heare that the generall deluge was after to be Noë being the Prophet of God and foretelling this very â—hing not only by word but by causing with such labour the Arke to be made could not easily be induced to belieue any such future inundation to be because they neuer saw any such deluge before therefore the wrath of God desceÌ„ded vpon them suddenly But we knowing that to haue beene already fullfilled which the Prophet Noë did foretell why may we not with facility belieue that a deluge of of fyre shall heerafter come in which all those things shal be destroyed which we now esteeme and prize at so high a rate And yet neuerthelesse there are very few who so belieue these things to be as to withdraw their desire from such matters as are heerafter to perish and to fix their minds where there are true and euerlasting Ioyes But this very Point is prophesied of our Lord himselfe that such men may rest inexcusable who from the accomplishment of things past can not be drawne to belieue that thinges future shal be fulfilled For thus our Lord speaketh Matth. 24. And as in the dayes of Noë so also shall be the coÌ„ming of the Son of man for as they were in the dayes before the floud eating and drinking wedding and giuen to mariage euen vnto that day in which Noë entred into the Arke and knew not till the floud came and ouer tooke them all so also shall the comming of the Sonne of man be VVatch therefore because you know not at what houre the Sonne of man will come And the Apostle S. Peter sayth The day of our Lord shall come as a thiefe in which the Heauens shall passe with great violence but the elements shall be resolued with heate and the earth the works which are in it shal be burned 1. Pet. 3. But men who sleight these thinges say these are farre off and of great distance from vs. Be it that they are farre of from vs yet thy death is not farre of from thee and the houre of it is vncertaine And yet it is certayne that we must giue an account of euery idle word in the particular iudgment which is not farre off And if an account must be rendred of euery idle word what reckoning must he made for false pernicious words for periury blasphemy which is so familiar ordinary to many if of words what account then is to be giuen of deeds of Adulteries of deceits in buying selling of murders and other grieâ—ous sinnes Therefore it followeth that the predictions of the Prophets being allready fullfilled make vs inexcusable except we may certainly belieue that all things which remaine are also fulfilled Neyther it is sufficient to belieue what things Fayth teacheth vs to be practized or to be auoyded except our fayth doth stirre vs vp efficaciously to the practizing or auoyding thereof If an Architect should say Such a house is ruinous and will instantly fall downe and they within the House make shew to belieue the Architect yet wil not come out of the house but suffer themselues to be oppressed with the ruine and fall of the house what credit do these men giue to the words of the Architect Which errour the Apostle chargeth other lyke men with saying Tit. 1. They say they know God but in deeds they deny him And if the Physitian shal command that the sicke Patient drinke no wyne and he is persuaded that the Physitian prescribeth profitably healthfully for him but in the meane tyme he demandeth for wine and is angry if it be not giuen to him what shall we heere say Certainly that the sicke man is eyther depriued of his wit and senses or that he giueth no credit to his Physitians directions O would to God there were not many among Christians who say that they do belieue the future Iudgment of God and diuers other mysteries of Christian fayth but deny them in their deeds and conuersation Of the second fruite of the sixt Word CHAP. XIV ANother fruite may be gathered from the second explication of the words of Christ Consummatum est For we said aboue with S. Chrysostome that the laboursome iourney of the peregrination of Christ himselfe was consuumate and finished in the death of Christ which iourney of his cannot be denyed but to haue beene most painefull aboue all measure yet the asperity of it is recompensed with the shortnes of the tyme with the fruit with the glory and honour proceeding from thence It continued thirty three yeares but how can a labour of thirty three yeares be compared to a repose and rest for all eternity Our Lord did labour with hunger with thirst with many dolours and innumerable iniuries with stripes with wounds with death its self but now he drinketh of a Torrent of pleasure which pleasure shall neuer cease but be interminabâ—e To conclude our Lord is humbled is made the reproach of men and the out-cast of the People Psal 21. but in recompence heerof we read of him thus God hath exalted him and haâ—h giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names that in the Name of IESVS euery knee bow of things in Heauen in Earth vnder the Earth Philip. 