sharpe colde that commeth from it as it were with a certaine whip kéepeth in the good iuice in the grafts and séedes to the intēt it breake not forthe out of season but lie hidden secretely in the rootes vntill the beginning of the primetide do approche Consider besides this the great number and the varietie of the birdes in the aire of whom we receaue so great pleasure that it well appeareth Gods prouidence wold not only supply our nede but also minister vnto vs things delectable I let passe to speake of the fire wherof as we féele no smal cōfort when we are pinched with the roughnesse of the winter so also it auaileth vs so many sundry other wayes that at no time of the yeare we can misse it without manifest daunger of our health Yea the earth it selfe being but a heauy grosse matter yet so commodious it is by al meanes both for man and beast y surely it is wonder to cōsider it which receiueth vs into the world as we come out of our mothers wombes and when we are once borne brought forth yéeldeth vs sustenance alwayes after till at the last when all the world besides hath forsaken vs it receaue vs tenderly into hir bosome like a mother to couer vs to kéepe vs safe from the iniurie and violence both of foule and beast Hereof especially it is worth the labor to consider the maner constitution For it is neither all euen ground nor yet all raised vp aloft but with maruellous cūning partly it is made plain and smooth and partly it is deuided into hilles and dales Therfore being brought into such a forme that both the fluds in the winter season ouerflowing the gréene pastures might haue passage and the laborer that trauaileth by the way might enter the more cōmodiously through the narow straights It were a long labour and the same in such store of other matter perchaunce not so néedefull to be tolde what Colepittes of fewell quarries of stone mines of golde siluer yron leade and other metals are digged out of the vaynes of the earth Whereby we sée not onely many necessaries suffised but goodly and sumptuous houses erected precious iewels costely plate very curiously and queintly forged And not onely these benefites afore named we scrape and gather out of the earth but therewithall pondes brookes welles riuers all salte and freshe waters all the mightie and mayne Seas doo issue and spring out of the same So that with great plentie of sauage and tame beastes wandring in the woddes and the wilde forestes we haue all kinds of fishes that our hearts could wishe Be not these great signes and tokens of a God that is carefull and tender ouer vs What and if I put to this the great vse that we haue of the water it selfe about our meates in our drinks in washings in bathings in purgings in many other things which I let passe But this in any wise must not be skipped with silence which Seneca speaketh of in the fifth booke of his naturall questions that to thintent these large and huge seas should not hinder any traffike betwixte man and man God hath giuen vs windes to helpe forwarde oure ships and sayles that euery countreyes commodities might be made common At these wonders therfore aboue specified and other moe that came to his remembraunce the prophet Dauid maruelously astonished cryeth out with great exclamation VVhat is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou so visitest him Thou haste made him little lovver than the Angels vvith glory and honour thou haste crouned him and thou hast made him to haue the dominion ouer the workes of thyne hands Thou haste put all things in subiection vnder his feete all beasts and Oxen yea and the sheepe of the field the foules of the ayre and the fishes of the sea and vvhat so euer vvalketh throughe the pathes of the Sea. O Lorde oure gouernour hovve excellente is thy name in all the vvorlde Hitherto goeth the Prophete Who first as you haue heard with great vehemencie demaūdeth repeting his question more than once of what excellencie man is or of what worthinesse the sonne of man shoulde be estéemed that God should make so muche of him or so highly and souerainely aduaunce him Wherin is diligently to be obserued the varietie shifte of wordes that the Prophet vseth VVhat is man sayth he vvhat is the sonne of man as who sayth neyther God nor Aungell but a man and the sonne of a man that is a méere mortall and sinnefull creature subiecte to vanitie and corruption And yet as though he were thine owne derling so thou makest of him béeing clothed in déede with the lothesome vesture of the fleshe but yet in the same not muche inferior to the blessed spirites sonne of Adam by deprauation of nature but thy sonne thy deare sonne by acceptation of grace image of Sathan by frowarde and péeuishe disposition but thine owne image and resemblance by his first creation Yea with so great glory and honor thou haste set him vp that as thou reignest and rulest inuisibly in the heauens so nexte and immediatly vnder thée thou haste giuen him visibly a dominion soueraintie in the earth So that there is no beast be it Oxe or shéepe or any other that can withdrawe it selfe from the subiection of man No birdes of the ayre nor fishes of the sea that can priuiledge them selues from his bondage Therefore muste I say it and say it agayne sayth the Prophete Dauid O Lorde O gracious Lorde thou that so honorably prouidest for vs so fauorably doest shielde vs so mercifully doest protecte vs O howe highe art thou magnified not in heauen onely where is the seate of thy habitation but euen thoroughout the whole earth Where the straunge woorkes of thine handes appeare so muche the more glorious as the matier that they are framed of is the more brittle The. vij Chapter He sheweth Gods Prouidence by perusing the Anatomie of mans body MVche it is out of questiō the this propheticall prince hath spoken but yet me thinketh forasmuche as wée entreate of Gods Prouidence it shoulde bothe be very incident to our purpose and also make the whole matier that he hath thus noted vnto vs the more playn if we should here vpon occasion offred notifie with asmuch breuitie as we can the making constitution and the whole nature of a man Which examination of ours béeing finished we shall haue afterwards the better oportunitie to discourse more largely of his preeminence An harde matier perchaunce it might be thought for a man not yet entred in the arte of Phisike to runne throughe as it were the Anatomie of ā mans body But nathelesse so ferfoorth as I shall thinke it requised I am the rather encoraged to take it in hande that I mighte fellow that yoldē precept which biddeth a man know him selfe so much made of as Plinie saith in times past that it
