and the Diuell a creator of sinfull men which follies to name is to confute them Neither am I perswaded that euill spirits haue any part in the generation of the most vngratious natures although the worthiest Christian wits did hold that they had knowledge of the faire daughters of men and thence to haue proceeded the race of Giants as monstrous for their vices and conditions as vast and enormious in their bodies that this infectious and detestable seed being dispersed through the whole earth doth now and then spring vp and produce such abhominable monsters as Heliogabalus and Mahomet and other carnall fiendes The prodigious lewdnesse of some violent and in corrigible natures hath caused this opinion more probable then true howsocuer it is sure the Diuel hath a lineage vpon earth and Cain is the most ancient of that kindred In this paire of brothers were the two houses first diuided and as they begun with fighting so they haue continued vntill now Hence multiplied the two Cities Cinitas Dei Terrena ciuitas whose beginnings proceedings and wonderful variety of fortunes how learnedly hath S. Austin followed in those sweet bookes which begin Gloriosissimam â—iuitatem Dei Where he teacheth how euery man belongs to one of those Citties being descended either of the malignity of Cain or of the bloud of Abel which Cain spilt There are but two factions if thou beest of Abels bloud declare what house thou commest of by thy innocency patience of the Saints If thou art of Caines kindred then deny not thy name bee content to bee numbred amongst thine owne And thus much of the nature of Cain Of the stocke and discent he is ex maligno of the Diuel of the malignant faction to conclude a vessell of dishonour made of the corrupt masse for if he had not beene of the euill he should not haue beene euill hac enim Aug. epist 106 massa si ita esset media vt quemadmodum nihil bont ita nec mali aliquid mereretur non frustra videretur iniquitas vt ex ea fierent vasa in contumeliam This masseis it were of indifferent quality neither good nor euill there might be cause to thinke it iniustice in God to make out of it any vessels of dishonour Now such as the tree is such is the fruit Who was of the Dinell there is the tree who slew his brother there is the fruit bitter and deadly fruit especially in the manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to cut in peeces like a sacrifice because he had sacrificed so well Cain would sacrifice him So Pilat mixed the Galileans bloud with their sacrifice And at the time of Immolation of the Passouer the Iewes sacrificed the innocent lambe of God thus the innocent when they are murdered they are offered to God in contempt of God and his worship that they may seeme to perish by him in whom they trusted Another circumstance is of the time how soone Cain shed bloud and the Diuell slaieth in the morning in the morning of youth and in the morning of the world By him death entered and how hee longeth to see it worke and that in the first blossome of vertue It is his cunning to stop the first step to goodnesse therefore haue care of the beginning of thy wayes of thy youth and good endeuours for there the Diuell is most instant he knowes well that in euery beginning is contained more then a beginning As soone as the Temple began to be re-edified he opposed mainly hee stirred euery stone that no stone might bee stirred And immediately when the Sauiour of our soules beganne the office of Christ the Diuell tempted him in the desart so in the natiuity of the creation he slew the first innocency of Nature and in the entrance of generation the first innocencie of grace So he persecuted the tender infancie of our Lord and he made the Primitiue Church to swim with bloud Hee knew that if the world were stained when it was a new vessell that colour would continue vnto the end So Rome an Epitome of the world in token that it should be died with the bloud of Martyrs the foundations of her walles were dipt in brothers bloud Cain and Romulus both elder brothers both furious potent Cain in his name which signifieth possession shewed that he had elenen parts against one so Achab killed Naboth and tooke possession and euer the greater part ouercommeth the better Abel could not kill Cain if he would but where might and malice wealth and wrath are ioyned there breake forth iniuties and oppressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wealth brings forth wrong Wherfore God set a marke vpon Cain that men might beware of him As the Romans vsed to bind some hay to the hornes of a madde Bull to signifie saith Plutarke that too much sodder made him mad wherevpon they applyed this prouerbe Foenum habet in cornu beware of him that is iniurious and rich Now as Cain was a patterne of all oppressours hauing power and doing wrong so Abel signifying vanity in the beginning was a type not onely of death but of the vanity of life for euery man liuing is altogether vanity How many haue their sunne-setting in the morning and they which haue the longest day liue but a day so soone doe wee appeare