thinke this place obscure let him looke for no plainenesse in the Scriptures L. VIVES THy a victory Some read contention but the originall is Victory and so doe Hierom and Ambrose reade it often Saint Paul hath the place out of Osee. chap. â—…3 ver 14. and vseth it 1. Cor. 16. ver 55. b When shall death The Cittie of GOD shall see death vntill the words that were sayd of Christ after his resurrection Oh hell where is thy victory may bee said of all our bodies that is at the resurrection when they shal be like his glorified bodie Saint Peters doctrine of the resurrection of the dead CHAP. 18. NOw let vs heare what Saint Peter sayth of this Iudgement There shall come saith hee in the last daies mockers which will walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the heauens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the word of GOD wherefore the world that then was perished ouer-flowed with the water But the heauens and earth that now are are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men Dearcly beloued bee not ignorant of this that one daie with the LORD is as a thousand years and a thousand yeares as one daie The LORD is not flack concerning his promise as some men count slackenesse but is pacient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all men to come to repentance But the daie of the LORD will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe awaie with a noyse and the elements shall melt with 〈◊〉 and the earth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vppe Seeing therefore all these must bee dissolued what manner of persons ought you to bee in holy conuersation and Godlinesse longing for and hasting vnto the comming of the daie of GOD by the which the heauens beeing on fire shal be dissolued and the elements shall melt vvith heate But vve-looke for a nevv heauen and a nevv earth according to his promise vvherein dvvelleth righteousnesse Thus sarre Now here is no mention of the resurrection of the dead but enough concerning the destruction of the world where his mention of the worlds destruction already past giueth vs sufficient warning to beleeue the dissolution to come For the world that was then perished saith hee at that time not onely the earth but that part of the ayre also which the watter a possessed or got aboue and so consequently almost all those ayry regions which hee calleth the heauen or rather in the plurall the heauens but not the spheres wherein the Sunne and the Starres haue their places they were not touched the rest was altered by humidity and so the earth perished and lost the first forme by the deluge But the heauens and earth saith hee that now are are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the daie of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men Therefore the same heauen and earth that remained after the deluge are they that are reserued vnto the fire afore-said vnto the daie of iudgement and perdition of the wicked For because of this great change hee sticketh not to say there shal be a destruction of men also whereas indeed their essences shall neuer bee anniâ—…e although they liue in torment Yea but may some say if this old heauen and earth shall at the worlds end bee burned before the new ones be made where shal the Saints be in the time of this conflagration since they haue bodies and therefore must be in some bodily place We may answere in the vpper parts whither the fire as then shall no more ascend then the water did in the deluge For at this daie the Saints bodies shal be mooueable whither their wills doe please nor need they feare the fire beeing now both immortall and incorruptible b for the three children though their bodies were corruptible were notwithstanding preserued from loosing an haire by the fire and might not the Saints bodies be preserued by the same power L. VIVES THe a water possessed For the two vpper regions of the ayre doe come iust so low that they are bounded with a circle drawne round about the earthlie highest mountaines tops Now the water in the deluge beeing fifteene cubites higher then the highest mountaine it both drowned that part of the ayre wherein wee liue as also that part of the middle region wherein the birds do vsually flie both which in Holy writ and in Poetry also are called Heauens b The three Sidrach Misach and Abdenago at Babilon who were cast into a â—…nace for scorning of Nabuchadnezzars golden statue Dan. 3. Saint Pauls words to the Thessalonians Of the manifestations of Antichrist whose times shall immediately fore-runne the day of the Lord. CHAP. 19. I See I must ouer-passe many worthy sayings of the Saints concerning this day least my worke should grow to too great a volume but yet Saint Pauls I may by no meanes omit Thus sayth he Now I beseech you bretheren by the comming of our LORD IESVS CHRIST and by our assembling vnto him that you bee not suddenly mooued from your minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as if it were from vs as though the day of CHRIST were at hand Let no man deceiue you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a a fugitiue first and that that man of sinne bee disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against all is called god or that is worshipped so that he sitteth as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Remember yee not that when I was yet with you I told you these things And now yee know what withholdeth that he might be reuealed in his due time For the mistery of iniquity doth already worke onely he which now withholdeth shall let till he be taken out of the way and the wicked man shal be reuealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming euen him whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse amongst them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes that all they might bee damned which beleeue not in the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse This is doubtlesse meant of Antichrist and the day of iudgement For this day hee saith shall not come vntill that Antichrist be come before it he that is called here a fugitiue
from the face of the Lord for if all the vngodly deserue this name â—…y not hee most of all But in what temple of God he is to sit as God it is doubtfull whether it be the ruined Temple of Salomon or in the church For it cannot bee any heathen temple Saint Paul would neuer call any such the Temple of God Some therefore doe by Antichrist vnderstand the deuill and all his domination together with the whole multitude of his followers and imagine that it were better to say hee shall sit b in Templum dei as the Temple of God that is as though hee were the church as we say c Sedet in amicum hee sitteth as a friend and so forth But whereas hee saith And now yee know what with-holdeth that is what staieth him from being reuealed this implieth that they knew it before and therefore hee doth not relate it here Wherefore wee that know not what they knew doe striue to get vnderstanding of his knowledge of the Apostle but wee cannot because his addition maketh it the more mysticall For what is this The mystery of iniquity doth already worke onely hee that withholdeth shall let till hee bee taken out of the way Truely I confesse that I am vtterly ignorant of his meaning but what others coniectures are hereof I will not bee silent in Some say Saint Paul spoke d of the state of Rome and would not bee plainer least hee should incurre a slander that hee wished Romes Empire euill fortune whereas it was hoped that e it should continue for euer By the mistery of iniquity they say he meant Nero whose deeds were great resemblances of Antichrists so that some thinke that he shall rise againe and be the true Antichrist Others thinke he f neuer died but vanished and that he liueth in g that age and vigor wherein hee was supposed to be slaine vntill the time come that hee shal be reuealed and restored to his Kingdome But this is too presumptuous an opinion Onely these wordes Hee that withholdeth shall let till hee be taken out of the waie May not vnfitly bee vnderstood of Rome as if he had sayd He that now reigneth shall reigne vntill hee bee taken away And then the wicked man shal be reuealed This is Antichrist no man doubts it Now some vnderstand these words Now yee know what withholdeth and the mistery of iniquity doth already worke to be meant onely of the false christians in the church who shall increase vnto a number which shal make Antichrist a great people this say they is the mistery of iniquity for it is yet vnreuealed and therefore doth the Apostle animate the faithfull to preseuere saying let him that holdeth hold for thus they take this place vntill hee bee taken out of the way that is vntill Antichrist and his troupes this vnreuealed mistery of iniquity depart out of the midst of the church And vnto this doe they hold Saint Iohns words to belong Babes it is the last time And as yee haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now there are many Antichrists whereby wee know that it is the last time They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued vvith vs. Thus say they euen as before the end in this time which