God So did Christ found her in his Patriarchs 〈◊〉 â—…hets before he tooke flesh in her from the Virgin Mary Seing therefore 〈◊〉 Prophet so long agoc said that of this Citty which now we behold come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In steed of fathers thou shal haue children to make them Princes ouer all the 〈◊〉 so hath shee when whole nations and their rulers come freely to conâ—… 〈◊〉 proffesse Christ his truth for euer and euer then without all doubt there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ope herein how euer vnderstood but hath direct reference vnto these 〈◊〉 stations L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a generation So read the 70. whom Augustine euer followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this reduplication is very emphaticall in the Hebrew b To those that hee neuer Christ while hee was on the earth neuer came nor preached in any nation but Israell Nor matterâ—… 〈◊〉 thaâ—… some few Gentiles came vnto him wee speake here of whole nations c Men shall call it The seauenty read it thus indeed but erroneously as Hierome noteth In Psalm 89. for they had written it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is Sion which reading some conceyuing not reiected and added 〈◊〉 reading it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an other Siâ—…n and that the rather because it followeth hee was made man therein But the vulgar followeth the Hebrew and reads it with an interrogation Of the references of the 110. Psalme vnto Christs Priest-hood and the 22. vnto his passion CHAP. 17. FOr in that psalme that as this calleth Christ a King enstileth him a priest beginning The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole we beleeue that Christ sitteth at Gods right hand but we see it not nor that his enemies are all vnder his feete which a must appeare in the end and is now beleeued as it shall hereafter bee beheld but then the rest the Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion be thou ruler amidst thine enemies This is so plaine that nought but impudence it selfe can contradict it The enemies themselues confesse that the law of Christ came out of Sion that which we call the Ghospell and auouch to be the rod of his power And that he ruleth in the midst of his enemies themselues his slaues with grudging and fruitlesse gnashing of teeth doe really acknowledge Furthermore the Lord sware and will not repent which proues the sequence eternally established thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech The reason is Aarons priest-hood and sacrifice is abolished and now in all the world vnder Christ the priest wee offer that which Melchisedech brought forth when hee blessed Abraham who doubteth now of whom this is spoken and vnto this manifestation are the other Tropes of the psalme referred as wee haue declared them peculiarly in our Sermons and in that psalme also wherein CHRIST prophecieth of his passion by Dauids mouth saying they perced my hands and my feete they counted all my bones and stood gazing vpon me These words are a plaine description of his posture on the crosse his nayling of his hands and feete his whole body stretched at length and made a rufull gazing stock to the beholders Nay more they parted my garments among them they cast lots vpon my vesture How this was fulfilled let the Ghospell tell you And so in this there are diuers obscurities which not withstanding are all congruent with the maine and scope of the psalme manifested in the passion chiefly seeing that those things which the psalme presaged so long before are but now effected as it fore-told and euen now are opened vnto the eyes of the whole world For it saith a little after All the ends of the world shall remember themselues and turne vnto the Lord all the kindreds of the earth shall worship before him for the kingdome is the Lords and he ruleth among the nations L. VIVES VVHich a â—…st apeare In the end but now is onely beleeued Saint Paul writeth much of it vnto the Corynthians and Hebrewes Christs death and resurrection prophecied in psalme 3. 40. 15. 67. CHAP. 18. NEither were the psalmes silent of his resurrectioÌ„ for what is that of the third psalme I laid me downe and slept and rose againe for the Lord susteined me wil any one say that the prophet would record it for such a great thing to sleepe and to rise but that he meaneth by sleepe death and by rising againe the resurrection things that were fit to bee prophecied of Christ this in the 41. psalme is most plaine for Dauid in the person of the mediator discoursing as hee vseth of things to come as if they were already past because they are already past in Gods predestination a and praescience saith thus Mine enemies speake euill of me saying when shall he die and his name perish and if he come to see he speaketh lies and his heart he apeth vp iniquity within him and hee goeth forth and telleth it mine eneâ—… whisper together against me and imagine how to hurt me They haue spoken an vniust thing vpon me shall not he that sleepeth arise againe this is euen as much as if he had said shall not he that is dead reuiue againe the precedence doth shew how they conspired his death and how he that came in to see him went for to bewray him to them And why is not this that traitor Iudas his disciple Now because hee 〈◊〉 they would effect their wicked purpose to kill him hee to shew the fondnesse of their malice in murdering him that should rise againe saith these words â—…ll not he that sleepeth arise againe as if hee said you fooles your wickednesse procureth but my sleepe But least they should do such a villany vnpunished hee meant to repay them at full saying My friend and familiar whom I trusted and who eate of my â—…ead euen he hath b kicked at me But thou Lord haue mercy vpon me raise me vp 〈◊〉 shall requite them Who is hee now that beholdeth the Iewes beaten out of 〈◊〉 â—…nd and made vagabonds all the world ouer since the passion of Christ 〈◊〉 â—…ceiueth not the scope of this prophecy for he rose againe after they had 〈◊〉 and repayed them with temporall plagues besides those that hee reâ—… for the rest vntill the great iudgement for Christ himselfe shewing his 〈◊〉 to the Apostles by reaching him a peece of bread remembred this verse 〈◊〉 â—…alm shewed it fulfilled in himself he that did eate of my bread eueÌ„ he hath 〈◊〉 â—…e the words in whom I trusted agree not with the head but with the â—…ts properly for our Sauiour knew him well before hand when he sayd c 〈◊〉 is a diuell but Christ vsed to transferre the proprieties of his members 〈◊〉 â—…mselfe as being their head body and head being all one Christ. And therâ—… 〈◊〉 of the Ghospell I was hungry and you gaue me to eate hee expoundeth afâ—… thus
