a thing at that time not probable in reason for that the Romanes permitted the exercise of al kindes of religions And that notwithstanding in all thes pressures and intollerable afflictie is his faithfull followers should not shrincke but holde out and daily encrease in zeale fortitude and number and finallie should atchiue the victorie and conquest of al the world a thīg much more vnlikly at that daye so farre passing al humane probabilitie as no capacitie reason or cōcept of man might reach or attaine the foresight therof And with this wil we cōclude our third and last part of the general diuision set doune in the beginning concerning the groundes and proofes of Christian religion The Conclusion Sect. 4. BY AL that hytherto hath bene saide we haue declared and made manifest vnto the gentle reader three thinges of great importance First that from the beginning and creation of the worlde ther hath bene promised in all times and ages a Messias or Saueour of mankinde in whom and by whom al Nations should be blessed as also that the particuler time maner and circumstance of his cōming together with the qualitie of his person purpose doctrine life death resurrection and Ascension were in like maner by the prophets of God most euidently forshewed Secōdly that the very same particulers and special points that were dessigned and set doune by the said Prophets were also fulfilled most exactly with their circumstances in the person and actions of Iesus our Saueour Thirdly that besides the accomplishment of all the for said propheties there were giuen by Iesus many signes manifestatiōs and most infallible arguments of his Deitie and omnipotēt puissance after his Ascention or departure from al humane and corporal conuersation in this world By al which waies meanes arguments and proofes by ten thousand more which to the tongue or penne of man are inexplicable the Christian minde remaineth setled and most firmely grounded in the vndoubted belief of his religion hauing besides al other thinges euidēces certainties and internal comfortes and assurances which are infinite thes eight demonstratiue reasons and persuasions which ensue for his more ample and aboundant satisfaction therin First that it was impossible that so many thinges should be foretold so precisely with so many particularities in so many ages by so different persons al of sanctitie with so great concorde consent and vnitie and that so long before hand but by the spirite of God alone that only hath foreknowlege of future euents Secondly that it could not possibly be that so many thinges so difficult and strange with al their particularities and circumstances should be so exactly and preciselie fulfilled but in him alone of whom they were truly meant Thirdly that it can no waies be imagined that God would euer haue concurred with Iesus doinges or assisted hym aboue all course of nature with so aboundant miracles as the Gentiles doe confesse that he wrought yf he had bene a Seducer or taken vpon hym to set foorth a false doctrine Fourthly if Iesus had intended to deceaue and seduce the world he would neuer haue proposed a doctrine so difficult and repugnant to al sensualitie but rather would haue taught things pleasant and grateful to mans voluptuous delight as Mahomet did after him Nether could the nature of mā haue euer so affectuously embrased such austeritie without the assistance of some diuine and supernatural power Fistly for that Iesus being poorely borne and vnlettred as by his aduersaries confessiō doth appeare and that in such an age and tyme when all worldly learning was in most florishing estate he could neuer possibly but by diuine power haue attained to such most exquisite knowlege in all kinde of learning as to be able to decide all the doubtes and controuersies of Philosophers before him as he did laving doune more plainly distinctly perspicuously the pithe of all humane and diuine learning within the compasse of three yeares teaching and that to auditours of so great simplicitie then did al the Sages of the world vntil that 〈◊〉 in so much that euen then the most vnlearned Christian of that time could say more in certaintie of truth concerning the knowledge of God the Creation of the world th' ende of man the reward of vertue the punishment of vice th' immortalitie and rest of our soule after this life and in other such highe poinctes and mysteries of true philosophie then could the most famous and learned of al the Gentiles that had for so many ages before beaten their braines in contention about the same Sixtlie if Iesus had not meant plainly and sincerely in al his doinges according as he professed he would neuer haue takē so seuere a course of life to himself neither would he haue refused al temporal dignities and aduancemēts as he did he would neuer haue chosen to die so opprobriously in the sight of al men nor made election of Apostles and Disciples so poore and contemptible in the world nor if he had would euer worldly men haue folowed him in so great multitudes with so great seruour zeale constancy and perseuerāce vnto death Seuenthly we see that the first beginners and founders of Christian religion left by Iesus were a multitude of simple and vnskilful persons vnapt to deceyue or deuise any thing of them selues They beganne against al probabilitie of mans reason they went forward against the streame and strength of al the world they continued and encreased aboue humane possibilitie they perseuered in tormētes and afflictions insufferable they wrought miracles aboue the reache and compasse of mans habilitie they ouerthrew Idolatrie that then possessed the world and confounded al powers infernal by the only name and vertue of their maister They saw the propheties of Iesus fulfilled and al his diuine speeches and predictions come to passe They sawe the punishmēt of their enimies and chief imnugners to fal vpon them in their dayes They sawe euery daie whole Prouinces Countries and kingdomes conuerted to their faith And finally the whole Romane Empire and world besides to subiect it self to the lawe obediēce and Ghospel of their maister Lastly among all other reasons and argumentes this may be one most manifest vnto vs that wheras by many testimonies and expresse propheties of the olde Testament it is affirmed that the people of Israel should abandone persecute and put to death the true Messias at his comming as before hath bene shewed and for that facte should it self be abandoned of God and brought to ruine and dispersion ouer al the world wherin according to the wordes of Osee they shal sitt for a long time vvithout king vvithout prince vvithout sacrifice vvithout Altar vvithout Ephode or images and after this againe shal returne and seeke their God in the last daies we see in this age the verie same particularities fulfilled in that Nation and so to haue continued now for thes fiftiene hundreth yeares that
her wicked deedes shal beginne exceedingly to feare and tremble and would gladlie flie and leaue her deedes behinde her seekinge to entreate the Angels and to request but one hower space of delaye But that wil not be graunted and her euil workes crying out al together shal speake against her and save we wil not staye behinde or parte from the thou hast done vs and we are thy workes and therfore we wil follow the whether soeuer thou goest yea euen vnto the seate of iudgement This loe is the state of a sinners soule which partinge from his bodie with most horrible feare goeth onwardes to iudgemēt loden with sinnes and with infinite confusion Contrariwise the iust mans soule goeth out of his bodie with greate ioye and comforte the good Angels accompaininge her with exultation Wherefore brethren seinge these thinges are so doe you feare this terrible hower of death now to the ende you maye not feare when you come vnto it Foresee it now that then you maye be secure Thus farre S. Augustine And for that this holie father learned Doctour in Christes Church maketh mentiō in this place of good and euil Angels which are redie at the houre of death to receyue the soules of such as depart out of this life it shal not be from our purpose to note that oftentimes God doth permit the apparitions of Angels both good and euil as also of other saintes to some men lyinge on their death beddes for a tast ether of comforte or sorow touchinge that which shal ensue in the world to come And this is also one singuler priuiledge among other belonging to this passage And concerning the iust I haue shewed before an example out of S. Cyprian and S. Augustine touching one to whome Christ appeared at the hower of his death And S. Gregorie the greate hath diuers like narratiōs to that purpose i the fourth booke of his dialogues As for example sake of one Vrsinus to whom the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule appeared But as concerning euil spirites and wicked Angels which shewed thē selues vnto diuers sinners at the houre of death and denounced vnto them their eternal damnation and horrible tormentes appointed in hel we haue manie and most terrible exāples recorded in many graue aunciēt writers As among other that recorded by S. Gregorie of one Chrisorius a greate riche man but as ful of sinne as of wealth to whome lying on his death-bed the infernal fiendes in most vglie māner appeared shewing how now he was deliuered into their power and therfore would neuer depart from him vntil he dying left his soule vnto thē to be caried to eternal tormentes The like examples doth venerable Bede recount to haue happened in our countrie about his time And among other of a certaine wicked Courtier in great fauour with king Coenride to whom lying in the panges of death and being now a litle recouered both the good and euil Angels appeared visibly the one laying before him a verie smal booke of his good deedes the other a greate huge volume of his enormous crimes Which after they had caused him to reade by the permissiō of the good Angels they seazed vpō him assignig also vnto him the certaine houre of his departure according as both him selfe confessed openlie to al that came to visit him and as by his horrible desperate death ensuinge at the very hower by them appointed he manifestlie confirmed The like storie recordeth he in the chapter folowing of one whom he knew him self and as both he S. Gregorie and S. Cyprian also doe note al these such other visions were permitted for our sake which doe yet liue and maye take commoditie by the same and not for their good that died whom they nothing at al auailed Which being so deare Christian brother that is this passage of death being so terrible so daungerous yet so ineuitable as it is seing so manie mē doe perish and are ouer whelmed daylie in passing ouer this perilous gulfe as both holie scriptures and auncient fathers doe testifie by examples recordes vnto vs what man of discretion would not learne to be wise by other mens dangers or what reasonable creature would not take heede looke aboute him being warned so manifestlie and apparantlie of his owne peril if thou be a Christian and doest belieue in deede the thinges which Christiā faith doth teach the thē doest thou know an I most certainlic belieue also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition so euer thou be now yet must hy self which now in health mirth doest real this point and thinkest the same litle appertainig vnto thee one of these daies and that perhaps very shortlie after the readinge hereof come to proue al these thinge in thine owne person that is thou must with sorow and griefe beenforced to thy bed and there after al straggliges with the dartes of death thou must yelde thy bodie which thou louest now so dearly to be the baite of wormes and thy soule to the trial of iustice for her doinges in this life IMAGINE THEN my friend euē thou I saye which art so fresh and froelicke at this instant that the ten twentie or two yeres or perhaps two monethes or daies which thou hast yet to liue were now come to an ende and that thou were euen at this present stretched out vpon a bed wearied and worne with dolour and paine thy carnal frindes about the weepinge and howlinge and desiring thie goodes the phisitions departed with their fees as hauing gyuen the ouer and thou lyinge there alone mute and dumme in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to momēt the last stroke of death to be gyuen vnto the. Tel me in this instāt what would al the pleasures and commodities of the whole earth auaile the what comfort or ease would it be vnto the now to haue bene of honour in this world to haue gathered wealth and purchassed much to haue borne office and enioyed the princes fauour to haue left thy children and kinred in aboundance to haue trodden donne thine enimies to haue stirred much and borne greate swaye in this life what pleasure I saye or benefite would it be to the to haue bene beautiful to haue bene gallant in apparel goodlie in personage glittering in golde would not al thes thinges rather afflict then profit thee at this instant No doubt but now thou shouldest wel see throughlie perceaue the vanitie of thes trifles thou shouldest proue true the saying of the wise man non proderūt diuitie in die vltionis riches wil profit nothing in the day of Gods reuēge That most excellent demaunde of holie Iob would oftentimes offer it self vnto thie remembrāce Quid ad cum pertinet de domo sua post se What hath a man to doe with his house familie or kinred after he is gone what good what comfort shal he take therby VVho vvil