Saint Iohn calls the last of all many heretiques whom he calleth many Antichrists went out of the church so likewise hereafter all those that belong not vnto CHRIST but vnto the last Antichrist shall depart out of the middest of CHRISTS flocke and then shall the man of sinne bee reuealed Thus one taketh the Apostles wordes one way and another another way but this hee meaneth assuredly that CHRIST will not come to iudge the world vntill Antichrist bee here before him to seduce the worlde although it bee GODS secret iudgement that hee should thus seduce it for his comming shal be as it is sayd by the working of Sathan vvith all povver and signes and lying vvonders and in all deceiuiablenesse of vnrighteousnesse amongst them that perish For then shall Sathan bee let loose and vvorke by this Antichrist vnto all mens admiration and yet all in falshood Now here is a doubt whither they bee called lying wonders because hee doth but delude the eyes in these miracles and doth not what hee seemes to doe or because that although they may bee reall actions yet the end of them all is to drawe ignorant man-kinde into this false conceite that such things could not bee done but by a diuine power because they know not that the deuill shall haue more power giuen him then them euer he had had before For the fire that fell from Heauen and burnt the house and goods of Holie Iob and the whirlewind that smote the building and slew his children were neither of them false apparitions yet were they the deuills effects by the power that GOD had giuen him Therefore in what respect these are called lying wonders shal be then more apparant Howsoeuer they shall seduce such as deserue to bee seduced because they receiued not the loue of truth that they might bee saued wherevpon the Apostle addeth this Therefore shall GOD send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies GOD shall send it because his iust iudgement permittes it though the deuills maleuolent desire performes it That all they might bee damned which beleeue not in the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Thus being condemned they are feduced and beeing seduced condemned But their seducement is by the secret iudgement of God iustly secret and secretly iust euen his that hath iudged continually euer since the world beganne But their condemnation shal be by the last and manifest iudgement of IESVS CHRIST he that iudgeth most iustly and was most vniustly iudged himselfe L. VIVES A a Fugitiue The greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a departing and so the vulgar reads it b In templum dei So doth the greeke read it c Sedet in amicum The common phrase of scripture Esto mihi in deum be thou my God c. d Of the state of Rome Lactant. lib. 7. It was a generall opinion that towards the end of the world there should tenne Kings share the Romane Empire amongst them and that Antichrist should be the eleauenth and ouercome them all Hier. in Daniel But these are idle coniectures e It should continue for euer As the old Romanes dreamed So saith Iupiter in Uirgil His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora ponâ—… Imperium sine fine dedi I bound these fortunes by no time or place Their state shall euer stand f Neuer died His death in deed was secret for vpon Galba's approach hee fled in the night with foure onely in his company and his head couered vnto his country house betweene via Salaria and Momentana and there stabd himselfe and was buried by his nurses and concubine in the Sepulchre of the Domitii neare to the field
it f Those that They are the true Philosopers and if they should rule or the rulers were like them happy should the states be saith Plato g Who gaue Iames. 1. 5 6. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and he shall giue it him But let him aske in faith and wauer not c. That vertue is as much disgraced in seruing humaine glory as in obeying the pleasures of the body CHAP. 20. THe Philosophers that a make vertue the scope of all humaine good do vse in disgrace of such as approued vertue and yet applied it all to bodily delight holding this to be desired for it selfe and vertue to be sought onely for respect to this pleasure to deliniate a Picture as it were with their tongues wherein pleasure sitteth on a throne like a delicate Queene and all the Vertues about her ready at a becke to do her command There she commands prudence to seeke out a way whereby pleasure may reigne in safety Iustice must go do good turnes to attaine friends for the vse of corporall delights and iniury none fortitudes taske is that if any hurt not mortall inuade the body she must hold pleasure so fast in the mind that the remembrance of delights past may dull the touch of the paine present Temperance must so temper the norishment that immoderation come not to trouble the health and so offend Lady pleasure whome the Epicures do say is chiefly resident in the bodies soundnesse Thus the virtues being in their owne dignities absolute commanders must put all their glories vnder the feete of pleasure and submit them-selues to an imperious and dishonest woman Then this picture there cannot be a sight more vild deformed and abhominable to a good man say the Phylosophers and it is true Nor thinke I that the picture would be so faire as it should be if humaine glory were painted in the throne of pleasure for though it be not a b nice peece as the other is yet it is turgid and full of empty ayre so that ill should it beseeme the substantiall vertues to be subiect to such a shadow that prudence should fore-see nothing iustice distribute nothing fortitude endure nâ—…thing temperance moderate nothing but that which aymeth at the pleasing of men seruing of windy glory Nor are they quite from this blot who contemning the iudgements of others as scorners of glory yet in their owne conceit hold their wisdome at a high prise for their vertue haue they any serueth humaine glory in another maner for he that pleaseth him-selfe is c but a man but he that builds and beleeues truly and piously vpon God whome he loueth applieth his thoughts more vpon that which hee displeaseth himselfe in then vpon those things which if they be in him do rather please the truth then him nor doth he ascribe the power he hath to please vnto other but vnto his mercy whom he feareth to displease giuing thankes for the cure of this and praying for the cure of that L. VIVES PHilosophers that a make The Stoikes as Cleanthes This picture Tully talketh of De finib l. 2. b Nice For glory is got by sweat and paines c But a man bends his affects no further then mans present being That the true God in whose hand and prouidence all the state of the world consisteth did order and dispose of the Monarchie of the Romaines CHAP. 21. THis being thus the true God a that giueth the heauenly kingdome onely to the godly but the earthly ones both to good and bad as himselfe liketh whose pleasure is all iustice he is to haue all power of giuing or taking away soueraignty ascribed vnto himselfe alone and no other for though we haue shewen somethings that he pleased to manifest vnto vs yet far far is it beyond our powers to penetrate into mens merits or scan the deserts of kingdoms aright This one God therefore that neither staieth from iudging nor fauouring of man-kinde when his pleasure was and whilest it was his pleasure let Rome haue soueraignty so did he with Assyria Persia b who as their bookes say worshipped onely two gods a good a bad to omit the Hebrews of whom I thinke sufficient is already spoken both of their worship of one God of their kingdome But he that gaue Persia corne without Sigetia's helpe and so many gifts of the earth without any of those many gods that had each one a share in them oâ—… rather were three or foure to a share he also gaue them their kingdom without their helpes by whose adoration they thought they kept their kingdome And so for the men he that gaue c Marius rule gaue Caesar rule he that gaue Augustus it gaue Nero it he that gaue Vespatian rule or Titus his sonne d both sweet natured men gaue it also to Domitian that cruell blood-sucker And to be briefe he that gaue it to Constantine the Christian gaue it also to Iulian e the Apostata whose worthy towardnesse was wholy blinded by sacriligious curiosity and all through the desire of rule whose heart wandered after the vanity of false oracles as hee found when vpon their promise of victory he burned all his ships that victualed his armie and then being slaine in one of his many rash aduentures hee left his poore armie in the â—…awes of their enemies without all meanes of escape but that God Terminus of whom we spake before was faine to yeeld and to remoue the bounds of the Empire Thus did he giue place to necessity that would not giue place to Iupiter All these did the True sacred and only God dispose and direct as hee pleased if the causes be vnkowne why he did thus or thus is he therefore vniust L. VIVES GOd that a giueth Here is a diuersity of reading in the text but all comes to one sence b Who as their The Persian Magi whose chiefe Zoroafter was held two beginnings a good and a bad that the God of heauenâ—… this the god of hell This they called Pluto and Ariâ—…anius the euill Daemon that Ioue and Horosmades the good Daemon Hermipp Eudox. Theoâ—…p apud Laert. Those Plato seemes to follow de leg l. 10. putting two sorts of soules in the world originalls of good and originall of bad vnlesse he do rather Pythagorize who held that the vnity was God the minde the nature and the good of euery thing the number of two infinite materiall multiplicable the Genius and euill The Manichees also Aug. de heres held two beginnings contrary and coeternall and two natures and substances of good and of euil wherein they followed the old heretikes c Marius He coupleth a good and a bad together Marius most cruell Caesar most courteous Augustus the best Emperor Nero the worst that could be d Both sweetly T. Vespatian had two sonnes Titus Domitian Their father was conceited and full of delicate mirth and Titus