know and Hierome vppon the same saith These thinges fell vpon Iob that he might shew outwardly vnto men the loue that he held inwardly vnto God l UUee know Rom. 8. 28. Aduerse and prosperous fortune ar both assistants in the good mans saluation and there is nothing befalleth them but he can conuert it vnto the augmentation of his vertues That the Saints in their losse of things temporall loose not any thing at all CHAP. 9. THey lost all that they had what their faith their zeale their goods of the a inward man which inritcheth the soule before God These are a Christians ritches whereof the Apostle being possessed said Godlinesse is a great gaine if man bee content with what he hath for we brought nothing into this world nor can we cary any thing out therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs content our-selues there-with for they that wil be rich fall into temptation and snares and into many foolish and hurtfull desires which drowne men in perdition and destruction for b coueteousnesse of mony is the roote of all euill which while some lusting after haue erred from the faith and cast them-selues in many c sorrowes Such therefore as lost their goods in that destruction if they held them as the afore-said Apostle d poore without but rich within taught them that is if they vsed the world so as if they vsed it not at all then might they truly say with him that was so sore assalted and yet neuer ouerthrown e Nak◅d came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thether againe The Lord hath giuen it the Lord hath taken it away as it hath pleased the Lord so commeth it to passe blessed be the name of the Lord. He held his Lords will as a good seruant for great possessions and by attending that enritched his spirit nor greeued he at all at the losse of that in his life time which death perforce would make him leaue shortly after But those farre weaker soules though they preferre not these worldly things before Christ yet stick vnto them with a certaine exorbitant affection they must needs feele such paine in the loosing of them as their offence deserued in louing of them and endure the sorrowes in the same measure that they cast themselues into sorrowes As I said before out of the Apostle For it was meete for them to taste a little of the discipline of experience seeing thy had so long neglected instruction by words for the Apostle hauing said They that will be rich fall into temptations c. Herein doth hee reprehend the desire after ritches onely not the vse of them teaching likewise f else-where Charge them that are ritch in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in their vncertaine wealth but in the liuing God who giueth vs plentifully all things to enioy That they doe good and bee g ritch in good workes ready to distribute and communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine the true life They that did thus with their ritches by easing small burthens ◅eaped great gaines taking more ioy in that part which by their free distributiō vnto others they had h kept more safely then they felt sorrow for that which by their care to preserue to themselues they lost so easily For it was likely that that perish heare on earth which they had no minde to remooue into a more secure custodie For they that followe their Lords Counsell when hee saith vnto them Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moth and rust corrupt or where theeues dig through and steale but lay vp treasures for your selves in Heauen where neither rust nor moth corrupt nor theeues digge through and steale for where your treasure is there will your heart be also these I say in the time of tribulation were sure to find how well they were aduised in following that Maister of al truth and that diligent and dreadles keeper of all good treasure For seeing there were many that reioiced because they had hidden their treasure in a place which the foe by chance ouer-passed found not how much more certaine and secure might their comfort bee that by their Gods instruction had retired thither with their substance whether they were sure the foe could not come And therefore one i Paulinus being Bishop of Nola and hauing refused infinite ritches for voluntarie pouertie and yet was he ritch in holynesse when the Barbarians sacked Nola and held him prisoner thus prayed hee in his heart as hee told vs afterward Lord let mee not bee troubled for gold nor siluer for where all my treasures are thou knowest Euen there had hee laid vppe all his where hee hadde aduised him to lay it who fore-told these miseries to fall vppon the world And so others in that they obeyed GODS instructions for the choyce and preseruation of the true treasure indeed hadde euen their worldly treasures preserued from the fury of the Barbarians But others paid for their disobedience and because their precedent wisdome could not do it their sub-sequent experience taught them how to dispose of such temporall trash Some Christians by their enemies