Now seeing the Prophets Christ himselfe his Angels Apostles who haue not lied nor deluded men at any time before with vane prophecies haue foretold of à iudge ment to come the godlie doubtlesse wil build their faith vpon their wordes especialie because theie al haue spoken therof moued thereunto by the spirite of God who cannot lie Which testimonies maie bring much good vnto al mankinde For first the godlie herebie in al their troubles maie receaue great and vnspeakeable comfort considering that their afflictions shal not alwaie endure but that one daie when the Lord thinketh good theie shal be adorned with euerlasting glorie and life according to his promises This made S. Paul to breake into these words I account that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie the glorie which shalbe shewed vnto vs. Secondlie the wicked hearing these prophecies of the Lorde touching the last iudgement maie be terrified frō displeasing so gratious à God who of his mercie hath reuealed what shal betide the wicked and vngonlie that theie maie with heartie sobs and sorowe repent Last of al both good and bad maie herebie as in à glasse beholde howe the world neither is gouerned by chance nor shal endure euerlastinglie but that as the old world the sinnes of men being come vnto ripenes was drowned with water so the whole world when iniquitie hath gotten the vpper hand shal perish and be cōsumed with fire Theie also both good and bad I meane ought herebie to learne so to set thēselues in order by repentance that when theie shalbe summoned to appeare at that general Assise theie maie boldlie stand in the presence of his glorious Maiestie But beside these testimonies which I haue aleaged there be sundrie other great arguments of the worlds consummation For the present condition of men in this life is a manifest proofe that this worlde cannot alwaie endure For who are in more prosperitie then the wicked and who more afflicted thē the godlie in this life Therefore of necessitie there must be a iudgement where at both the vngodlie are to be condemned for their wickednes and the virtuous to receaue rewardes for their wel-doing For euerie good master to his power wil prefer his good seruants and euerie vpright iudge wil quite the innocent and punish malefactors Is this vprightnesse among mortal men saith Cyril and shal not God the immortal king reward euerie man according to his workes Hee which otherwise thinketh is in a wrong opinion For as it is in à certaine Psalme God is not a God that loueth wickednesse neither shal euil dwel with him The foolish shal not stande in his sight for hee hateth al them that worke iniquitie He shal destroie them that speake lies The Lorde wil abhorre the bloudie man and deceitful Wherfore seing though now then some yet al the wicked are not destroied there must be à iudgement at which al the vngodlie shal perish from the face of the earth and be damned For the Lord neither can because he is iust neither wil for that he is holie suffer his seruants and holie ones alwaie to be afflicted alwaie to be oppressed to be kept in thraldome and bondage of the reprobate alwaie Let the wicked then consider that à daie wil come when tribulation and anguish shalbe vpon the soule of euerie man that doth euil And though either through policie or friendship theie escape the displeasure of man yet that they cannot auoide the wrath of God For idolaters blasphemers and al wicked persons God wil iudge though man do not because he is righteous Further let them note that though they suffer and that deseruedlie in this worlde yet if theie die impenitent the ende of their life is but the beginning of an euerlasting death For God is righteous and wil punish most seuerely vnles his wrath be turned-awaie by the teares of Christian repentance Moreouer man punisheth outwarde offences but god outward and inward too Man executeth correction for one or à few but God for al sinnes which either the heart mouth or any member of the bodie hath committed and that because he is righteous Againe the ende whie this worlde was created is an vndoubted argument that à iudgement one daie must come For it was created onlie to serue for y e vse of the saints sonnes of God not of Atheists Epicures A iudgemēt therfore is to come whereby the wicked must be cast-into euerlasting torments that the godlie and none beside maie enioie the creatures of almightie God Hitherto maketh that of the Apostle For the feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of God shalbe reueiled because the creature is subiect to vanitie not of it owne wil but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder Hope Because the creature also shalbe deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For we knowe that euerie creature groaneth with vs also and traueleth in paine together vnto this present This Peter meaneth when he saith by the comming of the day of God the heauēs being on fire shalbe dissolued the elements shal melt with heate But we looke for newe heauens a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnes Againe the base estate of the saints in this world doth proue the same For they are now humbled therefore they shalbe exalted for before glory