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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Palace Varro de Ling. Lat. lib. 3. The building of this temple vexed the Romaines extreamly and at the building there was written in it Opus vecordiae the worke of sloath A fourth was built by Liuia Augusta vnlesse it were but Camillus his olde one which she repared Ouid. fast 1. Concords feasts were in Februaries Calends the xviii b In the place Appian saith in the pleading place and so doth Varro and Victor de region vrb puts it in the eight Region that is in the Romaine court the fight ending in Auentinus though it began in the Capitoll c Pleaders Tribunes and such as spake to the people in Couenticles that they should speake nothing but well of the Senate taking example by Gracchus whose memory that monument still remembered d She was Discord alone being not bidden to the mariage of Peleus and Thetis being angry hereat sent a golden ball into the feasters with this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the fairest haue it Herevpon grew a strife betweene Pallas Iuno and Venus So they came to Paris to haue iudgment whence arose all that deluge of destruction that ouer-whelmed Troy Of the diuerse warres that followed after the building of Concords temple CHAP. 26. NOw they all thought that this new temple of Concord and testimony of Gracchus would be an excellent restraint vnto all seditious spirits But how farre they shotte wide let the subsequent times giue aime For from that time forth the Pleaders neuer went about to auoide the examples of the Gracchi but laboured to exceed them in their pretences L. a Saturninus Tribune b C. Caesar Seruillius Praetor and c not long after that d M. Drusus all these began more bloudy seditions whence there arose not onely ciuill slaughters but at last they brake openly out into the Confederates warre which brought all Italy vnto most miserable and desperate extremities Then followed the e Slaues warre and other ciuill warres wherein it is strange to recorde what fields were pitched what bloud-shed and what murther stucke vpon the face of all Italy as farre as the Romaines had any power or signorie And how small a company lesse then seuentie Fencers began this Slaues warre which mounted to that terrour and danger What multitudes of Generalls did this raskall crew ouer-throw what numbers of Romaine citties and Prouinces they destroyed it is more then worke enough for a professed Historian to declare For the warre held out not onely in Italy but these slaues ouer-ranne all Macedonia Sicily and the sea coastes And then what out-ragious robberies at first and what terrible warres afterwards were managed by the f Pyrates what penne is them sufficient to recapitulate L. VIVES L. a Saturninus This man being Tribune and troubling the state with the Agrarian law was killed by C. Marius and L. Ualer Flaccus Consuls to whom the Senate had committed the protection of the state yet did Saturninus preferre this law to doe Marius a pleasure b C. Caesar. This name is not in the old copyes but onely C. Seruilius Glaucia Praetor of Saturninus his faction Of the Seditious Lucius Apuleius Saturninus came nearest the Gracchi in eloquence for he attracted all mens affections by his gesture and apparell more then by his tongue or discourse But C. Sextâ—…lius Glaucia was the most wicked villaine that euer was and yet most suttle and quick witted but yet hee was very ridiculous He had beene Consull for all his filthinesse of meanes and manners if it had beene held fit hee should haue stood for it For hee had the people sure for him and had wonne the Gentlemen by pleasuring them But being Praetor he was publikely slaine on the same day with Saturnine Marius and Flaccus being Consuls All this is out of Tullies Orator But if some will haue it Caesar they are not much amisse excepting for the times mary hee that was L. Caesars brother mooued the Romaines against Sulpitius the Tribune which contention gaue beginning to the warre of Marius as Pedianus hath recorded This Caesar saith Tully being Aedile made euery day an Oration In Bruto c Not long after Seauen yeares passed iust betweene the Tribuneships of Saturnine and Drusus and from the Consulships of Marius and Flaccus to Flaccus and Herennius d M Drusus he was of good birth but the proudest man in Rome quicke to speake and being called to the Senate hee sent the Senate worde to come to him and so they didde The Senate called his father their Patron e Slaues warre It began in Cicilie before the Confederates warre by one Eunus a Syrrian that fained him-selfe to bee inspired with the Cibels spirit Hee gotte together sixtie thousand men ouerthrew foure Praetors and tooke their tents At length Perpenna besieged and conquered them A little after Cleon a Cicilian began such another warre in the same Iland getting huge powers ouerthrowing the Praetors as before and spoyling the Tents This warre M. Aequilius ended In Italy Spartacus and Chrysus began it who broke out of the schoole of Lentulus when hee was at Capua and gotte forth to the number of seauenty-foure to whome a great many slaues adioined them-selues soone after P. Varenus Praetor and Claudius Pulcher Legate that met them first in armes they ouercame Afterward Chrysus and his bands were defeated by Q. Uarius Praetor Spartacus continued the warre with great good fortune against Lentullus the Consull first and then against L. Gellius and Q. Arius Praetor and afterward with Cassius Vice-Consull and Cn. Manlius Praetor Lastly M. Crassus being Praetor ouercame him and put his armie to the sword f Pyrats The Cilician Pirats troubling the sea P. Seruilius Vice-Consul was sent against them who took Isaurum and diuers of their Citties but hee retyring home they rose with greater powers and boote-hal'd all the Coast vnto Caieta Missenum and Ostia to the great terror and reproch of the Romaine name At length Cn. Pompey beeing made Admirall by the Gabinian Lawe quitte the sea of them in forty daies Liu. lib. 99. Cicero pro leg Manil. L. Florus and others Of the ciuill warres betweene Sylla and Marius CHAP. 27. VVHen Marius being now imbrued with his countrymens bloud and hauing slaine many of his aduersaries was at length foyled and forced to flie the citty that now gotte time to take a little breath presently to vse a Tullies wordes vpon the sodaine Cinna and Marius began to bee conquerours againe And then out went the heart blouds of the most worthy men and the lights of all the cittie But soone after came b Sylla and reuenged this barbarous massacre but with what damage to the state and cittie it is not my purpose to vtter For that this reuenge was worse then if all the offences that were punished had bene left vnpunished Let Lucan testifie c in these wordes Excessit medicina modum nimiumque secuta est Qua morbi duxêre manus periêre nocentes Sed cùm iam soli possent superesse nocentes
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
nor must we at all beleeue what Apuleius would haue vs and others with him that the Daemones are so placed betweene the gods and men that they beare vp mens prayers and bring downe the gods helpes but that they are spirits most thirstie of mischiefe wholy vniust proud enuious treacherous a inhabiting the ayre in deed as thrust out of the glorious heauen for their vnpardonable guilt and condemned eternally to that prison Nor are they aboue man in merite because ayre is aboue earth for men doe easily excell them not in quality of body but in the faith and fauour of the true God Indeed they rule ouer many that are not worthy of the perticipation of gods truth such are their subiects wonne to them by false myracles and by illusions perswading them that they are gods But others that looked more narrowly into them and their qualities would not beleeue this that they were gods onely they gott this place in their opinion to be held the gods messengers and bringers of mens good fortunes Yet those that held them not gods would not giue them the honor of gods because they saw them euill and held all gods to be good yet durst they not denie them all diuine honors for feare of offending the people whose inueterate superstition preserued them in so many temples altars and sacrifices L. VIVES INhabiting a the ayre The olde writers placed all their fable of hell in the ayre and there was 〈◊〉 Proserpina the Manâ—…s and the Furies Capella Chalcâ—… saith the ayre was iustly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 darke Peter also and Iude affirme that the deuills 〈◊〉 bound in darknesse in the ayre some in the lowest parts of the earth Empedocles in Plâ—… 〈◊〉 faith that Heauen reiected them earth expels them the sea cannot abide them thus are they â—…ed by being tossed from place to place Hermes Trismegistus his opinion of Idolatrie and how he might come to know that the Egiptian superstitions were to be abrogated CHAP. 23. FOr Hermes a the Aegiptian called Trismegistus wrote contrary to these Aâ—… indeed holds them no gods but middle agents betweene gods and men that being so necessary he conioynes their adoration with the diuine worship But Trismegistus saith that the high God made some gods and men other some These words as I write them may bee vnderstood of Images because they are the workes of men But