and the Holy spirit one God in substance and quality euer one and the same CHAP. 10. GOod therefore which is God is onely simple and consequently vnchangeable This good created all things but not simple therefore changeable I say created that is made not begotte For that which the simple good begot is as simple as it is and is the same that begot it These two we call Father and sonne both which with their spirit are one God that spirit being the fathers and the sonnes is properly called in scriptures the holy spirit a it is neither father nor sonne but personally distinct from both but it is not really for it is a simple and vnchangeable good with them and coeternall And this trinity is one God not simple because a trinity for we call not the nature of that good simple because the father is alone therein or the sonne or holy ghost alone for that name of the trinitie is not alone with personall subsistance as the b Sabâ—…llians held but it is called simple because it is one in essence the same one in quality excepting their personall relation for therein the father hath a sonne yet is no sonne the sonne a father yet is no father c But in consideration each of it selfe the quality and essence is both one therein as each liueth that is hath life anâ—… is life it selfe This is the reason of the natures simplicity wherein nothing adheareth that can bee lost nor is the continent one the thing conteined another as vessels liquors bodies and colours ayre and heate or the soule and wisdome are for those are not coessentiall with their qualities the vessell is not the liquor nor the body the colour nor ayre heate nor the soule wisdome therefore may they all looâ—… these adiuncts and assume others the vessel may be empty the body discoloured the ayre cold the soule foolish But d the body being one incorruptible as the saints shall haue in the resurrection that incorruption it shall neuer loose yet is not that incorruption one essence with the bodily substance For it is a like in all parts of the body all are incorruptible But the body is greater in whoâ—…e then in part and the parts are some larger some lesser yet neither enlarging or lessening the incorruptibility So then e the body being not entire in it selfe incorruptibility being intire in it selfe do differ for all parts of the body haue inequalitie in themselues but none in incorruptibility The finger is lesse then the hand but neither more nor lesse corruptible then the hand being vnequall to themselues their incorruptibility is equall And therefore though incorruptibility be the bodies inseperable inherent yet the substance making the body the quality mâ—…ing it incorruptible are absolutely seuerall And so it is in the adiunct aforesaid of the soule though the soule be alwaies wise as it shall bee when it is deliuered from misery to eternity though it be from thence euermore wise yet it is by participation of the diuine wisdome of whose substance the soule is not For though the ayre be euer light it followeth not that the light and the ayre should be all one I say not this f as though the ayre were a soule as some that g could not conceiue an vncorporal nature did imagine But there is a great similitude in this disparity so that one may fitly say as the corporeall ayre is lightned by the corporeal light so is the incorporeal soule by gods wisdomes incorporeall light as the aire being depriued of that light becomes darke h corporeall darknesse being nothing but aire depriued of light so doth the soule grow darkned by want of the light of wisdom According to this then they are called simple things tâ—…at are truely and principally diuine because their essence and i their quality are indistinct nor do they partake of any deity substance wisdome or beâ—…titude but are all entirely them-selues The scripture indeed calls the Holy Ghost the manifold spirit of wisdome because the powers of it are many but all one with the essence and all included in one for the wisdome thereof iâ—… not manyfold but one and therein are infinite and vnmeasurable k treasuries of things intelligible wherein are all the immutable and inscrutable causes of al things both visible and mutable which are thereby created for God did nothing vnwittingly l it were disgrace to say so of any humaine artificer But if he made all knowing then made hee but what hee knew This now produceth a wonder but yet a truth in our mindes that the world could not be vnto vs but that it is now extant but it could not haue beene at all m but that God knew it L. VIVES IT is a Neither Words I thinke ad little to religion yet must we haue a care to keepe the old path and receiued doctrine of the Church for diuinity being so farre aboue our reach how can wee giue it the proper explanation All words are mans inuention for humane vses and no man may refuse the old approued words to bring in new of his owne inuention for when as proprieties are not to be found out by mans wit those are the fittest to declare things by that ancient vse hath leâ—… vs and they that haue recorded most part of our religion This I say for that a sort of smattring rash fellowes impiously presume to cast the old formes of speach at their heeles and to set vp their own maisters-ships being grâ—…ssly ignorant both in the matters and their bare formes and will haue it lawâ—…ull for them at their fond likings to 〈◊〉 or fashion the phrases of the fathers in matâ—…er of religion into what forme they list like a 〈◊〉 of waxe b Sabellians Of them before The hâ—…ld no persons in the Ternity c But in câ—…deration The Bruges copy reads it without the sentence precedent in the copy that Uiues commented vpon and so doth Paris Louaines and Basills all d The body Prouing accidents both separable and inseparable to be distinct from the substance they do adhere vnto e The body being not The body consâ—…sts of parts â—…t cannot stand without them combined and coâ—…gulate in one the hand is not the body of his whole nor the magnitude yet the incorâ—…bility of the hand is no part of the bodies incorruptibility for this is not diuisible though it be in the whole body but so indiuisible that being all in all the body it is also all in 〈◊〉 part and so are all spirituall things Angels soules and God their natures possesse no place so that they may say this is on my rigâ—…t haâ—…d this on the left or this aboue and this below but they are entirely whole in euery particle of their place and yet faâ—…le not to fill the whole whether this be easilier spoken or vnderstood â—…udge you f As though So Anaximenes of Miletus and Diogenes of Apollonia held Anaâ—…as held the soule was like
commended before as fitt questians of euery creature viz who made it how and why the answeare to which is GOD by his word because hee is good whether the holy Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost doe imitate this vnto vs from their misticall body or there be some places of Scripture that doth prohibite vs to answeare thus is a great questian and not fit to bee opened in one volume L. VIVES THe a soules Origen in his first booke Periarchion holds that GOD first created all things incorpore all and that they were called by the names of heauen and earth which afterward were giuen vnto bodies Amongst which spirituals or soules Mentes were created who declining to vse Ruffinus his translation from the state and dignity became soules as their name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declareth by waxing cold in their higher state of being mentes The mind fryling of the diuine heate takes the name and state of a soule which if it arise and ascend vnto againe it gaines the former state of a minde Which were it true I should thinke that the mindes of men vnequally from God some more and some lesse some should rather bee soules then other some some retaining much of their mentall vigor and some little or none But these soules saith he being for their soule fals to bee put into grosser bodies the world was made as a place large enough to exercise them all in as was appointed And from the diuersity and in-equality of their fall from him did God collect the diuersity of things here created This is Origens opinion Hierom reciteth it ad auitum b which good We should haue beene Gods freely without any trouble c Any ayry body Of this here-after Of the diuine Trinity notifying it selfe in some part in all the workes thereof CHAP. 24. VVE beleeue a faithfully affirme that God the Father begot the world his wisdom by which al was made his only Son one with one coeternal most good and most equall And that the holy spirit is both of the Father and the 〈◊〉 consubstantiall coeternall with them both this is both a Trinity in respect of the persons and but one God in the inseperable diuinity one omnipotent in the vnseperable power yet so as euery one of the three be held to bee God omnipotent and yet altogether are not three Gods omnipotents but one God omnipotent such is the inseperable unity of three persons and so must it bee taâ—… off But whether the spirit beeing the good Fathers and the good Sonnes may â—…e sayd to be both their goodnesses c heere I dare not rashly determine I durst rather call it the sanctity of them both not as their quality but their substance and the third person in Trinity For to that this probability leadeth mee that the Father is holy and the Son holy and yet the Spirit is properly called holy as beeing the substantiall and consubstantiall holynesse of them both But if the diuine goodnesse be nothing else but holynesse then is it but diligent reason and no bold presumption to thinke for exercise of our intentions sake that in these three questions of each worke of God who made it how and why the holy Trinity is secretly intimated vnto vs for it was the Father of the word that sayd Let it be made and that which was made when hee spake doubtlesse was made by the word and in that where it is sayd And God saw that it was good it is playne that neyther necessity nor vse but onely his meere will moued God to make what was made that is Because it was good which was sayd after it was done to shew the correspondence of the good creature to the Creator by reason of whose goodnesse it was made If this goodnes be now the holy spirit then is al the whole Trinity intimate to vs in euery creature hence is the originall forme and perfection of that holy Citty wherof the Angells are inhabitants Aske whence it is God made it how hath it wisedome God enlightned it How is it happy God whom it enioyes hath framed the existence and illustrated the contemplation and sweetned the inherence thereof in him-selfe that is it seeth loueth reioyceth in Gods eternity shines in his truth and ioyeth in his goodnesse L. VIVES VVâ—… a beleeue Lette vs beleeue then and bee silent hold and not inquire preach faithfully and not dispute contentiously b Begotte What can I do heere but fall to adoration What can I say but recite that saying of Paul in admiration O the deepnesse of the ritches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! c Heere I dare not Nor I though many diuines call the spirit the Fathers goodnesse and the Sonne his wisedome Who dare affirme ought directly in those deepe misteries d Because it or because it was equally good Of the tripartite diuision of All Phylosophicall discipline CHAP. 25. HEnce was it as far as we conceiue that Phylosophy got three parts or rather that the Phylosophers obserued the three parts They did not inuent them but they obserued the naturall rationall and morrall from hence These are the Latine names ordinarily vsed as wee shewed in our eighth booke not that it followeth that herein they conceiued a whit of the Trinity though Plato were the first that is sayd to finde out and record this diuision and that vnto him none but God seemed the author of all nature or the giuer of reason or the inspirer of honesty But whereas in these poynts of nature inquisition of truth and the finall good there are many diuers opinions yet al their controuersie lieth in those three great and generall questions euery one maketh a discrepant opinion from another in all three and yet all doe hold that nature hath some cause knowledge 〈◊〉 and life some direction and summe For three things are sought out in 〈◊〉 nature skill and practise his nature to bee iudged off by witte 〈◊〉 â—…y knowledge and his practise a by the vse b I know well that â—…elongs to fruition properly and vse to the vser And that they seeme to â—…ently vsed fruition of a thing which beeing desired for it selfe onely deâ—… vs and vse of that which we seeke for another respect in which sence we â—…her vse then inioy temporalityes to deserue the fruition of eternity â—…e wicked inioyes money and vseth GOD spending not money for 〈◊〉 â—…ut honouring him for money Yet in common phraze of speech wee 〈◊〉 â—…ruition and inioy vse For fruites properly are the fieldes increase 〈◊〉 â—…ppon wee liue So then thus I take vse in three obseruations of an arâ—… nature skill and vse From which the Phylosophers inuented the seueâ—…â—…lines tending all to beatitude The naturall for nature the rationall 〈◊〉 â—…e the morall for vse So that if our nature were of it selfe wee should 〈◊〉 owne wisedome and neuer go about to know it by learning ab exterâ—… if our loue had
wherein they are as skilfull as a sort of Cumane Asses Of the parity of yeares measured by the same spaces of old and of late CHAP. 14. NOw let vs see how plaine wee can shew that ten of their yeares is not one of ours but one of their yeares as long as one of ours both finished by the course of the sunne and all their ancestors long liues laide out by that recâ—…ng It is written that the floud happened the three score yeare of Noahs 〈◊〉 But why doe the Scriptures say In the sixe hundreth yeare of Noahs life in the sâ—…d moneth and the twentie seauenth day of the moneth if the yeare were but thirtie sixe dayes for so little a yeare must eyther haue no moneths or it 〈◊〉 haue but three dayes in a moneth to make twelue moneths in a yeare How then can it be said the sixe hundreth yeare the second moneth the twenty seauenth day of the moneth vnlesse their yeares and moneths were as ours is How can it bee other-wise sayd that the deluge happened the twenty seauen of the â—…th Againe at the end of the deluge it is written In the seauenth moneth and the twenty seauenth of the month the Arke rested vpon the Mountaine Ar ar â—…t 〈◊〉 and the waters decreased vntill the eleauenth month in the eleauenth month the first day were the toppes of the mountaines seene So then if they had such monthes their yeares were like ours for a three daied month cannot haue 27. daies or if they diininish all proportionably and make the thirteenth part of three daies stand for one day why then that great deluge that continued increasing forty daies and forty nights lasted not full 4. of our daies Who can endure this absurdity Cast by this error then that seekes to procure the scriptures credit in one thing by falsifying it in many The day without al question was as great then as it is now begun and ended in the compasse of foure and twenty houres the month as it is now concluded in one performance of the Moones course and the yeare as it is now consumate in twelue lunary reuolutions East-ward a fiue daies and a quarter more being added for the proportionating of it to the course of the Sunne sixe hundred of such yeares had Noah liued two such monthes and seauâ—…n and twenty such daies when the floud beganne wherein the raine fell forty daies continually not daies of two houres and a peece but of foure and twenty houres with the night and therefore those fathers liued some of them nine hundred such yeares as Abraham liued but one hundred and eighty of and his sonne Isaac neare a hundred and fifty and such as Moyses passed ouer to the number of a hundred and twenty and such as our ordinary men now a daies do liue seauenty or eighty of or some few more of which it is said their ouerplus is but labour and sorrow For the discrepance of account betweene vs and the Hebrewes concernes not the lenght of the Patriarches liues and where there is a difference betweene them both that truth cannot reconcile wee must trust to the tongue whence wee haue our translation Which euery man hauing power to doe yet b it is not for naught no man dares not aduenture to correct that which the Seuenty haue made different in their translation from the Hebreâ—… for this diuersity is no error let no man thinke so I doe not but if there bee no falt of the transcriber it is to bee thought that the Holy Spirit meant to alter some-things concerning the truth of the sence and that by them not according to the custome of interpreters but the liberty of Prophets and therefore the Apostles are found not onely to follow the Hebrewes but them also in cityng of holy Testimonies But hereof if GOD will hereafter now to our purpose We may not therefore doubt that the first child of Adam liuing so long might haue issue enough to people a citty an earthly one I meane not that of Gods which is the principall ground wherevpon this whole worke intreateth L. VIVES FIue a daies and The Moones month may bee taken two waies either for the moones departure and returne to one and the same point which is done in seauen and twenty daies or for her following of the sunne vntill shee ioyne with him in the Zodiake which is done in nine and twenty daies twelue houres and foure and forty minutes for shee neuer findeth the sunne where she left him for hee is gone on of his iourney and therefore she hath two daies and an halfe to ouertake him the Iewes allow hir thirty daies and call this 〈◊〉 full month b It is Not without a cause Whether the men of old abstained from women vntill that the scriptures say they â—…egot children CHAP. 15. BVt will some say is it credible that a man should liue eighty or ninty nâ—…more then a 100. yeares without a woman and without purpose of continency and then fall a begetting children as the Hebrewes record of them or if they lifted could they not get children before this question hath two answeres for either they liued longer a immature then we do according to the length of time exceeding ours or else which is more likely their first borne are not reckened but onely such as are requisite for the drawing of a pedegree downe from Adam vnto Noah from whom we see a deriuation to Abraham and so vntill a certaine period as farre as those pedegrees were held fit to prefigure the course of Gods glorious Pilgrim-citty vntill it ascend to eternity It cannot bee denied that Caine was the first that euer was borne of man and woman For Adam would not haue sayd I haue l gotten a man by the Lord at his birth but that hee was the first man borne before the other two Him Abell was next whom the first or elder killed and herein was prefigured what persecutions God glorious City should endure at the hands of the wicked members of the terrestriall society those sons of earth I may call them But how old Adam was at the begetting of these two it is not euident from thence is a passage made to the generations of Caine and to his whom God gaue Adam in murdred Abels seede called Seth of whom it is written God hath appointed me another seed for Abell whom Caine slew Seeing therfore that these two generations Caines and Seths do perfectly insinuate the two citties the one celestiall and laboring vpon earth the other earthly and following our terrestriall affects there is not one of all Caines progeny from Adam to the eighth generation whose age is set downe when hee begot his next sonne yet is his whole generation rehersed for the Spirit of God would not record the times of the wicked before the deluge but of the righteous onely as onelie â—…orthy But when Seth was borne his fathers yeares were not forgotten though he had begotten others
it hath been done or no but de Iure whether it were to be done or no. For souÌ„d reason is before example al authorities to the contrary as wherevnto all examples do consent being such as by their excellence in goodnesse are worthily imitable neither Patriarch Prophet nor Apostle euer did this yet our Lord Iesus Christ when hee admonished his disciples in persecution to flie from city to city might haue willed them in such cases to make a present dispatch of themselues and so to avoide their persecutors hadd hee held it fitte But if hee neuer gaue any such admonition or command that any to whome hee promised a mansion of eternity at their deaths should passe vnto their deaths on this fashion lette then the heathen that know not God produce al they can it is plainly vnlawful for any one than serueth the onely true God to follow this course But indeed besides Luâ—…ia of whome I think we haue sufficiently argued before it is hard for them to find one other example worth prescribing as a fitte authority for others to follow besides that a Cato only that killed him-selfe at Vtica b not that hee alone was his owne deaths-man but because he was accounted as a c learned and d honest man which may beget a beleefe that to do as hee didde were to doe well VVhat should I say of his fact more then his friendes and e some of them learned men haue said who shewed far more iudgement in disswading the deed and censuring it as the effect of a spirit rather deiected then magnanimous And of this f did Cato him-selfe leaue a testimony in his owne famous Sonne For if it were base to liue vnder Caesars victory why did he aduise his son to this willing him to entertaine a full hope of Caesars clemency Yea why did he not vrge him to go willingly to his end with him If it were laudable in Torquatus g to kill his sonne that hadde fought and foyled his enemy though herein he had broken the Dictators commaund why didde conquered Cato spare his ouerthrowne sonne that spared not him-selfe VVas it more vile to bee a conquerour agaynst lawe then to indure a conquerour against honour What shall wee saie then but that euen in the same measure that hee loued his sonne whome hee both hoped and wished that Caesar woulde spare in the same didde hee enuy Caesars glory which hee h should haue gotten in sparing of him also or else to mollifie this matter som-what he was ashamed to receiue such courtesie at Caesars hands L. VIVES THat a Cato The Catoe's were of the Portian family arising from Tusculum a towne of the Latines The first of this stocke that was called Cato that is wise and wary was Marcus Portius a man of meane discent but attaining to all the honours of Consull Censor and of Triumph His nephewes sonne was Marcus Portius Cato both of them were great and yet innocent men The first was called Maior or the Elder the later Minor or the younger The younger beeing a Leader in the ciuill wars of Pompey tooke his that was the common weales and the liberties part against the vsurparion of Caius Caesar Now Pompey beeing ouercome by Caesar at Pharsalia and Scipio Metellus Pompey his father in law in Affrica this Cato seeing his faction subuerted and Caesar beare al down before him being retyred vnto Vtica a Citty in Affrike and reading Platoe's Phaedâ—… twise ouer together the same night thrust him-selfe through with his sword b Not because he alone No for many in other warres had slaine them-selues least they should fall into the hand of the enemie and in this same warre so did Scipio Metellus Afranius King Iuba c Learned A stoyke and excellently skill'd in the wisdom of the Greeks d Honest the wisdom and innocencie that was in both these Catoes grew into a prouerb and hereof saith Iâ—…all Tâ—…rtius 〈◊〉 Caelo cecidit Cato Now Heauen hath giuen vs a third Catâ—… Velleius Paterculus writing vnto Uinicius thus describeth this Cato Hee was descended from Marcus Cato that head of the Porcian family who was his great grandfather hee was a man like vertues selfe and rather of diuine then humane capacity hee neuer did good that he cared should be noted but because hee could not doe any thing but good as holding that onely reasonable which was iust free was hee from all the corruptions of man and euermore swayed his owne fortune to his owne liking Thus farre Uelleius to omit the great testimonies of Seneca Lucane Tully Saluste and others of this worthy man e some of them learned It is recorded that Apollonides the Stoike Demetrius the Peripatetike and Cleanthes the Phisicion were then at Utica with Cato For he loued much the company of the Greeke Philosophers and his great grand-father neuer hated them so much as he respected them And vpon the night that he slew himselfe on saith Plutarch at supper there arose a disputation about such things as really concerne the liberty of a man wherein Demetrius spoke many things against Cato's constant assertions of the praise of such as killed themselues which indeed was so vehement that it begot a suspicion in them all that hee would follow the same course himselfe f This did Cato himselfe Plutarch writeth that when Cato came to Vtica he sent away his followers by shipping and earnestly preswaded his sonne to goe with them but could not force him to forsake his father This sonne of his Caesar afterwardes pardoned as Liuy saith lib. 114. and Caesar himselfe in his Commentaries of the African warre Hee was as Plutarch saith in his fathers life much giuen to venerie but in the battaile of Phillipi fighting valiantly on his cozen Brutus his side for his countries freedome hee was slaine scorning to leaue the fight when the chiefest captaines fled g to kill his sonne Titus Manlius Torquatus made his sonnes head bee cut off for fighting contrary to the edict though he returned with victory But of this else-where h should haue gotten by sparing of him Commonly knowne is that saying of Caesar to him that brought newes of Cato's death Cato I enuy thy glory for thou enuiedst mine and would not haue it reckoned amongst mine other famous actes that I saued Cato Caesar wrote two bookes called Anticatones against Cato as Cicero and Suetonius testifie The Cardinall of Liege told mee that he saw them both in a certaine old librarie at Liege and that hee would see they should bee sent me which if he do I will not defraud the learned of their vse and publication That the Christians excell Regulus in that vertue wherein he excelled most CHAP. 23. BVt those whom we oppose will not haue their Cato excelled by our Iob that holy man who choose rather to endure all them horrible torments a in his flesh then by aduenturing vpon death to auoide all those vexations and other Saints of high credit and