were putte vnto torture to make them discouer where their goods lay but that good whereby k them-selues were good they could neither loose nor discouer But if they had rather haue indured torture then discouer their l Mammon of iniquitie then were they far from good But those that suffered so much for gold were to be instructed what should bee indured for Christ that they might rather learne to loue him that enricheth his Martyrs with eternall felicity then gold and siluer for which it is miserable to indure any torment whether it bee concealed by lying or discouered by telling the truth For no man that euer confessed Christ could lose him amongst all the torments whereas no man could euer saue his gold but by denying it VVherefore euen those very torments are more profitable in that they teach a man to loue an incoruptible good then those goods in that they procure their owners torture through the blind loue they beare vnto them But some that had no such goods and yet were thought to haue them were tortured also VVhy perhaps they had a desire to them though they had them not and were poore against their wils not of their owne election And then though their possessions did not iustly deserue those afflictions yet their affections did But if their mindes flew a loftyer pitch beholding both the possession and the affection of ritches with an eye of scorne I make a doubt whether any such were euer tormented in this kinde or beeing so innocent incurred any such imputation But if they did truly they in these their tortures confessing their sanctified pouertie confessed CHRIST him-selfe And therefore though the extorted confession of such holy
many errors and terrors Of the seauenth chance d For if there were any reason A fit kinde of argument by repugnance which taking away the adiunct takes the subiect away also Tully mentions it in his Topikes How it was a iudgement of God that the enemie was permitted to excercise his lust vpon the Christian bodies CHAP. 27. IF you aske me now why these outrages were thus permitted I answere the prouidence of the creator gouernor of the world is high and his iudgements are vnsearchable a and his waies past finding out But aske your owne hearts sincerely whether you haue boasted in this good of continency and chastity or no whether you haue not affected humane commendations for it and so thereby haue enuied it in others I doe not accuse you of that whereof I am ignorant nor doe I know what answere your hearts will returne you vnto this question But if they answere affirmatiuely and say you haue done so then wonder not at all b that you haue now lost that whereby you did but seeke and c reioyce to please the eyes of mortall men and that you lost not that which could not bee shewed vnto men If you consented not vnto the others luxury your soules had the helpe of Gods grace to keepe them from losse and likewise felt the disgrace of humane glory to deterre them from the loue of it But your faint hearts are comforted on both sides on this side being approoued and on that side chastised iustified on this and reformed on the other But their hearts that giue them answere that they neuer gloried in the guift of virginity viduall chastity or continence in marriage but d sorting themselues with the meanest did e with a reuerend feare reioyce in this guift of God nor euer repined at the like excellence of sanctity and purity in others but neglecting the ayre of humane fame which alwaies is wont to accrew according to the rarity of the vertue that deserues it did wish rather to haue their number multiplied then by reason of their fewnesse to become more eminent Let not those that are such if the Barbarians Iust haue seized vpon some of them f alledge that this is meerely permitted nor let them thinke that God neglecteth these things because he some-times permitteth that which no man euer committeth vnpunished for some as weights of sinne and euill desires are let downe by a prâ—…sent and secret iudgement and some are reserued to that publique and vniuersall last iudgement And perhaps those who knew themselues vnguâ—…e and that neuer had their hearts puffed vppe with the good of this chastity and yet had their bodies thus abused by the enemie had notwithstanding some infirmity lurking within them which g if they had escaped this humiliation by the warres fury might haue increased vnto a fastidious pride Wherefore h as some were taken away by death least wickednesse should alter their vnderstandings so these here were forced to forgoe i some-thing least excesse of prosperitie should haue depraued their vertuous modestie And therefore from neither sort either of those that were proud in that their bodies were pure from all vncleane touch of others or that might haue growne proud if they had escaped the rape done by their foes from neither of these is their chastitie taken away but vnto them both is humilitie perwaded The vaine-glory which is k immanent in the one and imminent ouer the other was excluded in them both Though this is not to bee ouer-passed with silence that some that endured these violences might perhaps thinke that continencie is but a bodily good remaining as long as the body remaines vntouched but that it is not soly placed in the strength of the grace-assisted will which sanctifies both body and soule nor that it is a good that cannot be lost against ones will which error this affliction brought them to vnderstand for it they consider with what conscience they honor God and do with an vnmooued faith beleeue this of him that hee will not nay cannot any way forsake such as thus and thus do serue him and inuocate his name and do not doubt of the great acceptation which he vouchsafeth vnto chastitie Then must they neede perceiue that it followes necessarily that he would neuer suffer this to fall vpon his Saints if that by this meanes they should be despoiled of that sanctimonie which hee so much affecteth in them and infuseth into them L. VIVES ANd a his wayes the vulgar Rom. 12. 