. b Nice For glory is got by sweat and paines c But a man bends his affects no further then mans present being That the true God in whose hand and prouidence all the state of the world consisteth did order and dispose of the Monarchie of the Romaines CHAP. 21. THis being thus the true God a that giueth the heauenly kingdome onely to the godly but the earthly ones both to good and bad as himselfe liketh whose pleasure is all iustice he is to haue all power of giuing or taking away soueraignty ascribed vnto himselfe alone and no other for though we haue shewen somethings that he pleased to manifest vnto vs yet far far is it beyond our powers to penetrate into mens merits or scan the deserts of kingdoms aright This one God therefore that neither staieth from iudging nor fauouring of man-kinde when his pleasure was and whilest it was his pleasure let Rome haue soueraignty so did he with Assyria Persia b who as their bookes say worshipped onely two gods a good a bad to omit the Hebrews of whom I thinke sufficient is already spoken both of their worship of one God of their kingdome But he that gaue Persia corne without Sigetia's helpe and so many gifts of the earth without any of those many gods that had each one a share in them oâ—… rather were three or foure to a share he also gaue them their kingdom without their helpes by whose adoration they thought they kept their kingdome And so for the men he that gaue c Marius rule gaue Caesar rule he that gaue Augustus it gaue Nero it he that gaue Vespatian rule or Titus his sonne d both sweet natured men gaue it also to Domitian that cruell blood-sucker And to be briefe he that gaue it to Constantine the Christian gaue it also to Iulian e the Apostata whose worthy towardnesse was wholy blinded by sacriligious curiosity and all through the desire of rule whose heart wandered after the vanity of false oracles as hee found when vpon their promise of victory he burned all his ships that victualed his armie and then being slaine in one of his many rash aduentures hee left his poore armie in the â—…awes of their enemies without all meanes of escape but that God Terminus of whom we spake before was faine to yeeld and to remoue the bounds of the Empire Thus did he giue place to necessity that would not giue place to Iupiter All these did the True sacred and only God dispose and direct as hee pleased if the causes be vnkowne why he did thus or thus is he therefore vniust L. VIVES GOd that a giueth Here is a diuersity of reading in the text but all comes to one sence b Who as their The Persian Magi whose chiefe Zoroafter was held two beginnings a good and a bad that the God of heauenâ—… this the god of hell This they called Pluto and Ariâ—…anius the euill Daemon that Ioue and Horosmades the good Daemon Hermipp Eudox. Theoâ—…p apud Laert. Those Plato seemes to follow de leg l. 10. putting two sorts of soules in the world originalls of good and originall of bad vnlesse he do rather Pythagorize who held that the vnity was God the minde the nature and the good of euery thing the number of two infinite materiall multiplicable the Genius and euill The Manichees also Aug. de heres held two beginnings contrary and coeternall and two natures and substances of good and of euil wherein they followed the old heretikes c Marius He coupleth a good and a bad together Marius most cruell Caesar most courteous Augustus the best Emperor Nero the worst that could be d Both sweetly T. Vespatian had two sonnes Titus Domitian Their father was conceited and full of delicate mirth and Titus
to you that knowe such things and ought to inioyne your selues to beleeue it can iâ—… seeme incredible to you that GOD should assume mans nature and bodye you giue so much to the intellectuall part of the soule beeing bâ—… humaine that you make it consubstantiall with the Fathers intellect which you confesse is his Sonne How then is it incredible for that Sonâ—… to assume one intellectuall soule to saue a many of the rest by Now nature teacheth vs the cohaerence of the body and the soule to the making of a fâ—… man Which if it were not ordinary were more incredible then the other For wee may the more easily beleeue that a spirit may cohere with a spirit beeing both incorporcall though the one humaine and the other diuine then a corporall body with an incorporeall spirit But are you offended at the strange child-birth of a Virgin This ought not to procure offence but rather pious admiration that he was so wonderfully borne Or dislike you that hee changed his body after death and resurrection into a better and so carried it vp into heauen being made incorruptible and immortall This perphappes you will not beleeue because Porphyry saith so often in his worke De regressu aniae whence I haue cited much that the soule must leaue the body intirely ere it can bee ioyned with God But that opinion of his ought to be retracted seeing that both hee and you doe hold such incredible things of the worlds soule animating the huge masse of the bodily vniuerse For Plato b teacheth you to call the world a creature a blessed one and you would haue it an eternall one Well then how shall it be eternally happy and yet neuer put off the body if your former rule be true Besides the Sunne Moone and Starres you all say are creatures which all men both see and say also But your skill you thinke goeth farther calleth them blessed creatures and eternally with their bodies Why doe you then forget or dissemble this when you are inuited to Christianity which you otherwise teach and professe so openly why will you not leaue your contradictory opinions subuerting them-selues for christianitie but because Christ came humbly and you are all pride Of what qualitie the Saints bodyes shall be after resurrection may well bee a question amongst our greatest christian doctors but wee all hold they shall be eternall c and such as Christ shewed in his resurrection But how-so-euer seeing they are taught to bee incorruptible immortall and no impediment to the soules contemplation of God and you your selues say that they are celestiall bodies immortally blessed with their soules why should you thinke that wee cannot bee happy without leauing of our bodies to pretend a