promiseth to â—…ie the minde by the inuocation of deuills 11. Of Porpheries epistle to Anebuns of Aegâ—…t desiring him of instruction in the seuerâ—… kâ—…des of Daemones 12. Of the miracles that God worketh by his Angels ministry 1â—… How the inuisible God hath often made â—…selfe visible not as hee is really but as wee câ—…ld be able to comprehend his sight 14. How but one God is to be worshipped for all things temporall and eternall all being in the pâ—…er of his prouidence 15. Of the holy Angels that minister to Gods prouidence 16. Whether in this question of Beatitude we 〈◊〉 trâ—…st those Angels that refuse the diuine â—…ship and ascribe it all to one God or those thâ—… require it to themselues 17. Of the Arke of the Testament and the miracles wrought to confirme the lawe and the promise 18. Against such as deny to beleeue the scriptures concerning those miracles shewen to Gods people 19. The reason of that visible sacrifice that the true religion commands vs to offer to one God 20. Of the onely and true sacrifice which the mediator betweene God and Man became 21. Of the power giuen to the deuils to the greater glorifying of the Saints that haue suffered martyrdome and conquered the ayrie spirits not by appeasing them but by adhering to God 22. From whence the Saints haue their power against the diuels and their pure purgation of heart 23. Of the Platonists principles in their purgation of the soule 24. Of the true onely beginning that purgeth and reneweth mans whole nature 25. That all the Saints in the old law and other ages before it were iustified onely by the mistery and faith of Christ. 26. Of Porphery his wauering betweene confession of the true God and adoration of the Deuils 27. Of Porphery his exceeding Apuleius in impietie 28. What perswasions blinded Porphery from knowing Christ the true wisdome 29. Of the inearnation of our Lord Iesus Christ which the impious Platonists shame to acknowledge â—…0 What opinions of Plato Pophery confuted and corrected 31. Against the Platonists holding the soule coeternall with God 32. Of the vniuersall way of the soules freedome which Porphery sought amisse and therefore found not That onely Christ hath declared it FINIS THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus That the Platonists themselues held that One onely God was the giuer of all beatitude vnto men and Angels but the controuersie is whether they that they hold are to be worshipped for this end would haue sacrifices offered to themselues or resigne all vnto God CHAP. 1. IT is perspicuous to the knowledge of all such as haue vse of reason that man desireth to be happy But the great controuersies arise vppon the inquisition whence or how mortall infirmity should attaine beatitude in which the Phylosophers haue bestowed all their time study which to relate were here too tedious and as fruitlesse He that hath read our 8. booke wherein we selected with what Phylosophers to handle this question of beatitude whether it were to be attained by seruing one God the maker of the rest or the others also need not looke for any repititions here hauing 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 memory if it fayle him we choose the Platonists as worthily held the most â—…thy Philosophers because as they could conceiue that the reasoâ—…ble 〈◊〉 soule of man could neuer be blessed but in participation of the light of God the worlds creator so could they affirme that beatitude the ayme 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 was vn-attainable without a firme adherence in pure loue vnâ—…â—…hangeable One that is GOD. But because they also gaue way to Pagâ—… 〈◊〉 becomming vaine as Paul saith in their owne imaginations and beleeâ—… oâ—… would be thought to beleeue that man was bound to honor many gods and some of them extending this honor euen to deuills whom wee haue indifferently confuted it reâ—…eth now to examine by gods grace how these immortall and blessed creatures in heauen be they in thrones a dominations principalities or powers whom they call gods and some of them good Daemones or â—…gels as we doe are to be beleeued to desire our preseruation of truth in religion 〈◊〉 piety that is to be more plaine whether their wills be that we should offâ—…r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sacrifice or consecrate ours or our selues vnto them or onely to god 〈◊〉 iâ—… both their God ouâ—… the peculiar worship of the diuinity or to speaâ—…e â—…preslie the deitie because I haue no one fit Latine word to expresse 〈◊〉 â—…d I will vse the Greeke b Latria which our brethren in all translatiâ—… doe translate Seruice But that seruice wherein we serue men 〈◊〉 by the Apostle in these words Seruants bee obedient to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressed by another Greeke word But Latria as our Euangeliâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…her wholy or most frequently signifieth the honour due vnto GOD. Iâ—… 〈◊〉 therefore translate it 〈◊〉 of Colo to worshippe or to tiâ—… wâ—… 〈◊〉 it with more then God for wee c worship coliâ—… 〈◊〉 men of honorâ—… memory or presence besides Colo in generall vse is propâ—…â—…o d things vnder vs as well as those whome wee reuerence or adore 〈◊〉 â—…omes the word Colonus for a husbandman or an inhabitant And the â—…lled Caelicolae of Caelum Heauen and Colo to inhabite not to adore or 〈◊〉 yet e as husband-men that haue their name from the village of the â—…ossesse but as that rare Latinist saith Vrbs antiqua fuit f Tyrij tenuêre 〈◊〉 being here the inhabitants not the husbandmen And herevpon the 〈◊〉 haue beene planted and peopled by other greater cities as one hiue â—…duceth diuerse are called colonies So then we cannot vse Colo with â—…o God without a restraint of the signification seeing it is communiâ—…â—…o many sences therefore no one Latine word that I know is sufficient 〈◊〉 the worship due vnto God For though Religion signifie nothing so 〈◊〉 the worship of GOD and there-vpon so wee translate the Greeke 〈◊〉 yet because in the vse of it in Latine both by learned and ignorant â—…erred vnto linages affinities and all kindreds therefore it will not â—…oyde ambiguitie in this theame nor can wee truly say religion is noâ—…t Gods worship the word seeming to be taken originally from huâ—… and obseruance So Piety also is taken properly for the worship of 〈◊〉 the Greekes vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet is it attributed also vnto the duty towards 〈◊〉 and ordinarily vsed for i the workes of mercy I thinke because â—…ands it so strictly putting it in his presence k for and l before 〈◊〉 Whence came a custome to call God Pious Yet the Greekes neuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though they vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for mercy or piety often But in some 〈◊〉 more distinction they choose rather to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods worship â—…lainely worship or good worship But wee haue no one fit worde â—…sse either of these The Greeke
