farre beyond our ayme if I should heere stand to referre all the propheâ—… Salomons three true bookes that are in the Hebrew Canon vnto the truth 〈◊〉 Christ and his church Although that that of the Prouerbs in the persons of the wicked Let vs lay waite for the iust without a cause and swallow them vppe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that goe downe into the pit let vs raze his memory from earth and take 〈◊〉 his ritch possession this may easily and in few wordes bee reduced vnto CHRIST and his church for such a saying haue the wicked husbandmen in his euangelicall Parable This is the heire come let vs kill him and take his â—…tance In the same booke likewise that which wee touched at before â—…g of the barren that brought forth seauen cannot bee meant but of 〈◊〉 church of CHRIST and himselfe as those doe easilie apprehend 〈◊〉 snow CHRIST to bee called the wisdome of his father the wordes are Wisdome hath built her an house and hath hewen out her seauen pillers she hâ—…th killed her victualls drawne her owne wine and prepared her table Shee hath sent forth her maidens to crie from the higths saying He that is simple come hether to me and to the weake witted she saith Come and eate of my bread and drink of the wine that I haue drawne Here wee see that Gods wisdome the coeternall Word built him an house of humanity in a Virgins wombe and vnto this head hath annexed the church as the members hath killed the victuailes that is sacrificed the Mattires and prepared the table with bread and wine there is the sacrifice of Melchisedech hath called the simple and the weake witted for GOD saith the Apostle hath chosen the weakenesse of the world to confound the strength by To whom notwithstanding is said as followeth forsake your foolishnesse that yee may liue and seeke wisdome that yee may haue life The participation of that table is the beginning of life for in Eccelasiastes where hee sayth It is good e for man to eate and drinke we cannot vnderstand it better then of the perticipation of that table which our Melchisedechian Priest instituted for vs the New Testament For that sacrifice succeeded all the Old Testament sacrifices that were but shadowes of the future good as we heare our Sauiour speake prophetically in the fortieth psalme saying Sacrifice and offring thou dist not desire but a body hast thou perfited for me for his body is offered and sacrificed now insteed of all other offrings and sacrifices For Ecclesiastes meaneth not of carnall eating and drinking in those wordes that he repeateth so often as that one place sheweth sufficiently saying It is better to goe into the house of mourning then of feasting and by and by after the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of feasting But there is one place in this booke of chiefe note concerning the two Citties and their two Kings Christ and the deuill Woe to the land whose King is a child and whose Princes eate in the morning Blessed art thou O land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eate in due time for strength and not for drunkennesse Here he calleth the deuill a child for his foolishnesse pride rashnesse petulance and other vices incident to the age of boyish youthes But Christ he calleth the sonne of the Nobles to wit of the Patriarches of that holy and free Citty for from them came his humanity The Princes of the former eate in the morning before their houre expecting not the true time of felicity but wil hurry vnto the worlds delights head-long but they of the Citty of Christ expect their future beatitude with pacience This is for strength for their hopes neuer faile them Hope saith Saint Paul shameth no man All that hope in thee saith the psalme shall not be ashamed Now for the Canticles it is a certaine spirituall and holy delight in the mariage of the King and Queene of this citty that is Christ and the church But this is all in mysticall figures to inflame vs the more to search the truth and to delight the more in finding the appearance of that bridegrome to whom it is sayd there truth hath loued thee and of that bride that receiueth this word loue is in thy delights I ommit many things with silence to draw the worke towards an end L. VIVES HE a beganne well Augustine imitateth Salust In Bello Catil b Workes namely Iosephus affirmeth that he wrote many more viz. fiue thousand bookes of songs and harmonies three thousand of Prouerbs and Parables for hee made a parable of euery plant from the Isope to the Cedar and so did he of the beasts birds and fishes he knew the depth of nature and discoursed of it all God taught him bands exterminations and Amulets against the deuill 〈◊〉 the good of man and cures for those that were bewitched Thus saith Iosephus c Wisdome Some say that Philo Iudaeus who liued in the Apostles time made this booke He was the Apostles friend and so eloquent in the Greeke that it was a prouerbe Philo either Platonized 〈◊〉 Plato Philonized d Ecclesiasticus Written by Iesus the sonne of Syrach in the time of 〈◊〉 Euergetes King of Egipt and of Symon the high priest e For man to eate The Seauenty and vulgar differ a little here but it is of no moment Of the Kings of Israel and Iudah after Salomon CHAP. 21. VVE finde few prophecies of any of the Hebrew Kings after Salomon pertinent vnto Christ or the church either of Iudah or Israel For so were the two parts termed into which the kingdome after Salomons death was diuided for his sinnes and in his sonne Roboams time the ten Tribes that Ieroboam Salomons seruant attained beeing vnder Samaria was called properly Israel although the whole nation went vnder that name the two other Iudah and Beniamin which remained vnder Ierusalem least Dauids stocke should haue vtterly failed were called Iudah of which tribe Dauid was But Beniamin stuck vnto it because Saul who was of that tribe had reigned there the next before Dauid these two as I say were called Iudah and so distinguished from Israell vnder which the other ten tribes remained subiect for the tribe of Leui beeing the Seminary of Gods Priests was freed from both and made the thirteenth tribe Iosephs tribe being diuided into Ephraim and Manasses into two tribes whereas all the other tribes make but single ones a peece But yet the tribe of Leui was most properly vnder Ierusalem because of the temple wherein they serued Vpon this diuision Roboan King of Iudah Salomons sonne reigned in Ierusalem and Hieroboam King of Israel whilom seruant to Salomon in Samaria And whereas Roboaâ—… vould haue made warres vpon them for falling from him the Prophet forbad him from the Lord saying That it was the Lords deed So then that
their postâ—…re 〈◊〉 a quadrangle there were on the walls one thousand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…undred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Robooth Hieromes translation hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Râ—…ad onely Hee built Nâ—…iue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnlesse the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Niâ—… 〈◊〉 following the Phaenician Theology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonâ—… oâ—… 〈◊〉 and calleth him Iupiter Belus Now there was another 〈◊〉 sonne to Epaphus kinge of Egypt whome Ioue begot vnto this Belus Isis was mother 〈◊〉 Eusebius make him the sonne of Telegonus who maried Isis after Apis was dead 〈◊〉 reigning as then in Athens But Belus that was father to Ninus was a quiet King of 〈◊〉 anâ—… contented with a little Empire yet had hee this warlike sonne whereby he was â—…d as a God and called the Babilonian Iupiter This was their Belus say the Egyptians 〈◊〉 Egiptus whome they call the sonne of Neptune and Lybia and granchild to Epaphus 〈◊〉 â—…her Hee placed colonies in Babilon and seating him-selfe vpon the bankes of Euâ—…â—…stituted his Priests there after the Egyptian order That Belus whom they worshipped â—…outly in Assiria and who had a temple at Babilon in Plinies time was as he saith 〈◊〉 â—…tor of Astronomy and the Assirians dedicated a iewell vnto him and called it Belus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g Unto Sem also The seauenty lay it downe most playnely h Hebrewes Paul 〈◊〉 of Borgos a great Hebraician sayth they were called Hebrewes quasi trauellers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word intends trauellers they were indeed both in Egypt and in the land of Canaan i 〈◊〉 â—…ese were As Ilands are diuided from the continent by the sea so were they amongst â—…es by riuers mountaines