and vanish Vanity in apparell walking in a vaine shadow talking vainely disquietting our selues in vaine vaine hopes and vaine desires In the daies of my vanity saith Salomon I saw this and that vanity and whatsoeuer I beheld was vanity of vanities Another thing was allegorized in this History namely how our Sauiour Christ the second Adam was murthered by the Elders of the Iewes and his Bloud shed though speaking better things then that of Abel without the gates as Abels in the fields for which horrible sinne of God-slaughter the Iewes shall bee errant vagabonds vnto the worlds end signed by God that although all men hate and eschew them yet none shall kill them Destroy them not O God saith the Psalmist least my people forget it but scatter and despearse them So they are aliens in the whole earth a common prouerbe a common prey not borne but by leaue nor breathing but by good will And surely it is seldome seene but shame and beggery is the end of those which destroy the innocent either by the mouth of the sword or by the sword of the mouth and they which kill mens soules by heresy and selusme and they which slay by hatred and they which rauen and oppresse As the great fish eates the lesse and the greater cates the great and the greatest the greater so greedy Cainites deuoure and are deooured but at last the biggest saith S. Basil comes into the net and the deuill rips the prey out of his bowels thou appeares the insatiablenesse of these swallow-goods that haue more riches then they can digest when the whole estate of such and such a man shall bee found
CERTAINE SERMONS Vpon diuers Texts of Scripture Preached by GERVASE NID Doctor of Diuinitie LONDON Printed by NICHOLAS OKES for WALTER BURRE 1616 ⧠TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN God GEORGE by the prouidence of God Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitane and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Councell My good Lord JT is not vaine ostentation which hath moued mee to publish these Scrmons they that know mee know that I was neuer any of those whom S. Basil cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I haue heard your Grace well interprete Selfe-putting-forth fellowes But being to leaue your Graces seruice I thought meete to depose these as a small testimony of my thankfulnesse Secondly intending to commend another Treatise to your Graces Patronage I resolued to premise these it being some difficulty to finde roome for things of smaller valew in this voluminous age which is so piled vp with bookes for who sees not that now the fate of Witters is the same with Preachers whereof Saint Ierome complaines in his time Com. in Eccles 9.11 Nam videas in Ecclesia imperitissimos quosque florere quia nutrierunt frontis audaciam volubilitatem linguae consequuti sunt prudentes se cruditos arbitrantur maxime si fauorem vulgi habuerint You may see how in the Church the most ignorant are most esteemed and because they haue profited in boldnesse of front and volubility of tongue they thinke themselues wise and learned men especially if the vulgar fauour them But I know your Grace euer hated long Salutations therefore I hast to take my leaue resting Your Graces humble seruant to bee commanded GERVASE NID THE FIRST SERMON Of Murther 1 IOH. 3.12 Not as Cain who was of the deuill and slew his brother and wherefore slew hee him because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good IT is the will of God that deadly sinnes should not die that they which take away the life of men should not bee able to take away life from the memory of their wicked deeds Wherefore in Diuine History the detestable facts of sinners are infamous and eminent spectacles threatening and admonishing a farre off To this end the pillar of Salt was erected and Saint Peter saith of the combustion of Sodom and her neighbour Citties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they lye out as an apparant and prominent spectacle that bituminous lake doth still demonstrate the ebullition of vnnaturall lust So Cain who murdered his brother in the beginning of the world still hangeth vpon a gibbet vntill the worlds end All manner of death is mute Psal 115.17 and the graue is called Domus silentum onely those that are murdered talke after they are dead Reu. 6.10 How long Lord and in the 11 to the Hebrewes Abel the iust being dead yet speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where speakes hee marry in Scripture saith Beza wheresoeuer there is relation of this murther they bee the words of the bloud of Abel So the words which I haue read suppose them to bee sighes of Abel rendred from his graue Gemitus lachrymabililis im◠auditur tumulo as the bloud of Polydor in Virgil biddeth flie or depart so the bloud of Abel bids beware eschew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not like to Cain who slew his brother c. which words haue three parts First a dehortation from being like vnto Cain in the first words Not as Cain Secondly a description of the person to whom wee must not bee like 1. from his