eldest holds them resolued into most pure ayre which S. Thomas dislikes for such bodies could neuer penetrate the fire nor the heauens But he is too Aristotelique thinking to binde incomprehensible effectes to the lawes of nature as if this were a worke of nature strictly taken and not at the liberty of GODS omnipotent power or that they had forced through fire and heauen by their condensed violence Some disliked the placing of an element aboue heauen and therefore held the Christalline heauens composed of waters of the same shew but of a farre other nature then the Elementary Both of them are transparent both cold but that is light and ours heauy Basill sayth those waters doe coole the heate of the heauens Our Astronomicall diuines say that Saturnes frigidity proceedeth from those waters ridiculous as though all the starres of the eighth spere are not cooler then Saturne These waters sayth Rede are lower then the spirituall heauens but higher then all corporeall creatures kept as some say to threaten a second deluge But as others hold better to coole the heate of the starres De nat◅rer But this is a weake coniecture Let vs conclude as Augustine doth vpon Genesis How or what they are we know not there they are we are sure for the scriptures authority weigheth downe mans witte c In stead of Another question tossed like the first How the elements are in our bodies In parcels and Atomes peculiar to each of the foure saith Anaxagoras Democritus Empedocles Plato Cicero and most of the Peripatetiques Arabians Auerroes and Auicen parcels enter not the bodies composition sayth another but natures only This is the schoole opinion with the leaders Scotus and Occam Aristole is doubtfull as hee is generally yet holdes the ingresse of elements into compoundes Of the Atomists some confound all making bodies of coherent remaynders Others destroy all substances Howsoeuer it is wee feele the Elementary powers heate and drought in our gall or choller of the fire heate and moysture ayry in the blood colde and moyst watery in the fleame Colde and dry earthly in the melancholly and in our bones solydity is earth in our brayne and marrow water in our blood ayre in our spirits cheefely of the heart fire And though wee haue lesse of one then another yet haue some of each f But there And thence is all our troublesome fleame deriued Fitly it is seated in the brayne whether all the heate aspyreth For were it belowe whither heate descendeth not so it would quickly growe dull and congeale Whereas now the heate keepes it in continuall acte vigor and vegetation Finis lib. II. THE CONTENTS OF THE twelfth booke of the Citty of God 1. Of the nature of good and euil Angells 2. That no essence is contrary to God though al the worlds frailty seeme to bee opposite vnto this immutable eternity 3. Of gods enemies not by nature but will which hurting them hurteth their good nature because there is no vice but hurteth nature 4. Of vselesse and reason-lesse natures whose order differeth not from the Decorum held in the whole vniuerse 5. That the Creator hath deserued praise in euery forme and kind of Nature 6. The cause of the good Angels blisse and the euills misery 7. That wee ought not to seeke out the cause of the vicious will 8. Of the peruerse loue wherby the soule goeth from the vnchangeable to the changeable good 9. Whether he that made the Angels natures made their wils good also by the infusion of his loue into them through his holy Spirit 10. Of the falsenes of that History that saith the world hath continued many thousand years 11. Of those that hold not the Eternity of the world but either a dissolution and generation of innumerable worlds or of this one at the expiration of certaine yeares 12. Of such as held Mans Creation too lately effected 13. Of the reuolution of Tymes at whose expiration some Phylosophers held that the Vniuerse should returne to the state it was in at first 14. Of Mans temporall estate made by God out of no newnesse or change of will 15. Whether to preserue Gods eternall domination we must suppose that he hath alwaies had creatures to rule ouer and how it may bee held alwaies created which is not coeternall with God 16. How wee must vnderstand that God promised Man life eternall before all eternity 17. The defence of Gods vnchanging will against those that fetch Gods works about frō eternity in circles from state to state 18. Against such as say thinges infinite are aboue Gods knowledge 19. Of the worlds without end or Ages of Ages 20. Of that impious assertion that soules truly blessed shall haue diuer s reuolutions into misery againe 21. Of the state of the first Man and Man-kinde in him 22. That God fore-knew that the first Man should sin and how many people he was to translate out of his kind into the Angels society 23. Of the nature of Mans soule being created according to the Image of God 24. Whether the Angels may bee called Creators of any the least creature 25. That no nature or forme of any thing liuing hath any other Creator but God 26. The Platonists opinion that held the Angels Gods creatures Man the Angels 27. That the fulnesse of Man-kind was created in the first Man in whome God fore-saw both who should bee saued and who should bee damned FINIS THE TVVELFTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of the nature of good and euill Angels CHAP. 1. BEfore I speake of the creation of man wherein in respect of mortall reasonable creatures the two Citties had their originall as we shewed in the last booke of the Angels to shew as well as wee can the congruity and conuenience of the society of Men with Angels and that there are not foure but rather two societies of Men and Angels qualitied alike and combined in eyther the one consisting both of good Angels and Men and the other of euill that the contrariety of desires betweene the Angels good and euill arose from their diuers natures and beginnings wee may at no hand beleeue God hauing beene alike good in both their creations and in all things beside them But this diuersity ariseth from their wils some of them persisting in God their common good and in his truth loue and eternity and other some delighting more in their owne power as though it were from them-selues fell from that common al-blessing good to dote vppon their owne and taking pride for eternity vayne deceit for firme truth and factious enuy for perfect loue became proud deceiptfull and enuious The cause of their beatitude was their adherence with GOD their must their miseries cause bee the direct contrary namely their not adherence with GOD. Wherefore if when wee are asked why they are blessed and wee answere well because they stucke fast vnto GOD and beeing asked why they
natures whome amongst other things it prophecied should beleeue it L. VIVES OR a Essentiall As hauing essence b As soone Hee plainely confesseth that the Angells were all created in grace De corrept et grat Before they fell they had grace Hierome also vpon Osâ—…a affirmes that the Deuills were created with great fulnesse of the holy spirit But Augustine De genes ad lit seemes of another mind saying the angelicall nature was first created vnformall The Diuines here vpon are diuided some following Lombard Sent. 2. dist 4. Ales and Bâ—…nture deny that the Angells were created in grace Saint Thomas holds the contrary I dare not nor haue not where withal to decide a matter so mightily disputed and of such moment Augustine in most plaine words and many places houlds that they were created in grace as that of Exechiel seemes also to import Thou sealest vp the sunne and art full of wisdome and perfect in beauty c Made it Shewing that God gaue them more grace when they shewed their obedience of this I see no question made in such measure as hee assured them of eternity of blisse d Receiued lesse If all the Angells had grace giuen them it then should haue bin distributed with respect of persons to some more and to some of the same order lesse But it was giuen gradually to the orders not to each particular Angell where-vpon some of the same order fell and some stood though both had grace giuen them alike e Secret Hee doubts not of the glory but of the glories place before the iudgement for they may be blesed any where God in whose fruition they are blessed being euery where Of the falsenesse of that History that saith the world hath continued many thousand yeares CHAP. 10. LEt the coniectures therefore of those men that fable of mans and the worlds originall they knowe not what passe for vs for some thinke that men 〈◊〉 beene alwaies as of the world as Apuleis writeth of men Seuerally mortall but generally eternall b And when we say to them why if the world hath alwaies beene how can your histories speake true in relation of who inuented this or that who brought vp artes and learning and who first inhabited this or that region they answered vs the world hath at certaine times beene so wasted by fires and deluges that the men were brought to a very few whose progenie multiplied againe and so seemed this as mans first originall whereas indeed it was but a reparation of those whome the fires and flouds had destroyed but that man cannot haue production but from man They speake now what they thinke but not what they know being deceiued by a sort of most false writings that say the world hath continued a many thousand yeares where as the holy scriptures giueth vs not accompt of c full sixe thousand yeares since man was made To shew the falsenesse of these writings briefly and that their authority is not worth a rush herein d that Epistle of Great Alexander to his mother conteining a narration of things by an Aegiptian Priest vnto him made out of their religious mysteries conteineth also the Monarchies that the Greeke histories recorde also In this Epistle e the Assyrian monarchie lasteth fiue thousand yeares and aboue But in the Greeke historie from Belus the first King it continueth but one thousand three hundred yeares And with Belus doth the Egiptian storie begin also The Persian Monarchie saith that Epistle vntill Alexanders conquest to whom this Priest spake thus lasted aboue eight thousand yeares whereas the Macedonians vntill Alexanders death lasted but foure hundred foure score and fiue yeares and the Persians vntill his victory two hundred thirty three yeares by the Greekâ—… story So farre are these computations short of the Egiptians being not equall with them though they were