goeth humility So then We are with Christ to suffer that with Christ we maie be glorified And the life of the saints is hid with Christ in god There remaineth then à manifestation and à glorification of the godlie When Christ which is our life shal appeare then shal yee also appeare with him in glorie Nowe saith Iohn are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what wee shalbe and wee knowe that when hee which is Christ shal appeare we shalbe like him For we shal se him as he is In this worlde wee are saued by Hope Therefore the time must come when our Hope shal cesse and we shalbe saued in deede and by the sentence of à righteous iudge be pronounced the verie sonnes of God and heires with Christ of that kingdome which hath bene prepared for the elect euen from y e foundation of the world where we shal see god face to face and know not in part but as we are knowen Moreouer the verie conscience of men is an euident argument of à iudgement to come By this murtherers whoremongers wicked liuers be pricked tormented This made Cicero to saie There can no euils bee imagined but I am troubled therewith notwithstanding in respect of the griefe of sinne which is greatest and eternal theie are al easie to brone Therefore vndoubtedly those torments of mind are tokens that God is the auenger of wickednes and that a seuere
the corporal resurrectiō And as it is writtē If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue which is y e spiritual So is it wtitten I am sure that my redeemer liueth he shal stand the last on the earth And though after my skin wormes destroie this bodie yet shal I see God in my flesh Whome I my selfe shal see and mine eies shal beholde none other for me though my reines be consumed within me which are the corporal Which difference theie marke not and therfore they goe-astraie and haue made shipwracke as concerning faith CHAP. 8. Against the Saturnians Valentinians and such like whoe denie the resurrection of the flesh AN hard thing it is to make flesh and blood beleeue that there shalbe à resurrection of the flesh Therefore haue theie who defended the affirmatiue part had manie aduersaries Much contradiction saith Cyril yet but one trueth Grecians denie it Samaritanes beleeue it not Heretikes saie it shal not be And al of them to proue their vane opinions doe bring either reason as theie thinke or scripture Their reasons are these Man dieth rotteth is eatē-vp of wormes which wormes also doe perish Seeing therefore the body so putrifieth and perisheth how can it rise-again Manie are drowned and deuoured of fishes which fishes afterwarde perchance be taken and eaten-vp Howe then shal the whole bodie arise These and manie moe idle imaginations which of purpose I ouer-passe theie bring-foorth to proue the impossibilitie of the bodies resurrection Vnto which S. Cyril as in other places christianlie so most diuinelie in his 18. Catecheis doth answere to this effect Thou which we beleeuest not those things which are written concerning the resurrection being carnalie minded look-vpon earthlie and material thinges and thou shalt see most notable examples of the resurrection Beholde the seede which is sowen how doth it spring-afresh and florish if it putrifie if it putrifie not it would neuer spring Which seede is created for vs and our vse not for it selfe Shal therefore that which is made for man being euen dead spring-afresh and shal not man himselfe rise-againe when he is dead Looke somewhat higher vpon the trees consider them as theie are in the winter season and consider them as theie are in Sommer In the winter theie are dead without both leaues and fruite in the Sommer most goodlie to beholde either with greene leaues or goodlie fruite or with both For God who knoweth thine hardnes of heart euerie yeere setteth à resurrection before thine eies that by thinges without soule thou mightest beleuee the resurrectiō of reasonable mē which haue soules Looke higher yet vpon heauen and thou shalt finde à most euident proofe of the resurrection The Moone sometime is in the waine and sometime at the ful sometime it is bright as daie and sometime red as blood Which thing God doth saith Cyril that thou man consisting of blood shouldest not doubt of the resurrection of the dead and that thou shouldest beleeue that of thie selfe which thou seest happen to the Moone in heauen With manie other both strong and Christian arguments doth Cyril in that fore-saide place ouerthrow the foolishe opinion of fleshlie minded men the which either because I studie to bee brief or for that I know these by me now alledged be sufficient to preuaile with à man anie whit reasonable I omit confuting their error concluding this point with an excellēt place of Irenaeus which is this Theie therefore denie the power of God and see not the trueth who looke vpon the weakenes of the flesh and consider not his power who raised it from the dead For if he doe not quicken that which is mortal neither make that incorrupt which is corruptible God is not almightie But inasmuch as in al these things he is mightie we should think-vpon and cal into minde our beginning For God tooke duste of the grounde and made man And vndoubtedlie more harde and incredible is