Charoâ—… Aeneids 6. calls Lady is the infernal Iuno And Iâ—… the celestiall is called the great and the infernall also saith Seruius For father Dis is called Iupiter infernall So Claudian sings in the silent ring of the spirits at the wedding of Orâ—…s and Proserpina Nostra parens Iuno tuqueâ—…germane tonaâ—…tis Et gener vnanimis conâ—…ortia dâ—…cite somni Mâ—…tuaque alternis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuno our mother and thou Ioues great sonne And brother sweetly may you take your rest Linckt in each others armes and breast to breast And Protesilaus in Lucian calls Plato Iupiter e Conquer Shewing saith Donate that the greatest enemies are sooner conquered by obâ—…ysance then opposition f Scipio The first generall that euer got sur name from his prouincial conquests was P. Cornelius Scipio Publius his sonne Hee subdued Afâ—…ica and sâ—…buerted Haniball and was instiled African I speake of Generals and prouinciall conquests Coriolanus had that name from the conquest of a towne and Sergius Fiâ—…enas was so surnamed for subduing the Fidenates From whence the Saints haue their power against the diuels and their pure purgation of heart CHAP. 22. GOdly men doe expell the aëreall powers opposing them from their possession by a exorcismes not by pacification and breake their Temptations by prayer not vnto them but vnto God against them For they conquer nor chayne no man but by the fellowship of sinne So that his name yâ— took on him humanity and liued without sinne confoundes them vtterly Hee is the Priest and sacrifice of the remission of sinnes Hee the Mediator betweene Gâ—… Daâ—… man euen the man Christ Iesus by whome wee are purged of sinne and reâ—…led vnto God for nothing seuers man from God but sinne which not our meâ—… but Gods mercy wipeth off vs it is his pardon not our power for all the poâ—… that is called ours is ours by his bountyous goodnesse for wee should thinke 〈◊〉 well of our flesh vnlesse wee liued b vnder a pardon all the while wee are in the flesh Therefore haue we our grace by a Mediator that beeing polluted by the flesh we might be purged by the like flesh This grace of God wherein his great mercy is shewne vs doth rule vs by faith in this life and after this life is ended wiâ—… transport vs by that vnchangeable truth unto most absolute perfection L. VIVES BY a exorcisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to admire Augustine translate sit so and Exorcista an adâ—…rer and Exorcismus admiration The Exorcist expelleth the diuell from the Chatecumâ—…nist ere he be baptised August Symbol It is the third of the lesser orders of the churh they are 〈◊〉 all seauen Of this and of Exorcisme before Baptisme read Petrus Lumbardus Sentent lib. 4. 〈◊〉 8. 24. b Vnder a pardon Vnder the law of sinne and infirmity least any one should extoâ—… him-selfe All the good wee doe comes from God by whose pardon wee are vnhusked of the old man sinne and by him we liue in iustice Of the Platonists principle in their purgation of the soule CHAP. 23. POrphyry saith that the Oracles sayd that neyther the Sunnes nor Moones Teletae could purge vs and consequently the Teletae of no goddes can For if the Sunnes and Moones the cheefe gods cannot whose is more powerfull But the Oracles answered quoth hee that the beginnings may least one should thinke that vppon the denyall of this power to the Sunne and Moone some other God of the multitude might doe it But what beginnings hee hath as a Platonist wee know For hee speakes a of God the father the Son called in greeke the Fathers intellect but of the spirit not a word at least not a playne one though what he meaneth by a meane betweene the two I cannot tell for if he follow c Plotinâ—… in his discourse of the three priuie essences and would haue this third the soules nature hee should not haue put it as the meane betweene the father and the son For Plotine puts it after the fathers intellect but Porphyry in calling it the meane interposeth it betweene them And this hee sayth as well as hee could or would but we cal it neither the fathers spirit alone nor the sonnes but both The Philosophers speake freely neuer fearing to offend religious eares in those incomprehensible misteries but wee must lay our wordes to a d line that wee produce no impious error by our freedome of speech concerning these matters Wherfore when we speake of God we neither talke of two principles nor three as â—…e may not say there were two goddes or three though when wee speake of the father the sonne or the holy ghost we say that each of these is God Nor say we with the Sabellian heretikes that he that is the father is the sonne and hee that is the holy ghost is the father and the sonne but the father is the sons father and the sonne the fathers sonne and the holy spirit both the fathers and the sonneâ—… but neyther father nor sonne True then it is that man is purged by none but the â—…ginning but this beginning is by them too variably taken L. VIVES OF a God the It is a question that hath troubled many Whether the Phylosopher had any notion of the Trinity First we our selues to whome the mistery of redempâ—…on is reuealed haue but a small glance God knowes of that radiant light But what the Phylosophers of old wrote hereof is easily apparant that they spoke it rather then knew what they spoke it is so obscure These secrets belonged not to their discouery It sufficed them to attaine the vnity of God And if by Gods inspiration they spoke oughtt concerning the Trinity it was rather to serue as a testimony of the future truth against their maisters opâ—…ns then to expres any vnderstanding they had therof them-selues Aristotle writes de 〈◊〉 et mundâ—… l. 2 yâ— the Pythagorists placed perfection in three the beginning midst and end and this nuâ—… bâ—… they vsed in religion Thence some hold that Theocritus his witch said To three I offer three I holy call But Virgill more plaine Terna tibi haec primum triplici diuersa colore Lycia circundo terque haec altaria circum Effigiem ducoâ—…numero deus impare gaudet First wrap I these three thornes to frame my spel Three times about the shape the altars then We compasse thrice God loues od numbers well And Zeno calleth Logos fate necessity God and Ioues soule But Plato seemes farre more plain for Socrates in his de Re p l. 6. hauing disputed sufficiently of the nature of good and affirmed that he held it too great a theame for any mans discourse to containe saith thus But O you happy men let vs leaue to say what is good vntill another time For I hold it vtterly incomprehensible of mans minde But my desire at this time is to expresse what the son of this good is which is most like to good
but the better part onely nor the body whole man but the worse part only and both conioyned make man yet when we speake of them disioyned they loose not that name for who may not follow custome and say such a man is dead such a man is now in ioy or in paine and speake but of the soule onely or such a man is in his graue and meane but the body onely will they say the scripture vseth no such phrase yes it both calles the body and soule conioyned by the name of man and also diuiding them calles the soule the inward man and the body the outward as if they were two men and not both composiâ—…gone And marke in what respect man is called Gods image and man of earth returning to earth the first is in respect of the reasonable soule which God breathed or inspired into man that is into mans body and the laâ—…er is in respect of the body which God made of the dust and gaue it a soule whereby it became a liuing body that is man became a liuing soule and therefore whereas Christ breathing vpon his Apostles said receue the holy spirit this was to shew that the spirit was his aswell as the Fathers for the spirit is the Fathers and the Sonnes making vp the Trinity of Father Sonne and Holy Spirit being no creature but a creator That breath which was carnally breathed was not the substantiall nature of the Holy Spirit but rather a signification as I said of the Sonnes communication of the spirit with his Father it being not particular to either but common to both The scriptures in Greeke calleth it alwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Lord called it here when by signifiing it with his breath hee gaue it to his disciples and I neuer read it otherwise called in any place of Gods booke But here whereas it is sayd that God formed man being dust of the earth and breathed in his face the spirit or breath of life the Greeke is g not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is read oftener for the creature then the creator and therefore some latinists for difference sake do not interpret this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit but breath for so it is in Esay where God saith h I haue made all breath meaning doubtlesse euery soule Therefore that which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee do sometimes call breath some-time spirit some-time inspiration and aspiration and some-times i soule but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer but spirit either of man as the Apostle saith what man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him or of a beast as wee read in the preacher Who knoweth whether the spirit of man ascendeth vpwardes and the spirit of the beast downewards to the earth or that bodily spirit which wee call wind as the Psalme saith fire hayle snow Ice and the spirit of tempests or of no creature but the creator himselfe whereof our Sauiour said in the Gospell Receiue the holy 〈◊〉 signifying it in his bodily breath and there also where hee saith Goe and bâ—…ise all nations in the name of the father the sonne and the holy spirit plainly and excellently intimating the full Trinity vnto vs and there also where wee read God is a spirit and in many other places of scripture In all those places of Scriptâ—… the Greeke wee see hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine flatus and not spiâ—…us And therefore if in that place Hee breathed into his face the breath of life tâ—… Greeke had not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet were it no consequent that wee should take it for the holy spirit the third person in Trinity because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vâ—… for a creature as well as the creator and as ordinarily O but â—…ay they hee â—…ld not haue added vitae of life but that hee meant that spirit aâ—…d whereas 〈◊〉 sâ—…id Man became a soule hee would not haue added liuing but that he meant the soules life which is giuen from aboue by the spirit of God for the soule haâ—…g a proper life by it selfe why should hee adde liuing but to intimate the 〈◊〉 giuen by the holy spirit But what is this but folly to respect coniecture and 〈◊〉 to neglect scripture for what need we goe further then a chapter and beâ—…old let the earth bring forth the liuing soule speaking of the creation of all eâ—…ly creatures and besides for fiue or sixe Chapters onely after why might 〈◊〉 â—…ot obserue this Euery thing in whose nosthrills the spirit of life did breath â—…soeuer they were in the drye land dyed relating the destruction of euery liuing 〈◊〉 vpon earth by the deluge If then wee finde a liuing soule and a spirit of life in beasts as the Scripture saith plainly vsing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this very 〈◊〉 place why may wee not as well say why added hee liuing there seeing 〈◊〉 soule cannot bee vnlesse it liue and why added hee Of life here hauing â—…d spirit But wee vnderstand the Scriptures ordinary vsage of the liuing 〈◊〉 and the spirit of life for animated bodyes naturall and sensitiue and yet 〈◊〉 this vsuall phrase of Scripture when it commeth to bee vsed concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of man Whereas it implieth that man receiued a reasonable soule of 〈◊〉 â—…ated by his breath k not as the other were produced out of water and 〈◊〉 and yet so that it was made in that body to liue therein and make it an aniâ—… body and a liuing soule as the other creatures were whereof the Scripture sayd Let the earth bring forth a liuing soule and that in whose nostrills was the â—…rit of life which the Greek text calleth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning not the holy spirit but their life But wee say they doe conceiue Gods breath to come from the mouth of God now if that bee a soule l wee must holde it equall 〈◊〉 â—…substantiall with that wisdome or Worde of GOD which saith I am come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mouth of the most high Well it saith not that it was breathed from 〈◊〉 â—…outh but came out of it And as wee men not out of our owne nature but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ayre about vs can make a contraction into our selues and giue it out 〈◊〉 in a breath so Almighty GOD not onely out of his owne nature or of 〈◊〉 â—…feriour creature but euen of nothing can make a breath which hee may 〈◊〉 most fitly said to breath or inspire into man it being as hee is incorporeall 〈◊〉 â—…ot as hee is immutable because it is created as he is not 〈◊〉 to let those men see that will talke of Scriptures and yet marke not what 〈◊〉 doe intend that some-thing may bee sayd to come
eight times thirtie for there are eight generations from Adam to Lameches children inclusiuely is two hundred and forty did they beget no children then all the residue of the time before the deluge what â—…as the cause then that this author reciteth not the rest for our bookes account from Adam to the deluge b two thousand two hundred sixty two yeares and the Hebrewes one thousaÌ„d six hundred fifty six To allow the lesser nuÌ„ber for the truer take two hundred and forty from one thousand six hundred fifty six and there remaines one thousaÌ„d foure hundreth and sixteen years Is it likely that Caines progeny had no children al this time But let him whom this troubleth obserue what I sayd before when the question was put how it were credible that the first men could for beare generation so long It was answered two waies either because of their late maturity proportioned to their length of life or because that they which were reckned in the descents were not necessarily the first borne but such onely as conueied the generation of Seth through themselues downe vnto Noah And therefore in Caines posterity if such an one wants as should bee the scope wherevnto the generation omitting the first borne and including onely such as were needefull might descend wee must impute it to the latelinesse of maturity whereby they were not enabled to geneâ—…ation vntill they were aboue one â—…ndred yeares olde that so the generation might still passe through the first borne and so descending through these multitudes of yeares meete with the â—…oud I cannot tell there may bee some more c secret course why the Earthly Citties generation should bee d reiected vntill Lamech and his sonnes and 〈◊〉 the rest vnto the deluge wholy suppressed by the authorâ—… And to â—…de this late maturity the reason why the pedegree descendeth not by tâ—…e first borne may bee for that Caine might reigne long in his Cittie of Heâ—… and begette many Kings who might each beget a sonne to reigne in 〈◊〉 owne stead Of these Caine I saâ—… might bee the first Henoch his sonne the next for whom the Citty was built that he might reigne there 〈◊〉 the sonne of Henoch the third e Manichel the sonne of Gaidaâ—… the fourth 〈◊〉 Mathusael the sonne of Manichel the fit Lamech the sonne of Mathusael the sixt and this man is the seauenth from Adam by Caine. Now it followeth not that each of these should bee their fathers first begotten their merits vertue policy chance or indeed their fathers loue might easily enthrone them And the deluge might befall in Lamechs reigne and drowne both him and all on earth but for those in the Arke for the diuersity of their ages might make it no â—…der that there should bee but seauen generations from Adam by Caine to the deluge and ten by Seth Lamech as I said beeing the seauenth from Adam and Noah the tenth and therefore Lamech is not said to haue one sonne but many because it is vncertaine who should haue succeeded him had hee died before the deluge But howsoeuer Caines progeny bee recorded by Kings or by eldest sonnes this I may not ' omit that Lamech the seauenth from Adam had as many children as made vppe eleauen the number of preuarication For hee had three sonnes and one daughter His wiues haue a reference to another thing not here to bee stood vpon For heere wee speake of descents but theirs is vnknowne Wherefore seeing that the lawe lieth in the number of ten as the tenne commandements testifie eleauen ouer-going ten in one signifieth the transgression of the law or sinne Hence it is that there were eleauen haire-cloath vailes made for the Tabernacle or mooueable Temple of GOD during the Israelites trauells For g in haire-cloath is the remembrance of sinne included because of the h goates that shal be set on the left hand for in repentance wee prostrate our selues in hayre-cloath saying as it is in the Psalme My sinne is euer in thy sight So then the progeny of Adam by wicked Caine endeth in the eleauenth the number of sinne and the last that consumaâ—…eth the number is a woman in whome that sinne beganne for which wee are all deaths slaues and which was committed that disobedience vnto the spirit and carnall affects might take place in vs. For i Naamah Lamechs daughter is interpreted beautifull pleasure But from Adam to Noah by Seth tenne the number of the lawe is consumate vnto which Noahs three sonnes are added two their father blessed and the third fell off that the reprobate beeing 〈◊〉 and the elect added to the whole k twelue the number of the Patriarches and Apostles might herein bee intimate which is glorious because of the multiplication of the partes of l seauen producing it for foure times three or three times foure is twelue This beeing so it remaineth to discusse how these two progenies distinctly intimating the two two Citties of the reprobate and the regenerate came to be so commixt and confused that all mankinde but for eight persons deserued to perish in the deluge L. VIVES THe a Gymnosophists Strab. lib. 15. b 2262. Eusebius and Bede haue it from the Sâ—…gints but 2242. it may bee Augustine saw the last number LXII in these charaâ—… and they had it thus XLII with the X. before The transcriber might easilie commit 〈◊〉 an error c Secret cause I thinke it was because they onely of Caines generation should bee named that were to bee plagued for his brothers murder for Iosephus writeth hereof 〈◊〉 these words Caine offring vnto God and praying him to bee appeased got his great guâ—… of homicide some-what lightned and remained cursed and his off-spring vnto the sâ—…uenth generation lyable vnto punishment for his desert Besides Caine liued so long himselfe and the author would not continue his generation farther then his death d Recided Not commended as some bookes read e Manichel Some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath Maâ—…iel the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Mathusael Eusebius Mathusalem the seauentie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g In hayre cloth The Prophets wore haire-cloth to â—…re the people to repentance Hier. sâ—…p Zachar. The Penitents also wore it h Goates Christ saith Hee wilâ—… gather the â—…Word that is the iust and simple men together in the worlds end and set them on his right hand and the Goates the luxurious persons and the wicked on his left This hayre-cloth was made of Goates hayre and called Cilicium because as Uarro saith the making of it was first inuented in Cilicia i Naamah It is both pleasure and delicate comlinesse 〈◊〉 k 〈◊〉 Of this read Hierome vpon Ezechiel lib. 10. l Seauen A number full of mysterious religion as I said before Why the generation of Caine is continued downe along from the naming of his sonne Enoch whereas the Scripture hauing named Enos Seths sonne goeth back againe to begin Seths generation at Adam CHAP. 21. BVt first we must see the reason why Cains