he calleth visible and palpable bodies the bodyes of the gods wherein are spirits inuited in thereto that haue power to hurt or pleasure such as giue them diuine honors So then to combine such a spirit inuisible by arts vnto a visible image of some certaine substance which it must vse as the soule doth the body this is to make a god saith hee and this wonderfull power of making gods is in the hands of man His b words are these And whereas 〈◊〉 discourse saith he concernes the affinitie betweene gods and men marke Asclepius this power of man Our God the Lord and Father is the creator of the celestiall gods so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the terrestriall which are in the temples And a little after So doth humanity remember the originall and euer striueth to imitate the deity making gods like the oâ—…ne Image as God the father hath done like his Do you meane statues replied Asclepius statues quoth he doe you not see them animate full of spirits and sence d trust your eyes doing such wonders see you not statues that presage future euents farre perhaps e beyond all propheticall inspiration to fore-tell that cure diseases and câ—…se them giuing men mirth or sadnesse as they deserue Know you not Asclepius thâ—…t Egâ—…pt 〈◊〉 heauens Image or rather the place whereinto all the celestiall graces desâ—…end the very temple of the whole world And since wisdome should fore-know all I 〈◊〉 not haue you ignorant herein The time shall come that all the zeale of Egipt shall be â—…gated and all the religious obseruations held idle and vaine Then goeth hee forward prophecying by all likelyhood of christianity whose true sanctitie is the â—…tter subuersion of all fictions and superstitions that the Sauiours true grace might free vs from those humaine gods those handy-workes of man and place vs to gods seruice mans maker But Hermes presageth these things as the deuills confederate suppressing the euidence of the Christian name and yet fore-telling with a sorrowfull intimation that from it should proceed the wracke of all their Idolatrous superstitions for Hermes was one of those who as the Apostle saith Kâ—…ing GOD glorified him not as GOD nor were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse when they professed them-selues wise they became fooles For they turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the symilitude of the Image of a corruptible man and byrdes and foore-footed beasts and Serpents f For this Hermes saith much of God according to truth But how blindnesse of heart drawes him to affirme this I know not that these gods should bee alwayes subiect whome man hath made and yet to bewaile their abrogations to come As if man could bee more miserable any way then in liuing slaue to his owne handy-worke g it being easier for him to put off all humanitie in adoring these peeces hee hath made then for them to put on deity by being made by him For it comes ofteneâ—… to passe that a man being set in honor be not vnderstood to bee like to the beasts then that his handy-worke should bee preferred before the worke that God made like his owne Image to wit mans selfe Worthily then doth hee fall from his grace that made him that maketh that his Lord which he hath made himselfe Those vaine deceitfull pernicious sacriledges Hermes foreseeing should perish deploreth but as impudently as hee had knowne it foolishly For the spirit of GOD had not spoken to him as it did to the Prophets that spoke this with gladnesse If a man make gods behold they are no gods and in another place At that day saith the LORD I will take the names of their Idols from the earth and there shal be no remembrance thereof And to the purpose of Egipt heare Isaias The Idols of Egipt shal be mooued at his presence and the heart of Egipt shall melt in the midst of her and so forward Such were they also that reioyced for the fulfilling h of that which they knew should come to passe as Simeon Anna and Elizabeth the first knowing Christ at his birth the second at his conception and i Peter that by Gods inspiration sayd Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD. But Hermes had his knowledge from those deuills that trembling in the flesh sayd to Christ Why art thou come to vndoe vs before the time Either k because that came suddenly vpon them which they expected not vntill afterwards or that they called it their vndoing to bee knowne and so despised and this was
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
CHAP. 25. By the fayth of this mistery might the ancient Saints of God also bee iustified together with godly life not only before the law was giuen the hebrewes for they wanted not Gods instructions nor the Angels but also in the very 〈◊〉 of the law though they seemed to haue carnall promises in the types of spyrâ—…al thinges it being therefore called the old Testament For there were Propâ—…s then that taught the promise as wel as the Angels and one of them was he â—…se sacred opinion of mans good I related before It is good for me to adhere vnâ—… In which Psalme the two Testaments are distinguished For first hee â—…ng those earthly promises abound so to the vngodly saith his b feete slippâ—… and that he was almost downe as if hee had serued God in vayne seeing that â—…ty that hee hoped of God was bestowed vppon the impious and that hee laboured sore to know the reason of this and was much troubled vntill hee entred into the sanctuary of God and there beheld their endes whome hee in errour thought happy But then c as hee saith hee saw them east downe in their exâ—…on and destroyed for their iniquity and that all their pompe of temporall 〈◊〉 was become as a dreame leauing a man when hee is awake frustrate of â—…ed ioyes hee dreamed off And because they shewed great here vpon 〈◊〉 saith hee In thy Citty thou shalt make their Image bee held as nothing 〈◊〉 good it was for him to seek those temporalties at none but Gods hands â—…weth â—…aying I was as a beast before thee yet was I alwaies with thee as a beast â—…erstanding For I should haue desired such goodes as the wicked could not 〈◊〉 with mee but seeing them abound with goods I thought I had serued thee 〈◊〉 end when as they that hated thee inioyed such felicity Yet was I alwaies with 〈◊〉 fought no other goddes to begge these thinges vppon And then it followâ—… Thou hast holden me by my right hand thou hast guided me by thy will and hast asâ—… into glory As if all that which he saw the wicked inioy were belonging 〈◊〉 left hand though seeing it he had almost falne What haue I in heauen but 〈◊〉 sayth he And would I haue vpon earth but thee Then hee doth checke himâ—… iustly for hauing so great a good in Heauen as afterwards hee vnderstood 〈◊〉 yet begging so transitory frayle and earthen a thing of God here below d 〈◊〉 heart faileth and my flesh but God is the God of mine heart A good fayling to 〈◊〉 the lower and elect the loftyer So that in another Psalme he sayth My soule â—…geth and fainteth for the Courtes of the Lord. And in another My heart fainteth 〈◊〉 thy sauing health But hauing sayd both heart and flesh fainteth hee reioyned not The God of mine heart and flesh but the God of my heart for it is by the heart that 〈◊〉 â—…sh is cleansed as the Lord sayth Cleanse that which is within and then that 〈◊〉 is without shall be cleane Then he calleth God his portion not any thing of 〈◊〉 but him-selfe God is the God of my heart and my portion for euer Because 〈◊〉 mens manifold choyces he chose him only For e behold saith he they 〈◊〉 â—…thdraw them-selues from them shall perish f thou destroyest al them that go 〈◊〉 from thee that is that make them-selues prostitute vnto many gods and then â—…owes that which is the cause I haue spoken al this of the Psalme As for me it is good for mee to adhere vnto GOD not to withdraw my selfe nor to goe a whoring And then is our adherence to God perfect when all is freed that should bee freed But as wee are now the hold is I put my trust in the Lord God for hope that is seene is no hope how can a man hope for that which he seeth savth the Apostle But when we see not our hope then we expect with patience wherein lette vs do that which followeth each one according to his talent becomming an Angell a messenger of God to declare his will and praise his gratious glory That I may declare all thy workes saith hee in the gates of the daughter of Sion This is that gloryous Citty of God knowing and honouring him alone This the Angells declared inuiting vs to inhabite it and become their fellow Cittizens in it They like not that wee should worship them as our elected Gods but with them him that is God to vs both Nor to sacrifice to them but with them be a sacrifice to him Doubtlesse then if malice giue men leaue to see the doubt cleared al the blessed immortalls that enuy vs not and if they did they were not blessed but rather loue vs to haue vs partners in their happinesse are farre more fauourable and beneficiall to vs when wee ioyne with them in sacrificing our selues to the adoration of the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit L. VIVES WHich a Psal. 73. diuinely soluing of this question of the Phylosophers Why one God ruling all haue the good so often hurt and the bad so much good Or Epicurus his Dilemma If there be a God whence is euill If none whence is good Augustine