trebled For f the Egiptians are said once to haue had their g yeares but foure moneths long so that one full yeare of the Greekes or ours is iust three of their old ones But all this will not make the Greeke and Egiptian computations meete and therefore wee must rather trust the Greeke as not exceeding our holy scriptures accompt But if this Epistle of Alexander being so famous differ so farre from the most probable accompt how much lesse faith then ought we to giue to those their fabulous antiquities fraught with leasings against our diuine bookes that fore-told that the whole world should beleeue them and the whole world hath done so and which prooue that they wrote truth in things past by the true occurrences of things to come by them presaged L. VIVES SEuerally a mortall Apuleius Florid. l. 2. cunctim generally or vniuersally of cunctus all b And when Macrobius handleth this argument at large De somn scip and thinkes he puts it off with that that Augustine here reciteth Plato seemes the author of this shift in his Timaus where Critias relating the conference of the Egiptian Priest and Solon saith that wee know not what men haue done of many yeares before because they change their countrie or are expelled it by flouds fires or so and the rest hereby destroyed Which answer is easily confuted fore-seeing that all the world can neither bee burned nor drowned Arist. Meteor the remainders of one ancient sort of men might be preserued by another and so deriued downe to vs which Aristotle seeing as one witty and mindfull of what he saith affirmeth that we haue the reliques of the most ancient Philosophy left vs. Metaphys 12. Why then is there no memory of things three thousand yeares before thy memory c Full six thousand Eusebius whose account Augustine followeth reckoneth from the creation vnto the sack of Rome by the Gothes 5611. yeares following the Septuagints For Bede out of the Hebrew reserueth vnto the time of Honorius and Theodosius the yonger when the Gothes tooke Rome but 4377. of this different computation here-after d That Epistle Of this before booke eight e The Assyriâ—… Hereof in the 18. booke more fitly Much liberty do the old chroniclers vse in their accompt of time Plin. lib. 11 out of Eudoxus saith that Zoroaster liued 6000. yeares before Plato's death So faith Aristotle Herimippus saith he was 5000. yeares before the Troian warre Tully writes that the Chaldees had accounts of 470000. yeares in their chronicles De diuinat 1. 〈◊〉 saith also that they reckned from their first astronomer vntill great Alexander 43000. yeares f The Egiptians Extreame liers in their yeares Plato writes that the Citty Sais in Egipt had chronicles of the countries deedes for 8000. yeares space And Athens was built 1000. yeares before Sais Laertius writes that Vulcan was the sonne of Nilus and reckneth 48863. yeares betweene him and Great Alexander in which time there fell 373. ecclipses of the Sunne and 832. of the Moone Mela lieth alittle lower saying that the Egiptians reckon 330. Kings before Amasis and aboue 13000. yeares But the lie wanted
hee is thought to liue after the 〈◊〉 Where-vpon some thinke that hee liued this time not vpon earth 〈◊〉 was not a soule of those escaped but in the place to which his sonne 〈◊〉 â—…slated with him vntill the deluge were come and gone because they 〈◊〉 call the authoritie of these truthes into question seeing the Church 〈◊〉 â—…wed them nor beleeue that the Iewes haue the truth rather then we 〈◊〉 that this should rather bee an error in vs then in those oâ—… of whome 〈◊〉 it by the Greeke But say they it is incredible that the seuenty 〈◊〉 â—…ers who translated all at one time and in one senâ—… could erâ—… or would falsifie in a thing impertinent vnto them but that the Iewes enuying out translations of their lawe and their Prophets altered diuerse things in their bookes to subuert the authoritie of ours This opinionatiue suspicion euery one may take as hee please but this is once sure Mathusalem liued not after the deluge but dyed in the same yeare if the Hebrewes accoumpt be true Concerning the Septuagints translation I will speake my minde here-after when I come by Gods helpe to the times them-selues as the methode of the worke shall exact Sufficeth it for this present question to haue shewen by both bookes that the Fathers of old liued so long that one man might see a number of his owne propagation sufficient to build a cittie L. VIVES NOtable a question Hierome saith it was famous in all the Churches Hierom affirmes that the 70. erred in their accompt as they did in many things else and gathers out of the Iewes and Samaritanes bookes that Mathusalem dyed in that yeare wherein the deluge began Wherevpon Augustine doth iustly deride those that will rather trust the translation then the originall Of such as beleeue not that men of old time liued so long as is recorded CHAP. 12. NOr is any eare to bee giuen vnto those that thinke that one of our ordinary yeares would make tenne of the yeares of those times they were so short And therefore say they nine hundred yeares of theirs that is to say ninetie of ours their ten is our one and their hundred our tenne Thus thinke they that Adam was but twenty and three yeares olde when hee begot Seth and Seth but twentie and an halfe when hee begatte Enos which the Scriptures calles two hundred and fiue yeares For as these men hold the Scripture diuided one yeare into ten parts calling each part a yeare and each a part hath a sixe-folde quadrate because that in sixe dayes God made the world to rest vpon the seauenth whereof I haue already disputed in the eleuenth booke Now sixe times sixe for sixe maketh the sixe-fold quadrate is thirty sixe and ten times thirtie sixe is three hundred and sixtie that is twelue moneths of the Moone The fiue dayes remaining and that quarter of a day which b foure times doubled is added to the leape yeare those were added by the ancients afterwards to make vp the number of other yeares and the Romaines called them Dies intercalares dayes enterposed So Enos was nineteene yeares of age when hee begot Cayâ—…n the Scriptures saying hee was one hundred foure-score and ten yeares And so downe through all generations to the deluge there is not one in all our bookes that begot any sonne at an hundred or an hundred and twenty yeares or there-abouts but he that was the yongest father was one hundred and three score yeares of age because say they none can beget a childe at ten yeares of age which that number of an hundred maketh but at sixteene yeares they are of ability to generate and that is as the Scriptures say when they are one hundred and three-score yeere old And to prooue this diuersitie of yeares likely they fetch the Egiptian yeares of foure moneths the Acarnans of sixe moneths and the Latines of thirteene moneths c Pliny hauing recorded that some liued one hundred and fifty yeares some ten more some two hundred yeares some three hundred some fiue hundred some six hundred nay some eight hundred held that all this grew vpon ignorance in computation For some saith he made two years of summer and winter some made foure years of the foure quarters as the Arcadians did with their yeare of three monthes And the Egiptians saith he besides there little years of 4. months as we said before made the course of the Moone to conclude a yeare euery month Thus amongst them aithâ—…he are some recorded to haue liued a thousand yeares These probabilities haue some brought not to subuert the authority of holy writ but to prooue it credible that the Partiarches might liue so long and perswaded themselues thinking it no folly neither to perswade others so in like manner that their years in those daies were so little that ten of them made but one of ours a hundred of theirs ten of ours But I wil lay open the eminent falsenesse of this immediately Yet ere I do it I must first touch at a more credible suspicion Wee might ouerthrow this assertion out of the Hebrew bookes who say that Adam was not two hundred thirty but a hundred and thirty yeares old when hee begot his third son which if they make but thirteen years then he begot his first son at the eleauenth or twelfth yeare of his age And who can in natures ordinary course now beget a child so yong But let vs except Adam perhaps he might haue begotten one as soone as he was created for we may not thinke that he was created a little one as our children are borne But now his son Seth was not two hundred yeares old as wee read but a hundred and fifty when hee begot Enos and by their account but eleauen yeares of age What shall I say of Canaan who begot Malalehel at seauenty not at a hundred and seauenty yeares of age say the Hebrewes If those were but seauen yeares â—…at man can beget a child then L. VIVES EAch a part hath a A number quadrate is that which is formed by multiplication of it self 〈◊〉 three times three foure times foure and six times sixe The yeare hath 365. daies and sixe 〈◊〉 those computators did exclude the fiue daies and sixe houres and diuiding the three â—…dred sixty into ten partes the quotient was thirty sixe b Foure times Of this reade 〈◊〉 in Caesar. Censorin Macrob. and Bâ—…da Before Caesars time the yeare had three hundred â—…-fiue daies And obseruing that the true yeare required ten daies and six houres more it was put to the priests at the end of February to interpose two and twenty daies and because that these six houres euery fourth yeare became a day then it was added and this month was 〈◊〉 nothing but the intercalatory month In the intercalary month saith Asconius Tully 〈◊〉 for Milo Now this confused interposition Caesar beeing dictator tooke away comâ—…ding them to keepe a yeare of three hundred sixty fiue