vaynes and other secrete partes I passe ouer likewise the fiue senses the comely and necessarie vse of the haire with other suche lyke thinges The more curious handling whereof to them chiefly appertayneth whiche professe suche learning and kinde of knowledge For deare brother I will appeale to thine owne conscience Howe thinkest thou Dothe not thys that I haue touched already sufficiently sette oute vnto thée that cleare lyghte that shyneth of hys owne accorde Who can wander in darkenesse that hathe suche torches in the firmament to giue hym lyghte Who can pretende ignoraunce that hathe hys Scholemaister teaching him in his bosome Who so dull and blockishe of vnderstanding that can not learne so sensible and plaine a lesson looking neuer besides his booke Onlesse wée be growen to suche a desperatenesse that wée wyll wylfully beréeue our selues of both our eyes Howe can wée not perceaue and sée that which so dayly and hourely is before oure face Before oure face quod I nay I pray you howe can wée looke besides it for if thou caste vppe thy face towardes the skie the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie workes If thou looke downe vppon the earthe the very earthe it selfe is full of the Lordes goodnesse wherein thou haste so many argumentes of his Prouidence as there bée beastes in the fieldes or the wylde forestes fishes in the maine Sea â—trées hearbes flowres growing vppon the soyle if thou turne thée on the rightâ— hande or on the lefte the wynde blowing in thy face the ayre besettyng thée rounde about will caste thée in the téeth wyth Gods benefites and very heynously charge thée if thou fynde faulte Lactantius telleth vs of one Archimedes a Sicilian who with a globe of brasse which he deuysed coulde so counterfeite the making of the whole world that he resembled the rising and setting of the Sunne the waning and waxing of the Moone the mouing and remouing of the Starres and Planets in suche order as they go forward and turne in the very heauens The lyke Tullie wryteth of Posidonius his familiar friende And Patricius speaketh of a Doue that was so frained by Architas Tarentinus and according to the arte of Geometrie so cunningly measured by due proportions that the tempered ayre that was shutte into it forced it to flye Certaynely these were straunge deuises whereof no man coulde doubte that sawe them but that by great sleight and conueyaunce they were brought to passe What then mighte wée conclude of him that with a worde made heauen and all the earthe Whose power and wisedome in inuenting if we must néedes bée driuen to confesse to bée vtterly vnsearchable and paste finding out shoulde wée then mistruste hys goodnesse in protecting that sée the mightie hande of his Maiestie so playnly before vs in creating The .viij. Chapter Epicures cauilling at the vvorkemanshippe of mannes body is confuted BVt abide you whyles we stande thus reasoning of the matier was there neuer any Momus in a corner y could espye an hole to creepe oute at Yea as sayth the sect of Epicures there be too too many things out of square Goe to then let them tell vs hardely what they be O say they there is no order and many things come to passe otherwise than they should Wherein Man whom you so aduaunce is borne vtterly so weake and féeble that he hath no shifte in the world to helpe himselfe The brute beastes are armed euery one with a certayne naturall defence the buls with their hornes the Beares with their téeth the Lyons with tearing and deuouring the beast called Bonasus with his dongue casting the Cuttle fishe with an incke that he flinges about him some with flying other with hiding of them selues all one way or other can safegarde themselues But man coÌ„meth naked into the world in daunger of fire and water impotente bothe of hande foote so tender of body that in cold weather he is benummed with cold in sommer he is parched with heate néedle and sickely subiecte to all casualities that may happen griped eftsoones at the harte with inwarde gréefes of the minde passions pangs and perturbations which other liuing creatures be frée from With these and other the like words these Epicures dilate mannes misery affirming that nature to mankinde is a stepdame rather than any mother Not vntruely in déede altogether if the marke they shot at were not open blasphemie against God but their conclusion vtterly is to be detested For what if God haue not geuen a maÌ„ great clawes and talantes nor couered him with an héerie skinne like a beare which as they were nothing séemely for so gentle and milde a creature so neither were they commodious for mannes vse For howe shoulde he scale a wall or climbe vppe a ladder when he attempteth the building of an house or set sure foote when he goeth vpon brick or hard stones if he were pawed and talanted like a Lyon Man therefore being amiable louely of his shape hath not in déede any such thing but what then he hath that which by all meanes is farre better I meane reason and vnderstanding by the