effected without being fore-told that intimated not some-thing belonging vnto the Cittie of God and to bee referred vnto the holy pilgrims thereof vpon earth But if this be so we shall tie the Prophets words vnto two meanings onely and exclude the third and not onely 〈◊〉 Prophets but euen all the Old Testament For therein must be nothing peâ—… to the earthly Ierusalem if all that be spoken or fulfilled of that haue a farâ—… reference to the heauenly Ierusalem so that the Prophets must needes 〈◊〉 but in two sorts either in respect of the heauenly Ierusalem or els of both 〈◊〉 I thinke it a great error in some to hold no relation of things done in the â—…res more then meere historicall so doe I hoâ—…d it a c great boldnesse in 〈◊〉 that binde all the relations of Scripture vnto allegoricall reference and therefore I auouch the meanings in the Scriptures to be triple and not two-fold onely This I hold yet blame I not those that can piâ—…ke a good spirituall sense 〈◊〉 of any thing they reade so they doe not contradict the truth of the history But what faithfull man will not say that those are vaine sayings that can belong 〈◊〉 to diuinity nor humanity and who will not avow that these of which 〈◊〉 speake are to haue a spiritual interpretation also or leaue them vnto those 〈◊〉 interprete them in that manner L. VIVES 〈◊〉 Prophet a Nathan After Dauid had sent Vriah to be slaine in the front of the battell 〈◊〉 married his widow Bersabe b In so much Herevpon they say that so much is left out â—…g the acts of the Iewish Kings because they seemed not to concerne the Citty of 〈◊〉 that whatsoeuer the Old Testament conteineth or the New either hath all a sure 〈◊〉 vnto Christ and his Church at which they are both leuelled c Great boldnesse As 〈◊〉 â—…d with great rarity of spirit yet keepeth he the truth of the history vnuiolate for oâ—…â—…l these relations were vanities and each one would sâ—…rue an allegory out of the 〈◊〉 to liue and beleeue as he list and so our faith and discipline should bee vtterly conâ—…â—…herein I wonder at their mad folly that will fetch all our forme of life and religion 〈◊〉 â—…ories entangling them in ceremonious vanity and proclayming all that contraâ—… heretiques 〈◊〉 â—…ange of the Kingdome and priest-hood of Israell Anna Samuels mother a prophetesse and a type of the Church what she prophecied CHAP. 4. 〈◊〉 â—…ogresse therefore of the City of God in the Kings time when Saul was reâ—…ued and Dauid chosen in his place to possesse the Kingdome of Ierusaâ—…â—…im and his posterity successiuely signifieth and prefigureth that which 〈◊〉 not omit namely the future change concerning the two Testaments 〈◊〉 â—…d the New where the Old Kingdome and priest-hood was changed by 〈◊〉 and eternall King and Priest Christ Iesus for Heli being reiected Saâ—… made both the priest and the Iudge of God and Saul being reiected Daâ—… â—…hosen for the King and these two being thus seated signified the change 〈◊〉 of And Samuels mother Anna being first barren and afterwards by 〈◊〉 â—…odnes made fruitfull seemeth to prophecy nothing but this in her song 〈◊〉 â—…ing when hauing brought vp her son she dedicated him vnto God as she 〈◊〉 saying My heart reioyceth in the LORD my horne is exalted in the 〈◊〉 â—…y mouth is enlarged on mine enemies because I reioyced in thy saluation 〈◊〉 holy as the Lord there is no God like our God nor any holie besides thee 〈◊〉 â—…ore presumptiously let no arrogancie come out of your mouth for the Lord is 〈◊〉 â—…f knowledge and by him are enterprises established the bowe of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ee broken and guirded the weake with strength they that were full are hired forth for hunger and the hungry haue passed the land for the barren hath 〈◊〉 seâ—…en and a shee that had many children is enfeobled the Lord killeth and 〈◊〉 bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp the Lord impouerisheth and enritchâ—… humbleth and exalteth he raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth the begger from the dunghil to set them amongst Princes make them inherite the seat of glory he giueth vowes vnto those that vow vnto him and blesseth the yeares of the iust for in his owne might shall no man bee stronge the Lord the holy Lord shall weaken his aduersaries let not the wise boast of his wisdome nor the ritch in his ritches nor the mighty in his might but let their glory bee to know the Lord and to execute his iudgement and iustice vpon the earth the Lord from heauen hath thundered he shall iudge the ends of the world and shall giue the power vnto our Kings and shall exalt the horne of his annointed Are these the words of a woman giuing thankes for her sonne are mens mindes so benighted that they cannot discerne a greater spirit herein then meerely humane and if any one bee mooued at the euents that now began to fall out in this earthly processe doth he not discerne and acknowledge the very true religion and Citty of God whose King and founder is Iesus Christ in the words of his Anna who is fitly interpreted His grace and that it was the spirit of grace from which the proud decline and fall and therewith the humble adhere and are aduanced as this hymne saith which spake those propheticall words If any one will say that the woman did not prophecy but onely commended and extolled Gods goodnesse for giuing her praiers a sonne why then what is the meaning of this The bow of the mighty hath hee broken and guirded the weake with strength they that were full are hired forth for hunger and the hungry haue passed 〈◊〉 the land for the barren hath borne seauen and shee that had many children is 〈◊〉 Had shee being barren borne seauen she had borne but one when she sayd thus b nor had shee seauen afterward or sixe either for Samuel to make vp seauen but only three sonnes and two daughters Againe there being no King in Israel at that time to what end did she conclude thus Hee shall giue the power vnto our Kings and exalt the horne of his anoynted did shee not prophecy in this Let the church of God therfore that fruitful Mother that gracious City of that great King bee bold to say that which this propheticall mother spoke in her person so long before My heart reioyceth in the Lord c and my horne is exalted in the Lord. True ioy and as true exaltation both beeing in the Lord and not in her selfe my mouth is enlarged ouer mine enemies because Gods word is not pent vppe in straites d nor in preachers that are taught what to speake I haue reioyced saith she in thy saluation That was in Christ Iesus whom old Simeon in the Gospell had in his armes and knew his greatnesse in his infancy saying Lord nâ—…w lâ—…ttest thou thy seruant depart in
LORD shall weaken his aduersaries and make them be conquered by those whom Hee the most Holy hath made holy also i and therefore let not the wise glory in his wisdome the mighty in his might nor the ritch in his ritches but let their glory be to know God and to execute his iudgements and iustice vpon earth Hee is a good proficient in the knowledge of God that knoweth that God must giue him the meanes to know God For what hast thou saith the Apostle which thou hast not receiued that is what hast thou of thine owne to boast of Now hee that doth right executeth iudgement and iustice and hee that liueth in Gods obedience and the end of the command namely in a pure loue a good conscience and an vnfained faith But this loue as the Apostle Iohn saith is of God Then to do iudgement and iustice is of God but what is on the earth might it not haue beene left out and it haue only bin said to do iudgement and iustice the precept would bee more common both to men of land and sea but least any should thinke that after this life there were a time elsewhere to doe iustice and iudgement in and so to auoide the great iudgement for not doing them in the flesh therefore in the earth is added to confine those acts within this life for each man beareth his earth about with him in this world and when hee dieth bequeaths it to the great earth that must returne him it at the resurrection In this earth therefore in this fleshly body must we doe iustice and iudgement to doe our selues good hereafter by when euery one shall receiue according to his works done in the body good or bad in the body that is in the time that the body liued for if a man blaspheme in heart though he do no â—…urt with any bodily meÌ„ber yet shal not he be vnguilty because though he did it not in his body yet hee did it in the time wherein hee was in the body And so many we vnderstand that of the Psalme The Lord our King hath wrought 〈◊〉 in the midest of the earth before the beginning of the world that is the Lord Iesus our God before the beginning for he made the beginning hath wrought saluation in the midst of the earth namely then when the word became flesh and 〈◊〉 corporally amongst vs. But on Annah hauing shewen how each man ought to glory viz. not in himselfe but in God for the reward that followeth the great iudgement proceedeth thus l The Lord went vp vnto heauen and hath thundred he shall iudge the ends of the worlds and shall giue the power vnto our Kings and exalt the horne of his annoynted This is the plaine faith of a Christian. Hee 〈◊〉 into heauen and thence hee shall