unwary youth feeling the sweetnes may nothing feare the bitter confection This devise also practise they which upon noxious hearbs and juyces write the names of good wholsome medicines whereby almost no man reading the good superscription any thing suspecteth the lurking poyson The self same thing likewise our Saviour crieth out to all Christians Take ye heed of false prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves Ma. 7. What is meant else by sheeps clothing but the sayings of the Prophets and Apostles which they with sheep-like sincerity did weare like certaine fleeces of that immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And what is to be understood by ravening wolves but the cruell and destructive opinions of hereticks which alwayes trouble the sheep-folds of the Church and by all means possible teare in pieces the flock of Christ But to the end they may more craftily set upon the sheep of Christ mistrusting nothing remaining stil cruel beasts they put off their wolvish weed and shroud themselves with the words of scripture as it were with certain fleeces whereby it hapneth that when the silly sheep feel the soft wooll they little fear their sharp teeth But what saith our Saviour By their fruits you shall know them That is when they begin not only to utter those words but also to expound them not only to cast them forth but also to interpret them then doth that bitterness break out then is that sharpness espied then is that madness perceived then is that fresh new poison ejected then are prophane novelties set abroach then may you see straight-way the hedg cut in two the old fathers bounds removed the Catholick doctrine shaken and the Churches faith torn in pieces Such were they whom the Apostle sharply reprehendeth in the 2. Epistle to the Cor. Chap. 11 For such false Apostles quoth he are crafty workers transfiguring them selves into the Apostles of Christ What is transfiguring them selves into the Apostles of Christ but this The Apostles alleaged the examples of scripture they likewise cited thē The Apostles cited the authority of the Psalms they likewise used it The Apostles used the sayings of the Prophets and they in like manner brought them forth But when that scripture which was alike alleadged alike cited alike brought forth was not alike in one sense expounded then were discerned the simple from the craftie the sincere from the counterfeit the right and good from the froward and perverse and to conclude the true Apostles from those false Apostates And no marvel saith S. Paul For Sathan himself transfigureth himself into an Angel of light it is no great matter therefore if his ministers be transfigured as the ministers of Justice Wherefore according to Saint Paul whensoever either false Apostles or false Prophets or false Doctours do bring forth the words of holy Scripture by which they would according to their corrupt interpretation confirm their errour there is no doubt but that they follow the crafty slight of their master which surely he would never have invented but that he knoweth very well that there is no readier way to deceive the people then where the bringing in of wicked errour is intended that there the authority of the word of God should be pretended But some will say how prove you that the Devill useth to alledge the Scripture Such as doubt thereof let them reade the Gospel where it is written Then the devill took him up that is our Lord and Saviour and set him upon the pinnacle of the Temple and said unto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy self down for it is written that he will give his Angels charge of thee that they may keep thee in all thy wayes in their hands shall they hold thee up lest perhaps thou knock thy foot against a stone Mat. 4 How will he think you handle poor silly souls which so setteth upon the Lord of Majestie with the authority of Scripture If thou be quoth he the Son of God cast thy self down Why so For it is written quoth he we are diligently to weigh the doctrine of this place and to keep it in mind that by so notable an example of the Scripture we make no scruple or doubt when we see any alledge some place of the Apostles or Prophets against the Catholick Faith but that by his mouth the Devil himself doth speak For as at that time the head spake unto the head so now the members do talk unto the members that is the members of the Devil to the members of Christ the faithlesse to the faithfull the it religious to the religious to conclude Hereticks to Catholicks But what I pray saith the Devil If thou be the Sonne of God quoth he cast thy self down That is to say Desirest thou to be the Son of God and to injoy the inheritance of the kingdome of Heaven Cast thy self down that is Cast thy self down from this doctrine and tradition of this high and lofty Church which is reputed to be the Temple of God And if any one demand of these Hereticks perswading them such things how do you prove and convince me that I ought to forsake the old and Universall Faith of the Catholick Church straight wayes is ready at hand For it is written and forthwith he will alledge you a thousand Testimonies a thousand Examples a thousand authorities out of the Law out of the Psalms out of the Apostles out of the Prophets by which expounded after a new and wicked fashion he would throw headlong unfortunate souls from the Tower of the Catholick Church into the deep dungeon of wicked Heresie