recites some verses and we wil breefely interpose here and there a word b Feete slipped or moued by the vnworthy euent to take another way it seeming to him to haue done so little good in this c Them All things saith the wise man are secret vntil the end but then the good life helps and the bad hurts the one rewarded and the other plagued for then all appeareth in truth d My heart A sanctified man in all his troubles and faintings of strength and counsell still keepes heart-hold of God making him his portion for euer loose he all thinges God he will neuer loose Augustine me thinks applyeth this to the defect of spirit through the vehement desire of celestiall comfortes For the soule will languish into much loue and lose all the selfe in entyre speculation of that it affecteth Or he may meane that although all bodily meanes of strength or state do faile a good man yet his minde will stil sticke firmely vnto God and entertaine a contempt of all worldly wealth and all guifts of wit or fortune in respect of this God this onely ritches and heritage e Behold Therefore is it good to adhere to him from whom who-soeuer departeth perisheth f Thou destroyest Wee ought to keepe our soule chaste as the spouse of God which if it go a whoring after the desires and lusts of the world neglecting God hee casteth it off as a man doth his dishonest wife and diuorceth it from him And this is the death of the soule to leaue the true life thereof Of Porphyry his wauering betweene confessing of the true God and adoration of the diuels CHAP. 26. Me thinkes Porphrry I know not how is ashamed of his Thevrgicall acquaintance Hee had some knowledge of good
but he durst not defend the worshippe of one God against the adoration of many Hee sayd there were some Angels that came downe and taught Theurgike practisers thinges to come and others that declared the will of the Father vpon earth and his altitude and immensity Now whether would hee haue vs subiect to those Angels that declare the will of the Father vyon earth or vnto him whose wil they declare T' is plain hee biddeth vs rather imitate them then inuocate them why then wee need not feare to giue no sacrifices to these blessed immortals but referre it all freely vnto God For questionlesse that which they know to bee due to that God onely in whose participation they are blessed they will neuer ascribe to them-selues either by figures or significations This is arrogance proper to the proud and miserable diuels from which the zeale of Gods subiects and such as are blessed bâ—… coherence with him ought to be farre seperate To which blessed coherence it behouâ—…â—…e Angels to fauour our attaynement not arrogating our subiection to 〈◊〉 but declaring God the meane of both our coherences vnto vs. Why feaâ—… thou now Philosopher to censure these aduerse powers enemies both to the true God and true vertue Thou saidst but a now that the true Angels that reâ—…le Gods will do differ from them that descend vnto men that vse Theurgicallâ—…rations â—…rations VVhy dost thou honour them so much as to say they teach diuine â—…ges How can that be teaching not the will of the Father a Those now are they whom the malicious Theurgike bound from purging the soule of the good 〈◊〉 VVhome hee could not loose for all that they desired to be lette loose and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him some good Doubtest thou yet that those are wicked diuels Or dost 〈◊〉 â—…ssemble for feare of offending the Theurgikes whose curiosity inueigled 〈◊〉 so that they made theee beleeue they did thee a great pleasure in teaching 〈◊〉 this damnable cunning Darest thou extoll that maliciousplague no powâ—… 〈◊〉 is a slaue and no regent ouer the enuious aboue the ayre into Heauen and doe the starry goddes or the starres them-selues such foule disgrace as to place it amongst them L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a but now The old copies read Distinxisti for Dixisti but the sence is not alteâ—… a tittle b Those now Hee had sayd before that the euill Daemon hinders the 〈◊〉 â—…at the first must depart ere the latter could come to worke effect And of the Chalâ—…â—…ome another malicious fellow hindered from being purged in soule Of Porphyry his exeeding Apuleius in impiety CHAP. 27. â—…w much more tollerable was the error of Apuleius thy fellow sectary who â—…on fessed spite of his teeth for all his honouring of them that the diuels 〈◊〉 the Moone onely were subiect to perturbation quitting the Gods aethereâ—…â—…th â—…th visible as the Sun Moone c. And inuisible also from these affects by all 〈◊〉 arguments hee could deuise Plato taught thee not this thine impiety but thy 〈◊〉 maisters to thrust vp mortall vices amongst the aethereall powers that the gods might instruct your Theurgike in diuinity which notwithstanding thou in thine intellectual life makest thy selfe excel putting art Theurgike as not necessary for thee but for others that will be no phylosophers yet thou teachest it to repay 〈◊〉 maisters in seducing those to it that affect not Phylosophy yet holding it of 〈◊〉 vse for a Phylosopher as thou thy selfe art So that all that fancy not Phyloâ—… which being hard to attayne is affected by few might by thine authoâ—… inquire oâ—…t Theurgikes and of them attaine no intellectuall but a spirituall â—…cation And because the multitude of those do farre exceed the Phylosoâ—… therefore more are drawne to thy vnlawfull Magicall maisters then to 〈◊〉 schooles for this the vncleane Diuell those counterfeyt aethereallâ—…es â—…es whose messenger thou art become promised thee that such as were purged by Theurgy should neuer returne to the father but inhabite 〈◊〉 ayre amongst the aethereall goddes But those whome Christ came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those diuelish powers indure not this doctrine For in him haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercyfull purification of body soule and spirit For therefore put hee on 〈◊〉 man without sinne to cleanse whole man from sinne I wish thou hadst knoâ—… 〈◊〉 him and laid the cure of thy selfe vppon him rather then vpon thine oâ—…ne fraâ—…e weake vertue or thy pernicious curiosity For hee which your owne a Oracles as thou writest acknowledged for holy and immortall would neuer haue deceiued thee Of whome also that famous Poet saith Poetically indeed as vnder a another person but with a true reference to him b Te duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irritaperpetua soluent formidine terras Thy conduct all sinnes markes from man shall cleare And quit the world of their eternall feare Speaking of those steppes of sinne if not sinnes which by reason of our infirmity may haue residence in the great proficients of righteousnesse and are cured by none but Christ of whome the verse speaketh For Virgill c spoke it not of himselfe as he sheweth about the fourth verse of his Eglogue where hee saith Vltima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas Time and Sybilla's verse are now new met Playnly shewing hee had it from Sybilla Cumaea But those Theurgikes or rather fiendes in the shapes of goddes doe rather putrifie the purifie mens hearts by their false aparitions and deceiptfull illusion in change of formes For how should they cleanse another beeing vncleane them-selues Otherwise could they not be bound by the charmes of the enuious eyther to feare to infect or to enuy to bestow the good they seemingly were about to doe But it sufficeth that thou confessest that neyther the soules intellectuall part is made pure nor the spiritual that is vnder the other part eternall by art theurgike But Christ promiseth this eternity and therfore to thy owne great admiration and deepe greefe the World flocketh to him d VVhat of that that thou canst not deny that the Theurgikes doe often erre and draw others into the same blindenesse and that it is a most playne error to become supplyant to those Angelicall power And then as though thou hadst not lost thy labour in the former assertion thou sendest such as liue not intellectually to the Theurgikes to bee purged in the mindes spirituall part L. VIVES YOur a Oracles Of this in the 20. booke b Te duce Seruius refers all this eglogue to the ciuill wars in Assinius Pollio's Consulship that in his time they should end and all the feare bee extiâ—…ct But they out-lasted him Hee was Consul with Domitius Aenobarbâ—… the fourth veare of his Triumvirship c Spoke it not The whole eglogue is nothing but Syâ—… verses which being Enygmatically spoken of Christ and the time touched in certaine mistiâ—… tokens Virgill obseruing it to bee neere hand thought they meant some of the Româ—… Princes and â—…o attributes them to Saloninus Pollio's
