Speech of S. Gregory In natura humanitatis novit Christus diem judicii sed non ex natura humanitatis He knows it being man not as he is man But this day was a secret which he reveal'd not to his Disciples but to stay their curiosity told them It was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father had kept in his own power Upon which words saies S. Austin In vain is all search to know the end of the world since Truth it self had made known unto us thus much for truth that this truth is not to be known Dreadfull also is this judgment for the Sodainesse The former dreadfullnesse which was from the secrecy was in respect of our Knowledge but this from the Sodainesse shall be in respect of Preparation A man may be prepar'd against many things that shall come secretly but this shall also come sodainly the world shall not be prepar'd In such an houre as you thinke not the Sonne of man comes Matt. 24.44 The day of the Lord so comes as a theefe in the night for when they shall say Peace and safty then sadaine destruction comes upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thess 5.2 3. As in the dayes of Noah and of Lot there was water and fire though not to purifie but confound so shall it be by fire in the day of the Lord. Indeed when he comes what should stay his Judgment for when he comes shall he find faith on the earth As in the dayes of Noah but eight righteous persons were found and as in the dayes of Lot but halfe so many in the Cities which were then destroy'd so shall it be in the day of the Lord though not strictly so few yet but very few shall then escape the wicked becomming fuell in that fire and their number increasing it when therfore the signes of that day come the world shall be surpriz'd with fear and horrour with such feare and horrour as shall be their first Hell Dreadfull is this Judgment for the Preparation also there shall be preparation for it in the Heavens in the Aire in the Seas in the Earth Preparation in the heavens in the Sunne and Moone They shall now be signes not of comfort but of Judgment The Sunne shall be turn'd into darknesse and the moone into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come Joel 2.31 Which gastly darknesse in the Sunne and Moone the wicked shall not be able to neglect And though they did in this life neglect the signes of Gods Mercy yet shall they not be able to neglect these signes of his Justice They shall not escape this darknesse by a figure taking the Sunne and Moone for the Church which in the time of Antichrist shall be Obscur'd or phantastically making the Sunne to signifie the Devill and the Moone the Reprobate as Origen implies though this last would be no comfort to them They shall not escape this darknesse by saying the Sunne and Moone shall Seeme to be dark'ned because they shall be Out-shind by the Glory of Christ at his comming no this darknesse shall be a signe before the glorious comming of Christ They shall not escape this darknesse by making it only a kind of speech to signify the Calamity of that time for this were to make the signes rather in the earth than in the heaven But our Saviour sayes expressely There shall be signes in the Sunne and Moone Now what signes were in them if there were no Change in them Nor shall they escape it by quarrelling with the manner of effecting it which shall not be as some have ridiculously phansied by the vast clouds of smoake that ascend from the burning of the world this darknesse shall be before that fire or els there would be no body left to see that darknesse but it is said that at that dreadfull sight mens hearts shall faile them Nor shall this darknesse be effected by an eclipse the Astronomers can tell us that by an eclipse the Sunne and Moone cannot both at once be darkned the Sunne being eclips'd by the interposition of the Moone between his light and our eie the Moone being eclips'd by the interposition of the earth between the Sunne and Moone Nor need we suppose the interposition of some cloudes or the like darke bodies in that day to hinder their light He is able to deprive those glorious bodies of their light nay which is a greater wonder he is able leaving them their light to take from them their power of sending-forth their light as he tooke away the power of burning from the fiery furnace into which the three children were cast But shall we define the wayes of the Allmighty and appoint him his Counsailes No more may we appoint the Continuance of this darknesse which whether it shall be longer then the darknesse in Aegypt which lasted three dayes or shorter then the darknesse at our Saviour's Passion which lasted but three houres we have no more use of such knowledge then knowledge of the Continuance But this we know that it shall be long enough to prove the instant approach of the Lord 's comming and to drive the wicked not into repentance but into desperation But yet there must be more preparation in the heaven whiles preparation in the Starres For the Starres shall fall from heaven Matt. 24.29 though Reason and the Astronomer will undertake to demonstrate that a starre is of that bignesse that the whole earth is not able to intertaine a starre or two Besides that the heaven is incorruptible and the starres fix'd in that incorruptible body Indeed there is no absolute necessity to understand this Literally but yet