Now with these sweet promises which follow Hereticks do wonderfully deceive simple men For they dare promise and teach that in their Church that is in the conventicle of their communion is to be found a great and speciall yea and a certain personall grace of God So that whosoever be one of their crew they shall straightwayes without any labour without any study without any industry yea although they never seek nor crave nor knock have such speciall dispensation that they shall be carried up with the hands of Angels that is preserved by Angelicall protection that they never hurt their foot against a stone that is that they never can be scandalized But some man will say If the Devil and his Disciples whereof some be false Apostles false Prophets and false Teachers and all perfect Hereticks do use the Scriptures cite their sayings bring forth their promises what shall Catholick men do How shall the children of the Church behave themselves How shall they in the holy Scriptures discern truth from falshood To which I answer that They must have great care as in the beginning of this Treatise I said holy and learned men taught me that they interpret the Divine and Canonicall Scripture according to the Tradition of the Universall Church according to the rules of the Catholick
Five Treatises viz. THE GOLDEN TREATISE OF THE Antient and Learned Father Vincentius Lirinensis THE VERITIE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH THE FELICITIE OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE Written by Hierome Savonarola THE PROFIT OF BELIEVING By Saint Augustine S. AVGVSTIN'S BOOK DE Cura pro Mortuis * ⎠* PRINTED Anno Dom. MDCLI THE GOLDEN TREATISE OF THE Antient and Learned Father Vincentius Lirinensis Written about twelve hundred years since FOR The Antiquity and Universality of the Catholick Religion against the profane Novelties of all Heresies Translated into English by A. P. Very profitable for all such as desire in these dangerous times to embrace the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and to remain free from all infection of false doctrine as in the Preface more at large is declared * ⎠* Printed Anno Dom. 1651. TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader zealous of Truth and desirous of Salvation A. P. wisheth the knowledge of the one in this life and the fruition of the other in the life to come I PRESENT thee here gentle Reader the ancient Father Vincentius Lirinensis Native indeed of France but clothed in an English habit a Book though little yet learned no lesse profitable then pleasant of smal volume if thou respect the quantity but of rare price if thou consider the quality The Discourse is not of gathering and scraping together the pelf of this world which choaketh the heavenly seed of Gods word and putteth man in a dangerous state if we credit him who being rich for our sake became poor Mat 13.22 and 19.24 it disputeth not of attire nor of the art of pampering this corruptible carcase which brought that gay belli-god of whom we read in the Gospell Luc. 16. to the furious flames and endlesse torments of Hell fire it prosecuteth not wicked and wanton discourses which corrupt good manners being in very deed the bellowes to kindle the coles of carnality the nources of unchaste thoughts and the very bait with which the Devil doth daily angle and catch the unfortunate souls of men But it handleth that which redoundeth to the benefit of our soul created to the image of God and sheweth us the way how we may so govern this frail vessel of ours in the tempestuous Sea of this wicked world that at last we may safely arrive at the port and barbour of Celestiall happinesse For if the first step to heaven be to believe aright and the foundation and ground of all salvation be faith as I think no man can doubt that believeth that there is any God or truth at all then cannot this golden Treatise but be acceptable to all such as love Jesus Christ and tender the salvation of their souls being as it were the heavenly pillar of fire that may guide us through the desert of this world unto the land of promise Exod. 13. and that glittering star to lead us unto the new born King of the Jews and Saviour of mankind Mat. 2. But to the end that thou mayst more plainly and particularly view the excellency and great necessity of this rare book and as it were with Moses from the top of Mount Nebo contemplate the land of Canaan flowing with Milk and Honey Deut. 34. I will briefly set down such motives as invited me to the labour of translating it for the self same as I verily think cannot but in flame thee to the diligent reading of it also Three principall reasons then especially moved me The first was because it is very ancient being written above eleven hundred years past for it was composed three years after the generall Councell of Ephesus as appeareth in the conclusion of the book And as the Authour himself is of great antiquity so is his doctrine more antient being the self same which flourished in his time and came from the Apostles of Christ which thing as it was never of any good man doubted of so it is also most apparent First by sound reason grounded in Gods word because when any man writeth ought concerning faith and religion and the same is not controld of any of that time it is an evident argument that it was consonant to the doctrine then generally taught and received otherwise those Prestours and Doctours which