come to iudge the quicke and dead for who is â—…ded saith the Apostle but he who first descended into the inferiour parts of the earth Hee thundred in the clouds which hee filled with his holy spirit in his â—…ntion from which clouds he threatned Hierusalem that vngratefull vine to 〈◊〉 no rayne vpon it Now it is said Hee shall iudge the ends of the world that is the ends of men for he shall iudge no reall part of earth but onely all the men thereof nor iudgeth hee them that are changed into good or bad in the meane 〈◊〉 but m as euery man endeth so shall he beiudged wherevpon the scripture 〈◊〉 He that commeth vnto the end shall be safe hee therefore that doth iâ—…ce in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the earth shall not be condemned when the ends of the earth are 〈◊〉 And shall giue power vnto our Kings that is in not condemning them by â—…gement hee giueth them power because they rule ouer the flesh like Kings 〈◊〉 â—…quer the world in him who shed his blood for them And shall exalt the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his anoynted How shall Christ the annoynted exalt the horne of his anâ—… It is of Christ that those sayings The Lord went vp to heauen c. are all 〈◊〉 so is this same last of exalting the horne of his annoynted Christ thereâ—… exalt the horne of his annoynted that is of euery faithfull seruant of his as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first my horne is exalted in the Lord for all that haue receiued the vncâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace may wel be called his annoynted al which with their head make 〈◊〉 annoynted This Anna prophisied holy Samuels mother in whome the 〈◊〉 of ancient priesthood was prefigured and now fulfilled when as the woâ—… 〈◊〉 many sonnes was enfeebled that the barren which brougt forth seuen 〈◊〉 â—…eceiue the new priesthood in Christ. L. VIVES SHâ—… that a had Multa in filiis b Nor had she The first booke of Samuel agreeth with 〈◊〉 but Iosephus vnlesse the booke be falty saith she had sixe three sons and three 〈◊〉 after Samuel but the Hebrewes recken Samuels two sonnes for Annahs also being 〈◊〉 â—…dchildren and Phamuahs seauen children died seuerally as Annahs and her sonne 〈◊〉 â—…ere borne c And my horne Some read mine heart but falsely the greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preachers there are Or nor in such as are bound by calling to bee his preachers the 〈◊〉 â—…py readeth but in his called prechers e No man knoweth Both in his foreknowledge 〈◊〉 â—…owlege of the secrets of mans heart f Are hired out The seauenty read it are 〈◊〉 g For the begger It seemes to be a word of more indigence then poore the latine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ops or helpelesse hauing no reference in many places to want of mony but of 〈◊〉 Gâ—…rg 1. Terent. Adelpe Act. 2. scena 1. Pauper saith Uarro is quasi paulus lar c. 〈◊〉 â—…gens h The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both his and his owne the Greekes do not distinâ—… two as we doe i Let not the. This is not the vulgar translation of the Kings but 〈◊〉 cha 9. the 70. put it in them both but with some alteration It is an vtter subuersion 〈◊〉 God respects not wit power or wealth those are the fuell of mans vaine glory but let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…th as Paule saith glory in the Lord and by a modest and equall thought of himselfe continually For so shall he neuer be pride-swollen for the knowledge of God that charity seasoneth neuer puffeth vp if we consider his mercies and his iudgements his loue and his wrath togither with his maiesty k And to doe iudgement The seauenty read this one way in the booke of Samuel and another way in Hieremy attributing in the first vnto the man that glorieth and in the later vnto God l The Lord went vp This is not in the vulgar vntill you come vnto this and he shall iudge Augustine followed the LXX and so did all that age almost in all the churches m As euery man As I finde thee so will I iudge thee The Prophets words vnto Heli the priest signifying the taking
c Phaenix Amintors Son and Achilles his Maister one that taught him to say well and do well Homer Illiad 3. d What euer was There was at this sacke of Rome a huge quantity of gold taken out of the Vaticane but by Alaricus his command it was al restored Oros. Lib. 7 e Vnconstant Greekes It was the Greeks character at Rome therfore they called them Graeculi and some coppies of Augustines bookes haue GraeculoruÌ„ here Cicero in his oration for Flaccus saith these words Wherein we earnestly desire you to remember the rashnesse of the multitude and the truely Greekish lâ—…ity So meaneth Lucian in his Meâ—…ces seruientibus and â—…mblichus calls his Grecians light-witted f euen naturally cruell This is added for more fulnesse to the comparison The Barbarians are apposed to the Greekes not all Barbarians but the naturally sauage and cruell vnto those that would haue al humanity to be deriued from them alone Cicero writeth thus to his brother Quintus ruling then in Asia minor which is Greece Seeing we rule ouer those amongst whom not onely humanity is in it selfe but seemes from thence to be deriued vnto all others verily let vs seeke to ascribe that chiefely vnto them from whom we our selues receiued it g common gods For the Greekes and the Troyans worshipped the sâ—…me gods h generall custome True least his speech otherwise might haue made reprehension seeme rather peculiar vnto the Greekes then vnto other Nations in their conquests of Citties i which custome Caius Caesar being then Praetor afterwards Dictator hauing 〈◊〉 the conspiracy of Catiline being asked by the Consul Cicero what he thought fâ—… should be done vnto the conspirators answered as Saluste setteth downe That these 〈◊〉 which he had rehearsed must needs haue come to effect not only in this war by reason it was domesticall but that it is warres custome to produce such bloudy effects which the vanquished of all sorts are sure to feele Tully against Verres saith thus I omit to speake of the deflowring of free Virgins and the rauishing of the matrons c. which were committed in that sacke of the Citty not through hostile hate nor military loosenesse nor custome of warre nor right of conquest Thus farre Tully k Catiline The history is at large in Saluste and else where I will take occasion to say some-what of it That the Romanes themselues neuer spared the Temples of those Cities which they conquered CHAP. 5. BVt why should we spend time in discoursing of many nations that haue waged warres together and yet neuer spared the conquered habitations of one anothers gods let vs goe to the Romanes themselues yes I say let vs obserue the Romanes themselues whose chiefe glory it was Parcere subiectis debellare superbos To spare the lowly and pull downe the proud And a being offered iniurie rather to pardon then persecute in all their spacious conquests of Townes and Cities in all their progresse and augmentation of their domination shew vs vnto what one Temple they granted this priuiledge that it should secure him that could flie into it from the enemies sword Did they euer do so and yet their Histories not recorde it Is it like that they that hunted thus for monuments of praise would endure the suppression of this so goodly a commendation Indeed that great Romane b Marcus Marcellus that tooke that goodly City of c Syracusa is said to haue wept before the ruine and shed his owne d teares ere he shed their bloud e hauing a care to preserue the chastitie euen of his foes from violation For before hee gaue leaue to the inuasion he made an absolute Edict that no violence should be offered vnto any free person yet was the Citie in hostile manner subuerted vtterly nor finde we any where recorded that this so chaste and gentle a generall euer commanded to spare such as fled for refuge to this Temple or that which had it beene otherwise would not haue beene omitted since neither his compassion nor his command for the captiues chastitie is left vnrecorded So is f Fabius the conqueror of Tarentum commended for abstayning from making bootie of their Images For his g Secretary asking him what they should do with the Images of the gods whereof they had as then taken a great many he seasoned his continencie with a conceit for asking what they were and being answered that there were many of them great ones and some of them armed O said he lâ—…t vs leaue the Tarentines their angrie gods Seeing therefore that the Romane Historiographers neither concealed Marcellus his weeping nor Fabius his iesting neither the chaste pitty of the one nor the merry abstinencie of the other with what reason should they omit that if any of them had giuen such priuiledge to some men in honor of their gods that they might saue their liues by taking sanctuarie in such or such a Temple where neither rape nor slaughter should haue any power or place L. VIVES BEing a offred iniurie Saluste in his conspiracie of Catiline speaking of the ancient manners of the Romanes giues them this commendation That they increased by pardoning b Marcus Marcellus There was two sorts of the Claudii in Rome the one noble arising from that Appius Claudius that vpon the expulsion of