Truth from whence we are deryued Which is therefore the beginning because vnlesse it should remayne firme there should not when wee erred bee any certainty whither to turne our selues vnto Now when we returne from error it is by knowing verily that wee doe returne and that we may know hee teacheth vs because hee is the Beginning and speaketh vnto vs. CHAP. 9. How the Word of God speaketh vnto the heart 1. IN this Beginning O God hast thou made heauen and earth namely in thy Word in thy Sonne in thy Power in thy VVisedome in thy Truth after a wonderfull manner speaking and after as wonderfull a manner making Who is able to cōprehend it Who can declare it What is that which shines thorow mee and strikes vpon my heart without hurting it at which I tremble with horror and yet burne with loue I tremble in as much as I am vnlike vnto it I burne in as much as I am like it 2. T is VVisedome Wisedome it is which thus shines into mee euen breaking thorow my Cloudynesse which yet againe ouershadowes mee now frequently faynting euen vnder the grosse fogge and heauy loade of mine owne paynes For my strength is puld so lowe in this poore case of mine as that I am not able to endure that which should be for my good till thou Lord becomming fauorable to all mine iniquities pleasest to heale my diseases For thou also shalt redeeme my life from corruption and shalt crowne me with louing kindnesse and tender mercies yea thou shalt satifie my desire with good things because my youth shall be restored like an Eagles For by hope wee are saued wherefore we through patience awaite for thy promises Let him that is able heare thee inwardly discoursing to him For my part in the words of thine Oracle will I boldly cry out How wounderfull are thy workes O Lord in Wisedome hast thou made them all and this wisedome is that Beginning and in that Beginning hast thou made heauen and earth CHAP. 10. Gods Will knows no beginning 1. LOe are they not full of their old leauen which demand of vs How did God imploy himselfe before he made Heauen and Earth For if hee were vn-imployed say they and did no worke why the◠does he not now from hence forth and for euer abstaine from working like as heretofore he did For did any new motion rise vp in God and any new Will to make a creation which hee had neuer made before how can there be a true eternity where then rises vp a new will which was not there before For the will of God is not a creature but before euery creature seeing that nothing could haue beene created vnlesse the will of the Creator had beene before it CHAP. 11. Gods eternity not to be measured by the parts of time 1. THe Will of God therefore is belonging vnto his Substance And if aught be newly risen vp in Gods Substance which was not there before then cannot that Substance bee truely sayd to bee Eternall Againe if the Will of God had meant from eternity that there should bee a Creation why also was not that Creation from all eternity They that prate thus doe not yet vnderstand thee O thou Wisedome of God thou light of our Soules they vnderstand not yet how these things bee made which by thee and in thee are made yea they striue to rellish eternall things though their heart bee flickering hitherto betweene the motions of things partly passed and partly to come and bee very vncertayne hitherto 2. Who is able to hold it hard to and so to fixe it that it may be settled a while and a little catch at a beame of light from that euer-fixed eternity and to compare it with the Times which are neuer fixed that it may thereby perceiue how there is no comparison betweene them and how that a long time cannot be made long but out of a many motions still passing on wards which cannot at the same instant be drawne all together and that all this while in the eternall nothing is flitting but all at once present whereas no time is all at once present and that he may perceiue all time passed to be driuen away by time to come and all time to come to follow vpon the passed and that all both passed and to come is made vp and flows out of that which is alwayes present Who now shall so hold fast this heart of man that it may stay and see howthat Eternity euer still-standing giues the word of commaund to the times passed or to come it selfe being neyther passed nor to come Is this hand of mine able peraduenture to make stay of this heart or is the hand of my mouth by any perswasions able to bring about so important a businesse CHAP. 12. What God did before the Creation of the world 1. SEE I now returne answer to the demand What God did before he made heauen and earth But I will not answere so as one was sayd to haue done merrily to breake the violence of the question God was a preparing hell saith hee for those that would pry into such profound mysteries T is one thing to looke what God did and another thing to make sport This shall bee none of my answere rather had I answere that I know not what indeede I do not know then answere so as may make him laught at that askt such high questions and the other commended that returned so false an answere But this I say O our God Creator of euery creature and if vnder the name of heauen and earth euery creature be vnderstood then I will boldly say That before God made heauen and earth hee did not make any thing For if he did what did he make but a creature And would to God I knew whatsoeuer I desired to know to mine owne profit as well as I know this That no creature was made before there was made any creature CHAP. 13. That before those times which God created there was no time 1. IF any giddy braine now should wildly roaue ouer the images of fore-passed times and wonder with himselfe that thou the God omnipotent and All-creator workmaster of heauen and earth didst if or innumerable ages forbeare to set vpon such a work before thou wouldst make it let him wake himselfe and consider well how that hee wonders at meere faife conceyts For how should such innumerable ages passe ouer which thou madest not thou being the Author and Creator of all ages or what times should these be which were not made by thee or how should they passe ouer if so be they neuer were Seeing therfore thou art the Creator of all times if any time had passed before thou madest heauen and earth why then is it sayd that thou didst rest from thy worke For that very time didst thou make nor could there any time passe ouer before thou hadst made those times But if before heauen and
changeable mind of mine And thus by degrees passing from bodies to the soule which makes use of the senses of the body to perceive by and from thence to its inner faculties unto which the senses of the body are to represent their outward objects and so forward as farre as the irrationall creatures are able to goe Thence againe passed I on to the Reasoning facultie unto which whatever is received from the senses of the body is referred to bee judged 2. This also finding it selfe to be variable in me betooke it selfe towards its owne understanding drawing away my thoughts from my old fleshly custome and withdrawing it selfe from those confused multitudes of phantasies which contradict one another that so it might find out that light which it now had a glimpse of presently upon the finding whereof without all further doubting it cryed out that what was unchangeable was to be preferred before what was changeable by which it had come to know that unchangeable Which unlesse by some meanes or other it had knowne it could never have had sure ground for the preferring of it before the Changeable nor have come so high as that which is set within hence of the twinckling eye-sight And now came I to have a sight of those invisible things of thee which are understood by those things which are made But I was not able to fixe mine eye long upon them but my infirmity being beaten backe againe I was turned to my wonted fancies carrying along with me no more but a liking of those new thoughts in my memory and an appetite as it were to the meat I had smelt which as yet I was not able to eate of CHAP. 18. Onely Christ is the way to Salvation 1. THen set I my selfe to seeke a meanes of recovering so much strength as should bee sufficient to enjoy thee but I could not finde it untill I embraced that Mediator betwixt God and man the Man Iesus Christ who is over all God blessed for evermore then calling unto me and saying I am the way the truth and the life who mingled that food which I was unable to take his owne flesh unto ouâ— flesh For the Word was made flesh that by thy wisedome by which thou createdst â— things hee might sackle oâ—â— infancy For I not yet humbled enough did not appreheâ— my Lord Iesus Christ who haâ— made himselfe humble nor did I yet know what lesson that infirmity of his would teach us For thy Word the eternall truth being so highly exalted above the highest of thy Creatures reaches up those that were cast downe unto it selfe having here below built for it selfe a lowly Cottage of our clay by which hee intended to abase from the height of their owne imaginations those that were to be cast downe that so hee might bring them about unto himselfe allaying the swelling of their pride and cherishing of their love To the end they might goe on no further in the confidence of themselves but might finde their owne weaknesse rather seeing the Divinity it selfe enfeebled at our feete by taking our fleshly garment upon him that so being weary at length they might cast downe their selves selves upon it and that rising might raise up them together with it CHAP. 19. What he thought of Christs incarnation 1. BVt I had before farre other thoughts conceiving onely of my Lord Christ as of a man of excellent wisedome whom no man could bee equalled unto and in this regard especially for that being so wonderfully borne of a Virgine giving us an example how to contemne worldly things for the obtaining of immortality that divine care of his seemed to have deserved so much authority as to be the Master over us But what Mystery this might carry with it The Word was made flesh I could not so much as imagine Thus much I collected out of what is come to us being written of him how that he did eate and drinke and sleepe and walkt and rejoyced in spirit and was heavy and preached that flesh alone did not cleave unto thy Word but our humane soule and minde also with it Every body knowes thus much that knoweth the unchangeablenesse of thy Word which I my selfe now knew as well as I could nor did I at all make any doubt of it For for him to move the limbes of his body by his will and other-whiles not to move them now to be stirred by some affection and at another time not to bee affected now to deliver wise sentences and another while to keepe silence all these be properties of a soule and mind that are mutable And should these things be falsely written of him all the rest verily would be in suspicion of being a lye nor should there be left at all in those Bookes any safenesse of Faith for mankinde 2. Because therefore none but Truths are there written I even then acknowledged a perfect man to bee in Christ Not the body of a man onely a sensitive soule without a rationall but a very man whom not onely for his being a person of Truth but for a certaine extraordinary excellency of humane nature that was in him I judged worthy to be preferred before all other men As for Alipius hee imagined the Catholikes to have beleeved God to be so cloathed with flesh that besides God and flesh there was no soule at all in Christ and that they had preached there was no soule of man in him And because hee was verily perswaded that those Actions which were recorded of him could not bee performed but by a vitall and a rationall Creature he was the slower therefore in moving towards the Christian Faith But understanding afterwards that this was the errour of the Apollinarian Heretikes hee was better pleased with the Catholike faith and better complyed with it But something later it was I confesse ere I learned how in this sentence The Word was made flesh the Catholike Truth could be cleered of the heresie of Photinus For the confuting of the Heretikes makes the opinion of thy Church more eminent and the Tenet which the sound doctrine maintaineth For there must be also Heresies that they which are approved may bee made manifest among the weake CHAP. 20. Of divers Bookes of the Platonists 1. BVt having read as then these Bookes of the Platonists having once gotten the hint from them and falling upon the search of incorporeall truth I came to get a sight of these invisible things of thine which are understood by those things which are made and being put backe againe I perceived how that the darknesse of mine own mind was it which so hindred my contemplation as that I was not suffered to bee certaine That thou were both infinite and yet not diffused over finite and infinite places and that thou art truely the same that thou art ever nor in any part nor by any motion otherwise at one time than at another and that all other things
are from thee taught so by this one most firme demonstration that they are Of these things I was certaine enough yet too too weake to comprehend thee I prated altogether like a skilfull Fellow but had I not sought thy way in Christ our Saviour I had not proved a skilfull man but a lost man For now forsooth I beganne to be desirous to seeme wise full of mine owne punishment yet could not weepe for it but became more and more puffed up with my knowledge 2. For where was that charity that should build mee up from that foundation of humility which is in Christ Iesus or when would these bookes have taught me that Yet upon these I beleeve it was thy pleasure that I should first fall before I tooke thy Scriptures into my consideration that I might print in memory how far those Bookes wrought upon my affections and that when afterwards I should come to bee made tractable by thy Bookes thine own fingers undertaking the cure of me and my wounds dressed I might discerne at last and distinguish how maine a difference there was betwixt Presumption and Confession betwixt those that saw whither they were to goe but knew nothing of the way and that path which leades unto that blessed Countrey not to be lookt upon onely but dwelt in For had I first been brought up in thy holy Scriptures and in the familiar use of them thy selfe had grown sweet unto me and falne upon these Philosophicall volumes afterwards they might eyther have withdrawne me from the sollid ground of piety or if I had stood firme in that wholsome disposition which I had there tasted I might perchance have thought that a man even out of these Platonike bookes might have gotten the same had he studied them onely CHAP. 21. What he found in the holy Scriptures which was not in the Platonists 1. MOst greedily therefore laid I hold upon that venerable stile of thy Spirit and upon the Apostle Paul above all the rest Whereupon those difficulties quite vanished away in which hee sometimes seemed unto mee to contradict himselfe and wherein the Text of his discourse seemed not to agree with the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets And there appeared unto me that one face of that chaste Eloquence and I learned to rejoyce with trembling I set upon it and found whatsoever I there read to be true These things to the praise of thy Grace I there learned that he which sees may not so glory as if he had not received not that onely which hee does see but also that which he may see For what hath hee which hee hath not received Yea both that hee may be put in minde not onely to see thee who art ever the same but that he may be made strong to hold thee and that he who from a farre off is not able to see his way may yet walke on to the end he may at last arrive and see and comprehend For though a man be delighted with the Law of God after the inner man yet how shall he doe with that other Law in his members which warres against the Law of his minde and bringeth him into captivity to the Law of sin which is in his members For thou art righteous O Lord but we have sinned and committed iniquity and thy hand is growne heavy upon us â—and we are justly delivered over unto that old Sinner the President of death for he hath wrought our will to become like his will