it to make man yea and à liuing and reasonable man too of bones and sinewes and veines and forme which neuer was before then to raise-againe that which sometime was beeing dissolued into earth for those reasons aboue mentioned yea though it returne vnto that whereof at the first he made him to be who was not when he thought good much more wil he now that willinglie restore thē whe sometime were into that life which he giueth Hitherto Irenaeus The principal place of scripture wherby theie would proue that the body shal not rise-againe is this Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God Which place maketh no whit to their purpose For y e Apostle in that whole chapter wherout that text was taken as no where else so forceablie proueth the resurrection of the flesh What therefore doth the Apostle meane by these words Flesh and blood cānot inherit the kingdome of God Is it that so manie as are not regenerated by the holie Ghost shal neuer be partakers of heauenly cōsolation or equiualent with that of our Sauiour He that beleeueth not shal not see life but the wrath of God abideth vpon him yes vndoubtedlie Of which iudgement Irenaeus is as appeareth in these his wordes The Apostle adhorting vs vnto the participation of the spirit according to the reasons aboue mētioned did saie Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God As if he should saie Be not deceiued for vnles the word of God abide the Spirit of the Father be in you vanelie as it falleth out ye haue spent the time so being blood and flesh ye cannot inherit the kingdome of God This to the ende we should not refuse the ingraffing of the spirit by following fauoring the flesh And thou being saith he à wild oliue wast graffed into the good oliue and made partaker of the fatnesse of the Oliue As therefore à wilde Oliue if being ingraffed it continue as first it was is cut-waie but if it keepe the ingraffing and change into the nature of à good oliue it beareth fruite as though it were planted in the paradise of à king so mē if through faith they profit in godlines take the spirit of God prosper in bringing-out fruit of the same they shalbe spiritual as it were planted in Gods paradise But if theie refuse the spirit and abide as theie were at first liking better of the flesh than of the spirite thē rightlie it is saide of such Flesh and blood shal not inherit the kingdome of God Againe y e more fullie to answere them I saie the word Flesh hath not alwaies one signification in the holie scripture Frr somtime it is properlie taken as the nature therof doth import for à masse substāce of flesh as where Paul faith Al flesh is not the same flesh but there is one flesh of mē another of beasts another of fishes and another of birds
hast made the heauen and the earth Thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power and there is nothing hard vnto thee Thou hast afore-time laide the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the worke of thine handes theie shal perish but thou shalt endure euen theie al shal waxe olde as doth à garment as à vesture shalt thou change them and theie shalbe changed But thou art the same and thie yeares shal not faile Let al the earth feare the Lord let al that dwel in the worlde feare him For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stoode Of nothing he did make the worlde Therefore no good reason is it but à meere fallacie to saie because we cannot make of nothing some-what therefore God cannot or because man doth not therefore God did not Secondlie saith Iauel according to the minde of Aristotle Al men thinke that heauen is Gods abiding place But an eternal thing cannot haue à corruptible place For the place and the thing placed must haue like proportion Therefore heauen which is supposed to be God his abiding place is eternal as God is I answere the Maior is false For al men thinke not that heauen is Gods abiding place For Salomon wiselie Behold the heauen and heauens of al heauens are not able to conteine thee And Bernard notablie Whether then is the beloued gone from the beloued and we will seeke him Where is he What said I wretch that I am But where is he not He is higher than heauen deeper then hel broader than the earth huger than the sea He is no where and yet is euerie where because he is neither absent from anie nor contained in anie place But God saith by the Prophet Isaiah Heauen is my seate and earth is my footestoole I grant so doth the Spirite of God in S. Peter saie The eies of the Lorde are ouer the righteous and his eares are open vnto their praiers and the face of the Lorde is vpon them that doe euil Yet hath not God either eies eares or face But it is an vsual phraze of the Scripture to giue vnto God members actions and affections of man for our capacitie vnderstanding saith Hemmingius by the figure Anthropopathie and by à certaine excellencie he is said to be in heauen as proueth Zanchius For the eies of God signifie his fauour his eares his willingnes to heare and his face his displeasure saith Thomas Aquinas And though it cannot be douted that God is euerie-where yet is he so in heauen as in respect thereof he seemeth not to be in earth at al as maie appeare in Bernard Thirdlie and last