35. reades inuestigabiles for the direct contrarie minimè inuestigabiles Inuestigabilis is that which is found inuestigando with searching out But the wayes of the Lord cannot be found out by humaine vnderstanding The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imperuestigabiles vnsearchable b That you lost that that you lost your fame and faire report and yet lost not your chastitie c Reioyced to please that is louingly desired d But sorting themselues with the meanest Rom. 12. 16. Bee not high minded but make your selues equall with them of the lower sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the originall verbally translated humilibus abducti e With reuerend feare Psalm 2. 11. Serue the Lord with feare or reioyce with trembling f Alledge we interprete not causari as the Philosophers doe in the Schooles in causa esse to be the cause but causam proferre to alledge as cause as Uirgill doth saying Causando nostros in longum ducis amores With allegations thou prolongs our loues g If they had escaped this humiliation Augustine here vseth humilitas for humiliatio I thinke which is a deiecting of a man by some calamitie Vnlesse that some will reade it thus Which if they had escaped the humility of this warres furie might haue blowne them vp into fastidious pride h As some were taken away The wordes are in the fourth of the booke of Wisdome the eleuenth verse and are spoken of Henoch but they are not here to bee vnderstood as spoken of him for hee was taken vp in his life vnto the Lord but of others who after their death were taken vp to God for the same cause that Henoch was before his death i Some thing what that something was modest shame prohibiteth to speake k Immanent in the one not as the Grammarians take it namely for vncontinuing or transitorie but immanens quasi intùs manens inherent ingrafted or staying within Augustine vseth it for to expresse the figure of Agnomination or Paranamasia which is in the two words immanent imminent which figure he vseth in many other places What the seruants of Christ may answer the Inâ—…dels when they vpbrayde them with Christs not deliuering them in their afflictions from the furie of their enemies furie CHAP. 28. VVHerefore all the seruants of the great and true God haue a comfort that 's firme and fixed not placed vpon fraile foundations of momentary and transitorie things and so they passe this temporall life in such manner as they
in him Behold here dilectio in one place in both the respects But if any one seeke to know whether amor be vsed in euill wee haue shewne it in good let him reade this Men shal be louers of themselues c. Louers of pleasures more then louers of GOD. For an vp right will is good loue and a peruerse will is badde loue Loue then desyring too enioy that it loueth is desire and enioying it is ioy flying what it hateth it is feare feeling it it is sorrow These are euills if the loue bee euill and good if it bee good What wee say let vs prooue by scripture The Apostle aesires to bee dissolued and to bee vvith Christ And My heart breaketh for the continuall desire I haue vnto thy iudgements f Or if this bee better My soule hath coueted to desire thy iudgements And desire of wisdome leadeth to the Kingdome yet custome hath made it a law that where concupiscentia or cupiditas is vsed without addition of the obiect it is euer taken in a badde sence But Ioy or Gladnesse the Psalme vseth well Bee glad in the LORD and reioyce you righteous and thou hast giuen gladnesse to mine heart and In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye Feare is also vsed by the Apostle in a good sence Worke out your saluation vvith feare and trembling and Be not high minded but feare and But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his suttlety so that your mindes should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ. But as for that sorrow which Tully had rather call g egritude and Virgill dolour where hee saith dolentque gaudentque yet h I had rather call it tristitia sadnesse because egritude and dolour are oftner vsed for bodily affects the question whether it be vsed in a good sence or no is fit to bee more curiously examined L. VIVES MOre a then these Then these doe to auoide ambiguity b Then knâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here translated diligo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amâ—… both to loue c Some Orig. hâ—… 1. 〈◊〉 Câ—… The scripture I thinke being carefull saith he to keepe the readers in the tract of true vnderstanding it for the capacity of the weaker called that Charity or Dilectio which they thinke wise men called loue d Is vsed The Latinists vse these two words farre other-wise â—…ing Diligo for a light loue and amo for a seruent one Dol obellam antea diligebam nunc 〈◊〉 â—…ith Tully and elsewher more plainely Clodius Tribu Pleb valde me diligit seu vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addam valde me amat I grant that amor is the meaner word and oftener vsed in obâ—…y then dilectio The same difference that the latines put betweene amo and diligo the same 〈◊〉 the Greekes put between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e To shew The places here cited prooue nothing vnlesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be both vsed in a good or an euil sence for the latine translation is the 〈◊〉 of the interpretor not of the author But perhaps he desired to shew it because he delt agâ—… Grecian namely Origen f Or if For so the 70. translated it Here begins he to shew that none of the foure affects are bad of them-selues g Egritude Tusc quaest 3. and 4. h I had rather Tully a Tusc. qu. 2. calleth bodily vexation dolor and Iusc 4. defendeth egritudo to be in the