whereby he departed from thy Truth 2. What shall wretched man doe who shall deliver him from the body of this death but only thy Grace through Iesus Christ our Lord whom thou hast begotten coeternall to thy selfe and possessedst in the beginning of thy waies in whom the prince of this world found nothing worthy of death yet kild he him whereby the hand-hand-writing was blotted out which was contrary to us None of all this doe these Platonike writings containe Those leaves can shew nothing of this face of peitie those teares of confession that sacrifice of thine a troubled spirit a broken and a contrite heart the salvation of thy people the Spouse the City the earnest of the Holy Ghost the Cup of our Redemption No man sings there Shall not my soule waite upon God seeing from him commeth my salvation For he is my God and my salvation my defence I shall not be greatly moved 2. No man in those Bookes heares him calling Come unto me all yee that labour yea they scorne to learne of him because he is meeke and lowly inheart For these things hast thou hid from the wise and prudent and hast revealed themunto babes For it is one thing from the wilde top of a Mountaine to see the Land of Peace and not to find the way thither and in vaine to travell through wayes unpassable round about beset with these fugitive Spirits forsakers of their God lying in ambush with that Ring-leader of theirs the Lion and the Dragon and another thing to keep on the way that leades thither which is guarded by the care of our heavenly Generall where they exercise no robberies that forsooke the heavenly Armie which they abhorre as much as their very torment These things did by wonderfull meanes sinke into my very bowels when as I read that least of thy Apostles and had considered upon thy workes and trembled * ⎠* SAINT AVGVSTINES Confessions THE EIGHTH BOOKE CHAP. 1. How being inflamed with the love of heavenly things hee goeth to Simplicianus GIve me leave O my God with Thanksgiving to remember confesse unto thee thine owne mercies bestowed upon me Let my bones be filled with thy love and let them say unto thee Who is like unto thee O Lord thou hast broken my bonds in sunder I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving And how thou hast broken them will I now declare and all men who worship thee when they heare of it shall say Blessed bee the Lord both in Heaven and in Earth great and wonderfull is his Name Thy words had stucke fast even to the very roots of my heart and I was hedged round about by thee Of the eternity of thy life I was now become certaine though I had no more than seene it in a glasse as it were darkely All my former doubtings concerning an incorruptible substance from which all other substance should derive its being was now quite taken away from me nor did I desire as now to bee made more certaine of thee but better assured in thee As for mine owne temporall life all things were as yet unresolved my heart was to be purged from the old leaven The way our Saviour himselfe I very well liked oft but it iâ—ked me to follow him through those streâ—ghts which he had passed 2. Thous didst put into my minde and it seemed good in mine owne eyes to goe unto Simplicianus
forth those devout hands of hers so full of the multitudes of good examples both to receive and to embrace me There were in company with her very many both Yongmen and Maidens a multitude of youth of all ages both grave widdowes and ancient Virgins and Continence her selfe in the middest of them all not barren altogether but a happy Mother of Children of Ioyes by thee her husband O Lord. And shee was pleasant with me with a kinde of exhorting quip as if she should have said Canst not thou performe what these of both sexes have performed or can any of these performe thus much of themselves or rather by the Lord their GOD The Lord their God gave me unto them Why standest thou upon thine owne strength and standest not at all Cast thy selfe upon Him feare not Hee will not slippe away and make thee fall Cast thyselfe securely upon Him He will receive thee and Hee will heale thee I blusht all this while to my selfe very much for that I yet heard the muttering of those toyes and that I yet hung in suspence Whereunto Continence againe replyed Stop thine eares against those uncleane members of thine which are upon the earth that they may bee mortified They tell thee of delights indeed but not such as the law of the Lord thy God tels thee of This was the controversie I felt in my heart about nothing but my selfe against my selfe But Alipius sitting by my side in silence expected the issue of my unaccustomed sullevation CHAP. 12. How hee was converted by a Voyce 1. SO soone therefore as a deepe consideration even from the secret bottome of my soule had drawne together and laid all my misery upon one heape before the eyes of my heart there rose up a mighty storme bringing as mighty a showre of teares with it which that I might powre forth with such expressions as suted best with them I rose from Alipius for I conceived that solitarinesse was more fit for a businesse of weeping So farre off then I went as that his presence might not be troublesome unto mee Thus disposed was I at that time and he thought I know not what of it something I beleeve I had said before which discovered the sound of my voyce to be bigge with weeping and in that case I rose from him He thereupon staid alone where wee sate together most extremely astonished I slung downe my selfe I know not how under a certaine Fig-tree giving all liberty to my teares whereupon the floods of mine eyes gushed out an acceptable acceptable sacrifice to thee O Lord. And though not perchance in these very words yet much to this purpose said I unto thee And thou O LORD how long how long Lord wilt thou bee angry for ever Remember not our former iniquities for I found my selfe to be still enthralled by them Yea I sent up these miserable exclamations How long how long still to morrow and to morrow Why not now wherefore even this very houre is there not an end put to my uncleannesse 2. Thus much I uttered weeping among in the most bitter contrition of my heart when as behold I heard a voyce from some neighbour house as it had beene of a Boy or Girle I know not whether in a singing tune saying and often repeating TAKE VP AND READE TAKE VP AND READE Instantly changing my countenance thereupon I beganne very heedfully to bethinke my selfe whether children were wont in any kinde of playing to sing any such words nor could I remember my selfe ever to have heard the like Whereupon refraining the violent torrent of my teares up I gat mee interpreting it no other way but that I was from God himselfe commanded To open the booke and to read that Chapter which I should first light upon For I had heard of Anthony that by hearing of the Gospell which he once came to the reading of he tooke himselfe to be admonished as if what was read had purposely beene spoken unto him Goe and sell that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow mee And by such a miracle was hee presently converted unto thee 3. Hastily therefore went I againe to that place where Alipius was sitting for there had I laid the Apostles Booke when as I rose from thence I snatcht it up I opened it and in silence I read that Chapter which I first cast mine eyes upon Not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and envying But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No further would I reade nor needed I For instantly even with the end of this sentence by a light as it were of security now datted into my heart all the darkenesse of doubting vanished away Shutting up the booke thereupon and putting my finger betweene or I know not what other marke with a well quieted countenance I discovered all this unto Alipius 4. And he againe in this manner revealed unto me what also was wrought in his heart which I verily knew nothing of Hee requested to see what I had read I shewed him the place and he lookt further than I had read nor knew I what followed This followed Him that is weake in the Faith receive which hee applyed to himselfe and shewed it me And by this admonition was he strengthened and unto that good resolution and purpose which was most agreeable to his disposition wherein he did alwaies very far differ from mee to the better without all turbulent delaying did he now apply himselfe From thence went we into the house unto my mother we discover our selves she rejoyces for it we declare in order how every thing was done she leapes for joy and triumpheth and blesseth thee who art able to doe above that which wee aske or thinke For that she perceived thee to have given her more concerning me than she was wont to beg by her pittifull and most dolefull groanings For so throughly thou convertedst me unto thy selfe as that I sought now no more after a Wife nor any other hopes in this world thus being setled in the same rule and line of Faith in which thou hadst shewed me unto her in a vision so many yeeres before Thus didst thou convert her mourning into rejoycing and that much more plentifully than she had desired and that much more dearely and a chaster way than she erst required namely if shee had received Grandchildren of my body SAINT AVGVSTINES Confessions THE NINTH BOOKE CHAP. 1. Hee praiseth Gods goodnesse and acknowledgeth his owne wretchednesse O Lord truely I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast broken my bonds in sunder I will offer to thee the sacrifice of praise Let my heart praise thee and my tongue yea let all my bones say O Lord who is like unto thee Let them say and
answer thou me And say unto my soule I am thy salvation Who am I and what manner of man What evill have not I been either my deeds evill or if not them yet have my words been evill or if not them yet was my Will evill But thou O LORD art good and mercifull and thy right hand had respect unto the profoundnesse of my death and drew forth of the bottome of my heart that bottomelesse gulfe of corruption which was to nill all that thou willedst and to will all that thou nilledst 2. But where was that right hand so long a time and out of what bottome and deepe secret corner was my Free-will called forth in a moment whereby I submitted my necke to thy easie yoke and my shoulders unto thy light burthen O Iesus Christ my helper and my Redeemer How pleasant was it all on the sudden made unto me to want the sweets of those Toyes Yea what I before feared to lose was now a joy unto me to forgoe For thou didst cast them away from me even thou that true chiefest sweetnesse Thou threwest them out and instead of them camest in thy selfe sweeter than all pleasure though not to flesh and blood brighter than all light yea more privy than all secrets higher than all honour though not to the high in their owne conceipts Now became my soule free from those biting cares of aspiring and getting and weltring in filth and scratching off that itch of lust And I talked more familiarly now with thee my honour and my riches and my health my Lord God CHAP. 2. Hee gives over his teaching of Rhetoricke 1. ANd I resolved in thy sight though not tumultuously to snatch away yet fairely to with-draw the service of my tongue from those marts of lip-labour that young students no students in thy Law nor in thy peace but in lying dotages and law-skirmishes should no longer buy at my mouth the engines for their own madnesse And very seasonably fell it out that it was but a few daies unto the Vacation of the Vintage till when I resolved to endure them that I might then take my leave the more solemnely when being bought off by thee I purposed to returne no more to be their mercenary Our purpose therefore was knowne onely unto thee but to men other than our owne friends was it not known For we had agreed among our selves not to disclose it abroad to any body although us now ascending from the valley of teares and singing that song of degrees hadst thou armed with sharp arrows hot burning coles to destroy such subtle tongues as would crosse us in our purpose by seeming to advise us and make an end of us pretending to love us as men doe with their meat Thou hadst shot thorough our hearts with thy charity and wee carried thy words as it were sticking in our bowels and the examples of thy servants whom of blacke thou hadst made bright and of dead alive Which charity and examples being piled together in the bosome of our thoughts did burne and utterly consume that lumpish slothfulnesse of ours that wee might no more be plung'd into the deepes by it Yea they set us on fire so vehemently as that all the blasts of the subtle tongues of gain-saying might inflame us the more fiercely but never extinguish us 2. Neverthelesse because of thy Name which thou hast sanctified throughout the earth and that our desire and purpose might likewise finde commenders it would I feared looke something too like oftentation for me not to expect the time of vacation now so neere but before-hand to give over my publike Profession which every man had an eye upon and that the mouths of all the beholders being turned upon my fact whereby I should desire to goe off before the time of Vintage so neere approaching would give it out that I did it purposely affecting to appeare some great man And to what end would it have served me to have people censure and dispute upon my purpose and to have our good to be evill spoken of Furthermore for that in the Summer time my lungs began to decay with my over-much paines-taking in my Schoole and to breath with difficulty and by the paine in my breast to signifie themselves to be spending and to refuse too lowd or too long speaking I had been much troubled heretofore at the matter for that namely I was constrained even upon necessity to lay downe that burthen of Teaching of if in case I could possibly be cured and grow sound againe at least for a while to forbeare it But so soone as this full resolution to give my selfe leasure and to see how that thou art the Lord first arose and was afterwards setled in me God thou knowest how I began to rejoyce that I had this and that no unfained excuse which might something take off the offence taken by such parties who for their childrens good would by their good wills that I should never have given over schooling 3. Full therefore of such like joy I held out till that Interim of time were runne I know not well whether there might bee some twenty dayes of it yet I couragiously under-went them But for that covetousnesse which was wont to beare part of the weight of my businesse had now quite left mee I should have utterly been oppressed had not patience stept up in its roome Some of thy servants my brethren may say perchance that I sinned in this for that being with full consent of heart enrold thy souldier I suffered my selfe to sit one houre in the chaire of lying And for my part I cannot defend my selfe But hast not thou O most mercifull Lord both pardoned and remitted this amongst other most horrible and deadly sinnes in the holy water of Baptisme CHAP. 3. Verecundus lends them his Countrey-house 1. VErecundus became leane againe with vexing at himselfe upon this good hap of ours for that being detained by some engagements by which he was most strongly obliged hee saw himselfe likely to lose our company as being not yet a Christian though his wife were indeed baptized And by her as being a clogge that hung closer to him than all the rest was hee chiefly kept from that journey which wee now intended And a Christian he would not as hee said be any other wayes made than by that way which he as yet could not However most courteously in truth did he proffer us that we might freely make use of his Countrey house so long as we meant to stay there Thou O Lord shalt reward him for it in the resurrection of the Iust seeing thou hast already rendered to him the lot of mortality For although it was in our absence as being then at Rome that he was taken with a bodily sicknesse yet departed he this life being both made a Christian and baptized also Thus hadst thou mercy not upon him onely but upon us also lest