of al to omit the other vane reasons vsed of the Philosophers saie theie It is impossible that God who is infinite either could or maie be euerlastinglie idle But God both had bine idle if the worlde had not continued frō euerlasting and should be idle if it continue not euermore Therfore theie conclude the world hath bine and shalbe euerlasting I answere the Minor containeth à fallacie fetcht from no cause as if it were à cause For it followeth not that God should be idle though he made not the worlde from euerlasting For his workes are eternal in himselfe though none of them appeare outwardlie Nowe if anie be not yet satisfied but wil needes knowe what God was about before the world was made I answere yet not I but Augustine He was preparing of hel for al such as curiously enquire there-about If yet not satisfied hee wil further demaund what he wil doe when the world hath an end not Augustine but I make answere hee wil not ceasse from tormenting thee and such like in hel and also reioyce with his saincts in perpetual blisse CHAP. 4. Against them which allowe the beginning but denie the end of this world SAint Peter through the spirit of God did foretel that in the last daies mockers shoulde come who wil deride and scoffe at the doctrine of the worlds consummation Whose wordes because they are continualie to be fixed in mind I wil recite as I finde them placed in the sacred Bible This first vnderstand saith S. Peter that there shal come in the last daies mockers which shal walke after their lustes and saie where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers died al thinges continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this theie willinglie knowe not that the heauens were of olde and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the worde of God Wherefore the worlde that then was perished and ouerflowed with water But the heauens and earth which are nowe are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the daie of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodlie men In which wordes among other notable pointes these are chiefelie to be considered for this place First the speakers who they are secondlie the arguments which they do vse thirdlie the answere of the Apostle last of al the manner of the worlds destruction The enimies of this doctrine are described here to be mockers such as deride al religion and walke after their lustes not according to Gods word Therfore none wil impugne this comfortable doctrine but such as are meere Epicures for their leude conuersation and Atheists for their diuelish opinions One argument which they doe vse is this Since the fathers died al thigns continue alike from the beginning of the creation Therefore they shal continue after vs and after our posteritie too at one staie as they haue done neither is there anie iudgement to bee feared nor resurrection to be hoped for Vnto this vngodlie assertion the Apostle answereth by an argument taken from y e vndoubted historie of the floud which historie he saith they against their conscience denie who be of opinion that the world shal haue none end For he denieth that euer the worlde was drowned with water who denieth that the worlde shalbe destroyed yea he thinketh that the Raine-bowe which is the signe of the couenant betweene God and vs is but à toie to mocke men with al. For we are to thinke and learne vndoubtedlie by that great punishment First that the worlde and al therein was made to serue for the vse of the godlie and virtuous not of the wicked and that the saincts of God euerlastinglie shal enioie the same the reprobate being cast into vtter condemnation Secondlie we must thinke that God assuredlie wil punish wickednes although he haue promised and the Raine-bowe doth witnes that he wil not ouerwhelme the world again with an vniuersal floud but consume it with fire For which cause he hath set diuers colors in the Rain-bow as blew principalie and red whereof the one sheweth howe it hath bene drowned the other
hath no power but from God Which power notwithstanding the Lorde alwaies doth moderate that of his malice he cannot afflict more than the wil of God is he shoulde This maketh the godlie neither to feare the power nor to set à rushe by Sathan for al his malice Because he can do nothing but by sufferance God also himselfe doth bring the godlie into troubles and that as afore I said partlie of his wisedome and partlie of his iustice In his wisedome he doth correct them for diuers ends First to trie whether theie are such indeede as theie would seeme to be For manie doe both thinke themselues and are thought also to be valiant Christians who in the time of tentation are but verie cowardes And therefore as when warre is hot men are proued whether theie haue hearts or no So affliction sheweth who is the faithful Christian. For God proueth them and findeth them meete for himselfe He trieth thē as gold in the fornace receiueth them as à perfect fruite offering He hideth himselfe oftentimes and turneth-awaie his face but not in wrath It is to trie not to destroie them Yet trieth he not Christians the better to know them himselfe For he both knew them before theie were fashioned in the wombe and continnalie