is here by the Apostle said to be Satan Now although the Prince of darkenesse doth worke in all the children of disobedience and the deuill hath his hand in euery sinne yet it is not vsuall to name or mention him but in some very notorious and greatly outragious as in that of Iudas that the Deuill entred into him and of Elymas that he was the child of the Deuill and of Antichrist that his comming is with the effectuall working of the Deuill and in the Ecclesiasticall historie when the horrible heretike Cerinthus greeted Saint Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist with non nosti nos knowe you not mee receiued this answer noui te primogenitum diaboli yes I know you to be the deuills eldest sonne So that as the Poets in inextricable exigencies do bring down Iupiter vpon the stage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a deuise or engine so doth God in matters that passe the ordinarie pitch bring in Sathan to shew the transcendencie of the sault We are then to know for the fountaine of sinne that there are cogitationes immissae Satans iaculations and cogitationes ascendentes humane ebullitions this of Ananias is mixt of both as appeares in the next words where repeating the same matter he alters the phrase saying why hast thou conceiued this thing in thy heart so that both Satan did fill his heart and his heart conceiued it Satan by inticing moouing perswading he by consenting yeelding obeying Satan by casting in his fierie darts of temptation he by blowing these coales of destruction By the enuy of the deuill saith Syracides sinne entred into the world yet out of the heart saith our Sauiour arise euill thoughts murders adulteries thefts c. Wherefore as Satan entred into Iudas non tam vt tentaret quà m vt possideret not so much to tempt him as to possesse him non vt alienum sed vt proprium not as a stranger but as his peculiar nec tam vt possideret quà m vt transformaret not so much to possesse him as transforme him whereupon our Sauiour said haue not I chosen you twelue and one is a deuill so he tempted possessed transformed Ananias with an extraordinarie temptation a souraigne domination an vniuersall transmutation so that as Iudas was a traytor before he did betray as our Sauiour insinuates quod facis in the present tense fac citò for beeing so wholly set vpon it with head and heart and hand that had his heads beene as many as Cerberus or the whore of Babylon and his hands as many as Briareus or any King of whom it is said An niscis multas regibus esse manus he would haue set them all on worke so full he was vp to the top non â—am facit peccatum sed est peccatum it was too small a predication to say he did sinne for he was conuerted into sinne hee was nothing but sinne And yet this was but one halfe of his sinne that he left no place for God no place for goodnesse Satan had taken vp all the roomes in his heart as interpreters do obserue And all this is but his stampe of one side whose man he was and whom hee entertained Come to the other side whom he I will not say kept out but draue out his sinne against the holy Ghost the second part of the sinne Although lying be sometime set for dissembling in the holy booke as where Dauid saith his enemies shall lie vnto him speaking both of the type himselfe or his sonne and the Messias to note the hypocrisie and false-heartednes of his vanquished subiects and againe of the like they should haue beene found liers vnto him that is they should humble themselues with false obedience and forged submission yet as we haue noted Cap. 2. very learned Expositors besides the aduantage of the letter haue taken it for that irremissible blafphemie that is directed against the third person in Trinitie not of ignorance or of infirmity as to the sonne and the Father but of malice to the fountaine and author of holines which as the schoolemen say Idâ—ò colorem non habet excusationis quod quantum in se est directè impugnativum est medici remedij per quod fit remissio peccati it hath no colour of excuse because as much as in it is it doth directly oppose both the Physitian and the Physicke whereby remission is wrought Bellarmine Directè resistit repudiat gratiam Dei it plainely resisteth and refuseth Gods mercy such is the sinne Now if we looke when or wherein this sinne by him was committed we finde nothing but this fact for which he was tainted or touched then this verie sinne quatenus he promised such goods to the author of holinesse to be a helpe and meanes to propagate holinesse as it concerned the person cui was blasphemie beeing frustrated and falsified in the effect as it considered the thing in quo the detension of that which was so deuoted was sacriledge which is the third branch of his sinne now comming in order to be touched or the circa quod Wherein we must now no more set our eie vpon the partie to whom the origination and procuration of holinesse doth pertaine the last thing which we considered but the materialls of holinesse or the things sanctified and separate for holy seruice themselues of the fellonious diminishing whereof Ananiis here charged as