for the other the Romaines had those gods and this worship and the Grecians others the French others from theirs Spaine Scythia India Persia all seuerall Bâ—… all that professe CHRIST haue one GOD and one sacrifice d All for the world Liuing vnder Diocletian a sore persecutor of Christianity e Witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a witnesse f â—…hy câ—…eth Why came it not ere now or so g Mountaine Some bookes leaue out of 〈◊〉 â—…se the 70. read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the mount of the Lord and house of our God h Iâ—…â—…er It was the beginning or seminary of Gods Church i Commanded Some adde the deuills to depart but it is needlesse k Maternall The mistery is that nothing that oâ—… Sauiour touched is stained or corrupted l In prophecies In Moyses lawe m Performances In our law by Apostles and other holy Preachers n Concerning health Or to befal the health better o Confirming or the rule of which they challenge to themselues in fitting wicked aâ—…fections with correspondent effects For they can vse their powers of nature farre mâ—…re knowingly then we in procuring health or sicknesse Finis lib 10. THE CONTENTS OF THE eleuenth booke of the City of God 〈◊〉 Of that part of the worke wherein the deâ—…ion of the beginnings and ends of the â—…es the Heauenly and Earthly are deâ—… 〈◊〉 Of the knowledge of God which none can 〈◊〉 but through the Mediator betweene â—…d Man the Man Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 Of the authority of the canonicall scripâ—…â—…de by the spirit of God 〈◊〉 â—…at the state of the world is neither eâ—… nor ordained by any new thought of 〈◊〉 â—…f he meant that after which he meant â—…re 〈◊〉 â—…at we ought not to seeke to comprehend â—…te spaces of time or place ere the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the World and Time had both one â—…g nor was the one before the other 〈◊〉 Of the first sixe daies that had morning â—…g ere the Sunne was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must thinke of Gods resting the 〈◊〉 â—…fter his six daies worke 〈◊〉 â—…is to bee thought of the qualities of 〈◊〉 â—…ording to scripture 〈◊〉 â—…e vncompounded vnchangeable 〈◊〉 Father the Sonne and the Holy 〈◊〉 God in substance and quality euer 〈◊〉 same 〈◊〉 â—…ether the Spirits that fell did euer 〈◊〉 the Angells in their blisse at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happinesse of the iust that â—…as yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reward of the diuine promise comâ—… the first men of Paradise before sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether the Angells were created in 〈◊〉 of happinesse that neither those that 〈◊〉 â—…hey should fall nor those that perseueâ—…â—…ew they should perseuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is meant of the deuill Hee aâ—… in the truth because there is no 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 Thâ—… meaning of this place The diuell 〈◊〉 from the beginning 〈◊〉 Of the different degrees of creatures 〈◊〉 â—…ble vse and reasons order do differ 17. That the vice of malice is not naturall but against nature following the will not the Creator in sinne 18. Of the beauty of this vniuerse augmented by Gods ordinance out of contraries 19. The meaning of that God seperated the light from the darkenesse 20. Of that place of scripture spoken after the seperation of the light and darkenesse And God saw the light that it was good 21. Of Gods eternall vnchanging will and knowledge wherin he pleased to create al things in forme as they were created 22. Concerning those that disliked some of the good Creators creatures and thought some things naturally euill 23. Of the error that Origen incurreth 24. Of the diuine Trinity notifying it selfe in some part in all the workes thereof 25. Of the tripartite diuision of all philosophicall discipline 26. Of the Image of the Trinity which is in some sort in euery mans nature euen before his glorification 27. Of Essence knowledge of Essence and loue of both 28. Whether 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 29. Of the Angells 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 30. The perfection of the number of sixe the first is compleate in all the parts 31. Of the seauenth day the day of rest and compleate perfection 32. Of their opinion that held Angells to be created before the world 33. Of the two different societies of Angells not vnfitly tearmed light and darkenesse 34. Of the opinion that some held that the Angells were ment by the seuered waters and of others that held waters vncreated FINIS THE ELEVENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD. Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of that part of the worke wherein the demonstration of the beginings and ends of the two Citties the heauenly and the earthly are declared CHAP. 1. WE giue the name of the Citty of GOD vnto that society wherof that scripture beareth wittnesse which hath gotten the most excellent authority preheminence of all other workes whatsoeuer by the disposing of the diuine prouidence not the affectation of mens iudgements For there it is sayd Glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citty of God and in an other place Great As the LORD and greatly to bee praised in the Citty of our God euen vpon his holy mountaine increasing the ioy of all the earth And by and by in the same Psalme As wee haue heard so haue wee seene in the Citty of the Lord of Hoastes in the Citty of our God God â—…th established it for euer and in another The riuers streames shall make glad the Citie of God the most high hath sanctified his tabernacle God is in the middest of it vnâ—…ed These testimonies and thousands more teach vs that there is a Citty of God whereof his inspired loue maketh vs desire to bee members The earthly cittizens prefer their Gods before this heauenly Citties holy founder knowing not that he is the God of gods not of those false wicked and proud ones which wanting his light so vniuersall and vnchangeable and beeing thereby cast into an extreame needy power each one followeth his owne state as it were and begs peculiar honors of his seruants but of the Godly and holy ones who select their owne submission to him rather then the worlds to them and loue rather to worship him their God then to be worshipped for gods themselues The foes of this holy Citty our former ten bookes by the helpe of our Lord King I hope haue fully â—…ffronted And now knowing what is next expected of mee as my promise viz. to dispute as my poore talent stretcheth of the originall progresse and consummation of the two Citties that in this worldly confusedly together 〈◊〉 the assistance of the same God and King of ours I set pen to paper intending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew the beginning of these two arising from the difference betweene 〈◊〉 â—…gelical powers Of the
â—…ledge of God which none can attaine but through the mediator betweene God and man the Man Christ Iesus CHAP. 2. IT is a grâ—… and admirable thing for one to transcend all creatures corporal or incorporall fraile and mutable by speculation and to attaine to the Deity it selfe and learne of that that it made all things that are not of the diuine essence For so doth God teach a man speaking not by any corporall creature vnâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…erberating the ayre betweene the eare and the speaker nor by any 〈◊〉 â—…ature or apparition as in dreames or otherwise For so hee doth 〈◊〉 â—…nto bodily eares and as by a body and by breach of ayre and distance 〈◊〉 are very like bodies But he speaketh by the truth if the eares of the 〈◊〉 ready and not the body For hee speaketh vnto the best part of the 〈◊〉 and that wherein God onely doth excell him and vnderstand a man 〈◊〉 fashion you cannot then but say he is made after Gods Image beeing 〈◊〉 God onely by that part wherein hee excelleth his others which hee â—…ed with him by beasts But yet the minde a it selfe wherein reason and 〈◊〉 â—…ding are naturall inherents is weakned and darkened by the mist of inâ—…â—…ror and diss-enabled to inioy by inherence b nay euen to endure that 〈◊〉 light vntill it bee gradually purified cured and made fit for such an 〈◊〉 therefore it must first bee purged and instructed by faith to set it the 〈◊〉 â—…in truth it selfe Gods Sonne and God taking on our man without 〈◊〉 god-head ordained that faith to bee a passe c for man to God by 〈◊〉 â—…at was both God and man d for by his man-hood is he mediator 〈◊〉 is hee our way For if the way lie betweene him that goeth and the 〈◊〉 â—…ch he goeth there is hope to attaine it But if e one haue no way nor 〈◊〉 way to goe what booteth it to know whether to goe And the oneâ—… infallible high way is this mediator God and Man God our iourâ—… Man our way vnto it L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a it selfe We call the minde mans purest and most excellent part by which 〈◊〉 â—…stand argue collect discourseâ—… apprehending things simply or comparing 〈◊〉 â—…g all artes and disciplines managing the whole course of life and inuenting 〈◊〉 the minde b Nay euen to endure So is the best reading c For by his This 〈◊〉 but all added by some other vnto the chapters end Of the authority of the canonicall Scriptures made by the spirit of God CHAP. 3. 