God as S. Paul saith hath given that we he not little ones wavering and carried about with every blast of doctrine Ephes 4. could never have held their peace but would as the Prophet admonisheth Have cried out exalted their voice like a trumpet Esa 58. as we find in like case the licentious Nicholaiâ—s noted by S. Joâ—â— for their false doctrine Apoc. 2. Himoneus and Philetus reproved by S. PAVL for an errour about the resurrection 2. Tim. 2. Secondly because the authour himself doth not only confesse the same in serting down the answer of many excellent holy and learned men which lived in his daies not only because he acknowledgeth that what he hath here written he received it from his ancestours and forefathers both which he doth is the very first entrance and generally throughout the whole book but especially for that towards the later end he so highly commendeth the generall Councell of Ephesus that is the Parliament of the world which surely he never wold have done had he not joyned with them in opinion concerning faith and religion and what their opinion was himself recordeth for he saith that those Fathers inspired by God decreed that nothing was to be beleeved but that which the sacred antiquity of out forefathers agreeing together is Christ had holden and believed Which surely is a notable argument that what faith was by Christ planted and his Disciples preached was by them carefully kept and maintained which thing is especially of us English-men to be noted because the first four Generall Councells amongst which this of Ephesus is one and the third in order are worthily allowed by act of Parliament Anno 1. Eliz. Wherefore moved with such reasons we may without all scruple or doubt not onely read this book but also embrace and entertain it as the common doctrine of that time as the religion practised and reverenced in the primitive Church as the faith and belief of the Ephesine Councell so consequently as the true doctrine of Jesus Christ Now then seeing we live in those daies in which so many new sects and doctrines such strange and monstrous opinions such superstitious and new-fangled devises flie up down the world seeing we are fallen into the later times in which Men shall heap up to themselves masters according to their own desires and shall not indure sound doctrine but avert their ears from truth and be converted to fables 2 Tim. 4. In which they shall love pleasures more then God have a shew of godlinesse but yet denying the vertue therof 2 Tim. 3. In which many scoffers shal come walking according to their own desires whodevide themselves sensuall not having the spirit In which many false Christs many false Prophets shal arise seduct many
to do perversly learn to do well Come disprove me if you can or if you cannot Confesse that the things which we preach unto you are True The XV. Conclusion THat Christians in the Contemplation of Christ crucified also do find inestimable delectations We come to the knowledge of Invisible things in this life by the means of things visible because as philosophy teacheth our understanding naturally follows the phantasie that is apprehends nothing but what is prepared as it were and offered to her from thence Now there is no visible object in the world which can more effectually lead us unto the knowledge and contemplation of divine things then the Consideration of Christ crucified proceeding from a lively Faith Because indeed nothing can more effectually declare the goodnesse and inestimable charity of God towards man For seeing that to be loved is a thing of it self very agreeable to nature to be beloved in this manner of God that is unto so high a pitch that he should vouchsafe to be crucified himself for us who can think but that it is a pleasure of all pleasures to conceive Now such a love of God towards us doth the consideration of Christ crucified present unto our minds and therefore of necessity must cause in them ineffable delectations Besides hope of Good is a thing which naturally causeth delight as making in some sort the good we hope for present to us and the greater and more certain the good is which we hope so much the greater and more perfect delight is caused But there can be no greater good imagined then that which Christians hope for by the Passion nor more certain for as much as they are assured thereof by God himself who for that intent namely that he might make it sure to them was Crucified Therefore from such hope so great so sure Christians cannot but receive singular Consolation Thirdly Admiration is naturally accompanied with delight for as much as he which wonders at any thing is commonly possessed also with some great desire and hope to know what the matter is at which he finds himself to wonder Now what more admirable yea astonishing then that God Almighty should be made man and dye upon a Gibbet to save men Seeing therefore that Christians in the Contemplation of Christs Passion do consider this and also conceive most firm hope to attain one day unto an absolute assurance and sight of so rare a mystery how can they be otherwise affected then with excesse of delight Fourthly seeing God Almighty is so infinitely perfect and great it was not possible that by any one creature he could be competently expressed but it seemed necessary to his Divine wisdome to create an Universe of Creatures that is this whole world in the latitude and variety whereof the Spirit of man might