woods sands deserts and marishes Of the confusion of tongues and the building of Babilon CHAP. 8. WHereas therefore the Scriptures reckneth those nations each according to his proper tongue yet it returneth backe to the time when they had 〈◊〉 â—…one tongue and then sheweth the cause of the diuersity Then the whole 〈◊〉 â—…th it was of one language and one speach And as they went from the East 〈◊〉 a plaine in the land of Semar and there they aboade and they sayd one to 〈◊〉 â—…me let vs make bricke and burne it in the fire so they had bricke for stone 〈◊〉 â—…ch for lime They sayd also come let vs build vs a citty and b a tower whose 〈◊〉 reach to the heauen that we c may get vs a name least we bee scattred vpon 〈◊〉 earth And the Lord came downe to see the citty and tower which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men builded And the Lord sayd behold the people is all one and haue all 〈◊〉 â—…ge and this they begun to do neither can they now be stopped from 〈◊〉 â—…er they haue imagined to effect come on let vs downe and confound 〈◊〉 â—…guage there that each one of them vnderstand not his fellowes speach So 〈◊〉 Lord scattered them from thence ouer the whole earth and they d left 〈◊〉 â—…ild the citty and the tower Therefore the name of it was called confuâ—…â—…confuâ—…â—…cause â—…cause there the Lord confounded the language of the whole earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thence did the Lord scatter them vpon all the earth This Citty 〈◊〉 â—…ch was called confusion is that Babilon whose wounderfull building 〈◊〉 â—…d euen in prophane histories for Babilon is interpreted confusion 〈◊〉 we gather that Nembrod the Giant was as we said before the builder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripture saying the beginning of his kingdome was Babilon that is this 〈◊〉 metropolitane city of the realme the kings chamber and the chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest though it were neuer brought to that strange perfection that the 〈◊〉 and the proud would haue it to be for it was built to heigh which 〈◊〉 â—…as vp to heauen whether this were the fault of some one Tower which 〈◊〉 â—…ght more vpon then all the rest or of them all vnder one as wee will 〈◊〉 soldiour or enemy when we meane of many thousands and as the 〈◊〉 of Frogges and Locusts that plagued Egypt were called onely in the 〈◊〉 number the Frogge and Locust But what intended mans vaine presumption herein admit they could haue exceeded all the mountaines with their buildings height could they euer haue gotten aboue the element of ayre and what hurt can elleuation either of body or spirit do vnto God Humility is the true tract vnto heauen lifting vppe the spirit vnto GOD but not against GOD as that gyant was said to be an hunter against the Lord which some not vnderstanding were deceiued by the ambiguity of the greeke and translated before the Lord f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beeing both before and against for the Psalme vseth it so and kneele before the Lord our maker And it is also in Iob He hath stretched out his hand against God Thus then g is that hunter against the Lord to bee vnderstood But what is the worde Hunter but an entrapper persecutor and murderer of earthly creatures So rose this hunter and his people and raised this tower against GOD which was a type of the impiety of pride and an euill intent though neuer effected deserueth to bee punished But how was it punished Because that h all soueraignty lieth in commaund and all commaund in the tongue thus pride was plagued that the commaunder of men should not be vnderstood because he would not vnderstand the Lord his commander Thus was this conspiracy dissolued each one departing from him whom hee vnderstood not nor could he adapt himselfe to any but those that hee vnderstood and thus these languages diuided them into Nations and dispersed them ouer the whole earth as God who wrought those strange effects had resolued L. VIVES ANd a pitch Bitumen whereof there was great store in those places b A tower The like to this do the prophane writers talke of the Gyants wars against the Gods laying mountaine vpon mountaine to get foote-hold against heauen the nearer it Ter sunt conati inponere Pelion Ossae Ter pater extructos disiecit fulmine montes Pelion on Ossa three times they had throwne And thrice Ioues thunder struck the bul-warke downe Saith Uirgil The story is common it might be wrested out of this of the confusion as diuers other things are drawne from holy writ into heathenisme c We may get Let this bee a monument of vs all d Left off And the builders of the cittie ceased say the seauenty e Wonderfull In Pliny Solinus Mela Strabo Herodotus all the geographers and many of the Poets of this else-where f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So it is in latin also g Is that hunter Iosephus writeth that Nimrod first taught mankinde to iniure GOD and to grow proud against him for being wondrous valiant he perswaded them that they might thanke themselues and not God for any good that befell them And so ordeined he himselfe a souerainty and to prouide that God should not subuert it
absolute security from all incursions of hostility The place therefore 〈◊〉 this promised peace is to haue residence is eternall it is that heauenly â—…alem that free-woman where the true Israel shall haue their blessed aâ—… the name importeth Hierusalem a that is Beholding God the desire 〈◊〉 reward must beare vs out in Godlynesse through all this sorrowfull â—…ge L. VIVES HIerusalem a that is Hierome saith it was first called Iebus then Salem thirdly Hierusalem and 〈◊〉 Aelia Salem is peace as the Apostle saith vnto the Hebrewes Hierusalem the vision of peace This was that Salem wherein Melchisedech raigned Ioseph and Hegesip It was called Aelia of Aelius Adrian the emperor that repayred it after the destruction by Titus in emulation of his auncestors glory The Gentiles called it both Solymae Solymi and Hierusalem Some draw that Solymi from the Pisidians in Lycia called of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some from the Solymi a people of Pontus in Asia who perished as Eratosthenes writeth with the Peleges and Bebricians Eupolemus as Eusebius saith deriued the name Solymi from Salomon quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salomons temple and some thinke Homer called it so but Iosephus lib. 7. saith it was called Solyma in Abrahams time And when Dauid had built a tower in it the Iebuzites hauing taken it before and fortified it it was named Hierosolyma for the Hebrewes call a fortification Hieron but it was rather called Iebus after it was called Salem then before for it is held that Melchisedech built it and he called it Salem And the Canaanites whose King he was dwelt therein and he was otherwise called the iust King saith Hegesippus for so was he named after his father yet Hierome De loc Hebraic ad Damas. saith that Salem was not Hierusalem but another Citty in the country of Sychem a part of Chanaan where the ruines of Melchisedechs palace are yet to be seene as the memories of a most ancient and magnificent structure I omit to relate whence Strabo deriueth the originall of Hierusalem out of Moyses for Strabo was neuer in Chanaan I omit those also that say that Hierusalem was Luz and Bethel Bethel being a village long after it as I said before Of Dauids endeuours in composing of the Psalmes CHAP. 14. GOds citty hauing this progresse Dauid raigned first in the tipe therof the terrestrial Hierusalem now Dauid had great skil in songs and loued musike not out of his priuat pleasure but in his zealous faith whereby in the seruice of his and the true God in diuersity of harmonious and proportionat sounds hee mistically describeth the concord and vnity of the celestiall Citty of God composed of diuers particulars Al his prophecies almost are in his Psalmes A hundred and fifty whereof that which wee call the booke of Psalmes or the Psalter contayneth Of which b some will haue them onely to be Dauids that beare his name ouer their title Some thinke that onely they that are intitled each peculiarly a Psalme of Dauid arâ—… his the rest that are intitled to Dauid were made by others and fitted vnto his person But this our Sauiour confuteth his owne selfe saying that Dauid called Christ in the spirit his Lord cyting the hundreth and tenth Psalme that beginneth thus The Lord sayd vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole Now this Psalme is not entituled of Dauid but to Dauid as many more are But I like their opinion best that say hee made all the 150. entitling them sometimes with other names and those pertinent vnto some prefiguration or other and leauing some others vntituled at all as God pleased to inspire these darke misteries and hidden varieties all vsefull how-so-euer into his minde Nor is it any thing against this that wee read the Psalmes of some great Prophets that lined after him vpon some of his Psalmes as if they were made by them for the spirit of prophecy might aswel foretel him their names as other maters that â—…tained to their persons as the Reigne of King Iosias was reuealed vnto a Prophet who fore-told of his doings and his very name about three hundred of yeares before it came to passe L. VIVES DIuersity of a Harmonious and. The seuerall â—…nstruments vsed in this harmony are rehersed 1. Chron. 