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A22701 Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed. Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. 1607 (1607) STC 921.5; ESTC S1512 82,205 310

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other things againe by historicall obseruation and in those things also which they do appropriate to their owne inuention they do in most matters rather guesse at them then knovv them certainly It is enough for a Christian to beleeue that the cause of all things which bee created either in heauen or vpon earth visible or inuisible is not othervvise then of the goodnesse of the Creator which is the onely and true God and that there is no nature which either hee himselfe is not or else is not deriued from him himselfe beeing the Trinitie that is to say the father and the sonne begottē of the father and the Holy Ghost proceeding from the same father hovvebeit one and the selfe same spirit as vvell of the father as of the sonne CHAP. 10. All things were created good of God howbeit not without their mutation or change ne yet absolute nor of one correspondencie amongst themselues OF this absolute correspondent vnchangeable good Trinitie all things vvere created beeing yet in themselues neither absolutely semblably or vnchangeably good hovvbeit euery one of them particularly good and beeing also vnited they are likevvise in that vniuersall body or masse of all-together exceeding good Because of this generalitie and all-together that vvonderfull beauty of the vvorld is composed CHAP. 11. The reason why God doth suffer euils to raigne in the world That euill is none other thing then a priuation of naturall goodnesse which priuation is not a thing of it selfe IN which matter that also which is called euill beeing vvell marshalled and rightly placed doth more visibly commend those things which be called good to the end they might be more plausible and commendable beeing compared vvith those things which be euill For neither vvould the omnipotent God which the infidels also doe confesse in as much as himselfe is vniuersally good by any meanes suffer any euill to bee in his ovvne vvorkes but that also his omnipotency and goodnesse is such as that he maketh that e-euill to be beneficiall vnto vs. For God either in reforming or in punishing of the integritie of nature beeing corrupted and vitious doeth turne it to the good of man By which meanes consequently that which is euill shall not be a perpetuall blemish because it is not any thing when it is purged remooued For what other thing is that which is called euill than a priuacion of that which is tearmed good For it fareth as it is in the bodies of liuing creatures wherein to be infected vvith diseases and hurtes is nothing els but to vvāt health Neither doeth it fall out when there is a remedie applied that those euils which had gotten possession of the bodie that is to say diseases and hurts should remooue from thence and remain or be else-where but rather that they should haue no beeing at all For that which is called a disease or hurt is not any substance or matter of it selfe but rather a corruption or infection of a carnall substance Seeing therefore flesh is onely that which is called substance certainely there is some good whereunto those euils be accidentall that is to say priuations of that good which is called health Euen so whatsoeuer faults be in the minde they bee the priuations of naturall goodnesses Which when they be cured they be not translated to any other place but they which had a locall beeing haue now no beeing at all seeing they shall not haue any place or abode in that which is cured and made whole CHAP. 12. Albeit all creatures as they be natures be made good by God yet because they be not immutably good certain of them may bee corrupted And that their corruption or vice is nothing els but a losse or depriuation of that good which God did graft in them insomuch is wheresoeuer there is left no sparke of naturall goodnesse there likewise is there abiding no corruption neither is sin or vice predominant solely remaining ALl natures therefore because God their creator is absolutely good and perfect bee also good Howbeit because they be not like as their maker is absolutely and vnchangeably good therefore may that good which is in them be both decreased increased But that diminution of good is that which is called euill although notwithstāding howsoeuer it bee diminished something consequently remaineth and is abiding still if nature be not vtterly extinguished whereof it hath a beeing and is nature still For howsoeuer and in what quantitie or measure soeuer nature is yet liuing that good which is called nature cānot be vtterly consumed vnlesse nature her selfe be vtterly extinguished and consumed therefore is nature worthily commended Further if that be incorruptible then without all question is shee much more praise-worthy Now when it is corrupted that corruption therof maketh it therefore euill because it depriueth and spoileth it of all goodnesse whatsoeuer For if it bereaue it not of any good it is not consequently obnoxious or hurtful but it is hurtfull in depriuing it of that which is good As long therefore as nature is corrupted so long is it possessed of a good whereof it is againe dispossessed By which reason if there bee a dramme of good remaining which cannot be cleane put out then without all doubt is nature also incorruptible And againe if it be subiect to continuall corruption there is also a permanent good whereof that corruption hath a power to depriue it Which naturall facultie if that which is called euill shall vtterly and wholy consume by that reason there shall bee no good at all abiding because nature also is dead and extinguished Corruption therefore cannot vtterly abolishe and consume that which is good but by the consumption also of nature All that which is called nature therefore is good beeing great and diuine if it canot be polluted and on the other side little and weake if it be subiect to infection and yet can it not be absolutely denied to be good without note of folly and ignorance Which thing called nature i●ut bee vtterly extinguished by corruption neither can that corruption also haue any continuance as hauing no being where no nature is left to harbour or entertaine the same CHAP. 13. Two strange positions maintained contrary to the vulgar opinion the one that there can bee no euill said to be there where there is not any good and the other that good is called euill that is to say one and the selfe same thing is both good and bad BY this agument there is not any euill if there be not any good But good which is void of euill is absolutely good On the other side in whom euill hath gotten a possession in that person good is either more or lesse polluted neither can there bee by any means any euill where ther is no good at all There is a great mysterie therefore herein as wherein because all nature in as much as it is nature is of it selfe good it can haue none other meaning or construction