S. Austin thought it not improbable and S. Chrysostome not only thought it probable but alleadges also that of the Prophet Isaiah 34.4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall downe as the leafe falls off from the vine and as a falling fig from the figtree What is this sayes that Father the Starres shall fall from heaven as the leaves fall from the vine whiles the vine has fruite so long it requires the use of leaves to protect it but afterwards the leaves fall away so whiles there are inhabitants on the earth the Starres in heaven will be needfull for the earth but when night it selfe shall cease to be then likewise the Starres shall be no more Which interpretation does no way disagree either with the wonder of that day which shall be a day of wonder or with the omnipotency of God who can easily make them lesse and make them fall who of nothing made them into this bignesse Irreverent it were for us to examine whether he will doe it by a miraculous compression of the substance of a starre or otherwise who can performe it so many wayes beyond the feeble and ridiculous guesse of Reason
just distinction weight He forgives Iniquitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinne of man against his Neighbour his unjust dealing He forgives Transgression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man's Rebellion against God his receding from the power of the Lord that layd a command upon him and so aptly expresses the old offenee of our first parents their Disobedience as the Apostle calls it and our own offences against the Lord. He forgives Sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Sepiuagint renders it which though it be of a large signification yet here by way of difference may fitly be taken for that sin of sinnes which is too nerely against Our selves that sinne whence others flow that law in our members as the Apostle speakes Rom. 7.23 the sinne that dwells in us v. 17. originall sinne And thus does the Lord Iesus deliver his people at the last from all kind of sinne Iniquitie against our Neighbour Transgression against God Sinne against our selves And as the Lord did visibly shew himselfe passing by before Moses so did the Lord Iesus who was represented in that vision exhibite himselfe in the flesh visibly to the world as it were a passing by the World At which wonderfull sight yea at the remembrance of it may not we likewise take up with a little change those words of almighty God The Lord the Lord God the Lord the Lord Iesus Mercifull and Gracious long suffering and Abundant in Goodnesse and Truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sinne Now as this work of our Saviour was the Restoring of the world so was it also the ordering of it and accordingly the Greek Fathers frequently call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordering of a house hould as Iustin and Nazianzene expresse it God in his mercy having by this provided for the world as for his familie Which word they might borrow from the Apostle Ep. 1.10 where he says God did worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the dispensation of the fullnesse of times which might have been rendred in his house-hold-goverment or in the governing of his family the world in the fullnesse of times Nor has he only order'd the world but also Honoured it whiles Man in Iesus is united unto God Here did God gather together in one all things in Christ Eph. 1.10 all things that is Man as Irenaeus and S. Gregory expound it He did it that he might gather all things together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might Recapitulate or bring to a Head all things in Christ Indeed we are but the Members he is the Head the Annointed head he is God's Christ or his Annointed The eminency of Annointing you may see in the excellency of the persons anciently annointed among the Iews the Priest the Prophet and the King Of which last Lactantius observ'd that Annointing was the signe of Royalty among the Iews as the purple roabe was among the Romans All which respects concurr'd in the Annointing of our Saviour he being a Priest that offer'd Sacrifice for the sinnes of the World he being a Prophet that declared the secret Counsaile of his Father concerning the redemption of mankind he being a King in delivering Laws and affording protection to his Church And being thus mystically annointed with the Holy Ghost he may more truely than Zerubbabel and Ioshua the high Priest after the Captivity in the phrase of the prophet Zacharie 4.14 be call'd the Sonne of oile Nor was it without an embleme that he ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives which then was also the mount of the Annointed Oile is by the Hebrews called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the purity and shining of it When therefore it is said Psal 104.15 that God gives man Oile to make his face shine the originall imports to make his face shine more than oile as the English Interpreters observe Indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word drawn from the same originall with the former signifies the Light at noon day or the most full light and thus is our Saviour Christ brighter than oile and the Meridian Light that inlightens the world No marvaile then if the Gentiles whiles they were out of the Govenant of Grace so much envied at the