gyue vp his accomptes of so much tyme and monie spent in singinge so much in daunsinge so muche in fencinge so much in Courtig who would not laugh at so fond a recoÌ„ning but being further demauÌ„ded of his master what tyme he had bestowed vpon the marchandise and affaires for which he was sent if the man should answer that he had not leasure to thinke vpon that thing for the great occupation whiche he had in th' other who would not esteeme hym worthie of all punishement and confusioÌ„ And much more shame and confusion no doubt shall they sustaine at the last dreadfull day in the face and presence of God and all his Angels who being sent into this world to traffique so riche a marchaÌ„dise as is the kingdome of heauen haue neglected the same and haue bestowed their studdies vpoÌ„ the moste vaine tryfles and follies of this world without cogitation or care of th' other O ye children of Adam saith the spirit of God whie loue you so vanitie and seeke after lies Whie leaue you the fouÌ„taine and seeke after Cesternes If a goldeÌ„ Game of inestimable value should be proposed to suche as would ruÌ„ne and could winne the same and when the course or rase were begunne if some should steppe asyde and follow flies or fethers that passed in th' ayer without regarde of the price Goule proposed who would not maruaile and take pittie of their follie Euen so is it with men of this world if we belieue S. Paul who affirmeth that we are all placed together in a Course or rase and that heauen is propounded vnto vs for the Game or Price But euerie man saith he arriueth not thyther and why for that most men doe steppe a syde and leaue the marcke Most men doe runne awrie and doe followe fethers vp and downe in th' ayer most men doe pursue vanities and doe wearie them selues oute in the pursute therof vntill they can nether runne nor goe nor moue their limmes anie further and then for the most parte it is to late to amende their follie Will you heare the lamentations of suche vnfortunate men These are their owne wordes recorded by scripture We are wearied out in the waye of iniquitie and perdition and the waye of God we haue not knowen What profitt haue we receyued of all our pompe pride and vaunting riches what good haue they donne vs They are now past awaye as a shadoe and as a messenger that rideth in post and we are consumed in our owne iniquities This is the lamentable complainte of such men as ranne awrie and followed a wronge course in their actions of this life Thes are they who pursued riches honour pompe and like vanities and forgate the busines for which they were sent Thes are they who were esteemed happie men in this world and thought to runne a most fortunat course in that they heaped much riches together aduaunced them selues and their families to greate dignities became gorgeous glorious and dreadful to others and finallie obtained what so euer their lust and concupiscence desyred This made them seeme blessed to earthelie cogitations and the waye wherin they ráne to be most prosperous and happie And I make no doubt by experience of thes our tymes but they had admirours and enuiours in great abundance who burned in desire to obtaine the same course And yet when I heare their complainte in this place and their owne confession wherin they saye expresselie vve senseles men did erre from the vvay of truth when I consider also th' addition of scripture Taliadixerunt in inferno they spake thes thinges when they were in hell I can not but esteeme their course for most miserable and condemne wholy the iudgement of flesh in this affaire Wherfore my brother if thou be wise yelde not to this decept of worldlie lippes and tongues that vse to blesse sanctific such as are in most daunger and nearest to perdition Leane rather to the sincere councel of S. Paul who willeth the to examine vprightlie thy owne workes and wayes and so to iudge of thie selfe without decepte If thou walke the waye of Babylon most certaine it is that thou shalt neuer arriue at the gates of Hierusalem except thou chaunge thie course O my brother what a gryese will it be vnto thee when after longe labour and much toyle thou shalt finde thie self to haue gone a wrie if a man had trauailed but one whole daye and therby made wearie should vnderstande at night that all his labour were lost that his whole iourney was out of the waye it would be a marueloê° afflictioÌ„ vnto hym no doubt albeit no other incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce were therin but onlie the losse of that dayes trauaile which might be recouered and recompenced in the next But if besides this his busines were great if it laye vpon his life to be at the place whether he goeth at a certaine hower if the losse of his waye were irrecouerable if the punishment of his errour must be death and confusion and hym self were so wearie that he could stirre no one foote further imagine then what a gryeuous message this would be vnto hym to heare one say Sir you are amisse and haue ridden wholie besides your way So then wil it be vnto the my soule at the daye of death and separation from my bodie if in this life thou attende not to thy saluation for which thou were created but shalt passe ouer thy dayes in followinge of vanities Thou shalt finde thy self a straye at th' ende of thy iournei thou shalt finde thy self wearie and inforced to saye withe those miserable damned spirites I haue vvalked hard and craggie vvayes for that in deede the waye of wickednes is full of thornes and stones though in shew it be couered with faire grasse manie flowers Thou shalt finde at that daye that thou hast lost thy labour lost thy tyme lost all opportunitie of thy owne commoditie Thou shalt finde thie errour to be irrecouerable thie dauÌ„ger vnauoydable thie punishement insupportable thie repentance vnprofitable and thie griefe and sorrow and calamitie inconsolable Oh he that could beholde and feele th' inwarde cogitations of a worldlie mans hart at that instant after all his honours and pleasures were past no doubt but he should finde hym of an other iudgement and opinion in thinges then he was in the ruffe and heate of his ioylitie He doth well perceyue then the fondnes of those triffles which he followed in this life albeit it were to make hym self a Monarche If a man did know the cogitations that Alexander the Great had when of poison he came to die after all his victories and incredible prosperitie if we knew the thoughtes of Iuliê° Caesar at the day of his murder in the Senate house after the conquest of all his enimies and subiection of the whole world to his owne onlie obedieÌ„ce we should well perceiue
euery sinful conscience commeth to answere almightie God as did Ierusalem when being admonished of her sinnes exhorted by his prophet to amendment of life she said Desperaui nequaquam faciam I ame become desperate I wil neuer thincke of any such thing To which lamentable estate when a sinful man is once arriued the next steppe he maketh is for auoiding al remorse and trouble of consciēce to engulfe him self into the depth of al detestable enormities and to abandone his soule to the verie sincke of al filth and abhominations according as S. Paul said of the Gentiles in like case that by despaire they deliuered them selues ouer to dis solute life therby to commit al maner of vncleanes Which wicked resolution of the impious is the thing as I haue noted before that most of al other offences vpon earth doth exasperate the ire of Almighty God depriuing his deuine Maiestie of that most excellent propertie wherin he cheifly deliteth and glorieth which is his infinite and vnspeacable mercie This might be declared by diuers and sondrie examples of holy writt how be it two only shal suffice for this present The first is of the people of Israel not long before their banishment to Babilon who being threatned from God by the Prophet Ieremie that manifold punishments were imminent ouer their heads for their grieuous sinnes committed against his Maiestie begāne in stead of repentance to fal to desperation and consequently resolued to take that impious course of al dissolute life alleaged before out of S. Paul for thus they answered God exhorting them by his threats to reforme their wicked liues VVe are novv grovven desperate therfore vve vvil hereafter folovve our ovvne cogitations and euerie one sulfil the vvickednes of his ovvne conceite Wherat God stormed infinitely and brake forth into this vehement interrogation Interrogate Gentes quit audiuit talia horribilia Aske and enquire of the verie Gentiles whether euer among them were heard any such horrible blasphemies And after this for more declaration of this intollerable iniurie herin offerred to his Maiestie he commaunded the Prophet Ieremie to goe forth of his owne house and to get him to a potters shope which in the village was framing his vessels vpon the wheele Which Ieremie hauing done he sawe befor his face a pot crushed and broken by the potter al in peeces vpō the wheele and thincking therby that the vessel had bene vtterly vnprofitable and to be cast away he saw the same clay ptesently framed agayne by the potter into a new vessel more excellent then before Wherat he maruailing God said vnto him Doest not thou thinck Ieremie that I can doe with the house of Israel as this potter hath done with his vessel Or is not the house of Israel in my handes as the clay is in the handes of this craftesman I wil denounce vpon the sodaine against a Nation and kingdome that I wil roote it vp and destroye it and if that nation or kingdome doe repent from their wickednes I also wil repent me of the punishment which I intended to laie vpon them And then he proceedeth foreward declaring vnto Ieremie the exceeding greif and indignation which he conceaueth that any sinner what soeuer should despaire of mercie pardon at his hands The second example is of the same people of Israel during the time of their banishment in Babilon at what time being afflicted with many miseries for their sinnes and threatned with many more to come for that they changed not the course of their former wicked conuersation they beganne to despaire of Gods mercie and to saie to the Prophet Ezechiel that liued banished among them exhorted them to amendment vpon assured hope of Gods fauour towards them Our iniquities and sinnes doe lye greeuouslie vpon vs and vve languish in them and vvhat hope of life then may vve haue At which cogitation and speech God being greatly moued appeared presently to Ezechiel said vnto him Tel this people I doe liue saieth the Lord God of hostes I vvishe not the death of the impious but rather that he should turne from his vvicked vvaies and liue VVhy vvil the house of Israel die in their sinnes rather then turne vnto me And then he maketh a large and vehement protestation that how greuously soeuer any person shal offend him how great punishments soeuer he shal denounce against him yea if he had giuen expresse sentence of death and damnation vpon him yet Si egerit paenitentiam a peccato suo seceritque iudicium iustitiam that is if he repent him self of his sinne and exercise iudgement and iustice for the time to come al his sinnes that he hath committed shal be forgiuen him saieth almightie God for that he hath done iudgment and Iustice. And this now might be sufficient albeit nothing els were spoken for remouing this first obstacle and impediment of true resolution which is the dispaire of Gods infinite goodnes and mercie Neuertheles for more euident clearing and demonstration of this matter and for the greater comfort of such as feele them selues burdened with the heauy weight of their iniquities committed against his deuine Maiestie I haue thought expedient in this place to declare more at large this aboundant subiect of Gods endles mercie towards al such as wil truly turne vnto him in what time state condition or age soeuer in this life which shal be shewed and set doune by thes foure points and partes that doe ensue FIRST OF AL by the infinite and incomprehēsible loue that almightie God beareth vnto man which loue is alwaies the mother of fauour grace and mercie If you demaund of me in what sort I doe proue that the loue of God is so exceeding great towardes man I answere as the Cosmographer is wont to doe who by the greatnes and multitude of the streames and riuers doth frame a coniecture of the fountaine frō which they flowe The proper riuers which are deriued and doe ronne forth of loue are good turnes and benefites which seing they are infinite endles and inestimable bestowed by God vpon man as in place before hath bene declared and the whole vniuersal frame of this world doth aboundantly beare witnesse it foloweth most euidently that the origine fountaine welspring of al thes fauours graces and good turnes must needs be infinite immeasurable and farre surpassing al compasse of mans vnderstanding If you require of me the cause and reason why almightie God should so wonderfully be affected towards man I can directly yeld you none at al but rather meruaile therat with holy Iob why so soueraine a Maiestie should set his hart vpon so base a subiect Notwithstanding the holy Scripture seemeth to alleage one principal reason of this loue when it saieth Nihil odistieorum quae secisti parcis omnibus quia tua sunt Domine quidiligis animas That is Thou O Lord which louest soules
all others in those first tymes of simplicitie and sinceritie were in parte translated into diuers liguages before the Monarchie of the Persians that is before any storie of the Gentiles were writen as Eusebius out of manie heathen authours declareth NEXT TO the reason of antiquitie is alleaged the manner of wryting authorising cóseruing thes scriptures which is such as greatelie cōfirmeth the certaintie of thinges conteyned therin For first what soeuer is sett downe in these wrytinges was ether taken immediatelie frō the mouth of God as were the propheties and bookes of the law or els collected from tyme to tyme by general consent according as matters miracles sell out as were the booke of iudges the bookes of Kinges and Chronicles and some other that conteine recordes and histories of tymes Which bookes were not gathered by some one priuate man vpon hearsaye or by his owne imagination longe after thinges donne as heathen histories and other prophane recordes monumtes are but they were writen by general agreement in the self same dayes when thinges were in sight and knowledge of all men and so could not be seigned Secondlie when bookes were writen they were not admitted into the canon or authoritie of scriptures that is of gods worde or diuine writinges but vpon great deliberation and most euidēt proof of their vndoubted veritie For ether the whole cōgregatió or Synagoge who had th' approuing here of and among whom commonlie were diuers prophetes did know most certainlie the thinges and miracles to be true as did also the whole people that were recorded in thes writinges conteining histories or els they saw the same confirmed frō God by signes and wonders as in the bookes of their prophetes of their-law gyuer Moises it fell out Thirdlie when anie thing was writen and admitted for scripture the care of cōseruation therof was such and the reuerence of Iewes therunto so great as may easilie assure vs that no corruption or alteration could happen vnto it For first the thig was copied out into twelue Autentical Copies for all the twelue tribes and then againe in euerie tribe ther were so manie Copies made as were particuler synagoges within that tribe All was donne by special Notaries Scribes ouerseers and witnesses The Copies after diligent renewe taken were layde vp by the whole Cōgregatiō in the treasure-howse of the temple vnder diuers lockes and keyes not to be touched but by men appointed nor to be vsed but with singuler reuerence To adde diminish corrupt or alter was present death by the lawes of the Nation And how then was it possible sayeth the Iewe that among thes writinges ether falshode should creepe in or truth once receaued could afterwardes be corrupted It is not possible sayeth he in reason and therfore obserueth he an other thing in this case which ī truth is of verie great consideration to witt that no other Nation vnder heauē did euer so much esteeme their owne writīges that they would offer to die for the same as the Iewes were redieto doe for euerie sentēce and syllable of their scriptures Wherof also it did proceede that in all their miseries and afflictions wherin they were a spectacle to all the world in all their flightes and banishementes to Egipt Babylon Persia Media and other corners of the earth in all their spoiles assaults and deuastations at home they yet euer had special care to conserue these writinges more then their owne lyues and so haue kepte the same without may me or corruptiō more ages together then all Nations in the world haue donne any other monumentes THE THIRD persuasion which is vsed by the Iewe for the veritie of his scriptures is the consideration of the particuler men that wrote them who were such as in reason can not be suspected of decept or falshod For as I haue said the Stories of the Byble were writen from tyme to tyme by publique authoritie and by the testimony of all men that saw and knew the thinges that are rehersed The bookes of propheties were endited by the prophetes them selues who were plaine simple and sincere mē authorized from God by continual miracles and yet so scrupulous and timerous of their owne speeches as they durst say nothing but only our Lord saith this the God of Hostes commaundeth that c. And when they had preached and reade their writinges in the hearinge of all the people they protested that it was not mans worde but gods and that for such they left it in the publique treasurie of their Nation vntill by tracte of tyme th' euent and fulfilling of their propheties should proue thē true as alwayes it did and their owne both liues and deathes declare that they meant no falshode their liues being such as were not subiect to the corruption pride vanitie or ambitiō of this life as other prophane and heathen writers were and their deathes for the most parte offered vp in holie martirdome for defence of that truthe whiche they had preached writen as appeareth in Esay that was sawed in peeces by kīg Manasles in Ieremie that was stoned to death by the common people in Ezechiel that was slayne by the capitaine of the Iewes at Babylō in Amos whose braines were beaten oute by Amasias the wicked idolitrous priaest in Bethel in Micheas whose necke was broken by prince Ioam sonne to kinge Achab in Zacharie that was slaine at th' Aulter and the lyke And this for the Prophetes of later tymes amōg the Iewes But now if we cōsider the first Prophete of all that wrote among that people I meane Moyses that was not only a Prophet but also an Historiographer a Law giuer a Captaine and a Prieste the first that euer reduced that people to a common wealth and the first that putt their actes gestes in writing or rather th' actes and gestes of almightie God towardes them this man I say if we cōsider hym onlie I meane the circūstances of his person the Iewe thiketh this a sufficiēt motiue to make anie mā of reason beleeue what so euer he hath lefte writen in the Bible without further confirmatiō And first for his antiquitie I haue spokē before and the heathēs doe confesse it for miracles donne by hym the greatest ennemies that euer he had in the world that is Appiō in his fowerth booke agaīst Iewes and Porphirie in his fowerthe booke agaīst Christiās d ee acknowledge them and Porphirie adioyneth more for proofe therof that he fownde the same cōfirmed by the storie of one Saconiathō a Gentile who liued as he saith at the same tyme with Moyses But what all those miracles say they were donne by artemagicke not by the power of God as Moyses boasted But thē asketh thē the Iew wher Moises a shepheard could learne so much magick or why could not the Magitians of Pharao whose studie was in that profession from their infancie ether doe the