〈◊〉 hauing spoken what he held conuenient first by his Prophets then 〈◊〉 â—…fe and afterwards by his Apostle made that scripture also which 〈◊〉 â—…icall of most eminent authority on which wee relie in things that 〈◊〉 â—…nderstanding and yet cannot bee attained by our selues For if things 〈◊〉 either to our exterior or interior sence wee call them things present 〈◊〉 owne in our owne iudgements b wee see them before our eyes and 〈◊〉 as infallible obiects of our sence then truely in things that fall not in 〈◊〉 of sence because our owne iudgements doe faile vs we must seeke out 〈◊〉 â—…rities to whom such things wee thinke haue beene more apparant 〈◊〉 we are to trust Wherefore as in things visible hauing not seene them 〈◊〉 we trust those that haue and so in all other obiects of the sences eâ—…â—…ngs mentall and intelligible which procure a notice or sence in man 〈◊〉 â—…omes the word sentence that is c in things inuisible to our exteriâ—…e must needs trust them d who haue learned then of that incorpoâ—… or e behold them continually before him L. VIVES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensible That power in man or other creature whatsoeuer that discerneth any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called sence Fiue exterior sences there are and one within the minde or soule feeliâ—… 〈◊〉 of sorrow or of ought that the exteriors present ioy praise glory vertue vice hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exteriors as thus wee say what doe you thinke of this wine this musicke this â—…ure of such a mans iudgement or wisdome Philosophy diuinity or policy Thus much because our Philosophers will not endure the minde should bee called sence directly against Augustine But what hath a Philosopher of our time to do with the knowledge of speach 〈◊〉 is as they interpret it with grammar b Wee see them So it must be prae sensibus before oâ—… sences not prâ—…sentibus c In things inuisible Visible commeth of Videre to see that that is common to all the sences Saw you not what a vile speech hee made saw you euer worse wine and so the Greekes vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So doth Augustine vse inuisible here for that which is no obiect to any exterior sence d Who haue learned The Saints of God their Maister e Behold The holy Angells Thâ—… 〈◊〉 state of the world is neither eternall nor ordained by any new thought of gods as if he meant that after which he meant not before CHAP. 4. OF things visible the world is the greatest of inuisible God But the first wee see the second wee but beleeue That God made the world whom shall wee beleeue with more safety them himselfe Where haue we heard him neuer better then in the holy scriptures where the Prophet saith In the beginning God created heauen and earth Was the Prophet there when he made it no. But Gods wisdome whereby hee made it was there and that doth infuse it selfe into holy soules making Prophets and Saints declaring his workes vnto them inwardly without any noise And the holy Angells that eternally behold the face of the Father they come downe when they are appointed and declare his will vnto them of whom he was one that wrote In the beginning God created heauen and earth and who was so fit a witnesse to beleeue God by that by the same spirit that reuealed this vnto him did hee prophecy the comming of our faith But a what made God create heauen and earth then not sooner b they that say this to import an eternity of the world being not by God created are damnably and impiously deceiued and infected For to except all prophecy the very c order disposition beauty and change of the worlde and all therein proclaimeth it selfe to haue beene mâ—…de and not possible to haue beene made but by God that ineffable inuisible great one ineffably inuisible beaâ—…teous But they that say God made the world and yet allow it no temporall but onely a formall originall being made after a manner almost incomprehensible they seeme to say some-what in Gods defence from that chancefull rashnesse to take a thing into his head that was not therein before viz to make the world and to be subiect to change of will he beâ—…g wholy vnchangeable and for euer But I see not how their reason can stand in â—…er respects chiefly d in that of the soule which if they doe coeternize with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can neuer shew how that misery befalleth it
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
althings in number weight measure that if he should say too much of number hee should seeme both to neglect his owne grauity and measure and the wise-mans c Let this The Iewes in the religious keeping of their Sabboth shew that 7. was a number of much mistery Hierome in Esay Gellius lib. 3. and his emulator Macrobius in Somn. Scip. lib. 1. record the power of it in Heauen the Sea and in Men. The Pythagorists as Chalcidius writeth included all perfection nature sufficiency herein And wee Christians hold it sacred in many of our religious misteries d That 3. is An euen number sayth Euclid is that which is diuisible by two the odde is the contrary Three is not diuisible into two nor any for one is no number Foure is diuided into two and by vnites and this foure was the first number that gotte to halfes as Macrobius sayth who therefore commendeth 7. by the same reason that Aug. vseth here e For all Aug. in Epist. ad Galat. f By this number Serm. de verb dom in monte This appellation ariseth from the giftes shewne in Esay Chap. 32. Of their opinion that held Angels to be created before the world CHAP. 32. BVt if some oppose and say that that place Let there be light and there was light was not meant of the Angels creation but of some a other corporall light and teach that the Angels wer made not only before the firmament diuiding the waters and called heauen but euen before these words were spoken In the beginning God made heauen and earth Taking not this place as if nothing had bene made before but because God made all by his Wisedome and Worde whome the Scripture also calleth a a beginning as answered also to the Iewes when they inquired what he was I will not contend because I delight so in the intimation of the Trinity in the first chapter of Genesis For hauing said In the beginning God made heauen and earth that is the Father created it in the Son as the Psalme saith O Lord how manyfold are thy workes In thy wisedome madest thou them all presently after he mentioneth the Holy Spirit For hauing shewed the fashion of earth and what a huge masse of the future creation God called heauen and earth The earth was without forme void and darknesse was vpon the deepe to perfect his mention of the Trinity he added c And the spirit of the Lord moued vpon the waters Let each one take it as he liketh it is so profound that learning may produce diuers opinions herein all faithfull and true ones so that none doubt that the Angels are placed in the high heauens not as coeternals with God but as sure of eternall felicity To whose society Christ did not onely teach that his little ones belonged saying They shall be equal vvith the Angels of God but shewes further the very contemplation of the Angels saying Se that you despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels alway behold the face of my Father vvhich is in Heauen L. VIVES SOme a other corporeall Adhering to some body b Beginning I reproue not the diuines in calling Christ a beginning For he is the meane of the worlds creation and cheefe of all that the Father begotte But I hold it no fit collection from his answere to the Iewes It were better to say so because it was true then because Iohn wrote so who thought not so The heretikes make vs such arguments to scorne vs with at all occasion offered But what that wisely and freely religious Father Hierome held of the first verse of Genesis I will now relate Many as Iason in Papisc Tertull. contra Praxeam and Hillar in Psalm Hold that the Hebrew text hath In the Sonne God made Heauen and earth which is directly false For the 70. Symachus and Theodotion translate it In the beginning The Hebrew is Beresith which Aquila translates in Capitulo not Ba-ben in the Son So then the sence rather then the translation giueth it vnto Christ who is called the Creator of Heauen and earth as well in the front of Genesis the head of all bookes as in S. Iohns Ghospell So the Psalmist saith in his person In the head of the booke it is written of me viz. of Genesis and of Iohn Al things were made by it without it was made nothing c. But we must know that this book is called Beresith the Hebrewes vsing to put their books names in their beginnings Thus much word for word out of Hierome c And the spirit That which wee translate Ferebatur moued sayth Hierome the Hebrewes read Marahefet forwhich we may fitly interprete incubabat brooded or cherished as the hen doth heregges with heate Therfore was it not the spirit of the world as some thinke but the holy spirite that is called the quickner of all things from the beginning If the Quickner then the maker if the Maker then the God If thou send forth thy word saith he they are created Of the two different societies of Angels not vnfitly tearmed light and darkenesse CHAP. 33. THat some Angels offended and therfore were thrust into prisons in the worlds lowest parts vntill the day of their last iudiciall damnation S. Peter testifieth playnely saying That God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into a chaynes of darkenesse to be kept vnto damnation Now whether Gods prescience seperated these from the other who doubteth that he called the other light worthily who denyeth Are not we heare on earth by faith and hope of equality with them already ere wee haue it called light by the Apostle Ye were once darkenesse saith he but are now light in the Lord. And well doe these perceiue the other Apostaticall powers are called darkenesse who consider them rightly or beleeue them to bee worse then the worst vnbeleeuer Wherefore though that light which GOD sayd should bee and it was bee one thing and the darkenesse from which GOD seperated the light bee another yet the obscurity of this opinion of these two societies the one inioying GOD the other swelling in b pride the one to whome it sayd Praise GOD all â—…ee his Angels the other whose Prince said All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee the one inflamed with GOD'S loue the other blowne bigge with selfe-loue whereas it is sayd God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the lowly the one in the highest heauens the other in the obscurest ayre the one piously quiet the other madly turbulent the one punishing or releeuing according to Gods c iustice and mercy the other raging with the ouer vnreasonable desire to hurt and subdue the one allowed GODS Minister to all good the other restrayned by GOD from doing d the desired hurt the one scorning the other for doing good against their wills