which we haue affinitie with God himselfe Man hathe no scales lyke a Dragon wherby he may beare off a cruel blowe But he hath arte and pollycie lodged in his tender brayne whereby hée was not onely able to inuent complet harnis for hys bodie but all engynnes and instrumentes of warfare yea not onely al engins and instrumentes of warfare but whatsoeuer else you coulde imagine eyther profitable or pleasaunt for mankynde Man is not so strong of coÌ„stitucion nor so well fensed by nature agaynst heate and colde as bée shéepe Oxen and other beastes But their wooll and skinnes be at his commaundement wherewith hée maye be clothed from top to toe For this purpose of all other creatures God hathe onely gyuen man handes to the intente he might put in execution that whyche reason willeth too bée done With them therefore hée maye make himselfe not onely all kinde of apparell but he maye tyll and sowe the grounde hée maye graffe trées and plant Vyneyardes wyth them he maye mowe the grasse and reape the corne inne it thresh it grynde it bake it and make breade of it With them hée may make conserues siropes preseruatiues and all manner of confections Wyth them hée maye write bookes and letters into farre countries and put in vre and practise all Sciences Whereof the huge numbre the greate skyll the subtyle inuention the moste profitable and holesome vse too nought else but the gifte of reason can iustly and truely bée ascribed The power whereof is so great that there is no Serpent so venemous no Lyon so fearce no Elephante so strong no birde so swifte no dumbe beaste so furious eyther by Sea or lande whyche by mannes industrie and wisedome cannot lyghtely and easely be brought vnder So true is that saying before rehearsed out of the Psalmes Thou hast made him to haue
things passe both Herode Pilate with all their complices that so bloudily conspired agaynst Chryst did moste abhominably and detestably in the sighte of God God him selfe by whose secrete counsayle and determination as it is in the Actes it was appoynted vppon long before dyd that which was seemely for hys goodnesse and thereto very well framing and consonante to the seueritie of his iustice for the raunsoming of hys electe oute of Sathans bandes In whiche and suche other lyke cases as Saincte Austine saythe what greater cause can bée rendered why GOD shoulde be iuste and man a trespasser Nisi quiam re vna quam fecerunt causa nonest vna ob quam fecerunt Saying that in one and the very same thyng in the dooing wherof God and man ioyned the same cause of dooing it can not be assigned Now that this deformitie afore mentioned muste be distinguished from a deformed acte as it is clearely shewed by that that hathe bene sayde already so Thomas of Aquine dothe set it oute yet somewhat more plainly For euery fault proceedeth sayth he of somewhat that is amisse in the next agent and not of any influence that commeth directly from the first mouer As for an example the lamenesse that maketh a man to haulte aryseth of some sore or hurte done to the legge and not of that naturall force whereby we are able to moue oure selues whereas notwithstanding it commeth all of oure natiue force whatsoeuer perfection we shoulde haue to moue that séemeth by oure lame going to bée wanting Euen so fareth it in this case concerning oure deformities deformed doinges The next and secondarie agent that moueth man to sinne is his wyll Therefore the default and blemish that is in a sinnefull action is to bée arrected to mannes will and not to God the first agent from whome notwithstandyng whatsoeuer maketh for the perfection of a déede that is done sinnefully as from the fountayne of nature muste néedes haue his beginning The .iiij. Chapter How euill is done by Gods will the author maketh further declaration THis case therefore béeing so clerely and manyfestly discussed and so diuerse and sundry wayes sufficiently proued and confirmed that God béeing not in very déede the author of our actes and doinges as they be so ilfauouredly shapē and broughte out I meane with that vicious qualitie that is in them is yet the onely worker whereby oure sinnefulnesse is broughte to lighte and the dyrectour and guyder of the same this question of many men is moued and of me not lightely to be passed ouer whether GOD be wylling that any sinns should be done yea or no. For the words of the prophet Dauid in the fifth Psalms séeme vtterly to sounde to the contrary where he sayth according to the common translation of the Latin Byble Non deus volens iniquitatem tu e◠Thou arte not a God that willeth any iniquitie And no lesse playnly speaketh the author of the booke of wisedome in his 14. Chapter saying that God hateth alyke aswel the wicked mā as his wicked dedes For sée I pray you what a sequele may be inferred if he hate thē belike he hath no minde to them if he haue no minde to them why shoulde he will to haue them doone But surely the premisses béeing considered it were not at all to any purpose to stande long in resoluing of such a doubt For first is this a well settled foundation and a cleare case to be agréed vppon amongst them that dispute this controuersie that al things be they good or bad that are done in the worlde be disposed and ordred by Gods Prouidence As for that poynt I trust it is already made so playne that it néedeth not any longer to be in question Well then if God from the beginning did for sée that euill things should happen euill I say in them that were the instruments by whome they were wrought as slaughters or whoredomes treasons c. If he determined with him selfe not to resiste them but to suffer them to goe forwarde and to haue their course yea moreouer if he ordeyned that they shoulde be done either punishing one sinne by an other in leauing menne to them selues or else for some other meaning