the Kings came from Regillum vnto Rome and there was chosen Senatour and his family made a Patriot the other was Plebeyan or vulgar but yet as powerfull as the first and as worthy as Suetonius in the life of Tyberius doth testifie And of this later this man of whom Augustine here writeth was the first that was called Marcellus as Plutarch writeth out of Possidonius Now I wonder at this great error of so great an Historiographer and one that was most exact in the Romane affaires for there were Claudii Marcelli a hundred yeares before But he of whom we speake was 〈◊〉 times Consull for the second time he was created Consull because the election was corrupt hee discharged it not Now if one reckon right hee was fiue times Consull first with Cornelius Scipio in the warre of France wherein hee tooke 〈◊〉 spoiles from Virâ—…domarus the French King and those were the third and last warres which the Romanes had waged with so many nations and vnder so many Generalls After his second Consulship he tooke Sâ—…acusa In his fourth Consulship he and Quintus Crispinus being intrapped by the enemies this great valorous and iudicious Captaine lost his life in the eleuenth yeare of the second Carthaginian warre after he had fought nine and thirty set battailes as Plinie in his seuenth booke witnesseth c Syracusa It is a citie in Sicily now ancient and whilom wealthy three yeares did this Marcellus besiege it and at length tooke it beating as much spoile from that conquest very neare as from the conquest of Carthage which at that time was in the greatest height and stood as Romes parallell in power and authority d Teares So faith
the founders of the citty did decree the same doe the destroyers of it And what if the one did it to increase the multitude of their cittizens when the other did it to preserue the multitude of their foes Let this then and what soeuer besides fitly may bee so vsed be vsed as an answer of our Lord Iesus Christ his flock and that pilgrim-citty of God vnto all their wicked enemies L. VIVES A a Sanctuarie It is a sacred place from whence it is not lawfull to draw any man for thence is the name deriued comming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rapio to draw or pull and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the primiâ—… letter And so by a figure called Lambdacismus is made asylum for asyrum Seruiâ—… 〈◊〉 8. Aenead Though indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is tollere to take away as Homer vseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He tooke away the goodly armes After that Hercules was dead his nephews and postâ—…itie fearing the oppression of such as their grand-father had iniured built the first sanctuary at Athens naming it the temple of Mercy out of which no man could bee taken And this Statius testifieth also Now Romulus and Remus built one betweene the tower and the Capitoll calling the place where it stood Inter-montium intending hereby that the multitude of offendors flocking hether for hope of pardon would bee a meane to â—…ent the number of inhabitants in this new Citie To what God or Goddesse it was 〈◊〉 it is vnknowne Dionisius saith hee cannot tell Some say vnto Veiouis But the grâ—…e of the Saâ—…tie is honoured vpon the fourth of the Nones of February as Ouid writâ—… Pastorum 2. In Greece and Asia haue beene many sanctuaries Tiberius Caesar being out of liking with their too much licence tooke from them almost all their liberties and priuiledges as Tacitus and Suetonius do report Of such of Gods elest as liue secretly as yet amongst the Infidels and of such as are false Christians CHAP. 34. AND let this Cittie of Gods remember that euen amongst her enemies there are some concealed that shall one day be her Citizens nor let her thinke it a fruitlesse labour to beare their hate a vntill shee heare their confession as she hath also as long as shee is in this pilgrimage of this world some that are pertaker of the same sacraments with her b that shall not bee pertakers of the Saints glories with her who are partly knowne and partly vnknowne Yea such there are that spare not amongst Gods enemies to murmure against his glory whose character they beare vpon them going now vnto Playes with them and by and by vnto the Church with vs. But let vs not despaire of the reformation of some of these we haue little reason seeing 〈◊〉 we haue many secret and predestinated friends euen amongst our most 〈◊〉 aduersaries and such as yet know not themselues to be ordained for 〈◊〉 â—…dship For the two citties of the predestinate and the reprobate are in this world confused together and commixt vntill the generall iudgement make a separation of the originall progresse and due limits of both which cities what I thinke fitte to speake by Gods helpe and furtherance I will now beâ—… to the glory of the Cittie of God which being d compared with her 〈◊〉 will spread her glories to a more full aspect L. VIVES VNtill a shee heare their confession At the last discouery where euery man shall confesse himselfe which shall bee then when the bookes of mens consciences are opened that is in the world to come b That shall not be partakers According to the words of Christ Many are called but few are chosen c Untill the generall iudgement So it is in the Gospell The Angels shall seperate the euill from the middest of the iust in the end of the world d Compared with her contrary So Aristotle saith Contraries placed together shew both the fuller What subiects are to be handled in the following discourse CHAP. 35. BVt we haue a little more to say vnto those that lay the afflictions of the Romaine estate vpon the profession of Christianitie which forbiddeth men to sacrifice vnto those Idols For we must cast vp a summe of all the miseries or of as many as shal suffice which that Citie or the prouinces vnder her subiection endured before those sacrifices were forbidden All which they would haue imputed vnto our religion had it beene then preached and taught against these sacrifices when these miseries befell Secondly wee must shew what customes and conditions the true God vouchsafed to teach them for the increasing of their Empire a that God in whose hand are al the kingdomes of the earth and how their false Gods neuer helped them a iotte but rather did them infinite hurt by deceit and inducement And lastly we will disprooue those who though they be confuted with most manifest proofes yet will needs affirme still that their gods are to be worshipped and that not for the benefites of this life but for those which are belonging to the life to come Which question vnlesse I be deceiued will be b farre more laborious and worthier of deeper consideration in the which we must dispute against the Philosophers c not against each one but euen the most excellent and glorious of them all and such as in many points hold as we hold and namely of the immortality of the soule and of the worlds creation by the true God and of his prouidence whereby he swayeth the whole creation But because euen these also are to be confuted in what they hold opposite vnto vs wee thought it our dutie not to bee slacke in this worke but conuincing all the contradictions of the wicked as God shall giue vs power and strength to aduance the veritie of the Cittie of God the true zeale and worship of God which is the onely way to attaine true and eternall felicitie This therefore shall bee the method of our worke and now from this second exordium we will take each thing in due order L. VIVES THat God a in whose hand for Christ saith Math. 28. 18. All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and earth b More laborious Operosior harder of more toyle c Not against each one not against euery common Philosopher or smatterer for so is quilibet taken sometimes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often in the Greeke In this Chapter Augustine shewes briefly both what he hath done already and how he meanes to proceede Finis Libri primi THE CONTENTS OF THE SECND BOOKE OF THE Citie of God 1. Of the method that must of necessity be vsed in this disputation 2. A repitition of the contents of the first booke 3. Of the choise of an history that will shew the miseries that the Romaines endured when they worshipped their Idols before the increase of Christian religion 4. That the worshippers of Pagan gods neuer receiued honest instruction from them but vsâ—…d all filthinesse in their