2. But now to cast our Eye on the contrary side the perfidious Iewes reioyced til the houre of Christs Passion Iudas being become a slaue to couetousnes reioyced till he had gayned some feâ— peeces of siluer Pilate reioyced till that houre of Christs PassioÌ„ because he lost not thereby the fauour and grace of Augustus and had recouered the friendship of King Herod But now all these haue beene already tormented in Hell for the space of sixteene hundred yeâ—res almost and the smoke of their flames shall arise and ascend vp for all Eternity From hence let all the seruants of the Crosse learne to be humble gentle patient and let them ackowledge how good happy a thing it is for a man to take vp his owne Crosse in this present lyfe and to follow Christ his Captaine neither let them enuy those who seeme in the Eye of this worrld to be happy For the lyfe of Christ of the holy Apostles and the Martyrs is a most true CoÌ„mentary of the words of him who is the Maister of all Maisters Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Blessed are the meeke blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that suffer percutioÌ„ for Iustice for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Matth. 5 But on the contrary side Woe be to you that are rich because you haue your consolation woe to you that are filled because you shal be hâ—ngry woe to you that now do laugh because you shall mourne and lament Luc. 6 And although not only the words of Christ but also the life and death of Christ I meane not only the Text but the Comment also bâ— vnderstood of few and that this doctrine is banished out of the
who after much labour spent in cultiuating his Vineyard or ground doth through an vnexpected Hayle showred downe loose all his profit that is all his labour and toyle These Euills therfore ought with great reason to be deplored with inconsolable griefe And who bewayleth them and is sory for them he doth condole with Christ vpon the Crosse And when with fortitude and strength he laboreth to expell driue away these Euills he wonderfully compassionateth the afflictions of Christ suffering on the Crosse shall in recompence thereof reioyce with Christ reioycing in Heauen and raigne with him there reigning for euer Of the second fruite of the fifth Word CHAP. IX VVHen attentiuely I ponder consider the thirst of Christ hanging vpon the Crosse another fruite and no lesse profitable is presented to my iudgement For our Lord seemeth to me to haue said Sitio I thirst in the same sense when vnto the Samaritan woman he said Giue me to drinke for a litle after opening the mystery of this his Word he thus subioyneth If thou didest know the guift of God and who he is that saith vnto thee giue me to drinke thou perhaps wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thee liuing water Iohn 4. Now how can he thirst who is the fountaine of liuing water Did not our Lord speake of himself when he said Ioan. 7. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke And is not he that Rock of which the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 10. They dranke of the spirituall Rock that followed them and the Rocke was Christ To conclude is not this he who thus speaketh to the Iewes by Ieremy the Prophet cap. 2. They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged to themselues Cesternes broken Cesternes that will not hould water Therefore it seemes I behould our Lord vpon the Crosse as vpon a high Turret casting his eyes vpon the whole earth â—uâ—l of men thirsting and langiuishing through thirst who through occasion of his owne corporall thirst doth commiserate the common thirst of mankind and saith Sitio that is I am truly thirsty since all the humidity and moysture of my body is already spent and dried vp but this my thirst wil quickly haue an end Therefore I do now thirst that men would beginne to know from fayth me to be the true well-spring of liuing water and that they would come to me and drinke that so they need not to thirst for all Eternity O how happy and blessed might we be if with a most attent hart we would heare this Sermon of the VVord Incarnate Doe not almost all men thirst with a most burning thirst of concupiscence and with an insatiable thirst after the fading troubled waters of transitory and floating thinges which are vulgarly called goods Riches Honours Pleasures And who is he that drinking of this water hath his thirst thereby extinguished And who euer hearing Christ our Maister did beginne to tast and relish the liuing water of HeaueÌ„ly wisdom of diuine charity but that the thrist of terrene things being presently asswaged he begun to breath hope of eternall lyfe and laying aside all gnawing care of getting and heaping together earthly treasures did not begin to thirst after Heauenly This water of lyfe not rising out of the earth but descending from Heauen which our Lord being the fountaine of the water of life if so we will demand it with most ardent prayers and a fountaine of teares will giue to vs this water I say will not only quench the thirst of terrestriall pleasures but also will be to vs neuer fading meate and drinke during all the time of our Peregrination For thus the Prophet Esay speaketh All you that thirst come vnto the waters Isa 55. And to preuent that thou maist thinke not thinke it to be plaine simple water or to be bought with a great Price the Prophet subioyneth Make hast come away buy without money without any change wine and milke Water is said to be bought because it is not obtained without labour that is without a true disposition of mynd but yet it is bought without money or any exchange because it is giuen freely neyther can any equall price for it be found And that which the Prophet a litle afore called water he presently after termeth wine and milke since it is a most precious and inestimable thing as comprehending in it selfe the perfection or vertue of water wyne and milke This is true wisdome and charity which is called water because it doth