mind as egrotatio is in the body and affirmeth lib. 3. that it hath not any distinct name from sorrow Of the three passions that the Stoickes alow a wiseman excluding sadnesse as foe to a vertuous minde CHAP. 8. THose which the Greekes call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Tully Constantiae the Stoickes make to be three according to the three perturbations in a wisemans mind â—…ng will for desire b ioy for exultation and warinesse for feare but insteed of â—…at egritude or dolour which wee to avoyd amphibology call sadnesse they â—…y that a wise mind can intertaine any thing for the will say they affecteth good which a wiseman effecteth ioy concerneth the good hee hath attayned 〈◊〉 warinesse avoideth that hee is to auoyd but seeing sadnesse ariseth from 〈◊〉 â—…ill cause already fallen out and no euill happineth to a wiseman thereâ—… wisdome admits nothing in place thereof Therefore say they none but â—…en can will reioyce and beware and none but fooles can couet exult 〈◊〉 â—…nd bee sad The first are the three constancies saith Tully and the later 〈◊〉 foure perturbations The Greekes as I said call the three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In c seeking the correspondency of this with the phrase of holy writ I found this of the prophet There is no c ioy saith the Lord vnto the â—…ed as if the wicked might rather exult then haue ioy in their mischiefes for â—…y is properly peculiar to the good and Godly That also in the gospell What soeuer yee would that men should dee vnto you euen so do yee to them this seemes to â—…imate that a man cannot will any euill thing but couet it by reason of which â—…ome of interpretation some translators added good What good soeuer c. for â—…y thought it fit for man to desire that men should do them no dishonesty and â—…rfore put in this least some should thinke that in their luxurious banquets to be silent in more obscene matters they shold fulfil this precept in doing to others as others did vnto them But e good is not in the originall the greeke but only as we read before What soeuer yee would c. for in saying yee would he meaneth good Hee sayd not whatsoeuer you coueâ—… yet must wee not alway tye our phrases to this strictnesse but take leaue at needfull occasions and when wee reade those that wee may not resist wee must conceiue them so as the true sence 〈◊〉 no other passage as for example sake in the savd places of the Prophet and the Apostle who knoweth not that the wicked exult in pleasure and yet there is no ioye saith the LORD to the wicked Why because ioye is properlie and strickly vsed in this place So may some say that precept Whatseouer 〈◊〉 vvould c. is not well deliuered they may pollute one another with vncleannesse or so Notwithstanding the commaunde is well giuen and is a most true and healthfull one Why because will which properly cannot bee vsed in euill is put in the most proper signification in this place But as for ordinary vsage of speech wee would not say Haue no vvill to tell any â—…e but that there is a badde will also distinct from that which the Angells praised saying f Peace in earth to men of good vvill Good were heere superfluous if that there were no will but good and howe coldlie had the Apostle praised charity in
saith and dwelling in our members when it doth not reigne in our mortall body obeying the desires of it and when wee doe not giue vp our members as instruments of iniquity to serue it it is conuerted into a minde consenting not vnto it in any euill by Gods gouernment and man that hath it some-what quietly here shall haue it afterwards most perfectly setled sinlesse and in eternall peace L. VIVES BEare a yee The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b The spirit of meekenesse Because of that which followeth Considering thy selfe least thou also bee tempted It is fitte that one that corrects sinne should consider that hee might sinne him-selfe least if hee growe proud because hee is more perfect then his brother reuenge bee at hand and make him fall worse c The seruants Our Sauiour treating of brotherly remission reciteth this Parable Math. 18. d Not disposing Ecclesiastes the 7. 15. Behold the worke of God who can make streight that which hee hath made crooked And hence it is that a few rules serue to guide some in honestie and none other-some If the minde bee not inwardly mooued to good the outward words doe but little good e Being in vs for the pronenesse to badnesse that is in vs all is the punishment of the first mans sinne by which without great resistance wee are harried into all enormity Besides there is no sinne but vexeth him in whome it is The first reuenge saith Iuuenall is that no guilty man is quitte by his owne conscience But this place is diuersly read But the true sence is If that originall promise to sinne which wee haue all from Adam bee not predominant ouer the whole man nor reigne not as the Apostle saith in our members but bee subiected â—…o the minde and the minde vnto God the gouernour not consenting to that wicked procliuitie but rather peaceably restraining it and comming vnto the curing of GOD that good Phisitian then that crazed affect becommeth sound perfection and with the whole man attaineth immortality For this aptnesse or inclination to sinne which the schoole-diuines call fomes is sinne in vs. Of the cause and obstinacie of Cains wickednesse which was not repressed by Gods owne words CHAP. 7. BVt that same speaking of God vnto Caine in the forme of some of his creatures as wee haue shewed that hee vsed to doe with the first men what good did it doe him did hee not fulfill his wicked intent to murther his brother after GOD had warned him who hauing distinguished both their sacrifices reiecting the one and receiuing the other no b doubt by some visible signe and that because the one wrought euill and the other good