reason for auoyding christianitie but onely as I said because Christ was humble and you are proud Are you ashamed to bee corrected in your faults a true character of a proud man You that were Plato's d learned schollers shame to become Christs who by his spirit taught a fisher wisdome to say In the beginning 〈◊〉 the worde and the word was with God and GOD was the word The same was in the beginning with God all things were made by it and without it was made nothing e that was made In it was life and the life was the light of men And the light shineth in the darkenesse and the darknesse comprehended it not f Which beginning of Saint Iohns Gospell a certaine Platonist as olde holy g Simplictanus afterwards Bishop of Millaine tolde mee sayd was fitte to bee written in letters of golde and set vp to bee read in the highest places of all Churches But those proud fellowes scorne to haue GGD their Maister because the word became 〈◊〉 and dwelt in vs. Such a thing of nothing it is for the wretched to be sicke and weake but they must axalt them-selues in their sickest weaknesse and shame to take the onely medicine that must cure them nor doe they this to rise but to 〈◊〉 a more wretched fall L. VIVES TRue a â—…latonist Plato in Phaed. Epinon hereof already booke the 8. b Teacheth in his Timaeus c And such Sound incorruptible immortall pertaking with the soule in happinesse Phillip 3. We looke for the sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that 〈◊〉 may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body c. ver 21. d Learned What an insolent thing is it to boast of wisdome As if Plato were ashamed of his Maister Socrates that said hee knew nothing and did not glory in all his life that he was scholler to that stone cutters sonne and that all his wisdome whatsoeuer was his Maisters And as if Socrates him-selfe in Plato and Xenophon chiefe founders of that discipline did not referre much of his knowledge to Aspasia and Diotima his two women instructers e That was made The point is so in the greeke as we haue lest it as if the world should become nothing but for the care of the creator as the Philosophers held The Coleyn copy also pointeth it so but wee must let this alone as now f Which beginning Augustine Confess lib. 8. saith that hee had read the beginning of Saint Iohns Gospell In the beginning was the word In Plato but not in the same words Amelius the Platonist saith And this was that word by which all things were made that were made yet being eternall as Heraclitus saith and disposed in their order and dignity with god as the other Barbarian held that word was God and with God and by it was all things made and it was the life and being of all things that were made thus farre Amelius calling Saint Iohn a barbarian But we teach it out of Plato that by the word of God were althings made and out of Plotine that the Sonne of God is the creator Numerius will not haue the first God to be the creator but the second g Simplicianus Bishop of Millaine a friend of Augustines betweene whome many letters were written He being but as yet a Priest exhorted Augustine to vse his wit in the study of holy writ Gennad Catolog viror illustr What opinions of Plato Prophiry confuted and corrected CHAP. 30. IF it be vnfit to correct ought after Plato why doth Porphiry correct such and so many of his doctrines a Sure it is that Plato held a transmigration of mens soules into beasts yet though b Plato the learned held thus Porphiry his scholler iustly refuted him holding that mens soules returned no more to the bodies they once left but into other humane bodies Hee was ashamed to beleeue the other least the mother liuing in a mule should cary her sonne but neuer shamed to beleeue the later though the mother liuing in some other maid might beecome her sonnes wife But how farre better were it to beleeue the sanctified and true Angels the holy inspired prophets him that taught the comming of Christ and the blessed Apostles that spread the gospell
painfull is iustly termed 〈◊〉 death then life and therefore is it called the second death because it folâ—…th the first breach of nature either betweene God and the soule or this and the â—…dy of the first death therefore wee may say that it is good to the good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the bad But the second is bad in all badnesse vnto all good to none L. VIVES IT a is called Bruges copy differs not much all is one in substance b Second death 〈◊〉 2. 11. and 21 8. Whether death propagated vnto all men from the first be punishment of sinne to the Saints CHAP. 3. â—…ere's a question not to be omitted whether the first death bee good to 〈◊〉 â—…ood If it be so how can it be the punishment of sinne for had not our 〈◊〉 sinned they had neuer tasted it how then can it bee good to the vpâ—… cannot happen but vnto offenders and if it happen but vnto offenders 〈◊〉 not be good for it should not be at all vnto the vpright for why should 〈◊〉 punishment that haue no guilt Wee must confesse then that had not 〈◊〉 parents sinned they had not dyed but sinning the punishment of death â—…cted vpon them and all their posteritie for they should not produce 〈◊〉 â—…ng but what them-selues were and the greatnesse of their crime depraued 〈◊〉 â—…ture so that that which was penall in the first mans offending was made 〈◊〉 in the birth of all the rest for they came not of man as man came of the 〈◊〉 The dust was mans materiall but man is mans parent That which is earth is 〈◊〉 flesh though flesh be made of earth but that which man the father is man the 〈◊〉 is also For all man-kinde was in the first man to bee deriued from him by the 〈◊〉 when this couple receiued their sentence of condemnation And that 〈◊〉 man was made not in his creation but in his fall and condemnation that 〈◊〉 â—…got in respect I meane of sinne and death For his sinne a was not cause of 〈◊〉 weaknesse in infancie or whitenesse of body as we see in infants those God would haue as the originall of the yonglings whose parents he had cast downe to 〈◊〉 mortality as it is written Man was in honor and vnderstood not but became 〈◊〉 the beasts that perish vnlesse that infants bee weaker in motion and appetite 〈◊〉 all other creatures to