15. Augustine in Proaem Quinquag saith of the instrument called the 〈◊〉 that it is fit â—…or celestiall harmony and to be vsed in matters diuine because the 〈◊〉 of it in the tuning do all ascend vpwards b Some will Iames Perez my countryman who wrote the last not so eloquent as learned large commentaries vpon the Psalmes In the beginning of them disputeth a while about the authors of the Psalmes and affirmeth that the Iewes neuer made question of it before Origens time but all both wrot and beleeued 〈◊〉 Dauid wrot them all But when Origen began with rare learning and delicate wit to draw all the propheticall sayings of the Old-testament vnto Christ already borne hee made the Iewes runne into opinions farre contrarying the positions of their old maisters and fall to depâ—…ing of the scriptures in all they could yet were there some Hebrewes afterwards that held as the ancents did that Dauid was the onely author of all the Psalmes Some againe held that he made but nine and that other Prophets wrot the rest viz. some of the sonnes of Corah Ethan Asaph or Idythim Those that haue no titles they do not know whose they are onely they are the workes of holy men they say Marry Rabby Salomon that impudent Rabbine maketh tenne authors of the Psalmes Melchisedech Abraham Moyses the sonnes of Chora Dauid Salomon Asaph Ieduthim and Ethan but Origen Ambrose Hillary Augustine and Casâ—… make Dauid the author of them all vnto whome Iames Perez agreeth confirming it for the trueth by many arguments read them in him-selfe for the bookes are common I 〈◊〉 Hieromes words to Sophronius and Cyprians concerning this poynt let this suffice at this 〈◊〉 c To Dauid So is the Greeke indeed but I haue heard diuers good Hebraicians sâ—…y that the Hebrewes vse the datiue case for the genitiue d As the raigne 1. Kings 11. Whether all things concerning Christ and his Church in the Psalmes be to be rehearsed in this worke CHAP. 15. I see my reader expecteth now that I should deliuer all the prophecies concerâ—… Christ and his Church contayned in the Psalmes But the abundance 〈◊〉 rather then the want hindreth me from explaning all the rest as I haue 〈◊〉 and as the cause seemes to require I should be too tedious in reciting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare to choose any part least some should thinke I had omitted any that 〈◊〉 more necessary Againe another reason is because the testimony wee 〈◊〉 is to be confirmed by the whole body of the Psalter so that though all 〈◊〉 affirme it yet nothing may contrary it least wee should otherwise seeme â—…ch out verses for our purpose
not the for bidden meates rehearsing the gratiousnesse of the New Testament from CHRISTS first comming euen vnto this Iudgement we haue now in hand For first he tells how GOD saith that hee commeth to gather the nations and how they shall come to see his glorie For all haue sinned saith the Apostle and are depriued of the glorie of GOD. Hee sayth also that hee will leaue signes amongst them to induce them to beleeue in him and that hee will send his elect into many nations and farre Islands that neuer heard of his name to preach his glory to the Gentiles and to bring their bretheren that is the bretheren of the elect Israell of whome hee spake into his presence to bring them for an offering vnto GOD in chariots and vpon horses that is by the ministerie of men or angells vnto holie Ierusalem that is now spread through-out the earth in her faithfull Cittizens For these when GOD assisteth them beleeue and when they beleeue they come vnto him Now GOD in a simily compares them to the children of Israel that offered vnto him his sacrifices with psalmes in the Temple as the church doth now in all places and hee promiseth to take of them for priests and for leuites which now wee see hee doth For hee hath not obserued fleshly kindred in his choise now as hee did in the time of Aurons priest-hood but according to the New Testament where CHRIST is priest after the order of Melchisedech hee selecteth each of his priests according to the merit which GODS grace hath stored his soule with as wee now behold and these b Priests are not to bee reckned of for their places for those the vnworthie doe often hold but for their sanctities which are not common both to good and bad Now the prophet hauing thus opened Gods mercies to the church addeth the seueral ends that shall befall both the good and bad in the last iudgement in these w◅ds As the new heauens and the new earth which I shall make shall remaine before mee saith the LORD euen so shall your seede and your name And from month to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come to worshippe before mee saith the LORD And they shall goe forth and looke vpon the members of the men that haue transgressed against mee for their women shall not die neither shall their fire bee quenshed and they shal be an abhorring vnto all flesh Thus endeth the Prophet his booke with the end of the world Some in this place for members read c carkasse hereby intimating the bodies euident punishment though indeed a carkasse is properly nothing but dead flesh but those bodies shal be lyuing otherwise how should they bee sensible of paine vnlesse wee say they are dead bodies that is their soules are fallen into the second death and so wee may fitly call them carkasses And thus is the Prophets former words also to bee taken The land of the wicked shall fall Cadauer a carkasse all knowes commeth of Cado to fall Now the translators by saying the carkasses of the men doe not exclude women from this damnation but they speake as by the better sexe beeing that woman was taken out of man But note especially that where the Prophet speaking of the blessed sayth all flesh shall come to worshippe Hee meaneth not all men for the greater number shal be in torments but some shall come out of all nations to adore him in the Heauenly Ierusalem But as I was a saying since here is mention of the good by flesh and of the bad by carkasses Verelie after the resurrection of the flesh our faith whereof these words doe confirme that which shall confine both the good and bad vnto their last limits shal be the iudgement to come L. VIVES AGainst a the vnfaithfull Hierome out of the hebrew and the seauenty readeth it Against his enemies b Priests are not to be It is not priest-hood nor orders that maketh a man any whit respected of GOD for these dignities both the Godly and vngodly doe share in but it is purity of conscience good life and honest cariage which haue resemblance of that immense that incorruptible nature of GOD those winne vs fauour with him c Carkasses So doth Hierome reade it But marke Saint Augustines vprightnesse rather to giue a fauorable exposition of a translation to which hee stood not affected then any way to cauill at it How the Saints shall goe forth to see the paines of the wicked CHAP. 22. BVt how shall the good goe forth to see the bad plagued Shall they leaue their blessed habitations and goe corporally to hell to see them face to face God forbid no they shall goe in knowledge For this implieth that the damned shal be without and for this cause the Lord calleth their place vtter darkenesse opposite vnto that ingresse allowed the good seruāt in these words Enter into thy Maisters ioye and least the wicked should be thought to goe in to bee seene rather then the good should goe out by knowledge to see them being to know that which is without for the tormented shall neuer know what is done in the Lords Ioye but they that are in that Ioye shall know what is done in the vtter darkenesse Therefore saith the Prophet they shall goe forth in that they shall know what