we saw before and it is seuerally set downe in the next words by a disiunctiue coniunction thus and keep backe part of the price of the possession Wherein beside his impious legier-de-maine that Ficta oblatione Deum Ecclesiam fallere vouit saith Calvin by a false shew of a bountifull heart hee went about to gull both God and his Church we obserue his fowle prophanation of a faire constitution for it was now a voluntarie graunt or a customarie practise receiued for law in that litle commonwealth that such as had should improoue their loue to the highest linke when he like Ionas worme doth blast the honour of God the vse of goods his owne deuotion and others sustentation with one cast of hypocrisie I will not mention his foolish ambition that for a small aire of humane applause he could be content to forfeit his reward in heauen nor his Paganish incredulitie that thought God either would not in so many coufluences of Proselytes or could not in so great incumbrances of opposites maintaine his Church and therefore thought to haue more hold of his hand then he had of his tongue These be the parts of his sinne seuerally laid open in themselues and yet in such reciprocall aspect and position one to another that they touch and take essence and efficacie one from another for the fulnesse of Satan argues his totall and finall apostacie from God and his sinne against the holy Ghost confirmes his sacriledge to the holy Church and lastly his enuying and spoyling the holy Church prooueth his compleate deuillishnesse Of which particulars before we collect the totall summe let vs gather such vses of these points as lie scattered in our way that both our path may be the smoother and our prouision for the rest of our passage the better First then we here obserue the truth of those words of
and laid downe the prices at the Apostles feete and distribution was made according as euery one did need So did other so did Ioses a Leuite and for that cause was happily of the Apostles surnamed Barnabas or the sonne of consolation for comforting the hearts of the Church who as yet were but barely prouided for persecution being feared without and penurie felt within her doores But as he and other did beautifie the religion with their deuotion so there want not that blemish the same with their deep dissimulation Therefore S. Luke to illustrate the fact of the one opposeth ex diametro the fault of the other as Chrysostome obserueth to the ende the dissimulation of Ananias may giue a lustre to the sinceritie of Ioses and shewe the world that there is a consolation in Christ a comfort of loue a fellowship of the Spirit and bowels of mercie though profane men neither praise it nor practise it This the occasion Now here is set downe a wicked combination of a man and his wife in a matter of Dedication by themselues done to God and his Church how to delude and frustrate both which counterfeit carriage the great and holy Apostle doth both descrie and discouer first to their conuiction secondly to their confusion Where first we may reade the sinne and then the censure The sinne is Sacriledge that is compilation or cousenage of things now consecrated to God and holy vses The censure is Excommunication or distriction of the spiritual sword and that in the heauiest of all heauie curses The sinne is set downe first barely by Luke by way of historicall narration the censure inflicted by Peter by Apostolicall iurisdiction the historie is couched in the two first verses and comprise the efficients materiall and formall causes Ananias and his wife sold a possession and kept backe part of the price and brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certaine quillet or quidditie a thing of nothing in comparison of the maine a niggardly share whereas they had promised the whole as Barnabas had done before and they made shewe to imitate The censure followes first in reprehension secondly in castigation The reproofe containes 1. an accusation v. 3. 2. a confutation The accusation is in the appellation of the offender Ananias and enumeration of the parts of the offence which are three 1. The author by whose suggestion Why hath Sathan filled thine heart where is also touched part of the forme of the offence 2. The obiect against whom the sinne was committed including also the other part of the forme That thou shouldst lie to the holy Ghost 3. The subiect wherein the matter of the sinne consisted And keep backe part of the price of the possession The Confutation followes and that is of three secret obiections answerable to the heads of the accusation but inuerting the order as the manner of Scripture is to doe to the last first Obiect 1. A man may doe with his owne what he will but this was mine ergo To this the Apostle answereth by letting passe the maior as beeing impertinent and denying the minor with distinguishing vpon the time first for time of possession granting it when it remained vnsold remained it not to thee namely the land secondly and for time of alienation yeelding it and when it was sold was it not in thine owne power namely the price thirdly but