wee remembring our selves of the humanity received from our friend and not allowed to reckon him in the number of thy Flock should be tortured with intolerable sorrow for him 2. Thankes unto thee O our God wee are now thine Thy inspirations and consolations tell us so Thou O faithfull promiser shalt repay Verecundus for his Countrey house of Cassiacum where from the troubles of the world we rested our selves in thee with the pleasantnesse of thy Paradise which is ever greene for that thou hast forgiven him his sinnes upon earth in that mountaine of spices thine owne mountaine that fruitfull mountaine Verecundus therefore was much perplexed but Nebridius was as joyfull as wee For although when as he was not yet a Christian hee had falne into the same pit of most pernicious error with us beleeving the flesh of thy Sonne to be fantasticall yet getting out from thence he beleeved as wee did not as yet entered into any sacraments of thy Church but a most zealous searcher out of the truth Whom not long after our conversion and regeneration by thy Baptisme being also baptized in the Catholike Faith serving thee in perfect chastity and continence amongst his owne friends in Africa having first converted his whole family unto Christianity didst thou take out of the flesh and now he lives in the bosome of Abraham 3. Whatsoever that estate be which is signified by that bosome there lives Nebridius my sweet friend thy child O Lord adopted of a freed-man lives there For what other place is there for such a soule In that place he lives concerning which hee sometimes demanded of me unskilfull man so many questions Now layes he his eare no longer unto my mouth but layes his spirituall mouth unto thy fountaine and drinketh as much of Wisedome as he is able to containe proportionable to his thirst now without end happy Nor doe I yet thinke that he is so inebriated with it as to forget me seeing thou O Lord of whom hee drinketh art still mindfull of us Thus fared it then with us sorrowfull Verecundus wee comforted reserving our friendship entire notwithstanding our conversion and exhorting him to continue in the fidelity of his degree namely of his married estate Nebridius we stayed for expecting when he would follow us which being so neere he might well doe and even now hee was about to doe it when behold those daies of Interim were at length come to an end For long and many they seemed unto me even for the love I bare to that easefull liberty that we might sing unto thee out of all our bowels My heart hath said unto thee I have sought thy face thy face Lord will I seeke CHAP. 4. What things he wrote with Nebridius 1. NOw was the day come wherein I was actually to be discharged of my Rhetoricke Professorship from which in my thoughts I was already discharged And done it was And thou deliveredst my tongue whence thou hadst before delivered my heart And I blessed thee for it rejoycing in my selfe I and mine going all into the Countrey What there in point of learning I did which was now wholly at thy service though yet sorely panting and out of breath as it were in following the Schoole of pride my bookes may witnesse both those which I disputed with my friends present and those which I composed alone with my selfe before thee and what intercourse I had with Nebridius now absent my Epistles can restifle And when shall I have time enough to make rehearsall of all the great benefits which thou at that time bestowedst upon me especially seeing I am now making hast to tell of greater matters For my remembrance now calls upon me and most pleasant it is to me O Lord to confesse unto thee by what inward prongs thou hast thus tamed mee and how thou hast taken mee downe by bringing low those mountaines and hils of my high imaginations and madest my crookednesse straight and my rough waies smooth And by what meanes thou also subduedst that brother of my love Alipius unto the name of thy onely begotten Sonne our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ which he at first would not vouchsafe to have it put into our writings For rather would he have had them favour of the lofty Cedars of the Schooles which the Lord had now broken downe than of those wholesome hearbes of thy Church which are so powerfull against Serpents 2. Oh what passionate voyces sent I up unto thee my God when as I read the Psalmes of David those faithfull songs Oh what sounds of devotion quite excluding the swelling spirit of ostentation when namely I was yet but Rude in my kindly loving of thee as being â—uta Catechumenus as yet in the Country whither I had withdrawne my selfe together with Alipius a Catechumenus also and with my Mother likewise inseparably sticking unto us in a womans habit verily but with a masculine faith voyd of worldly care as a woman in her yeeres should be yet imploying a matronely charity and a Christian piety Oh what passionate expressions made I unto thee in the reading of those Psalmes Oh how was I inflamed towards thee by them yea I was on fire to have resounded them had I been able in the hearing of the whole world to the shame of the pride of mankind though verily they be already sung all the world over nor can any hide themselves from thy heate With what vehement and bitter sorrow was I angred at the Manichees whom yet againe I pittied for that they knew nothing of those Sacraments those Medicaments and for that they were so madde at that Antidote which had been able to recover them I heartily wished they had beene somewhere or other neere me I not knowing that they did then heare me or were then so neere me that they might have beheld my face and heard my words when as I read the fourth Psalme in that time of my leasure and how that Psalme wrought upon me 3. When I called upon thee thou heardest me O God of my righteousnesse thou hast enlarged mee in my distresse Have mercy upon mee O Lord and heare my prayer That they might heare I say what I uttered at the reading of these words I not knowing whether they heard me or no lest they should thinke I spake it purposely against them Because in good truth neither would I have spoken the same things nor in the same manner had I perceived them to have both heard and seene me But had I so spoken yet would not they so have understood how with my selfe and to my selfe before thee out of the familiar and ordinary affection of my soule I quaked for feare and boy led high againe with hope and with rejoycing in thy mercy O Father And all these expressions of my selfe passed forth both by mine eyes and voyce at what time as thy good Spirit turning himselfe towards us said O yee sonnes of men
obseruance perseuered so long in patience and meekenes that shee of her owne accord discouered vnto her sonne the tales that the maid-seruants had carried be tweene them whereby the peace of the house had been disturbed betwixt her and her daughter-in-law requiring him to giue them correction for it When he therefore both out of obedience to his mother and out of a Core to the well-ordering of his family and to prouide withall for the concord of his people had with stripes corrected the seruants thus bewrayed according to the pleasure of her that had reueal'd it her selfe also added this promise that cuery one should looke for the like reward at her hands whosoeuer to picke a thank by it should speake any ill of her daughter-in-law which none being so hardy afterwards as to doe they liued euer after with a most memorable sweetnesse of mutuall courtesies This great gift thou bestowedst also O God my mercie vpon that good hand maid of thine out of whose wombe thou broughtest mee namely that she euer did where shee wasable carry herselfe so peace fully betweene any parties that were at difference and discorded as that after shee had on both sides heard many a bitter word such as swelling and indigested choler vses to breake forth into whenas vnto a present friend the ill-brookt heart-burning at an enemy is with many a byting tittle-tattle breathed vp againe shee neuer for all that would discouer more of the one party vnto the other then what might further their reconcilement 4. This vertue might seeme a small one vnto mee if to my griefe I had not had experience of innumerable companies I know not by what horrible infection or sinne spreading farre and neere who vsed not onely to discouer the speeches of enemies angred on both sides to one another but to adde withall some things that were neuer spoken whereas on the contrary it ought to bee esteemed a meane vertue in a man to forbeare meerely to procure or increase ill will amongst people by ill speaking vnlesse hee studie withall how to quench it by making the best of euery thing And such a one was shee thy selfe being her most intimate Master teaching her in the schoole of her brest Finally her owne husband now towards the latter end of his life did shee gaine vnto Thee hauing now no more cause to complayne of those things in him when hee was once baptized which she had formerly borne withall before hee was conuerted 5. Yea shee was also the seruant of thy seruants and whosoeuer of them knew her did both commend much in her and honored and loued Thee for that they might well perceiue thy selfe to bee within the heart of her holy conuersation the fruites of it being witnesses For shee had beene The wife of one man shee had repayed the duty shee ought vnto her parents shee had gouerned her house very religiously for good workes she had a good report shee had brought vp her childen so often trauailing in birth of them againe as shee saw them swaruing from thee Lastly of all of vs thy seruants O Lord whom for this fauour receiued thou sufferest thus to speake vs who before her sleeping in thee liued in society together hauing first receiued the grace of thy baptisme did shee so take the care of as if she had beene the mother to vs all being withall so seruiceable as if she had beene the daughter to vs all CHAP. 10. Of a confernce had with his mother about the Kingdome of Heauen 1. THe day now approaching that shee was to depart this life which day thou well knewest though we were not aware of it fell out thy selfe as I beleeue by thine owne secret wayes so casting it that shee and I should stand all alone together leaning in a certaine window which lookt into the garden of the house where wee now lay at Ostia where being sequestred from company after the weary somenesse of a long iourney wee were prouiding our selues for a sea-voyage into our owne country There conferred wee hand to hand very sweetely and forgetting those things which are behinds wee reached forth vnto those things which are before wee did betwixt our selues seeke at that Present Truth which thou art in what manner the eternall life of the Saints was to bee which eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man But yet wee gaped with the mouth of our heart after those vpper streames of that Fountaine which is before thee that being besprinckled with it according to our capacity wee might in some sort meditate vpon so high a mystery 2. And when our discourse was once come vnto that poynt that the highest pleasure of the carnall sences and that in the brightest beame of corporall lightsomenesse was in respect of the sweetenesse of that life not onely not worthy of comparison but not so much as of mention wee chering vp our selues with a more burning affection towards that did by degrees course ouer all these corporeals that is to say the heauen it selfe from whence both Sunne and Moone and starres doe shine vpon this earth yea wee soared higher yet by inward musing and discourse vpon Thee and by admyring of thy workes And last of all wee came to our owne soules which wee presently went beyond that wee might aduance as high as that Region of neuer-wasting plenty where Thou feedest Israel for euer with the foode of Trueth and where life is that Wisedome by which all these things are made and which haue beene and which are to come And this Wisedome is not made but it is at this present as it hath euer beene and so shall it euer bee seeing that the Termes to haue beene and to be hereafter are not at all in it but to Be now for that it is eternall For to haue beene and to be is not eternall And while we were thus discoursing and streyning our selues after it we arriued to a little touch of it with the whole stroake of our heart and we sighed and euen there wee left behinde vs the first fruits of our spirits enchayned vnto it returning from these thoughts to vocall expressions of our mouth where words are both begun and finished And what can bee like vnto thy Word our Lord who remaines in himselfe for euer without becomming aged and yet renewing all things 3. Wee said therefore If to any man the tumults of the flesh bee silenced let these fancies of the earth and waters and ayre be silenced also yea let the Poles of heauen be silent also let his owne soule likewise keepe silence yea let it surmount it selfe not so much as thinking vpon it selfe Let all dreames and imaginary reuelations be silenced euery tongue and euery signe and whatsoeuer is made by passing from one degree vnto another if vnto any man it can bee altogether silent and that because if any man can hearken vnto them all these will say vnto him We
created not our selues but Hee that remaines to all eternity Thus much the creatures hauing vttered if they bee then silent as hauing raised their attentions vnto him that made them then let him speake alone not by them but by himselfe that we may heare his owne Word not pronounced by any tongue of flesh nor by the voyce of the Angels nor by the sound of thunder nor in the darke riddle of a resemblance but him whom wee loue in these creatures let vs heare without the ministery of these creatures like as wee two now streined vp our selues vnto it and in a rauishing contemplation arriued vnto a touch of that eternall Wisedome which is oaer all Should this exaltation of spirite haue euer continued and all Other visions of a sarre inferior alloy beene quite taken away and that this one exaltation should rauish vs and swallow vs vp and so wrappe vp their beholder among these more inward ioyes as that his life might bee for euer like to this very moment of vnderstanding which wee now sighed after were not this as much as Enter into thy Masters ioy But when shall that bee Shall it bee when wee shall all rise againe though all shall not bee changed 4. Such discourse wee then had and though not precisely after this manner and in these selfesame words yet Lord thou knowest that in that day when wee thus talkt of these things that this world with all it's delights grew contemptible to vs euen as wee were speaking of it Then sayd my Mother Sonne for mine owne part I haue delight in nothing in this life what I should here doe any longer and to what end I am here I know not now that my hopes in this world are vanished There was indeede one thing for which I sometimes desired to bee a little while repriued in this life namely that I might see thee to become a Christian Catholicke before I died My God hath done this for me more abundantly for that I now see thee withall hauing contemned all earthly happinesse to bee made his seruant what then doe I here any longer CHAP. 11. Of the extasie and death of his Mother 1. VVHat answere I then made her vnto these things I doe not now remember but in the meane time scarce fiue dayes after or not much more she fell into a feauer and in that sicknesse one day she fell into a swownd being for a while taken from her sences Wee ranne to her but shee quickly came to her selfe againe and looking wistly vpon mee and my brother standing by her sayd vnto vs in manner of a question Where was I And fixing her eyes vpon vs all with griefe amazed Here saith she shal you bury your Mother I held my peace and refrayned weeping but my brother spake something to her insinuating his desire to haue her dye not in a strange place but in her owne Country as being the happier At hearing of which shee with an offended countenance checking him with her eye for that hee had not yet lost the relish of these earthly thoughts and then looking vpon me Behold quoth she what he saith And soone after to vs both Lay saith she this body any where let not the eare for that disquiet you this onely I request That you would remember mee at the Lords Altar where-euer you bee 2. And when shee had deliuered this her opinion in