beste knowen to hys secrete wysedome fynally if hée hym selfe also were a medler in them as one that made them to breake foorthe for the better disclosing of the hypocrisie that is lodged and harboured in mennes heartes howe can wée saye that GOD forsawe any thing to bee broughte out by hys owne working and yet hadde not to doe with it or that he hadde to doe wyth it and yet ordeyned it not or ordeyned it and yet woulde not suffer it or was contente to suffer it and yet woulde not haue it doone hadde not he knoweledge inoughe to preuente it that so long foresawe it or wanted he power that wrought it or wysedome that so wysely ordered it or wyll that suffered it Lette them tell then who forced him to suffer it contrary to his mind But that veryly were as harde for them to doe as to fynde mée oute one by making searche within the compasse of heauen and the rounde earthe of more mighte and puissaunce than God him selfe Therefore this sentence of Sayncte Austine whiche he wryteth in the hundreth chapter of his Enchiridion is well worthy to be considered and thought vppon For therfore sayth he great be the workes of the Lorde soughte out of all them that haue pleasure therin inasmuch as it commeth to passe by a maruellouse and vnspeakable waye that that is not done besides hys will whiche also is done agaynst his will. For why it shoulde not be done if he would not suffer it and surely he suffered it not vnvvillyng but vvyth his wyll And it coulde not bee that he◠whiche is good woulde suffer any thing to bee done that is euill onlesse that hee also beeing almightie were able to vse an euill worke to the accomplishing of a good These be Austines owne wordes Wherin by those his distinct termes Besides his will and agaynst his will methinketh he woulde giue vs to vnderstand that in Gods will which of it selfe is no moe but one there be yet distincte maners of willing a thing to be done Whereof it commeth that that whiche God would not absolutely and in all respectes he woulde yet for some certayne ende wherevnto he woulde vse it And this which I nowe haue spoken néedeth not to séeme straunge to the hearer For it hapneth euen in the affayres of oure dayly lyfe The marchaunt that is daungerously storme beaten vpon the seas when he bringeth home that which he hath toyled for is doubtlesse willing inough of his owne part to saue his marchaundise and to bring them away with him to land but for feare of shipwracke and comming in daunger of his lyfe he will not euen in that respecte saue hys wares and therefore he casteth them into the sea that he him selfe may
therfore haue we to finde fault with God if it be true that Lactantius sayth And truely he hathe spoken nothing which bothe in reason and conscience wée fynde not true Oh howr muche therefore are wée beholding to almightie God who so swéetely and comfortably disposeth all thinges that euen that whiche were otherwyse most noysome and could not but ill fauouredly breake out yet by his maruelous working he turneth to good But my mind gretly giueth me to heare an other whyle father Origene who entreating of thys very same mattier so largely and amply setteth it oute that wée coulde not wyshe or require any more God sayth he vvroughte not malyce but yet beeing able to lette it from going forwarde after it is founde out of other he dothe not so but vseth bothe it and them that haue it for conueniente and necessarie causes For by them in vvhome malyce is abyding he hathe made them well knowen and tryed who goe on the way towardes renowne that commeth by the exercise of vertue VVhiche malyce if it shoulde be destroyed doubtlesse there shoulde bee nothyng lefte that shoulde sette it selfe agaynste vertue And vertue not hauyng any contrarie to striue agaynste coulde not so clearelye shyne foorth and become brighter as it were and better scoured Nowe vertue if it be not proued and examined is no vertue But if this be sayde onely by me and not confirmed by the testimonies of holy Scripture it will seeme rather to bee a gay paynted flourishe sette togither by the arte of mannes witte than a truthe and a thing that is oute of doubte Let vs searche then whether oute of the Byble we may pieke any such lesson Let vs come to the history of Ioseph Take away the malice of his brethrē take away their enuy take away al the bloudy conference that they had one of thē with an other so cruelly raging against their brother vntil suche time as they had solde him I say these things taken away see howe muche thou shalt ouerthrowe the whole maner and order of Gods Prouidence For with the same labor thou shalt vndo al that euer Ioseph did in Egypt for al mens safegarde and preseruation Pharaos dreame had bene neuer expounded through the enuy of his brethren Ioseph being pulled as it were from hys fathers side had not come into Egypte no man had vnderstode vvhat God had reueled to the king no man had gathered vp in Egypt suche a great deale of corne together no man by his vvise prouision had remedied the extreme neede that men should haue bene driuen to by the occasion of the dearthe all Egypt had sterued for hunger yea and the countreys had died vp rounde about Moreouer Israel himself should haue ended his dayes in like manner and his sede begging their breade if they had not entred into Egypt neither had the children of Israell come thence againe vvith suche vvonderful vvorks of the Lord no vvhere had ben those plages that had ben poured vpon Egypt nor those vvondrous vvorks vvhich God did by Moses and Aaron nobody had gone ouer the red sea dry-shod no man in this mortal life had bene acquainted vvith the foode of Manna no freshe streames of vvater had gushed out of the rocke that folovved them the lavv had not bene geuen man from God none of all that that is vvrytten in Exodus in Leuiticus in the boke of