refresh and coole the heate of concubiscence It in also wine in that the mynd of man is therewith heated and as it were become drunke with a sober ebriety finally it is said to be milke because it nourisheth with a sweet and gentill food especially such who are but infants in Christ according to those wordes of S. Peter the Apostle As infants newly borne desire you milke 1. Pet 2. This true wisdome and Charity being incompatible with the Concupiscence of the flesh is that sweet yoake and light burden the which whosoeuer willingly and humbly vndergoe do purchace true and stable rest to their soules so as they shall not neede to draw water from earthly and muddy Wels. This most sweet repose of mynd gaue way to solitude to an Heremiticall lyfe filled Monasteries reformed the Clergy yea reduced married Persons to no small moderation and continency Certainly the Pallace or Court of Theodosius the yonger being Emperour did much resemble a great Monastery And the House of Elzearus the Earle bare the show of a small Monastery For in neither of these two places were to be heard any contentions or disagreements but insteed thereof the singing of spirituall Hymnes and Canticles did most frequently resound All this we owe as due to Christ who hath extinguished our thirst with his thirst and as a liuing fountaine hath so watered the fields of our Harts with flowing streames as that they need not feare any drought except our Harts depart from the fountaine it selfe which God forbid through the instigation of the Enemy Of the third fruite of the fifth Word CHAP. X. THe third fruite which may be taken from the words of Christ is the imitation of the Patience of the Sonne of God For although Humility conioyned with patience did shine in the Fourth word or sentence yet in the Fyfth word as in its proper and reserued place the wonderfull patience of Christ seemeth most eminently to manifest it selfe Patience is not only one of the chiefe Vertues but among the rest it is very necessary For thus S. Cyprian speaketh Serm. de bono Patientia Non inuenio inter caeteras c. Among the seuerall wayes of Celestiall discipline I do not find any thing more necessary to mans life or more conducing to true Glory then that we who labour to obserue the precept of our Lord with feare deuotion should carefully deuote our selfes to the practice of Patience
This is the Opinion of the two most ancient Fathers S. Iustinus S. Irenaeus Who clearely shew that both his feete did rest vpon the Wood that the one foote was not lying vpon the other From which posture of our Lords Body it followeth that there were foure nayles of Christ and not only three as many do imagine who out of that conceit do paint Christ our Lord so vpon the Crosse as if he had the one foot vpon the other But Gregorius Turonensis l. de glo mart c. 6. most euidently impugneth this and fortifieth his Opinion from ancient Pictures of Christ crucified And I my selfe did see at Paris in the Kings Library certaine most ancient Manuscripts of the Gospells in diuers places wherof Christ was painted Crucified but euer with foure Nayles Furthermore the long Wood did somwhat appeare aboue that parcell of Wood which was ouerthwart as S. Austin and S. Gregory Nyssenus do write And this seemeth also to be gathered from the words of the Apostle who writing to the Ephesians c. 3. thus sayth That you may be able to comprehend with all the Saintes what is the breadth and length and height and depth to wit of the Crosse of Christ By which wordes he clearly describeth the figure of the Crosse which hath foure extremities to wit Latitude in the ouerthwart or traÌ„suerse Wood Longitude in the long Wood Altitude in that part of the loÌ„g Wood which appeared aboue the ouerthwart and Profundity in that part of the long Wood which was stucke into the ground Our Lord did not vndergoe this kind of Torment by chance or vnwillingly but made speciall choice and election of it euen from all Eternity as S. Austin teacheth from that Apostolicall testimony of the Acts c. 2. Him by the determinate counsell and prescience of God being deliuered by the hands of wicked men you haue crucified slaine And accordingly Christ himselfe in the beginning of his preaching said to Nicodemus Ioan. 3. As Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert so must the Sonne of Man be exalted that euery one which belieueth in him perish not but may haue life euerlasting In like sort our Lord often speaking to his disciples of his Crosse did counsell them to imitation saying Matt. 16. He that will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me Why our Lord did choose this kind of punishment he only knoweth who chose it Notwithstanding there are not wanting some Misteries therof the which the holy Fathers haue left to vs in Writing Saint Irenaeus writeth that the two armes of the Crosse do agree vnder one Title in the which was written Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum that we might vnderstand thereby the two People to wit the Iewes and the Gentils which before vvere deuided in the end were to be ioyned togeather into one Body vnder one Head which is Christ S. Gregory Nyssene writeth that part of the Crosse vvhich looketh towards Heauen to signify that by the Crosse as by a key Heauen is opened to man and that part of it which declineth towards the Center of the World to denote that Hel was spoiled by Christ when he descended thither The two armes of the Crosse which are