words as well as shee could shee held her peace her sicknesse growing more strong vpon her But I considering with my selfe thy gifts O Thou my invincible God which thou instillest into the hearts of thy faithfull ones from whence such admirable fruites doe spring forth did greatly reioyce and giue thankes vnto thee calling now to mind what I before knew with how much carefulnesse namely concerning her place of buriall shee had alwayes troubled her selfe which shee had appointed and prepared by the bodie of her Husband For because they two had liued so louingly together her earnest desire had still beene as humane nature is lesse capeable of diuine considerations to make this addition vnto that happinesse and to haue it talkt of by the people That God had granted vnto her after so long a pilgrimage beyond the seas to haue now at last in her natiue country both the bodies of man and wife couered with the same earth 3. But when this empty conceit beganne by the fulnesse of thy goodnesse to be thrust out of her heart I knew not but I reioyced with much admiration that I now so plainely saw it to haue done so though indeede in that speech which wee had in the window whenas shee sayd What doe I here any longer shee made shew of no desire of dying in her owne country I heard afterwards also that in the time we were at Ostia how with a matronely confidence shee discoursed with certaine of my friends when I was absent about the contempt of this life and of the benefit of death they being much astonished at the courage of the woman which thou hadst giuen her withall demanding of her Whether shee were not affrayd to leaue her body so farre from her owne City vnto which shee replyed Nothing is farre from God nor was it to bee feared lest hee should not know at the end of the world the place whence he were to raise me vp In the ninth day therefore of her sicknesse and the sixe and fiftieth yeere of her age and the three and thirtieth of mine was that religious holy Soule discharged from the prison of her body CHAP. 12. He laments his mothers death 1. I Cloased her eyes and there flowed withall an vnspeakeable sorrow into my heart which ouerflowed into teares mine eyes at the same time by the violent command of my mind pumpt their Well drie and wo was me in that same agony So soone as she had breathd out her last spirit the boy Adeodates brake out into a lowd lamentation till being pressed by vs all hee held his peace In like manner also that childish passion of mine owne which slipt from mee in teares being restrained by the manly voyce of my heart was at last silenced For fitting wee did not thinke it to solemnize that funerall with lamentations teares and howlings for that this is the fashion whereby those that dye miserably or bee vtterly perished as it were vse to be lamented whereas shee did neyther dye in any miserable condition nor indeede dyed shee vtterly For thus much were we assured of by the experience of her good conuersation her sayth vnfained and other most certaine arguments 2 What might that bee therefore which did thus grieuously payne mee within but a wound newly taken by hauing that most sweete and deare custome of liuing with her thus suddenly broken off I much reioyce to receiue that testimony from her whereby in the latter end of her sicknesse vpon my performance of all respectfull dutyfulnesse to her shee euer and anon speaking most
drops of time are precious with mee and I haue long since had a burning desire to meditate in thy law and by it to confesse both my skill and vnskilfulnesse vnto thee the morning light of thy enlightning mee and the relikes of darknesse in mee so long remayning swallowed vp by till infirmitie bee strength Nor will I suffer my houres to bee squandered away vpon any other thing which I finde free from the necessities of refreshing of my body and the recreating of my minde and the complying in those offices of seruice which wee owe vnto men yea also which wee owe not and yet pay them 2. Giue eare vnto my prayer O Lord my God and let thy mercy hearken vnto my petition because it stryueth not to entreate for my selfe alone but to be beneficiall also to my brethren Thou seest my heart that so it is and that I am ready to sacrifice vnto thee the best seruice of my thoughts and tongue now giue mee what I am to offer vnto thee For I am poore and needy but thou art rich to all those that call vpon thee who not distracted with cares thy selfe takest the care of all vs. From all rashnesse and lying doe thou circumcise both my inward and my outward lippes Let my chaste delights bee thy Scriptures let me neyther be deceiued in them nor deceiued by them Hearken Lord and haue mercy vpon me O Lord my God O thou light of the blind and the strength of the weake yea also the light of those that see and the strength of the strong hearken thou vnto my soule and heare mee crying vnto thee out of the Deepe For if thine eares bee not with vs also in the Deepe whither then shall wee goe to whom shall wee cry The day is thine and the night is thine at thy backe the time passes away 3. Affoord out of it some spure time for my meditations vpon the hidden things of thy Law which I beseech thee shut not vp when they knocke for entrance at it For in vayne it was not that thou wouldest haue so many leaues full of darkesome secrets committed vnto wryting nor are those Fortests without their Harts which retire themselues into them making their range and walkes in them feeding lodging and chewing the Cud in them Perfect me O Lord and reueale them vnto me Behold thy voyce is my ioy yea thy voyce exceedeth the abundance of all pleasures Giue mee what I loue for verily I doe loue it and this loue is of thy giuing Forsake not therfore thine owne gifts nor despise thou him that thirsteth after thy herbage Let me confesse vnto thee whatsoeuer I shall finde in thy bookes and let mee heare the voyce of prayse and let me drinke thee vp and let me consider of the wonderfull things of thy law euen frō the very Beginning wherein Thou madest the heauen and the earth vnto that euerlasting kingdome of thy holy City which is before thee Haue mercy Lord vpon mee and heare my petition for it is not I suppose of the earth not for gold siuer or precious stones or gorgeous apparell or honors and offices or the pleasures of the flesh or necessaries for the body or for this life of our earthly pilgrimage all which shall bee added vnto those that seeke thy kingdome thy righteousnesse Behold O Lord my God what it is that I now desire The vngodly haue sometimes told mee what themselues delight in but they are not like the delights of thy Law See now whence my desire proceedes 4. See Father behold and approue and let it bee pleasing in the sight of thy mercy that I shall find so much grace with thee as that the Secrets of thy Word may bee opened vnto mee when I knocke By our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne I beseech thee that man on thy right hand that Sonne of man whom thou hast appoynted a Mediator betwixt thy selfe and vs by whom thou soughtest vs who little sought for thee yet didst thou seeke vs that wee might seeke thee and thy Word by whom thou madest all things and mee amongst them Thy Onely Sonne by whom thou hast called the beleeuing people vnto thee and mee amongst them by Him I beseech thee who sitteth at thy right hand and makes intercession for vs in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Him doe I seeke in thy bookes of Him Moses wrote this hee sayes this Truth sayes CHAP. 3. Hee desires to vnderstand the holy Scriptures 1. LEt mee heare and vnderstand how thou In the beginning hast made Heauen and Earth This Moses wrote of he wrote and passed away hee passed from hence vnto thee for he is not at this present before mine eyes for if hee were then would I lay hold of him and intreate him and for thy sake would I beseech him to open these things vnto me yea I would lay mine eares vnto his mouth But should he speake in the Hebrew tongue in vayne should hee beate mine eares for neuer should he come neere my vnderstanding whenas if he spake Latine I should well enough know what hee sayd 2. But how should I know whether he sayd true or no and if I could learne this too should I know it by him For within mee in that inward house of my thoughts neither the Hebrew nor the Greeke nor the Latine nor any other language but euen Truth it selfe and that without any helps of the mouth tongue without any sound of sillables should tell me He sayes true and my selfe therupon assured of it would confidently say vnto that seruant of thine Thou speakest truth Seeing I haue not now the meanes to conferre with Moses I beg of thee my God inspired by whom he vttred these truths I beg of thee the pardon of my sinnes and thou that enabledst that seruant of thine to deliuer these Truthes enable mee also to vnderstand them CHAP. 4. The Creatures proclayme God to bee their Creator 1 BEhold the heauens and the earth are already they proclaime themselues to haue beene created for they are changed and altered from what they were Whereas whatsoeuer is not made and yet hath a being hath nothing in it now which it had not before which to haue were indeede to bee changed and altered They proclayme also that they made not thēselues but say Therefore wee are because we are made and therefore were wee not before our time was to bee as if we could possibly haue made our selues Now the euidentnesse of the thing is this voyce of the Speakers 'T is thou therefore O Lord that madest them thou who art full of beauty they beeing fayre also thou who art good they also beeing good euen Thou who hast Being seeing these haue their Beings yet are they neyther so fayre so good nor are so as thou their Creator art compared with whom they are neyther fayre nor good nor are at all Thus much wee know thankes to
thee for it yet is our knowledge in comparison of thine but meere ignorance CHAP. 5. How the world was made of nothing 1. IN the beginning God made Heauen and Earth But how didst thou make them and what Engine hadst thou to worke all this vast fabrick of thine For thou wentest not about it like a fleshly artificer who shaping one body by another purposes according to the discretion of his minde to cast it into such a figure as in his fancy hee seeth fittest by his inward eye But whence should hee bee able to doe all this vnlesse thou hadst made him that fancy and he puts a figure vpon some Materiall that had existence before suppose clay or stone or wood or gold or other thing but whence should these materials haue their being hadst not thou appoynted it them T is thou that madest the Artificer his body thou that gauest a soule to direct his limbs thou madest the stuffe of which he makes any thing thou madest the apprehension whereby he takes his art by which he sees in himselfe what he hath to doe Thou gauest him the Sences of his body which being his Interpreters hee may from his mind vnto his stuffe conueigh that figure which hee is now a working which is to signifie vnto his minde againe what is done already that the minde vpon it may aske aduice of its President truth whether it bee well done or no. Let all these things prayse thee the Creator of these all 2. But yet which way doest thou make them how O God didst thou make heauen and earth Verily neyther in the heauen nor on the earth stoodest thou when thou madest heauen and earth no nor yet in the ayre or waters seeing these also belong vnto the heauen and the earth Nor yet standing in the whole world together didst thou make that whole world because there was no place where to make it before it was made that it might haue a Being Nor didst thou hold any thing in thy hand whereof to make this heauen and earth For how shouldst thou come by that which thy selfe hadst not made For what hath any Being but onely because thou art Therefore thou spakest and they were made and in thy Word thou madest them CHAP. 6. He disputes curiously what manner of Word the World was created by BVt how didst thou speake after the same way that the voyce came out of a Cloud saying This is my beloued Sonne As for that voyce it was vttered and passed away had a beginning and ending the sillables made a sound and so passed ouer the second after the first the third after the second and so forth in order vntill the last came after all the rest and silence after the last By which most cleare and plaine it is that the motion of a Creature expressed it performing thy eternall Will in it it selfe being but temporall And these words of thine thus made to serue for the time did the outward care giue notice of vnto the intelligent soule whose inward eare lay listening to thy eternall Word But whenas this latter had compared these words thus sounding within a proportion of time with that eternall Word of thine which is in the Silence it sayd This Word is far another frō that a very far different Word these words are far beneath me nay they are not at all because they flee and passe away but the Word of God is farre aboue me and abides for euer 2. If therefore in sounding passing words thou spakest that heauen and earth should bee made and that way didst create heauen and earth then was there a corporeal creature euen before heauen and earth by whose motions measured by time that voyce tooke his course in time But there was not any creature before heauen and earth or if there were surely then thou didst without such a passing voyce create that whereof thou mightest make this passing voyce by which thou wert to say the word Let the heauen and the earth be made For whatsoeuer that were of which such a voyce were to be made vnlesse by thy selfe it were made it should not at all haue any being That a body therefore might be made by which these words might be made by what word of thine was it commanded CHAP. 7. The Sonne of God is the Word coeternall with the Father 1. THou callest vs therfore to vnderstand the word who is God with thee God which word is spoken vnto all eternity and in it are all things spoken vnto euerlasting For neuer is that finished which was spoken or any other thing spoken after it that so all may come to bee spoken but all are spoken at once and vnto euerlasting For otherwise there should be time and alteration and no true eternity no true immortality Thus much I know O my God thankes to thee therefore This I know as I confesse to thee O Lord yea hee knowes and blesses thee as I doe whoeuer is not vnthankfull to thy assured Veritie 2. Wee know Lord wee know that in as much as any thing is not now what sometimes it hath beene or is now what heretofore it hath not beene so farre forth it is borne and dyes Nothing therefore of thy Word doeth retyre and come in place againe because it is truely immortall and eternall And therefore vnto thy Word coeternal vnto thy selfe thou dost once and for euer say all that thou dost say and it is made whateuer thou sayest shall bee made Nor doest thou make it otherwise then by saying and yet are not all things made together or euerlasting which so thou makest by saying CHAP. 8. The Word of God is our teacher in all 1. VVHy I beseech thee O Lord my God is this so Verily I see it after afort but how to expresse it I know not vnlesse thus it be namely that whatsoeuer begins to bee and leaues off to bee beginnes then and leaues off then when in thy eternall reason it is resolued that it ought to haue begun or left off in which Reason nothing does eyther beginne or leaue off That Reason is thy Word which is also the Beginning the same that likewise speakes vnto vs. Thus much sayd it in the Gospell by our Lords humanity and so much sounded outwardly in the eares of men to the intent it might be beleeued and sought for inwardly and found in the eternall verity where that good and onely Master taught all his Disciples There Lord heare I thy voyce speaking vnto mee because hee there speakes vnto vs who teacheth vs but he that doeth not teach vs though hee does speake yet to vs hee speaketh not 2. And who now is able to teach vs but the vnalterable Truth seeing that when wee receiue any admonishment from a mutable creature wee are but ledde along vnto that vnalterable Truth where we learne truely while wee stand to heare Him reioycing greatly because of the Bridegroomes voyce and returne our selues backe to that