Numbres in Deuteronomy had comen to the knovvledge of mākinde certainly their fathers inheritance the land of promisse none of the Israelites had entred And to come to the text of the history vvhich vve haue in hand take avvay the malice of this deuillishe king Balac vvhich made him so desirous to haue the Israelites cursed take avvay his subtilitie vvherevvith he enticed Balaam to curse them and thou shalt take avvay altogither the order of Gods dealing and the fauour of his Prouidence tovvardes Israels children no vvhere shall be those prophecies to be seene foretold by the mouthe of Balaam bothe to the children of Israel and to the Gentiles And hitherto vve haue brought proues oute of the olde Testament Novv if you couette an other vvhile to haue this that vve saye confirmed by the testimonies of the nevve testament if you sette aside the malice of Iudas and leaue oute hys treason you shall remoue avvaye vvith it altogether bothe Christes crosse and his passion and if Chrystes crosse be gone the principalities and povvers can not be spoyled nor triumphed ouer vppon the vvoodde of the crosse If Christ had not died neyther hadde he risen againe neither had there beene any the first begotten of the deade If there hadde beene none the first begotten of the dead neyther coulde vvee haue hadde any hope of oure resurrection Of the deuill himselfe if vve putte novve the like case to vvitte that hee hadde beene restrayned by some necessitie from committing sinne or that after sinne committed his malicious vvil hadde beene taken from him therevvithall oute of doubte there hadde beene taken from vs the strife that vvee haue againste the vvilye traines of the deuill and the crovvne of victorie coulde not haue beene looked for of his parte that had lavvfully vvrastled and buckled vvith him If vvee shoulde haue no ghostly ennimies that vvoulde stande againste vs there coulde not then I say be any bickering nor revvardes should be layde vp for the ouercommers nor the kingdome of Heauen shoulde bee prouyded for them that haue the vpper hande nor this lighte afflictyon of oures vvhyche in comparison lasteth for the space of the tournyng of a mannes hande should cause vnto vs a farre greater vvaighte of glorye in the time to come neither could any of vs for suffering of tribulations in this vvorlde hope for the infinite glory of the vvorld hereafter Oute of all vvhich premisses vvee may novve inferre this conclusion that God dothe not only vse good instruments but bad also to the doing of a good vvorke For in this great house of the vvorlde there be not onely vessels of golde and siluer but of vvoode also and of clay some of them seruing to honoure other of them to dishonour and yet neither of bothe sortes coulde be spared Thus farre goeth Origene speaking so muche of the vse of the euill that is in sinne that we might wel holde our selues satisfied But of serpentes and beastes venimous with such other pernicious things what say we are we able to stand in the defense of them saying that they also are expedient The mad secte of the Manichee◠hadde alwayes against them a great quarrell calling them as they did also mothes and fleshe flies gentes tenebrarum the Bentiles of the darckenesse But what trowe yée is the answere that S. Austine maketh them These heretikes marke not sayeth he vvhat force they haue vsed in place and considered as they be in their ovvn kinde and in hovv goodly order they are disposed moreouer hovve muche they garnishe the vvorlde for their proportion as
saying that God created no euill thing And well shotte in déede of them both but God knoweth tootoo farre from the marke For alas good menne whyles they woulde defende Gods innonocencie which notwithstanding withoute their ayde is able to supporte it selfe they sée not in the meane tyme how they pull God oute of his throne of iudgement not onely despoyling him of hys iustice but also by haynouse sacriledge depriuing hym of his almighpower God createth no euill thyng they say it is true if they mente it so as thoughe no creature of Gods making were to be estéemed as euill But will they say the execution of vengeaunce agaynst sinne procéedeth not from the scate of God To whom then shall we flée for refuge when mighte ouercommeth vs in oure righte Where then is become the defendour of forsaken widdowes and the shielde and buckler of poore orphanes Is there any euill done in the world which God is not able to preuent How then doth he call his God moste gracious and moste mightie Iupiter But as for Tullie let him go hardly with his God. Of oure God let vs beléeue as the scriptures teache vs that whether it be the destroying of corne and fruite or the ransacking and subuerting of townes and cities or any other mischéefe that is done in the worlde it commeth euery whitte of it of Gods displeasure euen as we are certaynely assured that the contrary is the benefite of Gods blessing Therfore wheras Plinie alegeth the Varto telleth vs of a certayne towne vndermyned by connies in the countrey of Spaine and of an other throwne downe by mouldiwarpes in Thessalia and how that frogges droue citizens oute of their houses in a towne of Fraunce and of Locustes that did the like in Africa with many other the like terrible examples of Gods wrath executed by moste lothesome and contemned vermine we may be well assured that these dumbe fily creatures could neuer be set on by themselues but as it muste néedes be they were stirred vp by God him selfe Let vs nowe come to oure aforesayde writer vpon Habatuk for Tullies errour is not vnrefuted if it please you but to call to memorie that which hath bene elsewhere spoken first he graunteth to vs of his owne accorde that God hath a generall disposition and a confused order as it were for the gouerning and guyding euen of these things that be base For