all nature should lust after the women of earth and marrying them beget Gyants of them CHAP. 23. â—…is question wee touched at in our third booke but left it vndiscussed wheâ—…er the Angels being spirits could haue carnall knowledge of women for 〈◊〉 â—…itten He maketh his Angels spirits that a is those that are spirits hee 〈◊〉 his Angels by sending them on messages as hee please for the Greeke 〈◊〉 â—…rd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latines call c Angelus is interpreted a messenger 〈◊〉 â—…ether he meant of their bodyes when he addeth And his ministers a flaâ—… or that he intimate that Gods ministers should burne with fiery zeale â—…ritie it is doubtfull yet doe the scriptures plainly auerre that the Anâ—… appeared both in visible and palpable figures b And seeing it is so 〈◊〉 a report and so many auerre it eyther from their owne triall or from 〈◊〉 that are of indubitable honestie and credite that the Syluanes and 〈◊〉 commonly called e Incubâ—… haue often iniured women desiring and acâ—…â—…rnally with them and that certaine deuills whome the Frenchmen call 〈◊〉 doe continually practise this vncleannesse and tempt others to it which â—…ed by such persons and with such confidence that it were impudence 〈◊〉 it I dare not venter to determine any thing heere whether the 〈◊〉 beeing imbodyed in ayre for this ayre beeing violently mooued is 〈◊〉 â—…lt can suffer this lust or mooue it so as the women with whome 〈◊〉 â—…ixe many feele it f yet do I firmely beleeue that Gods Angels could 〈◊〉 â—…ll so at that time nor that the Apostle Peter did meane of them when he sayd If God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkenesse to be kept vnto damnation but rather of those that turned apostata's with the diuell their prince at first in him I meane that deceiued man-kinde in the serpent That men were also called the Angels of God the scripture testifieth also saying of Iohn Behold I send mine Angel before â—…hy face which shall prepare the way before thee And Malachie the prophet by a peculiar grace giuen him was called an Angell But some sticke at this that in this commixtion of them that were called Gods Angels with the women of earth there were Gyants begotten and borne as though that we haue no such extraordinary huge statured creatures euen in these our times Was there not a woman of late at Rome with her father and mother a little before it was sacked by the Gothes that was of a giantlike height in respect of all other It was wonderfull to see the concourse of those that came to see her and shee was the more admired in that her parents exceeded not our tallest ordinary stature Therefore there might bee giants borne before that the sonnes of God called also his Angells had any carnall confederacy with the daughters of men such I meane as liued in the fleshly course that is ere the sonnes of Seth medled with the daughters of Caine for the Scripture in Genesis saith thus So when men were multiplied vpon earth and there were daughters borne vnto them the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wiues of all that they liked Therefore the Lord said my spirit shall not alway striue with man because he is but flesh and his daies shal be 120. yeares There were Gyants in the earth in those daies yea and after that the sonnes of God came vnto the daughters of men and they had borne them children these were Gyants and in old time were men of renowne These words of holy writ shew plainely that there were Gyants vpon earth when the sonnes of God tooke the fayre daughters of men to bee their wiues g for the scripture vseth to call that which is faire good But there were Gyants borne after this for it saith There were Gyants vpon earth in those daies and after that the sonnes of God came vnto the daughters of men so that there were Gyants both then and before and whereas it saith They begot vnto themselues this sheweth that they had begotten children vnto God before and not vnto themselues that is not for lust but for their duty of propagation nor to make themselues vp any flaunting family but to increase the Cittizens of God whome they like Gods angels instructed to ground their hope on him as the sonne of the resurrection Seths sonne did who hoped to call vpon the name of the Lord in which hope he and all his sons might be sons and heires of life euerlasting But we may not take them to bee such Angels as were no men men they were without doubt and so saith the Scripture which hauing first sayd the Angels of God sâ—… the daughters of men that they were good and they tooke them wiues of all whome they liked addeth presently And the Lord said my spirit shall not alway striue with mâ—… because hee is but flesh For his spirit made them his Angels and sonnes but they declined downewards and therefore hee calleth them men by nature not by grace and flesh being the forsaken forsakers of the spirit The 70. call them the Angels and sonnes of God some bookes call them onely the sonnes of God leauing out Angels But h Aquila whome the Iewes prefer before all calls them neither but the sonnes of Gods both is true for they were both the sonnes of God and by his patronage the bretheren of their fathers and they were the sonnes of the Gods as borne of the Gods and their equalls according to that of the Psalme I haue said yee are Gods and yee are al sonnes of the most high for weâ—… do worthily beleeue that the 70. had the spirit of prophecy and that what soeuer they altered is set downe according to the truth of diuinity not after the pleasure of translators yet the Hebrew they say is doubtfull and may be interpreted 〈◊〉 the sonnes of God or of Gods Therefore let vs omit the scriptures that are 〈◊〉 i Apocripha because the old fathers of whome wee had the scriptures 〈◊〉 not the authors of those workes wherein though there bee some truths yâ—… their multitude of falshhoods maketh them of no canonicall authority Sâ—… Scriptures questionlesse were written by Enoch the seauenth from 〈◊〉 As the canonicall k Epistle of Iude recordeth but it is not for â—…ng that they were left out of the Hebrew Canon which the Priests kept in 〈◊〉 â—…mple The reason was their antiquity procured a suspicion that they 〈◊〉 not truly diuine and an vncertainety whether Henoch were the author or 〈◊〉 â—…ing that such as should haue giuen them their credit vnto posterity neuer 〈◊〉 them And therefore those bookes that go in his name and containe those 〈◊〉 of the giants that ther fathers were no men are by good iudgements held 〈◊〉 â—…ne of his but counterfeite as the heretiques haue done many
pouerty could not deserue to bee beleeued of the enemie yet should hee not bee put to this paine without an heauenly reward for his paines L. VIVES INward a man The minde being often so vsed in Pauls Epistles b Coueteousnesse of mony The vulgar translation hath Cupiditas but Augustine hath auaritia a better word for the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loue of money c Many sorrowes Thus farre Paul d Poore without He meaneth the Apostle Paul e Naked The words of Iob comforting himselfe in the losse of his goodes and children f elsewhere namely in the same chapter Verse 17. g Rich in good workes In these thinges they shall bee rich indeed h Kept more safely Laying vp the treasure of eternity for them-selues in heauen in that they haue giuen freely vnto the poore and needie Which is declared by that which followeth in the same chapter of Mathew beeing Christes owne workes i And therefore one Paulinus The Gothes hauing sackt Rome and ouer-running all Latium the 〈◊〉 Campania Calabria Salentinum Apulia or Aprutium spoyling and wasting al as they went like a generall deluge their fury extended as far as Consentia a Citty in Calabria called now Cosenza and forty yeares after that Genserike with the Moores and Vandals brake out again tooke Rome filling all Campania with ruine raized the citty of Nola. Of which Cittie at that time Paulinus was Bishop as Paulus Diaconus writeth a most holy and as Saint Gregory saith an eloquent man exceedingly read in humaine learning and not altogether void of the spirit of prophecie who hauing spent all hee had in redeeming Christian captiues and seeing a widow bewayling her captiue sonne and powring forth her pious lamentations mixt with teares his pietie so vrged him that hee could not rest vntill hee had crossed ouer into Affricke with the widow where her sonne was prisoner And there by exchange of him-selfe for hir sonne redeemed him and gaue him free vnto his mother Now his sanctity growing admirable in the eies of the Barbarians hee had the freedome of all his cittizens giuen him and so was sent backe to his country Thereof read at large in Gregories third booke of Dialogues But I thinke Augustine speakes not of this later invasion for then was Paulinus departed this life but of the first irruption of the Gothes k Whereby them-selues were good Namely their vertue which no man can depriue them off and that onely is the good which makes the possessors good For if riches bee good as Tully saith in his Paradoxes why do they not make them good that inioy them l Mammon Mammon after Hierome is a Syriake word signifying that vnto them that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth vnto the Greekes namely Ritches Augustine elswere saith that Mammon in the Punike language is gaine and that the Affrican and Hebrew tongues do accord in the signification of many wordes Serm. de verb. Dom. quaest Euang. Of the end of this transitory life whether it be long or short CHAP. 10. THe extremity of famine they say destroyed many Christians in these inuasions Well euen of this also the faithfull by induring it patiently haue made good vse For such as the famine made an end off it deliueuered from the euils of this life as well as any other bodily disease could doe such as it ended not it taught them a sparing diet and ablenesse to faste Yea but many Christians were destroyed by the foulest variety that might bee falling by so many sortes of death why this is not to bee disliked off since it is common to all that euer haue beene borne This I know that no man is dead that should not at lengâ—…h haue died For the liues ending makes the long life and the short all one neither is their one better and another worse nor one longer then another shorter which is not in this end made equall And what skils it what kind of death do dispatch our life when he that dieth cannot bee forced to die againe And seeing that euery mortall man in the daily casualties of this life is threatned continually with inumerable sortes of death as long as he is vncertaine which of them he shall taste tell me whether it were better to a suffer but one in dying once for euer or still to liue in continual feare then al those extreames of death I know how vnworthy a choice it were to choose rather to liue vnder the awe of so many deathes then by once dying to bee freed from all their feare for euer But it is one thing when the weake sensitiue flesh doth feare it and another when the purified reason of the soule ouer-comes it A bad death neuer followes a good life for there is nothing that maketh death bad but that estate which followeth death Therfore let not their care that needes must dye bee imployed vppon the manner of their death but vppon the estate that they are eternally to inherit after death Wherefore seeing that all Christians know that the death of the religious b begger amongst the dogs licking his sores was better theÌ„ the death of the wicked rich man in all his c silks and purples what power hath the horrour of any kind of death to affright their soules that haue ledde a vertuous life L. VIVES SVffer but one So said Caesar that hee had rather suffer one death at once then feare it continually b Religious begger the story is at large in Saint Luke the 16. Chapter beginning at the 19. verse of Lazarus and the rich glutton c. c Silks Byssus is a kinde of most delicate line as Plinie saith in his naturall history lib. 19. Of buryall of the dead that it is not preiudiciall to the state of a Christian soule to be forbidden it CHAP 11. OH but in this great slaughter the dead could not bee buryed Tush our holy faith regards not that holding fast the promise It is not so fraile as to think that the rauenous beasts can depriue the body of any part to be wanting in the resurrection where not a hayre of the head shall be missing Nor would the scripture haue said Feare not them that kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule if that which the foe could doe vnto our dead bodies in this world should any way preiudice our perfection in the world to come Vnlesse any man will be so absurd as to contend that they that can kil the body are not to be feared before death least they should kill it but after death least hauing killed it they should not permit it buriall Is it false then which Christ saith Those that kill the body after they can do no more and that they haue power to do so much hurt vnto the dead carkasse God forbid that should be false which is spoken by the truth it selfe Therefore it is said they do something in killing because then they afflict the bodyly sence for a while but afterwards
slew him as hee was vpon going into Italy Hee was a religious Christian Prince This of him and the rest here mentioned I haue from Eutropius Paulus Diaconus Oros. and Pomp. Laetus l Pompey Ptolomyes guard flew him in a boate before all the people of Alexandria looking on them An vn worthy death for so worthy a man Liu. Flor. Plutarch Lucane Appian m Theodosius He was a Spaniard Gratian at Syrmium made him his fellow Emperor with the peoples great applause being a man both vertuous and valiant descended from Traian and they say like him in person He tooke Maximus at Aquileia and beheaded him n A yonger Valentinian Of the faith and deuotion of Theodosius Emperor CHAP. 26. SO he did not onely keepe the faith which hee ought him in his life time but like a Christian indeede receiued his little brother Valentinian into his protection and defence when Maximus his murderer had chased him from his state and held the care of a father ouer him which he needed not haue done but might easilyly haue taken all to himselfe had his ambition ouerpoysed his religion But he preserued his state imperiall for him and gaue him all the comfort honest courtesie could bestowe And when as the good fortune of Maximus begot him a terrible name Theodosius did not creepe into a corner of his Palace with wizards and coniurers but sent to b Iohn that liued in a wild ernesse of Aegipt whome he had hard was graced from God by the spirit of prophecy to him sent hee and receiued a true promise of victory So soone after hauing killed the tyrant Maximus he restored the c child Valentinian to this empire from whence he was driuen shewing him all the reuerend loue that could be and when this child was slaine as hee was soone after either by treachery or by some other casualty and that Eugenius another tyrant was vnlawfully stept vp in his place receiuing another answer from the prophet his faith being firme hee fetched him downe from his vsurped place rather by prayer then power for the soldiors that were in the battell on the vsurpers side told it vnto vs that there came such a violent wind from Theodosius his side that it smote their darts forth of their hands and if any were throwen it tooke them presently in an instant and forced them vpon the faces of those that threw them And therefore d Claudian though no Christian sings this well of his praise O nimiuâ—… dilâ—…cte deo cui militat aethaer â—…t coniurati veniunt ad clâ—…ssica venti O god's belou'd whomâ—… powers aereall And winds come arm'd to helpe when thou dost callâ—… And being victor according to his faith and presage hee threw downe certaiue Images of Iupiter which had beene consecrated I know not with what ceremonies against him and mirthfully and kindly e gaue his footemen their thunderboults who as they well might iested vpon them because they were glad and said they would abide their flashes well inough for the sonnes of his foe some of them fell in the fight not by his command others being not yet Christians but flying into the Church by this meanes hee made Christians and loued them with a Christian charyty nor diminishing their honoures a whit but adding more to them He suffered no priuat grudges to bee held against any one after the victory He vsed not these ciuill warres like as Cynna Marius and Syâ—… did that would not haue them ended f when they were ended but he rather sorrowed that they were begun then ended then to any mans hurt And in all these troubles from his reignes beginning hee forgot not to assist and succouâ—… the labouring Church by all the wholesome lawes which hee could promulgate against the faithlesse g Valens an Arrian heretike hauing done much hurt therein wherof he reioyced more to be a member then an earthly Emperour He commanded the demolition of all Idols of the Gentiles knowing that not so much as earthly blessings are in the diuells power but all and each particular in Gods And what was there euer more memorable then that religious h humility of his when being euen forced by his attendants to reuenge the iâ—…iury offered him by the Thessalonicans vnto whome notwithstanding at the Bishoppes intreaties hee had promised pardon hee was excommunicaâ—… and showed such repentaunce that the people intreating for him rather did lament to see the imperiall Maiesty so deiected then their feared his warâ—… when they had offended These good workes and a tedious roll of such like did he beare away with him out of this transitory smoake of all kinde of humaine glory their rewarde is eternall felicitie giuen by the true God onely to the good For the rest be they honors or helpes of this life as the world it selfe light ayre water earth soule sence and spirit of life this he giueth promilcually to good and bad and so he doth also with the greatnesse and continuance of the temporall Empires of all men whith he bestoweth on either sort as he pleaseth L. VIVES WHen a as Andragathius one of Maximus his Countes an excellent souldior and a cunning leader managed all the warre and with his trickes brought Theodosius to many shrewd plunges b Iohn An Anchorite that had the spirit of prophecie presaging many things and this victory of Theodosius amongst others Prosper Aquitan Theodosius sent often to him for counsell in difficult matters Diacon c The childe He made him being Gratians brother Emperor of the West but Arbogastes Count of Uienna slew him by treachery set vp Eugenius and with a mighty power of Barbarians stopped the passage of the Alpes to keepe Theodoâ—…s back The godly Prince fasted and prayed all the night before the battle and the next day fought with them though being farre their inferiour in number and yet by gods great and miraculous power gotte a famous victory Eugenius was taken and put to death Arbogastes slew himselfe d Claudian Most men hold him an Aegiptian and so Posidonius that liued with him and was his familiar affirmeth Not Posidonius the Rhodian but a certaine Prelate of Africa He was borne to Poetry elegantly wittied but a little superstitious There is a Poeme of Christ vnder his name perhaps he made it to please Honorius for he was a great flatterer The verses here cited are in his Panegyrike vpon Honorius his third Consulship written rather in his praise then vpon Theodosius though he speake of this victory at the Alpes which like a scurrilous flatterer hee rather ascribeth to Honorius his fate and felicity then to Theodosius his piety For thus hee saith Victoria velox Auspiciis effecta tuis pugnastis vterque Tu fatis genitorque manu te propter Alpeâ—… Inuadi faciles cauto nec profuit hosti Munitis haesisse lâ—…cis spes irrita valli Concidâ—… scopulis patuerunt claustra reuulsis Te propter gelidis Aquilo de monte procellis
this great huge masse that framed and guideth all the waters that set vp the sunne as the worlds clearest light and gaue it congruent act and motion c that taketh not all power from the spirits infernall that afforded nourishment moist or dry vnto euery creature according to the temperature that founded the earth and maketh it fertill that giueth the fruites thereof to men and beasts that knowes and orders all causes principall and secondary that giueth the moone her motion and hath set downe waies in heauen and earth to direct our change of place that hath grac'd the wit he created with arts and sciences as ornaments to nature that instituted copulation for propagation sake that gaue men the vse of the earthly fire to meet by and vse in their conuentions Tâ—…se â—…re the things that learned Varro either from others doctrine or his owne 〈◊〉 striueth to ascribe vnto the selected Gods by a sort of I wotte nere 〈◊〉 â—…aiurall interpretations L. VIVES WHâ—… a two parts Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created heauen and earth Which 〈◊〉 make the whole world including in heauen all things celestiall in earth all things mortall b And now An Epilogue of all the gods powers which he hath disputed of c That taketh Read Iob. 40. 41. of the deuills power from God The meanes to discerne the Creator from the creatures and to auoyde the worshipping of so many gods for one because there are so many powers in one CHAP. 30. BVt these are the operation of one onely and true God yet as one the saâ—…e god in all plaâ—… all in all not included in place not confined to locall quaâ—…tie â—…sible and immutable filling heauen and earth with his present power His nature a needing no helpe So doth he dispose of all his workes of creation â—…t each one hath the peculiar motion permitted it For though it can doe noâ—… without him yet is not any thing that which he is He doth much by his Angeâ—… 〈◊〉 onely he maketh them also blessed So that imagine he do send his Angelâ—…â—…o 〈◊〉 for some causes yet he maketh not the men blessed by his Angels bâ—… by hiâ—… selfe he doth the angels from this true and euerlasting God and from noâ—…â—…ther hope we for life eternall L. VIVES 〈◊〉 Nâ—…ding as the other gods do that must be faine to haue assistance in their faculty poweâ—… The Peeâ—…r benefits besides his coâ—…on bounty that God bestoweth vpon his seruants CHAP. 26. FOr of him besides these benefits whereof wee haue spoken partly such as 〈◊〉 left to the administration of nature and bestowed both vpon good and bad wee 〈◊〉 a particular bounty of his loue perticular only to the good for although we 〈◊〉 neuer yeeld him sufficient thankes for our being life sence and vnderstanding of him yet for that he hath not forsaken vs when we were inuolued in sinne turâ—…d away from his contemplation and blinded with loue of blacke iniquity for that 〈◊〉 hath sent vs his Word his onely Sonne by whose incarnation and extrâ—… passion for vs we might conceiue how a dearely god esteemed vs and 〈◊〉 singuler sacrifice bee purged from our guilt and by the illumination of 〈◊〉 spirit in our hears tread downe all difficulties and ascend to that eternall 〈◊〉 ineffable sweetnes of his contemplation what heart how many tounges 〈◊〉 to returne sufficient thankes for this last benefit L. VIVES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dearely Rom. 8. 32. Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death c. 〈◊〉 That the Mistery of our redemption by Christ was not obscure in the precedent times but continually intimated in diuers significations CHAP. 32. 〈◊〉 Mistery of Eternall life euen from the first originall of mankinde was 〈◊〉 the angells declared vnto such as God voutchsafed by diuers signes 〈◊〉 â—…all shadowes congruent to the times wherin they were shewed And 〈◊〉 â—…ebrewes being gathered into a common wealth to keepe the memory 〈◊〉 â—…ty had diuers that prophecied the things that should fall out from the 〈◊〉 of Christ vnto a this very day some of which Prophets b vnderstood 〈◊〉 â—…cies and some did not Afterwards they were pispersed amongst the 〈◊〉 leaue them c the testimony of the scriptures which promised eâ—…ernal 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ for not only al the Prophecies which were in words 〈◊〉 â—…epts which had reference to actions and manners were therein conâ—… but all their sacrifices also the Priesthoods temple or tabernacle altars â—…ies feasts and what euer hath reference to that diuine worship of God 〈◊〉 presages and propheticall significations of that eternall life bestowed by 〈◊〉 all which we now beleeue either are fulfilled or see are now in fulfilling 〈◊〉 shal be fulfilled hereafter in him L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a this very day For the Prophecies are not yet at an end and though the summe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all were fuâ—…filled in Christ yet by him diuers things since are to come to passe 〈◊〉 particularly beene intimated in the prophecies as that not in one prophet onely 〈◊〉 â—…ring together of the dispersed Israell at the end of the world b Understood All 〈◊〉 â—…phets vnderstood not their prophecies nor did those that vnderstood part vnderâ—… 〈◊〉 they spoake not them-selues but by Gods inspiraâ—…ion whose counselles they 〈◊〉 fully acquainted with nor did God vse them as men skilfull in future euents but 〈◊〉 as hee ment to speake to the poeple by yet deny we not but that the summe of all their 〈◊〉 thâ—…ing of the Messias was reuealed to them by God almighty The gentiles 〈◊〉 of opinion that the Sybills and the other Prophets vnderstood not all their presages 〈◊〉 â—…ey spake them at such times as they were rapt beyond their reason and hauing put 〈◊〉 proper mindes were filled with the deity And therefore Iamblicus saith that the 〈◊〉 and sober that the Sibilles and prophets are in their prophecying the dasker and obscurer their prophecies are and then they speake plainely and clearly when they are wholy Enthusiasticall In mysteriis c The testimonie That the scriptures might be dispersed throughout the world wherein the consequents of Christs comming and suffering were so plainely described that none that had seene or heard of Christs life and doings could deny that he it waâ—…of whom they were prophecied That Christianity onely is of power to lay open the Deuills subtilty and delight in illuding of ignorant men CHAP. 33. THis onely true religion is of power to lay open that the Gentiles gods are most vncleane spirits desiring vpon the occasion of some departed soules or vnder the shapes of some earthly creatures to bee accounted gods and in their proud impurity taking pleasure in those obscaenities as in diuine honours maligning the conuersion of all mens soules vnto the true God From whose beastly and abhominable tyranny a man then getteth free when hee layeth his beliefe vpon him who by his rare example of humillity declared from what height and