behinde is to come If any instant of time be conceiued which cannot bee deuided eyther into none or at most into the smallest particle of moments that is the onely it which may bee called present which little yet flies with such full speede from the future to the passed as that it is not lengthened out with the very least stay For lengthened out if it bee then is it deuided into the past and the future As for the present it takes not vp any space where then is the Time which wee may call long Is it to come Surely we do not say that that is long because that of it is not yet come which may be long but say It will be long When therefore will it bee For if euen then seeing that is yet to come it shall not euen then be long because that of it which may bee long shall not be yet come But if it shall onely then bee long when from a time to come which is not yet it shall begin now to be and shall be made present that so it may now bee that which may be long then does the present time cry out in the words aboue rehearsed That it selfe can neuer become long CHAP. 16. Of our measuring of times 1. AND yet Lord are wee sensible of the distances of times yea wee can compare them one with another and say that some are shorter and others longer Wee measure also how much this time is longer or shorter then that and wee finde this to bee double or thrice as long and that but once or this iust so much as that Yea as the times are vpon passing doe we measure them when by casting them ouer in our minds we obserue them As for the past times which now are not or the future which yet are not who is able to measure them vnlesse perchance some one man be so bold to affirme that That may be measured which is not All the whole time is a passing it may bee obserued and measured well enough but when it is once passed it possibly cannot because it is not CHAP. 17. Where time past and to come now are 1. I Aske Father I affirme nothing tutor me O my God and direct mee Who is he that will tell me how there are not three Times as wee learned when we were boyes and as we taught other boyes the Past Present and the Future but the Present onely because the other two are not at all Or haue they a being also but such as proceeds out of some vnknowne secret when out of the Future the Present is made and returnes it into some secret againe when the Past is made out of the Present For where had they who haue fore-told things to come before seene them if as yet they bee not For that which is not cannot bee seene And so for those that should relate the things Past verily they could not relate true stories if in their minde they did not discerne them Which if they were none could no way bee discerned There are therefore both things past and to come CHAP. 18. How times passed to come be now present 1. YEt giue mee leaue Lord to looke further Suffer not O thou my hope my intentions to bee disturbed If now there bee times passed and times to come fayne would I know where they bee which yet if I bee not able to conceyue yet thus much I know that wheresoeeuer they now bee they are not there in the nature of future past or present For if there also future they be then are they not there yet if there also they be past then are they not there still Wheresoeuer therfore and whatsoeuer they be they are in no other nature there but as present As for things passed when euer true stories are related they bee then drawne out of our memory not I meane the things themselues which are gone and past but such words as being conceiued by the images of those things they in their passing thorow our Sences haue as their owne footesteps left imprinted in our minds For example Mine owne Childhood which at this instant is not yet in the time past is which time at this instant is not but as for the image of it when I call that to minde and tell of it I doe euen in the Present behold it and that because it is still in my memory 2. Whether or no there be a like cause of foretelling things to come that namely of those things which as yet are not the images may in the present bee fore-conceyued as if already extant I confesse vnto thee O my God that I know not This one thing surely I knowe that wee vse very often to premeditate vpon our future actions and that that forethinking is present but as for the action which we forthink our selues of that is not yet in being because it is yet to come Which so soone as wee haue set vpon and are beginning once to doe what wee premeditated then shall that action come into being because then it is no longer future but present Which way soeuer therefore this secrete Foreconceyuing of things to come be held to be nothing surely can bee seene but that which now is in being As for that which now is it is not future but present Wheneuer there fore things to come are sayd to bee seene t is not the things themselues which as yet are not that is which are to come hereafter but the causes per chance or the fignes of them which are seene and those are indeede now in being Future therefore they are not but present vnto the Seers out of which these Future things fore conceyued in the minde are foretold Which fore-conceptions againe are now present yea and those who foretell the things doe behold the conceptions already present before them 3. Let now the numerous variety of things produce mee some example I looke vpon the day breaking and I fore shew vpon it that the Sunne is about to rise That which I looke vpon is present that which I fore-signifie is to come not the Sunne I meane which already is but the Sunn-rising which is not yet And yet if I did not in my minde imagine the Sun-rising it selfe as now I doe whilest I speake of it neuer could I foretell it But neither is that Break of day which I discerne in the skie the Sunrysing notwithstanding it goes before it no nor that Imagination of my minde neyther which two are seene now in present that the other may bee foretold to be a comming hereafter Future things therefore are not yet and if yet they be not at all they are not and if so they bee not possible to bee seene they are not yet foretold they may bee by somethings present which both are already and are seene CHAP. 19. Hee demands of God how Future things bee foreknowne 1. BVt tell O thou Reigner ouer thy cretures what is the manner by which thou teachest
there can in like manner any thing chance vnto thee that art vnchangeably Eternall that is the Eternall Creator of Soules Like as therefore thou in the beginning knewest the heauen and the earth without any variety of thy knowledge euen so didst thou in the beginning create heauen and earth without any distinction of thy action Let him that vnderstandeth it confesse vnto thee and let him that vnderstandeth it not confesse vnto thee also Oh how high art thou and yet the humble in heart are the house that thou dwellest in For thou vayself vvthose that are bowed down and neuer can they fall whose strength thou art Saint Augustines Confessions The twelfth Booke CHAP. 1. T is very difficult to finde out the truth MY heart O Lord toucht with the words of holy Scripture is busily imployed in this pouerty of my life And euen therefore in our discourse oftentimes appeares there a most plentifull pouerty of humane vnderstanding because that our enquiring spends vs more words then our finding out does and wee are longer about demanding then about obtayning and our hand that knocks hath more worke to doe then our other hand that receiues A promise haue wee layd holde of who shall defeate vs of it If God bee on our side who can bee against vs Aske and yee shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you For euery one that askes receiues and he that seekes finds and to him that knocketh shall it be opened These be thine owne promises and who needes feare to bee deceiued whenas the Truth promiseth CHAP. 2. That the heauen we see is but earth in respect of the heauen of heauens which wee see not 1. VNto thy Highnesse the lowlynesse of my tongue now confesseth because thou hast made heauen and earth this heauen I meane which I see and this earth that I treade vpon whence is this earth that I beare about me Thou madest it But where is that Heauen of Heauens made for the Lord which wee heare of in the words of the Psalmist The heauen euen the heauens are the Lords but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men Where is that Heauen which we see not that in comparison whereof all this heauen which wee see is but meere earth For this heauen is wholy corporeall For all this which is wholy corporeall is not euery where beautifull alike in these lower parts the bottome wherof is this earth of ours but in comparison of that Heauen of heauens euen the heauen to this our earth is but earth yea both these great bodies may not absurdly bee called earth in comparison of that I know not what manner of heauen which is the Lords and not giuen to the Sonnes of men CHAP. 3. Of the darknesse vpon the face of the Deepe 1. AND now was this Earth without shape and voyde and there was I know not what profoundnesse of the Deepe vpon which there was no light because as yet it had no shape Therefore didst thou command it to bee written that darknesse was vpon the face of the deepe which what other thing was it then the Absence of light For if there had been light where should â—â— haue beene bestowed but in being ouer all by shewing it selfe and enlightening others Where therefore as light was not yet what was it that darkenesse was present but that light was absent Darknesse therefore was ouer all hitherto because light was absent like as where there is no found there is silence And what is it to haue silence there but to haue no sound there Hast not thou O Lord taught these things vnto the soule which thus confesses vnto thee Hast not thou taught mee Lord that before thou createdst diuersifyedst this vnshapen matter there was nothing neyther colour nor figure nor body nor Spirit and yet was there not altogether an absolute nothing for there was a certaine vnshapednes without any forme in it CHAP. 4. Of the Chaos and what Moses called it 1. ANd how should that be called and by what sence could it bee insinuated to people of slow apprehensions but by some ordinary word And what among all the parts of the world can be found to come neerer to an absolute vnshapednesse then the Earth and the deepe For surely they bee lesse beautifull in respect of their low situation then those other higher parts are which are all transparent and shining Wherefore then may I not conceiue the vnshapelynesse of the first matter which thou createdst without form of which thou wert to make this goodly world to bee significantly intimated vnto men by the name of Earth without shape and voyd CHAP. 5. That this Chaos is hard to conceiue 1. VVHen herein the thoughts of man are seeking for somewhat which the Sence may fasten vpon and returnes answere to it selfe It is no intelligible forme as life is or as Iustice is because it is the matter of bodies Nor is it any thing sensible for that in this earth inuisible as yet and without forme there was nothing to bee perceiued Whilest mans thoughts thus discourse vnto himselfe let him endeauour eyther to know it by being ignorant of it or to bee ignorant by knowing it CHAP. 6. What himselfe sometimes thought of it 1. FOr mine owne part O Lord if I may confesse all vnto thee both by tongue and pen what-euer thy selfe hast taught me of that matter the name whereof hauing heard before but not vnderstanding because they told me of it who themselues vnderstood it not I conceiued of it as hauing innumerable formes and diuerse and therefore indeede did I not at all conceiue it in my minde I tossed vp and downe certaine vgly and hideous formes all out of order but yet formes they were notwithstanding and this I cald without forme Not that it wanted all for me but because it had such a mis-shapen one insomuch as if any vnexpected thought or absurdity presented it selfe vnto mee my sence would straight wayes turne from it and the fraylenesse of my humane discourse would bee distracted And as for that which my conceite ranne vpon it was me thought without forme not for that it was depriued of all forme but it comparison of more beautifull formes but true reason did perswade me that I must vtterly vncase it of all remnants of formes whatsoeuer if so bee I meant to conceiue a matter absolute without forme but I could not For sooner would I haue imagined that not to bee at all which should be depriued of all forme then once conceiue there was likely to bee any thing betwixt forme and nothing a matter neyther formed nor nothing without forme almost nothing 2. My minde gaue ouer thereupon to question any more about it with my spirit which was wholy taken vp already with the images of formed bodies which I changed and varied as mee listed and I bent my enquiry vpon the bodies themselues and more deeply lookt into
their mutability by which they both leaue to bee what they haue beene and begin to bee what they haue neuer beene And this shifting out of one forme into another I suspected to bee caused by I know not what thing without form not by nothing at all yet this I was desirous to know not to suspect onely But if my voyce pen should here confesse all vnto thee whatsoeuer knots thou didst vnknâ—t for me in this questioÌ„ what Reader would haue so much patience to bee made conceiue it Nor shall my heart for all this cease at any time to giue thee honour and a Song of praise for all those things which it is not able to expresse For the changeable condition of changeble things is of it selfe capeable of all those forms into which these changable things are changed And this changeablenesse what is it Is it a soule or is it a body or is it any figure of a soule or body Might it be sayd properly that nothing were something and yet were not I would say This were it and yet was it both of these that so it might bee capeable of these visible and compounded figures CHAP. 7. Heauen is greater then Earth 1. BVt whence are both these but from thee from whom are all things so far forth as they haue being But how much the further off from thee so much the vnliker thee I doe not meane farrenesse of places Thou therefore O Lord who art not another in another place nor otherwise in another place but the same and the very same and the very selfe-same Holy Holy Holy Lord God almighty didst in the Beginning which is in thine owne selfe in thy Wisedome which was borne of thine owne Substance create something and that out of nothing 2. For thou createdst heauen and earth not out of thine owne selfe for so should they haue beene equall to thine onely Begotten Sonne and thereby vnto thine owne selfe too wheras no way iust it had beene that any thing should bee equall vnto thee which was not of thee Nor was there any thing besides thy selfe of which thou mightest create these things O God who art One in Trinity and Three in Vnity Therefore out of nothing hast thou created Heauen and Earth a great thing and a small thing for thou art omnipotent and good to make all things good euen the great heauen and the little earth Thou wert and nothing else was there besides out of which thou createdst Heauen and Earth two certaine things one neere thee the other neere to nothing One for thy selfe to bee superior vnto the other which nothing should bee inferiour vnto CHAP. 8. The Chaos was created out of nothing and out of that all things 1. BVt that Heauen of heauens which was for thy selfe Lord and this earth which thou gauest to the Sonnes of men to be seene and felt was not at first such as wee now both see and feele for it was inuisible and vnshapen and there was a deepe vpon which there was no light or darkenesse was vpon the deepe that is more then in the deepe Because this deepe of waters visible now adayes hath in his deepes a light proper for its nature perceiueable howeuer vnto the Fishes and creeping things in the bottome of it But all this whole was almost nothing because hitherto it was altogether without forme but yet there was now a matter that was apt to bee formed For thou Lord createdst the World of a matter without forme which being next to nothing thou madest out of