he will not greatly sticke with vs aboute this that God is not ignoraunte what a great number of fishes there be in the sea after what sorte these créeping and foure footed beastes doo encrease with what meate they liue and suche other lyke pretie thinges But he taketh it to be a debasing of Gods Maiestie and therefore for sooth he can not take it wel that we shoulde say he hath any knowledge concerning gnattes lothesome wormes flies or fleas or any such other simple creatures Is it a derogation then to Gods Maiestie to knowe any thing which he hath created if the very knowledge of suche thinges dishonour God muche more should their creation But God hathe created nothing whereof he hath cause to be ashamed who testifieth of all his workes that they bée exceeding good And the Prophete Dauid cryeth oute that God hathe wroughte all thinges in vvysedome and that the earthe is full of the goodnesse of the Lorde Dothe not God knowe hys poore séely creatures sayth he howe then dyd he create he wiste not what Holy writte recordeth not onely that God knoweth with what foode and sustenaunce euery liuing thing is nourished but also that God openeth his owne hand not disdayning himselfe to féede euery one of them Hathe he suche a care ouer any thing whiche he wyll not knowe The Prophete making exclamation VVho is lyke sayth he to the Lorde oure God who notwithstanding that he ruleth aboue in heauen yet humbleth himselfe to beholde whatsoeuer is in heauen or in earth◠Doth God sée all things vpon the earth and yet hath he no vnderstanding what they be Wherefore then dothe he beholde them S. Peter béeing eftesones demaunded of our sauiour Christ whether it were so that he loued him yea or no in the ende maketh answere with these words Yea Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I loue thee If God be he which knoweth all things as all Christians certaynely beléeue and many ways else if néede were it might be proued why then I pray you dothe this author beeing otherwyse a godly and learned father take vppon him to make suche an exception But surely what so euer he say to the contrary not onely God conceyueth all thinges by his infinite and endlesse knoweledge no not the meanest thinges that are béeing excluded But that whiche more is he hath ouer all thinges an especiall care Which truely if it were otherwyse I say if God withdrewe from any thyng the helpe and furtheraunce of hys dyrection yea and thoughe it were but for the momente of one houre it would straighte-waye consume and fall to noughte For at the fyrste sayth Gregorious Magnus was euery thing made of nothyng and to nothyng agayne shoulde their substaunce come ne were it not that he that made them stayed and vvithhelde them with the hande of his gouernement All thinges therefore which God hath made of themselues are nether able to hold togither nor to moue or stirre to or fro but so farfoorth they haue a beeing as God hath giuen them that guifte to be so farre foorth they are able to moue as God by his secrete working setteth them on With consideration whereof the Apostle is so vehemently enflamed that no longer able to stay hym selfe O the deepenesse sayeth he crying oute with muche woondering and admiration of the riches bothe of the vvisedome and knovvledge of God! hovv vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his vvayes hovve farre be they past finding out For vvho hath knovvne the mind of the lord or vvho vvas his counseller or vvho hath giuen to him first and he shal be recompēsed FOR OF HIM AND THROVGH HIM AND FOR HIM ARE ALL THINGS To hym be glorye for euer Amen If then God be he who as it were vnder proppeth all things if he vouchesafe all things the greate benefite of his presence to that end who out of no place can be expelled if he beholde all things with a cōtinual watching eye as I haue elsewhere declared if he can vtterly be ignorant of nothing what then shoulde let him particularly of al things to haue a care Should good wil But euen by the common receiued sentence of all Christendom and heathnesse he is most gracious Should paines As though it were not as easie for almighty god to gouern as to holde vp from falling to holde vp all things as with al things to be presēt◠to be present with all things as to know whatsoeuer is in the worlde to knowe whatsoeuer is in the world as to viewe all things with the
he hath ouer them but bycause he woulde not estraunge them from their owne kinde but leaue them as they be already by their creation For he no doubte is willing of hys owne parte suche is and hathe bene alwayes hys great goodnesse to bring al things which he hath made to a certayne kind of perfection but yet as good reason is to such a kinde of perfection as their owne nature requireth Thus hitherto haue I procéeded as it séemed best in perusing ouer my definition which I proposed of Gods Prouidence in the begining of this my third◠booke shewing that it is nothing else but an order thought vpon from euerlasting and most stedfastly decreed in Gods counsayle without any alteration to be loked for wherby al things in heauen or vnder heauen be continually gouerned and prouided for according to the state of their owne nature The conclusion of this thirde booke THus we haue procéeded hytherto in shadowing out as it were the nature of Gods Prouidēce In shadowing it out I say Christian reader for that I haue garnished it or adorned it with liuely colours I dare not in any wyse professe Nay truly I am rather of this mind that as the Maiestie of God is vnserchable so the hiddē mistery of his Prouidēce is not altogither to be cōpassed with mans wit. Therfore the wise saying of Simonides mai very wel in this case be applied Of whō the tyraunt Hiero when he had demaunded what maner of thing God is he required a days respite that he might take the