shew mans mounting excellence aboue them all comâ—…le to a shaft that flieth the stronger when it is drawne farthest back in the 〈◊〉 Therefore mans presumption and iust sentence adiudged him not to those â—…lities of nature but his nature was depraued vnto the admission of conâ—…entiall in-obedience in his members against his will thereby was bound to death by necessity and to produce his progeny vnder the same conditions that his crime deserued From which band of sin if infants by the mediators grace be freed they shall onely bee to suffer the first death of body but from the eternall penall second death their freedome from sinne shall quit them absolutely L. VIVES HIs sinne a was not Here is another question in what state men should haue beene borne had they not sinned Augustine propounds it in his booke De baptis paruul some thinke they should haue beene borne little and presently become perfect men Others borne little but in perfect strength onely not groweth and that they should presently haue followed the mother as we see chickens and lambes The former giue them immediate vse of sence and reason the later not so but to come by degrees as ours do Augustine leaues the doubt as hee findes it seeming to suppose no other kinde of birth but what we now haue Why the first death is not withheld from the regenerat from sinne by grace CHAP. 4. IF any thinke they should not suffer this being the punishment of guilt and there guilt cleared by grace he may be resolued in our booke called De baptismo paruulorum There we say that the seperation of soule and body remaineth to succeed though after sinne because if the sacrament of regeneration should be immediately seconded by immortality of body our faith were disanulled being an expectation of a thing vnseene But by the strength and vigor of faith was this feare of death to be formerly conquered as the Martires did whose conflicts had had no victory nor no glory nay had bin no conflicts if they had beene deified and freed from corporall death immediatly vpon their regeneration for if it were so who would not run vnto Christ to haue his child baptised least hee should die should his faith be approued by this visible reward no it should be no faith because he receiued his reward immediatly But now the wounderfull grace of our Sauiour hath turned the punishment of sinne vnto the greater good of righteousnesse Then it was said to man thou shalt die if thou sinne now it is said to the Martir die to auoid sin Then if you breake my lawes you shall dy now if you refuse to die you breake my lawes That which we feared then if we offended we must now choose not to offend Thus by Gods ineffable mercy the punishment of sin is become the instrument of vertue and the paine due to the sinners guilt is the iust mans merit Then did sinne purchase death and now death purchaseth righteousnes I meane in the Martires whome their persecutors bad either renounce their faith or their life and those iust men chose rather to suffer that for beleeuing which the first sinners suffred for not beleeuing for vnlesse they had sinned they had not dyed and Martires had sinned if they had not died They dyed for sinne these sinne not because they die The others crime made death good which before was euill but God hath giuen such grace to faith that death which is lifes contrary is here made the ladder whereby to ascend to life As the wicked vse the good law euill so the good vse death which is euill well CHAP. 5. FOr the Apostle desiring to shew the hurt of sin being vnpreuented by grace doubted not to say that the law which forbids sinne is the strength of sinne The sting 〈◊〉 saith he is sinne and the strength of sinne is the lawe Most true for a forbidding of vnlawfull desires increase them in him where righteousnesse is not of power to suppresse all such affects to sinne And righteousnesse can neuer be lâ—…d without gods grace procure this loue But yet to shew that the law is not euill though hee calls it the strength of sinne hee saith in another place in the 〈◊〉 question The law is holy and the commandement holy and iust and good Was that then which is good saith he made death to me GOD forbid buâ—… sinne that it might appeare sinne wrought death in me by that which is good b that siâ—…e might be out of measure sinfull by the commandement Out of measure 〈◊〉
Paradise Eden from the beginning This out of Hierome b No such No man denieth that Paradise may be spiritually vnderstood excepting Ambrose in his booke De Paradiso But all the Fathers professe that Paradise was a reall pleasant place full of trees as Damascene saith and like to the Poets imaginary Elizium Away with their foolery saith Hierome vpon Daniel that seeke for figures in truthes and would ouerthrow the reall existence of trees and riuers in Paradise by drawing all into an Allegory This did Origen making a spirituall meaning of the whole hiâ—…ory and placing the true Paradice in the third heauen whither the Apostle Paul was rapt c Foure riuers Nile of Egipt Euphrates and Tigris of Syria and Ganges of India There heads are vnknowne and they run vnder the Ocean into our sea and therefore the Egiptian priests called Niâ—… the Ocean Herodot d Read in the. Cant 4 12. My sister my spouse is as a garden inclosed as a spring shut vp and a fountaine sealed vp their plants are as an orchard of pomegranates with sweete fruites c. That the Saints bodies after resurrection shal be spirituall and yet not changed into spirits CHAP. 22. THe bodies of the Saints in the resurrection shall need none of the tree of life to preserue them in life health or strength nor any meate to keepe away hunger and thirst They shall haue such an euery way absolute immortality that they shall neuer need to eare power they shall haue to doe it if they will but no â—…ssity For so the Angels did appearing visibly and sensibly not of necessity 〈◊〉 of power and will to affoord their ministerie vnto man in more congruence 〈◊〉 we may not thinke that when a they lodged in mens houses they did but eare b seemingly though they seemed to eate with the same appetite that the 〈◊〉 did who knew them not to be Angels And therefore the Angell saith in Tobiâ—…n saw mee eate but you saw it but in