nothing out of which thou mightest make those great workes which wee sonnes of men so much wonder at 2. For very wonderfull is this corporeall heauen which firmament betweene water and water the second day after the creation of light thou commandedst it to be made it was made Which Firmament thou calledst heauen the heauen that is to this earth and sea which thou createdst the third day by giuing a visible figure vnto the vnshapen matter which thou createdst before all dayes For euen already hadst thou created an heauen before all dayes but that was the Heauen of heauens because In the beginning thou createdst heauen and earth As for the earth which thou createdst it was an vnshapely matter because it was inuisible and without forme and darkenesse was vpon the deepe Of which inuisible earth and without forme of which vnshapelynes of which almost nothing thou mightest create all these of which this changeable world consists which continueth not the same but mutability it selfe appeares in it the times being easie to bee obserued and numbred in it For times are made by the alterations of things whilest namely their figures are varied and turned the matter whereof is this inuisible earth aforesayd CHAP. 9. What that Heauen of heauens is 1. THe Spirit therefore the Teacher of thy seruant whenas it recounts thee to haue in the beginning created heauen and earth speakes nothing of any times nor a word of any dayes For verily that Heauen of heauens which thou createdst in the beginning is some Intellectuall creature which although no waies coeternall vnto thee O Trinity yet being partaker of thy eternity doth through the sweetnesse of that most happy contemplation of thy selfe strongly restrayne its owne mutability and without any fall since its first creation cleauing close vnto thee hath set it selfe beyond all rowling interchange of times Yea neyther is this very vnshapelynesse of the inuisible earth and without forme once numbred among the dayes For where no figure nor order is there does nothing eyther come or goe and where this is not there playnely are no dayes nor any interchange of temporall spaces CHAP. 10. His desire to vnderstand the Scriptures 1. O Let truth the light of mine heart and not mine owne darkenesse now speake vnto me I fell off into that and became all be-darkned but yet euen for this euen vpon this occasion came I to loue thee I heard thy voyce behinde mee calling to mee to returne but scarcely could I discerne it for the noyse of my sinnes But see here I returne now sweating and panting after thy fountaine Let no man forbid me of this will I drinke and so shall I liue For I am not mine own life if I haue liued ill my death is farre from my selfe but t is in thee that I reuiue againe Speake thou vnto me discourse thou with mee I haue beleeued thy Bible but the words of it be most full of mystery CHAP. 11. What he learnt of God 1. NOw hast thou with a 〈…〉 voyce O Lord spoken in my inner care because thou art eternall that onely possessest immortality by reason that thou canst not be changed by any figure or motion nor is thy Will altered by times seeing no Will can be cald immortall which is now one and then another all this is in thy sight already cleare to me let it be more more cleared to me
of whome are all things which are very good for as we affirme that to be a greater good which is created and formed so we confesse likewise that to be a lesser good which is made with no more then an aptnesse in it to receiue Creation and forme and yet euen that is good too But b yet hath not the Scripture set downe That God made this vnshapely Chaos no more then it hath set downe those many other things that Hee made as the Cherubins and Seraphins and the rest which the Apostle distinctly speaks of Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers all which that God made it is most apparant 3. Or if in that text where t is sayd He made heauen and earth all things bee comprehended what shall wee then say of the waters vpon which the Spirit of God mooued For if all things bee vnderstood to bee named at once in this word Earth how then can this formelesse matter bee meant in that name of Earth when wee see the waters so beautifull Or if it bee so taken why then is it written That out of the same vnshapely matter the Firmament was made and called Heauen and That the waters were created is not written For the waters remaine not formlesse inuisible vnto this day seeing wee behold them flowing in so comely a manner But if they at that time receiued the beauty they now haue whenas God sayd Let the waters vnder the Firmament bee gathered together vnto one place that so the gathering together of the waters may bee taken for the forming of them what will they answer for those waters which be aboue the Firmament seeing if they had not any forme at all neuer should they haue beene worthy of so honorable a seate nor is it written by what Word they were formed 4. So that if Genesis hath said nothing of Gods making of some one thing which yet no sound fayth nor well-grounded vnderstanding once doubteth but that he did make let no sober knowledge once dare to affirme these waters to bee coeternall with God for that we finding them to be barely mentioned in the booke of Genesis doe not finde withall where they were created Why seeing truth teaches vs may wee not as well vnderstand that formelesse matter which this Scripture calls the inuisible and vnshap't Earth and darksome deepe to haue beene created by God out of nothing and therefore not to be coeternall to him notwithstanding that this story hath omitted to shew where it was created CHAP. 23. In interpreting of holy Scripture truth is to be sought with a charitable construction 1. THese things therefore being heard and perceyued according to the weakenesse of my capacity which I cōfesse vnto thee O Lord that very well knowest it two sorts of differences doe I perceiue likely to arise whensoeuer any thing is by words related though euen by the truest reporters One when the difference riseth cōcerning the truth of the things the other when it is concerning the meaning of the Relater For we enquire one way about the making of the thing created what may be true another way what it is that Moses that notable dispencer of thy fayth would haue his reader and hearer to vnderstand in those words For the first sort away with all those which once imagine themselues to know that as a truth which is in it selfe false and for this other sort away with all them too which once imagine Moses to haue written things that bee false But let mee euer in thee O Lord take part with them and in thee delight my selfe in them that edifie themselues with thy truth in the largenesse of a charitable construction yea let vs haue recourse together vnto the words of thy booke and make search for thy meaning in them by the meaning of thy Seruant by whose pen thou hast dispensed them CHAP. 24. The Scripture is true though we vnderstand not the vttermost scope or depth of it 1. BVt which of vs all shall bee so able as to finde out this full meaning among those so many words which the seekers shall euery where meete withall sometimes vnderstood this way and sometimes that way as that hee can confidently affirme This Moses thought and This would be haue vnderstood in that story as hee may boldly say This is true whether he thought this or that For behold O my God I thy seruant who haue in this book vowed a Sacrifice of Confession vnto thee doe now beseech thee that by thy mercy I may haue leaue to pay my vowes vnto thee 2. See here how confidently I affirme That in thy Incommutable Word thou hast created all things visible and inuisible but dare I so confidently affirme That Moses had no further meaning when hee wrote In the beginning God made Heauen and earth No. Because though I perceiue this to be certaine in thy truth yet can I not so easily looke into his minde That he thought iust so in the writing of it For hee might haue his thoughts vpon Gods very entrance into the act of creating whenas hee sayd In the beginning hee might entend to haue it vnderstood by Heauen and Earth in this place no one nature eyther spirituall or corporeall as already formed and perfected but both of them newly begun and as yet vnshapen 3. For I perceiue that whichsoeuer of the two had beene sayd it might haue beene truely sayd but which of the two hee thought of in these words I doe not perceiue so truely Although whether it were eyther of these or any sence beside that I haue not here mentioned which so great a man saw in his minde at the vttering of these words I nothing doubt but that hee saw it truely and exprest it aptly Let no man vexe me now by saying Moses thought not as you say but as I say For if hee should aske mee How know you that Moses thought that which you inter out of his words I ought to take it in good part and would answer him perchance as I haue done heretofore or something more at large if I were minded to put him hard to it CHAP. 25. We are not to breake charity about a different Exposition of Scripture 1. BVt when he sayth Moses ment not what you say but what I say yet denyeth not what eyther of vs say these may both bee true O my God thou life of the poore whose brest harbours no contradiction rayne thou some thoughts of mitigation into my heart that I may patiently beare with such who differ not thus with me because they fauour of diuine things or be able to discouer in the heart of thy seruant what they speake but because they bee proud not knowing Moses opinion so well as louing their owne not for that t is truth but because t is theirs Otherwise they would as well loue another true opinion as I loue what they say when t is true 〈…〉 they say not because t is theirs but because t
is true and is therefore their 's no lonâ—â—â— euen because it is true But would they therefore loue it because it is true then becomes it both theirs and driue for that all the louers of Truth haue a common interest in it 2. But whereas they are so earnest that Moses did not meane what I say but what they say this I neyther like nor loue for suppose so it 〈◊〉 yet is this rashnesse of theirs no signe of knowledge but of ouer-boldnesse 〈…〉 hath seeing further but 〈◊〉 bigger begotten it 〈◊〉 therefore O Lord are â—y iudgements to bee trembled at seeing that thy truth is neither mine nor his nor a thirds but belonging to vs all whom thou callest to partake of it warning vs in terrible manner not to account it priuate to our selues for feare wee bee depriued of it For whosoeuer challenges that as proper to himselfe which thou propoundest to all in generall and would make that his owne which belongs to all that man shall be driuen from what is common to all to what is properly his owne that is from truth to a lye For hee that speaketh a lye speaketh it of his owne 3. Hearken O God thou best Iudge hearken O thou Truth what answer shall I returne vnto my Gaynsayer listen for befere thee doe I speake it and before my brethren who employ thy lawfully that is to the end of charity hearken and beâ—â—â—â— if it please thee what I 〈…〉 say to him For thiâ— brotherly and peacefull word will I returne vnto him suppose both of vs see that to bee true that thou 〈◊〉 â— and both againe see that to bee true that I say where I prethee doe wee siâ— it I verily see it not in 〈◊〉 nor thou in mee but â—â—th of vs in the selfe-same vnchangeable Truth which iâ— aboue both our soules Seeing therefore we vary not about the very light of the Lord our God why striue we 〈◊〉 the thoughts of our â—â—â—ghbour which it is â—â—â—â—ssible for vs so clearely 〈…〉 into as wee may 〈◊〉 the vnchangeable truth 〈◊〉 that if Moses himselfe 〈…〉 appeared to vs and sayd 〈…〉 yet nor so should wee haueseene it but beleeued it 4. Let vs not therefore be puft vp in fauour of one against another aboue that which is written Let vs loue the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soule and withall our minde and our neyghbour as our selfe For which two precepts of charity did Moses meane whatsoeuer in those bookes hee meant which vnlesse wee beleeue wee shall make God a lyer whenas wee imagine otherwise of our fellow seruants minde then hee hath taught vs. Behold now how foolish a conceite it is in such plenty of most true opinions as may be fetcht out of those same words rashly to affirme which of them Moses principally meant and thereby with pernition contentions to offend charity it selfe for whose sake 〈…〉 spake euerything whose 〈◊〉 wee goe about to expound CHAP. 26. 〈…〉 was fit to write the Scriptures in 1. FOr mine owne part O my God thou height of my humility thou rest of my 〈…〉 thou which hearest 〈◊〉 Confessions and which 〈◊〉 giuest my sinnes seeing 〈◊〉 commandest me To loue 〈◊〉 neighbour as my selfe I can 〈◊〉 beleeue that thou gauest 〈◊〉 gift vnto Moses thy 〈…〉 seruant then I 〈◊〉 haue wished or 〈◊〉 thee to haue giuen my 〈◊〉 had I beene borne in the 〈◊〉 he was and that thou 〈◊〉 set mee in the same 〈◊〉 whereby the seruice 〈◊〉 heart and tongue those bookes might bee dispensed which â—or so long time after were to profit all nations and throughout the whole world from such a height of authority were to surmount all false and proude opinions 2. I should haue desired verily had I then beene Moses for wee are of the same lump and what is man sauing that thou art mindfull of him I would therefore I say had I beene in his case at the same time and that the booke of Genesis had beene put vpon mee to write haue desired the same facultie of expression to haue beene giuen mee and the selfe-same maner of enditing too that so neyther they who cannot as yet vnderstand how God creator might not reiect the stile as beyond their capacitie and yet they who are already able to do it vpon what true opinion soeuer their meditations had pitcht might find it not to haue beene omitted in those few words of that thy Servant and if another man had by the light of trueth discoâ—â—â—d another neither should that haue failed to be pickt out of the selfe-same words CHAP. 27. T is best drawing at the Fountaine 1. FOr as a fountaine pent within a narrow compasse is the more plentifull in his waters and with his streames serues more riuers and larger spaâ—â—â— of ground then any one of those riuers doe which after along tract of land be 〈◊〉 is deryued out of the same fountayn euen so this Text of that dispenser of thine that it might benefit the more people who were to preach vpon it does out of a narrow scantling of language ouer flow into such streames of clearest truths as out of it euery man may to his owne sence as well as hee can vpon these subiects he one obseruation and hee another draw out the truth by larger circumlocutions of discourse 2. For some whenas they reade or heare these words presently conceiue God to bee like some man or like some hugie bulke endued with vnlimitted powers which by some new and sudden resolution had of it selfe as it were with some places betweene created heauen and earth euen two great bodies aboue and below wherein all things were to be contained And when they heare God say Let that thing it made and it was made they thinke the words to haue had beginning and ending to 〈◊〉 sounded in time and so 〈…〉 passed away immediately whervpon the thing became in Being which was commanded so to doe and such other like conceites which their familiarity with flesh blood causes them to imagine In little ones as yet whilest their weakenesse is 〈◊〉 along in this humble manner of speech as it it were 〈◊〉 bosome of a mother their sayth is wholesomely â—ursed vp and they by it assured and confirmed in the 〈◊〉 that God made all these Natures which in admirable variety their eye beholdeth round about them Which words who euer shall despise as if too simple and with a proud weakenesse but once offer to crawle out of his cradle hee shall a also catch a most miserable fall But take thou O Lord God some pittie vpon them that such as goe by the way tread not vpon this vnfeathered yong bird and send thine Angell to put it into the nest againe that it may bee bred vp there till it bee able to flie CHAP. 28. How diuersly this Scripture is vnderstood by others 1. BVt others vnto whom these words are now no longer a Nest but like