what eche tribe should attaine after his death by drawinge of lottes Againe the same Moyses forsawe and fortolde in publique hearing of all the people how in tymes to come longe after his death the Iewes should forsake God and for their synnes be cast into manie banishementes and finallie be forsaken and the Gentiles receaued in their roome as in deed it came to passe And whence trow you could he learne this but from God alone In the booke of Iosue there is a curse layed vpō the place where Iericho stoode and vpon what soeuer person should goe about to rebuild the same to wit that in his eldest sonne he should lay the foundations and in his yongest sonne should he builde the gates therof which is to saye that before the foundations were layed and gates builded he should be punished with the death of all his children Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundred yeares after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked kinge Achab to rebuild Iericho againe and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segub his children as the booke of kinges reportech according to the vvorde of our Lord vvhich he had spoken in the hande of Iosue the fonne of Nun And since that tyme to this no man ether Iewe or Gētile hath taken vpon hym to raise againe the said Citie albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of Stories and Geographers appeareth In the third booke of kinges it is recorded that when Ieroboam had withdrawen ten tribes from th' obedience of Roboam kinge of Iuda to th' ende they might neuer haue occasion to revnite thē selues againe to Iuda by their goinge to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the law they were appointed he builded for them a goodlie gorgeous highe Aulter in Bethel and there cōmanded them to doe their deuotions And when he was one day thero present hymself and offering his incense vpon the said Aulter and all the people lookinge on there came a man of God sayeth the scripture and stoode before the Aulter and cried out aloude and spake thes wordes O Aulter Aulter this sayeth our Lorde behold a childe shal be borne of the hovvse of Dauid vvhose name shal be Iosias and he shal sacrifice vpon thee thes idolatrous priestes that novv burne francomsense vpon the and he shal burne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence and hearinge of all the people more then three hundred yeares before Iosias was borne and it was registred prosentelie according to the manner of that tyme which I haue noted before and with the same were registred also the miracles which happened about that fact as that the Aulter clefte in two vpō the mans wordes and Ieroboam extendinge owt his hande to apprehend hym lost presentelie the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored againe by the said holie mans prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeyed Gods commandement in his returne and dyd eate with a prophet of Samar a which was forbidden hym he was slaine in his way homeward by a Lion and his bodie was brought backe againe buried in Bethel nigh the said Aulter amongest the sepulchers of those idolatrous preestes of that place but yet with a superscription vpon his tombe conteining his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yeares and Iosias was borne and came to reigne in Iuda And one daye cōming to Bethel to ouerthrow the Aulter and to destroye the sepulchers of those idolitrous priestes that had bene buried i that place whē he began to breake their tombes he fownde by chance the sepulcher of the said man of God with the superscription vpon it By which superscription and by relation of the citizēs of Bethel when he perceaued that it was the sepalcher of hym that had fortolde his byrth his name and his doinges so manie hundred years before he was borne he lett the same stande vntouched as the fowerth booke of kinges doth declare Now consider whether among anie people in the world but onlie amonge the Iewes ther were euer anie such prophetie so certaine so particuler so longe fortolde before the tyme and so exactelie fulfilled But yet the holie scriptures are full of the lyke and tyme permitteth me onlie to touch some few of the principal Esay the prophet is wonderful in fortelling the mysteries and actes of the Messias his natiuitie his life and all the particulers that happened in his passiō In so much that S. Ierome sayeth he may seeme rather to write a storie of deedes past then a prophetie of euentes to come But yet among other thinges it is to be noted that he liuing in a peaceable and prosperous tyme in Iuda when the Iewes were in amitie and greate securitie with the Babyloniās he forsawe and fortolde the destruction of Ierusalem by the said Babylonians and the greeuous captiuitie of Iewes vnder them as also the destruction of Babylon againe by Cyrus kinge of Persia whose expresse name and greatnes he published in writing almost two hundred yeares before he was borne saying in the person of God First to Ezechias king of Iuda that reioysed in the frindshippe he had with Babylon behold the dayes shall come vvhen all that thou and thye fathers haue layed up shall be caried avvay to Babylon and thy children shal be eunuches in the king of Babylons Palace And next to Babylō he said the destruction of Babylon vvhich Esay the sonne of Amos savve c. houle crie for that the day of our Lorde is at hande c. And thirdlie to Cyrus not yet borne who was preordained to destroye the same and to restore the people from banishemēt to rebuild the temple in Ierusalē he sayeth thus I say to Cyrus thou art my shepheard and thou shalt fulfill all my vvill I say to Ierusalem thou shalt be builded againe I say to the temple thou shalt be founded again This sayeth our Lord to my amointed Cyrus I vvill goe before thee vvill humble the glorious people of the earthe in thy presence I vvill breake their brasen gates crushe in peeces their yron barres for my seruant Iacobs sake haue I called thee by thie Name and haue armed the vvher as thou knovvest not me Can anie thing be more clearlie or miraculouslie spoken in the world then to name a heathé not yet borne that should conquerre so stronge a Monarchie as Babylon was at this tyme should builde againe the temple of Ierusalem which others of his owne religiō had destroyed before hym what cause what reason what lykeliehode could be of this yet Esay speaketh it so confidentelie as he sayeth that he savve it and he nameth two witnesses therof that is Vrias and Zacharias that were not borne in manie yeares after saying and I tooke vnto me tvvo faithful vvitnesses Vrias the prieste and Zacharias
contende This yet maketh the Patriarche Iacob more plaine who prophesing at his death of the comminge of Christ hathe thes wordes the scepter or gouernment shall not be taken from the house of Iuda vntill be come that is to be sent and he shal be the expectation of Nations Which later wordes the fornamed Chaldie paraphrase as also great Onkelos both of singuler authoritie amōgest the Iewes doe interprete thus Donee Christus seu Messias veniat c. vntil Christ or the Messias come which is the hope and expectation of all Nations as well Gentiles as of vs that are Iewes the gouernment shall not ceasse in the house or tribe of Iuda By which sentence of scripture and interpretation of the Iewes thē selues we come to learne besides the promisse for the Messias two cōsequences in this matter against the Iewes of later tymes First that if their Messias must be the hope and expectation as well of Gentiles as of Iewes then can he not be a temporal kinge to destroye the Gentiles as the latter Iewes would haue it but a spiritual king to reigne ouer them and to bring in subiection their spiritual enimies for them I meane the fleshe world and deuil as we Christians doe beloeue Secondlie if the temporal kingdome of the house of Iuda where of Christ must come shall ceasse and be destroyed at the comming of Messias as this scripture auoucheth how then can the Iewes expect yet a temporal king for their Messias as most fondlie they doe But to leaue this controuersie with the later Rabines and to goe forward in declaration of that which we tooke in hand that is to shew howe Christ was fortolde fore-promissed to the Iewes it is to be noted that after the death of Iacob last mentioned there is litle recorded in scripture of the doinges of his people during the fower hundred yeares of their bondoge in Egypt But yet the tradition of that Nation teacheth that as soone as they were deliuered out of Egypt and were in the desert towardes the lande of promisse the three sonnes of Chore called Aser Eleana Abiasaphe of whome there is mention in the sixth chapter of Exodus and other where made diuers songes and Psalmes in the praise and expectation of the Messias to come and that the holie men of that tyme did solace thē selues with singing the same and that king Dauid afterward in the second parte of his Psalmes begining from the 41. vnto the 87. gathered the most parte of those olde songes together as yet they are to be seene in his psalter But Moyses who liued with that people gouerned them in the wildernes had a cleare reuelatiō from God of this Messias in thes wordes I vvill raise vp a Prophet to this people from amongest their brethren euen as thy self and I vvill putt my vvordes in his mouth and he shal speak vnto them all thinges vvhich I shal ordaine vnto him and he that shal refuse to heare the vvordes vvhich he shal speake vnto thē in my name I vvill he reuenged vpon that man Which wordes that they can not be vnderstoode of anie other Prophet that euer liued after Moyses among the Iewes but onlie of Christ it appeareth plainelie by this testimonie of the holye ghoste And were arose not anie other Prophet in Israel like unto Moyses c. After Moyses about fower hundred yeares ensued Dauid whoe for that he was a holie man and the first king of the howse of Iuda out of whose linage the Messias was to come the particulers of this mysterie were more abundantlie and manifestlie reueiled vnto hym then vnto anie other And first for assurance that Christ should be borne of his stocke and linage thes are the wordes of God vnto hym I haue svvorne to Dauid my seruant I vvil prepare thie seed for eternitie and vvill build vp thie seat to all generations Which wordes albeit the later Iewes will applie to king Salomon that was Dauides sonne and in some sense they may so bee for that Salomon was a figure of Christ to come yet properlie thes wordes and his kingdome shal stand for euer and for all eternitie which are so often repeated in this and other places of scripture can not be verified in Salomō whose earthelie kingdome was rent torne in peeces straight after his death by Ieroboam and not longe after as it were extinguished but they must needes be vnderstoode of an eternal king which should come of Dauids seede as must also thes other wordes of God in the psalmes Thou arte my sonne this day haue I begotten the I vvill gyue vnto thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance Which was neuer fulfilled in Salomon nor in anie temporal king of Iurie after hym And muche lesse thes wordes that follow He shall endure vvith the sunne and before the moone from generation to generation There shal rise vp in his dayes peace vntil the moone be taken avvay he shal reigne from sea to sea vnto the endes of the vvorld All kinges shal adore hym and all Nations shal serue hym for that he shal deliuer the pooreman that had no helper he shal saue their soules and deliuer them from vsurie and from iniquitie all tribes of the earth shal be blessed in hym and all Nations shal magnisie hym Thes wordes of Christs eternal kingdome of his enduring to the worlds ende of his vniuersal raigne ouer Iew and Gentile of his adoration by all Nations of his deliuerie of soules from bondage of iniquitie and finallie of his making blessed all tribes of the earth can not possiblie be applied to anie temporal kinge that euer was among the Iewes or euer shal be but onlie to Christ. This promisse made vnto Dauid for Christ to come of his seede is repeated after his death by manie prophetes and confirmed by God as in Ieremie where God vseth thes wordes Behold the dayes come on and I vvill raise vp to Dauid a iust seede and he shal reigne a kinge and shal be vvise and shal doe iudgement and iustice vpon earth And in his dayes shal Iuda be saued and Israel shal dvvel confidentlie this is the name that men shall call hym OVR IVST GOD. All this was spoken of Dauids seede aboue fower hundred yeares after Dauid was dead Whiche proueth manifestlie that the former promisses and speeches were not made to Dauide for Salomon or for anie other temporal kinge of Dauids lyne but for Christ who was called so peculierlie the sonne and seede of Dauid for that Dauid was the first king of the tribe of Iuda and not onelie was Christs Progenitor in flesh but also did beare his Type and Figure in manie other thinges For which cause likewise in the prophet Ezechiel who lyued about the same tyme that Ieremie did the Messias is called by the name of Dauid hym self For this God spake at that tyme vnto Ezechiel I vvil saue my