glory of Christ the annointed so much that they indeavoured to burne all bookes that had the name of Christ in them especially the Sacred writings compelling all that in the Dioclesian persecution had such bookes to deliver them up whence such faint Christians as delivered them were call'd Traditores as S. Austin in part implies against the Donatists and as appeares by the first Councill of Arles Can. 13. and by Arnobius with others But as those Gentiles were not able to blot out the Sacred and Glorious name of Christ so neither was Domitian with all the power of his Malice and Crueltie before that able to disgrace the name of Christian though because it was in honour of our Saviour and so signified a servant of Christ the Annointed he imposed that scorne and intended torment upon the blessed Evangelist S. Iohn by causing him to be cast into a vessell of scalding oile Domitian's oile having no more power agaist the Christian than against Christ And that we may know how to be true Christians we may partly learne it from the names by which at the beginning of their profession they call'd themselves their usuall name being Disciples implying an obedience and willingnesse to learne Truth and so was an Instruction as well as a Title They were called the Beleivers not that they did disclaime holy workes which are all good mens Duty but that comparatively they disesteemed them nothing being meritorious but Christ and by Christ the Foundation of their Faith They were called Breathren they were call'd Saints intimating their Unity and Holinesse not in Pretence but Practice But the most usuall name of Humilitie and Zeale was Disciples which yet was chang'd at Antiochia by the consent of the Apostles into the name of Christians upon occasion as Athanasius shews of the divisions of those that pretended to be Disciples Thus did their name declare and Remember them to be the worshippers of the Lord 's Annointed The Heathens in disgrace fequently called them the Sibylists as Origen tells us the Christians so frequently alleadging against the Gentiles the Sibylls verses So Clemens the Alexandrian mentions S. Paul alleadging a Sibyl which memorialls it seems were in those times known among the Christians which is the name by Apostolicall institution and never was the name of any Sectaries but among the Christians the Apostoliques was the name of a Sect of Heretiques And by as easy reason might the Catholiques have been so too A Christian then being glorious in his Title should remember that as the Ancient wrestlers among the Heathen were annointed with oile to make them the more Active so should we to a better expedition be annointed with a spirituall Oile which is Gods Grace The Romanists annoint â—he Christian when
saying God had not forbidden them boldly and craftily he calls it into question as if he would make a doubt of it yea has God said ye shall not eat of every tree In the Garden To which when shee had answered that they might eate of all save one but not of that one least they dye he denies not the first part of her answer which concern'd God's prohibition of one Tree knowing that shee knew the contrary as well as himselfe he replyes therefore only to the last part of her answer which was a matter of Faith that they should not dye at all But because this his reply was an untruth Least she should as was most likely examine with her selfe he gives her not the respite to collect herselfe but to make her forget That presently addes that in the day they eat thereof they should be as Gods knowing Good and Evill which was too true and God testifies the same Gen. 3.22 Observe then ye may the method of his cunning first he brings but an imperfect Truth then an Absolute untruth and lastly an absolute Truth thus wrapping up the poison of a Lie like a sugar'd pill in the pleasantnesse of Truth Farther observe that he overcame her Faith by overcoming her Feare and overcame her Feare by the contrary passion Hope For such was the Issue of the Temptation when he had made her forget Feare by Hope and seeing the tree to be good for food and pleasant to the eie nay such a tree as could make one wise shee takes of the fruite and eates and makes her husband eate also such is the society in evill the unhappinesse of unhappinesse In which last action we may see that though in their fall they got a knowledge of good and evill or rather only of evill since better knowledge they had of good before yet the wisedome they now got came farre short of that wisedome by which they were overcome Nay you may see that the Devill knew they should by their fall obtaine but a wretched wisedome and such a one as upon even termes he should be able at any time to overcome This was the wisedome of the Serpent a a wisedome almost in every part Yet may you see subtilty also in his whole body which like a Circle upon occasion he wrappes as a defence about his head his Head in which his subtilty is principally resident Lastly you may see a subtilty in his honour which doubtlesse for his wisedome has in all ages of the Heathen world been given unto him He has been honoured by the most wealthy Nations did not the Babylonians worship Bel and the Dragon he has been worshipped by the most powerfull Nations did not the Romans worship the Epidaurian Serpent He has been worshipped by the Fiercest Nations was he not