and antiquity because that some-times it gulles the artiste the priests must therefore diuide the spirits into Classes and remember that no good spirit will bragge of his cunning e Spirituall Wherein are the abstracts of externall obiects all reserued and sent to the common sence the phantasie the estimation and the memory these beasts haue aswell as wee beeing common receipts of the sensible obiects in both but then wee haue the minde and the ponderatiue iudgement of reason consisting of the two intellects the Recipient and the agent last of all is the will g Skie Plato to beginne with the King in this ranke saith that the first kind of gods haue inuisible bodies the second spred through heauen and visible the third the Daemons bodies two-fold the first ethereall more pure then the other in substance the second ayry and more grosser but neither of these intirely visible there are also the Semi-gods with warry bodies seene and vnseene when they list and when wee see them their transparent light formes make vs wonder In Epinom Psellus Out of one Marke a skilfull Daemonist relateth sixe kindes of Daemones First the fiery called in Barbarian Batleliureon and these wander in the toppe of the ayry region for hee keepes all the Daemones as profaine creatures out of a temple vnder the moone 2. the ayry nearer vnto vs. 3. the earthly dwelling vpon the earth perillous foes vnto mankinde 4. watry dwelling in riuers lakes and springs drowning men often raysing stormes at sea and sinking shippes 5. the subterrene that liue in caues and kill well-diggers and miners for mettalls causing earth-quakes and eruptions of flames and pestilent winds 6. night-walkers the darke and most inscrutable kinde striking all things they meet with cold passions And all those deuills saith hee hate both gods and men but some worse then others Then hee proceedes to describe how they hurt men too tediously for me to dilate Porphyry reckneth gods that are either heauenly ethereall ayry watry earthly or infernall and assignes euery one their proper sacrifice The earthly must haue blacke beasts vpon altaâ—… so must the infernall but in graues the watry gods will haue black-birds throwne into the sea the ayry white birds killed The celestiall and etheriall white sacrifices also that must 〈◊〉 bee diminished and much more of this madnesse hath he in his booke called Resp. ex orac Apoll Nor are they new inuentions but drawne all from Orpheus and Mercury Mercury left saith Iamblichus an hundred bookes of the Empyreall an hundred of the Ethereall and a thousand of the celestiall Proclus diuides the deuills into fiue regimentes rather then siue kinds destinguishing them by their functions But of this inough Augustin out of Porphyry calls their firy gods Empyreal whom both Plato and Porphyry seeme not to distinguish from the celestiall whom they make of fiery nature Of Theurgy that falsy promiseth to mundifie the minde by the inuocation of deuills CHAP. 10. BEhold now this other and they say more learned Platonist Porphyry with his owne Theurgy makes all the gods subiect to passion and perturbation For they may by his doctrine bee so terrifying from purging soules by those that enuy their purgation that hee that meaneth euill may chaine them for euer from benefiting him that desires this good and that by this art Theurgique that the other can neuer free them from this feare and attaine their helpes though hee vse the same Art neuer so Who seeth not that this is the deuills meere consinage but hee that is their meere slaue and quite bard from the grace of the Redeemer If the good gods had any hand herein surely the good desire of Man that would purge his soule should vanquish him that would hinder it Or if the gods were iust and would not allowe him it for some guilt of his yet it should bee their owne choyse not their beeing terrified by that enuious party nor as hee sayth the feare of greater powers that should cause this denyall â—…nd it is strange that that good Chaldean that sought to bee thus purged by Theurgy could not finde some higher GOD that could either terrifie the other worse and so force them to further him or take away their terrour and set them free from the others bond to benefite him and yet so should this good Theurgike still haue lackt the rites wherewith to purge these gods from feare first ere they came to purge his soule For why should hee call a greater GOD to terrifie them and not to purge them Or is there a GOD that heareth the malicious and so frights the lesser gods from doing good and none to heare the well-minded and to set them at libertie to doe good againe O goodly Theurgy O rare purgation of the minde where impure enuy doth more then pure deuotion No no auoide these damnable trap-falls of the deuill flie to the healthfull and firme truth For whereas the workers of these sacrilegious expiations doe behold as hee saith some admired shapes of Angells or Gods as if their spirits were purged why if they doe aske the Apostles reason For a Satan tranformeth himselfe into an Angell of light These are his Apparitions seeking to chaine mens poore deluded soules in fallacies and lying ceremonies wresting them from the true and onely purging and perfecting doctrine of GOD and as it is sayd of b Proteus hee turnes himselfe to all shapes persuing vs as an enemy fawning on vs as a friend and subuerting vs in both shapes L. VIVES FOr a Satan Confest by Porphyry and Iamblichus both The deuills most especiall property is lying and still they assume the faces of other Gods saith the first De sacrifice lib. 2. Their euill spirits often assume the shapes of good comming with brags and arrogance to men sayth the second In Myster b Proteus Sonne saith Hesiod to Oceanus and Tâ—…tis a great prophet and as Virgill saith skild in all things past present and to come Hoâ—…er faigneth that hee was compeld to presage the truth of the Troian warre to Agamâ—… and Uirgill saith that Aristeus serued him so also Valerius Probus saith hee was an Egiptiâ—… and called Busyris for his tyranny Virgil calls him Pallenius of a towne in Macedonia and there was hee borne saith Seruius mary reigned as Virgill saith in Carpathum Herodotus saith hee was of Memphis and King there when Paris and Hellen came into Egipt and for their adultery hee would let them stay there but three daies In Euterpe Diodorâ—… saith that the Egiptians called him Caeteus whom the Greekes called Proteus that hee was a good Astronomer and had skill in many artes and reigned in Egipt in the time of the Troyan warre The Egiptian Kings vsed alwaies to giue the halfe Lyon or the Bull or Dragon for their armes and thence the Greekes had this fiction I thinke hee changed his escutcheon often Of Porphyryes Epistle to Anebuns of Egipt and desyring him of instruction in the
it selfe If you wil I wil proceed if not let it alone Then Glaucus replied that hee should go on with the son and leaue the father till another time So he proceeds to discourse of the birth and sonne of good and after some questions saith that good is as the sun and the son is as the light we haue from the sun And in his Epistle to Hermias he speaketh of such as were sworne to fit studies and the Muses sister lerning by God the guide father of al things past and to come And in his Epinomis hee saith that by that most diuine Word was the world and al therin created This word did so rauish the wise man with diuine loue that he conceiued the meanes of beatitude For many say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant of the Word not of the world and so wee haue vsed it in the eighth book speaking of Plato's opinion of beatitude So that Plato mentions the father and the son expresly mary the third he thought was indeclareable Though hee hold that in the degrees of Diuinity the soule of the world the third proceedeth from the beginning and the begininnings sonne Mens which soule if one would stand for Plato might easily be defended to be that spirit that mooued upon the waters which they seeme to diffuse through the whole masse and to impart life and being to euery particular And this is the Trine in diuinity of which he writeth to Dionysius aenigmatically as him-selfe saith Al thinges are about the King of al and by him haue existence the seconds about the second and yâ— thirds about the third I omit to write what Trismegistus saith Iamblichus from him we are all for the Platonist but I cannot omitte Serapis his answer to Thules the King of Egipt in the Troian wars who inquyring of him who was most blessed had this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. First God and then the sonne and next the spirit All coëternall one in act and merit b The son Porphyry explaning Plato's opinion as Cyril saith against Iultan puts three essences in the Deity 1 God almighty 2. the Creator 3. the soule of the world nor is the deity extended any further Plato he both cal the Creator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fathers intellect with the Poets though obscurely touch at calling Minerua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne without a mother the wisedom brought forth out of the fathers brain c Plotine he wâ—…ote a book of the three persons or substances yâ— first hee maketh absolute and father to the second that is also eternall and perfect Hee calleth the father Mens also in another place as Plato doth but the word arose from him For hee sayth De prouâ—…d lib. 2. in the begining all this whole vniuerse was created by the Mens the father and his Worde d Alme religion tyeth vs to haue a care how wee speake herein e Sabellians They said that the person of the father and â—…f the Son was all one because the scripture saith I and the Father am one Of the true onely beginning that purgeth and renueth mans whole nature CHAP. 24. BVt Porphyry beeing slaue to the malicious powers of whome hee was ashamed yet durst not accuse them would not conceiue that Christ was the beginning by whose incarnation wee are purged but contemned him in that flesh which he assumed to be a sacrifice for our purgation not apprehending the great sacrament because of his diuell-inspired pride which Christ the good Mediator by his owne humility subuerted shewing him-selfe to mortals in that mortal state which the false Mediators wanted and therefore insulted the more ouer mens wretcheds soules falsely promising them succors from their immortality But our good and true Mediator made it apparant that it was not the fleshly substance but sinne that is euil the flesh and soule of man may be both assumed kept and putte off without guilt and bee bettered at the resurrection Nor is death though it be the punishment of sinne yet payd by Christ for our sinnes to bee anoyded by sinne but rather if occasion serue to bee indured for iustice For Christs dying and that not for his owne sinne was of force to procure the pardon of all other sinnes That hee was the beginning this Platonist did not vnderstand else would hee haue confessed his power in purgation For neither the flesh nor the soule was the beginning but the word all creating Nor can the flesh purge 〈◊〉 by it selfe but by that word that assumed it when the word became flesh dwels in vs. For hee speaking of the mysticall eating of his flesh and some that vnderstood not beeing offended at it and departing saying This is a hard saying who can heare it Answered to those that staid with him It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Therfore the beginning hauing assumed flesh and soule mundifieth both in the beleeuer And so when the Iewes asked him who hee was hee answered them that hee was the a beginning which our flesh and bloud beeing incumbred with sinfull corruption can neuer conceiue vnlesse he by whome wee were and were not doe purifie vs. Wee were men but iust wee were not But in his incarnation our nature was and that iust not sinfull This is the mediation that helpeth vp those that are falne and downe This is the seed that the Angels sowed by dictating the law wherein the true worship of one God was taught and this our Mediator truly promised L VIVES THe a beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustine will haue the Sonne to bee a beginning but no otherwise then the father as no otherwise GOD. And this hee takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Valla and Erasmus say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can be no nowne here but an aduerbe as in the beginning I wil speake my minde here of briefly though the phraze be obscure and perhaps an Hebraisme as many in the new Testament are Christ seemeth not to say hee is the beginning but beeing asked who hee was he hauing no one word to expresse his full nature to all their capacities left it to each ones minde to thinke in his minde what he was not by his sight but by his wordes and to ponder how one in that bodily habite could speake such thinges It was the Deity that spake in the flesh whence all those admirable actes proceeded Therefore he said I am hee 〈◊〉 the beginning and I speake to you vsing a mortall body as an instrument giuing you no more precepts by angels but by my selfe This answer was not vnlike that giuen to Moyses I am that I am but that concerned Gods simple essence and maiesty this was more later and declared God in the fâ—…me of man That all the saints in the old law and other ages before it were iustified only by the mistery and faith of Christ.
son d What of Or which because thou canst not deny thou dost so falter in thy doctrine and contrary thy selfe that first thâ—… teachest that the Theurgikes c. And this is the better reading of the two What perswasions blinded Porphiry from knowing Christ the true wisdome CHAP. 28. THus drawest thou men into most certaine error and a art not ashamed of it being a professor of vertue and wisdome which if thou truely respected thou woldest haue knowne Christ the vertue and wisdome of god the father and not b haue left his sauing humility for the pride of vaine knowledg Yet thou confessest that the vertue of c continence onely without Theurgy and with those Teletae thy frutlesse studies is sufficient to purge the soule spiritually And once thou saidst that the Teletae eleuate not the soule after death as they do now nor benefit the spirituall part of the soule after this life and this d thou tossest and tumblest onely I thinke to shew thy selfe skilfull in those matters and to please curious eares or to make others curious But thou dost well to say this art is dangerous both e for the lawes against it and for the f performance of it I would to God that wretched men would heare thee in this and leaue the gulfe or neuer come neare it for feare of being swallowed vp therein Ignorance thou saist and many vices annexed therevnto are not purged away by any Teletae but only by the fathers intellect his Mens that knoweth his will But that this is Christ thou beleeuest not contemning him for assuming flesh of a woman for being crucified like a fellon because thou thinkest it was fit that the eternall wisedome should contemne those base things and be imbodied in a most eleuated substance I but he fulfills that of the prophet I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Hee doth not destroy his wisdome in such as hee hath giuen it vnto but that which others ascribe to themselues who haue none of his and therefore the Apostle followes the propheticall testimony thus where is the wise Where is the Scribe where is the g disputer of the 〈◊〉 â—…ath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse for seeing the world by wisdome knew not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Seeing also that the Iewes require a signe and the Grecians seeke after wisdome But we preach Christ crucified a stumbling blocke vnto the Iewes and foolishnesse vnto the Grecians But vnto them that h are called both Iewes and Grecians we preach Christ the power and wisdome of God for the i foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men This now the wise and strong in their owne conceit do account as foolish and weake But this is the grace that cures the weake and such as boast not proudly of their false happinesse but humbly confesse their true misery L. VIVES ARt not a ashamed An old phrase in the latine malum non te pudet b Haue left For he was first of our religion and afterwards fell from it and railed at it like a mad man c Câ—…ce De abst animal Continence and frugality eleuate the soule and adioyne it vnto God But Plato is farre more learned and elegant vpon this poynt in his Charmides shewing 〈◊〉 temperance purgeth the mind and is the onely cure of an infected conscience that no â—…er enchantments can cleanse the soule from corruption d Tossest Porphyry is most abâ—… in his Tantologies as wee may see in that common booke of his de predicabilibus e For the lawes Plato for bad it and the ciuill lawes do so also sub pana f Performance Being â—…gerous if it be failed in for the Deuils will be angry and doe the vnperfect magitian much mischiefe as many horrible examples haue testified for they loue perfect impiety from 〈◊〉 there is no regresse vnto piety Therefore they terrifie men there vnto g Disputer 〈◊〉 and naturalist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is referred to the Philosophers immoderate iangâ—… h 〈◊〉 To godlinesse and piety and made Cittizens of God i Foolishnesse Uulgarius 〈◊〉 crosse foolish because it seemed so yet is it wiser then men for the Philosophers kept a 〈◊〉 about trifles and superfluities whilest the crosse produced the worlds redemption Anâ—… 〈◊〉 deity seemed weake in beeing nailed to the crosse yet is it farre more strong then 〈◊〉 not onely because the more wee seeke to suppresse it the more it mounteth and spreaâ—… but also because the strongest deuill was bound and crushed downe by CHRIST in 〈◊〉 weake forme Of the Incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ which the impious Platonists shame to acknowledge CHAP. 29. THou teachest the Father and his Sonne calling him his intellect and their meane by which wee thinke thou meanest the holy spirit calling them after your manner three Gods Wherein though your words bee extrauagant yet you haue a little glympse of that we must all relye vpon But the incarnation of the vnchangeable Sonne that saueth vs all and bringeth vs all to that other which we beleeue and relie vpon that you shame to confesse You see your true country though a long long way off and yet you will not see which way to get thether Thou confessest that the grace to vnderstand the deity is giuen to a very few Thou saiest not few like it or few desire it but is giuen to a few fully confessing the guift of it to lye in Gods bountie and not in mans sufficiencie Now thou playest the true a Platonist and speakest plainer saying That no man in this life can come to perfection of Wisdome yet that Gods grace and prouidence doth fulfill all that the vnderstanding lacketh in the life to come O hadst thou knowne Gods grace resident in Iesus Christ our Lord O that thou couldst haue discerned his assuming of body and soule to bee the greatest example of grace that euer was But what in vaine doe I speake to the dead But as for those that esteeme thee for that wisdome or curiositie in artes vnlawfull for thee to learneâ—… perhaps this shall not be in vaine Gods grace could neuer bee more graceâ—…y extolled then when the eternall sonne of God came to put on man and made man the meane to deriue his loue to all men whereby all men might come to him who was so farre aboue all men beeing compared to them immortall to mortall vnchangeable to changeable iust to vniust and blessed to wretched And because hee hath giuen vs a naturall desire to bee eternally blessed hee remaining blessed and putting on our nature to giue vs what wee desired taught vs by suffering to contemne what wee feared But humility humilitie a butthen vnacquainted with your stiffe neckes must bee the meane to bring you to credence of this truth For what can it seeme incredible