doctrine monumeÌ„tes euen from the beginning albeit the lower they went the more corrupt they were and more obscured in diuine knowledge by their excercise iÌ„ idolat ie So wee know that the Romans had their learning from the Grecians the Graecians froÌ„ th' Egyptians th' Egyptians from the Chaldaeans who were the first people that receyued instruction in diuine matters from Adam Methusalem Noe others of those first and auncient fathers Now then it is to be considered that by consent of writers there were three famous men that liued together in those auncient times to witt Abraham who descending from HEBER was the father and beginner of the Iewes or Hebrues And wth hym Iob and one Zoroastres that were not of that linage of Heber but as we call them for distinctioÌ„s sake either heathens or Gentiles albeit that difference was not then in vre And of Iob we know by the testimonie of his booke that he was a most holie and vertuous maÌ„ Of Zoroastres we know onlie that he was greatelie learned and left monumeÌ„tes therof vnto his posteritie This Zoroastres liuing in Abrahams time might by accompt of scripture see or speake with Noe. For that Abraham was borne aboue three skore yeares before Noe disceassed And Noe was borne aboue fyue hundreth yeares before Methusalem dyed which Methusalem had lyued two hundred and fortie yeares with our first father Adam that had enioyed conuersatioÌ„ both with God Angels And therby no doubt could tell many highe and secrete mysteries especiallie touchinge Christ in whom all his hope for redemption of his posteritie did consist Which mysteries hidden knowledge it is not vnlike but that AbrahaÌ„ Iob Zoroastres and others who lyued at that tyme with them might recevue at the third hand by Noe and his children I meane Sem Cham and Iaphet who had lyued before the Fludde and had seene Methusalem which Methusalem lyued as I sayed so many yeares with Adam Herehence it is that in the writinges of Zoroastres which are yet exstant or recorded by other authours in his name there are founde verie many plaine speches of the sonne of God whom he calleth Secundam mentem the second mynde And muche more is it to be seene in the writinges of Hermes Trismegistus who lyued after in Egypt receyued his learninge from this Zoroastres that thes first heathen philosophers had manifest vnderstanding of this second person in Trinitie whom Hermes calleth the first begotten sonne of God his onlie sonne his deare eternal immutable incorruptible sonne vvho Sacred name is inessable thos are his wordes And after hym againe among the Graecians were Orphens Hesiedus others that vttered the like specches of the sonne of God as also did the Platonistes whose wordes and sentences were to longe to repeate in this place But he that will see them gathered together at large lett hym reade either Origen against Celsus the heathen or els S. Cyril in his first booke against Iulian th Apostata And this shall suffice for this first way wherby the Gentiles had vnderstanding of Christ. For the second thing which I mentioned it is to be vnderstoode that amonge the GeÌ„tiles there were certaine prophetisses or women prophetes called Sibyllae which in the greeke tongue as Lactantius gathereth maye signifie so much as either Councelours to God or Reutilours of Gods Councel And thes women being endued as it seemeth with a certaine spirit of prophetie did vtter from tyme to tyme though in such termes as most GeÌ„tiles vnderstoode them not most wonderful particularities of Christ to come agreiÌ„g as it were wholie with the prophetes of Israel or rather setting downe manie thinges in much more plaine and euident speeche then did th' other th' one of them beginning her greeke meerer in thes verie wordes knovv thie God vvhich is the sonne of God c. An other of theÌ„ maketh a whole discourse of Christ in greeke verses called Accrostichi for that the begiÌ„ning of euerie verse is by some letter appointed in order foorth of some one senteÌ„ce that runneth through the whole As for example the sentence that passed throughe the beginning of those verses whiche now we talke of was this Iesus Christ Sonne of God Saueour Crosse. And there were so manie verses in the whole discourse as there are letters in this senteÌ„ce The total argumeÌ„t beiÌ„g of the incarnatioÌ„ life death glorie and iudgement of the sonne of God And the last two verses of all the meeter are thes He that hath bene here described by our Accrossike verses is an immortale Saueour and a Kynge that must suffer for our sinnes And for that thes propheties of the Sibylls are of marueilous importaÌ„ce to coÌ„firme the veritie of our Christian religioÌ„ and are alleaged ofteÌ„ for that purpose by the most graue learnedst fathers of our primatiue churche as for example by Iustinê° the martyr in his apologie for Christians by Origen against Celsus by Arnobius and his scholler LactaÌ„tius against Gentiles by S. Cyril against Iulian th' apostata by S. Augustine in his Cittie of God by Eusebius and Constantine th' Emperour and others I will say somewhat in this place for th' authoritie and credite of thes verses least anie man perhappes might imagine as some Gentiles in olde tyme would seeme to doe that they were deuised or inuented by Christians And the most of my proofes shall be out of a learned oration writen in latine by the foresaid Emperour to a Councel of Prelates in his dayes wherein he indeuoureth to shew the vndoubted authoritie of thes Sibyll propheties which he esteemed so much after diligent search made for their credite and sinceritie as they seeme to haue bene a great cause of his constant zele and feruour in Christianitie First then he sheweth that thes predictioÌ„s of the Sibylles could not be deuised or seigned by Christians or made after the tyme of Christes natiuicie for that Marcus varro a wost learned RomaÌ„ who liued almost a hundrethe yeares before Christ maketh mention at large of thes Sibylles who in number he saith were ten and of their writinges countries ages as also of the writers or authours that before his tyme had left memorie of them And both he and Fenestella an other heathé doe affirme that the writinges of thes Sibilles were gathered by the Romans from al partes of the world wher they might be heard of and layed vp with diligence and great reuerence in the Capitole vnder the charge and custodie of the highe priestes and other Officers in such sorte as no man might see or reade them but onlie certaine Magistrates called the Fistine and muche lesie might any man come to falsifie or corrupt them Secondlie he sheweth that Sibylla Erythraea who made the former Acrostike verses of Christ restisicth of her self that she liued about 600. years after the fludde of Noe and her
finallie we may consider that Constantine was the first publique Christian Emperour and liued within 300. years after Christ whē the recordes of the Romās were yet whole to be seene He was a religious wise and graue Emperour and therfore would neuer haue bestowed so muche labour to confirme suche a thing at such a tyme to such an audiēce had not the matter bene of singuler importance And thus much of the second pointe touchinge prophetes among Gentiles There remaineth onlie a worde or two to be spokē of the thirde which is of the confession of deuils and Oracles concerning Christs comminge especiallie whē the tyme of his appearance drew neare and that they begā to forefeele his power and vertue Wherin as I might alleage diuers examples recorded by the Gentiles them selues so for that I haue bene somewhat longe in the former pointes and shall haue occasion to saye more of this matter in an other place hereafter I will touche onlie here two oracles of Apollo concerninge this matter Th' one wherof was to a priest of his owne that demaunded hym of true religion and of God to whom he answered thus in greeke ô thou unhappie priest vvhy doest thou aske me of God that is the father of all thinges and of this most renoumed kynges deare and onlie sonne and of the spirit that conteineth all c. Alas that spirit vvill inforce me shortelie to leaue this habitation and place of oracles Th' other oracle was to Augustus Gaesar euen about the verie tyme that Christ was redy to appeare in flesh For where as the said Emperour now drawinge into age would needes goe to Delphos and there learne of Apollo who should reigne after hym what should become of thinges whē he was dead Apollo would not answere for a greate space notwithstanding Augustus had bene verie liberal in making the greate sacrifice called Hecatombe But in th' ende when th' Emperour began to iterate his sacrifice againe and to be instant for an answer Apollo as it were inforced vttered thes straunge wordes vnto hym An Hebrue childe that ruleth ouer the blessed Gods commaundeth me to leaue this habitation and oute of hand to gett me to hel But yet doe you'departe in silence from our Aulters Thus much was Apollo inforced to vtter of his owne miserie and of the cōming of th' Ebrue boye that should putt hym to banishment But yet the deceptful spirit to holde still his credire would not haue the matter reueiled to many Wherupon Augustus falling into a greate musinge with hym self what this answer might importe returned to Rome and builded there an Aulter in the Capitole with this latine inscription as Nicephorus affirmeth Ara primogeniti Dei Th' Aulter of Godes first begotten sonne Thus then haue I declared how that the cōming of Gods sōne into the world was for tolde both to Iewe and Gentile by all meanes that possiblie in reason might be deuised that is by propheties signes figures ceremonies tradition and by the confession of deuils them selues Nor onlie that his comming was fortold but also why and for what cause he was to come that is to be a Saueour of the world to die for sinne to ordeine a new law and more perfect common wealth How also he was to come to witt in mans fleshe in likenes of sinne in pouertie humilitie The tyme likewise of his appearance was foresignified together with the maner of his birth life actions death resurrection and ascensiō And finallie nothing can be more desired for the fore knowledge of anie one thing to come then was deliuered vttered cōcernīg the Messias before Christ or Christians were talked of in the world Now thē remaineth it to consider examine whether thes particularities fortolde so lōg agoe of the Messias to come doe agree in Iesus whom we acknowledge for the true Messias And this shall be the subiect argument of all the rest of our speeche in this chapter Hovv the former predictions vvere fulfilled in Iesus at his being vpon earth Sect. 2. ALbeit in the pointes before recited which are to be fulfilled in the Messias at his comming we haue some controuersie and disagreemēt with the Iewe as hath bene shewed yet our principal contention in them all is with the Gentile and heathen that beleeueth no scriptures For that in diuers of the fornamed articles the Iewe standeth with vs and for vs offereth his life in defence therof as farre foorth as if he were a Christiā In so much that the Gētile oftē times is inforced to maruaile when he seeth a people so extremelie bent against an other as the Iewes are against Christiās and yet to stand so peremptorilie in defence of thos verie principles which are the proper causes of their disagreement But hereunto the Iew maketh answer that his disagreement from vs is in th' application of thos principles For that in no wise he will allowe that they were or may bee verified in Iesus And herein he standeth against vs much more obstinatelie then doth the Gentile For that the Gentile as soone as he commeth once to vnderstande and beleeue the propheties of scripture he maketh no doubt or difficultie in th' application thereof for that he seeth the same most euidentelie fulfilled in our Saueour Which is the cause that fewe or no Gentiles since Christs appearance haue come to be Iewes but that presentelie also they passed ouer to be Christians But the Iewe by no meanes wil be moued to yeeld albeit he haue neither scripture nor reason nor probabilitie for his defence Which among other thinges is a verie great argument to proue that Iesus was the true Messias in deed seing that among the markes of the true Messias set downe by Gods Prophetes this was one that he should be refused by the Iuishe Nation Herehence are those wordes of the Holie Ghost so longe before vttered The stone vvhich the builders refused is made the head stone of the corner this is donne by God and is maruailous in our eyes Hence is that great complainte of Esay touching th' incredulitie obstinacie of this people against their Messias at his comming which Moyses also longe before Esay expressed most effectuallie It maketh then not a litle for our cause gentle reader that the Iuishe Nation is so wilfullie bent against vs and that they refused Christ so peremptorilie at his being among them For whom so euer that Nation should receyue and acknowledge it were a great argument by scripture that he were not in deede the true Messias But yet to demonstrate 〈◊〉 worlde how litle shew of reason they haue in standing thus against their owne saluation and in refusing Iesus as they doe I will in as great breuitie as I may runne ouer the chief pointes that passed at his being vpon earth and therby examine by the testimonies of his greatest enimies whether the forsaid propheties and all other
signes which haue bene frō the beginning to fortell vnto vs the true Meisias were fulfilled in hym and his actions or no. And for that the matters are manie and diuers that will come herein to be handled I will for order sake reduce all to fower considerations Wherof the first shal be touching the tyme foreprophetied of the comming of Meisias and whether the same agreed with Christes Natiuitie or no. The seconde shal be of diuers particulers that passed in Christes incarnation birth circumcision and other accidētes vntill the tyme that he began to preach The third shal be of his life conuersatiō miracles and doctrine The fowerth and last of his Passion death resurrection and Ascensiō In all which as I sayed before I will vse no one Authour or testimonie of our owne side for prouing anie thing that is in controuersie bytwene vs but all shall passe by trial either of their owne scriptures or of manifest force and consequence of reason or els by expresse recorde of our professed enimies FOR THE first then concerning the tyme which is the principal and head of all the rest it is to be noted that by consent of all writers both Pagan Iuishe Christian Iesus whom we beleeue and confesse to be true Christ was borne the 25. daye of December in th' ende of the 41. yeare of th' Emperour Augustus reigne which was 15. years before his reigne ended Also in the beginning of the 33. yeare of Herodes reigne in Iurie which was 4. yeares and more before his death And from the beginning of the world as some accompt 5199. And as other 4089. for that in this pointe betwene the Hebrues and Graecians there is a differēce of some litle more then a hundreth years concerninge their reconinge The state of the worlde at Iesus Natiuitie was this The three Monarchies of the Assyrians Persians and Graeciās were past ouer and ended the Romans were entered into the fowerth that was greater then anie of the rest according to the prophetie of Daniel 500 yeares before Octauius Caesar surnamed Augustus after fyue ciuil warres by hym self waged and after infinit broyles and bloodshed in the worlde reigned peaceablie alone for many yeares together in tokē of an vniuersal peace ouer all th' earth he caused the temple gates of IANVS to be shutt according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit this had happened but twise before from the buylding of Rome vnto that tyme. And the verie same daye that Christ was borne in Iurie Augustus commaūded in Rome as afterward was obserued that no man should call hym LORDE therby to signifie the free libertie rest ioye securitie wherin al mē were after so longe miseries which by continual warres the world had suffered By this we gather first that this tyme