And hence arose these questions How and wherefore these gracious mercies of God were extended vnto such vngodly and vngratefull wretches as well as to his true servants and why the afflictions of this siege fell vpon the godly in part as well 〈◊〉 on the reprobate For the better dissoluing a of which doubtes I stayd somewâ—… long in a discourse of the daily guiftes of God and the miseries of man â—…ing out in the whole tract of this transitory life both which by reason that they often light confusedly togither alike and vndistinguished both vpon good â—…ers and impious are very powerfull in moouing the hearts of many and mine especiall intent herein was to giue some comfort vnto the sanctified and chast women who had their chastities offended by some incontinent acts of the foldiours and to shew them that if those accidents had not wrackt their câ—… resolutions they ought not to bee ashamed of life hauing no guilt in them whereof to be ashamed and then I tooke occasion to speake some-what against those that in such villanous and impudent maner doe insult ouer the poore Christians in their aduersities and chiefly ouer the deflowred women these fellowes themselues beeing most vnmanly and depraued wretches altogither degenerate from the true Romains vnto whose honors being many and much recorded these base creatures are so directly opposite For it was these that made Rome which was first founded and after increased by the care 〈◊〉 industry of her old worthies to shew more filthy and corrupted in her prosperâ—…y then shee was now in her ruine for in this there fell but stones walles houses but in the liues of such villaines as these al the monuments al the ornaments not of their walls but of their maners were vtterly demolished as then did â—…se fire burne in their affections then this was now that did but 〈◊〉 their houes with the close of this I gaue an end vnto the first booke and now as I râ—…ed wil proceed to cast vp a reckoning of the sundry mischienes that this City of Rome hath suffered since shee was first founded either in herselfe or in some of the Prouinces vnder her command all which those vile persons would haue pinned vpon the backe of Christianity if the doctrine of the gospel against their false deceitfull gods had in those times beene reuealed and preached L. VIVES DIâ—…ing a of which dâ—…bs The first of these was the chiefe questioÌ„ of those Philosophers that denied the world to be gouerned by the prouidence of God Plut. de placit Philosoph lib. 1 Of the choise of an history which wil shew the miseries that the Romains indured when they worshipped their Idols before the increase of Christian Religion CHAP. 3 BVt remember this that when I handled those points I had to do with the ignorant out of whose blockish heads this prouerb was first borne a It wil not raine because of the Christian. For there are some others amongst them that are learned loue that very history that makes these things plain to their vnderstanding but because they loue to set the blind erronius vulgar at enmity and dissention with vs Christians they dissemble conceale this vnderstanding of theirs labouring to perswade the people this that the whole processe of calamities which at diuers times and in seuerall places b fell and were still to fall vppon all the world hadde the original and haue had onely and meerely from the profession of Christ greeuing that it spreadeth so farre and shineth so gloriously against all other their gods and religions But lette these malicious men read but with vs with what excesse of affliction the Romain estate was wrung plagued that on euery side before that euer this name which they so much do enuy did spread the glory to such note and then if they can let them defend their goddes goodnesses shewed vnto them in these extremities and if that as their seruants they honour them for protection from these extremities which if they do but suffer now in any part they are ready to lay al the blame vpoÌ„ our necks for why did their gods permit their seruants to bee plagued with these great afflictions which I am now to recount before that the publishing of the name of Christ gaue them cause of offence by prohibiting their sacrifices L. VIVES IT a will not raine He rehearseth this as a common speach of the wicked infidels who would impute all the euils that hapned them vnto the Christian cause Tertullian Pretending for the defence of their hatefulnesse this vanity besides that they held the Christians the onely causers of all the mischiefes and harmes that fall vpon the state and cittie If Tiber ouer-flow his bankes if Nilus do not water the fieldes if the heauens stand or the earth shake if there arise either famine or plague straight to the Lions with a Christian cryes the whole crew Cypryan against Demetrianus If whereas you say that many complaine that it is imputed vnto vs that there is so often warres pestilences famines inondations and droughts then wee must bee no longer silent c. b Fell and were still to fall Through the euer-changing estate of humanity and that Fate which is indeed the will of almighty God That the worshippers of Pagan gods neuer receiued honest instruction from them but vsed all fi lt hinesse in their sacrifices CHAP. 4. FIrst why would not their gods haue a care to see their seruaÌ„ts wel mannerd the true God doth worthily neglect those that neglect his iust worship but as for those gods whom this wicked vngrateful crew complain that they are forbidden to worship why do they not helpe to better the liues of their worshippers by giuing theÌ„ some good lawes It was very requisit that as they carefully attended their goddes sacrifices so their gods should haue gratiously amended their imperfections I but wil some say euery man may be vitious at his owne will and pleasure True who denies that yet notwithstanding it was the part of these great gods guardiaÌ„s not to conceale the formes and rudiments of good honest life froÌ„ their suppliants but to to teach them plaine and fully and by theirs Propâ—… to correct restrain the offendors to testrain euil doers with publik punishments to incourage good liuers with ful rewards what Temple of of 〈◊〉 this multitude of gods was euer accessary to any such sound we our selues once in our youth went to view these spectacles their a sacriligious mockeries there we saw the b Enthusiastikes persons rapt with fury there we heard the c pipers and tooke d great delight in the filthy sports that they acted before their gods and goddesses euen before Berecynthia surnamed the Celestiall virgin and mother to al the gods euen before hir litter e vppon the feast day of her very purification their f beastly stage-plaiers acted such ribauldry as was a shame not onely for the mother of
false diuinity they gaue such pernicious authority But let them reade our lawes and they shall heare them thundering out of diuine oracles and Gods cloudes as it were against auarice and luxurie by the mouthes of the Prophets by the Ghospell the Apostles their actes and their Epistles so diuinely and so excellently all the people flocking together to heare them not as to a vaine and iangling Philosophicall disputation but as to an admonition from Heauen And yet these wretches will not blame their gods for letting their weale-publike bee so fowlely bespotted with enormous impieties before the comming of Christ but what-soeuer miserie or affliction their effeminate and vnmanlie pride hath tasted of since this comming that the Christian Religion is sure to haue in their teeth withall The good rules and precepts whereof concerning honesty and integritie of manners if all the Kings of the earth and all people Princes and all the iudges of the earth young men and Virgins olde men Children all ages and sexes capable of reason and euen the very souldiars and a taxe-takers themselues to whome Iohn Baptist speaketh would heare and regard well their common-wealths would not onelie adorne this earth belowe with present honestie but would ascend vppe to Heauen there to sit on the highest point of eternall glorie But because this man doth but heare and that man doth not regard and the third doth despise it and farre more doe loue the b stroaking hand of viciousnesse then the rougher touch of vertue Christs children are commaunded to endure with patience the calamities that fall vpon them by the ministers of a wicked common-wealth bee they Kings Princes Iudges Souldiours and Gouernours ritch or poore bound or free of what sexe or sort soeuer they must beare all with patience beeing by their suffrance heere to attaine a most glorious place in that Royall and c Imperiall Citty of Angells aboue and in that Heauenlie common-wealth where the will of Almightie GOD is their onelie lawe and his lawe their will L. VIVES SOuldiours and a taxe-takers Luke 3. 12. 