one world in that so infinite a space as to say that but one care of corne growes in a huge field This error Aristotle the Stoâ—…kes beat quite downe putting but that one for the world which Plato and the wisest Philosophers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vniuerse b Casuall Great adoe the Philosophers keepe about natures principles Democritas makes all things of little bodies that flie about in the voide places hauing forme and magnitude yet indiuisible and therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atomes Epicurus gaue them weight also more then Democritus did and made those indiuisible diuersly-formed things to 〈◊〉 about of diuers quantities and weights vp and down casually in the voyd and shuffling together in diuers formes thus produce infinite worlds and thus infinite worlds do arise continue and end without any certaine cause at all and seeking of a place without the world we may not take it as we do our places circumscribing a body but as a certaine continuance before the world was made wherein many things may possibly be produced and liue So though their bee nothing without this world yet the minde conceiueth a space wherein God may boâ—… place this and infinite worlds more c For wee With the Platâ—…nists he means d Out 〈◊〉 The ancients held the Platonists and Stoickes in great respect and reuerence Cicero That the world and time had both one beginning nor was the one before the other CHAP. 6. FOr if eternity and time be wel considered time a neuer to be extant without motion and b eternity to admit no change who would not see that time could not haue being before some mouable thing were created whose motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alteration necessarily following one part another the time might run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore that God whose eternity alters not created the world and 〈◊〉 can he bee said to haue created the world in time vnlesse you will say 〈◊〉 some-thing created before the world whose course time did follow 〈◊〉 holy and most true scriptures say that In the beginning God created heaâ—…â—…h to wit that there was nothing before then because this was the Beâ—… which the other should haue beene if ought had beene made before 〈◊〉 the world was made with Time not in Time for that which is made 〈◊〉 â—…s made both before some Time after some Before iâ—… is Time past afâ—…â—…me to come But no Time passed before the world because no creature 〈◊〉 by whose course it might passe But it was made with the Time if moâ—… Times condition as that order of the first sixe or seauen daies went 〈◊〉 were counted morning euening vntill the Lord fulfilled all the worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sixth day and commended the seauenth to vs in the mistery of sanctifiâ—… Of what fashion those daies were it is either exceeding hard or altogeâ—…â—…possible to thinke much more to speake L. VIVES Iâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…euer Aristotle defined time the measure of motion makeing them vtterly inseâ—… Some Philosophers define it motion so doe the Stoikes b Eternity So saith Auâ—…â—…en â—…en Boetius also Nazianzene and others all out of Plato these are his wordes When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this great mooueable and eternall vniuerse beheld his worke he was very well pleased 〈◊〉 â—…ake it yet a little liker to the Archetype And so euen as this creature is immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make the world eternall as neare as the nature thereof would permit but his naâ—…â—…ll and squared not with this made worke But hee conceiued a moueable forme of eâ—… together with ornament of the heauenly structure gaue it this progressiue eternall Iâ—…â—…ity which he named Time diuiding it into daies nights monthes and yeares all which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heauen and none of them were before heauen Thus Plato in his Timaeus Time saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of eternity but time mooueth and eternity moueth not being naturally fixed â—…able towards it doth time passe and endeth in the perfection therof and may be dissolued 〈◊〉 â—…orlds creator will In dogm Platon Of the first sixe daies that had morning and euening â—…re the Sunne was made CHAP. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinary a daies wee see they haue neither morning nor euening but 〈◊〉 â—…e Sunne rises and sets But the first three daies of all had no Sunne for 〈◊〉 made the fourth day And first God made the light and seuered it from 〈◊〉 â—…nesse calling it day and darkenesse night but what that light was and 〈◊〉 â—…nne a course to make morning and night is out of our sence to iudge 〈◊〉 we vnderstand it which neuerthelesse we must make no question but beâ—… b for the light was either a bodily thing placed in the worlds highest paâ—… farre from our eye or there where the Sunne was afterwards made c or 〈◊〉 the name of light signified that holy citty with the Angells and spirits whereof the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is aboue is our eternall mother in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another place hee saith yee are all the children of light and the sonnes of the 〈◊〉 â—…re not sonnes of night and darkenesse d Yet hath this day the morne and eâ—… because e the knowledge of the creature compared to the Creators is 〈◊〉 â—…ery twilight And day breaketh with man when he draweth neare the loue and praise of the Creator Nor is the creature euer be nighted but when the loue of the Creator forsakes him The scripture orderly reciting those daies neuer mentions the night nor saith night was but the euening and the morning were the first day so of the second and soon For the creatures knowledge of it selfe is as it were farre more discoloured then when it ioynes with the Creators as in the arte that framed it Therefore euen is more congruently spoken then night yet when all is referred to the loue praise of the Creator night becomes morning and when it comes to the knowledge of it selfe it is one full day When it comes to the Firmament that seperateth the waters aboue and below it is the second day When vnto the knowledge of the earth and all things that haue roote thereon it is the third day When vnto the knowledge of the two lights the greater and the lesse the fourth when it knowes all water-creatures foules and fishes it is the fifth and when it knowes all earthly creatures and man himselfe it is the sixth day L. VIVES ORdinary a daies Coleynes coppy reades not this place so well b For the The schoole men Sent. 2. dist 24. dispute much of this But Augustine calleth not the light a body here but saith God made it either some bright body as the Sunne or eâ—…s the contraction of the incorporeall light made night and the extension day as Basil saith moouing like the Sun in the egresse making morning in the regresse euening Hug. de S. Victore de Sacram. lib. 1. c Or els Aug. de genes ad lit lib. 1. d Yet hath A diuers reading both to one purpose e
The knowledge De genes ad lit lib. 4. Where hee calleth it morning when the Angells by contemplating of the creation in themselues where is deepe darkenesse lift vp themselues to the knowledge of God and if that in him they learne all things which is more certaine then all habituall knowledge then is it day It growes towards euening when the Angels turne from God to contemplate of the creatures in themselues but this euening neuer becommeth night for the Angells neuer preferre the worke before the worke man that were most deepe darke night Thus much out of Augustine the first mentioner of mornings euenings knowledges What wee must thinke of Gods resting the seauenth day after his sixe daies worke CHAP. 8. BVt whereas God rested the seauenth day froÌ„ al his workes sanctified it this is not to be childishly vnderstood as if God had taken paines he but spake the word and a by that iâ—…telligible and eternal one not vocall nor temporal were all things created But Gods rest signifieth theirs that rest in God as the gladnesse of the house signifies those yâ— are glad in the house though some-thing else and not the house bee the cause thereof How much more then if the beauty of the house make the inhabitants glad so that wee may not onely call it glad vsing the continent for the contained as the whole Theaâ—…er applauded when it was the men the whole medowes bellowed for the Oxen but also vsing the efficient for the effect as a merry epistle that is making the readers merry Theâ—…fore the scripture affirming that God rested meaneth the rest of all things in God whom he by himself maketh to rest for this the Prophet hath promised to all such as he speaketh vnto and for whom he wrote that after their good workes which God doth in them or by them if they first haue apprehended him in this life by faith they shal in him haue rest eternal This was prefigured in the sanctification of the Saboath by Gods command in the old law whereof more at large in due season L. VIVES BY a that intelligible Basil saith that this word is a moment of the will by which wee conceiue better of things What is to be thought of the qualities of Angels according to scripture CHAP. 9. NOw hauing resolued to relate this holy Cities originall first of the angels who make a great part thereof so much the happier in that they neuer a were pilgrims let vs see what testimonies of holy wriâ—…t concerne this point The scriptures speaking of the worlds creation speake not plainly of the Angels when or in what order they were created but that they were created the word heauen includeth In the beginning God created heauen and earth or rather in the world Light whereof I speake now are there signified that they were omitted I cannot thinke holy writ saying that God rested in the seauenth day from all his workes the same booke beginning with In the beginning God created heauen and earth to shew that nothing was made ere then Beginning therefore with heauen earth and earth the first thing created being as the scripture plainely saith with-out forme and voide light being yet vn made and darknesse being vpon the deepe that is vpon a certaine confusion of earth and waters for where light is not darknesse must needes be then the creation proceeding and all being accomplished in sixe dayes how should the angels bee omitted as though they were none of Gods workes from which hee rested the seuenth day This though it be not omitted yet here is it not plaine but else-where it is most euident The three chilâ—… sung in their himne O all yee workes of the Lord blesse yee the Lord amongst which they recken the angels And the Psalmist saith O praise God in the heauens 〈◊〉 him in the heights praise him all yee his angells praise him all his hoasts praise 〈◊〉 sâ—…e and Moone praise him staâ—…res and light Praise him yee heauens of heauens 〈◊〉 the waters that be aboue the heauens praise the name of the Lord for hee spake the 〈◊〉 and they were made he commanded they were created here diuinity calls the â—…ls Gods creatures most plainly inserting them with the rest saying of all He spâ—…ke the word and they were made who dares thinke that the Angels were made after the sixe daies If any one bee so fond hearken this place of scripture confounds him vtterly e When the starres were made all mine angels praised mee with a loude voice Therefore they were made before the starres and the stars were made the fourth day what they were made the third day may wee say so God forbid That dayes worke is fully knowne the earth was parted from the waters and two â—…nts tooke formes distinct and earth produced all her plants In the second day then neither Then was the firmament made betweene the waters aboue and below and was called Heauen in which firmament the starres were created the fourth day c Wherefore if the angels belong vnto Gods sixe dayes worke they are that light called day to commend whose vnity it was called one day not the first day nor differs the second or third from this all are but this one doubled vâ—…to 6. or 7. sixe of Gods workes the 7. of his rest For when God said Let there be light there was light if we vnderstand the angels creation aright herein they are made partakers of that eternall light the vnchangeable wisdome of God all-creating namely the onely be gotten sonne of God with whose light they in their creation were illuminate and made light called day in the participation of the vnchangeable light day that Word of God by which they all things else were created For the true light that lightneth euery man that coÌ„meth into this world this also lightneth euery pure angell making it light not in it selfe but in God from whom if an Angell fall it becommeth impure as all the vncleane spirits are being no more a light in God but a darknesse in it selfe depriued of all perticipation of the eternall light for Euill hath no nature but the losse of good that is euill L. VIVES NEuer were a pilgrims But alwayes in their country seeing alwayes the face of the father b When the starres Iob. 38 7. So the Septuagints doe translate it as it is in the teâ—…t c Wherefore if The Greeke diuine put the creation of spirituals before that of things corporall making God vse them as ministers in the corporall worke and so held Plato Hierome following Gregorie and his other Greeke Maisters held so also But of the Greekes Basil and Dionysius and almost all the Latines Ambrose Bede Cassiodorus and Augustine in this place holds that God made althings together which agreeth with that place of Ecclesiasticus chap. 18. vers 1. He that liueth for euer made althings together Of the vncompounded vnchangeable Trinity the Father the Sonne
the priuation thereof The office of this sence neither the 〈◊〉 eare the smell the taste nor the touche can performe By this I know 〈◊〉 â—…ng and I know this knowledge and I loue them both and know that I 〈◊〉 both L. VIVES SO a naturally A Stoicall and Academicall disputation handled by Tully Offic. 1. de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stoically and De fin 5. Academically b For their Foolishnesse is the greatest 〈◊〉 â—…nd wisdome the good So held the Stoikes c Deeper A diuerse reading the text 〈◊〉 both d Antisthenes the first Cynickes choise His reason was because to reioyce in â—…d minde was base and cast downe the minde from the true state Socrates in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alcibiades that possessions with-out wisdome are not onely fruitlesse but hurtfull e â—…re It is not then our witte or toyle but GODS bountie that instructs vs in the 〈◊〉 â—…ourse of nature and sharpens the iudgement which bounty the good man attaining 〈◊〉 bad must needs bee wiser though lesse learned or popularly acute Therefore saith 〈◊〉 Into an euill soule wisdome will not come The same that Socrates said Onely good men 〈◊〉 f Iust by By a forme left in my minde by seeing iustice done and the due conâ—…â—…ing thereto which be it absent I conceiue what iniustice is by seeing the faire 〈◊〉 â—…ent harmony subuerted I build not vpon hurts violence iniuries or reproches 〈◊〉 no priuations but may be iustly done vpon due command of the magistrate or with â—…ent but vpon this I see the vertues decorum broken Forme is neither to bee taken â—…pes or abstracts of things reserued in the soule and called motions say some Well 〈◊〉 they either want witte or knowledge And because they cannot make them-selues 〈◊〉 by things really extant they must fetch their audiences eares vp to them by pursuing 〈◊〉 non entia this is our schoole-mens best trade now a dayes â—…ther we draw nearer to the image of the holy trinity in louing of that loue by which we loue to be and to know our being CHAP. 28. 〈◊〉 wee haue spoken as much as needeth here of the essence and knowledge 〈◊〉 much we ought to respect them in our selues and in other creatures vnâ—…â—…ough we finde a different similitude in them But whether the loue that 〈◊〉 â—…e them in be loued that is to declare It is loued wee prooue it because it iâ—…â—…d in all things that are iustly loued For hee is not worthily called a good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowes good but hee that loues it Why then may wee not loue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selues whereby wee loue that which is to bee loued They may both 〈◊〉 â—…e man and it is good for a man that his goodnesse increasing his â—…d decrease euen to the perfection of his cure and full change into 〈◊〉 for if wee were beasts wee should loue a carnall sensitiue life 〈◊〉 good would suffice our nature b without any further trouble if 〈◊〉 â—…ees wee should not indeede loue any thing by motion of sence yet should we seeme to affect fruitfulnesse and growth if wee were stones water winde fire or so we should want sence and life yet should we haue a naturall appetiâ—…e vnto our due c places for the d motions of weights are like the bodies loues go they vpward or downwards for weight is to the body as loue is to the â—…ule But because we are men made after our creators image whose eternity is true truth eternall charity true and eternall neither confounded nor seuered we runne through all things vnder vs which could not be created formed not ordered without the hand of the most essentiall wise and good God so through all the workes of the creation gathering from this e more playne and from that lesse apparant markes of his essence and beholding his image in our selues f like the prodigall childe wee recall our thoughts home and returne to him from whom we fell There our being shall haue no end our knowledge no error our loue no offence But as now though wee see these three sure trusting not to others but obseruing it our selues with our certaine interior sight yet because of our selues we cannot know how long they shall last when they shall end whither they shall goe doing well or euill therefore here we take other witnesses of the infallibity of whose credit wee will not dispute here but hereafter In this booke of the Citty of God that was neuer pilgrim but alwayes immortall in heauen being compounded of the Angels eternally coherent with God and neuer ceasing this coherence betweene whom and their darknesse namely those that forsooke him a seperation was made as we said at first by God now will wee by his grace proceede in our discourse already begun L. VIVES FOr that a is loue There is a will in vs arising from the corruption of the body which reason ruleth not as it doth the better will but it haleth it and traileth it to good it flyes all good properly and seeketh euills bodily delights and pleasures These two Paul calleth the law of the flesh the law of the spirit some-times flesh and spirit The first brutish foule hated of good men who when they can cannot expell it they compell and force it vnto Gods obedience otherwise it produceth a loue of things vnmeete b Without Either in this life or vnto our bodies c Places Or orders and formes of one nature the preseruation of which each thing desires for it selfe helping it selfe against externall violence if it bee not hindered d 〈◊〉 of this before the Latine word is momenta e More plaine Our reason plâ—…ceth an Image rather then a marke of God in vs. Man hath the sight of heauen and the knowledge of God bestowed vpon him whereas all other creatures are chained to the earth Wherfore the spirit ouer-looking the creation left his image in our erected nature in the rest whome hee did as it were put vnder foote hee left onely his markes Take this now as a figuratiue speech f Prâ—…digall Luc. 15. Of the Angels knowledge of the Trinity in the Deity and consequently of the causes of things in the Archetype ere they come to be effected in workes CHAP. 29. THese holy Angels learne not of God by sounds but by being present wiâ—… thâ—… â—…geable truth his onely begotten word himselfe and his holy spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of substantiall persons yet hold they not three Gods but one 〈◊〉 this thâ—…y a â—…ow plainer then we know our selues b The creatures also 〈◊〉 they know 〈◊〉 in the wisdome of God the worke-mans draught then in the thingâ—… produced and consequently them-selues in that better then in thâ—…-selues though â—…ing their knowledge in both for they were made are not of 〈◊〉 â—…nce that made them Therefore in him their knowledge is day in 〈◊〉 as we sayd twy-light But the knowledges of a thing by the means 〈◊〉 and the thing it selfe made are farre different c The vnderstanding 〈◊〉 a figure doth produce a perfecter