of Iesus birth agreed exactelie with the prophetie so longe before sett downe in Daniel who lyued in the first Monarchie that after his tyme there should be three Monarchies more and the last biggest of all at whose appearinge the Messias should come and build vp Gods kingdome throughout all the world Secondlie we see that fulfilled which Esay aboue a hundreth yeares before Daniel fortold that at the cōming of Christ people should sitt in the beautie in peace And againe there shal be no ende of peace And yet further he shall be Prince of peace And kinge Dauid longe before hym againe in his dayes there shal ryse iustice and abundance of peace Which thinge though especiallie it be to be vnderstoode of th' internal peace and tranquilitie of our myndes and soules yet considering that external peace also was necessarie for a tyme for the quiet plantinge publishinge of Christes Gospel and seinge that the same wās brought to passe most miraculouslie vpon the suddain when in reason men least might expect the same for th' infinite warres wherin the worlde a litle before had bene and by reason of the Roman Monarchie so freshelie established whiche in their begininges are wont to be troublesome this peace I saye can not be but a greate argument that this was the proper tyme of the Messias his comminge And this for the state of the world in general But now for the particuler state of Iurie at Iesus natiuitie thus it was according as Iosephus the Iew who was borne within fyue yeares after Christ his passion describeth the same One Herod a straunger whose father called Antipater came out of Idumaea was rysen to acquaintance and fauour with the Romans partelie by his said fathers meanes who was as Iosephus wordes are a vvell monicd man industrious and sactious and partelie also by his owne diligence and ambition being of hymself both wittie beautiful and of excellent rare qualities By which cōmendatiōs he came at length to marry the daughter of Hyrcanus kinge of Iurie that was descended liniallie of the house of Dauid and tribe of Iuda And by this mariage obteined of his father-in-law to be Gouernour of the prouince of Galilie vnder hym But Hyrcanus afterwardes fallinge into the handes of the Parthyians that caried hym into parthia Herod ranne away to Rome and there by the helpe and special fauour of Antonie that ruled in company together with Octauius he obteined to be created kinge of Iurie without all title or interest ī the world For that not onlie his said fatherinlaw Hyrcanus was yet a lyue in Parthia but also his yonger brother Aristobulus and three of his sonnes named Antigonus Alexander and Aristobulus and diuers other of the blood Royall in Iurie Herodthen hauing procured by thes meanes to be kinge of Iurie procured first to haue into his handes the forsaid kinge Hyrcanus and so put hym to death as also he brought to the same ende his yonger brother Aristobulus together with all his three sonnes He putt to death also his owne wife Mariamnes that was kinge Hyreanus daughter as also Alexandra her mother And soone after two of his owne sonnes by the said Mariamnes for that they were of the blood Royal of Iuda And a litle after that againe he put to death his third sonne named Antipater He caused to be slaine at one tyme 40. of the chiefest noble men of the tribe of Iuda And as Philo the Iewe writeth that liued at the same tyme with hym he putt to death all the Sanhedrin that is the seuentie and two Senatours of the tribe of Iuda that ruled the people He kylled the chief of the sect of Pharisies He burned the genealogies of all the kinges and princes of the house of Iuda and caused one Nicolaus Damascenus an Historiographer that was his seruant to draw out apetidegree for hym and his line as though he had descended from the auncient kinges of Iuda He translated the highe priesthode solde it to straungers And finallie he so rased dispersed and mangled the house of
putt to death vpō a Crosse by the Gentiles The testimonie of Iosephus may suffice for all herein whose wordes are that the principal Ievves ofbis countrie hauing accused and deliuered ouer Iesus to Pilat that vvas Gouernour of Iurie for the Roman Emperour he adiudged hym to the Crosse. The same doe all other Iewes Gentiles recorde and in this they take great offence and scandale that we should attribute diuinitie vnto a man that had suffred on the Crosse. But if we shew that this was th' eternal preordination and appointement of God for sauing of mankinde and that the same was fortolde both to Iewe Gentile from the beginning and so vnderstood also by the Iuishe Doctors of elder tymes then euerie reasonnable man I trow will remaine satisfied and preferre Gods diuine wisdome before mās follie First then consider that when Christ had ended his preaching and wrought so manie miracles as seemed sufficient to his eternal wisdome and when the tyme was come preordained for his passion wherof he tolde publiquelie his disciples before he went vp to Hierusalem of purpose to receyue his death and made a solemne entrie into that Citie vpon an asse which was prophetied of hym by Zacharie manie yeares before Reioyce daughter of Sion Bcholde thie I VST KING SAVEOVR shall come vnto thec vpon an asse And after his abode some dayes in that place he was betrayed and solde by his owne disciple as Dauid beforehande in manie places had foretolde should come to passe Then folowed his apprehension and most seruile abusage by the Iewes wher of it was foreprophitied in his person by Esay I gaue my bodie to them that beate it and my cheekes to them that bussited the same I did not turne my self avvay from them that reproched mee nor yet from them that did spitte in my sace After this barbarous intreatie by the Iewes they deliuered hym ouer to Pilat a Gentile and neuer ceased to solicite and pursue their vnquenshable hatred against him vntil they sawe him on the Crosse. Where also he was vsed in the highest degree of spiteful dealīg Wherof the foresaid Dauid made mention longe before in the person of the Messias when he said they pearsed my handes and seete they deuided among them my apparaile and vpon my vpper Garmente they did caste lottes And aganie of another crueltie he cōplaineth saing they gaue me Gaule to eate and in my 〈◊〉 they refreshed me vvith vinegar And finallie that Christ should die for the sinnes of mankind ys a common principle bothe prefygured and foretolde throughout all the olde scripture Prefigured by the sacrifice of Isaac by the raising vp of the Brasen Serpent and by all other sacrifices that were in that lawe Fortolde not onely by the scriptures before aleadged but also must plainely by Daniel who was tolde by an Angel that after a certaine time by him there apointed vngetur sanctus senctorum The Saint of Saintes shal be anointed occidetur Christus this anointed Saint or Christ shal be put to death Zacharie also about the same time doth not onely fortel his death but also the kinde therof and from what people he should receyue the same for thus he saith in the person of Christ him self The inhabitantes of Icrusalem at that daye shal looke vpon me vvhom they haue Crucisied But if ye will reade the whole storie of Christs passion set downe at large 600 yeares before it fel out I referre you to a narration of Esay who to signifie the straungnes of the case begineth with this preface vvho vvill gyue credit to that vve shal reporte c. And then after a litle he goeth on in thes wordes He shall mount vp as a tvvigge from a drie earth He hath no fourme or beautie vpon him VVe beheld him and ther vvas no countenance in him vve savve him the most contemtible and dispised man in the vvorld A man full of paines and experienced in infirmitie His countenance vvas obscure and despicable and vve made no accompt of him Truly he tooke vpon him self our greefes and did beare our paines VVe accompted him as a leaper as a mā stricken and punished by God But he vvas vvounded for our iniquities and crushed in peaces for our vvickednes The discipline or correction of our peace lieth vpon him and by his vvoundes vve are made vvhole VVe haue all erred gone astraye like sheepe euery man after his ovvne vvayes and God hath layde vpon him the iniquitie of vs all He vvas offred vp for vs because he vvould soe he shal be led le to his slaughter as a sheepe and as a Lambe he shal be silent before his Shearours For the sinnes of my people haue I stricke thyn saith God He hath donne no iniquitie neither vvas there decepte founde in his mouth Yet vvould our Lord crush hym in infirmitie But if he shal gyue his life for sinne then shal he see a long seede or generation and the vvill of our Lord shal be derected in his hād And for so much as his soule hath susteined labour it shal see and be filled And this MY IVST SERVANT in his knovvledge shal Iustifie many and beare their iniquities And I vvil allotte vnto hym verie many people and he shal deuide the spoiles of the stoute for that he hath deliuered his soule vnto death and vvas accompted among the vvicked prayed for his transgressours Thus particularlie as ye see was the death and Passion of Christ foretolde by the Prophettes of Israel to that Nation Now heare ye the prophetie of Sibylla if ye please wherin she foreshewed the same to the Gētiles Thes are her wordes set downe by Lactātius He shal appeare miserable Ignominious and descurmed to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may giue hope vnto the miserable Aftervvard he shall come into the handes of most vvicked 〈◊〉 faithlesse men they shal busset hym vvith their sacrilegious fistes and shal spitte vpo hym vvith there vncleane mouthes He shal yeelde his innocent backe to the vvhippe and shal say nothing vvhile he receyueth the stripes to th end he may speake to those that are deade He shal 〈◊〉 Crovvne of thornes and they shal giue hym Gaule to eate and vinegar to drinke And this shal be the hospitalitie he shal finde amonge them What thinge can bee more plainly described then this Neither doe the Auncient Rabbines and teachers among the Iewes dessent from this For that in their Talmud that was gathered aboue 1200. yeares gone the plaine sentēce of diuers are sette downe that their Messias at his comming shal be put to death And as for Rabbi Ionathan Authour of the Chaldaie paraphrase who died a litle before Christ was borne he applieth the whole narration of Esay before recited as needes he must to the murder of the Messias by the Iewe. Whereupon RabbiSimeon that liked the next age after writeth thes
which Plutarch in his forenamed booke doth report that in the later yeares of Tyberius raigne a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamour with hideous cries skriches and houlinges were heard by many in the Greciāsea complaining that the great God PAN was now departed And this Plutarch that was a Gētile affirmeth to haue bene alleaged and proued before th' Emperour Tyberius who maruailed greatly could not by al his diuines and South sayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accident But we Christians comparing the time wherin it happened vnto the time of Iesus death and passion and finding the same fully to agree may more then probably persuade our selues that by the death of their great God PAN which signifieth all was imported the ruine and vtter ouerthrow of all the wicked spirites and Idoles vpon earth AND THVS HATH the Deitie of Iesus bene declared and proued by his omnipotent power in subduing infernal enimies Now resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by his like power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of his enimies here on earth whos greatest punishment albeit for the most part he reserueth for the life to come yet sometimes for manifestation of his omnipotēcie as especially it was behoueful i thos first daics of his appearāce in the world he chasteneth thē also euen here on earth in the eye and sight of al men So we read of the most in famous and miserable death of Herode the first surnamed Ascolonita who after his persecution of Christ in his infancie and the slaughter of the infantes in Bethleem for his sake was wearied out by a lothsome life in feare and horrour of his owne wife and children whom after he had most cruelly murdered was enforced also by desperation thorough his inspeakable vexations grieues and torments to offer his owne hand to his owne destructiō if he had not bene staied by friends that stood about After him Archelaus his eldest sonne that was a terrour to Iesus at his returne from Egipt fel also by Gods Iustice into maruailous calamities For first being left as king by his father Augustus would not allow or ratefie that successiō but of a king made him a Tetrarch assigning to him onlie the fourth part of that dominion which his father had before And then againe after nine yeares space tooke that away in like maner with the greatest dishonour he could deuise seazing vpon al his treasure and riches by way of confiscation and condemning his person to perpetual banishment wherin he died most miserablie in Vienna in France Not long after this the second sonne of Herode the first named Herode Antipas Tetrarch of Galiley who put S. Ihon Baptist to death and scorned Iesus before his passion wherat both him self and Herodias his concubine were present was deposed also by Caius th' Emperour being accused by Agrippa his nearest kinseman and most contumeliously sent in exile first to Lions in France and after that to the most desert and inhabitable places of Spaine wher he with Herodias wandered vp and doune in extreme calamitie so long as they liued and finally ended their daies abandonned of al men In which miserie also it is recorded that the daunsing daughter of Herodias who had in her Iolitie demaunded Iohn Baptists Head being on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frosen riuer the yse brake and she in her fall had her head cut of by the same yse without hurting the rest of her body to the great admiration of al the lookers on The like euent had an other of Herode familie named Herod Agrippa th' acculer of the fornamed Herod the Tetrarch who in his great glorie and triumphe hauing yut to death S. Iames the brother of S. Ihon Euangelist and imprisoned S. Peter was soone after in a publique assemblie of Princes and Nobles at Caesarea striken from heauen with a most horrible disease wherby his bodie putrified and was eaten with vermine as both S. Luke reporteth and Iosephus confirmeth And the same Iosephus with no small maruaile in hym self declareth that at the verie time when he wrote his storie which was aboute 70 yeares after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and ofspring kinred and familie of the said Herod which he sayeth was exceeding great by reason he had niene wiues together with many children brothers sisters nephews and kinsefolke were all extinguished in most miserable sorte and gaue a testimonie saith Iosephus to the world of the most vaine confidence that men doe put in humane felicitie And as thes punishements lighted openlie vpon Iesus professed enimies in Iurie So escaped not also the Romans their chastissement I meane such as especiallie had their handes in persecution of hym or of his followers after hym For first of Pontius Pilate that gaue sentence of death against hym we reade that after great disgrace receyued in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and ther by manifold disfauours shewed vnto him by the Emperour his maister sel into such desperation as he slewe him self with his owne handes And secondlie of the very Emperours them selues who liued from Tyberius vnder whom Iesus suffred vnto Constātine the great vnder whom Christian religion tooke dominion ouer the world which contained the space of three hūdreth yeares very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadful iustice shewed vpon them at the knitting vp of their daies For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to liue freely and made a lawe against their molestation as before hath bene shewed died peaceably in his bedde But Caligula that folowed him for his contempt shewed against al diuine power in making him self a God was soone after murdered by the cōspiracie of his dearest friendes Nero also who first of al other beganne persecution against the Christians within fewe monethes after he had put S. Peter and S. Paul to death in Rome hauing murdered in like manner his owne mother brother wife maister was vpon the sudaine from his glorious estate and maiestie throwen doune into such horrible distresse and confusion in the sight of al men as being condemned by the Senate to haue his heade thrust into a pillorie and ther most ignominiously to be whipped to death was cōstrained for auoiding th' execution of that terrible sentence to massacre him self with his owne handes by the assistance of such as were dearest vnto him The like might be shewed in the tragical endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Macrinus Antoninus Alexander Maximinus Gordianus Aurelianus Decius Gallus Volutianus Aemilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Licinius and others whos miserable deathes a noble man Councellour wel neare a thousand yeares past did gather against Zosimus a heathen writer to shew therby the pouerful hand of