is without for if the Prophets through that small part of diuine inspiration could know these things before they came to passe how then shall not these immortalls know them being passed seeing that in them the Lord is al in all Thus shall the Saints bee blessed both in seed and name In seed as Saint Iohn saith And his seed remaineth in him In name as Isaias saith So shall your name continue from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall they haue rest vpon rest passing thus from old and temporall types to new and euerlasting truthes But the paines of the wicked that eternall worme and that neuer dying fire is diuersly expounded either in reference to the bodie onelie or to the soule onely or the fire to belong to the bodie reallie and the worme to the soule figuratiuely and this last is the likeliest of the three But heere is no place to discusse peculiars Wee must end this volume as wee promised with the iudgement the seperation of good from badde and the rewards and punishments accordingly distributed Daniels prophecy of Antichrist of the iudgement and of the Kingdome of the Saints CHAP. 23. OF this Iudgement Daniel prophecieth saying that Antichrist shall fore-run it and so hee proceedeth to the eternall Kingdome of the Saints for hauing in a vision beheld the foure beasts types of the foure Monarchies and the fourth ouer-throwne by a King which all confesse to bee Antichrist and then seeing the eternall Empire of the Sonne of man CHRIST to follow Daniell saith hee Was troubled in spirit in the middest of my body and the visions of mine head made mee
seruant namely that same forme of a seruant wherein the highest was humbled added the name of the man From whose stock hee was to deriue that seruile forme The spirit of God came vpon him in forme of a Doue as the Ghospell testifieth Hee brought forth iudgement to the Gentiles in fore telling them of future things which they neuer knew of before Hee dyd not crie out yet ceased hee not to preach Nor was his voyce heard with out or in the streete for such as are cut off from his fold neuer heare his voyce Hee neither broake downe nor extinguished those Iewes his persecutors whose lost integrity and abandoned light made them like brused Reedes and c smoaking flaxe hee spared them for as yet hee was not come to iudge them but to bee iudged by them Hee brought forth iudgment in truth by shewing them their future plagues if they persisted in their malice His face sâ—…one on the mount his fame in the whole world hee neither failed nor fainted in that both hee and his Church stood firme against all persecutions Therefore his foes neuer had nor euer shall haue cause to thinke that fulfilled which they wished in the Psalme saying When shall hee dye and his name perish vntill hee haue setled iudgement in the earth Loe here is that wee seeke The last iudgement is that which hee shall settle vpon earth comming to effect it out of heauen As for the last wordes the Iles shall hope in his name wee see it fulfilled already Thus then by this which is so vn-deniable is that prooued credible which impudence dares yet deny For who would euer haue hoped for that which the vnbeleeuers them-selues doe now behold as well as wee to their vtter heart-breaking and confusion d Who did euer looke that the Gentiles should embrace Christianity that had seene the Author thereof bound beaten mocked and crucified That which one theefe durst but hope for vpon the crosse in that now doe the nations farre and wide repose their vtmost confidence and least they should incurre eternall death are signed with that figure where-vpon hee suffered his temporall death Let none therefore make any doubt that Christ shall bring forth such a iudgment as the Scriptures doe promise except hee beleeue not the Scriptures and stand in his owne malicious blindnesse against that which hath enlightned all the world And this iudgment shall consist of these circumstances partly precedent and partly adiacent Helias shall come the Iewes shall beleeue Antichrist shall persecute Christ shall iudge the dead shall arise the good and bad shall seuer the world shall burne and bee renewed All this wee must beleeue shall bee but in what order our full experience then shall exceed our imperfect intelligence as yet Yet verily I doe thinke they shall fall out in order as I haue rehearsed them Now remaineth there two bookes more of this theame to the perfect performance of our promise the first of which shall treate of the paines due vnto the wicked and the second of the glories bestowed vpon the righteous wherein if it please GOD wee will subuert the arguments which foolish mortalls and miserable wretches make for them-selues against GODS holy and diuine pre mises and against the sacred nutriment giuen to the soule by an vnspotted faith thinking them-selues the onely wise-men in these their vngratious cauills and deriding all religious instructions as contemptible and ridâ—…culous As for those that are wise in GOD in all that seemeth most incredible vnto man if it bee auouched by the holy Scriptures whose truth wee haue already sufficiently prooued they laye hold vpon the true and omnipotent deity as the strongest argument against all opposition for hee they know cannot possiblye speake false in those Scriptures and with-all can by his diuine power effect that which may seeme more then most impossible to the vn beleeuers L. VIVES GHrist a in person According to this iudgement of Christ did the Poets faigne thâ—… Iudges of hell for holding Ioue to be the King of Heauen they auoutched his sonne to be iudge of hell yet none of his sonnes that were wholy immortall at first as Bacchus Apollo or Mercurie was but a God that had beene also a mortall man and a iust man withall such as Minos Aeacus or Rhadamanthus was This out of Lactantius lib. 7. b No mention Hierom. in 42. Esai c Smoking flaxe It was a custome of old saith Plutarch in Quaestionib neuer to put out the snuffe of the lampe but to let it die of it selfe and that for diuers reasons first because this fire was some-what like in nature to that inextinguible immortall fire of heauen secondly they held this fire to be a liuing creature and therefore not to bee killed but when it did mischiefe That the fire was aliuing creature the want that it hath of nutriment and the proper motion besides the grone it seemeth to giue when it is quenshed induced them to affirme Thirdly because it is vnfit to destroy any thing that belongeth to mans continuall vse as fire or water c. But wee ought to leaue them to others when our owne turnes are serued Thus far Plutarch The first reason tendeth to religion the second to mansuetude the third to humanity d Who did euer looke Christ was not ignoraâ—… of the time to come nor of the eternity of his doctrine as his leauing it to the publishing of onely twelue weake men against the malicious opposition of all Iudea and his commanding them to preach it throughout the whole world doth sufficiently prooue besides his prophecying to the Apostles that they should all abandon him and hee bee led to death that night and yet againe hee promiseth them to be with them to the end of the world Finis lib. 20. THE CONTENTS OF THE ONE and twentith booke of the City of God 1. Why the punishment of the damned is here disputed of before the happinesse of the Saints 2. Whether an earthly body may possibly bee incorruptible by fire 3. Whether a fleshly body may possibly endure eternall paine 4. Natures testimonies that bodies may remaine vndiminished in the fire 5. Of such things as cannot bee assuredlie knowne to be such and yet are not to be doubted of 6. All strange effects are not natures some are mans deuises some the deuills 7. Gods omnipotency the ground of all beliefe in things admired 8. That the alteration of the knowne nature of any creature vnto a nature vnknowne is not opposite vnto the lawes of nature 9. Of Hell and the quality of the eternall paines therein 10. Whether the fire of hell if it be corporall can take effect vpon the incorporeal deuills 11. Whether it be not iustice that the time of the paines should bee proportioned to the time of the sinnes and criâ—…es 12. The greatnesse of Adams sin inflicting eternall damnation vpon all that are out of the state of grace 13. Against such as hold that the torments after the