by g Christ the King thereof and pride the iust conâ—…en by holy writ to be so predominant in his aduersaies the deuill and 〈◊〉 in this very thing the great difference of the two citties the Godly and â—…ly with both their Angells accordingly lieth most apparant Gods â—…ing in the one and selfe-loue in the other So that the deuill had not 〈◊〉 â—…nkinde to such a palpable transgression of Gods expresse charge but 〈◊〉 will and selfe-loue had gotten place in them before for hee delighâ—… which was sayd h you shall be as Gods which they might sooner haue 〈◊〉 obedience and coherence with their creator then by proud opinion 〈◊〉 â—…ere their owne beginners for the created Gods are not Gods of them 〈◊〉 by participation of the God that made them but man desiring more 〈◊〉 and chose to bee sufficient in him selfe fell from that all-sufficiâ—… â—…en is the mischiefe man liking him-selfe as if hee were his owne â—…d away from the true light which if hee had pleased him-selfe with â—…ght haue beene like this mischiefe say I was first in his soule and 〈◊〉 drawne on to the following mischieuous act for the scripture is 〈◊〉 Pride goeth before distruction and an high minde before the fall the 〈◊〉 â—…s in secret fore runneth the fall which was in publike the first being 〈◊〉 fall at all for who taketh exaltation to bee ruine though the defect 〈◊〉 â—…e place of height But who seeth not that ruine lyeth in the expresse breach of Gods precepts For therefore did GOD forbid it that beeing done i all excuse and auoydance of iustice might bee excluded And therefore I dare say it is good that the proud should fall into some broad and disgracefull sinne thereby to take a dislike of them-selues who fell by to much liking them-selues for Peters sorrowfull dislike of him-selfe when he wept was more healthfull to his soule then his vnsound pleasure that he tooke in him-selfe when hee presumed Therefore saith the Psalme fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy name O Lord that is that they may delight in thee and seeke thy name who before delighted in them-selues and sought their owne L. VIVES SO a blinde Losing their light b Cold Losing their heate c She should Here shee lackt her light was blinde and saw not d He should Here he wanted his heate and was cold in neglecting Gods command for his wiues pleasure But indeed they both want both the woman had no zeale preferring an apple before God the man had no light in casting himselfe and vs headlong he knew not whether e Uenially I doe not meane to dispute heere whether Adams sinne were veniall or no As Bonauenture and Scotus doe I know his sinne was cappitall and I am thereby wretched f Pleasures of Pet. 2. 2. 10. The Greekes call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is not so in Peter I onely name it from the latine Wis. 6. This vice therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or selfe-loue Socrates calls it the roote of all enormity It is the head of all pride and the base of all ignorance g Christ Who was made obedient to his father euen vnto death to which he was led like a sheepe to the slaughter and like a lamb when it is clipped he was silent neither threatning those that smote him nor reproching those that reproched him All hayle thou example of obedience gentlenesse mansuetude and modesty imposed by thy father vnto our barbarous brutish ingratefull impious mankinde h You shall bee Fulfill thy minde proud woman aduance thy selfe to the height What is the vttermost scope of all ambitious desire To bee a God why eate and thou shalt be one O thou fondeâ—… of thy sexe hopest thou to be deified by an apple i All excuse No pretence no shew no imaginary reason of iustice would serue the turne For the eye of Gods iustice cannot bee blinded but the more coullor that one layes vppon guilt before him the fouler hee makes his owne soule and the more inexcusable Of the pride of the transgression which was worse then the transgression it selfe CHAP. 14. BVt pride that makes man seeke to coullor his guilt is farre more damnable then the guilt it selfe is as it was in the first of mankind She could say the serpâ—… beguilde me and I did eate He could say The woman thou gauest me she gâ—… 〈◊〉 of the tree and I did eat Here is no sound of asking mercy no breath of deâ—…ng helpe for though they doe not deny their guilt as Caine did yet their pâ—…e seekes to lay their owne euill vpon another the mans vpon the woman and hers vppon the Serpent But this indeed doth rather accuse them of worse then acquit them of this so plaine and palpable a transgression of Gods commaund For the womans perswading of the man and the serpents seducing of the 〈◊〉 to this doth no way acquit them of the guilt as if there a were 〈◊〉 thing to be beleeued or obeyed before God or rather then the highest L. VIVES AS if there a were There is nothing to be beleeued rather then God or to be esteâ—… 〈◊〉 God but the woman beleeued the Serpent rather then God and the man preferred his 〈◊〉 God Of the iust reward that our first parents receiued for their sinne CHAP. 15. â—…refore because God that had made man according to his image placed 〈◊〉 in Paradise aboue all creatures giuen him plenty of althings and layd 〈◊〉 nor long lawes vpon him but onely that one breefe command of obeâ—… to shew that himselfe was Lord of that creature whome free a seruice 〈◊〉 â—…itted was thus contemned therevpon followed that iust condemnation 〈◊〉 â—…h that man who might haue kept the command and beene spirituall 〈◊〉 became now carnall in mind and because hee had before delighted 〈◊〉 â—…ne pride now hee tasted of Gods iustice b becomming not as he deâ—…â—…lly in his owne power but falling euen from him-selfe became his slaue 〈◊〉 â—…ght him sinne changing his sweete liberty into wretched bondage beâ—…â—…gly dead in spirit and vnwilling to die in the flesh forsaking eternall 〈◊〉 condemned to eternall death but that Gods good grace deliuered him 〈◊〉 holds this sentence too seuere cannot proportionate the guilt incurring 〈◊〉 c the easinesse of auoyding it for as Abrahams obedience is highly extolâ—…â—…cause the killing of his sonne an hard matter was commaunded him so 〈◊〉 â—…ir disobedience in Paradise so much the more extreame as the precept 〈◊〉 to performe And as the obedience of the second was the more rarely 〈◊〉 in that he kept it vnto the death so was that disobedience of the first 〈◊〉 more truely detestable because he brake his obedience to incurre death 〈◊〉 the punishment of the breatch of obedience is so great and the preâ—…â—…ly kept who can at full relate the guilt of that sinne that breaketh it 〈◊〉 â—…ither in aw of the commanders maiesty nor in
Of the Sonnes of the flesh and the Sonnes of promise CHAP. 2. THe shadow and propheticall image of this Citty not presenting it but signifying it serued here vpon earth at the time when it was to bee discouered and was called the holy Citty of the significant image but not of the expresse truth wherein it was afterwards to bee stated Of this image seruing and of the free Citty herein prefigured the Apostle speaketh thus vnto the Galatians Tell me you that wil be vnder the law haue yee not a heard the law for it is written that Abraham had two Sonnes one by a bond-woman and the other by a free But the sonne of the bond-woman was borne of the flesh and the sonne of the free-woman by promise This is b allegoricall for these are the two Testaments the one giuen c from Mount Syna begetting man in seruitude which is Agar for d Syna is a mountaine in Arabia ioyned to the Ierusalem on earth for it serueth with her children But our mother the celestiall Ierusalem is free For it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth into ioye and crie out thou that trauelest not without Child for the desolate hath more Children then the married wife but wee brethren are the sonnes of promise according to Isaac But as then he that was borne of the flesh e persecuted him that was borne after the spirit euen so it is now But what saith the scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne for the f bond-womans sonne shall not bee heire with the free womans Then bretheren are not we the children of the bond-womaÌ„ but of the free Thus the Apostle authorizeth vs to conceiue of the olde and new Testament For a part of the earthlie Cittie was made an image of the heauenly not signifying it selfe but another and therefore seruing for it was not ordeined to signify it selfe but another and it selfe was signified by another precedent signification for Agar Saras seruant and hir sonnewere a type hereof And because when the light comes the shadowes must avoide Sara the free-woman signifying the free Cittie which that shadowe signified in another manner sayd cast out the bond-woman and her sonne for the bond-womans sonne shall not bee heire with my sonne Isaac whom the Apostle calls the free womans sonne Thus then wee finde this earthlie Cittie in two formes the one presenting it selfe and the other prefiguring the Citty celestiall and seruing it Our nature corrupted by sin produceth cittizens of earth and grace freeing vs from the sinne of nature maketh vs celestiall inhabitants the first are called the vessells of wrath the last of mercie And this was signified in the two sonnes of Abraham thâ—… one of which beeing borne of the bond-woman was called Ismael beeing the sonne of the flesh the other the free-womans Isaac the sonne of promise both were Abrahams sonnes but naturall custome begot the first and gratious promise the later In the first was a demonstration of mans vse in the second was acommendation of Gods goodnesse L. VIVES NOt a heard Not read saith the Greeke better and so doth Hierome translate it b Allegoricall An allegorie saith Quintilian sheweth one thing in worde and another in sâ—…ce some-times the direct contrary Hierome saith that that which Paul calleth allegoricall â—…ere he calleth spirituall else-where c From mount So doe Ambrose and Hierome read it d Syna is I thinke it is that which Mela calles Cassius in Arabia For Pliny talkes of a mount Câ—…s in Syria That of Arabia is famous for that Iupiter had a temple there but more for Pomâ—… tombe Some thinke that Sina is called Agar in the Arabian tongue e Persecuted In Gâ—…sis is onely mention of the childrens playing together but of no persecution as Hieromeâ—…eth â—…eth for the two bretheren Ismael and Isaac playing together at the feast of Isaacs weaâ—…g Sara could not endure it but intreated her husband to cast out the bond-woman her â—…e It is thought she would not haue done this but that Ismael being the elder offered the yâ—…ger wrong Hierome saith that for our word playing the Hebrewes say making of Idols or â—…ing the first place in ieast The scriptures vse it for fighting as Kin. 2. Come let the children 〈◊〉 and play before vs whether it be meant of imaginary fight or military exercise or of a 〈◊〉 fight in deed f Bond-womans sonne Genesis readeth with my sonne Isaac and so doe 〈◊〉 â—…o but Augustine citeth it from Paul Galat. 4. 25. Of Saraes barrennesse which God turned into fruitfulnesse CHAP. 3. FOr Sara was barren and despaired of hauing any child and desiring to haue 〈◊〉 childe though it were from her slaue gaue her to Abraham to bring him â—…en seeing shee could bring him none her selfe Thus exacted she her a due 〈◊〉 husband although it were by the wombe of another so was Ismael borne 〈◊〉 begotten by the vsuall commixtion of both sexes in the law of nature and â—…-vpon said to be borne after the flesh not that such births are not Gods beâ—… or workes for his working wisdome as the scripture saith reacheth from 〈◊〉 to end mightily and disposeth all things in comely order but in that that 〈◊〉 the signification of that free grace that God meant to giue vnto man such a 〈◊〉 should be borne as the lawes and order of nature did not require for naâ—… denieth children vnto all such copulations as Abrahams and Saras were b 〈◊〉 and barrennesse both swaying in her then whereas she could haue no childe 〈◊〉 yonger daies when her age seemed not to want fruitfulnesse though fruitâ—…esse wanted in that youthfull age Therefore in that her nature being thus afâ—…d could not exact the birth of a sonne is signified this that mans nature beâ—… corrupted and consequently condemned for sinne had no claime afterward 〈◊〉 any part of felicity But Isaac beeing borne by promise is a true type of the â—…s of grace of those free cittizens of those dwellers in eternall peace where 〈◊〉 priuate or selfe-loue shall be predominant but all shall ioy in that vniuersall 〈◊〉 and c many hearts shall meete in one composing a perfect modell of â—…y and obedience L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a due by law of mariage b Age and For she was both aged and naturally barâ—… So some both men and women as Aristotle saith are borne so c Many hearts that â—…e concord of the Apostles of whom it is said The multitude of the beleeuers were of 〈◊〉 Acts. 4. 32. Of the conflicts and peace of the earthly Citty CHAP. 4. BVt the temporall earthly citty temporall for when it is condemned to perpetuall paines it shall be no more a citty hath all the good here vpon earth and therein taketh that ioy that such an obiect can affoord But because it is not a good that acquits the possessors of all troubles therefore this citty is diuided in it selfe into warres altercations and appetites of bloudy and deadly
effected without being fore-told that intimated not some-thing belonging vnto the Cittie of God and to bee referred vnto the holy pilgrims thereof vpon earth But if this be so we shall tie the Prophets words vnto two meanings onely and exclude the third and not onely 〈◊〉 Prophets but euen all the Old Testament For therein must be nothing peâ—… to the earthly Ierusalem if all that be spoken or fulfilled of that haue a farâ—… reference to the heauenly Ierusalem so that the Prophets must needes 〈◊〉 but in two sorts either in respect of the heauenly Ierusalem or els of both 〈◊〉 I thinke it a great error in some to hold no relation of things done in the â—…res more then meere historicall so doe I hoâ—…d it a c great boldnesse in 〈◊〉 that binde all the relations of Scripture vnto allegoricall reference and therefore I auouch the meanings in the Scriptures to be triple and not two-fold onely This I hold yet blame I not those that can piâ—…ke a good spirituall sense 〈◊〉 of any thing they reade so they doe not contradict the truth of the history But what faithfull man will not say that those are vaine sayings that can belong 〈◊〉 to diuinity nor humanity and who will not avow that these of which 〈◊〉 speake are to haue a spiritual interpretation also or leaue them vnto those 〈◊〉 interprete them in that manner L. VIVES 〈◊〉 Prophet a Nathan After Dauid had sent Vriah to be slaine in the front of the battell 〈◊〉 married his widow Bersabe b In so much Herevpon they say that so much is left out â—…g the acts of the Iewish Kings because they seemed not to concerne the Citty of 〈◊〉 that whatsoeuer the Old Testament conteineth or the New either hath all a sure 〈◊〉 vnto Christ and his Church at which they are both leuelled c Great boldnesse As 〈◊〉 â—…d with great rarity of spirit yet keepeth he the truth of the history vnuiolate for oâ—…â—…l these relations were vanities and each one would sâ—…rue an allegory out of the 〈◊〉 to liue and beleeue as he list and so our faith and discipline should bee vtterly conâ—…â—…herein I wonder at their mad folly that will fetch all our forme of life and religion 〈◊〉 â—…ories entangling them in ceremonious vanity and proclayming all that contraâ—… heretiques 〈◊〉 â—…ange of the Kingdome and priest-hood of Israell Anna Samuels mother a prophetesse and a type of the Church what she prophecied CHAP. 4. 〈◊〉 â—…ogresse therefore of the City of God in the Kings time when Saul was reâ—…ued and Dauid chosen in his place to possesse the Kingdome of Ierusaâ—…â—…im and his posterity successiuely signifieth and prefigureth that which 〈◊〉 not omit namely the future change concerning the two Testaments 〈◊〉 â—…d the New where the Old Kingdome and priest-hood was changed by 〈◊〉 and eternall King and Priest Christ Iesus for Heli being reiected Saâ—… made both the priest and the Iudge of God and Saul being reiected Daâ—… â—…hosen for the King and these two being thus seated signified the change 〈◊〉 of And Samuels mother Anna being first barren and afterwards by 〈◊〉 â—…odnes made fruitfull seemeth to prophecy nothing but this in her song 〈◊〉 â—…ing when hauing brought vp her son she dedicated him vnto God as she 〈◊〉 saying My heart reioyceth in the LORD my horne is exalted in the 〈◊〉 â—…y mouth is enlarged on mine enemies because I reioyced in thy saluation 〈◊〉 holy as the Lord there is no God like our God nor any holie besides thee 〈◊〉 â—…ore presumptiously let no arrogancie come out of your mouth for the Lord is 〈◊〉 â—…f knowledge and by him are enterprises established the bowe of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ee broken and guirded the weake with strength they that were full are hired forth for hunger and the hungry haue passed the land for the barren hath 〈◊〉 seâ—…en and a shee that had many children is enfeobled the Lord killeth and 〈◊〉 bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp the Lord impouerisheth and enritchâ—… humbleth and exalteth he raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth the begger from the dunghil to set them amongst Princes make them inherite the seat of glory he giueth vowes vnto those that vow vnto him and blesseth the yeares of the iust for in his owne might shall no man bee stronge the Lord the holy Lord shall weaken his aduersaries let not the wise boast of his wisdome nor the ritch in his ritches nor the mighty in his might but let their glory bee to know the Lord and to execute his iudgement and iustice vpon the earth the Lord from heauen hath thundered he shall iudge the ends of the world and shall giue the power vnto our Kings and shall exalt the horne of his annointed Are these the words of a woman giuing thankes for her sonne are mens mindes so benighted that they cannot discerne a greater spirit herein then meerely humane and if any one bee mooued at the euents that now began to fall out in this earthly processe doth he not discerne and acknowledge the very true religion and Citty of God whose King and founder is Iesus Christ in the words of his Anna who is fitly interpreted His grace and that it was the spirit of grace from which the proud decline and fall and therewith the humble adhere and are aduanced as this hymne saith which spake those propheticall words If any one will say that the woman did not prophecy but onely commended and extolled Gods goodnesse for giuing her praiers a sonne why then what is the meaning of this The bow of the mighty hath hee broken and guirded the weake with strength they that were full are hired forth for hunger and the hungry haue passed 〈◊〉 the land for the barren hath borne seauen and shee that had many children is 〈◊〉 Had shee being barren borne seauen she had borne but one when she sayd thus b nor had shee seauen afterward or sixe either for Samuel to make vp seauen but only three sonnes and two daughters Againe there being no King in Israel at that time to what end did she conclude thus Hee shall giue the power vnto our Kings and exalt the horne of his anoynted did shee not prophecy in this Let the church of God therfore that fruitful Mother that gracious City of that great King bee bold to say that which this propheticall mother spoke in her person so long before My heart reioyceth in the Lord c and my horne is exalted in the Lord. True ioy and as true exaltation both beeing in the Lord and not in her selfe my mouth is enlarged ouer mine enemies because Gods word is not pent vppe in straites d nor in preachers that are taught what to speake I haue reioyced saith she in thy saluation That was in Christ Iesus whom old Simeon in the Gospell had in his armes and knew his greatnesse in his infancy saying Lord nâ—…w lâ—…ttest thou thy seruant depart in
Nor came his whole Nauy hether 〈◊〉 â—…e landed in Apulia and some in other places of Italy of whose arriuall there are monuâ—… vnto this day Some of them leauing Aeneas in Italy returned to Phrygia againe The 〈◊〉 place that Aeneas held in Latium they named Troy It was foure furlongs from the sea b 〈◊〉 Sonne to Ornius Erichtheus his sonne hee stirred the people against Theseus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absence saying that hee had brought the free people of Attica into one citty as into a 〈◊〉 Now Theseus was held in most straite prison by Orchus the Molossian King and he had 〈◊〉 the rauished Hellen at Aphydna which Castor and Pollux tooke freed their sister and 〈◊〉 Mnestheus King of Athens for that hee left them souldiours So Theseus being freed by â—…es and making meanes for the recouery of his Kingdome went into Scyros where 〈◊〉 Lyconides slew him So ruled Mnestheus quietly at Athens for Theseus his children 〈◊〉 but young and in the hands of Elpenor in Euboea Mnestheus respected them not They 〈◊〉 come to yeares went with Elpenor to that vniuersall warre of Troy and Mnestheus 〈◊〉 also with his forces and returning died in Melos and Demophon Theseus sonne succeeded him Plut. Paus. Euseb. So that Mnestheus was dead a little before Aeneas came into Italy 〈◊〉 Polyhistor saith that Demophon reigned at Athens when as Troy was destroied c Poâ—… So saith Euseb. but Pausanias relateth it thus Sycion had a daughter called Echthoâ—… on hir did Mercury they say beget Polybus Phlias Dionysius his sonne married her afterwards and had begot Androdanas on her Polybis married his daughter Lysianassa to Taâ—… sonne to Bias King of Argos At this time Adrastus fled from Argos to Polybus in Sicyâ—… and Polybus dying was King there He returning to Argos Ianiscus one of Clytius Laomeâ—… posterity came from Attica thether got their Kingdome and dying left it to Phaestus a 〈◊〉 of Hercules Hee beeing called by Oracle into Crete Euxippus sonne to Apollo and 〈◊〉 Syllis reigned and hee being dead Agamemnon made warre vpon Sycionia and Hippoâ—…â—…ne â—…ne to Rhopalus the sonne of Phaestus fearing his power became his tributary vpon â—…ion This Hippolitus had issue Lacestades and Phalces Now Tamphalces sonne to 〈◊〉 came with his Dorikes in the night and tooke the citty yet did no harme as beeing â—…ed from Hercules also onely hee was ioyned fellow in this Kingdome with him From 〈◊〉 the Sycionians were called Dorians and made a part of the Argiue Empire d Tautaâ—… 〈◊〉 reigned in the time of the Troian wars Eus. Diod. saith that Priam who held his crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as from his soueraigne in the beginning of the siege sent to intreate some helpe of him who sent him 10000. Ethiopians 10000. Susians and twenty chariots oâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…gons vnder the conduct of Memnon sonne to Duke Tython his dearest associate Hoâ—… mentions this Memnon for he was slaine in this warre He was a youth of an hardy and â—…que spirit as his valourous performances did witnesse in abundance e Labdon So doth Euseb call him The Bible hath it Abdon Iud. 12. 13. Sonne he was to Hylo the Ephraite who had forty sons and they had fifty sons al good horsmen he left them al liuing at his death Ioâ—… 〈◊〉 f Pelasgus The old bookes read Pelagus My friend Hieronimo Buffaldo aâ—… vnwearâ—…ed student a true friend and an honest man saith that in one copy hee had read it Pelagus Pausanias putteth other names in this place quite different he giues vs no light here g Sampson Iud. 13. His deeds excelled all those of Hercules Hector or Milo They are knowne I will not stand to rehearse them h Being not to be Mezentius King of Hetruria warred against the Latines and Aeneas their King ioyning battell with him neere Lauinium they had a 〈◊〉 fought field and being parted by night next morning Aeneas was not to bee found some said he was indenized some that he was drowned in Numicus the riuer The Latines built him a Temple dedicated it TO OVR HOLY FATHER AND TERRESTRIALL GOD GOVERNOR OF THE WATERS OF NVMICVS Dionys. Some say be built it himselfe Festus saith Ascanius his sonne did He died three yeares after his step-father Latinus so long was he King and seauen years after the dissolution of Troy He hath toumbes in many nations but those are but for his honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty monuments his true one is by the riuer Numicus Liu. They call him Iupiter indiges so Ascanius named him wheÌ„ he deified him Indiges is a mortall made a Deity Some say it is onely spoken of those whom it is sacriledge to name as the patron-gods of citties and such like But I thinke Indiges bee as much as in-borne or in-liuing that is meaning them that dwelt or were borne in the soile where they are deified Such did Lucane meane when he said Indigites fleuisse deos vrbisque laborem Testatos sudore lares The towne-gods wept the house-hold-gods with sweat Witnesâ—… the Citties labour should be great And therefore he was both Iupiter indiges and Iupiter Latialis But this I may not baâ—…e Aeneas had his swinging places in Italy as Erigone Icarus his daughter had in Greece for thus saith Festus Pompeius These swinging-games had originall from hence because Aeneas being lost no man knew how in his warres against Mezentius King of the 〈◊〉 was held deified and called Ioue Latiall So Ascanius sent out all his subiects bond and free sixe daies to seeke him in earth and ayre and so ordeined swinging to shew the forme of mans life how he might mount to heauen or fall from thence to earth and the perpetuall reuolution of fortune Thus Festus i By the Latines And the Sicilians also in Eâ—…yma a citty that hee built Ou. Met. 14. k Sangus Or Xanthus or Sanctus or Sancus but Sangus is the truth Porcius Cato saith Dionys. wrote that the Sabines had their name from Sabinus sonne to Sangus the god of the Sabines otherwise called Pistius Him saith Lactantius doe the Sabines adore as the Romanes doe Quirinus and the Athenians Minerua Hereof hee that list may read Aâ—…nius â—…equester Uibius in his description of Rome mentions this Genius Sangus l Codrus â—…on to Melanthus the Messenian in whose time the Kings of Peloponnesus descended from Hercules warred vpon Athens because they feared the aboundance of exiles there and Codrus reiging at Athens they feared both the Corinthians because of their bordering vpon them for Isthmus wherein Corynth stood ioyneth on Megara and the Messenians also because of Melanthus Codrus his father beeing King there So the bloud royall of Peloponnesus 〈◊〉 to the oracle and were answered that the victory and the Kings death should fall both 〈◊〉 one side herevpon they conceiled the Oracle and withall gaue a strict chaâ—…ge thâ—…t 〈◊〉 â—…hould touch Codrus But the Athenians hearing of this Oracle and Codrus beeing desirous of glorie and the