what maruelous and dreadful maiestie feare terrour thunder and sound of trumpets the ten commandements of God which containe the perfect forme of a vertuous life were pronounced by Angels vnto the people of Israel Which terrour and maiestie S. Paul applieth expressie to this meaning that we should greatly tremble to violate or transgresse this law which was deliuered with such circumstance of dread and horrour seing that the lawes of great princes potentates are exacted commonly and executed vpon the offendours with much more terrour then they were proclaimed Secondly the same in part may be conceyued if we consider what Iudge or Auditour we shal haue in this accompt Which S. Paul declareth plainly in thes words VVe must al be sommoned before the tribunal seate of Christ and euerie man receyue either good or euil according as he hath behaued him self vvbiles he liued vpon earth Which thing Christ hym self confirmeth in diuers parables when he promiseth to take accompt of al his talents lent vnto his seruants in this world And in S. Mathews Ghospel he expresseth the particuler maner of that accompt saing The Sonne of man shal come vvith his Angels in the glorie of his Father to take an accompt and then shal he giue vnto euerie man according to his vvorkes And yet more particularly and seuerely of the same matter and daie I saie vnto you that euerie idle vvord that men shal speake they shal giue accompt therof in the daie of iudgment By which speech of our Saueour we are admonished not only that we shal giue an accompt of our doinges but also that we shal yeeld the same to him self who saieth in an other place Ego sum Iudex testis I am both Iudge and witnes in this accompt We are instructed also that this accompt shal be most exact and exquisite not omitting the least errours and offenses that haue passed in our life That particuler reward or punishment shal be assigned to eche mā cōfourme to the qualitie of his accompt And finally that this accompt or day of reconning for declaration of the terrour maiestie that shal be vsed therin is called here by Christ a iudgment and tribunal wherin sentence of life or death is to be pronounced Of which iudgmente or accompting daye the scripture noteth vnto vs two kindes The first wherof is called a particuler iudgment for that it is exercised vpon euerie soule immediately after her departure from the bodie according to the wordes of holie S. Paul It is appointed for euery man once to die and after that to haue his iudgment The second is called a general iudgment for that it shal be executed vpō al the world together at the last daie when mankinde shal be translated from this terrestrial habitation And of this iudgement are to be vnderstood aswel thos former wordes of Christ touching his cōming in glorie as also infinite other places and passages of Scripture which doe forewarne and admonish vs of this most dreadful daie And albeit in the first particuler iudgment eche soule that departeth hence receyueth an irrevocable sentence either of life or death eternal as may appeare by the examples of Lazarus and of the riche glutton wherof the one was determined to euerlasting repose and the other to eternal torments immediatly vpon their separation from this world yet are ther alleaged by the holie Saintes of God diuers most cleare facile and euident reasons why his diuine wisdome besides that first priuate and particuler daie of trial hath ordained also this second which shal be publicke manifest and vniuersal The first wherof is that the bodie of man rising from his sepulcher at that daie may be partaker of eternal punishment or glorie with the soule euen as in this life it was participant of the vertues or vices which the soule did exercise The second reason is for that as Christ was contemptible in this world and dishonoured publiquily and put to confusion with his Saints after him in the sight of al men so was it conuenient that once in this world he should shewe his power and maiestie and that in the sight of al his creatures together but especially of his wicked enimies who after that daie are neuer to see or beholde him more The third is that both wicked sinners blessed Saītes of God might receyue their rewardes and final paimentes openly in the sight and hearing of eche other to the more hart breake and confusion of the impious and triumphāt ioye of the vertuous who commonly in this world were contemned ouerborne and troden doune by the other The fourth and last is for that men when they die doe not commonly cary with them al the good or euil which they haue wrought hauing left behinde them diuers thinges which may encrease their merite or demerite after their deathes as are their examples their instructions gyuen to other their temporal faculties or abilities bookes preachings exhortatiōs other like meanes wherby good or euil may proceede after their departure The reward wherof can not so conueniently be assigned vnto thē whiles this world endureth for that their ioyes or punishmentes in the places wher they are may daily be augmented by the hurt or good that may be wrought in the world by thos meanes which they left behind them So diuines doe holde for examples sake that the glorie of S. Paul is encreased daily in heauen and shal be vnto the worlds ende by reason of them that daily doe profite by his writing and rare examplar life vpon earth as also on the contrarie part that the tormentes of Arrius Sabellius and other wicked heretiques are continually augmented by the numbers of thē who frō time to time are corrupted with their seditious and pestilent writiges The like they holde of dissolute Poets and other loose writers which haue left behind them lasciuious wantō and carnal deuises as also of negligent parents maisters or teachers who by their rechelesnes and euil examples gaue occasion to corrupte the children cholers or seruants committed to their gouerment and instruction But after this general daie of iudgment once past their shal be no more place of meriting either good or euil for that the world then and ther shal receyue an ende and a final sentence be pronounced of what soeuer hath passed from the first foundation and establishment therof Of this last and general iudgment then which containeth a confirmation or ratefying of the particuler going before as also a final conclusion clearing and knitting vp of al accomptes and reckonings with mākinde for his trafique stewardship in this worldlie pilgrimage The holie Scripture of God amoni heth vs most carefully to haue continual remembrance and consideration as of the greatest and most important busines that euer we shal deale in and as the forceblest means to restraine vs from sinne that possiblie may be deuised among 〈◊〉
dearly beloued disciple of our Saueour setteth out the same more at large according as it was reuealed vnto him i this maner I heard saieth he a voice like the sound of a thunder saing come and see and I did see And beholde a white horse and one that sat vpon him that had a bowe and he went to conquere After which folowed a blacke horse and he that rode vpon him had a paire of balance in his hande After him passed forth a pale horse and he that sat vpon him was called DEATH and HEL folowed behinde him and he had authoritie giuen to him to slea by sword by death and by the beastes of the earth The earth did shake the sunne grewe blacke like a sacke the moone like blood the Starres fel from heauē the skie doubled it self like a folded booke euery hil and Iland was moued from his place the kinges of the earth and princes and tribunes and the riche and stoute hid thē selues in dennes and in the rockes of hilles Then appeared ther seuen Angels with seuen trumpetes and eche one prepared him self to blowe his blast At the first blast came ther haile and fire mixt with blood At the second blast came a whole mountaine of burning fire into the sea and the third part of the sea was made blood At the third blast fel ther a great Starre from heauen named Absinthiū burning like a torch and infected the riuers and fountaines At the fourth blast was stricken doune the third part of the sunne moone Starres an egle flewe into the element crying with a hideous voice woe woe woe to al them that dwel vpon the earth At the fifte blast fel an other starre from heauen which had the keye of the pit of hel he opened the pit and ther arose a smoke as from a great fornace and ther came forth certaine locustes like scorpions who tormented al such as had not the marke of God in their foreheads And at thes daies men shal seeke death and shal not finde it And thes locustes were like barbed horses with Crounes on their heads Their faces like men their heare like women their teeth like lions and the noise of their winges like the noise of many chariotes running together their tales like scorpiōs and their stinges were in their tailes their king was an Angel of hel named Abbadō which signifieth an vtter destroier At the sixt blast of the trumpet were loosed foure Angels tied before then rushed forth an army of horsmen in number twentie hundreth times tē thousand And I sawe the horses and they which sat vpon them had brestplaces of fire and brimstone The heads of thes horses were as lions out of their mouthes came fire smoke and brimstone wherby they slewe the third part of men which had not repented and their strength was in their tales which were like serpentes Then was ther an Angel which putting one foote vpon the sea an other vpon the land did sweare by him that liueth for euer and euer that after the blast of the seuenth trumpet ther should be no more time And so when the seuenth Angel had sounded ther came great voices from heauen saying the kingdome of this world is made to our Lord and his Christ and he shal raigne foreuer And I heard a great voice saying to the seuen Angels goe and poure out seuen cuppes of Godes wrath vpon the earth and so they did And the first brought forth cruel woundes vpō men The lecōd turned the sea into redde blood The third turned the riuers and fountaines into like blood The fourth afflicted men with fire and made them blaspheme God The fifte made them eate their owne tongues for sorowe The sixt dried vp the water And I sawe three foule spirites like frogges issue out of the mouth of a dragon And finally the seuenth cuppe being poured out ther came a mightie voice from the throne of God saying it is dispatched And ther folowed lightenings and thunders and voices and earthquakes such as neuer were since men dwelt vpon the earth Thus farre this Apostle Euange list and prophet S. Iohn And now tel me my good Christiā brother is it possible for any tongue either humane or Angelical to expresse a thing more forceblie thē this is here set doune what mortal hart can chuse but tremble euen at the reading and remembrāce only of thes inspeakable and incomprehensible terrours What maner of daie will that be trowest thou when the heauens shal mourne the whole earth shal shake the sunne and moone loose their light the Starres fal doune the sea and floods forsake their chanels and natural courses al the elementes be dissolued the face of the earth ouerflowed with blood and the vniuersal world on a flaming fire Is it maruaile now if the Scriptures auouch that the iust men and Angels them selues shal be afraid of that daie And then to reason as S. Peter doth if innocency Iustice shal scarsely esteeme them selues secure in that fearful trial what shal become of sinne and iniquitie what shal become I saie of the careles and dissolute Christian when he shal see so infinite a sea of miseries rushe vpon him O that mē would thincke vpon this daie while they haue yet time O that they would awake and prepare them selues by vertuous life to stand secure confident at this woful houre Who is ther now a daye which taketh that care that holy Ierome did who was wont to saie hauing much lesse cause then wee that he did neuer eate nor drincke nor sleepe nor take any other action in hand without the fearful remembrance of this accompting daie And this of the preparations There foloweth the execution of thinges done in that iudgment VVHEN THE FORMER preparations shal be fulfilled and finished and the whole world brought to that pitiful state and plight which I haue described then saieth the Scripture shal the signe of the fonne of man appeare in the skie and al the tribes of the earth shal see him cōming in the cloudes of heauē amiddest al his Angels with much power and glorie in great authoritie and maiestie And ther in a moment in the twinckling of an eye he shal send his Angels with a trūpet with a great crie at midnight they shal gather together his elect from the foure partes of the world euen from heauen to earth Hitherto are the wordes of holie Scripture Wherin is set doune the first act of this dreadful iudgment which is the cōming of the Iudge to his throne and tribunal seate so much the more terrible and ful of maiestie in this his second appearāce by how much more contemptible he was and despised in his first being vpon earth for the worke of our redemption So S. Iohn affirmed that he which was siaine as a lambe should come againe to iudge as a Lion Of which