should be saued and who should be damned CHAP. 27. BVt now because we must end this booke let this bee our position that in the first man the fore-said two societies or cities had originall yet not euidentlie but vnto Gods prescience for from him were the rest of men to come some to be made fellow cittizens with the Angels in ioy and some with the Deuils in torment by the secret but iust iudgment of God For seeing that it is written All the wayes of the Lord bee mercy and truth his grace can neither bee vniust nor his iustice cruell Finis lib. 12. THE CONTENTS OF THE thirteenth booke of the City of God 1. Of the first Mans fall and the procurement of mortality 2. Of the death that may befall the immortal soule and of the bodies death 3. Whether death propagated vnto all men from the first bee punishment of sinne to the Saints 4. Why the first death is not with-held from the regenerate from sinne by grace 5. As the wicked vse the good law euill so the good vse death which is euill well 6. The generall euill of that death that seuereth soule and body 7. Of the death that such as are not regenerate doe suffer for Christ. 8. That the Saints in suffering the first death for the truth are quit from the second 9. Whether a man at the houre of his death may be said to be among the dead or the dying 10. Whether this mortall life be rather to bee called death then life 11. Whether one may bee liuing and dead both together 12. Of the death that God threatned to punish the first man withall if he transgressed 13. What punishment was first laid on mans preuarication 14. In what state God made Man and into what state he fell by his voluntary choyce 15. That Adam forsooke God ere God forsooke him and that the soules first death was the departure from God 16. Of the Philosophers that held corporall death not to bee penall whereas Plato brings in the Creator promising the lesser Gods that they should neuer leaue their bodies 17. Against the opinion that earthly bodies cannot be corruptible nor eternall 18. Of the terrene bodies which the Philosophers hold cannot bee in heauen but must fall to earth by their naturall weight 19 Against those that hold that Man should not haue beene immortall if hee had not sinned 20. That the bodies of the Saints now resting in hope shall become better then our first fathers was 21. Of the Paradice when our first parents were placed and that it may be taken spiritually also with-out any wrong to the truth of the historie as touching the reall place 22. That the Saints bodies after resurrection shall bee spirituall and yet not changed into spirits 23. Of bodies animate and spirituall these dying in Adam and those beeing quickned in Christ. 24. How Gods breathing a life into Adam and Christs breathing vpon his Apostles when hee said Receiue the holy spirit are to bee vnderstood FINIS THE THIRTEENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of the first Mans fall and the procurement of mortalitie CHAP. 1. HAuing gotten through the intricate questions of the worlds originall and man-kindes our methode now calleth vs to discourse of the first mans fall nay the first fall of both in that kind and consequently of the originall and propagation of our mortality for God made not man as he did Angels that though they sinned yet could not dye but so as hauing a performed their course in obedience death could not preuent them from partaking for euer of blessed and Angelicall immortality but hauing left this course death should take them into iust damnation as we said in the last booke L. VIVES HAuing a performed Euery man should haue liued a set time vpon earth and then being confirmed in nature by tasting of the tree of life haue beene immortally translated into heauen Here are many questions made first by Augustine and then by Lombard dist 2. What mans estate should haue beene had he not sinned but these are modest and timerous inquirers professing they cannot finde what they seeke But our later coments vpon Lumbard flie directly to affirmatiue positions vpon very coniectures or grounds of nature I heare them reason but I see them grauelled and in darknesse where yet they will not feele before them ere they goe but rush on despight of all break-neck play What man hath now wee all know to our cost what he should haue had it is a question whether Adam knew and what shall we then seeke why should we vse coniectures in a things so transcendent that it seemes miraculous to the heauens as if this must follow natures lawes which would haue amazed nature had it had existence then What light Augustine giues I will take and as my power and duty is explaine the rest I will not meddle with Of the death that may befall the immortall soule and of the bodyes death CHAP. 2. BVt I see I must open this kinde of death a little plainer For mans soule though it be immortall dyeth a kinde of death a It is called immortall because it can neuer leaue to bee liuing and sensitiue and the body is mortall because it may be destitute of life and left quite dead in it selfe But the death of the soule is when God leaueth it the death of the body is when the soule leaueth it so that the death of both is when the soule being left of God leaueth the body And this death is seconded by that which the Scripture calles the b second death This our Sauiour signified when hee said feare him which is able to destroy both body and soule in hell which comming not to passe before the body is ioyned to the soule neuer to be seperated it is strange that the body can be sayd to die by that death which seuereth not the soule from it but torments them both together For that â—…all paine of which wee will speake here-after is fitly called the soules deaâ—… because it liueth not with God but how is it the bodies which liueth with the soule for otherwise it could not feele the corporall paines that expect it after the resurrection is it because all life how-so-euer is good and all paine euill that the body is said to dye wherein the soule is cause of sorrow rather then life Therefore the soule liueth by God when it liueth well for it cannot liue without God working good in it and the body liueth by the soule when the soule liueth in the body whether it liue by God or no. For the wicked haue liâ—…â—…body but none of soule their soules being dead that is forsaken of God lâ—…g power as long as their immortall proper life failes not to afforde them 〈◊〉 but in the last damnation though man bee not insensitiue yet this sence of 〈◊〉 â—…ing neither pleasing nor peacefull but sore and
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
victories For any part of it that warreth against another desires to bee the worlds conqueror whereas indeed it is vices slaue And if it conquer it extolls it selfe and so becomes the owne destruction but if wee consider the condition of worldly affaires and greeue at mans opennesse to aduersity rather then delight in the euents of prosperitie thus is the victory deadly for it cannot keepe a soueraigntie for euer where it got a victory for once Nor can wee call the obiects of this citties desires good it being in the owne humaine nature farre surmounting them It desires an earthly peace for most base respects and seeketh it by warre where if it subdue all resistance it attaineth peace which notwithstanding the aduerse part that fought so vnfortunately for those respects do want This peace they seeke by laborious warre and obteine they thinke by a glorious victory And when they conquer that had the right cause who will not gratulate their victory and be glad of their peace Doubtlesse those are good and Gods good guifts But if the things appertaining to that celestiall and supernall cittie where the victory shall be euerlasting be neglected for those goods and those goods desired as the onely goods or loued as if they were better then the other misery must needs follow and increase that which is inherent before Of that murderer of his brother that was the first founder of the earthly citie whose act the builder of Rome paralleld in murdering his brother also CHAP. 5. THerefore this earthly Citties foundation was laide by a murderer of his owne brother whom he slew through enuie being a pilgrim vpon earth of the heauenly cittie Wherevpon it is no wonder if