have scope enough and find infinite examples wherein to contemplate even unto ravishment the singularities of his perfection And seeing in like manner that the goodnesse of the same God our blessed Saviour doth as infinitely surpasse all humane understanding not one onely or some few but a million a numberlesse multitude of divine gracious and stupendious works were requisite by him also to be done but to expresse it in some part in the meditation of which our souls are fed yea glutted as it were with admiration and content Amongst which none bearing more lively or legible Characters of his Love then that of his Passion it follows that in his Passion and the Contemplation thereof greatest content must be found as experience also proveth in an infinite number of Christians who by their actions have more then sufficiently shewen the sense they have had of the Crosse of our Saviour It were an endlesse labour to go about to expresse them the infinite variety the multitude and excesse of those joyes which the servants of God have tasted from time to time and do daily taste in this kind The lives yea the deaths of those antient Christians do abundantly testifie how great they were who in infinite multitudes of both sexes and of all Conditions men and women for the name and for the love of this crucified Jesus not onely patiently endured all sorts of persecutions and affliction but even exulted and leapt for joy in the midst of their tortures dying rather through the extremity of their delights then pain The number of Monks and other solitary persons is infinite who in all times for the love of Jesus have withdrawn themselves from the world and made choice to live in wildernesses and caves of the earth poor naked destitute of all things save the comforts of divine Love onely to attend unto this Contemplation Lastly the learnedest Doctours and wisest men of the world how often have they abandoned not onely the pleasures and vanities of the world which were scarce worthy of them but even their most pleasing and most commendable Studies yea their own selves also for the love and Contemplation of this Jesus The XVI Conclusion THat the holy Scriptures do exceedingly elevate the mind of good Christians unto these Contemplations First because All Scripture generally doth relate unto Christ crucified according to that of the Apostle The end or scope of the law is Christ And for as much as writing in its own nature is but the sign of words spoken as speech is of conceptions or thoughts because our thoughts do alwayes proceed from some interiour light or Illustration of the mind by how much that light is greater and more excellent so much the greater also and more perfect must the Conceptions be and the speech consequently more powerfull and the writing wherein that speech is represented more admirable and profound Now light supernaturall is alwayes greater and more perfect then naturall And seeing also that there be severall degrees in that light it cannot be doubted but the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists had the greatest measures thereof as being the men whom Almighty God was pleased so singularly to Illuminate as that neither in writing nor preaching they could so mistake as to deliver falsehood for truth Therfore also were their meditations their speech and all expressions of themselves alwayes profound powerfull and serious He therefore that presumeth to understand their writings without supernaturall Illustration is as wise as he that would have a bird to fly without wings of which sort yet there are some in the world viz. certain Philosophers Rhetoricians Grammarians Poets of this age who not knowing or not considering the profundity of sacred Scriptures do venture upon them with the same temerity as they do upon Tully Hortensius or some other of their windy Authours and perhaps not finding in them those flashes of elegance or subtilty to which themselves are accustomed presently they fall to slight and think meanly of them imagining weak men nothing to be so sublime as Plato's Philosophy no eloquence comparable to some piece of Cicero But he which dwelleth in heaven shall one day laugh these
Glory and Dominion through all ages for ever Amen FINIS THE PROFIT OF BELIEVING Very usefull Both for all those that are not yet resolved what Religion they ought to embrace And for them that desire to know whither their Religion be true or no. Written by S. Augustine LONDON Printed by ROGER DANIEL In Lovels Court near Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Preface To the well-disposed READER Learned Reader I Know thou art not ignorant that of all the affairs and businesses in this world there is none of that consequence and importance unto thee as the saving of thy soul and that our Blessed Saviour who knew best of all the mestimable value thereof and vouchsafed to redeem it at so dear a rate as with his own pretious bloud plainly declared the importance thereof when he said in the Gospel Mat. 16.16 What is a man profited if he shall gain the world nnd loose his own soul Or what shall he give in exchange thereof Wherefore let me advise thee to seek out and embrace the true Faith and Religion for that without such a Faith according to the Apostle Heb. 11.6 it is impossible to please God and without pleasing of him it is impossible to be saved If thou thinkest that thou hast found out the truth already and that thou dost embrace it