come to the highest top of his felicitie Thou soole euen this night thy soule shal be taken from the and then vvho shal enioy al that vvhich thou so painfully hast scraped together O deare Christiā it is impossible for any mortal tōgue to expresse the doleful state of a worldlie man in this instāt of death when nothing of al that he hath gathered together with so much labour and toile and wherin he was wont to repose so great affiance wil now auaile him any longer but rather afflict his soule with the memorie therof cōsidering that now he must leaue al to others goe him self to gyue accounte for the gathering and vsing of the same and that perhaps to his eternal damnation whiles in the meane time other companions in the world doe liue merilie and pleasantlie vpon that he hath gotten litle remembringe and lesse caring for him that perhaps lieth burning in vnquēcheable fire for thos riches vnrighteously heaped and left vnto them This vndoubtedly is a most woful and lamentable point which shal bring manie a man to greate sorow and anguishe of harte at the last daye when al earthlie ioyes must be left al pleasures and commodities foreuer abandoned O what a doleful daye of partinge wil this be what wilt thou saie my frende at this daye when al thy glorie al thy welth al thy pompe is come to an ende What art thou the better now to haue liued in credit with the world in fauour of princes exalted of men feared reuerenced and honoured of al sortes seing at this instant al thy iolitie pride and pompe is at an ende al thy former felicitie is arriued now to her euerlasting periode BVT NOVV BESIDES al this there is a third thing which more then al the rest wil make this daie of death to be most dreadful miserable vnto a worldlie man to witt the consideration what shall become of him both in bodie and soule And as for his bodie it wil be no smal horrour to thinke vpon that saying of holie scripture the end of the vvicked 〈◊〉 fleshe shal be fire and vermine and his inheritāce shal be serpentes beastes and vvormes that is it must be throwen out to be the foode of vermine That bodie I meane which was before so delicatelie entertained with al varietie of meates softe pillowes and beddes of doune so trimlie set forth in apparel and other ornamentes wherevpon the winde might not be su fred to blow nor the sunne to shine that bodie I saye of whose beautie there was so much pride taken and wherby so great vanitie and sinne was dayly commited that bodie which in this world was accustomed to all pampering and nicenes might abide no austeritie or discipline at al must now be forlorne and abandoned of all men and left only for apraie to be deuoured of wormes Now the time is come when thos wordes of God must be fulfilled which he vttered by his Prophet against delicate people In that day God shal pul of al ornamentes chaines braselets ringes Iuels pomanders c. and then shal be in steed of svveet sauours stinch ī place of rich girdles 〈◊〉 for could heare 〈◊〉 c. Al which bodilie disgrace and miserie albeit it can not but breed much horrour in the hart of him that lieth a dying yet is this nothing in respect of the dreadful cogitations which he shal haue touching his soule to wit what shal become therof whether it shal goe after her departure out of the bodie And then considering that she must appeare before the iudgement seate of almightie God and there receyue sentence either of vnspeakeable glorie or insupportable paines he falleth to consider more in particuler the daunger therof by comparing godes iustice and threates set doune in holy write against sinners with his owne life he begineth to examine the witues which is his conscience and findeth the same readie to laye infinite accusations against him when he commeth to the place of iustice And now deare Christian brother beginneth in deed the inexplicable miserie of this poore afflicted man now doe al the multitude of his sinnes present thē selues before his face now doth he in deed see verified that sentence of sacred Scripture In fine hominis denudatio operum The workes of euery man are laid open at his ende Now doe master before his eyes all Gods threats against wicked liuers nether is ther any one seuere saying of holy writ pronounced against sinners which now doth not offer it self vnto his minde Our ghostlie enimie which in this life laboured to keepe al these thinges frō our cōsideration therby the more easely to entertaine vs in sinne and pleasure wil now laye al and more before our face amplifying and vrging euerie point to the vttermost and alleaging our conscience in euery thing for his witnes Which when the poore soule in dying can not deny she must needs therby most vehemently be terrefied and so we see it daily come to passe euen in many most vertuous and holie men whereof S. Ierome reporteth a verie memorable example of blessed S. Hilarion whos soule being greatly frighted with thes confiderations and exceeding loth to depart from his bodie at length after long conflict he tooke hart said goe forth my soule goe forth vvhy art thou so sore affraid thou hast serued Christ almost threescore ten yeres art thou novv so fearful to depart To like effect also the holie martyr of god S. Cyprian telleth of avertuous and godlie bishoppe which dyinge in his time was greatlie terrified at the houre of death notwithstanding he had liued verie vettuouslie vntil at length Christ appearing vnto him in the forme of a goodlie yong man rebuked him in thes wordes you are affraid to suffer and out of this life you vvil not goe vvhat thē shal I doe vnto you which wordes and example S. Austen did often vse to recount talking of this matter as his scholar Possidonius recordeth in his life Now then if good men and saintes are so a fearde at this passage yea such as had serued God with al puritie of life perfect zeale for the space of three score and ten yeres together what shal they be which scarcely haue serued him in deed one daye in al their liues but rather haue spent their yeres in sinne and vanitie of this world shal not these mē trow you be in greate extremitie at this passage Surely S. Augustine describeth the same verie effectuously in one of his sermons and according to his manner doth gyue a notable exhortation vpon the same If you wil know dearlie beloued saith he with how greate feare paine the soule of man doth passe from the bodie marke diligently what I shal saie vnto you The Angels at that hower shal come to take the soule and bring her before the iudgement seate of a most dreadful iudge and then she callinge to minde
other so beholding daily the wounderful examples of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we may therby conceyue the seueritie of his Iustice towards such as he reserueth to punishment in the life to come and whom for that cause he calleth in holy writ Vasa furoris that is vessels of furie wheron to exercise the rage of his dreadful and most terrible indignation A third consideration to induce vs to the vnderstāding of the greatnes of Gods punishmentes in general may be his maruailous patience and long suffering of sinners in this life As that for example he permitteth diuers mē from sinne to sinne from day to day from yeare to yeare frō age to age to liue continually in the contempt of his Maiestie and transgression of his commaundementes refusing al persuasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of grace and fauor that his merciful goodnes can deuise to offer for their amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortal hart were able by inestimable sufferāce for bearing in this life to shew such patience but now if al this should not be requited with seueritie of punishment in the worlde to come it might seeme to be against the law of iustice and equitie and so one arme in God to be longer then the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saith duest thou not knovv that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentance and thou by thy bard and impenitent hart doest heape vp vengeace vnto thy self in the day of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shal restore to euerie mā according to his vvorkes In which sentence S. Paul vseth the phrase of heaping wrath or vēgeāce to signifie therby that like as the couetous man doth laie vp money daily to make his heape encrease so the irrepentant sinner doth heape sinne vpon sinne and God on the contrary side heapeth vengeance to vengeance vntil his measure be ful to restore in the ende measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home according to the multitude of our ovvne abhominations This was the meaning of almightie God when he said to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet complet As also in the reuelations vnto S. Ionn Euangelist when he vsed this conclusion of that booke He that doth euil let him doe yet more euil and he that lieth in filth let him yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me to render to euerie man according to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his forbearance and tolleration with sinners in this life is an argument of his greater seueritie in the life to come which the prophet Dauid doth insinuate in like maner when talking of a careles sinner he saieth God shal deride him for that he seeth before hand that his daie vvil come Which daie no doubt is to be vnderstoode the daye of account and punishmēt after this life for so doth God more at large declare him self in another place in these wordes And thou sonne of man this saieth thy Lord God the end is come now I save the end is come vpon the. And I wil shew on the my furie and wil iudge the according to thy waies I wil laye against the al thine abominatiōs myn eye shal not spare the nether wil I take anie mercie vpon the but I wil laie thine owae waies vpon the thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affiction commeth on the end is come the end I saie is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come destruction is now come vpon the the time is come the daie of slaughter is at hand Shortlie wil I power out my wrath vpon the and I wil fil my furic in the and I wil iadge the according to thy waies and I wil lay al thy wickednes vpō the myn eye shal not pitie the nor wil I take any compassion vpon the but I wil lay thy waies vpon the and thy abhominations in the middest of the and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of almightie God deliuered by the mouth of his holie Prophete SEING THEN we now vnderstand in general that the punishmentes of God in the life to come are most certaine to be greate and seuere to al such as fal into thē for which cause S. Paul affirmeth that it is a horrible thing to fal into the handes of the liuing God Let vs consider some what in particuler what maner of paines and punishmentes they shal be For better conceyuing wherof it is to be noted that there be two sortes of sinners in this worlde the one which die in the guilt of mortal sinne and in the disfauour and hatred of almightie God of whom it is said the portion of vvicked men shal be in the lake burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is called the second death The other which haue the guilt of their sinne pardoned by their repentance in this life but yet haue not made that temporal satisfaction to gods iustice nor are so thoroughlie purged in this world as they may passe to heauen without punishmēt and of these it is writen They shal suffer detrimēt but yet they shal be saued as by fire Vpon which wordes of S. Paul the holie father S. Austen writeth thus Because S. Paul sayeth that these mē shal be saued by fire therfore this fire is cōtemned But surely though they shal be saued by it yet is this fire more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life albeit you know how greate and intollerable thinges men haue or maie suffer The same S. Augustine in an other place expoundeth yet further the words of the said Apostle i this maner They which haue donne thinges worthie of temporal punishment of whom the Apostle saieth they shal be saued by fire must passe through a firie riuer and most horrible shallowes of burning flames signified by the prophet when he saith and a fludd of fire vvent before him and looke how much matter there is in their sinnes so longe must they sticke in passing through how much the fault requireth so much shal the punishment of this fire reuenge And because the word of God doth compare the soule of a sinner to a pot of brasse saying put the pot emptie vpon the coles vntil al the rust be melted of therfore in this fire al idle speeches al filthie cogitations al light sinnes shal boile out and consume which by a shorte waie might haue bene seperated from the soule in this life by almes teares Hitherto S. Augustine And the same holie father in an other place hath these wordes If a sinner by his conuersion escape death and obtaine life yet for al that I can not promise him
baptised for the gaining of heauen But it shal not be amisse perhappes to alleage S. Austens very wordes vpon this matter For thus he writeth It is a remediles peril when a man giueth him self ouer so much to vices as he forgeteth that he must geue accōpt therof to God And the reason why I am of this opinion is for that it is a great punishment of sinne to haue lost the feare and memorie of the iudgement to come c. But dearlie beloued least perhappes the newe felicitie of the beleeuing theefe on the Crosse doe make any of you too secure and remisse least peraduenture some of you saye in his hart my guiltie cōscience shal not trouble nor torment me my naughtie life shal not make me verie sadde for that I see euen in a momēt al sinnes forgeuen vnto the theefe we must consider first in that theefe not onelie the shortnes of his beleefe and confession but his deuotion and the occasion of that time euen when the perfection of the sust did staggar Secondlie shew me the faith of that theefe in thy self and then promise to thy self his felicitie The deuil doth put into thy head this securitie to the end he may bring thee to perdition And it is vnpossible to number al them which haue perished by the shadowe of this deceitful hope He deceiueth him self and maketh but a ieste of his owne damnatiō which thinketh that Gods mercie at the last daie shal help or releeue him It is hateful before God when a man vpon confidence of penance in his old age doth sinne the more freelie The happie theefe wherof we haue spoken happie I saie not for that he laied snares in the waie but for that he tooke hold of the waie it self in Christ laying handes on the praie of life and after a strange maner making a bootie of his owne death he I saie nether did deferre the time of his saluatiō wittinglie nether did he deceitfullte put the remedie of his estate in the last momēt of his life nether did he desperatlie reserue the hope of his redemotion vnto the houre of his death nether had he any knowlege ether of religion or of Christ before that time For if he had had perhappes he would not haue bene the last in number among the Apostles which was first in the king some of heauen By thes wordes of S. Augustin we are admonished as you see that this particular facte of Christ maketh no general rule of remission to al men not for that Christ is not alwaies redie to receaue the penitent as he promiseth and was to receaue this theef but for that euerie man hath not the time or grace to repent as he should at the last houre according as hath bene declared before The general waie that God proposeth to al is that which S. Paul saith Finis secundum opera ipsorum The end of euil men is according to their workes Looke how they liue and so they die To that effect saieth the prophet Once God speke and I heard thes tvvo things from his mouth Povver belongeth to God and mercie vnta thee ô. Lord for that thou vvilt render to euery man according to his vvorkes The wise man maketh this plaine saying the vvay of simers is paued vvith stones and their ende is hel darkenes and punishmentes Finally S. Paul maketh this general and peremptorie cōclusion Be not deceiued God is not mocked looke vvhat a man sovveth and that shal be reape He that sovveth in flesh shal reape corruption he that sovveth in spirit shal reape life euerlasting In which wordes he doeth not onely lay downe vnto vs the general rule wherto we must trust but also saieth further that to persuade our selues the cōtrary therof were to mocke abuse God which hath laied doune this general law vnto vs. Notwith standing as I haue said this general law barreth not the mercie of almightie God from vsing a priuilege to some particular man