the desolate hath more children then the maried wife Enlarge thae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy tents and fasten the f curtaines of thy Tabernacles spare not stretch out â—…des and make fast thy stakes spread it yet further to the right hand and thy 〈◊〉 thy seed shal possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate Citties feare not because thou â—…t shamed be not afraid because thou art vp-brayded for thou shall forget thiâ—… euerlasting shame and shalt not remember the reproch of thy widdow-hood any more for the Lord that made thee is called the Lord of Hostes and the redeemer the holy one of Israel shal be called the God of all the world c. Here is enough needing but a little explanation for the places are so plaine that our enemies themselues are forced despite their hearts to acknowledge the truth These then suffice L. VIVES ESaias a is A noble man worthily eloquent more like an Euangelist then a Prophet he prophecied in Hierusalem and Iury. Hier. ad Eustoch Paulam Manasses King of Iudah made him be sawen a two with a wooden saw of him is that ment in the Hebrewes chp. 11. verse 37. They were sawen asunder The causes of his death Hierome relateth commâ—…n in Esa. lib. 〈◊〉 b Some Hierome ad Paul Eustoch for he speaketh not in misticall manner of things as if they were to come but most plainely as if they were present or past which is not ordinary in the other prophets c Behold All this quotation out of the 52. 53. and 54. chapters of Isay the Septuagints whome Saint Augustine followeth do some-times differ from the Hebrew truth But the scope aymes all at one end namely the passion of Christ wee will not stand to decide perticulars Augustine him-selfe saith all is playne inough and omits to stand vpon them to avoyd tediousnesse d Deceipt found The seauenty leaue out found e If you giue your soule The seauenty read it if you giue him for sinne your soule shall see your seede of long continuance f The curtaines The vulgar and the seauenty read the skins Prophecies of Michaeas Ionas and Ioell correspondent vnto the New-Testament CHAP. 30. THe Prophet Michaeas prefiguring Christ by a great mountaine saith thus a In the last daies shall the mountaine of the Lord be prepared vpon the toppes of the hills and shal be exalted aboue the hills and the nations shall hast them to it saying Come let vs goe vp into the mountaine of the Lord into the house of the God of Iacob and he wil teach vs his waies and we wil walke in his paths for the law shal go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Hieâ—…salem Hee shall iudge amongst many people and rebuke mighty nations a farre of The same prophet foretells Christ birth place also saying b And thou Bethleem c of Ephrata art little to bee amongst the thousands of Iudah yet out of thee shall a d captaine come forth vnto mee that shal be the Prince of Israel e whose goings forth haue beene euerlasting Therefore f will he giue them vp vntill the time that the child-bearing woman do trauell and the g remnant of her brethren shall returne vnto the children of Israell And he h shall stand and looke and feed his flocke in the strength of the Lord in the honâ—…or of Gods 〈◊〉 shall they continue for now shall he be magnified vnto the worlds end Now i Ionas prophecied Christ rather in suffering then in speaking that most manifestly considering the passion resurrection For why was he 3. daies in the whals belly and then let out but to signifie Christs resurrection from the depth of hell vpon the third day Indeed Ioels prophecies of Christ the Church require great explanation yet one of his and that was remembred by the k Apostles at the descending of the Holy Ghost vpon the faithfull as Christ had promised I will not oâ—…it Afterwards â—…ith hee I will power out my spirit vpon all flesh your sonnes and daughters shall Prophecy and your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men 〈◊〉 visions euen vpon the seruants and the maids in those daies will I poure my spirit L VIVES IN a The last daies The same is in Esay 2. 2. b And thou Bethelem Augustine and the seauenty do differ here from the Hebrew S. Mathew readeth it thus And thou Bethleem 〈◊〉 the land of Iudah art not the least among the Trinces of Iudah for out of thee shall come the gâ—…rnor that shall feed my people Israel S. Hierome vpon Michaeas lib. 2. saith that this quoâ—…ion of Mathew accordeth neither with the Hebrew nor the seauenty This question putâ—…g the holy father to his plunges hee is fayne to say that either the Apostle cited it not haâ—…g the booke before him but out of his memory which some-time doth erre or else 〈◊〉 hee cited it as the priests had giuen it in answer to Herod herein shewing their negliâ—… the first hee affirmeth as the opinion of others It is an hard thing to make the Apostle â—…ke iust contrary to the prophet Neither Prophyry nor Celsus would beleeue this in a matter 〈◊〉 concerned not themselues But the scope of both being one maketh this coniecture inâ—…de the more tollerable But it is a weake hold to say the Priest spake it thus it were â—…ly absurd in their practise of the scriptures to alter a Prophecy intending especially â—…hew the full ayme of it But before the Apostle nay the spirit of God shal be taxed with 〈◊〉 an error let the later coniecture stand good or a weaker then it as long as we can finde 〈◊〉 stronger But if we may lawfully put in a guesse after Hierome that worthy in the exâ—…tion of those holy labyrinths to grant that the Hebrew and the seauenty read this place â—…matiuely and the Euangelist negatiuely read the place with an interrogation and they 〈◊〉 both reconciled I meane with an interrogation in the Prophet as is common in their â—…es and befitting the ardor of their affections but in the Euangelist the bare sence is â—…y fit to be layd downe without figure or affection c Of Ephrata The country where â—…leem stood which the Priests omitted as speaking to Herod a stranger that knew Iuda 〈◊〉 The Euangelist gaue an intimation of Christ whence he was to come by putting in 〈◊〉 for Ephrata there was another Bethleem in Galilee as it is in Iosuah Hierome vpon 〈◊〉 â—…hew noteth it as the transcribers falt to put Iudea for Iuda for all the Bethlems that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudea Galelee where the other is being a part thereof And the like falt it may be is in 〈◊〉 which followeth But when hee heard that Archelaus raigned in Iudaea for Iuda but â—…ed Iudaea after the returne from Captiuity kept not the old bounds but was contracted 〈◊〉 country about Hierusalem the metropolitane citty thereof d A captaine The Bruâ—… copy leaueth out a captaine and so do
whole fourth Aeglogue is and his digression vpon the death of Caesar. Georg. 1. And likewise in Ouid wee read these Esse quoque in fatis 〈◊〉 affore terris Quo â—…are quo tellus corrept aque regia 〈◊〉 Ardeat èt mundi moles operosa laboret There is a time when heauen men say shall burne When ayre and sea and earth and the whole frame Of this â—…ge 〈◊〉 shall all to ashes turne And likewise this Et Deus 〈◊〉 lustrat sub imagine terras God takes a view of earth in humaine shape And such also hath Lucaâ—… in his Pharsalian warre liber 12. Now if they say that all the assertions of ours recorded by great Authors bee fictions let mee heare the most direct â—…th that they can affiâ—… and I will finde one Academike or other amongst them that shall â—…ke a doubt of it Whether any but Israelites before Christs time belonged to the Citty of God CHAP. 47. â—…erefore any stranger be he no Israelite borne nor his workes allowed for 〈◊〉 â—…onicall by them if hee haue prophecied of Christ that wee can know or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee added vnto the number of our testimonies not that wee need 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because it is no error to beleeue that there were some of the Genâ—… 〈◊〉 whom this mystery was reuealed and who were inspired by the spirit of propâ—… to declare it were they elect or reprobate taught by the euill spiâ—… whom we know confessed Christ being come though the Iewes denied him 〈◊〉 do I thinke the Iewes dare auerre that a no man was saued after the proâ—… of Israel but Isralites Indeed there was no other people properly calâ—… 〈◊〉 people of God But they cannot deny that some particular men liued in 〈◊〉 â—…orld and in other nations that were belonging to the Heauenly hierarchy 〈◊〉 deny this the story of b holy Iob conuinceth them who was neither a 〈◊〉 Isralite nor c a proselite adopted by their law but borne and buried 〈◊〉 â—…aea and yet d is hee so highly commended in the scriptures that 〈◊〉 was none of his time it seemes that equalled him in righteousnesse whose 〈◊〉 though the Chronicles expresse not yet out of the canonicall authority of 〈◊〉 owne booke wee gather him to haue liued in e the third generation after 〈◊〉 Gods prouidence no doubt intended to giue vs an instance in him that there might be others in the nations that liued after the law of God and in his â—…ice thereby attaining a place in the celestiall Hierusalem which we must 〈◊〉 none did but such as fore-knew the comming of the Messias mediator beâ—… God and man who was prophecied vnto the Saints of old that he should 〈◊〉 iust as we haue seene him to haue come in the flesh thus did one faith vnite 〈◊〉 â—…he predestinate into one citty one house and one Temple for the liuing God 〈◊〉 what other Prophecies soeuer there passe abrod concerning Christ the viciâ—… may suppose that we haue forged therefore there is no way so sure to batter 〈◊〉 all contentions in this kinde as by citing of the prophecies conteyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iewes bookes by whose dispersion from their proper habitations all ouer 〈◊〉 world the Church of Christ is hapily increased L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a No man Nature being vnpolluted with vicious opinion might possibly guidâ—… 〈◊〉 to God as well as the law of Moyses for what these get by the law those might get â—…out it and come to the same perfection that the Iewes came seeking the same end nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 difference other then if one traueller should cary an Iâ—…erary of his way with him 〈◊〉 â—…he other trust onely his memory So may he also now a dayes that liueth in the faithâ—… of the Ocean and neuer heard of Christ attaine the glory of a Christian by keeping 〈◊〉 abstracts of all the law and the Prophets perfect loue of God and his neighbour such 〈◊〉 is a law to man and according to the Psalmist He remembreth the name of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the night and keepeth his lawe This hath hee that seeth the Lords righteousnesse so 〈◊〉 blessing is it to bee good although you haue not one to teach you goodnesse And 〈◊〉 wanteth here but water â—…or here is the holy spirit as well as in the Apostles as Peter 〈◊〉 of some who receiued that before euer the water touched them So the naâ—… that haue no law but natures are a law to them-selues the light of their liuing well is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God comming from his sonne of whome it is said Hee is the light which lighteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that commeth into the world b Holy Ioh. His holy history saith hee was of the 〈◊〉 of Huz Hierome saith Huz buylt Damascus and Traconitide and ruled betweene Palesâ—… and Caelosiria this the seauenty intimate in their translation Huz was of the sonne of 〈◊〉 the brother of Abraham There was an other Uz descended from Esau but Hierom 〈◊〉 him from Iobs kindred admitting that sonne of Aram for that saith hee it is 〈◊〉 â—…nd of the booke where hee is said to be the forth from Esau is because the booke was 〈◊〉 out of Syrian for it was not written in the Hebrew Phillip the Priest the next 〈◊〉 vpon Iob after Hierom saith thus â—…uz and Bâ—…z were the sons of Abraâ—…â—…ther â—…ther begot of Melcha sister to Sarah It is credible that this holy man Iob dwelt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bore his fathers name and that hee was rather of the stocke of Nachor 〈◊〉 though some suspect the contrary but the three Kings to wit Eliphaz Bildad 〈◊〉 were of the generation of Esau. Thus saith Phillip So that Iob was sonne 〈◊〉 by Melcham Origen followeth the vulgar and saith that hee was an Vzzite borne bred and there liued Now they the Minaeites and Euchaeites the Themanites are all of the race of Esau or Edom Isaacs sonne and all Idumaea was as then called Edom but now they are all called Arabians both the Idumaeans Ammonites and Moabites This is the opinion of Origen and the vulgar and like-wise of some of the Gentiles as of Aristeus Hist. Iudaic. c. c A proselite Comming from heathenisme to the law of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come to d So highly commended In the booke of Iob and Ezech. 14. e In the third generation Some thinke that Genesis mentioneth him vnder the name of Iasub but there is no certenty of it Hierome saith that Eliphaz Esau's fonne by Adah is the same that is mentioned in the booke of Iob which if it be so Iob liued in the next generation after Iacob Aggees prophecy of the glory of Gods house fulfilled in the Church not in the Temple CHAP. 48. THis is that House of God more glorious then the former for all the precious compacture for Aggees prophecy was not fulfilled in the repayring of the Temple which neuer had that glory after the restoring that it had in Salomons time but rather lost it all the Prophets
ment hereby S. Augustine confesseth that he cannot define Sup. Genes lib. 8. These are secrets all vnneedfull to be knowne and all wee vnworthy to know them Of the new Heauen and the new Earth CHAP. 16. THe iudgement of the wicked being past as he fore-told the iudgement of the goodâ—…ust follow for hee hath already explained what Christ said in briefe They shall go into euerlasting paine now he must expresse the sequell And the righteous into life eternall And I saw saith he a new heauen and a new earth The first heauen and earth were gone and so was thesea for such was the order described before by him when he saw the great white throne one sitting vpon it froÌ„ whose face they fled So then they that were not in the booke of life being iudged and cast into eternall fire what or where it is I hold is vnknowne to a all but those vnto whome it please the spirit to reueale it then shall this world loose the figure by worldly fire as it was erst destroyed by earthly water Then as I said shall all the worlds corruptible qualities be burnt away all those that held correspondence with our corruption shall be agreeable with immortality that the world being so substantially renewed may bee fittly adapted vnto the men whose substances are renewed also But for that which followeth There 〈◊〉 no more sea whether it imply that the sea should bee dried vp by that vniuersall conflagration or bee transformed into a better essence I cannot easily determyne Heauen and Earth were read shal be renewed but as concerning the sea I haue not read any such matter that I can remember vnlesse that other place in this booke of that which hee calleth as it were a sea of glasse like vnto christall import any such alteration But in that place hee speaketh not of the worlds end neither doth hee say directly a sea but as a sea Notwithstanding it is the Prophets guise to speake of truths in misticall manner and to mixe truths and types together and so he might say there was no more sea in the same sence that hee sayd the sea shall giue vp hir dead intending that there should be no more turbulent times in the world which he insinuateth vnder the word Sea L. VIVES VNknowne a to all To all nay Saint Augustine it seemes you were neuer at the schoole-mens lectures There is no freshman there at least no graduate but can tell that it is the elementany fire which is betweene the sphere of the moone and the ayre that shall come downe and purge the earth of drosse together with the ayre and water If you like not this another will tell you that the beames of the Sonne kindle a fire in the midst of the ayre as in a burning glasse and so worke wonders But I doe not blame you fire was not of that vse in your time that it is now of when eâ—…y Philosopher to omit the diuines can carry his mouth his hands and his feete full of fire 〈◊〉 in the midst of Decembers cold and Iulies heate Of Philosophers they become diuines and yet keepe their old fiery formes of doctrine still so that they haue farre better iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hot case then you or your predecessors euer had Of the glorification of the Church after death for euer CHAP. 17. AND I Iohn saith hee sawe that Holie Cittie new Ierusalem come downe from GOD out of Heauen prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband And I heard a great voice out of Heauen saying behold the Tabernacle of GOD is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shal be his people and hee himselfe shal be their GOD with them And GOD shall wipeawaie all teares from their eyes and there shal be no more death neither teares neither crying neither shall there bee any more paine for the first things are passed And hee that sate vpon the Throne sayd behold I make althings new c. This cittie is sayd to come from Heauen because the grace of GOD that founded it is heauenly as GOD saith in Esay I am the LORD that made thee This grace of his came downe from heauen euen from the beginning and since the cittizens of GOD haue had their increase by the same grace giuen 〈◊〉 the spirit from heauen in the fount of regeneration But at the last Iudgement of GOD by his Sonne Christ this onely shall appeare in a state so glorious that all the ancient shape shal be cast aside for the bodies of each member shall cast aside their olde corruption and put on a new forme of immortality For it were too grosse impudence to thinke that this was 〈◊〉 of the thousand yeares afore-sayd wherein the Church is sayd to reigne with Christ because he saith directly GOD shall wipe awaie all teares from their eies and there shal be no more death neither sorrowes neither crying neither shall there bee any more paine Who is so obstinately absurd or so absurdly obstinate as to averre that any one Saint much lesse the whole society of them shall passe this transitory life without teares or sorrowes or euer hath passed it cleare of them seeing that the more holy his desires are and the more zealous his holinesse the more teares shall bedew his Orisons Is it not the Heauenly Ierusalem that sayth My teares haue beene my meate daie and night And againe I cause my bedde euerie night to swimme and water my couch with teares and besides My sorrow is renewed Are not they his Sonnes that bewayle that which they will not forsake But bee cloathed in it that their mortality may bee re-inuested with eternity and hauing the first fruites of the spirit doe sigh in themselues wayting for the adoption that is the redemption of their bodies Was not Saint Paul one of the Heauenlie Cittie nay and that the rather in that hee tooke so great care for the earthly Israelites And when a shall death haue to doe in that Cittie but when they may say Oh death where is thy sting Oh hell where is thy b victorie The sting of death is sinne This could not bee sayd there where death had no sting but as for this world Saint Iohn himselfe saith If wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And in this his Reuelation there are many things written for the excercising of the readers vnderstanding and there are but few things whose vnderstanding may bee an induction vnto the rest for hee repeteth the same thing so many waies that it seemes wholy pertinent vnto another purpose and indeed it may often bee found as spoken in another kinde But here where hee sayth GOD shall wipe awaie all teares from their eyes c this is directly meant of the world to come and the immortalitie of the Saints for there shal be no sorrow no teares nor cause of sorrowe or teares if any one