13. Then came there Publicanes to bee baptized and sayd vnto him Mayster what shall wee doe And hee sayd vnto them Require no more then that which is appointed vnto you Require in this place in the vulgar Latine is Facite in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Erasmus first of all noted is to bee translated Exigite exacte or require and hence it is that Saint Augustine doth rightly name the Exactores taxe-takers which were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Publicanes b The stroaking hand of viciousnesse Hee allu deth vnto Hesiods two waies to vice and vertue which Virgill or as some say Ausonius immitated in that same poeme of Pythagoras his letter c Imperiall Augustissima it must needes bee and not Angustissima most straite or narrow But withall take a certaine Friars note with you I had almost tould his name who affirmed that heauens court is called Augusta heere because the way is straight as Christ our Sauiour saith that leadeth vnto life and few thera are that enter in thereat And that his auditors might beare it the better away he shut it vp in this fine verse Arcta est via verè quae ducit ad gaudia vitae The way is straight and quickly mist that leads vs vp to glories blist He shewed plainely that he cared not greatly for true position or quantity of syllables so that he made it goe roundly off and sound well Of what kinde of happinesse and of what conditions the accusers of Christianity desire to pertake CHAP. 20. BVt such worshippers and such louers of those vicious gods whome they reioyce to followe and immitate in all villanies and mischieues those doe neuer respect the goodnesse or the integrity of the common-wealth No say they let it but stand let it but bee ritch and victorious or which is best of all let it but enioy security and peace and what care wee Yes marrie it doth beelong to our care that euerie one might haue meanes to increase his wealth to nourish the expense of his continuall riot and wherewithall the greater might still keepe vnder the meaner Let the poore obey the ritch for their bellies sakes and that they may liue at ease vnder their protections Let the ritch abuse the poore in their huge attendaunces and mynistring to their sumptuousnesse Let the people applaude such as afford them delightes not such as proferre them good counsells Let nought that is hard bee enioyned nought that is impure bee prohibited Let not the Kings care bee howe good but howe subiect his people bee Let not subdued Prouinces serue their Kings as reformers of their manners but as the Lords of their Estates and the procurers of their pleasures Not honouring them sincerely but fearing them seruilely Let the lawes looke to him that lookes after another mans possessions rather then him that lookes not after his owne life Let no man bee brought before the Iudges but such as haue offered violence vnto others Estates houses or persons But for a mans owne let it bee free for him to vse it as hee list and so of other mens if they consent Let their bee good store of Common Harlottes either for all that please to vse them or for those that cannot keepe priuate ones Let stately and sumptuous houses bee erected banquets and feasts sollemnized let a man drinke eate game and reuell day and night where hee may or will a let dauncing bee ordinarie in all places let luxurious and bloudy delightes fill the Theater with dishonest wordes and shewes freelie and vncontroulled And let him bee held an enemie to the publike good that is an opposite vnto this felicitie Let the people turne away their eares from all such as shall assaie to disswade or alter them let them banish them let them kill them Let them bee eternized for gods that shall procure the people this happinesse and preserue what they haue procured Let them haue what glorie or worshippe they will what plaies they will or can exact of their worshippers onely let them worke so that this felicity stand secure from enemy pestilence and all other inconueniences Now tell mee what reasonable creature would wish such a state not vnto Rome but euen to the house of b Sardanapalus which whilom King was so farre giuen ouer to his pleasures that he caused it to bee written vpon his graue that hee onely as then possessed that which his luxury in his life time had wasted Now if those fellowes had but a King like this that would nousle them in these impurities and neuer controull nor correct them in any such courses they would bee readier to erect a Temple to him and giue him a Flamine then euer were the old Romaines to do so vnto Romulus L. VIVES LEt a Dancings Saltationes in the Bruges copy it is Salutationes in Coleynes it was Salutiones but the letter v. is
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
is Illeque and hee to be vnderstood it beeing vnderstood of Curius f T is true Nay all 〈◊〉 Marius built them after the Cymbrian warre but because there was a gutter betwixt them they seemed a couple h Opinion of men This is glory in generall but the true glorie is a soâ—…d aâ—…d expresse thing saith Tully no shadow and that is the vniforme praise of them that are gooâ—… 〈◊〉 vncorrupted voice of such as iudge aright of vertues exellence which answeres vertâ—… 〈◊〉 Eccho and followeth it like a shadow Tusc. quaest lib. 3. i Should not This Cato of Utica of whom he speaketh sued for the tribuneshippe and got it the praetorship and after one repulse Vatinius a fellow hated of GOD and man beeing preferred before him got that too the consulship and there had a finall repulse Hee was a man saith Plutarch fit to bee â—…ought for a magistrate and more fit to bee forced vnto dignities then to sue for them k Opinion In his oration which beeing Tribune hee made in the Senate against the Câ—…spiratours Salust Catilin l Hee that heareth The later Romaines were alwaies a talking of the vertues of their ancestry extolling them to heauen either because all things declined from better to worse or because they thought still that the times past were best m And 〈◊〉 â—…ption A diuersity of reading vitium esse contrarium è contrario all to one sence 〈◊〉 â—…ter is in all the old manuscripts Oâ—…â—…bition which beeing a vice is notwithstanding heerein held a vertue that it doth restraine vices of worse natures CHAP. 13. Bâ—…t hee is better sighted that can see this desire of glory to bee a vice Horace 〈◊〉 it and therefore sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tâ—…es sunt certa piacula quae te b 〈◊〉 lecto poterunt recreare libello You swell with thirst of praise but I can tell A medecine read this booke thrice ouer b well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Odes hee sung this to the same purpose of suppressing ambitious thouâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auidum domando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si Lybiam remotis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vterque Paenus Seruiat vni He that can conquer his affects rebelling Hath larger Monarchy then he that swaâ—…s The Lybians c Gades and both Africas And more excelling 〈◊〉 notwithstanding those that doe not bridle their exorbitant affects by 〈◊〉 by the powre of the holy spirit and the loue of that intellectuall beauty 〈◊〉 they cannot bee happy yet they may bee lesse vnhappy in auoyding this 〈◊〉 of humaine glory howsoeuer Tully could not f dissemble this in his 〈◊〉 Of the Common-wealth where speaking of the instruction of a Prince for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee saith hee must bee g nourished with glory and so there-vpon inferâ—… what worthy deedes this glory had drawne from his ancestors So that 〈◊〉 â—…e so farre from resisting this vice that they did wholy giue themselues 〈◊〉 â—…nt and excite each one thinking it vse-full to the state Though in 〈◊〉 bâ—…s of Philosophy Tully neuer dissembles h this contagion but confesâ—…th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleare as day For speaking of studies ayming at the true good and contemning the vaine blasts of humaine praises hee inferreth this axione i Honour nourisheth artes and glory keepeth all men on worke in studies and what men approoue not lieth vnregarded L. VIVES Sayd a Epist. lib. 1. to Maecenas ter purè thrise ouer b well The Philosophers bookes of manners are to bee read purely diligently not against the will but desirously that wee may reape profit thereby for so doing wee shall Prophyry saith wee must come with cleane handes as vnto a sacrifice c Latius Carm. lib. 2. ad Salust d Gades An Island of Spaine famous for Hercules his trauells and pillers e Both Africa's Acron and Porphyâ—…y thinke that by the one hee meaneth Lybeans and by the other the Gadetanes whom the Africans first placed there as if the Poet intended a coniunction of Empire in lands diuided by seas as hee saith in the said place before f Dissemble Some read Silere conceale but the old Copies â—…ead it as wee haue set it downe g Nourished Stoicisme A wise man is a creature of glory Symonides quoted by Xenophon in his Hieron distinguisheth a man from all other creatures in this especiall thing that hee is touched by glory and honour h This contagion The proposition ab in the Latine text is superfluous our reading is in the better i Honour Prooem Tusc. quaest That wee are to auoide this desire of humaine honour the glory of the righteous being wholy in GOD. CHAP. 14. VVHerefore without doubt wee had better resist this desire then a yeelde to it For much the nearer are we to GOD as we are purer from this impurity which although in this life it bee not fully rooted out of the heart because it is a temptation that troubleth euen the best proficients in religion yet let the loue of righteousnesse suppresse the thirst of ambitiousnesse And thus if some things lie vnrespected because men approoue them not and yet bee good and honest then let the loue of humaine praise blush and giue place to the loue of truth For this is a great enemy to our faith if that the affect of glory haue more roome in our hearts then the feare or loue of our GOD and therefore hee saith How can you beleeue that expect honor one from another and seeke not the honour thâ—… commeth of GOD And likewise it is said of some that beleeued in him and yet durst not professe it They loued the praise of men more then the praise of GOD. Which the holy Apostles did not for they preached the name of Christ where it was b not onely not approoued of as Tully saith and what men approoue not lieth vnregarded but where it was euen detested holding the rule that their maister the mindes phisition had taught them Whosoeuer shall deny mee before men him will I also deny c before my Father which is in Heauen and d before the Angells of GOD So that all their reproaches by their cruell persecutions their extreame paines could not driue them from preaching this saluation let the madnesse of man oppose what it could And whereas this diuine life conuersation and doctrine of theirs hauing suppressed all hardnesse of heart and erected the peace of righteousnesse was crowned with an vnbounded glory in Christ 〈◊〉 church this did not they rest as in the expected guerdon of their vertues but referred it all vnto Christ his glory by whose grace they were what they weâ—… And the same did they trans-fuse into such as they conuerted vnto the 〈◊〉 of him whereby they might become such as they were before them 〈◊〉 to keepe them from touch of humaine ambition their Maister taught thâ—… this Take heede that you doe not your good deedes before men to be seene of them or else yee shall haue no rewarde of your father which is in heauen But least they should misconceiue