euen at the verie last cast But yet miserable is that soule which placeth the ancker of his eternal wealth or woe vpon so tyclesome a point as this is I cal it ticlesome for that al diuines who haue writen of this matter doe speake verie dowtfullie of the penance or conuersiō of a man at the last end And albeit they doe not absolutely condemne it in al but doe leaue it as vncertaine vnto Gods secret iudgement yet doe they incline to the negatiue part and doe alleage fower reasons for which that conuersion is to be doubted as insufficient for a mans saluation The first reason is for that the extreme feare paines of death being as the philosopher saith the most terrible of al terrible thinges doe not permit a man cōmonlie so to gather his spirites senses at that time as is required for the treating of so weightie a matter with almightie God as is our conuersion and saluation And if we see often times that a vetie good mā can not fixe his minde earnestlie vpon heauenlie cogitations at such time as he is troubled with the passions of cholicue or other sharpe diseases how much lesse in the anguishes of death can a worldlie man doe the same being vnacquainted with that exercise and lodened with the guilt of many and great sinnes and cloyed with the loue both of his bodie and things belonging therunto The second reason is for that the conuersion which a man maketh at the last day is not for the most part voluntarie but vpon necessitie and for feare such as was the repentance of Semei who hauing greeuously offended king Dauid in time of his affliction afterward when he saw him in prosperitie againe and him self in daunger of punishment he came and fel doune before him and asked him forgiuenes with teares But yet Dauid wel perceiued the matter how it stood and therfore albeit he spared him for that day wherein he would not trouble the myrth with execution of iustice yet afterwards he gaue order that he should be vsed according to his deserts The third reason is for that the custome of sinne which hath continued al the life long can not easely be remoued vpon the instant being growen now as it were into nature it self For which cause God saieth to euil men by the prophet Ieremie If an Ethiopian can change his black shinne or a leoparde his spottes that are on his backe then can you also doe vvel hauing learned al dayes of your Life to doe euil The fowerth cause is for that the actes of vertue them selues can not be of so great value with God in that instant as if they had bene done in time of health before For what great matter is it for exāple sake to pardō thy enemies at that time when thou canst hurt thē no more to geue thy goodes awaie when thou canst vse them no more to abandon thy concubine when thou canst keepe her
no lōger to leaue of sinne when sinne must leaue thee Al thes thinges are good and holie and to be done by him which is in that last state but yet they are of no such value as other wise they wold be by reason of this circumstāce of time which I haue shewed Thes are the reasons whie the holie Fathers and doctors of Christ his Churh doe speake so dowtfullie of this last conuersion not for any want on Gods part but on theirs who are to doe that great acte I might here alleage great store of authorities for this purpose But one place of S. Austen shal serue for al. Thus then he writeth of this matter in a certaine homilie of his If a man haue done penance truelie and do die being absolued from the bondes wherwith he was tied seperated frō the bodie of Christ he goeth to reste But if a man in the extreme necessitie of his sickenesse doe desire to receiue penance and doe receiue it and doe passe hence recōciled I confesse vnto you that we doo not denie him that which he demaundeth but yet we presume not that he goeth hence in good case I doe not presume I tel you plainely I doe not presume A faithful man that hath liued wel goeth awaie securelie He that dieth the same houre he was baptised goeth hence securelie He that is reconciled in his health and doeth penance and afterward lineth wel goeth hence securelie But he that is reconciled and doeth penance at the last end I am not secure that he goeth hence securely Where I am secure I doe tel you doe geue securitie And where I am not secure I may geue penance but I can geue no securitie But here perhappes some mā wil say to me good priest if you know not in what state a man goeth heace nor can geue securitie that he is saved to whom penance was assigned at his death teach vs I beseech you how we must liue after our conuersion and penāce I say vnto you abstaine from dronkennes from coucupiscence of the flesh from theft from much babling from immoderate laughter frō idle wordes for which men are to geue account in the day of iudgement Loe how smal thinges I haue named in your sight But yet al thes are great matters and pestilent to thos which commit them Nay yet I tel you further a man must not onely abstaine from thes vices and the like after penance but also before when he is in health For if he driue it of to the last ende of his life he can not tel whether he shal be able to receiue penance and to confesse his sinnes to God and to the priest or no. Behold the cause why I said vnto you that a man should liue wel before penance and after penance better Marke wel what I saie and perhappes it shal be needful to expounde my meanīg more plainlie least any man mistake me What say I then that this man which repenteth at the end shal be damned I doe not say so What then Doe I saie he shal be saued no. What then doe I saie I say I know not I say I presume not I promise not I know not Wilt thou deliuer thy self forth of this doubt wilt thou escape this dangerous and vncertaine point doe penance thē whiles thou art whole For if thou doe penāce while thou art in health and the last day chaunce to come vpon thee runne presentlie to be reconciled and so doing thou art safe And whie art thou safe for that thou diddest penance in that time wherin thou mightest haue sinned But if thou wilt doe penance then when thou canst sinne no longer thou leauest not sinne but sinne leaueth thee But you wil saie to me how knowest thou whether God wil forgeue a mans sinnes at the last houre or no You say wel I know it not For if I knewe that penance wold not profit a man at the last houre I would not geue it him Againe if I knewe that it wold deliuer him I wold not warne you I would not terrifie you as I doe Two thinges there are in this matter ether God pardoneth a man doing penāce at the houre of death or he doeth not pardon him Which of thes two shal be I know not Wherfore if thou be wise take that which is certaine let goe the vncertaine Hitherto are S. Austēs wordes of the dowtful case of thos which doe penance at the last daie And here now wold I haue the careful Christian to cōsider with me but this one comparison that I wil make If they that repent and doe such penance as they may at the last daie doe passe hence notwithstāding in such dangerous doutfulnes as S. Augustine sheweth what shal we thinke of al such who lacke either time or abilitie or wil or place or meanes or grace to doe any penance at al at that houre what shal we say of al thos who are cut of before which die suddenlie which are stricken dumme or deafe or senseles or frantike as we see many are what shal we say of thos which are abādoned by God and left vnto vice euen vnto the last breath in their bodie I haue shewed before out of S. Paul that ordinarily sinners die according as they liue So that it is a priuilege for a wicked man to doe penance at his death And then if his penance when it is done be so doutful as S. Austen hath declared what a pitiful case are al other in I meane the more part which repēt not at al but die as they liued and are forsaken of almightie God in that extremitie according as he promiseth when he saieth For that I haue called you and you haue refused to come for that I haue held out my hande and none of you would vouchsafe to looke towardes me I wil laugh also at your destruction when anguish and calamitie commeth on you You shal cal vpon me and I wil not heare you shal rise betimes in the morning to see me but you shal not finde me It is both dreadful and lamentable which the prophet saith of such as deferre their conuersion from time to time Conuertentur ad vesperam famem patientur vt canes circuibuat ciuitatem They wil cōuert them selues to God at the euening then shal they suffer hungar as dogges and shal runne about the citie The wordes that goe immediatly before and doe immediatly ensue after doe expresse more plainly the greatnes of this threate For before the verse is Attend o Lord to visit al nations take no mercie vpon al thos that vvorke iniquitie That is which worke iniquitie vnto the end without change for otherwise the wish were hard And immediatly after enseweth Thes men shal speake vvith their mouth and a svvord shal be in their lippes for vvho hath heard them and thou ô Lord shalt skoffe at them That is to say thes men in
540. The 2. 3. partes of the same chap. how and by how many waies God expresseth his forsaid loue vnto vs and what assurance he geueth of pardon to such as repent from Pag. 540. vnto 560. Tuesday The 4. part of the same chap. containing exāples and instructions how to auoide temptations of desperation 560. The 1. part of the 2. chap. of the fallacie of suppused difficulties with the particuler helpes to ouercome the same Pag. 570. vnto 618. VVednesday The 2. part of the same chap. containing means and instructions for ouercomming of difficulties Pag. 618. vnto the end The first 2. pointes of the 3. chap. about Tribulatiō beginning Pag. 631. vnto 656. Thursday The second 2. pointes of the same chap. begīning Pag. 656 vnto the end of the cha The 1. point of the 4. chap. treating of the vanities of the world Pag. 688. vntil 720. Friday The other partes of the same chap. 720. vntil the ende The 5. chap. of examples of Resolution Saturday The sixt chap. against Presumption The 7. chap. of Delay Sonday The first part of the 8. chap. of Slothe vntil Pag. 861. The 2. and 3. partes of the same chap. treating of Negligence and hardnes of hart from Pag. 860. vntil the ende FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS HANDLED in this booke A ACcompting day 349. Tvvo accompting daies or iudgements and the reasons therof 352. Angels appearing at the houre of death 434. Antichrist vvhat vvonderful slaughter he shal make at his comming 358. Apostles called by Iesvs 225. their miraculous doings 251. Archilaus Herodes sonne hovv he ended 275. Arist rus a Gentile vvhat testimony he giueth to our scriptures 79. Ascension of Christ proued 243. Atheists of old time 34. vvhat Zeno said of their deathes 〈◊〉 9. Tvvo causes of Atheisme in thes our daies 862. S. Augustins most notable conuersion 620. B S. Iohn Baptists behauiour to Christ and the vvhole story proued 118. Beautie hovv vaine a thing 706. Beginners in Gods seruice cheefly by God cherished 596. hovv they must behaue them selues 619. The better men they are to be aftervvards the greater cōflicts they haue at their conuersion 617. Benefits of God bestovved vpon vs 407. Bethleem appointed before for Christs Natiuitie 209. Bondage and slauery of vvicked men to their sensuality 607. Bookes of deuotion mere profitable then of controuersies praef 6. a. only vvriten by Catholiques 9 a. vvhy they can not be vvritē by Heretiques Ibid. 22. a. Buny hovv he hath set forth this booke of mine praef 10. b. vvhy he dedicateth the same to my L. of Yorke Ibid. 8. a His ignorāce 8. b. He maketh his aduersaries to speake like him self Ibid. 11. a. He inserteth parētheses Ibi. 11. b. He maketh marginal notes Ibid. 12. a. He thrusteth out Ib. 14. a. He mangleth Ib. 15. a. His foolish pacification Ibid. b. C Catholique vvhat it meaneth vvhy inuented 305. vvho is a good Catholique 308. Charitable deeds of our forfathers 343. Christ promised diuersly 141. promised as a spiritual and not a temporal K. 144. promised to be God and man 152. that he should change Moyses lavv 162. hovv he vvas fortold to Gentiles 169. false Christs diuers 203. Christs birth and infancy 207. Christs doctrine vvhat it vvas 220 his Passion and Resurrection 229. Christian Religiō proued pa. 131. It hath bene in substance from the beginning of the vvorld and none euer saued but by it 134. The definition of a good Christian. 338. Christian faith can not be obscure 300. Christian vvisdome vvherin it standeth 340. Christian vocation hovv perfect if it vvere fulfilled 344. Church of Christ hovv it encreased streight after he departed 246. Clemency and mercy hovv vvonderful in Christ. 558. Concupiscence and vvhat misery it bringeth men vnto by yeelding therunto 334. Consideration See the vvhole Chapter pag. 1. See inconsideration Consolation internal of Gods seruants 595. the force therof 593. Conuersion hovv it ought to be made 619. Item 628. VVhy it auaileth not ordinarily vvhen it is made at the last instant 835. The vvatche of Christians the dore vvherof is Consideration 13. D Death hovv terrible it vvil be See the vvhole 10. chap. 419. the causes of miserie to vvordly men in the same 413. the frequent premeditation of death most profitable 440. Delay of our conuersion from day to day hovv dangerous and hurtful See the vvhol 〈◊〉 chapt par 1. the cause vvhy the diuel persuadeth vs to delay 819. Dispaire of Gods mercie hovv greeuous a sinne and hovv to be auoided chap. 1. part 2. pag. 523. 524. 525. c. Hovv to resist al temptations of the diuel therunto pag. 561. 562. c. Difficulties vvhich are imagined in vertuous life remoued See al the 2. chapt 570. Doctrine of Christ vvhat it vvas 220. E The Ende for vvhich man vvas created cha 3. pa. 110. Enimies of Christ and Christians vvhat end they haue 274. Eternitie vvhat a thing it is and hovv to be esteemed 470. Euangelistes of Christes did vvrite most truly 258. F Fatherhood vvhat à thing it is by comparison of God tovvarde mankind 533. 534. c. Faith is easily discerned in Christian religion vvhich is the true 301 at large The vvaye to auoide al errour in beleefe 303. Faith vvithout vvorkes is not sufficiēt Feare of Godes iudgementes necessarie 398. lacke of feare proceedeth of infidelitie 406. the force of Feare 445. the praise of true Feare 810. tvvo kindes of Feare 813. Felicitie of man and beastes 54. G Gentiles hovv they had Christ fortold vnto them 169. vnto 184. Holy Ghost vvhat he did at his comming 247. Glorified bodies haue 7. priuileges 495. God is proued against Atheistes 25. God proued one by al sectos of Philosophers 51. Grace of God hovv strong and forcible 579. 580. c. H Hardnes of hart hovv dangerous an impediment 867. tvvo degrees thei of ibid. Heauen and the revvardes ther resorued see the vvhol 12. chapt Hovv the greatnes therof is found out 483. Heauen hovv it is bought 515. Heresies hovv they first rose and vvhy and hovv they are auoided 306. tvvo causes of Heresies vvith their effectes 311. Heretical practice in corrupting bookes prefat 9. b. Heretical pride Ib. 16. Herod Ascolonita or the elder vvhat he vvas hovv he rose and hovv he liued 189. hovv miserably he died 124. 8 274. Herod Antipas or the second his ende 124 175. Herod Agrippa hovv he died 125. 276. see the death of Herodias Ibid. Hel the names nature therof 456. The intollerable paines therof 459. Honour of the vvorld hovv vaine 701. Hope in the good bade hovv different 599. I Ievvishe nation hovv obstinate against Christian religion according as vvas foreprophetied 184. hovv they vvere chastened and destoyed 278. 279 c. Ignorance voluntarie hovv greeuous a thing pa 8. 9. Immortalitie of the soule proued therby also God being 47. Inconsideration soe chap 1.