vision that is you thought I had eaten as 〈◊〉 did to refresh my body But if the other side may bee probably held of the Angels yet verily wee doubt it not to bee true c of Christ that hee in his spirituall flesh after his resurrection yet was it his true flesh eate and dranke with his disciples The neede onely not the power is taken from those glorified bodies which are spirituall not because they cease to bee bodyes but because they subsist by the quickning of the spirit L. VIVES THey a lodged In the houses of Abraham Lot and Tobias b Eate seemingly They did not eate as we doe passing the meate from the mouth to the stomack through the throate 〈◊〉 so decoct it and dispâ—…rse the iuice through the veines for nutâ—…iment nor yet did they deâ—… mens eyes by seeming to mooue that which they had for their chaps and yet moouing 〈◊〉 not or seeming to chaw bread or flesh and yet leauing it whole They did eate really 〈◊〉 â—…ere not nourished by eating c Of Christ Luke the 23. The earth saith Bede vpon 〈◊〉 â—…ce drinketh vp water one way and the sunne another the earth for neede the sunne 〈◊〉 power And so our Sauiour did eate but not as we eate that glorious body of his tooke â—…te but turned it not into nutriment as ours doe Of bodies animate and spirituall these dying in Adam and those beeing quickned in Christ. CHAP. 23. 〈◊〉 â—…s the bodyes that haue a liuing soule though as yet vnquickned by the â—…it are called animate yet are our soules but bodyes so are the other calâ—…tuall yet God forbid we should beleeue them to bee spirit or other then â—…tiall fleshly bodies yet vncorruptible and without weight by the quickâ—… of the spirit For man shall not then be earthly but celestiall not that he shall 〈◊〉 his earthly body but because he shall be so endowed from heauen that he 〈◊〉 â—…habite it with losse of his nature onely by attaining a celestiall quality 〈◊〉 â—…st man was made earth of earth into a a liuing creature but not into b â—…ing spirit as â—…ee should haue beene had hee perseuered in obedience â—…lesse therefore his body needing meate and drinke against hunger and 〈◊〉 and being not kept in youth from death by indissoluble immortality but 〈◊〉 by the Tree of life was not spirituall but onely animaâ—…e yet should it not 〈◊〉 â—…ied but that it incurred Gods heauy sentence by offending And though he 〈◊〉 take of other meates out of Paradice yet had he bin c â—…bidden to touch 〈◊〉 of life he should haue bin liable to time corruption in that life onely 〈◊〉 had he continued in spirituall obedience though it were but meerely aniâ—… might haue beene eternall in Paradise Wherefore though by these words 〈◊〉 d When soeuer you eate thereof you shall dye the death wee vnderstand by 〈◊〉 the seperation of soule and body yet ought it not seeme absurd in that 〈◊〉 dyed not the very day that they tooke this deadly meate for that very 〈◊〉 their nature was depraued and by their iust exclusion from the Tree 〈◊〉 the necessitie of death entred vppon them wherein wee all are brought forth And therefore the Apostle saith not The body shall dye for sinne but The body is dead because of sinne and the spirit is life for iustice sake And then he addeth But if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dâ—… in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodyes by his spirit dwelling in you Therefore then as the Apostle saith shall be in quickning of the spirit which is now in the life of soule and yet dead because it must necessarily dye But in the first man it was in life of soule and not in quickning of spirit yet could it not be called dead because had not he broken the precept hee had not beene bound to death But whereas God signified the death of the soule in leauing of him saying Adam where art thou and in saying Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt goe signified the death of the body in leauing of the soule therefore wee must thinke he spoake not of the second death reseruing that secret because of his new testament where it is plainly discouered that the first which is common to all might bee shewen to proceed from that sinne which one mans acte made common to all but that the second death is not common to all because of those holy onely whom hee hath fore-knowne and predestinated as the Apostle saith to bee made like the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne of many brethren whom the grace of God by this mediator had saued from the second death Therefore the first mans body was but animate as the Apostle witnesseth who desiring our animate bodies now from those spirituall ones that they shall become in the resurrection It is sowne in corruption saith he but
by the words increase and multiply the number of 〈◊〉 â—…nat were fulfilled then should a better haue beene giuen vs namely 〈◊〉 the Angells haue wherein there is an eternall security from sinne 〈◊〉 and so should the Saints haue liued then after no tast of labour sorâ—… death as they shall do now in the resurrection after they haue endured 〈◊〉 L. VIVES 〈◊〉 The desire is a sinne aswell as the act not onely by the Scriptures but by the â—…ct discipline of humanity also Cic. Philippic 2. Though there be no law against it for 〈◊〉 â—…th not if this man desire thus much land let him be fined as Cato the elder pleaded 〈◊〉 â—…odians The fall of the first man wherein nature was made good and cannot be repaired but by the maker CHAP. 11. BVt God foreknowing althings could not but know that man would fall therefore wee must ground our City vpon his prescience and ordinance not vpon that which we know not and God hath vnreuealed For mans sinne could not disturbe Gods decree nor force him to change his resolue God fore-knew and preuented both that is how bad man whome hee had made should become and what good hee meant to deriue from him for all his badnesse For though God bee said to change his resâ—… as the scriptures a tropically say that hee repented c. Yet this is in respect of mans hope or natures order not according to his own prescience So then God made man vpright and consequently well-willed otherwise he could not haue beene vpright So that this good will was Gods worke man being there-with created But the euill will which was in man before