this and feare to doe well before men and so become lesse profitable by striuing to keepe their vertuous acts in secret then other-wise he saith againe Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Doe not well with an intent that men should see you doe so and so turne to behold you who are not what you are by them but doe so that they may glorifie your father in heauen vnto whom if they turne they may bee such as you are Thus did the Martirs that excelled the Scaeuola's Câ—…rtij and Decij not by punishing them-selues but by learning the inflictions of others in true vertue piety and innumerable multitude But the others liuing in an earthly citty wherein the end of all their endeuours was by them-selues propounded to themselues the fame namely and domination of this world and not the eternitie of heauen not in the euerlasting life but in their owne ends and the mouthes of their posteritie what should they Ioue but glory whereby they desired to suruiue after death in the e memories and mouthes of such as commended them L. VIVES THen yeeld a to it So must the sence be wee must resist the desire of glorie and not yeeld to it b Not onely not wee haue giuen it the best reading of all I thinke and the nearest to likelyhood c Before my father Matt. 10. 33. d Before the Angels of God Luc. 12. 9. e Memories and mouthes I flie as liuing through the mouthes of men â—…aith Ennius Of the temporall rewards that God bestowed vpon the Romaines vertues and good conditions CHAP. 15. SVch therefore as we haue spoken of if God did neither meane to blesse them with eternitie in his heauenly cittie amongst his Angels to which societie that true pietie brings men which affordeth that true diuine worship which the Greekes call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to none but onely the true God nor to vouchsafe them an earthly glory or excellence of Emperiall dignity then should their vertues the good actes whereby they endeuoured to ascend to this glory passe vnrewarded But the Lord saith euen of such as doe good for humaine glory Verely I say vnto you they haue their reward These therefore that neglected their priuate estates for the common-wealth and publike treasurie opposing couetise hauing a full care of their countries freedome and liuing according to their lawes without touch of lust or guilt these seemed to goe the right way to get them-selues honour and did so honored they are almost all the world ouer all nations very neare receiued their lawes honored were they then in all mens mouths and now in most mens writings through the world Thus haue they no reason to complaine of Gods iustice they haue their reward L. VIVES Call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship or to serue Of the reward of the eternall cittizens of heauen to whom the examples of the Romaines vertues were of good vse CHAP. 16. BVt as for their rewarde that endure reproches here on earth for the cittie of GOD which the louers of the world doe hate and deride that is of another nature That City is eternall No man a is borne in it because no man dieth in it Felicity is there fully yet no goddesse but a Gods guift of this habitation haue wee a promise by faith as long as wee are here in pilgrimage on earth and longe for that rest aboue The Sunne ariseth not there both vpon good and bad but the Sonne of righteousnesse shineth onely ouer the good There shal be no neede to respect the common treasury more then the priuate truth is all the treasure that lieth there And therefore the Romaine Empire had that glorious increase not onely to bee a fit guerdon to the vertues of such worthies as wee fore-named but also that the cittizens of heauen in their pilgrimages vpon earth might obserue those examples with a sober diligence and thence gather how great care loue and respect ought to bee carried to the heauenly country for life eternall if those men had such a deare affect to their earthly country for glory so temporall L. VIVES NO man a is borne That is their is no increase of them no more then there is decease theâ—… iust number being predestinate and fore-knowne by the eternall GOD himselfe The fruites of the Romaines warres both to themselues and to those with whom they warred CHAP. 17. FOr what skilleth it in respect of this short and transitory life vnder whose dominion a mortall man doth liue so hee bee not compelled to actes of impiety or iniustice But did the Romaines euer hurt any of the nations whom they conquered and gaue lawes vnto but in the very fury and warre of the conquest If they could haue giuen those lawes by agreement it had beene better but then had beene no place for triumph for the Romaines liued vnder the same lawes themselues that they gaue to others This a had beene sufficient for the state but that Mars Bellona and Victory should then haue beene displeased and displaced also if they had had no wars nor no victories Would not then the states of Rome and other nations haue beene all one especially that beeing done which was most grauely and worthyly performed afterwardes b euery man that belonged to the Romaine Empire beeing made free of the citty as though they were now all cittizens of Rome whereas before there was but a very few so that such as had no landes should liue of the common this would haue beene granted vnto good gouernours by other nations sooner by intreaty then force For what doth conquering or beeing conquered hurt or profit mens liues manners or dignities either I see no good it doth but onely addeth vnto their intollerable vaine-glory who ayme at such matters and warre for them and lastly receiue them as their labours rewarde Doth not their land pay tribute to the state as well as others Yes May they learne any thing that others may not No. c And are there not many Senators that neuer saw Rome True Take away vaine-glory and what are men but men Anâ—… if the peruersenesse of the age would permit the verie best meanes for 〈◊〉 beare away the greatest honours then should not this humaine honour bâ—… so prize-worthy howsoeuer beeing but a breath and a light fume But yet 〈◊〉 vs vse these things to doe our selues good towardes GOD. Let vs coâ—…sider what obstacles these men haue scornâ—…d what paines they haue takâ—… what affects they haue suppressed and onely for this humaine glorie which afterward they receiued as the reward of their vertues and let this serue to suppresse our pride also that seeing the cittie wherein wee haue promised habitation and Kingdome is as farre diffrent from this in excellence as Heauen from earth life eternall from mirth temporall firme glory from fuming vaine-glory angells
asked him if he would go to Epirus with him he would giue him the forth part of his kingdom he replied it was not fit for al the people would wish rather to be vnder his coÌ„mand then Pirrhus his Pirrhus content with this answer admired the plaine magnanimity of the man offered him mony as a friend he would none m One that Cornelius Ruffinus this was Fabritius the Censor put him off the Senat for being worth ten pound in coined siluer Liu. libâ—… nay he had beene Dictator saith Gellius lib. 4. this was the first Cornelius that was called Sybiâ—… and then Silla of all the Cornelian family Macrob he was first consull with Manl. Cur. denatus and thirteen yeares after with C. Iunius n poore men Rome was neuer more fertile of continent honest men then in the warre of Pirrhus The difference betweene the desire of glory and the desire of rule CHAP. 19. THere is a difference betweene desire of glory and desire of rule for though the first do incline to the second yet such as affect the true humane glory haue a desire to be pleasing vnto good iudgments for ther is much good in manners whereof many can iudge well although many againe haue not this good not go that honest way to glory honor and soueraignty that Salust saith of He goeth the true way But whosoeuer desires to rule without that desire of glory which keeps men in awe of good iudgments he careth not by what villany he compasse affect and so his going about it will shew And therefore the