nature or quality he is of the deuill 2. from his fact he slew his brother The third part containes the cause that moued Cain to this horrible fact consisting of a question and an answere the question wherefore slew hee him the answere because c. heere be two motiues one outward the sight of his brothers vertues the other inward the beholding of his owne vices the comparison of which two strucke such a fire of hatred within him strange monster as would not bee extinguished but by his brothers bloud First then of the dehortation or prohibition Not as Cain The sacred Scripture which euer suffered more calumniation from her owne was slandered by heretickes for the narration of euill deeds whereas saith Saint Augustine wicked facts are alwaies expresly condemned either where they are related or in some other place of Scripture Indeed there are ambiguous facts of the Fathers as Abrahams cuasion to Abimelech and Iacobs simulation to his father which as wee must not condemne so wee must not imitate not knowing whether they were sinnes or no sinnes in them but for the manifest crimes occurring in the History of the Booke of God what madnesse to esteeme them otherwise then as euill actions in good men to bee pittyed that they cannot alwaies bee good and to bee detested in euill men because they would neuer but doe euill Manacheus Yet such spirits of errour haue not wanted some condemning the Scriptures because they record wicked deeds Others commending wickednesse because it is recorded in Scriptures Tertul. praser as the followers of Marcion and Carpecrates And for the other kind which were doubtfull actions whether they were good or euill if they were euill Facta credamus non facienda Beleeue that they were done beleeue not that they ought to be done And if they were good in those men it was by extraordinary dispensation which is not granted vnto vs and therefore such examples do neither excuse the old Priscilians from lying nor the faithlesse generation of Equinocators which sweare with their tongues but keepe their mindes vnsworne Now for these words Not as Cain Who would beleeue that any iudgement were so corrupt as either to praise Cains fact or to honour his person but that wee reade in Tertullian Epiphanius S. Austine and others of a brood of heretickes called Caiani who did honour Cain affirming that hee was a worthy man conceiued by some powerfull nature which therefore shewed it selfe mighty within him that his brother was conceiued of a weaker and inferiour conception The same Heretickes honoured Core Dathan and Abiram as men of courage and resolution yea they adored Iudas the traitor being perswaded that some Diuine operation and Propheticall instinct did direct him that by deliuering of his Maister to the Iewes all men might bee deliuered from the deuill Thus Adams eating of that forbidden fruite hath put the iudgements of his posterity out of taste Hence woemen long for meates that are noysome taking it from the first woman and all men being concelued in that corruption haue their iudgements and appetites so absurd as Dauid complaineth according to the Greeke Tranflation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sinnes my mother longing hath conceiued mee This Insipience appeareth strangely in some that they affect and like such things as bee openly repugnant vnto right reason and distastefull vnto nature corrected So the Persians admired Nero that hatred of God and men and
the necessary place of worship the word is neere thee and euery faithfull soule is Ierusalem For as goodly vineyard which cost the Husbandman much care and his servants long labour being the sweetest plot of ground which hee could chuse and hauing the indulgence of the heauens and all the elements to cherish it whilst it was tender and flourished and at the time of vintage all men resorted thither to see the beauty and temperate situation and to reape the fruit which grew not else where but after the fruite was gathered the hedges being broken and the swine hauing defaced it and other beasts haunting it though the Winter beautie thereof be louely yet the necessity of comming thither it abolished and the conuenience of seeing is much limitted So Ierusalem that pleasant Citty of God where the word of life grew so watred by Prophets so watched by Angels during the beautie and glory of her summer age thither the Tribes came vp and from all Countries there they worshipped but when the fulnesse of time was come wherein the grapes of this holy vine were pressed and the bloud thereof conueighed by Apostles and Euangelists throughout the world to cheare the hearts euen of the coldest nations Ierusalem became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Prophet speaketh no longer necessary and though euer holy and reuerend yet often dangerous to be visited being polluted by wilde infidels and now possessed of vnchristened Turkes The orchard of Balsamon is remoued from the Hilles of Engaddi into Egypt and so saluation which was only of the Iewes is now translated to the Gentiles Et Assyrium vulgo nascitur