his euill worke was rather a fayling from the worke of God to the owne workes then any worke at all And therefore were the workes euill because they were according to them-selues and not to God this euill will being as a tree bearing such bad fruite or man himselfe in respect of his euill will Now this euill will though it do not follow but oppose nature being a falt yet is it of the same nature that vice is which cannot but bee in some nature but it must bee in that nature which God made of nothing not in that which he begot of himselfe as his word is whereby althings were made for although God made man of dust yet hee made dust of nothing and hee made the soule of nothing which he ioyned with the body making full man But euills are so farre vnder that which is good that though they be permitted to bee for to shew what good vse Gods prouident iustice can make of them yet may that which is good consist without them as that true and glorious God him selfe and all the visible resplendent heauens do aboue this darkned misty aire of ours but euills cannot consist but in that which is good for all the natures wherein they abide being considered as meere natures are good And euill is drawne from nature not by abscission of any nature contrary to this or any part of this but by purifiying of that onely which was thus depraued Then b therefore is the will truely free when it serueth neither vice nor sin Such God gaue vs such we lost and cannot recouer but by him that gaue it as the truth saith If the sonne free you you shal be truly freed it is all one as if hee should say If the sonne saue you you shal be truely saued c for hee is the freer that is the Sauiour Wherefore d in Paradise both locall and spirituall man made God his rule to liue by for it was not a Paradise locall for the bodies good and not spirituall for the spirits nor was it a spirituall 〈◊〉 the spirits good and no locall one for the bodies Noe it was both for both But after that e that proud and therefore enuious Angell falling through that pride from God vnto him-selfe and choosing in a tiranicall vain glory raâ—…r to rule then to be ruled fell from the spirituall paradise of whose fall and 〈◊〉 fellowes that therevpon of good Angells became his I disputed in my ninth booke 〈◊〉 God gaue grace and meanes hee desiring to creepe into mans minde by his ill-perswading suttlely and enuying mans constancy in his owne fall chose the serpent one of the creatures that as then liued hurtlesse with the man 〈◊〉 â—…oman in the earthly paradise a beast slippery and moueable wreatchd â—…ots and fit f for his worke this hee chose to speake through abusing it 〈◊〉 subiect vnto the greater excellency of his angelicall nature and making it 〈◊〉 â—…rument of his spirituall wickdnesse through it he began to speake deceitâ—… vnto the woman beginning at the meaner part of man-kind to inuade the 〈◊〉 by degrees thinking the man was not so credulous nor so soone deluded 〈◊〉 would be seing another so serued before him for as Aaron consented not by â—…sion but yeelded by compulsion vnto the Hebrewes idolatry to make 〈◊〉 an Idol nor Salomon as it is credible yeelded worship to idols of his owne â—…ous beleefe but was brought vnto that sacriledge by his wiues perswaâ—… So is it to bee thought that the first man did not yeeld to his wife in this â—…ession of Gods precept as if hee thought shee said two but onely being â—…elled to it by this sociall loue to her being but one with one and both of 〈◊〉 â—…ture and kind for it is not in vaine that the Apostle saith Adam was not 〈◊〉 â—…iued but the woman was deceiued but it sheweth that the woman did 〈◊〉 the serpents words true but Adam onely would not breake company 〈◊〉 â—…is fellow were it in sinne and so sinned wittingly wherefore the Apostle 〈◊〉 not He sinned not but He was not seduced for hee sheweth that hee sinned 〈◊〉 by one man sinne entred into the world and a little after more plainely after â—…er of the transgression of Adam And those he meanes are seduced that 〈◊〉 the first to be no sinn which he knew to bee a sinne otherwise why should 〈◊〉 Adam was not seduced But he that is not acquainted with the diuine seâ—… might therein be deceiued to conceiue that his sinne was but veniall And 〈◊〉 in that the woman was seduced he was not but this was it that i deceiâ—… that hee was to bee iudged for all that he had this excuse The woman 〈◊〉 gauest me to be with me she gaue me of the tree and I did eate what need we 〈◊〉 then though they were not both seduced they were both taken in sin 〈◊〉 the diuells captiues L. VIVES â—…ally a Say Figuratiuely A trope saith Quintilian is the translation of one word 〈◊〉 the fit signification of another from the owne that God repented is a Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figure that who so knowes not and yet would learne for the vnderstanding of scripâ—… not go vnto Tully or Quintilian but vnto our great declamers who knowing not y◠〈◊〉 betweene Gramar
vnto life and many are called but few are chosen Mat. 7. 14. e This handfull So Iohn saith that he saw a multitude which no man could number Apoc. 7. 9. f Nor the sands This the oraculous deuill of Delpho's amongst other perticulars of God ascribed to himselfe for the Lydians whom Crasus sent thether comming into the temple the Pythia spake thus to them from Apollo Nâ—…iego arenarum numerum spaciumque profundi My power can count the sands and sound the sea How Abraham ouerthrew the enemies of the Sodomites freed Lot from captiuity and was blessed by Melchisedech the Priest CHAP. 22. ABraham hauing receiued this promise departed and remained in another place by the wood of Mambra which was in Chebron And then Sodome being spoiled and Lâ—…t taken prisoner by fiue Kings that came against them Abraham went to fetch him backe with three hundred and eighteene of those that 〈◊〉 borne and bred in his house and ouer-threw those Kings and set Lot at liâ—… and yet would take nothing of the spoile though the a King for whome â—…rred proffered it him But then was hee blessed of Melchisedech who was 〈◊〉 of the high God of whome there is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews 〈◊〉 b the most affirme to bee Pauls though some deny it many and great 〈◊〉 For there the sacrifice that the whole church offereth now vnto GOD 〈◊〉 apparant and that was prefigured which was long after fulfilled in 〈◊〉 of whom the Prophet said before he came in the flesh Thou art a Priest 〈◊〉 â—…er the order of Melchisedech not after the order of Aaron for that was 〈◊〉 â—…emooued when the true things came to effect wherof those were figures 〈◊〉 L. VIVES 〈◊〉 King Basa King of Sodome whose quarrell Abraham reuenged Gen. 14. b Which 〈◊〉 â—…st Hierome Origen and Augustine do doubt of this Epistle and so doe others The 〈◊〉 Church before Hierome held it not canonicall Erasmus disputeth largely and learnedâ—… 〈◊〉 the end of his notes vpon it This bread and wine was type of the body and bloud of 〈◊〉 that are now offered in those formes Of Gods promise to Abraham that hee â—…ould make his seede as the starres of heauen and that he was iustified by faith before his circumcision CHAP. 23. 