the founder of that Cittie which was to become the worlds chiefe and the Queene of the nation followed this his first example or a archetype in the same fashion One of their Poets records the fact in these words b Fraterno primi madâ—…erunt sanguine muri The first walles steamed with a brothers bloud Such was Romes foundation and such was Romulus his murder of his brother 〈◊〉 as their histories relate onely this difference there is these bretheren were both cittizens of the earthly cittie and propagators of the glory of Rome for whose institution they contended But they both could not haue that glory that if they had beene but one they might haue had For he that glories in dominion must needs see his glory diminished when hee hath a fellow to share with him Therefore the one to haue all killed his fellow and by villanie grew vnto bad greatnesse whereas innocencie would haue installed him in honest meannesse But those two brethren Caine and Abel stood not both alike affected to earthly matters nor did this procure enuie in them that if they both should reigne hee that could kill the other should arise to a greater pitch of glory for Abel sought no dominion in that citty which his brother built but that diuell enuy did all the â—…chiefe which the bad beare vnto the good onely because they are good for the possession of goodnesse is not lessned by being shared nay it is increased 〈◊〉 it hath many possessing it in one linke and league of charity Nor shall hee 〈◊〉 haue it that will not haue it common and he that loues a fellow in it shall hâ—… it the more aboundant The strife therfore of Romulus Remus sheweth the â—…on of the earthly city in it selfe and that of Caine Abel shew the opposition 〈◊〉 â—…he city of men the city of God The wicked opose the good But the good 〈◊〉 â—…e perfect cannot contend amongst them-selues but whilst they are vnperâ—…â—…ey may contend one against another in that manner that each contends aâ—… him-selfe for in euery man the flesh is against the spirit the spirit against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then the spirituall desire in one may fight against the carnall in anoâ—… or contrary wise the carnall against the spirituall as the euill do against the gâ—… or the two carnal desires of two good men that are inperfect may contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bad do against the bad vntil their diseases be cured themselues brought to â—…lasting health of victory L. VIVES Aâ—…type a It is the first pattent or copy of any worke the booke written by the authors â—…e hand is called the Archetype Iuuenall Et iubet archetypos iterum seruare Cleanthas And bids him keepe Cleanthes archetypes b 〈◊〉 Lucan lib. 8. The historie is knowne c His brother built Did Caine build a citty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meanes hee the earthly citty which vice and seperation from God built the latter I 〈◊〉 d The wicked This is that I say vice neither agrees with vertue nor it selfe for amity 〈◊〉 â—…ongst the good the bad can neither bee friends with the good nor with themselues Of the langours of Gods Cittizens endure in earth as the punishments of sinne during their pilgrimage and of the grace of God curing them CHAP. 6. BVt the langour or disobedience spoken of in the last booke is the first puâ—…ment of disobedience and therefore it is no nature but a corruption for 〈◊〉 it is said vnto those earthly prilgrimes and God proficients Beare a yee 〈◊〉 â—…hers burdens and so yee shall fulfill the Law of Christ and againe admonish the 〈◊〉 â—…fort the feble be patient towards all ouer-come euill with goodnesse see that 〈◊〉 hurt for hurt and againe If a man be fallen by occasion into any sinne you that 〈◊〉 â—…all restore such an one with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least 〈◊〉 be tempted and besides let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gospell If thy brother trespasse against thee take him and tell him his falt beâ—… 〈◊〉 and him alone 〈◊〉 â—…cerning the scandalous offenders the Apostle saith Them that sin rebuke 〈◊〉 the rest may feare and in this respect many things are taught concerning â—…g And a great charge is laid vpon vs to keep that peace there where that 〈◊〉 of the c seruants being commanded to pay the ten thousand talents hee ought because hee forcibly exacted his fellowes debt of an hundred pence Vnto which simily the Lord Iesus addeth this cloze So shall mine heauenly father doe vnto you except you forgiue each one his brothers trespasses from your hearts Thus are Gods cittizens vpon earth cured of their diseases whilest they are longing for the celestiall habitation But the Holy spirit worketh within to make the salue worke that is outwardly applied otherwise though God should speake to mankinde out of any creature either sensibly or in dreames and not dispose of our hearts with his inward grace the preaching of the truth would not further mans conuersion a whitte But this doth God in his secret and iust prouidence diuiding the vessells of wrath and mercy And it is his admirable and secret worke that sinne e being in vs rather the punishment of sinne as the Apostle
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
fell a building of this tower to resist a second deluge if God should be offended And the multitude held it a lesse matter to serue man then God and so obeying Nimrod willingly began to build this huge tower which might stand all waters vncouered Of this tower Sybilla writeth saying When al men were of one language some fell to build an high tower as though they would passe through it vnto heauen But God sent a winde and ouerthrâ—… and confounded their language with diuers so that each one had a seuerall tongue and therefore that citty was called Babilon h All soueraignty The Princes words are great attactiues of the subiects hearts which if they bee not vnderstood make all his people avoide him And therefore Mithridates euen when hee was vtterly ouerthrowne had friends ready to succour him because he could speake to any nation in their owne language Of Gods comming downe to confound the language of those towre-builders CHAP. 5. FOr whereas it is written The Lord came downe to see the citty and tower which the sons of men builded that is not the sons of God but that earthly minded 〈◊〉 which we call the Terrestriall citty we must thinke that God remooued from no place for hee is alwaies all in all but he is sayd to come downe when he doth any thing in earth beyond the order of nature wherein his omnipotency is as it were presented Nor getteth he temporary knowledge by seeing who can neuer be igâ—… in any thing but he is said to see and know that which he laies open to the 〈◊〉 and knowledge of others So then he did not see that city as he made it bee 〈◊〉 when he shewed how farre he was displeased with it Wee may say GOD 〈◊〉 downe to it because his angells came downe wherein hee dwelleth as that also â—…ch followeth The Lord said Behold the people is one and they haue all one 〈◊〉 c. and then Come on let vs goe downe and there confound their language 〈◊〉 a recapitulation shewing how the LORD came downe for if he were come downe already why should he say Let vs go downe c. he spoke to the angells in whom hee came downe And he saith not come and goe you downe and 〈◊〉 confound their language but come let vs go c. shewing that they are his â—…rs and yet hee co-operateth with them and they with him as the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we labour together with God The manner how GOD speaketh to his Angells CHAP. 6. THat also where God saith Let vs a make man in our Image may be meant vnto the angells because hee saith not I will make but adding in our Image it is 〈◊〉 to thinke that God made man in the angells Image or that Gods and 〈◊〉 â—…re all one This therefore is an intimation of the Trinity which Trinity being â—…thelesse but one God when hee had said let vs make he adioyneth thus â—…ed the man in his Image hee doth not say the Gods created nor in the image of 〈◊〉 Gods and so here may the Trinity bee vnderstood as if the Father had sayd 〈◊〉 and the Holy Spirit come on let vs goe downe and there confound there 〈◊〉 this now if there bee any reason excluding the Angells in this point 〈◊〉 whom it rather befitted to come vnto God in holy nations and Godly â—…ns hauing recourse vnto the vnchangeable truth the eternall 〈◊〉 â—…at vpper court for they themselues are not the truth but pertakers of 〈◊〉 that created them and draw to that as the fountaine of their life takeâ—… 〈◊〉 of that what wanteth in themselues and this motion of theirs is firme 〈◊〉 to that whence they neuer depart Nor doth GOD speake to his 〈◊〉 wee doe one to another or vnto GOD or his angells to vs or wee to 〈◊〉 God by them to vs but in an ineffable manner shewne to vs after our 〈◊〉 and his high speach to them before the effect is the vnaltered order of 〈◊〉 not admitting sound or verberation of ayre but an eternall power in 〈◊〉 working vpon a temporall obiect Thus doth God speake to his angells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs being farre of him in a farre other manner and when we conceiue aâ—… by the first maner wee come neare the angells but I am not here to disâ—…e of Gods waies opening his will to others the vnchangeable truth doth 〈◊〉 