Caine grew exceeding wroth and his looke was deiected And God said vnto him Why is thy looke deiected c â—…f thou offer well and diuidest not well d hast thou not sinned be quiet e vnto thee shall his desire be subiect and thou shalt rule ouer him In this admonition of God vnto Caine because the first words If thou offer well and diuidest noâ—… 〈◊〉 hast thou not sinned are of doubtfull vnderstanding the translators haue â—…ne it vnto diuers sences each one seeking to lay it downe by the line 〈◊〉 â—…h A sacrifice that is offred to the true God to whome onely such are 〈◊〉 well offered But the diuision may be euill made vpon a bad distinction of 〈◊〉 â—…es place offring offrers or of him to whome it is offred or of them to 〈◊〉 the offring is distributed meaning here by diuision a discerning beâ—… offring at due times in due places due offrings due distributions and the 〈◊〉 of all these As if we offer where when and what wee should not or 〈◊〉 better to our selues then we offer to God or distribute the offring to the â—…ctified herein prophaning the sacrifice In which of these Caine offended 〈◊〉 we cannot easily finde But as the Apostle Iohn said of these two bretheren 〈◊〉 Caine who was of the wicked and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him 〈◊〉 his owne workes were euill and his brothers good This proueth that God resâ—…d not his guifts for that hee diuided euill f giuing God onely some of â—…ll and giuing him-selfe to him-selfe as all do that leaue Gods will to 〈◊〉 their owne and liuing in peruersnesse of heart offer guifts vnto God as 〈◊〉 to buy him not to cure their vicious affects but to fulfill them This is the â—…ty of the earthly Citty to worshippe one or many Gods for victory and â—…striall peace neuer for charitable instruction but all for lust of soueraigneâ—… The good vse this world to the enioying of God but the wicked iust conâ—… wise would vse God to enioy the world g such I meane as hold God to 〈◊〉 to haue to doe in humanity for there are that are farre worse and beleeue 〈◊〉 So then Caine knowing that God respected his brothers sacrifice and 〈◊〉 ought to haue changed him-selfe and fallen to imitation of his good broâ—… not to haue swollen vp in enuy against him But because hee was sad and 〈◊〉 cast downe this greefe at anothers good chiefely his brothers God 〈◊〉 â—…nde great falt with for there-vpon hee asked him saying Why art thou sad 〈◊〉 is thy countenance cast downe His enuy to his brother God saw and reâ—…ded Man that knoweth not the heart might well haue doubted wheâ—…â—…ee was sad for his owne badnesse that displeased God or for his brothers 〈◊〉 for which God accepted his sacrifice But God giuing a reason why 〈◊〉 â—…ould not accept his that hee might haue iuster cause to dislike him-selfe 〈◊〉 his brother hauing not diuided that is not liued well and being not worâ—… to haue his sacrifice accepted doth shew that hee was farre more vniust 〈◊〉 that he hated his iust brother for no cause yet hee sendeth him not away 〈◊〉 a good and holy command Bee quiet quoth hee for vnto thee shall his 〈◊〉 â—…ee subiect and thou shalt rule ouer him What ouer his brother God forâ—… no but ouer sinne for hee had said before hast thou not sinned and now â—…ddeth bee quiet for vnto thee c. Some may take it thus that sinne shall â—…ned vpon man so that hee that sinneth shall haue none to blame for it 〈◊〉 him-selfe for this is the wholesome medicine of repentance and the fit plea â—…rdon that these words of God be vnsterstood as a percept and not as a proâ—… for then shall euery man rule ouer sin when he doth not support it by â—…ce but subdue it by repentance otherwise hee that becomes the protecâ—… it shall sure become prisoner to it But if wee vnderstand this sinne to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnall concupiscense whereof the Apostle saith The flesh coueteth aâ—… the spirit amongst whose workes enuy is reckened for one which inâ—… Cayne to his brothers murder then wee may well take these words 〈◊〉 It shal bee turned vnto thee and thou shalt rule ouer it for the carnall part being moued which
and twenty yeares wee must not take it as though that it were a forewarning that a none after that should 〈◊〉 aboue that time for many after the deluge liued fiue hundred yeares But it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstood that God spake this about the end of Noahs fiue hundred 〈◊〉 that is when he was foure hundred and foure score yeares old which the 〈◊〉 ordinarily calleth fiue hundred taking the greatest part for the whole 〈◊〉 the sixe hundred yeare of Noah and the second month the floud beâ—…â—…o the hundred and twenty yeares were passed at the end of which manâ—… 〈◊〉 bee vnuersally destroyed by the deluge Nor is it fruteâ—…esse to beâ—…â—…e deluge came thus when there were none left on earth that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such a death not that a good man dying such a death should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worse for it after it is past But of all those of Seths progeny whome â—…he 〈◊〉 nameth there was not one that died by the deluge This floud the 〈◊〉 saith grew vpon this The Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was great 〈◊〉 and all the imaginations of his heart were onely and continually euill and 〈◊〉 â—…ued in his heart how he had made man in the earth and sayd I will aestroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the earth the man whome I haue made from man to beast and from the 〈◊〉 things to the fowles of the ayre for I am angry that I haue made them L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a none This Lactantius held lib. 2. His words are these The earth being dried the 〈◊〉 â—…ing the iniquity of the former world least their length of life should bee the mid wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shortned the daies of