worshipped by the Thessalians and the Epirotes He has been honoured by the Rudest Nations was he not worshipped by the Easterne Indians For ancient times let Maximus the Tyrian witnesse for latter times let a travailor Ludovicus Barthana witnesse Was he not worshipped by those that inhabite the darknesse under the Northern Pole and within these three hundred yeares by the Lithuanians in the view of Christendome Did they not nourish Vipers for their House-Gods Did they not Sacrifice unto them Milke and Cockes Let Cromer witnesse Briefely he has been honoured by the most witty Nations did not the Athenians the Masters of Wisedome worship a live Serpent make it the keeper of their Tower and offer monthly Sacrifices to it as to a God All which varieties of Idolatries must we not Judge to be the reliques of that subjection to sinne and the old Serpent into which mankind fell in the fall of our first Parents But still you see the winning subtilty of the Serpent and therefore easily now may you understand the supreame wisedome of our Saviour's precept Be yee wise as Serpents Unto which wisedome whiles he exhorts us behold him as a true instructer beginning the Practice A principall point of wisedome it is to learne wisedome of our Enemy and therefore a singular instruction is this to teach us to overcome the Serpent by imitating the Serpent to overthrow his cunning by his own cunning This is like the remedy found in the Serpent against his own poison some Physitians esteeming it as a speciall cure against the biting of a Serpent to put the intrailes of a Serpent into the wound The poison likewise of the Viper as some tell us is helped by the liver of a viper So the venome of the Scorpion in hot Countries where they are troublesome is speedily cured by the oile of the Scorpion Now this precept of our Saviour is such as most will be ready to put in practice in which that they may not erre they must remember to take also the other part of the precept with them least otherwise whiles they think to become wise they become guilty like our first Parents in eating the forbidden fruite It is observ'd of he diversits of Physique that Galen's is the safer but slower in Operation but that of Paracelsus which deals much in Mineralls is much more powerfull but more dangerous so that the skill in the Paracelsian is to know how exactly to allay his Physique by a judicious preparation due chastizing the virulency of the Ingredients Now this precept of our Saviour is such Paracelsian Physique the wisedome of the Serpent is a subtile Ingredient and therefore our Saviour as a true Artist does most wisely moderate it with the innocency of the Dove Before therefore we see how by example we should be as wise as Serpents we will as our Saviour does joine also the other part of the precept and first remember you that you must also be Harmelesse as Doves And harmeles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innocent simple it is worth the observing that the Roman Church when it intends to Canonize any one for a Saint cōmands that there be especiall inquiry made whether the person to be canoniz'd were famous for Simplicity of Life as Sylvester Prierus notes out of Innocentius Hostiensis other Canonists which Inquiry whether or no it be made with as true Innocency as the command pretends to seek I need not Judge but sure it is that the Inquiry is an eminent subtilty Indeed simplicity is a vertue which so moderates the Actions of man and so refines the affections of the soule that S. Ambrose not without a Sobriety of mind aptly called it the sobriety of the mind Nay it so sublimes man and purifies him from wordly wisedeme that the wise men of the world as S. Cregory complaines count this simplicity Folly and by a licence of speech commonly call one of small understanding or as they phrase it a Foole an Innocent But this vertue is most intimately expressed by devout Climacus who calls it a habit of the mind without variety Without variety what 's that Why when Beauty tempts the innocent man it workes no variety in him
but converted at Lystra where the businesse was insisting upon the necessity of Circumcision unto Salvation raised such a trouble in those quarters in the beginning of the Church that Paul being willing to have Timothy with him in his travailes upon a worthy report of him in the Church did Circumcise him least the Jews should disdaine him as a prophane person Now if we consider the Action Circumcision being a Sacrament of the Law it was aâ— the death of our Saviour abolish'd as S. Paul well knew yet here it was us'd unto Timothy Uâ—'d indeed it was for once in such danger of the peace of the Church there was the wisedome of the Serpent and afterwards as appears Act. 21. an other Legall rite was for a time permitted and S. Paul himselfe was purified with others to avoide the great danger in giving a scandall to the Iews yet that himself might not be a scandall to the Church he took occasion writing to the Galatians ch 5.2 to teach the necessity of Abolishing Circumcision since otherwise Christ should profit them nothing Here was the Innocency of the Dove He saw indeed that the Iewes if Timothy were not circumcised would suspect him as an adversary to circumcision and so they might recede from the Christian Profession unto the Iewes therefore he became a Iew that he might