hunter of glory either followeth the true tract or couers his courses so well that he is held to bee still in the true tract and thought to be good when hee is not so wherefore to the vertuous contempt of glory is a great vertue because God beholdeth it and not the iudgemeÌ„t of man for whatsoeuer he doth before men to shew this contempt hee hath no reason to thinke they suspect him amisse that thinke hee doth it for his more glory But he that contemneth their opinatiue praise contemneth also with it their vnaduised suspect yet not their saluation if he be good because he that hath his goodnesse from God is of that iustice that he loueth his very enemies and so loueth them that he wisheth his slanderers backe-bitâ—…rs reformed and to become his companions not here but in his eternall country for his commenders as he respecteth not their praises so hee neglecteth not their loues desiring neither to falsefie their prayses nor delude their loues and therefore vrgeth theÌ„ to the praise of him from whom euery one hath al his praise-worthy endowments But that man that despising glory doteth on dominatioÌ„ is worse then a beast both in a manners barbarisme lustes extremity Such men Rome hath had for though it had lost the care of credit yet it retained stil the affect of souerainty nay Rome saith History had many such But b Nero Caesar was he that got first of all to the top-turret of all this enormity whose luxury was such that one would not haue feared any manly act of his yet was his cruelty such as one ignoraÌ„t of him would not haue thought any effeminat sparke resideÌ„t in him yet euen such as this man was haue no dominion but from the great Gods prouidence holding mans vices soÌ„etimes worthy of such plagues The scripture of him is plaine By me kings raigne Princes Tyrans by me gouerne the earth But c least Tyrannus here should be taken only for vild wicked kings not as it it meant for al the old worthies heare Vir. Pars mihi pacis crit dextraÌ„ tetigisse Tâ—…ranni d Some peace I hope by touching your kings hands But elsewhere it is more plainely spoken of God that he maketh an hipocrite to raigne because the people are snared in peruersnesse Wherefore though I haue done what I can to show the cause why the true and iust God gaue the Romaines such assistance in erecting their Empires and Citties earthly glory vpon such a frame of Monarchy yet there may be a more secret cause then yet we see namely the diuers deserts of the world open to God though not to vs it being plaine to all godly men that no man can haue true vertue without true piety that is the true adoration of the one and true God nor is that vertue true neither when it serueth but for humane ostentation But those that are not of the etereternall citty called in the scriptures the citty of God they are more vse-full to their earthly citty e in possessing of that world-respecting vertue then if they wanted that also But if f those that are truly Godly and vp-right of life come to haue the gouernment of estates there can no greater happines befall the world then through the mercy of God to be gouerned by such men And they do attribute all their vertues be they neuer so admired vnto the grace of God only g who gaue them to their desires their faith and prayers besides they know how far they are from true perfection of iustice I meane such as is in the angelicall powers for whose fellowship they make them-selues fit But let that vertue that serueth humaine glory without piety be neuer so much extolled it is not comparable so much as with the vnperfect beginnings of the Saints vertues whose assured hope standeth fixed in the grace and mercy of the true God L. VIVES MAnners a Barbarisme or vices barbarisme read whether you will b Nero Sonne to Domitius Aenobarbus and Agrippina daughter to Germanicus adopted by Cl. Caesar his Stepfather and named Nero â—…aesar after him he succeded him and was the last of Caesars bloud that was emperor a man of strange cruelty and beastlinesse and for these vices left noted to all posterity otherwise as Suetonius saith he was desirous of eternity of same He called Aprâ—… after him-selfe Neroneus and ment to haue named Rome Neropolis c Least Tirans Of this before the King the tyran diffred not of old the word comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to command or sway Uirgill Te propter lybicae gentis Nomadumque Tyranni Odêre incensi for thee the Libians and Numidian Kings hated him fore c. and Horace carm 3. Princeps et innantem Maricae Littoribus tenuisse Lyrim latè Tyrannus c. Tyrannus is some-times Lord some-times a cruell Prince sometimes a Potent Prince Acron So Augustine here putteth worthy for Potent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke being both power and fortitude as Homer Pindarus often vse it In Nemeis de Hercule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my sonnes valor d Some peace Latinus his words of Aeneas whom he held to be a good man e In possessing A falty place the sence is when they haue that desire of human glory they are of more vse in an ea thly state theÌ„ when they want
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
CHAP. 25. By the fayth of this mistery might the ancient Saints of God also bee iustified together with godly life not only before the law was giuen the hebrewes for they wanted not Gods instructions nor the Angels but also in the very 〈◊〉 of the law though they seemed to haue carnall promises in the types of spyrâ—…al thinges it being therefore called the old Testament For there were Propâ—…s then that taught the promise as wel as the Angels and one of them was he â—…se sacred opinion of mans good I related before It is good for me to adhere vnâ—… In which Psalme the two Testaments are distinguished For first hee â—…ng those earthly promises abound so to the vngodly saith his b feete slippâ—… and that he was almost downe as if hee had serued God in vayne seeing that â—…ty that hee hoped of God was bestowed vppon the impious and that hee laboured sore to know the reason of this and was much troubled vntill hee entred into the sanctuary of God and there beheld their endes whome hee in errour thought happy But then c as hee saith hee saw them east downe in their exâ—…on and destroyed for their iniquity and that all their pompe of temporall 〈◊〉 was become as a dreame leauing a man when hee is awake frustrate of â—…ed ioyes hee dreamed off And because they shewed great here vpon 〈◊〉 saith hee In thy Citty thou shalt make their Image bee held as nothing 〈◊〉 good it was for him to seek those temporalties at none but Gods hands â—…weth â—…aying I was as a beast before thee yet was I alwaies with thee as a beast â—…erstanding For I should haue desired such goodes as the wicked could not 〈◊〉 with mee but seeing them abound with goods I thought I had serued thee 〈◊〉 end when as they that hated thee inioyed such felicity Yet was I alwaies with 〈◊〉 fought no other goddes to begge these thinges vppon And then it followâ—… Thou hast holden me by my right hand thou hast guided me by thy will and hast asâ—… into glory As if all that which he saw the wicked inioy were belonging 〈◊〉 left hand though seeing it he had almost falne What haue I in heauen but 〈◊〉 sayth he And would I haue vpon earth but thee Then hee doth checke himâ—… iustly for hauing so great a good in Heauen as afterwards hee vnderstood 〈◊〉 yet begging so transitory frayle and earthen a thing of God here below d 〈◊〉 heart faileth and my flesh but God is the God of mine heart A good fayling to 〈◊〉 the lower and elect the loftyer So that in another Psalme he sayth My soule â—…geth and fainteth for the Courtes of the Lord. And in another My heart fainteth 〈◊〉 thy sauing health But hauing sayd both heart and flesh fainteth hee reioyned not The God of mine heart and flesh but the God of my heart for it is by the heart that 〈◊〉 â—…sh is cleansed as the Lord sayth Cleanse that which is within and then that 〈◊〉 is without shall be cleane Then he calleth God his portion not any thing of 〈◊〉 but him-selfe God is the God of my heart and my portion for euer Because 〈◊〉 mens manifold choyces he chose him only For e behold saith he they 〈◊〉 â—…thdraw them-selues from them shall perish f thou destroyest al them that go 〈◊〉 from thee that is that make them-selues prostitute vnto many gods and then â—…owes that which is the cause I haue spoken al this of the Psalme As for me it is good for mee to adhere vnto GOD not to withdraw my selfe nor to goe a whoring And then is our adherence to God perfect when all is freed that should bee freed But as wee are now the hold is I put my trust in the Lord God for hope that is seene is no hope how can a man hope for that which he seeth savth the Apostle But when we see not our hope then we expect with patience wherein lette vs do that which followeth each one according to his talent becomming an Angell a messenger of God to declare his will and praise his gratious glory That I may declare all thy workes saith hee in the gates of the daughter of Sion This is that gloryous Citty of God knowing and honouring him alone This the Angells declared inuiting vs to inhabite it and become their fellow Cittizens in it They like not that wee should