amomum To conclude then although the most worthy and deuoute Christians haue increased their deuotion and pietie by sight of the holy monuments at Ierusalem yet many who neuer saw them haue beene more godly then some others that haue seene them and beleeue as firmely and loue Christ Iesus their redeemer as deerly as if they had seene him or seene the place where he was seene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For sayes Gregory Nissen if thy inward man be full of bad thoughts although thou standest vpon Golgotha or mount Oliuet or vnder the monument of his resurrection thou art as farre from Christ as they which neuer acknowledged him The same is true of all sensible meanes and outward actions which if they bee not ioyned with sinceritie of the spirit they are vnprofitable to vs and disstastfull to the father of spirits Many are content to performe these externall actions which they do perfunctory meerely for fashion without any tincture of spirit Especially where there is a multitude of ceremonies as in the Romane Church and in the superstition of the Easterne Churches is most apparant Wee are all by nature ready to chuse that which is of eafier performance and in actions matters of Religion which of all others are most tedious because they touch the conscience the crafty Mind would gladly rest herselfe and thinke to discharge all by light workes of the body and of the senses Is this the fast which I haue chosen saith God for a man to bow his necke being weake with abstinence to put on sackecloth and ashes Is this the fast which I haue choson Nay is not this the fast which I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse and to let the oppressed go free and to deale thy bread vnto the hungry Where God hates the outward obedience if it bee without fasting from sinne And in comparison better spirituall worship without externall then externall without that which is spirituall So hee saith Rend your hearts and not your garments And I will haue mercy and not sacrifice Where the aduerbe is a Comparatiue rather then a Negatiue And therefore the Septu well translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbids neither nay hee commands both but preferres the one before the other So many saith Saint Austine they will eate no flesh in Lent but they will bite and deuoure their brethren They will drinke no wine but they will drink iniquity like water What profites it to bee pale with fasting and at the same time to bee leane with hatred and euuy What profites it if wee abstaine from flesh which is sometime lawfull and do those things which are neuer lawfull therefore I say with Scripture and with holy Fathers that as the presence and sight of Christ would little haue encreased loue in his Disciples vnlesse they had also seene him with the eyes of the inward man No more doe any sensible and externall meanes further deuotion if they bee separated from the inward and spirituall motions of the heart My sonne giue mee thy heart Why drawest thou neere mee with thy lips when thy heart is farre from mee To proceed then though euery one haue not that glorious pretogatiue giuen them to bee Martirs to die for loue of him that died for their saluation Yet ouery one may mortifie his earthly members and die to sin which is a kind of Martirdome In like manner though euery one could not see Christ and so loue him yet they may loue him whom they haue not seene by faith which is a kind of sight Nay if they which saw him and loued were such as would not loue him vnlesse they had seene him greater is their reward that loue him whom they haue not seene For what said our Lord to Saint Thomas Thomas because thou seest thou beleeuest happy are they which beleeue and see not What remaines now but to prouoke you to the loue of him whom you doe not see who first loued you vnseene Nay when you were worse then nothing Whom you hope to see and see him as he is Let mee say vnto the afflicted that liue in obscurity and misery wait till the cloud bee broken and the Sunne shine out Let mee say vnto the simple and ignorant but louing and faithfull bee constant and you shall see as you are seene Let mee say vnto the wise and learned helpe yee the weak sighted and make him louing that is blind Lastly to all men though you loue him which is vnseene yet let your loue bee seene Loue in deed and not in word By this wee know that wee loue him if wee keepe his Commandements If your loues burne vehemently vpon things temporal and visible how are you said to loue him whom yee haue not seene Siluer and gold and gay apparell ample possessions and goodly buildings faire flesh and bloud compounded of corruptible elements whatsoeuer deceiptfull time hath coloured or the world hath set a glosse on if yee bee euer gazing and admiring these things how are yee said to loue him whom you haue not seene When woemen go to see and to bee seene when men the litle good they do they do it to be seene of men When most had rather seeme then bee good how are they said to loue him whom they haue not seene He that longs to see