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
themselues from others as all others betters Both sorts taught the law out ofâ—… Moyses chaire the scribes the litterall sence and the Pharisees the misteries c Astronomy Geometry Arithmetick and Astronomy were the ancient Egyptians onely studies Necessity made them Geometers for Nilus his in-undations euery yeare tooke away the boundes of their lands so that each one was faine to know his owne quantity and how it lay and in what forme and thus they drewe the principles of that art Now aptnesse made theÌ„ Astronomers for their nights were cleare neuer cloud came on their land so as they might easily discerne all the motions stations rising and fall of euery star a â—…udy both wondrous delectable and exceeding profitable and beseeming the excellence of 〈◊〉 now these two arts could not consist without number and so Arithmetick gotte vp for the third d Before the sages A diuersity of reading rather worth nothing then noting The Aegyptians abhominable lyings to claime their wisdome the age of 100000. yeares CHAP. 40. IT is therefore a monstrous absurdity to say as some doe that it is aboue 100000. yeares since Astronomie began in Egipt What recordes haue they for this that had their letters but two thousand yeares agoe or little more from Isis. Varro's authority is of worth here agreeing herein with the holy Scriptures For seeing it is not yet sixe thousand yeares from the first man Adam how ridiculous are they that ouer-runne the truth such a multitude of yeares whome shall wee beleeue in this so soone as him that fore-told what now we see accordingly effected The dissonance of histories giueth vs leaue to leane to such as doe accorde with our diuinitie The cittizens of Babilon indeed being diffused all the earth ouer when they read two authors of like and allowable authority differing in relations of the eldest memory they know not which to beleeue But we haue a diuine historie to vnder-shore vs and wee know that what so euer seculer author he bee famous or obscure if hee contradict that hee goeth farre â—…ay from truth But bee his words true or false they are of no valew to the atâ—…ement of true felicitie The dissension of Philosophers and the concord of the Canonicall Scriptures CHAP. 41. BVt to leaue history and come to the Philosophers whom wee left long agoe their studies seemed wholy to ayme at the attainment of beatitude Why did the schollers then contradict their maisters but that both were whirled away with humaine affects wherein a although there might be some spice of vaine-glory each thinking him-selfe wiser and quicker conceited then other and affecting to bee an Arch-dogmatist him-selfe and not a follower of others notwithstanding to grant that it was the loue of truth that carried some or the most of them from their teachers opinions to contend for truth were it truth or were it none what course what act can mortall misery performe to the obtaining of true blessednesse with-out it haue a diuine instruction as for our Canonicall authors God forbid that they should differ No they do not and therefore Worthily did so many nations beleeue that God spoake either in them or by them this the multitude in other places learned and vnlearned doe auow though your petty company of ianglers in the schooles denie it Our Prophets were but few â—…east being more their esteeme should haue beene lesse which religion ought â—…ghly to reuerence yet are they not so few but that their concord is iustly to be admired Let one looke amongst all the multitude of philosophers writings and if he finde two that tell both one tale in all respects it may be registred for a rariâ—… It were two much for me to stand ranking out their diuersities in this worke 〈◊〉 what Dogmatist in all this Hierarchy of Hell hath any such priuiledge that 〈◊〉 may not bee controuled and opposed by others with gracious allowâ—… to both partes were not the Epiâ—…urists in great accoumpt at Athens â—…ing that GOD had naught to doe with man And were not the Stoikes their opponents that held the Gods to bee the directors of all things euen as gratious as they Wherfore I maruell that b Anaxagoras was accused for saying the sunne was a fiery stone denying the god-head thereof Epicurus being allowed and graced in that Citty who diuided both deities of sunne starres yea of Ioue him-selfe c and all the rest in all respect of the world and mans supplications vnto them was not Aristippus there with his bodily summum bonum and Antisthenes with his mentall Both famous Socratists and yet both so farre contrary each to other in their subiects of beatitude The one bad a wise man flye rule the other bad him take it and both had full and frequent audience Did not euery one defend his opinion in publike in the towne d gâ—…llery in e schooles in f gardens and likewise in all priuate places One g held one world another a thousand some hold that one created some not created some hold it eternall some not eternall some say it ruled by the power of God others by chance Some say the soules are immortall others mortall some transfuse them into beasts others deny it some of those that make them mortall say they dye presently after the body others say they liue longer yet not for euer some place the cheefest good in the body some in the soule some in both some draw the externall goods to the soule and the body some say the sences go alwaie true some say but some-times some say neuer These and millions more of dissentions do the Phylosophers bandy and what people state kingdom or citty of all the diabolicall socyety hath euer brought them to the test or reiected these and receiued the other But hath giuen nourishment to all confusion in their very bosomes and vpheld the rable of curious ianglers not about lands or cases in lawe but vppon mayne poynts of misery and blisse Wherein if they spoke true they had as good leaue to speake false so fully and so fitly sorted their society to the name of Babilon which as we sayd signifieth confusion Nor careth their King the diuell how much they iangle it procureth him the larger haruest of variable impiety But the people state nation and Citty of Israell to whome Gods holy lawes were left they vsed not that licentious confusion of the false Prophets with the the true but all in one consent held and acknowledged the later for the true authors recording Gods testimonies These were their Sages their Poets their Prophets their teachers of truth and piety Hee that liued after their rules followed not man but God who spake in them The sacriledge forbidden there God forbiddeth the commandement of honour thy father and mother God commandeth Thou shalt not commit adultery nor murder nor shalt steale Gods wisdome pronounceth this not the witte of man For h what truth soeuer the Philosophers attayned and disputed off amidst their falshood as
God knoweth those that bee his and the deuill cannot draw a soule of them vnto damnation For this God knoweth as knowing all things to come not as one man seeth another in presence and cannot tell what shall be-come either of him hee seeth or of him-selfe here-after The diuell was therefore bound and locked vp that hee should no more seduce the nations the Churches members whom he had held in errour and impiety before they were vnited vnto the Church It is not said that hee should deceiue no man any more but that he should deceiue the people no more whereby questionlesse hee meaneth the Church Proceed vntill the thousand yeares bee fulfilled that is either the remainder of the sixth day the last thousand or the whole time that the world was to continue Nor may wee vnderstand the deuill so to bee barred from seducing that at this time expired hee should seduce those nations againe whereof the Church consisteth and from which hee was forbidden before But this place is like vnto that of the Psalme Our eyes waite vpon the Lord vntill hee haue mercy vpon vs for the seruants of God take not their eyes from beholding as soone as he hath mercy vpon them or else the order of the words is this Hee â—…t him vp and sealed the doore vpon him vntill a thousand yeares were fulfilled all that commeth betweene namely that he should not deceiue the people hauing no necessary connexion here-vnto but beeing to bee seuerally vnderstood as if it were added afterwards and so the sence runne thus And he shut him vp and sealed the dore vpon him vntill a thousand yeares were fulfilled that hee should not seduce the people that is therefore hee shutte him vp so long that he should seduce them no more L. VIVES FRom the a thousand Iohns mention of a thousand