yeares of discretion and is capable of good counsel then must he begin a fierce conflict with vices least it allure 〈◊〉 to damnation Indeede the fresh-water soldiour is the more easily put to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 practise will make him valourous and to persue victory with all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he must euermore assay by a weapoÌ„ called the a loue of true righâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…is is kept in the faith of Christ for if the command be present and the 〈◊〉 absent the very forbidding of the crime enflameth the peruerse flesh to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…er into it sometimes producing open enormities and sometimes b sectes ones farre-worse then the other in that pride and ruinous selfe conceit perswadeâ—… 〈◊〉 that they are vertues Then therfore sin is quelled when it is beaten downe by they loue of God which none but he and that he doth only by Iesus Christ the mediator of God and man who made him-selfe mortall that we might bee made eternall few are so happy to passe their youth without taynt of some damnable sinne or other either in deed opinion or so but let them aboue all seeke to suppresse by the fullnesse of spirit all such euill motions as shall be incited by the loosenesse of the flesh Many hauing betaken them-selues to the law becomming preuaricators thereof through sinne are afterwards faine to fly vnto the law of grace assistant which making them both truer penitents and stouter opponents subiecteth their spirits to God and so they get the conquest of the flesh Hee therefore that will escape hell fire must be both Baptized and iustified in Christ and this is his only way to passe from the Deuill vnto him And let him assuredly beleeue that there is no purgatory paines but before that great and terrible iudgement Indeede it is true that the fire of Hell shal be c more forcible against some then against others according to the diuersity of their deserts whether it be adapted in nature to the quality of their merits or remaine one fire vnto all and yet bee not felt alike of all L. VIVES THe a loue of This made Plato aduise men to vse their children onely to vertuous delights and to induce a hate of bad things into their mindes which were it obserued out loue would then be as much vnto vertue as now it is vnto carnall pleasures for custome is another nature and a good man liketh vertue better then the voluptuary doth sensuality b Secret ones far worse Plato hauing feasted certaine Gentlemen spread the Roome with mats and dressed his banqueting beds handsomely In comes Diogenes the Cynicke and falls presently a trampling of the hangings with his durty feete Plato comming in why how now Diogenes quoth he Nothing said the other but that I tread downe Platoes Pride Thou dost indeed saith Plato but with a pride farre greater for indeed this was a greater vaine-glory and arrogance in Diogenes that was poore then in Plato that was rich and had but prepared these things for his friends So shall you haue a many proud beggers thinke them-selues holyer then honest rich men onely for their name sake as if God respected the goods and not there mindes They will not be ritch because they thinke their pouerty maketh them more admired Diogenes had wont to doe horrible things to make the people obserue him and one day in the midst of winter hee fell a washing himselfe in a cold spring whither by and by there gathred a great multitude who seeing him pittied him and praied him to for-beare O no saith Plato aloud if you will pitty him get yee all gone for he saw it was not vertue but vaine-glory that made him do thus c More forcible According to the words of Christ 〈◊〉 â—…be easier for Tyre and Sydon c. Of some Christians that held that Hells paines should not be eternall CHAP. 17. NOw must I haue a gentle disputation with certaine tender hearts of our own religion who thinke that God who hath iuâ—… doomed the damned vnto 〈◊〉 fire wil after a certaine space which his goodnesse shal thinke fit for the merit of each mans guilt deliuer them from that torment And of this opinion was a Origen in farre more pittiful manner for he held that the diuells themselues after a set time 〈◊〉 should bee loosed from their torments and become bright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…hey were before But this and other of his opinions chiefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…-volution of misery and blisse which hee held that all 〈◊〉 should runne in gaue the church cause to pronounce him Anathema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had lost this seeming pitty by assigning a true misery after a while and 〈◊〉 blisse vnto the Saints in heauen where they if they were true could neuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to â—…aine But farre other-wise iâ—… their tendernesse of heart which â—…old that this freedome out of hell shall onely be extended vnto the soules of the 〈◊〉 after a certaine time appointed for euery one so that all at length shall 〈◊〉 to bee Saints in heauen But if this opinion bee good and true because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the farther it extendeth the better it is so that it may as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedome of the deuills also after a longer continuance of time Wâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it with man kinde onely and excludeth them â—…ay but it dares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they dare not extend their pitty vnto the deuill But if any one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goâ—… beyond them and yet sinneth in erring more deformedly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ly against the expresse word of GOD though hee thinke to shew the more pitty herein L. VIVES ORigen a in Periarch lib. Of this already b Include the freedome So did Origen 〈◊〉 likewise made good Angels become deuills in processe of time according to his imaâ—… circum-â—… Of those that hold that the intercession of the Saints shallsaue all men from damnation CHAP. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with some that seeme to reuerence the Scriptures and yet are no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who would make God farre more mercifull then the other For as 〈◊〉 the wicked they confesse that they deserue to bee plagued but mercy shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand when it comes to iudgement for God shall giue them all 〈◊〉 the prayers and intercession of the Saints who if they prayed for them 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 ouer them as enemies will doe it much more now when they 〈◊〉 prostrate aâ—… their feete like slaues For it is incredible say they that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy when they are most holy and perfect who prayed 〈◊〉 theyr foes when they were not with-out sinne them-selues Surely then they 〈◊〉 pray for them being now become their suppliants when as they haue no 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 left in them And will not God heare them when their prayers haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then bring they forth the testimony of the Psalme which the 〈◊〉 that held the sauing of all the damned after a time doe alledge also but 〈◊〉 that it maketh more for them the words are these Hath God forâ—…