〈◊〉 the word of the Lord came vnto Abraham in a vision who hauing many 〈◊〉 promises made and yet doubting of posteritie hee said that Eliezer his 〈◊〉 should be his heyre but presently hee had an heyre promised him not 〈◊〉 but one of his owne body and beside that his seede should bee innumeâ—… as the sands of earth now but as the starres of heauen wherein the 〈◊〉 glory of his posteritie seemes to bee plainely intimated But as for their 〈◊〉 who seeth not that the sands doe farre exceede the starres herein you 〈◊〉 they are comparable in that they are both innumerable For wee canâ—…â—…e that one can see all the starres but the earnester he beholds them the 〈◊〉 seeth so that we may well suppose that there a are some that deceiue 〈◊〉 â—…st eye besides those that arise in other b horizons out of our sight 〈◊〉 â—…ch as hold and recorde one certaine and definite number of the starres 〈◊〉 â—…us or d Eudoxus or others this booke ouer-throweth them wholy 〈◊〉 is that recorded that the Apostle reciteth in commendation of Gods 〈◊〉 Abraham beleeued the Lord and that was counted vnto him for righteâ—… least circumcision should exalte it selfe and deny the vncircumcised naâ—…â—…esse vnto Christ for Abraham was vncircumcised as yet when he beleeâ—… and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a some In the white circle of heauen called the milken way there are a many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye can distinguish Arist. and others b Other horizons There are some stars that neuer appeare vnto vs as those aboue the South-pole Proclus and others Nor doe the Antipodes euer see our Charles wainâ—… nor our pole starre nor the lesse beare c c Aratus Two famous men there were of this name one a captaine who freed his country Sycione from the tyrrany of Nicoâ—…les the other a Poet of Pompâ—…iopolis a citty of Cilicia nere vnto which is this Aratus his tombe vpon which if you throw a stone it will leape off The reason is vnknowne He liued in the time of Antigonus King of Macedon and wrote diuers poemes which Suidas reckneth amongst others his Phaenomena which Tully when he was a youth translated into latine verses a fragment of which is yet extant Iulius Caesar saith Firmicus but the common opinion and the more true is Germanicus put all Aratus his workes into a pâ—…eme but perhaps Firmicus calleth Germanicus Iulius Anienâ—…s Ruffus in Hieromes time made a latine Paraphrase of it It is strange that Tully saith he was no Astronomer in the world and yet wrote excellent well of the starres his eloquence was so powerfull De Oratore lib. 1. d Eudoxus A Carian borne at Gnidus an exellent philosopher and deepely seene in physick and the Mathematiques he wrote verses of Astrology Suidas Plutarch saith that Arcâ—…tas and he were the first practical Geometricians Laërtius saith he first deuised crooked lines Hee went saith Strabo with Plato into Egipt and there learnt Astronomie and taught in a Rocke that bare his name afterwards Lucane signifieth that he wrote calenders making Caesar boast thus at Cleopatra's table Neâ—… meus Eudoxi vincetur fastibus annus Nor can Eudoxus counts excell my yeare Because he had brought the yeare to a reformed course Of the signification of the sacrifice which Abraham vvas commanded to offer vvhen he desired to be confirmed in the things he beleeued CHAP. 24. GOd sayd also vnto him in the same vision I am the Lord that brought thee out of the country of the Chaldaeans to giue thee this land to inherite it Then said Abraham Lord how shall I know that I shall inherite 〈◊〉 and God said vnto him Take me an heifer of three yeares olde a shee Goate of three yeares old a 〈◊〉 of three yeares old a Turtle-doue and a Pidgeon So hee did and diuided them in the middest and laid one peece against another but the birds hee did not diuide Then came soules as the booke saith and fell on the carcasses and fate therevpon and Abraham a sate by them and abount sunne-set there fell an heauy sleepe vpon Abraham and loe a very fearefull darkenesse fel vpon him God said vnto Abraham Know this assuredly that thy seed shal be a stranger in a land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and they shall serue there and shal be euill intreated But the nation whom they shall serue will I iudge and afterwards they shall come out with great substance But thou shalt go vnto thy fathers in peace and shalt die in a good age and in the fourth generation they shall come hether againe for the wickednesse of the â—…orites is not yet