euery thing is it that discouers the time of it but that matter was sometimes without forme but is now obserued to bee together in time with its forme And yet is there not any thing to bee sayd of that matter but as if it were its forme in respect of time whenas indeede it is considered of as the latter of the two Because doubtlesse better are things that haue forme then things that haue no forme yea they haue precedence in the eternity of the Creator that so there might be something out of nothing of which somewhat might be created CHAP. 30. The Scriptures are to be searched with honourable respect vnto the Penman 1. IN this diuersity of most true opinions let Truth it selfe procure reconcilement And our God haue mercy vpon vs that wee may vse the law lawfully the end of the Commandement being pure Charity By this if a man now demaunds of me which of all these was the meaning of thy seruant Moses such discourses were not fit to be put among my Confessions should I not confesse vnto thee I cannot tell and yet this I can tell That they are all true senses those carnall ones excepted of which I haue fully spoken mine opinion As for those little ones of good hopes them doe not the words of thy Bible terrifie which deliuer high my steries in so humble a phrase few things in so copious an expression And as for all those whom I confesse both to haue seene and spoken the truth deliuered in those words let vs loue one another yea and ioyntly together let vs loue thee our God the fountayne of truth if so bee our thirst bee after truth and not after vanities yea let vs in such manner honour this seruant of thine the dispencer of this Scripture so full of thy Spirit that wee may beleeue him when by thy reuelation he wrote these things to haue bent his intentions vnto that sense in them which principally excels the rest both for light of truth and fruitfullnesse of profit CHAP. 31. Truth is to be receiued whoeuer speakes it 1. SO now when another shall say Moses meant as I doe and another Yea the very same that I doe I suppose that with more religion I may say Why meant hee not as you both meane if you both meane truely And if there may bee a third truth or a fourth yea if any other man may discouer any other trueth in those words why may not Hee bee beleeued to haue seene all these Hee by whose ministery GOD that is but One hath tempered these holy Scriptures to the meanings of a many that were both to see true and yet diuerse things For mine owne part verily and fearelessely I speake it from my heart that were I to endite any thing that should attayne the highest Top of authority I would choose to write in such a strayne as that my words might carry the sound of any trueth with them which any man were apprehensiue of concerning these matters rather then so clearely to set downe one true sence onely concerning some one particular as that I should thereby exclude all such other sences which being not false could no waies offend mee I will not therefore O my God be so heady as not to beleeue that this a man obtained not thus much at thy hands Hee without doubt both perceiued and was aduised of in those words whenas hee wrote them what trueth soeuer wee haue beene able to finde in them yea and whatsoeuer we haue not heretofore beene able no nor yet are prouided that this trueth bee possible to bee found in them at all CHAP. 32. He prayes to obtaine the right meaning 1. LAstly O Lord thou that art a God and not flesh and blood what though a man should not see all yet could any part of that be concealed from thy good Spirit who shall leade me into the land of vprightnesse which thou thy selfe wert by those words to reueale vnto the Readers of all times to come notwithstanding that he that deliuered vs these words might among many true meaning pitche his thoughts perchance vpon one onely Which if so it bee let that meaning then bee granted to bee more excellent then the rest But doe thou O Lord eyther reueale that very same vnto vs or any other true one which thou pleasest that so whether thou discouerest the same vnto vs which thou diddest vnto that seruant of thine or else some other by occasion of those words yet do thou thy selfe edifie vs and let not error deceiue vs. 2. Behold now O Lord my God how much we haue written vpon a few words yea how much I beseech thee What strength of ours yea what ages would bee sufficient to goe ouer all thy bookes in this manner Giue mee leaue therefore brieflyer now to confesse vnto thee concerning them and to make choyce of some one true certaine and good sense that thou shalt inspire mee withall yea and if many such sences shall offer themselues vnto mee where many safely may leaue them also to bee confessed by mee that I may at length preach the same which thine owne minister intended both rightly and most profitably for that is the thing which my duty is to endeauor which if I may not attayne vnto yet let mee preach that which by those words thy Truth was pleased to tell mee which sometimes reuealed also vnto him that which it pleased The end of the twelfth booke Saint Augustines Confessions The Thirteenth Booke CHAP. 1 He calleth vpon God 1. I Call vpon thee O my God my mercy vpon thee that createdst me and who hast not forgotten him that had forgotten thee I enuite thee into my soule which by a desire that thy selfe inspireth into her thou now preparest to entertayne thee Forsake mee not now when I call vpō thee whō thou preuentest before I call'd hauing beene earnest with mee with much variety of repeating calls that I would heare thee from a far and suffer my selfe to be conuerted and call at length vpon thee that now calledst after me For thou Lord hast blotted out all my euill dseeruings left thou shouldest bee forced to take vengeance vpon my hands wherewith I haue fallen off from thee and thou hast Preuented all my well deseruings too that thou mightest returne a recompence vnto thine owne hands with which thou madest mee because that before I was Thou art Nor was I any thing vpon which thou mightest bestow the fauour to cause mee to bee and yet behold I now am meerely out of thine owne goodnesse preuenting both all this which thou hast made mee and all that too whereof thou hast made mee For thou neyther hadst any neede of mee nor yet am I of such good vse as any wayes to bee helpefull vnto my Lord and God nor am I made to be so assistant to thee with my seruice as to keepe thee from tyring in thy working or for feare thy power might
disquieted within me Trust in the Lord his word is a lanthorne vnto thy feete trust and abide on him vntill the night the mother of the wicked vntill the wrath of the Lord bee ouerpast the children of which wrath our selues who were sometimes darknesse haue beene the reliques of which darkenesse wee still beare about vs in our body dead because of sinne vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away 2. Hope thou in the Lord in the morning I shall stand in thy presence and contemplate thee yea I shall for euer confesse vnto thee In the morning I shall stand in thy presence and shall see the health of my countenance euen my God who also shall quicken our mortall bodies by the Spirit that dwelleth in vs who in mercie sometimes moued vpon our inner darkesome and floating deepe from whome in this our pilgrimage wee haue receiued such a pledge as that euen now wee are light euen alreadie in this life whilest wee are saued by hope made the Children of light and the Children of the day not the Children of the night nor of the darknes which yet somtimes we haue beene Betwixt which Children of darknesse and vs in this vncertainety of humane knowledge thou onely canst deuide thou who prouest the hearts and callest the light day and the darkenesse night For who can discerne vs but thou And what haue we that wee haue not receiued of thee Out of the same lump are some made for vessels of honour and others for dishonour CHAP. 15. By the word Firmament is the Scripture meant 1 BVt who except thou O our God made that Firmament of the Authority of thy diuine Scripture to bee ouer vs as t is said The heauen shall be folded vp like a booke and is euen now stretcht ouer vs like a skin For thy holy Scripture is of more eminent authority since those mortals departed this life by whom thou dispensest it vnto vs. And thou knowest O Lord thou knowest how thou with skins didst once apparell men so soone as they by sin were become mortall Wherevpon hast thou like a skinne stretched out the Firmament of thy booke that is to say those words of thine so well agreeing together which by the ministry of mortall men thou spreadest ouer vs. For by the death of those men is that solid strength of authority appearing in the bookes set by them more eminently stretched ouer all that bee now vnder it which strength whil'st they liued on earth was not then so eminently stretched out ouer vs. Thou hadst not as yet spredde abroad that heauen like a skin thou hadst as yet euery where noysed abroad the report of their deaths 2 Let vs looke O Lord vpon the heauens the worke of thy fingers cleare our eyes of that mist with which thou hast ouer cast them there is that testimony of thine which giueth wisdome vnto the little ones perfect O my God thine owne prayse cut of the mouth of babes and sucklings Nor haue wee knowne any other bookes which so destroy pride which so beate downe the aduersary and him that stands vpon his own guard that standeth out vpon termes of reconciliation with thee in defence of his owne sinnes I know not Lord I knowe not of any other such chaste words that are so powerfull in perswading me to Confession and in making thy yoake easie vnto my neck and in inuiting mee to serue thee for very loues sake Graunt mee to vnderstand them good Father grant me thus much that am placed vnder them because that for them who are placed vnder them thou hast settled them so surely 3. Other Waters also there bee aboue this firmamenent immortall they bee as I beleeue and separated from all earthly corruption Let those supercelestiall people thine Angels prayse thee yea let them prayse thy name they who haue no neede to receiue this Firmament or by reading to attaine the knowledge of thy Word For they alwayes behold thy face and there doe they reade without any syllables measurable by times what the meaning is of thy eternall will They reade they chuse they loue They are euer reading yet that neuer passes ouer which they reade because by choosing and by louing doe they reade the vnchangeablenesse of thy counsayle Their booke is neuer closed nor shall it bee euer clasped seeing thy selfe is that volume vnto them yea thou art so eternally For thou hast ordayned them to bee aboue this Firmament which thou hast settled ouer the infirmenesse of the lower people where-out they might receiue and take notice of thy mercy which sets thee forth after a temporall manner euen thee that madest times For thy mercy O Lord is in the Heauens and thy truth reacheth vnto the clouds The clouds pass away but the heauen abides the Preachers of thy Word passe out of this life into another but thy Scripture is spred abroad ouer the people euen vnto the end of the world 4. Yea both heauen and earth shall passe but thy words shall not passe away because the parchment shall bee folded vp and the grasse ouer which it was spred out shall with the goodlynesse of it also passe away but thy Word remaineth for euer Which word now appeareth vnto vs vnder the darkenesse of the cloudes and vnder the glasse of the heauens and not as in it selfe it is because that euen we though the well-beloued of thy Sonne yet is it not hitherto manifest what we shall be He standeth looking thorow the lattis of our flesh and he spake vs faire yea hee set vs on fire and wee ranne after the sent of his odors But when he shall appeare then shall we be like him for we shall see him as he is Graunt vs Lord to see him that is our owne though the time bee not yet come CHAP. 16. God is vnchangeable 1. FOr fully as in thy selfe thou art thou onely knowest thou who ART vnchangeably and know est vnchangeably and willest vnchangeably And thy essence both knoweth and willeth vnchangeably And thy knowledge Is wills vnchangeably and thy will Is knows vnchangeably Nor seemes it right in thine eyes that in the same manner as an vnchangeable light knoweth it selfe so it should be known of a thing changeable that receiues light from another My soule is therefore like a land where no water is because that as it cannot of it selfe enlighten it selfe so can it not of it selfe satisfie it selfe For so is the fountaine of life with thee like as in thy light we shall see light CHAP. 17. What is meant by dry land and by the Sea 1. VVHo gathered bitter spirited people together into one society Because that all of them propound to themselues the same end of a temporall and earthly felicity for attayning whereof they doe whateuer they do though in the doing they wauer vp and downe with innumerable variety
him put away the bitternesse of malice and wickednesse let him not kil nor commit adultery nor steale nor beare false witnesse that the dry land may appeare and bring forth the honouring of Father and mother and the loue of our neyghbour All these sayth hee haue I kept 2. Whence then commeth such stoare of thornes if so bee the earth bee fruitefull Goe stubbe vp those thicke bushes of couetousnesse sell that thou hast and fill thy selfe with standing corne by giuing to the poore and follow the Lord if thou wilt be perfect that is associated to them among whom he speaketh wisedome he that well knoweth what to distribute to the day and what vnto the night that thou also mayst know it and that for thee there may bee lights made in the Firmament of heauen which neuer will bee vnlesse thy heart be there nor will that euer bee vnlesse there thy treasure bee also like as thou hearest of our good master But that barren earth was sorry at that saying and the thornes choaked the word in him 2. But you O chosen generation you weake things of the world who haue forsaken all that ye may follow the Lord goe yee now after him and confound the strong go after him O yee beautifull feete and shine yee in the Firmament that the heauens may declare his glory you that are mid-way betweene the light and the perfect ones though not so perfect yet as the Angels and the darkenesse of the little ones though not vtterly despised Shine yee ouer all the earth and let one day enlightened by the Sunne vtter vnto another day a speech of Wisedome and one night enlightened by the Moone shew vnto another night a word of knowledge The Moone and Starres shine in the night yet doeth not the night obscure them seeing they giue that light vnto it which it is capeable of For behold as if God had giuen the word Let there lights in the Firmament of heauen there came suddenly a sound from heauen as it had been the rusking of a mighty winde and there appeared clouen tongues like as it had beene of fire and it sate vpon each of them and there were made lights in the Firmament of heauen which had the word of life in them Ely euery where about O you holy flies O you beauteous fires for you are the light of the world nor are you put vnder a bushell he whom you claue vnto is exalted himselfe and hath exalted you Ranne you abroad and make your selues knowne vnto all nations CHAP. 20. He allegorizes vpon the creation of spirituall things 1. LEt the Sea also conceiue and bring forth your works ◠and let the waters bring foorth the mouing creature that hath life For you by separating the good from the bad are made the mouth of God by whom he sayd Let the waters bring forth not a liuing soule which the earth brings forth but the mouing creatures hauing life in it and the winged fowles that fly ouer the earth For thy Sacrament O God by the ministerie of thy holy ones haue moued in the middest of the waues of temptation of this present world for the trayning vp of the Gentiles vnto thy name in thy baptisme In the doing wherof many a great wonder was wrought resembling the huge Whales and the voyces of thy Messengers flying aboue the Earth in the open Firmament of thy Bible that being set ouer them as their authority vnder which they were to fly whithersoeuer they went For there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard Seeing their sound is gone thorow all the Earth and their words to the end of the world because thou O Lord hast enlarged them by thy blessing 2. Say I not true or doe I mingle and confound and not sufficiently distinguish betweene the knowledge of these lightsome creatures that are in the Firmament of heauen and these corporeall workes in the wauy Sea and those things that are vnder the Firmament of heauen For of those things whereof the vnderstanding is solid and bounded within themselues without any increases of their generations like the lights of Wisedome and Knowledge as it were yet euen of them the operations bee corporeall many and diuers and one thing growing out of another they are multiplyed by thy blessing O God who hast refreshed our soone cloyed mortall sences that so the thing which is but one in the vnderstanding of our mind may by the motions of our bodies bee many seuerall wayes set out and discoursed vpon These Sacraments haue the Waters brought forth yea indeede the necessities of the people estranged from the eternity of thy trueth haue brought them foorth in thy Word that is in thy Gospell Because indeede the Waters cast them foorth the bitternesse whereof was the very cause why these Sacraments went along accompanied with thy Word 3. Now are all things faire that thou hast made but loe thy selfe is infinitely fairer that madest these all from whom had not Adam falne this brackishnesse of the Sea had neuer flowed out of his Ioines namely this mankind so profoundly and so tempestuously swelling and so restlesly tumbling vp and downe And then had there beene no necessitie of thy ministers to worke in many waters after a corporeall and sensible maner such mysterious doings and sayings For in this sense haue those mouing flying creatures at this present fallen into my meditation in which people being trayned vp admitted into though they had receiued corporeal Sacraments should not for all this bee able to profit by them vnlesse their soule were also quickned vp vnto a higher pitch and vnlesse after the word of admission it looked forwards to Perfection CHAP. 21. He allegorizes vpon the Creation of Birds and fishes alluding by them vnto such as haue receiued the Lords supper are better taught and mortified which are perfecter Christians then the meerly baptized 1. ANd hereby by vertue of thy Word not the deepnesse of the Sea but the earth it selfe once separated from the bitternesse of the waters brings forth not the creeping and flying creatures of seules hauing life in them but the liuing soule it selfe which hath now no more neede of Baptisme as the heathen yet haue and as it selfe also had when it was couered heretofore with the waters For there is entrance into the kingdome of heauen no other way since the time that thou hast instituted this Sacrament for mē to enter by nor does the liuing soule any more seeke after miracles to worke Beliefe nor is it so with it any longer That vnlesse it sees signes and wonders it will not beleeue now that the faithfull Earth is separated from the waters that were bitter with infidelity and that tongues are for a signe not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not The Earth therefore which thou hast founded vpon the waters hath no more neede
of speaking it is corporeally expressed and thus doth this Fry of the waters increase and multiply Obserue againe Reader who euer thou art behold I say that which the Scripture deliuers and the voice pronounces one onely way In the Beginning God created Heauen Earth is it not vnderstood many a seuerall way not w th any deceit of errour but in seuerall kinds of very true sences Thus does mans of spring increase and multiply 4. If therefore wee can conceiue of the natures of things not allegorically but properly then may the phrase Increase and multiply very well agree vnto all things whatsoeuer that come of any kinde of Seede But if wee intreate of the words as figuratiuely spoken which I rather suppose to be the purpose of the Scripture which doth not I beleeue superfluously attribute this benediction vnto the increases of watery and humane creatures onely then verily doe we find multitudes both in creatures spirituall and creatures corporeall as in Heauen and Earth and in Soules both righteous and vnrighteous as in light and darkenesse and in holy Authors who haue beene the Ministers of the Law vnto vs as in the Firmament which is settled betwixt the higher and the lower Waters and in the society of people yet in the bitternesse of infidelity as in the Sea and in the studies of holy soules as in the dry land and in the workes of mercy done in this life as in the herbs bearing seede and in the fruitefull trees and in spirituall gifts shining forth for our edification as in the lights of heauen and in mens affections reformed vnto temperance as in the liuing soule in all these instances we meete with multitudes abundance and increase 5. But that such an increase and multiplying should come as that one thing may be vnderstood and expressed many wayes and one of those expressions vnderstood seuerall waies too wee doe no where find except in words corporeally expressed and in things intelligibly deuided By these words corporeally pronounced wee vnderstand the generations of the waters and that for the necessary causes of fleshly profundity by these things intelligibly diuided wee vnderstand humane generations and that for the fruitfulnesse of their reason And euen therefore we beleeue thee Lord to haue sayd to both these kinds Increase and multiply for that within the compasse of this blessing I conceiue thee to haue granted vs a power and a faculty both to expresse seuerall waies that which wee vnderstand but one and to vnderstand seuerall waies that which wee reade to bee obseurely deliuered but in one Thus are the waters of the Sea replenished which are not moued but by seuerall significations thus with humane increase is the earth also replenished whose drynesse appeared by its affections ouer which reason ruleth CHAP. 25. He allegorically compareth the Fruites of the Earth vnto the duties of piety I Will now also deliuer O Lord my God that which the following Scripture puts mee in minde of yea I will deliuer it without feare For I will vtter the truth thy selfe inspiring me with what thy pleasure was to haue me deliuer concerning those words But by no other inspiration then thine can I beleeue my selfe to speake truth seeing thou art the very truth and euery man a lyer He therefore that speaketh a lye speaketh it of his owne that therefore I may speake truth I will speake it from thee Behold thou hast giuen vnto vs for foode euery herbe bearing seede which is vpon the face of all the earth and euery tree in which is the fruit of a tree yeelding seede And that not to vs alone but also to all the Fowles of the ayre and to the beasts of the earth and to all creeping things but vnto the Fishes and to the greate whales hast thou not giuen them 2. Now by these fruites of the earth wee sayd before that the workes of mercy were signified and figured out in an Allegory which for the necessition of this life are afoorded as 〈◊〉 of a fruitfull earth Such an Earth was the doâ— out Quâ—siphâ—rus vnto whose housethou gauest mercy who often refreshed thy Paul and was not ashamed of his chaine With such a crop were those Brethren fruitfull also who out of Mecedonia supplied his wants But how much grieued hee for such trees as did not affâ—â—rd him the fruite due vnto him where hee sayth At my first â—â—swere no man stood by me 〈◊〉 men forsooke me I pray God that it may not be layd to their charge For these fruits are due vnto such as minister the Spirituall doctrine vnto vs out of their vnderstanding of the diuine Mysteries and they are due â—â— vnto them as they are 〈◊〉 yea and due so vnto them also as vnto liuing 〈◊〉 in that they giue themselues as patternes of imitation in all continencie â—nd so are they due vnto them also as they are flying 〈◊〉 for their Blessings which are multiplied vpon the 〈◊〉 because their found i gaue out into all lands CHAP. 26. The pleasure and the profit redounding to vs out of a 〈◊〉 turne done vnto our neyghbour 1. THey now are fedde by these fruites that are delighted with them nor are those delighted with them whose belly is their God Neither yet euen in them that yeeld them is that the fruit which they yeeld but the mind with which they affoord them Hee therefore that serued God not his own belly I plainely see the thing that caused him so to reioyce I see it and I reioyce with him For hee had receiued fruit from the Philippians who had sent it by Spaphroditâ—s vnto him and yet I still perceiue the cause of his reioycing For that which hee reioyced vpon that hee fed because hee speaking as truth was of it I reioyced sayth hee greatly in the Lord that now at last your 〈◊〉 of mâ— hath flourished againe wherein yee were also carefull but it was tedious vnto you These Philippians therefore had now euen rotted away with a longsome irkesomnesse and withered as it were in respect of the fruit of this good worke and he now reioyceth for them not for himselfe that they fliurisht again in asmuch as they now supplyed his wants Therefore sayth hee afterwards This I speake not in respect of want for I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abasâ—i and I know how to abound euery where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer neede I can do all things through him which strengtheneth me â— Of what art thou so glad O great Paul of what art thou so glad what is it thou so feedest vpoÌ„ Othou man renued in the knowledg of God after the image of him that created thee thou liuing soule of so much coÌ„tinency thou tongue of the flying fowles speaking such mysteries for to such creatures is this foode due what
16. Gen. 1. 9. Here the Popish Translater notes That Truth is a Catholicke benediction I allow it if he excepts Roman Ioh. 8. 44. a T is a maruell that my Papist put not in some Romish pinacle higher then that the diuell set our Sauior on to ouertop this height of the Scriptures authority What neuer a marginall note out against the Scriptures that 's maruaile a See here â—e one part of the Angels office who are Ministring spirites to the heyres of saluation Heb. 13. 14 b Origine * Tunelesse noyses a Here my M. S. and Sommalius copy well reades it Per saciendi potentiam whereas other Editions haue it â—erfioiendi potentia 1 Tm. 1. 8. * This is the third time that St Austen hath giuen the Scriptures this stile and neuer mentioned any subiection of the Scriptures vnto the Church which the Papist would so fayne haue a Moses Ps 143. 10. a My M. S. reades it Easine confessionimeae and not Ea fide confessionimeae as the Printed copies doe b Mala merita bona Merita If Merita in the Fathers must needes signifie merites why did not my Papist here tanslate it Euilt merits and good merits The word anciently signifies seruice or deseruings good or bad If God prevents vs how can wee in a proper strict sence be sayd to merit of him and if the Recompence bee due to God where 's your condignity or confidence to be recompe need for yout merits Eph. 5. 8. Psol 36. 6 1 Cor. 12. 21. Eph. 3 19. b This sentence was most generally in the Church-seruice and communion Nor is there scarce any one old Liturgy but hath it Sursum cordas Habâ—mus addominum psal 69. 2. psal 84. 5. * The Holy Ghost and not a furious blind zeale psal 122. 1. * The Angels Iohâ— 1. 9. Rom. 6. 17. Psal 36. 6. Math. 3. 2. 2 His conceit here in putting Repentance and light together is for that Baptisme was anciently called illumination as Heb 6. 4 Psa 42. 6. a Christ Phil. 2. 6 7 Eph. 5 8. 1 Cor. 5. 7 Rom. 8. 24 Psal 42. 7. 1 Cor. 3. 1 Phil. 3. 13 Psal 42. 1 1 Cor. 5. 1. b Vpon mankind Rom. 12. 2 1. Cor. l 4. 20. Gal. 3. 1. Acts 2. Ephe. 4 â— Psal 46. 4 Iohn 3. 29 Rom. 8. 13 a One deepe calls vpon another mans misery vpon Gods mercie Other Scriptures as Apoc 14. 2. by waters vnderstand the people b 2 Cor. 11. 3. where St. Austen read castitate in steade of Simplicitat These words with others before would the Popish Translator wrest as if spoken by St. aul now in heauen and praying for and sauing of soules whereas they bee onely the Confession of St. Austens owne zeale borowed out of St. aul's words 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Apoc. 7. 17 Ps 42. 4 5. Ps 119. 105 Esa 26. 20 Eph. 2. 3. Eph. 5. 8. Rom 8. 10 Cant. 2. 17 Psal 42. 11 Rom. 8. 11 * Here the popish Translater fals foule vpon the Caluenists for affirming their Church to consist onely of the Elect. He should haue done well to haue quoted some Author Mr. Caluin himselfe sayth onely That the church properly consists of the Elect. though many wicked be of the outward Church with whom he sayth wee are commanded to hold communion Institut lib. 4. c. 1. §. 7. Rom. 9. 21 Apoc. 6. 14 The Popish Translaters note That by men the Scriptures came to haue authority ouer vs is false vnlesse men made the Firmament mans nay the Penmans authority is here called Ministery and that 's seruice not true authority Nay the next words shew that mans authority obscured the Scriptures authority which was eminenter after the Penmen were dead a Adam and Eue. a Here is my papist forced to confesse the Scriptures to be aboue all humane authority and that the churches power is but to declare which be Scriptures Psal 36. 5 Mat. 24. 3 Eay 40. 6 8. 1 Cor. 13. 12 1 Iohn 3. 2 Cant 2. 9. 1 Iohn 3. 2 Psal 143. 6 Psal 36. 9 a Here the other Translater mistoole a a little in turning it Bitter waters Genes 1. 9 Psal 143. 6 Psal 95. 6 a St. Austen still alludes to the manner of the creation Gen. 1 His meaning is that we should not onely doe slightly for our neighbour as we doe for an herb which hauing feede in it selfe needs but our setting but be like a tree to him affoord him fruite strength and shadow Psa 85. 11 Gen. 1. 12 Esay 58 7 2 Cor. 5. 17 Rom. 13. 11 12. Pal 65. 11 Math 9 38 Ma. 13. 3 Gen. 1. 16 1 Cor. 12. 8 10. a Sacraments are here taken in the largest signification b Moses sayth the other Translater St. Paul say I. The phrase is St. Pauls 1 Cor. 3. 1 a He alludes to the Primitiue practice which admitted not their Catechumenos or vnbaptized to heare the higher poynts of religion handled till they were enlightened that is baptized yet these he aduised to rest contented with their catecheticall knowledge The other Translater is puzled Esay 1 16 He alludes to the Sacrament of Baptisme Gen. 1. 11 30. Here the other Translater misread his copy populi for pabuli and mis poynts the next sentence Mat. 19. 16 17 a Here my papist foysts in the word Counsayle into St. Austens words very fayne would he countenance the popish vow of pouerly which they say is counsayled though not commanded Mat. 13. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 27 Rom. 10. 5 Psal 19. 2. Acts. 2. 2. These Allegories had some meaning against the Manichees seeing in his booke de Genesi contra Manichaeos they be againe repeated which see * Now what will the papists say to this most cleare authority of the Scripture Doe the popish Emissaries fly hither vnder this or with this authority No but rather with the popes Nay fly they not contrary to this authority If not why doe they so much complayne of and vilyfie the Scripture where its authority serues not their turnes Psal 19. 4. * I he same sentence may Râ—scius Act and Cicero describe seuerall waies a 1 Hoe aludes to Baptisme in water accompanyed with the Word of the Gospell of the Institution whereof mans misery was the occasion Hee meanes that Baptisme which is the Sacrament of Initiation was not so profitable without the Lords Supper which the Ancients called the Sacrament of perfection or consummation Gen. 1. 20 Gen. 2. 7. a Baptisme which is necessary generally though not alwaies and particularly where the meanes are not And the Schoole-men teach that Martyrdome and an earnest desire doe counteruaile the want of Baptisme 1 Cor. 14. 22 Psal 24. 2 Gods messengers a Hee meanes Christ the first letters of whose â—ames did in Sybiles Acrosticke verses make vp the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Fish He was also resembled by Ionas drawn out of the Fish and Deepe And himselfe was raysed from the Graue and Hell He is fed vpon