end of this present booke L. VIVES A a Worke of mercy For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the properly mercy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue mercie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in diuers more examples Against those that exclude both men and deuills from paines eternall CHAP. 23. FIrst then wee must shew why ' the church hath condemned them that affirme that euen the very deuills after a time of torment shal be taken to mercy The reason is this those holy men so many and so learned in both the lawes of GOD the Old and the New did not enuy the mundification and beatitude of those spirits after their long and great extremity of torture but they saw well that the words of Our Sauiour could not bee vntrue which hee promised to pronounce in the last iudgement saying Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his Angells Hereby shewing that they should burne in euerlasting fire likewise in the Reuelation The deuill that deceiued them was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet shal be tormented euen day and night for euermore There hee saith euerlasting and here for euermore in both places excluding all termination and end of the time Wherefore there is no reason either stronger or plainer to assure our beleefe that the deuill and his angells shall neuer more returne to the glory and righteousnesse of their Saints then because the scriptures that deceiue no man tell vs directly and plainely that GOD hath not spared them but 〈◊〉 them downe into hell and deliuered them vnto chaines of darkenesse there to bee 〈◊〉 vnto the damnation in the iust iudgement then to bee cast into eternall fire and there to burne for euermore If this bee true how can either all or any men bee â—…iuered out of this eternity of paines if our faith whereby we beleeue the deâ—… to bee euerlastingly tormented be not hereby infringed for if those either all or some part to whome it shal be sayd Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angells shall not continue for eâ—… in the fire what reason haue wee to thinke that the deuill and his angells 〈◊〉 Shall the word of GOD spoken alike both to men and deuills be prooued 〈◊〉 vpon the deuills and not vpon the men So indeed should mans surmises â—…of more certainety then Gods promises But seeing that cannot bee they 〈◊〉 desire to escape this paine eternall must cease to argue against GOD and 〈◊〉 his yoake vpon them while they haue time For what a fondnesse were it to value the paines eternall by a fire only of a long contiâ—… but yet to beleeue assuredly that life eternall hath no end at all seeing 〈◊〉 the LORD in the same place including both these parts in one senâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…plainely These shall goe into euerlasting paines and the righteous into life 〈◊〉 Thus doth he make them parallells here is euerlasting paines and there 〈◊〉 eternall life Now to say this life shall neuer end but that paine shall were groâ—…sly absurd Wherefore seeing that the eternall life of the Saints shall bee without end so therefore is it a consequent that the euerlasting paine of the damned shal be as endlesse as the others beatitude Against those that would prooue all damnation frustrate by the praters of the Saints CHAP. 24. THis is also against those who vnder collour of more pitty oppose the expresse word of GOD and say that GODS promises are true in that men are worthy of the plagues he threatens not that they shal be layd vpon them For he will giue them say they vnto the intreaties of his Saints who wil be the readier to pray for them then in that they are more purely holy and their praiers wil be the more powerfull in that they are vtterly exempt from all touch of sinne and corruption Well and why then in this their pure holinesse and powrefulâ—…se of praier will they not intreate for the Angells that are to be cast into euerlasting 〈◊〉 that it would please GOD to mitigate his sentence and set them free from that intollerable fire Some perhaps will pretend that the holy Angells 〈◊〉 ioyne with the Saints as then their followes in praier both the Angells and men also that are guilty of damnation that God in his mercy would be pleased to pardon their wicked merit But there is no sound christian that euer held his or euer will hold it for otherwise there were no reason why the Church should not pray for the deuill and his Angells seeing that her LORD GOD hath willed her to pray for her enemies But the same cause that stayeth the Church for praying for the damned spirits her knowne enemies at this day the â—…ame shall hinder her for praying for the reprobate soules at this day of iudgement notwithstanding her fulnesse of perfection As now shee prayeth 〈◊〉 her enemies in mankinde because this is the time of wholesome repentance and therefore her chiefe petition for them is that GOD would grant them peniâ—… and escape from the snares of the deuill who are taken of him at his will as the Apostle â—…aith But if the church had this light that shee could know any of those wâ—… though they liue yet vpon the earth yet are predestinated to goe with the deuill into that euerlasting fire shee would offer as few praiers for them as shee doth for him But seeing that shee hath not this knowledge therefore praieth 〈◊〉 for all her foes in the flesh and ye is not heard for them all but onely for those who are predestinated to become her sonnes though they bee as yet her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any shall die her impenitent foes and not returne into her boâ—… 〈◊〉 doth shee pray for them No because they that before death are not 〈◊〉 into CHRIST are afterward reputed as associates of the deuill And 〈◊〉 the same cause that forbids her to pray for the reprobate soules as then stoppâ—…â—…er for praying for the Apostaticall Angells as now and the â—…ame reason 〈◊〉 why wee pray for all men liuing and yet will not pray for the wicked nor 〈◊〉 being dead For the praier either of the Church or of some Godly persons is heard a for some departed this life but for them which being regenerat in Christ haue not spent their life so wickedly that they may be iudged vnworthy of such mercy or else so deuoutly that they may bee found to haue no neede of such mercy Euen as also after the resurrection there shal be some of the dead which shall obtaine mercy after the punishments which the spirits of the dead do suffer that they be not cast into euerlasting fire For otherwise that should not be truly spoken concerning some That they shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to
his workes which GOD began to make For we our selues also bee the seauenth day when wee shall be replenished and repaired with his benediction and sanctification There being freed from toyle wee shall see because hee is GOD which wee our selues would haue beene when we fell from him hearing from the Seducer Ye shal be as goods and departing from the true GOD by whose meanes we should be gods by participation of him not by forsaking him For what haue wee done without him but that we haue fayled from him and gone back in his anger Of whom we being restored and perfected with a greater grace shall rest for euer seeing that he is GOD with whom we shal be replenished when hee shal be all in all for our good workes also although they are rather vnderstood to bee his then ours are then imputed vnto vs to obtaine this Sabbath because if wee shall atrribute them vnto our selues they shal be seruile when it is sayd of the Sabboth Yee shall not doe any seruile worke in it For which cause it is sayd also by the Prophet Ezechiel And I haue giuen my Sabbaths vnto them for a signe betweene mee and them that they might know that I am the LORD which sanctifie them Then shall wee know this thing perfectly and wee shall perfectly rest and shall perfectly see that he is GOD. If therefore that number of ages as of daies bee accompted according to the distinctions of times which seeme to bee expressed in the sacred Scriptures that Sabbath day shall appeare more euidently because it is found to be the seauenth that the first age as it were the first day bee from Adam vnto the floud then the second from thence vnto Abraham not by equality of times but by number of generations For they are found to haue a tenth number From hence now as Mathew the Euangelist doth conclude three ages doe follow euen vnto the comming of CHRIST euery one of which is expressed by foureteene Generations From Abraham vnto Dauid is one from thence euen vntill the Transmigration into Babilon is another the third from thence vnto the incarnat Natiuity of CHRIST So all of them are made fiue Now this age is the sixt to bee measured by no number because of that which is spoken It is not for you to know the seasons which the father hath placed in his owne powre After this age GOD shall rest as in the seauenth day when GOD shall make that same seauenth day to rest in himselfe which wee shal be Furthermore it would take vp a long time to discourse now exactly of euery one of those seuerall ages But this seauenth shal be our Sabbath whose end shall not be the euening but the LORDS day as the eight eternall day which is sanctified and made holy by the resurrection of CHRIST not onely prefiguring the eternal rest of the spirit but also of the body There we shall rest and see wee shall see and loue wee shall loue and we shall praise Behold what shal be in the end without end For what other thing is our end but to come to that Kingdome of which there is no end b I thinke I haue discharged the debt of this great worke by the helpe of GOD. Let them which thinke I haue done too little and they which thinke I haue done too much grant mee a fauorable pardon But let them which thinke I haue performed