then give me leave to tell thee that the world at this present abounds with an hundred heresies at least the embracers whereof shall not according to S. Pauls doctrine Gal. 5.20 inherit the kingdome of God and yet as the same Apostle doth affirm Ephes 4.5 there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme so that it is an hundred to one but that thy Faith and thy Religion are false and thy salvation is in danger thereby Is there not then great reason that thou shouldest well consider whither the Faith and Religion which thou embracest be true or no when upon this resolution depends thy fruition of unspeakable blisse or intolerable suffering of endlesse pains for all eternity How to find out the true Faith Religion it is a matter of very great difficulty not onely by reason that there are many faiths and religions in the world and of all these there is but one true and all the rest be false but also for that the controversies debated now adayes are so many and so intricate that few have leasure to study them and fewer ability to conceive and understand them yet the zeal of learned Writers hath not been wanting to satisfie men herein But what age since the Apostles dayes hath brought forth any man so able to perform so great a task as was that incomparable Doctor S. Augustine lib. 3. de Eccles fol. 170. who as Doctour Field asserteth was the greatest and chiefest of the antient Fathers and the most famous of all the Divines which the Church hath had since the Apostles time and as Doctour Covell affirmeth in his answer to Master Burges pag. 3. hath farre excelled all others that have been or are like to be hereafter those onely excepted that were inspired by the Holy Ghost both in Divine and Humane knowledge What man since the Apostles dayes could ever so well discern true doctrine from false truth from errour and true faith from heresie as could that great S. Augustine who did not onely like another David fight against the Goliah of one heresie but like another Joshua fought the battels of the Lord against all the force and power of heresie in his dayes for fourty years together Wherefore if this great Doctour should have left any advises or instructions behinde him unto any of his dear friends that were then hereticks whereby he taught them how to find out the true faith and religion amongst so many heresies ought not such instructions to be greatly desired and if any such could be found to be highly esteemed and diligently perused Surely thou wilt say that coming from so great a Doctour and being so proper and necessary fot these times without doubt they ought Why then Learned Reader give me leave to present unto thee a learned Treatise of his which he sent unto his dear and learned friend Honoratus to draw him from the Manichean heresie to the true Religion I durst not presume to tender it unto thee in this poor English habit were I not confident that thou seekest more after the true Religion and the saving of thy soul then after vain eloquence the entising words of humane wisdome 1 Cor. 2.4 but I will assure thee under this poore attire thou wilt find a rich and a learned discourse of great S. Augustine not onely very profitable for those that are not yet resolved in point of Religion but also for them that dere to be satisfied whither the faith and Religion which they embrace be true or no. If the stile be displeasing and ungratefull unto thee know that very many of the African Fathers have harsh stiles besides consider how hard a matter it is to teach a native African to speak true English In this work first he shews how the old Testament is to be expounded and defends the Authority of it against the Manichees that rejected it Secondly he overthrowes that Manichean principle That nothing is to be believed in point of Faith which is not first by reason made manifest and evident unto the Believer In the third place he adviseth fervent and frequent prayer peace and tranquility of mind and a sequestration of affections from terrene things as aids necessary for the finding out the truth then declaring that Christ hath raised a very great and a famous Church consisting of all Nations which is to continue very visible and conspicuous even to the worlds end he exhorts Honoratus to addresse himself unto the Pastours and Teachers thereof and to learn of them the true faith and Religion This way of proceeding to find out the truth is far more short and easie then by the examination of all the points of controverted doctrine by their conformity to the holy Scriptures for it consists in two points onely first in seeking out which of all the Churches is the Church of Christ and secondly whither this Church can erre or no. For the finding out of the Church S. Augustine proposed four marks unto Honoratus Unity Universality Sanctity and Apostolicall Succession the which are set down very plainly in Scripture The Unity of the Church is twofold in body and in faith in regard of the first our Saviour saith his Church is one fold and hath one shep-heard Joh. 10.16 and the Apostle calls it one body 1 Cor. 12.13 In respect of the second S. Paul earnestly exhorted the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.10 to speak the same thing and that there be no division amongst them but that they be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and he beseeched the Ephesians to endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 4 5. affirming