reformed the defects supplied and the excesses fitly proportioned And for collour how glorious will it bee The iust shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father And this lustre was rather hidden from the Apostles eyes at CHRISTS resurrection then wanting in his bodie For mans weake eyes could not haue endured it and CHRIST was rather to make them to know him then to shew them his glory as hee manifested by letting them touch his woundes by eating and drinking with them which hee did not for any neede of meate or sustenance but because hee had power to doe it And when a things is present thus and not seene with other things that are present and seene as this glory was vnseene beeing with his person which was seene this in greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines translate it in Genesis caecitas blindnesse The Sodomites were smitten with it when they sought Lots dore and could not finde it But if it had beene direct blindnesse they would rather haue sought for guides to lead them home then for this dore which they could not finde L. VIVES BEauty a is So sayth Tully Tuse quest 3. who maketh beauty of two sorts one wherein dignity excelleth another wherein comelinesse Aristotle giueth euery part of mans life a seuerall beauty 〈◊〉 1. That euery mans body how euer dispersed here shall bee restored him perfect at the Resurrection CHAP. 20. OVr loue vnto the Martyrs is of that nature that wee desire to behold the scarres of their wounds borne for the name of Christ euen in their glorification and perhaps so wee shall For they will not deforme but grace them as then and giue out a lustre of their vertue not bodily albeit in the body But if any of them lost any member for his Sauiour surely hee shall not want that in the resurrection for vnto such was it sayd not an haire of your heads shall perish But if CHRISTS pleasure bee to make their scarres apparant in the world to come then shall those members also that were cut off haue visible markes in the place whence they were cut and where they are reioyned for although all their miserable hurts shall not bee their visible yet their shal be some which neuerthelesse shal be no more called hurts but honours And farre bee it from vs to thinke a GODS power insufficient to recollect and vnite euery atome of the bodie were it burnt or torne by beasts or fallen to dust or dissolued into moysture or exhaled into ayre GOD forbid that any corner of nature though it may bee vnknowne to vs should lie hid from the eye and power of the almighty b Tully their great author going about to define GOD as well as hee could affirmed him to bee Mens soluta libera secreta ab omni concretione mortali omnia sentiens mouens ispaque motu predita sempiterno A free and vnbounded intellect separate from all mortall composition moouing and knowing althings and moouing eternally in himselfe This hee found in the great Philosophers Now then to come vp to them what can lie hid from him that knoweth all what can avoide his power that mooueth all And now may wee answere the doubt that seemeth most difficult that is whose flesh shall that mans bee at the resurrection which another man eateth â—…c Ancient stories and late experience haue lamentably enformed vs that this hath often come to passe that one man hath eaten another in which case none will say that all the flesh went quite through the body and none was turned into nutriment the meager places becomming by this onely meate more full and fleshy doe prooue the contarry Now then my premises shall serue to resolue this Ambiguity The flesh of the famished man that hunger consumed is exhaled into ayre and thence as wee sayd before the Creator can fetch it againe This flesh therefore of the man that was eaten shall returne to the first owner of whome the famished man doth but as it were borrow it and so must repay it againe And that of his owne which famine dried vppe into ayre shal be recollected and restored into some conuenient place of his body which were it so consumed that no part thereof remained in nature yet GOD could fetch it againe at an instant and when hee would himselfe But seeing that the verie heires of our head are secured vs it were absurd to imagine that famine shold haue the power to depriue vs of so much of our flesh These things beeing duely considered this is the summe of all that in the Resurrection euery man shall arise with the same bodie that hee had or should haue had in his fullest growth in all comelinesse and without deformity of any the least member To preserue with comelinesse if some what bee taken from any vnshapely part and decently disposed of amongst the rest that it bee not lost and withall that the congruence bee obserued wee may without absurdity beleeue that there may be some addition vnto the stature of the bodie the inconuenience that was visible in one part beeing inuisibly distributed and so annihilated amongst the rest If any one avow precisely that euery man shall arise in the proper stature of his growth which hee had when hee died wee doe not oppose it so that hee grant vnto an vtter abolishing of all deformity dulnesse and corruptibility of the sayd forme and stature as things that beeâ—…it not that Kingdome wherein the sonnes of promise shal be â—…uall to the Angells of GOD if not in their bodies nor ages yet in absolutâ—… perfection and beatitude L. VIVES TO thinke a Gods power The Gouernor of a family if hee bee wise and diligent knowes at an instant where to fetch any thinke in his house be his roomes neuer so large and many and shall we thinke that GOD cannot doe the like in the world vnto whose wisdome it is but a very casket b Tully Tusc. quaest lib. 1. c Ancient stories Many Cities in straite sieges haue beene driuen to this There is also a people called Anthropophagi or Caniballs that liue vpon mans flesh What new and spirituall bodies shal be giuen vnto the Saints CHAP. 21. EVery part therefore of the bodies peryshing either in death or after it in the graue or wheresoeuer shal be restored renewed and of a naturall and corruptible bodie it shall become immortall spirituall and incorruptible Bee it all made into pouder and dust by chance or cruelty or dissolued into ayre or water so that no part remaine vndispersed yet shall it not yet can it not bee kept hidden from the omnipotency of the Creator who will not haue one haire of the head to perish Thus shall the spirituall flesh become subiect to the spirit yet shall it bee flesh still as the carnall spirit before was subiect to the flesh and yet a spirit still A proofe of which wee haue in the deformity of our penall estate For they