beholdeth the secretes of mans hearte But that both theie them selues others also should see what theie are Secondlie to bring them into his feare Because in prosperitie euen the righteous oftentimes forget the Lord but in aduersitie theie remember him For as the starres do shine in the night but in the day time are not seene so the virtues of men which in prosperitie appeare not in aduersitie are most glorious to beholde And then theie see both the frailtie of their owne nature and theie acknowledge it and the vnspeakable mercie of God and theie commende it and the general miserie of mankinde and theie bewaile the same This made the Prophet to saie In the daie of my trouble I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirite was ful of anguish Againe Lord in trouble they haue visited thee theie powred-out à praier when thie chastening was vpon them And againe Before I was afflicted I went astray but nowe I keepe thie worde It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I maie learne thie statutes Thirdly y ◠they may be like vnto Christ and that partelie because he is their eldest brother Nowe no reason is it that the yonger brethren should haue greater preheminence then the eldest so longe as he is good But Christ their eldest and good brother suffered and so entered into his glorie wherefore the yonger and wicked of necessitie must looke for troubles For otherwise theie are neither the sonnes of God nor the heires annexed with Christ Partlie for that he is their master But he was persecutde and hated Therfore they are to looke for persecution and harted For the seruant is not greater than his master but à greate praise is it for seruantes rightlie to follow the steppes of their Lordes It sufficeth the disciple to be as his master and for the seruant to be as his Lorde And partlie because theie are commanded to follow his steppes For so saith Peter Here vnto ye are caled For Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample that we shoulde followe his steppes And Paul If we be dead with him we also shal liue with him If we suffer with him we shal also reigne with him As who should saie If we die not as he did we shal not liue with him and if we suffer not after his ensample temporal affliction we shal not reigne with him in eternal felicitie Fourthlie that both themselues should be assured and others know howe theie are not of the world For God hath chosen them out of the world And therfore theie are hated For which cause the doctrine of the Gospel is caled the word of the crosse and the prouerbe is Crux comes Euangelii The crosse accompanieth the Gospel because the worlde doth persecute the professors of the same not for anie euil which theie doe but for that theie reproue y e works of darknes which thing the worlde cannot abide And therfore theie persecuted the Prophets Apostles and Sainctes of GOD from time to time Then seeing theie protest the same trueth let them prepare themselues vnto the like patience For we must through manie afflictions enter into the kingdome of God And al that wil liue godlie in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution Fiftlie to put them in mind what they are and whither theie tende For in this world theie are pilgrims and strangers their countrie is heauen Which countrie theie woulde little couet-after enioied theie prosperitie according vnto their heartes desire O death saith Ecclesiasticus howe bitter is the remembrance of thee to à man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in al thinges yea vnto him that is able to receiue meat O death how acceptable is thie remembrance vnto the needeful and vnto him whose strength faileth and that is nowe in the last age and is vexed with al thinges and to him that dispaireth and hath lost patiēce Therfore y ◠Lord knowing this doth in his wisedome crosse afflict his seruants on al sides that theie maie be out of loue both with the world and with the thinges in the worlde and desire as Paule did to be loosed and to be with Christ Sixtelie that it maie appeare howe the godlie doe fauor Christianity and religion not for temporal profit or preferment not for glorie and praise of men or in anie worldelie respect but principalie of meere zeale and duetie to God-ward Seuenthlie that their deliuerance which in the iudgement of mā could neuer come to passe maie assure the consciences of them and others too of God his continual prouidence and presence with his seruantes So doubtles the miraculous deliuerance both of Ioseph out of his troubles of the Israëlites out of Egypt of Dauid out of the handes of Saul of the three yong men out of the consuming fire and of the godlie from time to time out of the cruel pawes of rauening wolues tyrants and oppressors doth not a litle strengthen the mindes of al the godlie in their miseries and confirme their faith touching the continual presence of God with his seruāts at al seasōs Eightlie to shew that intolerable shalbe the paines of the reprobate For if God so afflict his Children howe wil he torment his enimies If he spare not the righteous how wil he punish the reprobate If iudgement begin at the godlie what shal the ende be of them which obeie not the Gospel If the righteous