worship them as our elected Gods but with them him that is God to vs both Nor to sacrifice to them but with them be a sacrifice to him Doubtlesse then if malice giue men leaue to see the doubt cleared al the blessed immortalls that enuy vs not and if they did they were not blessed but rather loue vs to haue vs partners in their happinesse are farre more fauourable and beneficiall to vs when wee ioyne with them in sacrificing our selues to the adoration of the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit L. VIVES WHich a Psal. 73. diuinely soluing of this question of the Phylosophers Why one God ruling all haue the good so often hurt and the bad so much good Or Epicurus his Dilemma If there be a God whence is euill If none whence is good Augustine recites some verses and we wil breefely interpose here and there a word b Feete slipped or moued by the vnworthy euent to take another way it seeming to him to haue done so little good in this c Them All things saith the wise man are secret vntil the end but then the good life helps and the bad hurts the one rewarded and the other plagued for then all appeareth in truth d My heart A sanctified man in all his troubles and faintings of strength and counsell still keepes heart-hold of God making him his portion for euer loose he all thinges God he will neuer loose Augustine me thinks applyeth this to the defect of spirit through the vehement desire of celestiall comfortes For the soule will languish into much loue and lose all the selfe in entyre speculation of that it affecteth Or he may meane that although all bodily meanes of strength or state do faile a good man yet his minde will stil sticke firmely vnto God and entertaine a contempt of all worldly wealth and all guifts of wit or fortune in respect of this God this onely ritches and heritage e Behold Therefore is it good to adhere to him from whom who-soeuer departeth perisheth f Thou destroyest Wee ought to keepe our soule chaste as the spouse of God which if it go a whoring after the desires and lusts of the world neglecting God hee casteth it off as a man doth his dishonest wife and diuorceth it from him And this is the death of the soule to leaue the true life thereof Of Porphyry his wauering betweene confessing of the true God and adoration of the diuels CHAP. 26. Me thinkes Porphrry I know not how is ashamed of his Thevrgicall acquaintance Hee had some knowledge of good
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
some that is from the b South signifyeth the heate of charity and the light of truth The thicke darke mountaine may bee taken diuersly but I rather choose to hold it meant of the depth of the holy scriptures prophecying Christ for therein are many depths for the industrious to excercise themselues in and which they finde out when they find him whom they concerne His glory couereth the heauens and the earth is full of his praise that is iust as the psalme saith Exalt thy selfe O GOD aboue the heauens and let thy glorie bee aboue all the earth His brightnesse was as the light His glorie shall enlighten the nations Hee had hornes comming out of his hands that was his extension on the crosse there was the hiding of his power this is plaine Before him went the word and followed him into the field that is hee was prophecied ere hee came and preached after his departure hee stood and the earth mooued hee stood to saue and earth was mooued with beleeuing in him He beheld the nations and they were dissolued that is hee pitied and they repented Hee brake the mountaines with violence that is his miracles amazed the proude the eternall his did bow the people were temporally humbled to bee eternally glorified For my paines I saw his goings in that is I had the reward of eternity for my labours in charity the tents of Ethiope trembled and so did they of Madian that is euen those nations that were neuer vnder Rome by the terror of thy name and power preached shall become subiect to Christ. Was the Lord angry against the riuers or waâ—… thine anger against the sea this implieth that he came not to iudge the world but to saue it thou rodest vpon horses and thy Chariot brought saluatiâ—… The Euangelists are his horses for hee ruleth them and the Gospell his Chariot saluation to all beleeuers thou shalt bend thy bowe aboue scepters thy iudgement shall restraine euen the Kings of the earth thou shalt cleaue the earth with riuers that is thine abundant doctrine shall open the hearts of men to beleeue them vnto such it is sayd Rend your hearts and not your garments The people shall see thee and tremble thou shall spread the â—…aters as thou goest thy preachers shall power out the streames of thy doctrine on all sides The deepe made anoise the depth of mans heart expressed what it saw the hight of his phantasie that is the deepe gaue out the voice expressing as I sayd what it saw This phantasie was a vision which hee conceiled not but proclaimed at full The Sunne was extolled and the Moone kept her place Christ was assumed into heauen and by him is the church ruled thine arrowes flew in the light Thy word was openly taught and by the brightnesse of thy shining armeâ—… thine arrowes flew For Christ himselfe had said What I tell you in darkenesse that speake in the light Thou shalt tread downe the land in anger thou shalt humble high spirits by afflicting them Thou shalt thresh the heathen in displeasure that is thou shalt quell the ambitious by thy iudgements thou wentest forth to saue thy people and thine annointed thou laidest death vpon the heads of the wicked all this is plaine thou hast cut them off with amazement thou hast cut downe bad and set vppe good in wonderfull manner the mighty shall crowne their heads which maruell at this they shall gape after thee as a poore man eating secretly For so diuers great men of the Iewes beeing hungry after the bread of life came to eate secretly fearing the Iewes as the Gospell sheweth thou puâ—…test thine horses into the sea who troubled the waters that is the people for vnlesse all were troubled some should not become fearefull conuertes and others furious persecutors I marked it and my body trembled at the sound of my lippes feare came into my bones and I was altogether troubled in my selfe See the hight of his praier and his prescience of those great euents amazed euen himselfe and hee is troubled with those seas to see the imminent persecutions of the church whereof hee lastly avoucheth himselfe a member saying I will rest in the daâ—…e of trouble as if hee were one of the hopefull sufferers and patient reioycers that I may goe vppe to the people of my pilgrimage leauing his carnall kinred that wander after nothing but worldly matters neuer caring for their supernall countrie â—…or the fig-tree shall not fructifie nor shall fruite bee in the vines the oliue shall faâ—…le and the fields shal be fruitlesse The sheepe haue left their meate and the oxen are not in their stalles Here hee seeth the nation that crucified CHRIST depriued of all spirituall goods prefigured in those corporall fertilities and because the countries ignorance of God had caused these plagues forsaking Gods righteousnesse through their owne pride hee addeth this I will reioyce in the Lord and ioy in God my Sauiour the Lord my God is my strength he will establish my feete hee will set mee vpon high places that I may bee victorious in his song What song euen such as the psalmist speaketh of hee hath set my feete vpon the rocke and ordered my goings and hath put into my mouth a new song of praise vnto GOD. In such a song and not in one of his owne praise doth Ahâ—…cuc conquer glorying in the Lord his God Some bookes read this place better 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 ioy in my LORD IESVS But the translators had not the name it selfe in Latine other-wise wee like the word a great deale better L. VIVES FRom a Theman Aquila Symmachus and the fifth edition saith Hierome put the very word so Onely Tâ—…tion expresseth it from the South c. Theman is â—…nder Edoâ—… in the land of Gâ—…bal named so by Theman sonne to Elyphaz the sonne of Esau and it holdeth the name vnto this day lying fiue miles from Petra where the Romaine garrison lyeth and where Eliphaz King of the Thebans was borne One also of the sonnes of Isaacs was called Theman Indeed the Hebrews call euery Southerne Prouince Theman Hieron loc Hebraic b Sâ—…th Such is that place also in the Canticles c The thick darke mountaine Sâ—… say the LXX but the Hebrewes from mount Paran which is a towne on the farre side of Arabia ioyning to the Sarazens The Israelites went by it when they left Sina The LXX rather expressed the adiacents then the place it selfe d Neuer vnder Rome India Persia and the new sound lands e I will ioy So doth the Hebrew read it indeed Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Sauiour are all one In Tullyes time they had not the Latine word Saluator Act. 〈◊〉 in Verr. but Lactantius Auâ—… and many good Latinists doe vse it since Read Hierome of this verse if you would know further Prophecies of Hieromie and Zephany concerning the former themes CHAP. 33. HIeremy a is one of the greater Prophets so is Isayâ—… not of
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