man by degrees vntill they came to a hundred and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there â—…e fiâ—… his bound not to be ouerpassed But Hierome goeth with Augusâ—… 〈◊〉 shall yet haue a hundred and twenty yeares to repent in not thaâ—… thâ—… life oâ—… no 〈◊〉 shall not exceed a hundred and twenty yeares as many erroneously vnderstand 〈◊〉 that Abraham after the deluge liued a hundred three-score and fifteene yeares 〈◊〉 hundred nay some aboue three hundred yeares Iosephus differs some-what 〈◊〉 but not much for hee sayth that after the floud mens dayes grew fewer vnâ—… 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 him the bound of mans life was set vp at a hundred and twenty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decree and according to the number also that Moyses liued b Reuolued 〈◊〉 but the seauenty haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recogitauit he reuolued in his thought Of Gods vnpassionate and vnaltering anger CHAP. 25. 〈◊〉 anger a is no disturbance of mind in him but his iudgement asâ—… sinne the deserued punishment and his reuoluing of thought is an 〈◊〉 ordering of changeable things for God repenteth not of any thing 〈◊〉 man doth but his knowledge of a thing ere it be done and his thought 〈◊〉 it is done are both alike firme and fixed But the Scripture without 〈◊〉 cannot instil into our vnderstandings the meaning of Gods workes 〈◊〉 the proud nor stire vp the idle nor exercise the inquirers nor deâ—… vnderstanders This it cannot do without declining to our low capaâ—… 〈◊〉 whereas it relateth the future destruction of beasts and birds It 〈◊〉 the greatnesse of the dissolution but doth not thereaten it vnto the 〈◊〉 creatures as if they had sinned L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a â—…ger Lactantius wrote a booke of Gods Anger we with Hierome refer the 〈◊〉 vnto him if he desire to know further That Noah his Arke signifieth Christ and his Church in all things CHAP. 26. NOw whereas Noah being as the truth saith a iust man in his time and perfect yet not as the Cittizens of God shall bee perfect in that immortality wherein they shall equalize the Angells but perfect as a mortall pilgrime of God may bee vpon earth was commanded by God to build an Arke wherein he his family and the creatures which God commanded to come into the Arke vnto him might bee saued from the waters this verily is a figure of Gods Citty here vpon earth that is his Church which is saued by wood that is by that where-vpon Christ the mediator betweene God and man was crucified For the dimensions of the length deapth and bredth of the Arke do signifie mans body in which the Sauiour was prophecyed to come and did so for a the length of mans body from head to foote is sixe times his bredth from side to side and tenne times his thickenesse measuring prependicularly from backe to belly lay a man a long and measure him and you shall finde his length from head to foote to containe his bredth from side to side sixe times and his height from the earth whereon he lyeth tenne times where-vpon the Arke was made three hundred cubites long fifty broad and thirty deepe And the dore in the side was the wound that the soldiers speare made in our Sauiour for by this do all men go in vnto him for thence came the sacraments of the beleeuers and the Arke being made all of square wood signifieth the vnmoued constancy of the Saints for cast a cube or squared body which way you wil it wil euer stand firme So all the rest that concerned the building of this Arke b were tipes of Ecclesiasticall matters But here it is too long to stand vpon them wee haue done it already against Faustus the Manichee who denied that the ould testament had any propheticall thing concerning Christ. It may bee one may take this one way and another another way so that all bee referred to the Holy Citty where-vpon wee discourse which as I say often â—…boured here in this terrestriall pilgrimage other-wise hee shall goe farre from his meaning that wrot it As for example if any one will not expound this place make it with the c lowest second and third roomes as I do in that worke against Faustus namely that because the Church is gathered out of al nations it had two roomes for the two sorts of men circumcised and vncircumcised whome the Apostle other-wise calleth d Iewes and Greekes and it had three roomes because all the world had propagation from Noah his three sonnes after the floud if any one like not this exposition let him follow his owne pleasure so hee controll not the true rule of faith in it for the Arke had roomes below and roomes aboue and therefore was called double roomed and it had roomes aboue those vpper roomes and so was called triple-roomed being three stories high In these may bee ment the three things that the Apostles prayseth so Faith Hope and Charity or and that farre more fittly the three euangelicall increases thirty fold sixty fold and an hundred fould chaâ—… marriage dwelling in the first chast widowhood in the second and chast virginity in the highest of all thus or otherwise may this bee vnderstood euer respecting the reference it hath to this Holy Citty And so I might say of the other things here to be expounded which