winne the Iewes But though he circumcised Timothy in this exigency he Circumcised not Titus whose Parents were both Gentiles least from him the Gentiles might take up the Practice of Circumcision Some Legall rites were also permitted to the Iewes till the Destruction of the Temple that so by degrees the Synagogue might be buryed with honour not like the Heathen worship which was presently to be destroyed but as a worship once of God's Institution for his own People the Iews for a time This was again the wisedome of the Serpent the innocency of the Dove See the same S. Paul Act. 23. pleading for himselfe before the Councell where finding the multitude divided in Opinions he divides them farther in their Affections The Saducie was an enemie to the Resurrection the Pharisie a friends to it immediately he makes the Pharisie his friend by his Profession of his beliefe and so an Enimy to his Enimy the Saducie By this wisedome he scap'd halfe the danger and by the tumult of his enemies and the Souldier an enemie to all tumults of the Iews he did at that time scape all the danger Here was the Wisedome of the Serpent and the Innocency of the Dove See the same S. Paul pleading at Caesarea before Festus Act. 25. where the Jewes failing to prove their accusations and Festus yet asking him if he would be tryed at Ierusalem he declin'd the tryall in which most probably Number and Malice might overcome him and thus at least delaid danger whiles Appealing to Caesar for the present he preserved both Life and Hope Here was the wisedome of the Serpent and the innocency of the Dove When also the next day King Agrippa and Festus heard him he call'd Agrippa by his title of Majestie professed his own happinesse to have such a Judge chiefely one so skillfull in all Customes and Questions among the Iewes He omitted nothing that might advantage his Cause worne the King by praysing him praised him for a good natur'd man for a Learned Judge for an upright Judge by an Applause able to please Appetite and Overcome Prejudice and this was the wisedome of the Serpent But some will ask here for the Innocency of the Dove for seems not this a little smother than truth Let Iosephus a Iew a Priest a Leaned Historian instruct us he will preserve us from Suspicion and Errour and he will tell us so much in the praise of this man Agrippa the great grand-child of Herod the great that S. Paul may rather seem the Historian and the Historian a Poet and thus ye see the Innocency of the Dove If you observe likewise S. Paul's answer to Festus who at the same time told him that much Learning had made him madde you shall find his Answer to be his defence I am not madde saies he O noble Festus but speak forth the words of Truth Soberness and here was his wisedome Being also revil'd he revil'd not again but denyed the accusation of madnesse and prov'd his denyall by the sobriety of his deniall Nor was it only Sober but also Modest calling him Noble that call'd him Madman and whiles he gave him but his due title you see his Innocency So once more yet this great Apostle writing to the Hebrews an Epistle which some have too boldly denyed to be God's Word which others have too hastily deny'd to be S. Paul's worke being unlike the rest of his works in stile title Yet if we consult with the great Critique of the Primitive times S. Ierom he will tel us the Apostle writ in Hebrew as to the Hebrewes omitting his name being looked upon by by the Iews as an Adversary to the Mosaicall Rites But the more ancient and greatest Antiquary of the first Christian times Eusebius will farther informe us that S. Paul having written it in Hebrew S. Luke render'd it in Greek as the stile in this and S. Luke's writings may perswade I need not mention an Hebrew copie of this Epistle publish'd by Munster having not authority to advance it above a translation the Greek being our Canon And as for the omission of his Title which here might have been expected Paul an Apostle to the Hebrews it is judg'd not only by Eusebius but before him as he acknowledges by the learned Clemens the Alexandrian to have been not only to decline the prejudice of the Iews but also not to seem to intrude into an office which he seems not to claim he being indeed the Apostle of the Gentiles but even Christ himself being the Apostle to the Hebrews and expressly call'd the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Christ Iesus Hebr. 3.1 And surely though the Benefit of his Office concerned all Nations his Imployment in it was only among the Hebrews In all which you may see in this great Polititian S. Paul both the Wisedome of the Serpent in concealing his Name and the Innocency of the Dove in his Love by Instruction unto all men What need we then seek dangerours matters such as a Florentine Discourser Who writ he but as a Satyrist and rather what some too neare him did then what others should doe has yet so much of the Serpent that he has scarce any of the Dove A Boccaline that with the Wisedome of the serpent would subvert Oecumenicall Ambition is a better serpent than a Campanella that would promote it Shall the serpent then have so subtil an Eie and shall we mistake every Phansie for a Truth If a Posa would corrupt Religion shall there want a Vargas to discover him shall the serpent have so subtil an Eare and shall we fondly listen to every new Charmer