shall possesse and inioy them for euer But where wee say Giue vs this day our dayly bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and leade vs not into temption but deliuer vs from euill who doth not see that al these things respect the wants and necessities of this present life In that euerlasting life therefore in which wee hope to liue for euer the sanctisication of Gods name his kingdome and the fulfilling of his will shal remaine euerlastingly in great perfection in our spirit and in our bodies But the bread which we aske is therefore called dayly bread because in the state of this life it is necessarie being a supply of the want either of soule or body whether wee vnderstand thereby either carnall or spirituall food or both Heere is vse of that remission of sinnes which we desire Because heere those sinnes bee committed the remission whereof wee pray for Heere are those temptations which allure and drawe vs vnto sinne To conclude Here is that euill from which we desire to be deliuered But there that is to say in heauen and the state of the other life there is none of these things CHAP. Cxvi That the Euangelistes Mathewe and Luke doe differ in setting downe the petitions of the Lords Prayer LVke the Euangelist comprehendeth in the Lords prayer not seauen but fiue petitions and yet doth not hee farre from Mathewe but by expressing thē more briefly put vs in mind how those seauen are to bee vnderstood For the name of God is hallowed in spirit But his kingdome shall come when the flesh shall rise againe Luke therefore shewing that the third petition is in some sort a repetition by omitting it makes vs the better to vnderstand it Thē doth hee adde the other three concerning dayly bread the remission of sinnes the auoyding of temptation But wheras hee addeth in the first place But deliuer vs from euill this Euangelist hath it not That therby we might vnderstand that it pertaineth to that which formerly was expressed concerning temptation For therefore it is hee sayth But deliuer vs and not And deliuer vs Thereby shewing vs that they are but one petition For he saith Let not this be that wee bee led into temptation but deliuer That euerle one may knowe he is deliuered from euill in that he is not led into temptation OF CHRIST CHAP. Cxvli That true Charitie is an effect of true faith and hope and that there is not true faith but that that doth worke by loue NOw for Charitie which the Apostle pronounceth to be greater then these two that is faith and hope by how much the greater it is in any man by so much hee is the better in whome it is For when wee aske whether a man bee good or not Wee aske not what hee beleeues or hopes for but what hee loueth For hee that loues aright doubtlesse beleeues and hopes aright But hee which loues not beleeues in vaine though the thinges bee true hee doth beleeue and hopes in vaine though the things hee hope for pertaine to true felicitie vnlesse he beleeue and hope for this also That God at his humble suite both can and will giue vnto him the affection of loue For although no man can hope without loue yet it may and doth sometimes fal out that a man loues not that without which hee cannot attaine the thing hee hopeth for As if a man hope for eternall life and yet neither hath nor loueth righteousnesse without which no man attaineth eternall life This is that faith of Christ which the Apostle commendes which works by loue and what it findes defectiue in loue it asketh that it may receiue and seeketh that it may finde and knocketh that it may bee opened vnto it For faith obtaineth what the lawe commandeth For without the gift of God That is without the holy Ghost by which the loue of God is shed abroade in our hearts the lawe may require obedience but worketh no obedience but rather maketh a man a more greenous transgressor because it taketh from him the excuse of ignorance For there doubtlesse carnall concupiscēce swayeth all where the loue of God hath no place CHAP. Cxvlii That as of the whole Church so of euerie faithfull man there are fower ages and degrees by which they goe forwarde and growe to perfection WHen as a man liueth and abideth in palpable darknesse of ignorance following those things the flesh most desireth reason making no re 〈…〉 This is the first 〈◊〉 of the condition of a man Afterwardes when by the lawe hee getteth the knowledge of sinne it the spirit of God assist him not endeuouring to liue according to the Lawe hee is ouercommen of sinne sinneth wittingly becomes the seruant of sinne for of whom soeuer a man is ouercommen his seruant hee is the knowledge of the commandement being an occasion that sin worketh in man all manner of concupiscence the transgression of the law now knowen being added to the heap of former sins and so is that fulfilled which is written the lawe entred that sin might abound this is the second estate or condition of man But if GOD looke so gratiously vpon man that hee helpe him to performe those things he requireth and man beginne to bee ledde by the spirite of God his desires and endeuours against the flesh are strengthened with the strength of loue So that although as yet there be in man that resists in his best endeuours the whole infirmitie of sinne being not healed yet the iust doth liue by faith and liues righteously in that hee yeeldeth not to euill concupiscence the loue of righteousnes preuailing in him This is the third estate of man In which causes if with happy continuance hee goe forward the last part remaineth the complement whereof shall bee after this life first in the happie rest of the soule or spirit and afterwards in the resurrection of the body Of these ●ower different estates the first was before the Lawe The second vnder the Lawe The thirde vnder grace The fourth in full and perfect peace So was the estate of GODS people ordered in the seuerall diuersities of times accordingly as it pleased him which disposeth all thinges in measure number and weight For the people of God was first before the Law Secondly vnder the Lawe which was giuen by Moyses Thirdly vnder Grace which was reuealed by the first comming of the Mediatour which grace notwithstanding was not wanting before to them vpon whom God wold bestowe it although it were vailed and hid in obscurities according to the dispensation of time For there was none of the righteous in olde time that could obtaine saluation without the faith of Christ And vnlesse hee had beene knowen of them they could not haue prophecied vnto vs of him sometimes more plainely sometimes more obscurely as they did OF BAPTISME CHAP. Cxix That Baptisme doth profit vs in which soeuer of these former ages or degrees wee be