there shall not bee that necessity but a full sure secure euer-lasting felicity shall be aduanced and go forward in the praises of God For then all the numbers of which I haue already spoken of the corporall Harmony shall not lye hid which now lye hid being disposed inwardly and out-wardly through all the members of the body and with other things which shall be seene there being great and wonderfull shall kindle the reasonable soules with delight of such a reasonable beauty to sound forth the praises of such a great and excellent workman What the motions of those bodies shall be there I dare not rashly define when I am not able to diue into the depth of that mistery Neuertheles both the motion state as the forme of them shal be comly decent whatsoeuer it shall be where there shall bee nothing which shall not bee comly Truly where the spirit wil there forth-with shall the body be neither will the spirit will any thing which may not beseeme the body nor the spirit There shall be true glory where no man shall be praised for error or flattery True honor which shall be denied vnto none which is worthy shall bee giuen vnto none vnworthy But neither shall any vnworthy person couet after it where none is permitted to bee but hee which is worthy There is true peace where no man suffereth any thing which may molest him either of him-selfe or of any other Hee himselfe shall bee the reward of vertue which hath giuen vertue and hath promised himselfe vnto him then whom nothing can be better and greater For what other thing is that which he hath sayd by the Prophet I wil be their GOD and they shal be my people but I wil be whereby they shal be satisfied I wil be what-soeuer is lawfully desired of men life health food abundance glory honor peace and all good things For so also is that rightly vnderstood which the Apostle sayth That GOD may bee all in all He shal bee the end of our desires who shal be seene without end who shal be loued without any saciety and praised without any tediousnesse This function this affection this action verily shal be vnto all as the eternall life shal be common to all But who is sufficient to thinke much more to vtter what degrees there shall also bee of the rewardes for merits of the honors and glories But wee must not doubt but that there shal be degrees And also that Blessed Citty shall see that in it selfe that no inferior shall enuy his superior euen as now the other Angells doe not enuie the Arch-angells as euery one would not be which he hath not receiued although hee be combined with a most peaceable bond of concord to him which hath receiued by which the finger will not bee the eye in the body when as a peaceable coniunction and knitting together of the whole flesh doth containe both members Therefore one shall so haue a gift lesse then another hath that hee also hath this gift that he will haue no more Neither therefore shall they not haue free will because sinnes shall not delight them For it shal be more free beeing freed from the delight of sinning to an vndeclinable and sted-fast delight of not sinning For the first free-will which was giuen to man when hee was created righteous had power not to sinne but it had also powre to sinne but this last free-will shal be more powerfull then that because it shall not be able to sinne But this also by the gift of GOD not by the possibily of his owne nature For it is one thing to be GOD another thing to bee partaker of GOD. GOD cannot sinne by nature but hee which is partaker of GOD receiueth from him that hee cannot sinne But there were degrees to be obserued of the diuine gift that the first free-will might be giuen whereby man might be able not to sinne the last whereby he might not be able to sinne and the first did pertaine to obtaine a merit the later to receiue a reward But because that nature sinned when it might sinne it is freed by a more bountifull grace that it may be brought to that liberty in which it cannot sinne For as the first immortallity which Adam lost by sinning was to bee able not to die For so the will of piety and equity shal be free from beeing lost as the will of felicity is free from being lost For as by sinning wee neither kept piety nor felicity neither truely haue we lost the will of felicity felicity being lost Truely is GOD himselfe therefore to be denied to â—…aue free-will because hee cannot sinne Therefore the free-will of that Citty shall both bee one in all and also inseperable in euery one freed from all euill and filled with all good enioying an euerlasting pleasure of eternall ioyes forgetfull of faults forgetfull of punishments neither therefore so forgetfull of her deliuerance that shee bee vngratefull to her deliuerer For so much as concerneth reasonable knowledge shee is mindefull also of her euills which are past but so much as concerneth the experience of the senses altogether vnmindefull For a most skilfull Phisition also knoweth almost all diseases of the bodie as they are knowne by art but as they are felt in the bodie hee knoweth not many which he hath not suffered As therefore there are two knowledges of euills one by which they are not hidden from the power of the vnderstanding the other by which they are infixed to the senses of him that feeleth them for all vices are otherwise knowne by the doctrine of wisdome and otherwise by the most wicked life of a foolish man so there are two forgetfulnesses of euills For a skilfull and learned man doth forget them one way and hee that hath had experience and suffered them forgetteth them another way The former if he neglect his skill the later if hee want misery According to this forgetfulnesse which I haue set downe in the later place the Saints shall not be mindefull of euils past For they shall want all euils so that they shall be abolished vtterly from their senses Neuerthelesse that powre of knowledge which shal be great in them shall not onely know their owne euils past but also the euerlasting misery of the damned Otherwise if they shall not know that they haue beene miserable how as the psalme sayth Shall they sing the mercies of the LORD for euer Then which song nothing verily shal be more delightfull to that Citty to the glory of the loue of CHRIST by whose bloud we are deliuered There shal be perfected Bee at rest and see because I am GOD. Because there shal be the most great Sabbath hauing no euening Which the LORD commended vnto vs in the first workes of the world where it is read And GOD rested the seauenth day from all his workes he made and sanctified it because in it hee rested from all