other-wise called the Angel and held by some as Hierome saith and namely by the Hebrews b to bee Esdras the Priest that wrote some other parts in the Canon prophecied of the last iudgment in these words Behold hee shall come saith the Lord of Hoastes but who may abide the day of his comming and who shall endure when hee appeareth for hee is like a purging fire and like Fullers Sope and hee shall sit downe to trye and fine the siluer hee shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as golde and siluer that they may bring offrings to the Lord in righteousnesse Then shall the offerings of Iudah and Hierusalem bee acceptable vnto the Lord as in old time and in the yeares afore And I will come neere vnto you to iudgement and I will bee a swift witnesse against the Sooth-sayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrong fully keepe back the hirelings wages and vexe the vviddow and the fatherlesse and feare not mee saith the Lord of Hoastes for I am the Lord I change not These words doe seeme euidently to imply a purification of some in the last iudgement For what other thing can bee meant by this Hee is like a purging fire and like Fullers sope and hee shall sitte downe to trye and fine the siluer hee shall fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as golde or siluer So saith Esayas The Lord shall wash the filthinesse of the daughters of Zion and purge the bloud of Hierusalem on t of the middest thereof by the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning Perhaps this burning may bee vnderstood of that seperation of the polluted from the pure in that paenall iudgement the good beeing to liue euer after with-out any commerce with the bad But these words Hee shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as gold and siluer that they may bring offrings to the Lord in righteousnesse doe intimate a purgation euen of the good who shall now be cleansed from that in-iustice wherein they displeased the Lord being cleansed and in their perfection of righteousnesse they shall bee pure offerings themselues vnto him their Lord. For what better or more acceptable oblation for him then them selues But let vs leaue this theame of paenall purgation vnto a more fitt oportunity By the sonnes of Leui Iudah and Hierusalem is meant the Church of God both of Hebrews and others but not in that state that it standeth now in for as we are now if wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs but as it shall be then like a threshing-flore cleansed by the fan of the last iudgement all being penally purged that needed such a purification so that now there shall need no more sacrifice for sinne for all that offer such are in sinne for the remission of which they offer to bee freed from it by Gods gracious acceptance of their offring L. VIVES MAlachiel or a Malachi I neuer read that Malachi was euer called Malachiel Malachi is in Hebrew his Angel and therefore he was called Malachi for if it were Malachiel it should be interpreted the Angell of the Lord I thinke therefore it should be read here Malachi b To be Esdras Of this lib. 18. Of the Saints offerings which God shall accept of as in the old time and the yeares afore CHAP. 26. To shew that the Citty of God should haue no more such custome it is said that the sonnes of Leui shall bring offrings to the Lord in righteousnesse therefore not in sinne and consequently not for sinne wee may therefore gather by the words following viz. Then shall the offrings of Iudah and Ierusalem be acceptable vnto the Lord as in old time and in the yeares afore that the Iewes are deceiued in beleeuing the. restaurations of their old legall ceremonies for all the sacrifices of the old Instrument were offered in sinne and for sinne the priest him-selfe who wee must thinke was the holiest was expresly commanded by the Lord to offer first for his owne sinnes and then for the people wee must therefore shew how these words As in old time and in the yeares afore are to bee taken They may perhaps imply the time of our first parents being in paradice for they were then pure and offred them-selues as vnspotted oblations to the Lord. But they transgressing and being therefore thrust out and all mankind being depraued and condemned in them since their fall no a man but the worlds redeemer and little baptized infants were euer pure from sinne no not the infant of one daies age If it be answered that they are worthily said to offer in righteousnesse that offer in faith in that the iust liueth by faith though if he say hee hath no sinne hee deceiues him-selfe and therefore hee saith it not because he liueth by faith I say againe is any one so farre deceiued as to pararell these times of faith with those of the last iudgment wherein those that are to offer those oblations in righteousnesse are to bee purged and refined Nay seeing that after that purgation there shal be no place for the least imperfection of sin assuredly the time wherein there shal be no sinne is not to bee compared with any sauing with the time before our first parents fall in Paradise wherein they liued in spotlesse felicity So that this it is which is ment by the old time and the yeares afore for such another passage is there in Esaias After the promise of a new Heauen and a new Earth amongst the other allegoricall promises of beatitudes to the Saints which study of breuity enforced vs to let passe vnexpounded this is one As the daies of the of tree life shall the dayes of my people be This tree who is it that hath read the Scriptures and knowes not yâ— God planted it and where and how our first parents by sinne were debarred from eating of the fruit thereof and a terrible guard set vpon it for euer after some may say the Prophet by that meant the daies of Christ his Church that now is and that Christ is that tree according to that of Salomon concerning wisdome She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and againe that our first parents liued but a smal while in Paradise seeing that they had no children during that space and therefore when we speake of the time that they were there we can not speake of any yeares as this place doth In old time and in the yeares bofore well this question is too intricate to discusse at this time and therefore let it passe There is another meaning of these words also besides this which doth also exclude the interpretation of this place by the legall and carnall sacrifices as though the restoring of them were such a benefit for those offrings of the old law being made all of vnpolluted beasts
them hath declared these things The Lord hath loued him hee will do his will in Bable and his arme shal be against the Chaldaeans I euen I haue spoken it and I haue called him I haue brought him and his waies shall prosper Come neare vnto me heare yee this I haue not spoke it in secret from the beginning from the time that the thing was I was there and now the LORD GOD and his spirit hath sent me This was he that spoke here as the LORD GOD and yet it had not beene euident that hee was Christ but that hee addeth the last clause the LORD GOD and his spirit hath sent me For this hee spoke of that which was to come in the forme of a seruant vsing the preterperfect tense for the future as the Prophet doth else-where saying he was led as a sheepe to the slaughter he doth not say He shal be led but putteth the time past for the time to come according to the vsuall phrase of propheticall speeches There is also another place in Zacharie as euident as this where the Almightie sent the Almightie and what was that but that the Father sent the Sonne the words are these Thus saith the Lord of Hoastes After this glory hath hee sent mee vnto the nations which spoyled you for hee that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his eye Behold I will lift my hand vpon them and they shall bee a spoyle to those that serued them and yee shall know that the Lord of Hoastes hath sent mee Behold here the LORD of hoastes saith that the LORD of hoastes hath sent him Who dare say that these words proceed from any but from Christ speaking to his lost sheepe of Israell for hee saith so him-selfe I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of Israell those hee compareth heere vnto the Apple of his eye in his most feruent loue vnto them and of those lost ones the Apostles were a part themselues but after this resurrection before which the Holy Ghost saith Iohn was not yet giuen because that IESVS was not yet glorified hee was also sent vnto the gentiles in his Apostles and so was that of the psalme fulfilled Thou hast deliuered mee from the contentions of the people thou hast made mee the head of the heathen that those that had spoiled the Israelites and made them slaues should spoile them no more but become their slaues This promised hee to his Apostles saying I will make you fishers of men and againe vnto one of them alone from hence-forth thou shalt catch men Thus shal the nations become spoiles but vnto a good end as vessell tane from a strong man that is bound by a stronger The said Prophet also in another place saith or rather the LORD by him saith In that daie will I seeke to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem and I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of compassion and they shall looke vpon mee whome they haue pearced and they shall lament for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and bee sorry for him as one is sory for his first borne Who is it but GOD that shall ridde Ierusalem of the foes that come against her that is that oppose her faith or as some interprete it that seeke to make her captiue who but hee can powre the spirit of grace and compassion vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem This is Gods peculiar and spoken by God himselfe in the prophet and yet that this GOD who shall doe all the wonderfull workes is CHRIST the sequele sheweth plainely they shall looke vpon mee whom they haue pearced and bee sorry c. For those Iewes who shall receiue the spirit of grace and compassion in the time to come shall repent that euer they had insulted ouer CHRIST in his passion when they shall see him comming in his Maiesty and know that this is hee whose base-nesse of parentage they had whilom â—…owted at And their fore-fathers shall see him too vpon whom they had exercised such impiety euen him shall they behold but not vnto their correction but vnto their confusion These words there I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Hierusalem the spirit of grace and compassion c. doe no way concerne them but their progenie onelye whome the preaching of Helias shall bring to the true faith But as wee say to the Iewes You killed Christ though it were their predecessors so shall the progeny of those murtherers bewayle the death of Christ them-selues though their predecessors and not they were they that did the deed So then though they receiue the spirit of grace and compassion and so escape the damnation of their fore-fathers yet shall they grieue as if they had beene pertakers of their predecessors villanie yet shall it not be guilt but zeale that shall inforce this griefe in them The LXX doe read this place thus They shall behold mee ouer whome they haue insulted but the Hebrews read it whom they haue pearced which giueth a fuller intimation of the crucifying of Christ. But that insultation in the LXX was continued euen through the whole passion of Christ Their taking him binding him iudging him apparelling him with sot-like habites crowning him with thorne striking him on the head with reedes mocking him with fained reuerence enforcing him to beare his owne crosse and crucifying him euen to his very last gaspe was nothing but a continuate insultation So that laying both the interpretations together as wee doe wee expresse at full that this place implyeth Christ and none other Therefore when-so-euer wee read in the Prophets that God shall iudge the world though there bee no other distinction that that very word Iudge doth expresse the Sonne of man for by his comming it is that Gods iudgement shall be executed God the Father in his personall presence will iudge no man but hath giuen all iudgement vnto his Sonne who shall shew him-selfe as man to iudge the world euen as hee shewed him-selfe as man to bee iudged of the world Who is it of whome God speaketh in Esaias vnder the name of Iacob and Israel but this sonne of man that tooke flesh of Iacobs progeny Iacob my seruant I will stay vpon him Israel mine elect in whome my soule delighteth I haue put my spirit vpon him hee shall bring forth Iudgement vnto the Gentiles Hâ—… shall not crye nor lift vp nor cause his voyce to bee heard in the streetes A bruised Reede shall hee not breake and the smoaking Flaxe shall hee not quench hee shall bring forth iudgement in truth Hee shall not faile nor bee discouraged vntill hee haue setled iudgement in the earth and the Iles shall hope in his name In the Hebrew there is no b mention of Iacob nor of Israel but the LXX being desirous to shew what hee meant by his
eternall after the last iudgment vnto them that endure them temporally after death For some shal be pardoned in the world to come that are not pardoned in this and acquitted there and not here from entring into paines eternall as I said before L. VIVES Willingly a or by Willingly that is of set purpose or through a wrong perswasion that 〈◊〉 doth him good when he hurteth him as the torturers and murtherers of the martyrs beleeued These were all guilty nor waâ—… their ignorance excuseable which in what cases it may be held pardonable Augustine disputeth in Quaest. vet Nou. Testam The 〈◊〉 all paines of this life afflicting all man-kinde CHAP. 14. BVT fewe theâ—… 〈◊〉 that endure none of these paines vntill after death Some indeed I haue known heard of that neuer had houres sickenes vntil their dying day and liued very long though notwithstanding mans whole life bee a paine in that it is a temptation and a warre-fare vpon earth as Holy Iob saith for ignorance is a great punishment and therefore you see that little children are forced to a auoyde it by stripes and sorrowes that also which they learne being such a paine to them that some-times they had rather endure the punishments that enforce them learne it then to learne that which would avoyde them a Who would not tremble and rather choose to die then to be an infant againe if he were put to such a choyce We begin it with teares and therein presage our future miseries Onely b Zoroastres smiled they say when hee was borne but his prodigyous mirth boded him no good for hee was by report the first inuentor of Magike which notwithstanding stood him not in a pins stead in his misfortunes for Ninus King of Assiriaouer came him in battel and tooke his Kingdome of Bactria from him So that it is such an impossibility that those words of the Scripture Great trauell is created for all men and an heauy yoke vpon the sonnes of Adam from the day that they go out of their mothers wombe vntill the day that they returne vnto the mother of all things should not be fulfilled that the very infants being Baptised and therein quitte from all their guilt which then is onely originall are notwithstanding much and often afflicted yea euen sometimes by the incursion of Deuills which notwithstanding cannot hurt them if they die at that tendernesse of age L. VIVES WHo a would Some would thinke them-selues much beholding to God if they might begin their daies againe but wise Cato in Tully was of another minde b Zoroastres smiled He was king of Bactria the founder of Magique Hee liued before the Troian warre 5000. yeares saith Hermodotus Platonicus Agnaces taught him Hee wrot 100000. verses Idem Eudoxus maketh him liue 5000. yeares before Plato his death and so doth Aristotle Zanthus Lydius is as short as these are ouer in their account giuing but 600 betweene Zoroastres and Xerxes passage into Greece Pliny doubts whether there were many of this name But this liued in Ninus his time hee smiled at his birth and his braine beate so that it would lift vp the hand a presage of his future knowledge Plin. He liued twenty yeares in a desert vpon cheese which hee had so mixed that it neuer grew mouldy nor decayed That the scope of Gods redeeming vs is wholly pertinent to the world to come CHAP. 15. BVt yet notwithstanding in this heauy yoke that lieth vpon Adams children from ther birth to their buriall we haue this one meanes left vs to liue sober and to weigh that our first parents sin hath made this life but a paine to vs and that all the promises of the New-Testament belonge onely to the Heritage layd vp for vs in the world to come pledges wee haue here but the performance due thereto we shall not haue till then Let vs now therefore walke in hope and profiting day by day let vs mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit for God knoweth all that are his and as many as are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God but by grace not by nature for Gods onely sonne by nature was made the sonne of man for vs that we being the sons of men by nature might become the sonnes of God in him by grace for hee remayning changelesse tooke our nature vpon him and keeping still his owne diuinity that wee being changed might leaue our frailety and apnesse to sinne through the participation of his righteousnesse and immortallity and keepe that which hee had made good in vs by the perfection of that good which is in him for as wee all fell into this misery by one mans sinne so shall wee ascend vnto that glory by one deified mans righteousnesse Nor may any imagine that hee hath had this passe vntill 〈◊〉 bee there where there is no temptation but all full of that peace which wee seeke by these conflicts of the spirit against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit This warre had neuer beene had man kept his will in that right way wherein it was first placed But refusing that now hee fighteth in himselfe and yet this inconuenience is not so bad as the former for happier farre is hee that striueth against sinne then hee that alloweth it soueraygnty ouer him Better is warre with hope of eternall peace then thraldome without any thought of freedome We wish the want of this warre though and God inspireth vs to ayme at that orderly peace wherein the inferiour obeyeth the superior in althings but if there were hope of it in this life as God forbid wee should imagine by yeelding to sinne a yet ought we rather to stand out against it in all our miseries then to giue ouer our freedomes to sinne by yeelding to it L. VIVES YEt a ought we So said the Philosophers euen those that held the soules to be mortall that vertue was more worth then all the glories of a vicious estate and a greater reward to it selfe nay that the vertuous are more happy euen in this life then the vicious and thereâ—… Christ animates his seruants with promises of rewards both in the world to come and in this that is present The lawes of grace that all the regenerate are blessed in CHAP. 16. BVt Gods mercy is so great in the vessells whome hee hath prepared for glory that euen the first age of man which is his infancy where the flesh ruleth without controll and the second his child-hood where his reason is so weake that it giueth way to all â—…nticements and the mind is altogether incapable of religious precepts if notwithstanding they bee washed in the fountaine of regeneration and he dye at this or that age he is translated from the powers of darknes to the glories of Christ and freed from all paynes eternall and purificatory His regeneration onely is sufficient cleare that after death which his carnall generation had contracted with death But when he cometh to
before as Caine and Abel and who dare say whether he had more besides them for it is no consequent that they were all the sons he had because they were onely named for the fit distinction of the two generations for wee read that hee had sonnes and daughters all which are vnnamed who dare affirme how many they were without incursion of rashnesse Adam might by Gods instinct say at Seths birth God hath raised me vp another seed for Abell in that Seth was to fulfill Abells sanctity not that he was borne after him by course of time And where as it is written Seth liued 105. or 205. yeares begot Eâ—…s who but one brainelesse would gather from hence that Enos was Seths first sâ—…n to giue vs cause of admiration that Seth could liue so long continent without purpose of continency or without vse of the mariage bed vnto generation for it is writte of him He begat sons and daughters and the daies of Seth were 912. yeares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 died And thus the rest also that are named are al recorded to haue had sons daughters But here is no proofe that he that is named to be son to any of them should be their first son nor is it credible that their fathers liued al this while either immature or vnmarried or vnchilded nor that they were their fathers first â—…ome But the scripture intending to descend by a genealogicall scale from Adâ—… vnto Noah to the deluge recounted not the first borne of euery father but only such as fell within the compasse of these two generations Take this example to cleare all further or future doubt Saint Mathew the Euangelist intending to record the generation of the Man CHRIST beginning at Abrahâ—… and descending downe to Dauid Abraham saith hee begot Isaac why not 〈◊〉 he was his first sonne Isaac begot Iacob why not Esau hee was his first 〈◊〉 too The reason is he could not descend by them vnto Dauid It followeth Iacob begat Iudas and his brethren Why was Iudas his first borne Iudas begat Phâ—…es and Zara. Why neither of these were Iudas his first sonnes he had three before either of them So the Euangelist kept onely the genealogy that tracted directly downe to Dauid and so to his purpose Hence may wee therefore see plaine that the mens first borne before the deluge were not respected in this account but those onely through whose loines the propagation passed from Adam to Noah the Patriarche And thus the fruitlesse and obscure question of their late maturity is opened as farre as needeth we will not tire our selues therein L. VIVES LOnger a immature Maturity in man is the time when he is fit to beget children when as haire groweth vpon the immodest parts of nature in man or woman b Gotten Or possesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the seauenty Caine saith Hieroâ—… is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possession Of the lawes of marriage which the first women might haue different from the succeeding CHAP. 16. THerefore whereas mankinde after the forming of the first man out of clay and the first woman out of his side needed coniunction of male and female for propagation sake it beeing impossible for man to bee increased but by such meanes the brethren maried the sisters this was lawfull then through the compulsion of necessity but now it is as damnable through the prohibition of it in religion for there was a a iust care had of charity that them to whom concord was most vsefull might be combined togither in diuers bonds of kinred and affinity that one should haue many in one but that euery peculiar should bee bestowed abroade and so many byas many should bee conglutinate in honest coniugall society As father and father in law are two names of kinred So if one haue both of them there is a larger extent of charity Adam is compelled to be both vnto his sonnes and his daughters who were matched together beeing brothers and sisters So was Euah both mother and step-mother to them both But if there had bin two women for these two names the loue of charity had extended further The sister also here that was made a wife comprized two alliances in her selfe which had they beene diuided and she sister to one and wife to another the combination had taken in more persons then as now it could beeing no mankinde vpon earth but brothers and sisters the progeny of the first created But it was fit to be done as soone as it could and that then wiues and sisters should be no more one it being no neede but great abhomination to practise it any more For if the first mens nephewes that maried their cousin-germaines had married their sisters there had beene three alliances not two includâ—… in one which three ought for the extention of loue and charity to haue beene communicated vnto three seuerall persons for one man should be father stepfather and vncle vnto his owne children brother and sister should they two mary together and his wife should be mother stepmother and aunte vnto them and they themselues should bee not onely brother and sister but b brother and sisters children also Now those alliances that combine three men vnto one should conioyne nine persons together in kinred amity if they were seuereâ—… one may haue one his sister another his wife another his cousin another his father another his vncle another his step father another his mother another his aâ—…te and another his step-mother thus were the sociall amity dilated and not contracted all into two or three And this vpon the worlds increase wee may obserue euen in Paynims and Infidels that although c some of their bestiall lawes allowed the bretheren to marry their sister yet better custome abhorred this badde liberty and for all that in the worldes beginning it was lawfull yet they auoide it so now as if it had neuer beene lawfull for custome is a gâ—…at matter to make a man hate or affect any thing and custome herein suppressing the immoderate immodesty of coÌ„cupiscence hath iustly set a brand of ignominy vpon it as an irreligious and vnhumaine acte for if it be a vice to plow beyond your bounder for greedinesse of more ground how farre doth this exceed it for lust of carnality to transgresse all bound nay subuert all ground of good manners And wee haue obserued that the marriage of cousin-germaines because of the degree it holdeth next vnto brother and sister to haue beene wonderfull seldome in these later times of ours and this now because of good custome otherwise though the lawes allowed it for the lawe of GOD hath not forbidden it d nor as yet had the lawe of man But this although it were lawfull is avoided because it is so neare to that which is vnlawfull and that which one doth with his cousin hee almost thinketh that hee doth with his sister for these because of their neare consanguinity e are called brothers and sisters and