for time of dedication denying it strongly by interrogation and passing it ouer by a crypsis of method as if all law and logicke all rule and reason did disavow it for thou hadst no more right to the monie now giuen then to the land now sold Obiect 2. As to the author he might say if it were an offence yet was it not mine but Satans as your selfe auouch To this he answers with a non sequitur though Sathans by temptation yet yours also by approbation he might haue as one noteth suadendi astuâ—iam not cogendi potentiam he might suggest hee could not enforce he was the founder the woer the father thy heart was the worker the spouse the mother why hast thou conceiued this thing in thy heart Obiect 3. Well then though a fault and in some sort my fault also yet no such great fault as needed so sharpe and publike reproofe at the worst being but to a few simple men that could challenge nothing of a free donation and might haue receiued other satisfaction Answ Yes your sinne is not so much to men who are but the Assignes to whom the benefit of your donation should haue acrued as vnto God who is the donor who by such fraud is frustrated and by your dodging dishonoured not onely the father that foundeth his Church in his Sonne and the Sonne that collecteth it by his Spirit but the holy Spirit that sequestreth it by his power sanctifieth it with his grace beautifieth it with his gifts combineth it with his loue preserueth it by his prouidence and honoureth it with his truth Thou hast not lied vnto man but vnto God euen God the holy Ghost This is the reprehension the Castigation follows when Ananias found himselfe first thus deprehended in the darkenesse of his owne deceit like the fish Sepia that misteth her selfe in her owne mud and reprehended for the blacknesse of his sinne by the wisedome of the Spirit and peircing words of the Apostle and lastly confuted in the simple Labyrinth of his owne Logicke it remaines that hee is confounded by the inward remorse of his couetous conscience and as at the hearing of his owne funerall sermon falls downe dead in the place by the fulmination of the fearfullest anathema anathema maran-atha a temporall consternation of the bodie cut off from the grace of life and eternall malediction of the soule depriued of the life of grace an exemplarie vengeance to other a fearfull iudgement to himselfe by a sad a sudden and vnrepentant death not so much in forme of words as in the effect of deeds When Ananias heard these words he fell downe and gaue vp the ghost Lastly the vse of this curse annexed what effect it should and did produce to other trepidation and feare illustrated by the extent or quantitie both of the affection and the subiect or auditors Great feare came vpon all them that heard these things And thus much for the Context and analysis or logicall resolution CHAP. II. The Theologicall tractation First of his sinne in generall how great it was and what COncerning his sinne that it should be proportionate to his punishment all do not agree the most auouch that it was Sacriledge none say it was lesse but some say more as namely that sinne vnto death the sinne against the holy Ghost I thinke it was both First that his sinne was Sacriledge it is too apparent to be gainesaid as I am of opinion although the learned Fulke vpon the Rhemish notes seemeth to denie it as I take in heate of dispute For the detaining or detracting
and curse them They haue taken crafty counsell against thy people consulted against thy secret ones super populum tuum malignauerunt saith the vulgar The note 1. the grudge and malice of the world which is truly Ecclesia malignantium is not of others desert but their owne enuyous nature and odious rancour whose swelling and stinging came from the old serpent and doth reside in all the brood which deadly feud will neuer end till Michael cast out the Dragon so that his place may be no more found in heauen 2. God will in time asswage the furie of his enemies the red dragon and his complices that now spit fire and spew out floods of water against the woman his Church and spouse 3. His hidden or secret ones are such as dwell vnder the defence of the most high and abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie who howeuer they seeme to lie open to all incursion yet are indeede safe-garded from reall harme in his secret pauilion not onely from the strength of hands but euen the strife of tongues of their most virulent ill willers They haue said Come let vs cut them off from beeing a nation that the name of Israel be no more remembred These are those soni absoni and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brutish noises and brabling resonings aboue mentioned of men conspiring to dismantle Gods house and depopulate his inheritance The note 1. the cause why the wicked are so inraged against the religion is this that Sathan seekes with incessant malice to race it out and therefore exciteth his deboshed instruments to warre against it but their attempts are as friuolous as their intents barbarous by thinking to ouerthrow the counsel of God on which the perpetuitie of