better deliberation The next day after when the Tyraunt asked the same questiō Simonides requested the he might haue two days longer to take aduisemēt At the last when the Tyraunt saw that the more time he gaue him to consulte of the matier the further of he was alwais from his answere still asking double as many dayes to aduise him selfe as before had bene granted to him not a litle maruelling at his straunge demeanor he required of him earnestly what he mente that he shoulde deale with him so frowardly in such order Vnto whom Simonides making answere for surely quod he the lōger I am thinking of your question the harder it séemeth to be discussed Euen so verily say I of Gods Prouidence the further I wade in it and the more I muse of it in my minde the more still I finde it intangled and beset with darknesse and mistie cloudes But that which we can not vnderstande bicause God hath mesured our capacities would to God at least we would reuerence and supply that with vertuous godly life which otherwise in knowledge séemeth wanting Would to God I say when we heare any thing whiche we can not by and by cōceiue we would yet at least wise learne this poynte of wisdome to stand in awe and to tremble at Goddes iudgemēts So did that godly Psalmist who after he had spoken of the like matter brake out into these woordes Suche knovvledge is too vvonderfull and excellent for me I can not attaine vnto it The Prophet Ieremie in like manner being amazed at the order of Goddes gouernement yet vseth no vncomely or vnreuerent talke but confessing rather his wāt of skill Thou art iust Lord sayeth he if I should dispute vvith thee As who shuld say Howesoeuer my braine be not able to searche out thine hidden woorckes yet thou Lorde arte able to iustifie whatsoeuer thou doest For it is very truely and notably said of Paule Science and skill as it may be considered by it selfe withoute Goddes especiall grace doeth make a man stand in his ovvne conceite and puffe him vp but loue and charitie dothe edifie And be it so that any man suppose he vnderstandeth any thing yet he knovveth nothing in such sorte as he ought to knovve it But if any body loue God by him it is that he obtaineth knovvledge God graunt we may euery one of vs bothe know God and be knowne of him to our comforte Amen The fourth booke of Gods Prouidence The first Chapter Of the ministerie of Angels in generall and of the order and maner of Gods gouernement wherin a sentence of Gregorie and Aristotle is discussed HAuing now sufficiently as I truste declared what Gods Prouidence is it now followeth as a néedefull consequent that I speake somwhat of the maner of Gods gouernment namely whether he him selfe as the Poetes imagine of their Atlas that he shoulde beare vp heauen with his shoulders or as the supersticious do fable of S. Christopher that he should carry Chryst vppon his back he hauing the round world in his hand whether God I say vndertake this gouernement as immediately welding it by himself or else also ruling it by his Angelles appoynted either to their generall or especiall charge In the explication whereof as well greate wits as learned heads haue bene somewhat troubled and entangled and not Christian wryters onely that haue bene exercised in godly learning but the Philosophers also some of them haue scarcely vnwrapped themselues oute of the briers Gregorie wryting vppon the 34. chapiter of Iob séemeth flatly to deny in plaine wordes that there should be any suche regiment of the Angelles For thus he sayeth vpon these woordes of Elihu VVhome hath he made gouernoure vpon the earth besides himself or vvhom els hath he sette ouer the rounde vvorlde vvhich he hath made This is spoken to this purpose that thou maiste gather by his vvoordes that God hathe committed this authoritie to none but himselfe For he that made the vvorlde by himselfe by himselfe also ruleth it neither hathe he nede of others helpe to gouerne that neded not any assistence to create Wherin if this be S. Gregories mind that God ruleth the worlde absolutely without the ministerie of his Angelles neither doth the reason that he maketh confirme sufficiently his assertion no nor yet the saying of Elihu For what if God wroughte by his owne power the woonderfull woorckemanshippe of this world Should he not therefore vse the seruice of his creatures Which nomore is a derogation to his almighty power than it is a disgracing to a prince to haue greate store of learned and wise men to put in trust w the affaires of his realme or to haue valiante and politique men of warre a great numbre hable to conduct greate armies and to fighte like stouts chāpions for their countrey Nay moreouer this will I say if it be a greate honor to a worldly prince to haue such subiectes a greater glory it must néedes be to the guide and gouernour of the whole world to be obeyed and serued of suche creatures For if the subiecte haue any such excellēt and passing qualitie wherwithal he may stand his prince in stede to whose commendation is it next gods more than it is to the very subiects But if the creature haue anye thing that is good who better deserueth the praise of it than God himselfe from whose spring and fountaine it is deriued But