at the consumation of all The Angells and the starres are witnesse of heauens moouing at Christs birth The miracle of a Virgins child-birth mooued the earth the preaching of Christ in the Iles and the continent mooued both sea and drie land The nations we see are mooued to the faith Now the comming of the desire of all nations that we doe expect at this day of iudgement for first hee must be loued of the beleeuers and then be desired of the expecters Now to Zachary Reioyce greatly O daughter of Syon saith hee of Christ and his church shoute for ioy O daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth to thee hee is iust and thy Sauiour poore and riding vpon an asse and vpon d a colt the fole of an asse his dominion is from sea to sea from the riâ—…er to the lands end Of Christs riding in this manner the Gospell speaketh where this prophecy as much as needeth is recited In another place speaking prophetically of the remission of sinnes by Christ he saith thus to him Thou in the bloud of thy testament hast loosed thy prisoners out of the lake wherein is no water This lake may bee diuersly interpreted without iniuring our faith But I thinke hee meaneth that barren bondlesse depth of humaine myseries wherein there is no streame of righteousnesse but all is full of the mudde of iniquitie for of this is that of the psalme meant Hee hath brought mee out of the lake of misery and 〈◊〉 of the myâ—…y clay Now Malachi prophecying of the church which wee see so happily propagate by our Sauiour Christ hath these plaine word to the Iewes in the person of God I haue no pleasure in you neither will I accept an offring at your hand for frâ—… the rising of the Sunne vnto the setting my name is great amongst the Gentiles 〈◊〉 in euery place shal be e incence offered vnto mee and a pure offering vnto my 〈◊〉 for my name is great among the heathen saith the LORD This wee see offered in euery place by Christs priest-hood after the order of Melchisedech but the sacrifice of the Iewes wherein God tooke no pleasure but refused that they cannot deny is ceased Why do they expect an other Christ and yet see that this prophecy is fulfilled already which could not bee but by the true Christ for he 〈◊〉 by by after in the persoÌ„ of God My couenant was with him of life and peace I 〈◊〉 him feare and he feared me and was afraid before my name The law of truth was 〈◊〉 his mouth he walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from iniâ—… for the priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his 〈◊〉 for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes No wonder if Christ be called 〈◊〉 as he is a seruant because of the seruants forme he tooke when he came to men so is hee a messenger because of the glad tydings which hee brought vnto men For Euangelium in greeke is in our tongue glad tydings and he saith againe of him Behold I will send my messenger and hee shall prepare the way before mee the Lord whom you seeke shall come suddenly into his Temple and the messenger of the couenant whom you desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hostes but who maâ—… abide the daie of his comming who shall endure when he appeareth This place is a direct prophecy of both the commings of Christ of the first He shall come suddenly into his temple his flesh as hee sayd himselfe Destroy this temple and in three daies I will raise it againe Of the second Behold hee shall come saith the LORD of hostes but who may abide the day of his comming c. But those words the Lord whom you seeke and the messenger of the couenant whom you desire imply that the Iewes in that manner that they conceiue the scriptures desire and seeke the comming of CHRIST But many of them acknowledged him not being come for whose comming they so longed their euill desertes hauing blinded their hearts The couenant named both heere and there where hee sayd My couenant was with him is to bee vnderstood of the New Testament whose promises are eternall not of the Old full of temporall promises such as weake men esteeming too highly doe serue GOD wholy for and stumble when they see the sinne-full to enioy them Wherefore the Prophet to put a cleare difference betweene the blisse of the New Testament peculiar to the good and the abundance of the Old Testament shared with the badde also adioyneth this Your words haue beene stout against me saith the Lord and yet you said wherein haue we spoken against thee you haue sayd it is in vaine to serue GOD and what profit haue we in keeping his commandements and in walking humbly before the LORD GOD of hostes and now wee haue blessed others they that worke wickednesse are set vppe and they that oppose God they are deliuered Thus spake they that scared the Lord each to his neighbour the Lord hearkned and heard it and wrote a booke of remembrance in his sight for such as feare the Lord and reuerence his name That booke insinuateth the New Testament Heare the sequele They shal be to mee saith the Lord of hostes in that day wherein I doe this for a slocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Then shall you returne and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked and betweene him that serueth GOD and him that serueth him not For behold the day commeth that shall burne as an oven and all the proud and the wicked shal be as stubble and the day that commeth shall burne them vppe saith the LORD of Hostes and shall leaue them neither roote nor branch But vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnesse arise and health shal be vnder his wings and you shall goe forth and growe vppe as fatte Calues You shall tread downe the wicked they shal be as dust vnder the soles of your feete in the day that I shall doe this saith the LORD of Hostes. This is that day that is called the day of iudgement whereof if it please God wee meane to say some-what in place conuenient L. VIVES AGgee a Zachary Esdras nameth them chap. 6. 1. where he calleth Zachary the sonne 〈◊〉 Addo whom Zachary himselfe saith was his grand-father and Barachiah his father Thâ—… saith Hierome was doubtlesse that Addo that was sent to Hieroboam the sonne of Nabaâ—… in whose time the Altar cleft and his hand withered and was restored by this Addes prayers Kings 1. 1â—… Chro. 2. 12. But hee is not called Addo in either of these 〈◊〉 the Kings omit his name the Chronicles call him Semeius But a prophet of that time must bee great great grand-father at least to a sonne of the captiuity This Zachary was not the sonne of 〈◊〉 whome Ioash the King