yeares in this place and Christs words I will not drinke hence-forth of the fruite of the vine vntill that day that I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome together with many Prophecies touching Christs kingdome in Hierusalem made some imagine that Christ would returne into the world raise the Saints in their bodyes and liue a thousand yeares heere on earth in all ioy peace and prosperitie farre exceeding the golden age of the Poets or that of Sybilla and Esayas The first Author of this opinion was Papias Bishop of Hierusalem who liued in the Apostles times Hee was seconded by Irenaeus Apollinarius Tertullian lib. de fidelium Victorinus 〈◊〉 Lactantius Diuin Instit. lib. 7. And although Hierome deride and scoffe at this opinion in many places yet in his fourth booke of his Commentaries vpon Hieremy hee saith that hee dare not condemne it because many holy martyrs and religious Christians held it so great an authority the person some-times giueth to the position that we must vse great modesty in our dissention with them and giue great reuerence to their godlynesse and grauity I cannot beleeue that the Saints held this opinion in that manner that Cerinthus the heretique did of whome wee read this in Eusebius Cerinthus held that Christ would haue an earthly kingdome in Hierusalem after the resurrection where the Saints should liue in all societie of humaine lusts and concupiscences Besides against all truth of scripture hee held that for a thousand yeares space this should hold with reuells and mariage and other works of corruption onely to deâ—…iue the carnall minded person Dionisius disputing of S. Iohns reuelation and reciting some ancient traditions of the Church hath thus much concerning this man Cerinthus quoth he the author of the Cerinthian heresie delighted much in getting his sect authority by wresting of scripture His heresie was that Christs Kingdome should bee terrestriall and being giuen vp vnto lust and gluttony himselfe he affirmed nothing but such things as those two affects taught him That all should abound with banquets and belly-chere and for the more grace to his assertions that the feasts of the law should be renewed and the offring of carnall sacrifices restored Irenaeus publisheth the secresie of this heresie in his first booke they that would know it may finde it there Thus farre Eusebius Hist. Eccl. lib. 3. wherefore this was not Papias his opinion whose originall Hierome would otherwise haue ascribed vnto Cerinthus who was more ancient then Papias a little though both liued in one age nor would Iraeneus haue written against Cerinthus for he allowed of Papias his opinion neither did all the sects agree in one as touching this thousand yeares but each one taught that which seemed likeliest vnto him-selfe and no wonder in so vaine a fiction Dionisius of Alexandria as Hierome affirmeth In Esai lib. 18. wroâ—… an elegant worke in derision of these Chiliasts and there Golden Hierusalem their reparation of the temple their bloud of sacrifices there Sabbath there circumsitions there birth there mariages there banquets there soueraignties their warres and tryumphs c. b The cheare shall exceed So saith Lactantius The earth shall yeeld her greatest faecundity and yeeld her plenty vntilled The rockie mountaines shall sweate hony the riuers shall runne wine and the fountaines milke To omit Cerinthus his relations which are farre more odious c Chiliast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a thousand d On the sixt day There is a report that in the bookes of Elias the Prophet it was recorded that the world should last 6000. yeares 2000. vnder vanity vnto Abraham 2000. vnder the law vnto Christ. and 2000. vnder Christ vnto the iudgement This by the Hebrewes account for the LXX haue aboue 3000. yeares from Adam to Abraham And in Augustines time the world lackt not 400 yeares of the full 6000. So that now our Vulgar accoumpt is aboue 6700. yeares Namely from Our Sauiour 1522. Whom Eusebius and such as follow the LXX affirme to haue beene borne in the yeare of the world 5100. and somewhat more Therefore Augustine saith that the later end of the 6000. yeares passed along in his time And Lactantius who liued before Augustine vnder Constantine saith that in his time there was but 200. of the 6000. yeares to runne Of the binding and loosing of the Diuell CHAP. 8. AFter that saith S. Iohn he must be loosed for a season Well although the Diuell be bound and lockt vp that he should not seduce the Church shall hee therefore be looosed to seduce it God forbid That Church which God predestinated and setled before the worlds foundation whereof it is written God knoweth those that be his that the Deuill shall neuer seduce and yet it shal be on earth euen at the time of his loosing as it hath continued in successiue estate euer since it was first erected for by and by after hee saith that the Diuill shall bring his seduced nations in armes against it whose number shal be as the sea sands And they went vp saith hee vnto the plaine of the earth and compassed the tents of the Saints about and
aduised them to remember the law of Moyses because he fore saw that would here-after miss-interprete much thereof hee addeth Behold I will send you a Heliah the Prophet before the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord and hee shall turne the heart of the fathers to the children and of the children to the fathers least I come and smite the earth with cursing That this great and mighty Prophet Elias shall conuert b the Iewes vnto Christ before the iudgment by expounding them the lawe is most commonly beleeued and taught of vs Christians and is held as a point of infallible truth For we may well hope for the comming of him before the iudgment of Christ whome we do truly beleeue to liue in the body at this present houre with-out hauing euer tasted of death Hee was taken vp by a fiery chariot body and soule from this mortall world as the scriptures plainly auouch Therefore when he commeth to giue the law a spirituall exposition which the Iewes doe now vnderstand wholy in a carnall sence Then shall hee turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children or the heart of the father vnto the child for the LXX doe often vse the singular number for the plurall that is the Iewes shall then vnderstand the law as their holy forefathers had done before them Moyses the Prophets and the rest For the vnderstanding of the fathers being brought to the vnderstanding of the children is the turning of the fathers heart vnto the children and the childrens consent vnto the vnderstanding of the fathers is the turning of their heart vnto the fathers And whereas the LXX say c And the heart of a man vnto his kinsman fathers and children are the nearest of kindred and consequently are meant of in this place There may be a farther and more choice interpretation of this place namely that Helias should turne the heart of the father vnto the childe not by making the father to loue the child but by teaching that the father loueth him that the Iewes who had hated him before may hence-forth loue him also For they hold that God hateth him now because they hold him to be neither God nor the Sonne of God but then shall his heart in their iudgements be turned vnto him when they are so farre turned them-selues as to vnderstand how he loueth him The sequell And the heart of man vnto his kinsman meaneth the heart of man vnto the man Christ for hee being one God in the forme of God taking the forme of a seruant and becomming man vouchsafed to become our kinsman This then shall Heliah performe Least I come and smite the earth with cursing The earth that is those carnall thoughted Iewes that now are and that now murmure at the Deity saying that he delighted in the wicked and that it is in vaine to serue him L. VIVES HEliah a the Of him read the King 1. 2. The Iewes out of this place of Malachi beleeue that hee shall come againe before the Messiah as the Apostles doe shew in their question concerning his comming Matt. 17. to which our Sauiour in answering that he is come already doth not reproue the Scribes opinion but sheweth another cōming of Heliah before himelfe which the Scribes did not vnderstand Origen for first he had said that Helias must first come and restore all things But it being generally held that Helias should come before Christ and it being vnknowne before which comming of Christ our Sauiour to cleare the doubt that might arise of his deity in that the people did not see that Helias was come said Helias is come already meaning Iohn of whome hee him-selfe had sayd If yee will receiue it this is Helias As if he had said bee not moued in that you thinke you saw not Helias before me whome you doubt whether I be the Messias or no. No man can be deceiued in the beleeuing that Iohn who came before me was that Helias who was to come not that his soule was in Iohn or that Helias himselfe in person were come but in that Iohn came in the spirit and power of Helias to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children to make the vnbeleeuers righteous and to prepare me a perfect people as the Angel promised of him Luc. 1. 