speake ineffably from himselfe vnto reasonable creatures or by reasonable â—…ures mutable or spirituall either vnto our imagination and spirit or to 〈◊〉 â—…dily sense and whereas it is sayd And shall they not faine many things they 〈◊〉 this is no confirmation but rather a question as we vse in threatning 〈◊〉 â—…is verse Virgill declareth b Non arma expedient totâque ex vrbe sequentur And shall not all my powers take armes and run We must therefore take it as a question Otherwise it sheweth not as a threatning we must needs therefore adde the interrogatiue point Thus then the progenies of Noahs three sonnes were seauenty three or rather as wee haue said three score and twelue Nations who filled the earth and the Islands thereof c and the number of nations was farre aboue the number of languages for now in Africa wee haue many Barbarous countries that speake all one language and who doubteth that mankinde increasing diuers tooke shippes and went to inhabite the Islands abroad L. VIVES LEt a vs make Hierome and Augustine doe both take this as an intimation of the Trâ—…y b Non arma Dido's words in Virgil. Aenead 3. c And the number But I thinke it is â—…der to shew any one language then any one nation but I doe not contend but onely speake my minde Whether the remote Iles were supplied with the beasts of all sorts that were saued in the Arke CHAP. 7. BVt now there is a question concerning those beasts which man respects not yet are not produced by putrifaction as frogs are but only by copulation of male and female as wolues c. how they after the deluge wherein al perished but those in the Arke could come into those Islands vnlesse they were propagate from them that were preserued in the Arke we may thinke that they might some to the nearest Iles but there are some far in the maine to which no beast could swim If men desired to catch them and transport them thether questionlesse they might doe it a by hunting though we cannot deny but that the angells by Gods command might cary them thether but if they were produced from the earth as at first because God said let the earth bring forth the liuing soule then is it most apparant that the diuersity of beasts were preserued in the Arke rather for a figure of the diuers Nations then for restauration if the earth brought them forth in those Iles to which they could not otherwise come L. VIVES BY a hunting In the Canaries and other new found Iles there were none of
nations to the other What greater proofe need wee then this to confirme that the Israelites and all the world besides are contained in Abrahams seed the first in the flesh and the later in the spirit Of Moyses his times Iosuah the Iudges the Kings Saul the first Dauid the chiefe both in merite and in mysticall reference CHAP. 43. IAcob and Ioseph being dead the Israelites in the other hundred fortie foure yeares at the end of which they left Egypt increased wonderfully though the Egyptians oppressed them sore and once killed all their male children for feare of their wonderfull multiplication But Moses was saued from those butchers and brought vp in the court by Pharaohs daughter the a name of the Egiptian Kings God intending great things by him and he grew vp to that worth that he was held fit to lead the nation out of this extreame slauery or rather God did it by him according to his promise to Abraham First hee fled into Madian for killing an Egiptian in defence of an Israelite and afterwards returning full of Gods spirit hee foyled the enchanters h of Pharao in all their opposition and laide the ten sore plagues vpon the Egiptians because they would not let Israel depart namely the changing of the water into bloud Frogges c Lyce d Gnattes morren of Cattell botches and sores Haile Grashoppers darkenesse and death of all the first borne and lastly the Israelites being permitted after all the plagues that Egypt had groned vnder to depart and yet beeing pursued afterwards by them againe passed ouer the redde Sea dry-foote and left all the hoast of Egipt drowned in the middest the sea opened before the Israelites and shut after them returning vpon the pursuers and ouer-whelming them And then forty yeares after was Israell in the deserts with Moyses and there had they the tabernacle of the testimonie where God was serued with sacrifices that were all figures of future euents the law being now giuen with terror vpon mount Syna for the terrible voyces and thunders were full prooses that God was there And this was presently after their departure from Egipt in the wildernesse and there they celebrated their Passe-ouer fiftie dayes after by offring of a Lambe the true type of Christs passing vnto his father by his passion in this world For Pascha in Hebrew is a passing ouer and so the fiftith day after the opening of the new Testament and the offring of Christ our Passeâ—…ouer the holy spirit descended downe from heauen he whom the scriptures call the finger of God to renew the memory of the first miraculous prefiguration in our hearts because the law in the tables is said to be written by the finger of GOD. Moyses being dead Iosuah ruled the people and lead them into the land of promise diuiding it amongst them And by these two glorious captaines were strange battels wonne and they were ended with happy successe God himselfe auouching that the losers sinnes and not the winners merits were causes of those conquests After these two the land of promise was ruled by Iudges that Abrahams seede might see the first promise fulfilled concerning the land of Canaan though not as yet concerning the nations of all the earth for that was to be fulfilled by the comming of Christ in the flesh and the faith of the Gospell not the precepts of the law which was insinuated in this that it was not Moyses that receiued the law but Iosuab h whose name God also changed that lead the people into the promised land But in the Iudges times as the people offended or obeyed God so varied their fortunes in warre On vnto the Kings Saul was the first King of Israel who being a reprobate and dead in the field and all his race reiected from ability of succession Dauid was enthroned i whose sonne our Sauiour is especially called In him is as it were a point from whence the people of God doe flowe whose originall as then being in the youthfull time thereof is drawne from Abraham vnto this Dauid For it is not out of neglect that Mathew the Euangelist reckoneth the descents so that hee putteth foureteene generations betweene Abraham and Dauid For a man may be able to beget in his youth and therefore he begins his genealogies from Abraham who vpon the changing of his name was made the father of many nations So that before him the Church of God was in the infancie as it were from Noah I meane vnto him and therefore the first language the Hebrew as then was inuented for to speake by For from the terme of ones infancie hee begins to speake beeing called an infant k a non sancto of not speaking which age of himselfe euery man forgetteth as fully as the world was destroyed by the deluge For who can remember his infancie Wherefore in this progresse of the Cittie of God as the last booke conteined the first age thereof so let this containe the second and the third when the yoake of the law was laide on their necks the aboundance of sinne appeared and the earthly kingdome had beginning c. intimated by the Heifer the Goate â—…d the Ramme of three yeares old in which there wanted not some faithfull persons as the turtle-doue and the Pidgeon portended L. VIVES THe a name of To anoyde the supposition that Pharao that reigned in Iacob and Iosephs time was all one Pharao with this here named Pharao was a name of kingly dignity in Egipâ—… Hieron in Ezechiel lib. 9. So was Prolomy after Alexander Caesar and Augustus after the two braue Romaines and Abimelech in Palestina Herodotus speaketh of one Pharao that was blinde They were called Pharao of Pharos an I le ouer-against Alexandria called Carpathoâ—… of old Proteus reigned in it The daughter of this Pharao Iosephus calleth Thermuth b Of Pharao Which Pharao this was it is doubtfull Amasis saith Apion Polyhistor as Eusebius citeth him reigned in Egipt when the Iewes went thence But this cannot be for Amasis was long after viz. in Pythagoras his time vnto whom he was commended by Polycrates king of Samos But Iosephus saith out of Manethon that this was Techmosis and yet sheweth him to vary from him-selfe and to put Amenophis in another place also Eusebius saith that it was Pharao Cenchres In Chron. and that the Magicians names were Iannes and Iambres Prep euangel ex Numenio c Lyce So doth Iosephus say if Ruffinus haue well translated him that this third plague was the disease called Phthiriasis or the lousie euill naming no gnattes Peter denatalibus and Albertus Grotus saith that the Cyniphes are a kinde of flye So saith Origen Albertus saith that they had the body of a worme the wings and head of a flye with a sting in their mouth where-with they prick and draw-bloud and are commonly bred in fens and marishes troubling all creatures but man especially Origen calleth them Snipes They do flie faith he but are so
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
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
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