enough accepting it with a kinde congratulation giue no thankes vnto me but vnto the LORD with me Amen L. VIVES HOw a great shall that felicity be Innumerable things might be sayd but Augustine is to bee imitated in this and wee must neither speake nor write any thing rashly of so sacred and holy a matter neither is it lawfull for vs to search out that by Philosophy and disputations of men which the LORD hath commaunded to be most secret neither hath vnuailed to the eies nor vttered to the eares nor hath infused into the thoughts and vnderstandings of mortall men It is his will that we should beleeue them to bee great and admirable and onely to hope after them then at last to vnderstand them when we being made partakers of our desire shall behold openly all things being present and with our eyes and so conioyned and affixed vnto our selues that we may so know as we are now knowne neither ought we to enquire whether that blessednesse be an action of the vnderstanding or rather of the will whether our vnderstanding shal behold al things in GOD or whether it shal be restrained from some things least if we enquire these things ouer contentiously there be neither blessednesse of our vnderstanding nor of our will nor wee see any thing in GOD. Althings shal be full of ioyes and beatitudes not onely the will and vnderstanding but the eyes eares hands the whole body the whole minde the whole soule Wee shall see al things in GOD which wee will and euery one shal be content with the degree of his owne felicity nor will enuy another whom hee shall behold to bee nearer vnto GOD because euery man shal be so blessed as hee shall desire I thinke a I haue discharged the debt of this great worke And I likewise thinke that I haue finished no lesse worke and disburdened my selfe of no lesse labour then Augustine thinketh hee hath done For the burden of these meane and light Commentaries hath beene as heauy to our imbecillity and vnskilfullnesse as the admirable burden of those volumes was to the vigor and strength of his wit learning and sanctity If I haue sayd any thing which may please let the Reader giue thankes vnto GOD for mee if any thing which may displease let him pardon me for GODS sake and let things well spoken obtaine fauour for things il-spoken But if he shall kindly amend and take away the errors he shall deserue a good turne of me and the Readers which peraduenture relying vpon me might be deceiued FINIS An alphabeticall Index pointing out memorable matters contained in these bookes of the Citty of God A ARion who hee was fol. 24 Ttilius Regulus fol. 26 Abraham no murtherer fol. 37 Agamemnon who hee was fol. 34 Atis who he was fol. 56 Alcibiades his law fol. 64 Aeschines who he was fol. 69 Aristodemus who he was ibid. Attelan Comedies fol. 73 Athens lawes imitated in Rome fol. 78 Agrarian lawes fol. 84 Apollo and Neptune build Troy fol. 108 Anubis who he was fol. 76 Aedile his office fol. 103 Athenian ambassadors fol. 90 Ages of men fol. 117 Aesculapius who he was fol. 120 Aetnas burning fol. 157 Assyrian monarchie fol. 161 Anaximander who hee was fol. 299 Anaximines who hee was fol. 300 Anaxogoras who he was ibid. Archelaus who hee was ibid. Aristippus who he was fol. 302 Antisthenes who he was ibid. Atlas who he was fol. 313 Aristole who hee was fol. 318 Academia what it was ibid. Alcibiades who he was fol. 507 Arke
condemne the wicked that not knowing this thing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they might liue well and so there may bee some which may pray 〈◊〉 wicked how then doth hee performe it to them which hope in him seeing that 〈◊〉 they dreame by this sweetnesse he will not condemne them which doe not hope in him Therefore let vs seeke that sweetnesse of his which he performeth to them which hope in him and not that which hee is thought to effect vnto them which contemne and blaspheme him c In vaine therefore man inquireth that when he is departed out of the body which hee hath neglected to obtaine to himselfe beeing in the bodie That saying also of the Apostle d For God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe that he may haue mercy on all is not spoken to that end that he will condemne none but it appeareth before in what sence it was spoken For when as the Apostle spake vnto the Gentiles to whom now beleeuing he wrote his Epistles concerning the Iewes who should afterward beleeue As yee saith hee in time past haue not beleeued GOD. Yet now haue obtained mercy through their vnbeliefe euen so now haue they not beleeued by the mercy shewed vnto you that they may also obtaine mercy Then he addeth whereby they flatter themselues in their errors and sayth For GOD hath shut vppe all in vnbeliefe that hee may haue mercy on all Who are they all but they of whom he did speake saying as it were Both yee and they Therefore GOD hath shut vp both Gentiles and Iewes all in vnbeliefe whom hee fore-knew and predestinated to bee made like the Image of his Sonne that beeing ashamed and cast downe by repenting for the bitternesse of their vnbeliefe and conuerted by beleeuing vnto the sweetnesse of the mercies of GOD might proclaime that in the Psalme How great is the multitude of thy sweetnesse Oh Lord which thou hast laid vp for them which feare thee but hast performed it to them which hope not in them-selues but in thee Therefore he hath mercy on all the vessells of mercy What meaneth of all That is to say of those of the Gentiles and also of those of the Iewes whom hee hath predestinated called iustified glorified not of all men and will conâ—…mne none of those L. VIVES FOr a some departed this life In the ancient bookes printed at Bruges and Coline those tenne or twelue lines which follow are not to bee found for it is written in this manner For the prayer either of the Church or of some godly persons is heard for some departed this â—…fe but for them whose life hath not beene spent so wickedly being regenerate in Christ c. Those things which follow are not extant in them neither in the copies printed at Friburge Neuer-the-lesse the stile is not dissonant from Augustines phrase peraduenture they are eyther wanting in some bookes or else are added heere out of some other worke of Augustine as the first Scholion afterward adioyned to the context of the speech Yet not so that they may b escape The particle of negation is to bee put formost that wee may read it yet not so that they may vnder-goe those punishments at any time In vaine c therefore man In the Bruges copie it is read thus In vaine therefore doth man inquire that after this body which hee hath neglected to get in the body d For GOD hath shut vp all in vnbeleefe Commonly wee read all things in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say all men Paul signifieth that no man hath any occasion to boast that hee is glorious vnto GOD by his owne merits 〈◊〉 that it is wholy to be attributed to the goodnesse and bounty of GOD. Whether that such as beeing baptized by heretiques become wicked in life or amongst Catholiques and then fall away into heresies and schismes or continuing amongst Catholiques be of vicious conuersation can haue any hope of escaping damnation by the priuiledge of the Sacraments CHAP. 12. NOw let vs answer those who doe both exclude the deuills from saluation as the other before doe and also all men besides whatsoeuer excepting such 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 in CHRIST and made pertakers of his body and bloud and these they will haue saued bee their liues neuer so spotted by sinne or heresie 〈◊〉 â—…ostle doth plainely controll them saying The workes of the flesh are 〈◊〉 which are adultery fornication vncleanesse wantonnesse Idolatry c. 