17 This great mistery the Lord being willing to poynt at and yet not laying it fully open hee eleuates the hearts of the audience with his vsuall phrase vpon such occasions Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare And truely Iohns life came very neare Helias his Both liued in the wildernesse both wore girdles of skins both reproued vicious Princes and were persecuted by them both preached the comming of Christ fittly therefore might Iohn bee called another Helias to forerunne Christs first comming as Helias him-selfe shall do the second c. b Conuert the Iewes Therefore said Christ Helias must first come c. to correct saith Chrisostome their infidelity and to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children that is vnto the Apostles And then hee maketh a question If Helias his comming shall do so much good why did not our Sauiour send him before his first comming Answ. because as then they held our Sauiour himselfe to be Helias and yet would not beleeue him wheras when at the worlds end Helias shall come after all their tedious expectation and shew them who was the true Messias then will they all beleeue him c And the heart of man Hierome and our English vulgar read it other-wise That it is not euident in the Old-Testament in such places as say God shall iudge that it shal be in the person of Christ but onely by some of the testimonies where the Lord God speakes CHAP. 30. TO gather the whole number of such places of Scripture as prophecy this iudgement were too tedious Sufficeth we haue proued it out of both the Testaments But the places of the Old-Testament are not so euident for the comming of Christ a in person as them of the New be for whereas we read in the Old that the Lord God shall come it is no consequent that it is meant of Christ for the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are all both Lord and God which we may not omit to obserue Wee must therefore first of all make a demonstration of those places in the prophets as do expressely name the Lord God and yet herein are euidently meant of Iesus Christ as also of those wherein this euidence is not so plaine and yet may bee conueniently vnderstood of him neuerthelesse There is one place in Isaias that hath it as plaine as may be Here me O Iacob and Israel saith the said Prophet my called I am I am the first and I am the last surely my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand hath spanned the Heauens when I call them they stand together All you assemble your selues and heare which amongst
miracles that the Pagans ascribe vnto their Idolds are no way comparable to the wonders wrought by our Martyrs But as Moyses ouer-threw the enchanters of Pharao so do our martyrs ouer-throw their deuills who wrought those wonders out of their owne pride onely to gaine the reputation of Gods But our Martyrs or rather GOD him-selfe through their prayers wrought vnto another end onely to confirme that faith which excludeth multitude of Gods and beleeueth but in one The Pagans built Temples to those Deuills ordeining Priests and sacrifices for them as for Gods But we build our martyrs no temples but onely erect them monuments as in memory of men departed whose spirits are at rest in God Wee erect no altars to sacrifice to them we offer onely to him who is both their God and ours at which offring those conquerors of the world as men of God haue each one his peculiar commemoration but no inuocation at all For the sacrifice is offred vnto Cod though it be in memory of them and he that offreth it is a Priest of the Lord and not of theirs and the offring is the body of the Lord which is not offred vnto them because they are that body them-selues Whose miracles shall wee then beleeue Theirs that would be accompted for Gods by those to whom they shew them or theirs which tend all to confirme our beleefe in one GOD which is CHRIST Those that would haue their filthiest acts held sacred or those that will not haue their very vertues held sacred in respect of their owne glories but referred vnto his glory who hath imparted such goodnesse vnto them Let vs beleeue them that doe both worke miracles and teach the truth for this latter gaue them power to performe the former A chiefe point of which truth is this CHRIST rose againe in the flesh and shewed the immortality of the resurrection in his owne body which hee promised vnto vs in the end of this world or in the beginning of the next Against the Platonists that oppose the eleuation of the body vp to heauen by arguments of elementary ponderosity CHAP. 11. AGainst this promise do many whose thoughts God knoweth to be vaine make oppositiō out of the nature of elements Plato their Mr. teaching them that the two most contrary bodies of the world are combined by other two meanes that is by ayre and water Therefore say they earth being lowest water next then ayre and then the heauen earth cannot possibly bee contained in heauen euery element hauing his peculiar poise and tending naturally to his proper place See with what vaine weake and weightlesse arguments mans infirmity opposeth Gods omnipotency Why then are there so many earthly bodies in the ayre ayre being the third element from earth Cannot he that gaue birds that are earthly bodyes fethers of power to sustaine them in the ayre giue the like power to glorified and immortall bodies to possesse the heauen Againe if this reason of theirs were true all that cannot flie should liue vnder the earth as fishes doe in the water Why then doe not the earthly creatures liue in the water which is the next element vnto earth but in the ayre which is the third And seeing they belong to the earth why doth the next element aboue the earth presently choake them and drowne them and the third feed and nourish them Are the elements out of order here now or are their arguments out of reason I will not stand heere to make a rehearsall of what I spake in the thirteene booke of many terrene substances of great weight as Lead Iron c. which not-with-standing may haue such a forme giuen it that it will swimme and support it selfe vpon the water And cannot God almighty giue the body of man such a forme like-wise that it may ascend and support it selfe in heauen Let them stick to their method of elements which is all their trust yet can they not tell what to say to my former assertion For earth is the lowest element and then water and ayre successiuely and heauen the fourth and highest but the soule is a fifth essence aboue them all Aristotle calleth it a fifth a body and Plato saith it is vtterly incorporeall If it were the fift in order then were it aboue the rest but being incorporeall it is much more aboue all substances corporeall What doth it then in a lumpe of earth it being the most subtile and this the most grosse essence It being the most actiue and this the most vnweeldy Cannot the excellencie of it haue power to lift vp this Hath the nature of the body power to draw downe a soule from heauen and shall not the soule haue power to carry the body thether whence it came it selfe And now if we should examine the miracles which they parallell with those of our martyrs wee should finde proofes against themselues out of their owne relations One of their greatest ones is that which Varro reports of a vestall votaresse who being suspected of whoredome filled a Siue with the water of Tiber and carried it vnto her Iudges with-out spilling a drop Who was it that kept the water in the siue so that not one droppe passed through those thousand holes Some God or some Diuell they must needs say Well if hee were a God is hee greater then hee that made the world if then an inferiour God Angell or Deuill had this power to dispose thus of an heauie element that the very nature of it seemed altered cannot then the Almighty maker of the whole world take away the ponderosity of earth and giue the quickned body an hability to dwell in the same place that the quickning spirit shall elect And where-as they place the ayre betweene the fire aboue and the water beneath how commeth it that wee often-times finde it betweene water and water or betweene water and earth for what will they make of those watry clowds betweene which and the sea the ayre hath an ordinary passage What order of the elements doth appoint that those flouds of raine that fall vpon the earth below the ayre should first hang in the clowds aboue the ayre And why is ayre in the midst betweene the heauen and the earth if it were as they say to haue the place betweene the heauens and the waters as water is betweene it and the earth And lastly if the elements bee so disposed as that the two meanes ayre and water doe combine the two extreames fire and earth heauen being in the highest place and earth in the lowest as the worlds foundation and therefore say they impossible to bee in heauen what doe wee then with fire here vpon earth for if this order of theirs bee kept inuiolate then as earth cannot haue any place in fire no more should fire haue any in earth as that which is lowest cannot haue residence aloft no more should that which is aloft haue residence below But we see this order renuersed We haue fire