the Church is grounded 2. Persecution is not euer against the blood and life of Gods Saints but against the meanes of life the prouision of the profession and surely those Neronian humours are lesse bloody then your Iulian rancours who did noua more expugnare Christianos deuise a new kinde of persecution by withdrawing their salaries and exhibitions For they haue conspired against thee with one consent and are confederate against thee Here are the holy leagues the strong combinations the mutuall conspiracies of mightest Princes and people bending their conioyned forces against the Church Note 1. what armes what ensignes what preparations what prouisions what conscriptions what proscriptions doth the Church of Rome at this day raise against the religion and all to put out their name from vnder heauen yet the Iewes continued a nation and Israel a people when Moab and Ammon lay in the dust therefore let vs in like concatenations of our enemies repaire to God and we shall see Antichrist not onely disarmed but dismembred and heare Romes both deuiction and deuastation True religion shall stand when Popery though all the world should vnderprop it shall bee brought downe Valeat vincat regnet veritas 2. Though they doe not in direct words bid battel to God and set vp a flag of desiance against heauen that rob the Church yet because through his ministers sides they strike at his Maiestie he makes himselfe a partie for it is no halting before him The tabernacle of Edom and the Ismaelites of Moab and the Hagaren◠Gebal and Ammon and Amalec the Philistims the inhabitants of Tyre Assur also is ioyned with them to help the children of Lot Here is a full congregation enough to ouer-runne a world Note 1. It is fatall to the Church to haue all the world against her for error and vice is euer more popular then truth and goodnes 2. It is customarie not onely to haue the forren enemie on our iacke but also domesticke neighbours no deuill to your familiar 3. He reckons vp such enemies as bordered vpon lewry whose names and notations shadowe out such enemies as shall euer endaunger the Church as for example 1. Edom a redde that is bloodie or earthie enemie 2. Ismael hearing and obeying his owne lusts 3. Moab of the father the deuill 4. Agarens strangers in affection and religion 5. Gebal the limits of extreamitie 6. Ammon a troubled or troublesome people 7. Amalec a lickerish nation 8. Philistims drunken in pleasure 9. Tyre besiegers or procurers of trouble 10. Asshur an eying and enuying a conquering and domineering aduersarie 11. The children of Lot decliners and Apostates These are the names and natures as Athanasius Augustin expound them of our opposits And thus much of their malice and blasphemie now followes their fortunes and miserie Doe vnto them as vnto the Madianits to Sisera and Iabin at the brooke of Kison who perished at Endor and became as the doung of the earth make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb make all their Princes like Zebah and Salmana This is the propheticall praier Non votum sedprophetia non maledictio sed praedictio The note 1. God doth most commonly deferre his help and deliuerance till the exigent and last cast to the end his helpe may then bee more conspicuous and his glorie more illustrious 2. His former actions and deliuerances remembred and considered will not a little serue to comfort our affliction and giue hope and strength to our expectation 3. As the former so also these paint out our spirituall haters of whom we reade in Iosua chap. 4. 7. 8. 1. Midian shifting or declining of iudgement 2. Sisera exclusion of ioy 3. Iabin fleshly wisedome 4. Oreb a crow for dilation of repentance 5. Zceb a wolfe for rauenous greedines 6. Zeba a sacrifice 7. Salmana the shadow of commotion 8. Kishon hardnes of heart 9. Endor the fountaine of earthly generation Such were the men and such were the places where they fell but in what manner they became as the doung of the earth simus foecundat not propagat it makes the ground fertill it is not it selfe fruitfull the examples of euill men are not euill Who haue said Come let vs take the houses of God into our possessions Here they declare themselues Note 1. Let worldlings pretend what shewes they please they name deuotion but meane deuoration it is not the good of the Church but the goods of the Church that they seeke after 2. Churches Colledges and houses of old dedication are called Gods not for his residing in temples made with hands in proper sence but because such places are dedicated to him consecrated to his seruice intended to his ministers as officinae religionis instrumenta pietatis deposita deuotionis 3. As good husbands esteemes their houses and patrimonies not suffring them to be ruined or wrested from them no more will God suffer his enemies to inuade his possessions or vsurpe his inheritance and therefore such things ought to be inuiolable and inappropriable to any other or any other end for which cause let them looke vpon them that haue done the like who they were how they fared where they miscaried they lined impiously died desperatly are