him hartily so often as we stād in nede when we haue receued any thing of his bestowing as no doubt al things flow frō his foūtaine beth in word déede giue him thanks Whervnto we are moued by nothing more thā by a depe examinatiō of Gods Prouidēce For were it so that god wer of such a nature that he could neither heare nor sée what is done on the earth as the image of Iupiter is set out in Créete without either eyes or eares or were it so he were restrayned of his libertie through the fatal necessitie of these second causes thē in dede in vaine should we come vnto him or haue recourse to the throne of his diuine maiestie But séeing al things depend only vpō his blessed plesure seing he is such a God that he is no lesse willing than able to do vs good therfore euen with boldenesse we may haue accesse vnto him as to our deare father and good Lorde The same cause also shoulde of righte stirre vs vp to be thankfull knowing as it is in the Actes of the Apostles that he giueth the rayne from heauen fruitefull seasons filling our hearts vvith foode and gladnesse If Sathan go about to choke vs with the cares of the worlde soliciting vs for feare of penurie to vse bryberie symonie vsurie and such other vnlauful vngodly meanes what a godly lessō and heauenly consolation is that which is proposed to vs in the Epistle to the Hebrues Let thy conuersation be far frō auarice for vvhy it is Gods ovvn saying I vvil not forsake thee nor leaue thee destitute Wherwith being strongly armed thou wilt neuer shrink for any pouertie to cast all thy care aside to lay it as it were vpō gods shoulders Who questiōlesse wil not sée the righteous left bare of necessarie priuisiō or suffer their children to go on begging Where agaynst if any body make exceptiō bringing in either Peter the denied he had golde or siluer or Paule who amongst other of his calamities reckneth hūger thirst nakednesse wherwithal he was miserably encombred or wretched Lazarus lying wrapt in his ragges ful of sores almost famished at the riche mans gate or any other such like examples he mai be assone answered as hard speake For neither are they forsaken whose heart is established with Goddes grace much better than with any worldly sustenance inasmuch as their contēted minde is in stede of a cōtinual feast nor the faithfull séede of the righteous cā be forced or driuē to any beggery either bicause they are traded vp in honest sciences or else bicause they are satisfied w that whiche God sendeth not alwayes crauing and coueting without measure like vnsaciable gredie guts vnto whom nothing can suffise Such a one was Peter and suche was Lazarus and Paule being pressed in dede euery vvay but yet not oppressed stil nedy as S. Paul confesseth but yet not vvanting that that is needefull persecuted continually but not forsakē throvvn dovvn but not perished alvvayes carying aboute vvith them the mortification of the Lorde Iesus in their body that the life of Iesus mighte be also made manifest in their body S. Paule therfore in the same Epistle painteth him self out other of his own order as right as possibly may be deuised saying that they vvere as deceiuers yet true as vnknovvne and yet famous as dying yet liuing as chastised yet not put to death as sorovving yet alvvayes reioysing as pore yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thing For what can they want that haue Christ in whome only is the vaine of life or with what vrgent necessity cā they be distrained that haue fruition of the euer liuing God in whose righte hand there is plentuousnesse for euermore Truly the Lions may wel hunger and thirst but they that feare the Lorde sayeth the Prophet Dauid shall not misse of any thing that is good Who so long as they walke in their holy calling marching forwarde to the lād of promisse that is to say leading that kinde of life that leadeth directly to gods kingdome sooner Manna shal come downe from heauen a freshe spring of water shall gushe in the wildernesse out of the harde rocke than any famine or dearth shall apprehend them Which doutlesse is not spokē of myne own braine but the scriptures ratifying and approuing that whiche I say Was not Elias the prophet pinched trowe ye verie nigh in the great scarsitie of victuals wher w Samaria the whole countrie was in manner famyshed in times past And yet when he fled for his refuge as God appointed to the Riuer of Carith besides Iordaine did not the verie rauens early and late bring him breade and flesh Soone after through the default of raine this ryuer decayed dryed vp yet the cleare fountaine welspring of Gods grace and liberalitie towardes his seruant still flowed as freshely as it did before For vpon this Elias when he had fled to the poore widowe of Sareptha as he was cōmaunded by God himself of hir pouertie miraculously relieued his own want that litle meale oyle left in hir cruse encreasing in the verie vse of it frō day to day The prophet Daniel into what a streight I pray you was he brought cōtinuing six days long without eyther meat or drinke in the Lions denne But God sent him by and by his holy Angel who by the ministerie of the Prophete Habacucke whome he hoysed vp by the heare of the heade from Iudea to Babylon where Daniell was in a straunge manner refreshed him Oh but this was done long ago What then Is not God the same God that he was before Be thou Elias I say liue as he did and then neuer dout of it but God wil do for thée as he did for him Be vprighte as Daniel was and haue a like zeale to promote and further Gods kingdome and then euen in the midst of the Lions den I say whē thou art now destitut of al worldly ayde the Lord himself which is carefull for thée wil sende thée his holy Angell that shal stir vp Habacuck But there is no remedie God must do al things for vs euen as we will our selfe or else we wil chafe murmur and take on as we were lords of the earth Of our own dutie in the meane while we wil scarse haue leasure once to thinke What reason I pray you is in this or how can we haue the face so to dele God opē our harts I beséech him for his great mercies giue vs a sound vnderstāding that we may the better conceiue of his woorks and yéelde vnto him more frute of good life that we may taste at length in our selues the delicious swéetenesse of the Lorde Which if it come to passe O howe holesomely should oure heartes be seasoned with the licoure of this liuely iuice howe ready would our tongues always be