〈◊〉 such like whereof I tell you now as I told you before that they which doe such things 〈◊〉 not inherite the Kingdome of GOD. This were false now if that such men should become Saints at any time whatsoeuer But this is true scripture and therefore that shall neuer come to passe And if they bee neuer made 〈◊〉 of the ioyes of heauen then shall they bee euer-more bound in the â—…ines of 〈◊〉 for there is no medium wherein hee that is not in blisse might â—…ue a plaâ—… free from torment And therefore it is fitte wee see how our Sauiours words may bee vnderstood â—…ere hee sayth This is the bread that came downe from heauen that hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it should not die I am the lyuing bread which came downe from heaâ—… 〈◊〉 of this bread hee shall liue for euer c. Those whome wee 〈◊〉 answere by and by haue gotten an interpretation for these places somewhat more restrained then those whome wee are to answere at this present For those other doe not promise deliuery to all that receiue the Sacraments but onely to the Catholikes of what manner of life soeuer for they onely are those that receiue the bodie of CHRIST not onely sacramentally but 〈◊〉 alâ—… 〈◊〉 they as beeing the true members of his bodie whereof the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are one bread and one bodie Hee therefore that is in this â—…ity of CHRISTS members in one bodie the sacrament whereof the faithfull doe daylie communicate hee is truely sayd to receiue 〈◊〉 bodie and to drinke the bloud of CHRIST So that Heretiques and 〈◊〉 who are cut off from this bodie may indeed receiue the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 them no good but a great deale of hurt in that great 〈◊〉 it will both make their paines more heauy and their continuance 〈◊〉 For they are not in that vnity of peace which is expressed a in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But â—…ow these that can obserue that hee that is not in CHRIST cannot receiue his body 〈◊〉 doe ouer-shoote themselues in promising absolution at one time or other to all the â—…ators of superstition Idolatry or heresie First because they ought 〈◊〉 obserue how absurd and farre from all likely hood 〈◊〉 that those bee they more or lesse that haue left the church and become 〈◊〉 heretiques should bee in beer estate then those whome they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee heretiques with them before that they were Catholikes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church if to bee baptized and to receiue CHRISTS body in the church bee
the causes of those arch-heretiques deliuery For an Apostata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the faith hee hath once professed is worse then hee that opâ—…â—…hat hee did neuer professe Secondly in that the Apostle himselfe 〈◊〉 them concluding of the workes of the flesh that They which 〈◊〉 â—…ll 〈◊〉 the Kingdome of GOD. 〈◊〉 therefore and wicked men secure themselues by their continuance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is written He thâ—… endureth to the end hee shal be saued nor by 〈◊〉 â—…quity renounce Christ their iustice in committing fornication and either 〈◊〉 any part of those fleshly workes which the Apostle reâ—… counteth or such vncleanesses as hee would not name for of all such hee â—…aith expressely they shall not inherite the Kingdome of GOD. Wherefore the doers of such deeds cannot but bee in eternall paines in that they are excluded from the euerlasting ioyes For this kinde of perseuerance of theirs is no perseuerance in CHRIST because it is not a true perseuerance in his faith which the Apostle defineth to bee such as worketh by loue And loue as hee sayth elsewhere worketh not euill So then these are no true receiuers of CHRISTS bodie in that they are none of his true members For to omit other allegations they cannot bee both the members of CHRIST and the members of an harlot And CHRIST himselfe saying hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me I in him sheweth what it is to receiue Christ not onely sacramentally but truely for this is to dwell in Christ and Christ in â—…m For thus hee spoke as if hee had sayd Hee that dwelleth not in mee nor I in him cannot say hee eateth my flesh or drinketh my bloud They therefore that are not members of CHRIST are not in him they that make themselues the members of an harlot are no members of CHRIST vnlesse they purge away their badnesse by repentance and returne to his goodnesse by a true reconciliation L. VIVES EXpressed a in this sacrament For all pertake of one bread which is a great bond of 〈◊〉 Againe this mysticall bread is made of many graines of corne loosing their proper formes to bee all incorporated into one masse or body So many are receiued into the church and at thâ—… entrance they put off their owne proper enormities and being linked to the rest 〈◊〉 loue and charity seeme now no more what they were before but are incorporate into one body the church Baptisme maketh vs both bretheren and one also and mutuall charity giueth forme collour taste and perfection to the whole body So that there could not haue bin giuen a more fit type of the Church then that which CHRIST gaue in his institution What it is to haue CHRIST for the foundation who they are that shal be saued as it were by fire CHAP. 26. I But christian Catholiques say they haue CHRIST for their foundation from whom they fell not though they built badly vpon it in resemblance of timber straw and stubble So that faith is true which holds CHRIST the foundation and though it beare some losse in that the things which are built vpon it burne away yet hath it power to saue him that holdeth it after some time of suffrance But let Saint Iames answere these men in a word If a man say hee â—…th faith and haue no workes can the faith saue him Who then is that say they of whom Saint Paul sayth Hee shal be safe himselfe neuerthelesse as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well wee will see who that is but surely it is no such as these would haue 〈◊〉 for else the Apostles condradict one another For if one saith though a man haue liued wickedly yet shall hee bee saued by faith through fire and the other If hee haue no workes can his fayth saue him Then shall we soone find who it is that shal be saued by fire if first of all wee finde what it is to haue Christ for the foundation Togather which first from the nature of the simyly there is no worke in building before the fâ—…dation Now euery one hath CHRIST in his heart thus farre that 〈◊〉 â—…ct of temporall things and some-times of things vnlawfull still â—…eth Christ for the foundation thereof But if hee preferre these things 〈◊〉 CHRIST though hee seeme to hold his fayth yet CHRIST is no foundation vnto him in that hee preferres those vanities before him And if â—…ee both contemne good instructions and prosecute badde actions how much the sooner shall hee bee conuinced to set Christ at nothing to esteeme him at no value in vainer respects by neglicting his command and allowance and in preuarication of both following his owne lustfull exorbitances wherefore if any christian loue an hâ—…r lot and become one body with her by coupling with her hee hath not Christ fâ—… his foundation And if a man loue his wife according to Christ who can denie but that hee hath Christ for his foundation Admit his loue bee 〈◊〉 worldly concupiscentiall as the Gentiles loued that knew not Christ all this the Apostle doth beare with and therefore still may Christ bee such a mans foundation For if hee preferre not these carnall affects before Christ though hee build straw and stubble vpon his foundation yet Christ is that still and therefore such a man shal be saued by fire For the fire of tribulation shall purge away those carnall and worldly affections which the bond of marriage doth acquit from beeing damnable and vnto this fire all the calamities accident in this kinde as barrennesse losse of children c. haue reference And in this case hee that buildeth thus shall loose because his building shall not last and these losses shall grieue him in that their fruition did delight him Yet shall the worth of his foundation saue him in that if the persecuâ—… should put it to his choice whether hee would haue Christ or these his 〈◊〉 hee would choose Christ and leaue all the rest Now shall you heare 〈◊〉 describe a builder vpon this foundation with gold siluer and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vnmaried saith hee careth for the things of the LORD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD And now for him that buildeth with wood straw and 〈◊〉 Hee that is married caretb for the things of the world how hee may please his wife Euery mans worke shal bee made manifest for the day of the LORD shall declare it that is the daie of tribulation for it shal be reuealed by the fire This tribulation hee calleth fire as wee reade also in another place The furâ—… proueth the potters vessell and so doth the temptation of tribulation trie mans thoughts So then the fire shall trie euery mans worke and if any worke 〈◊〉 as his will that careth for the things of the LORD and how to â—…ase him hee shall receiue wages that is hee shall receiue him of whome 〈◊〉 thought and for whome hee cared But if any 〈◊〉 worke burne hee shall 〈◊〉 because hee shall not haue his