stretched towards the East and West to shaddow that the repurging of the whole World was after to be performed by the Bloud of Christ But S. Ierome S. Austin and S. Bernard do teach that the chiefe Mistery of the Crosse is briefly touched in those vvords of the Apostle Quae sit latitudo longitudo sublimitas profundum Since say these Fathers that first the Attributs of God are signified in these Word to wit Power in height In depth wisdome in Latitude goodnes in Longitude Eternity Againe the Vertues of Christ suffering are adumbrated and Typically figured therein As in Latitude Charity in Longitude Patience in Altitude Obedience in Profundity Humility Lastly the Vertues vvhich are necessary to those who are saued by Christ are also here signified In depth Faith in height Hope in breadth Charity in length Perseuerance From the which we are to be instructed that Charity vvhich deseruedly is called the Queene of Vertue euery where hath place in God in Christ and in vs. But touching other Vertues some of them are in God others in Christ and others in vs. And therefore it is lesse to be admired if in those last Words of Christ which vve now vndertake to explaine Charity do obtaine the first Place First therefore we will explicate the three first Words or Sentences which were spoken by Christ about the sixt houre before the Sunne was obscured and darknes couered the whole Earth Next we will discourse of the then defect of the Sunne That done we vvill explaine vnfould the rest of the Words of our Lord which were spoken about the ninth houre as S. Mathew writeth to wit when the darknes did departâ— and the death of Christ drew neare or rather was euen at hand OF THE THREE FIRST WORDS spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse THE FISRT BOOKE The first Word to wit Father forgiue them for they know not what they do is literally explicated CHAP. I. CHrist Iesus being the Word of his Eternall Father and of whom the Father himselfe thus clearely speaketh Ipsum audite heare him Matth. 17. and vvho of himselfe manifestly pronounceth One is your Maister Christ Math. 23 to the end that he might fully performe the office taken vpon him not only liuing neuer ceased from teaching but euen dying from the Chaire of his Crosse â—reached and deliuered certaine fevv vvords but those most fiery most proâ—â—â—able and most efficacious and such as are truly vvorthy to be imprinted in the depth of the Hart of all Christians that there they being reserued meditated on might ansvverably in their actions be put in executioÌ„ The first SenteÌ„ce is this Luc. 23. Father forgiue them for they know not what they do Which sentence as being truly new vnaccustomed the Holy Ghost would haue it foretould by the Prophet Esay c. 53. in these words He hath prayed for the Transgressours Now hovv diuinely S. Paul said 1. Cor. 13. Charity seeketh not her owne may easely be euicted euen from the order of these Sentences of our Lord since of these Sentences three of them belong to the good of others Other three to a peculiar and proper Good and one of them is promiscuous or common Thus the first care sollicitude of our Lord vvas touching others the last touching himselfe Novv so far forth as concernes the three first Sentences vvhich belong to others the first is directed to our Lords Enemies the second to his friends the last to those of his kinred and affinity The reason of this Order or Method is this Charity first relieueth and helpeth such as be in want And those who at that tyme suffered most spirituall waÌ„t were his Enemies and we also as being the disciples of so great a Maister vvere
riding vpon an Asse and vpon a Coult the foale of an Asse Therefore of this kingdome Christ did not speake in the Parable aboue neither the good thiefe when he said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome but both did speake of perfect Beatitude by the which a man is exempted and freed from all seruitude and subiection of things created and only is become subiect to God whom to serue is to reigne and he is constituted by God himselfe ouer all his Workes This Kingdome so farre forth as it concerned the Beatitude of the Soule Christ receaued euen from the beginning of his Conception but as it concerned his Body he had it not actually but only by right vntill after his Resurrection For whiles he was a Pilgrime or stranger heer vpon Earth he was subiect to wearines famine thirst iniuries wounds and to death it selfe yet because the glory of the Body was due to him therfore after his death he did enter into his glory as due to him For thus our Lord himselfe speaketh after his resurrection Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Which glory is called his glory because he is of power to communicate it to others and in this respect he is said to be Rex gloriae Dominus gloriae and Rex Regum And he himselfe saith to his disciples I dispose for you a Kingdome It is in our power to receaue glory or a Kingdom but not to giue and accordingly it is said to vs Matth. 2◠Enter into the ioy of thy Lord and not into thy owne ioy Therefore this is that Kingdome of which the good Thiefe sayd when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome But heer the great Vertues which shine in the prayer of this Holy Thiefe are not to be passed ouer in silence that therby we may the lesse wonder at the answere which Christ our Lord made to him he saith Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome He calleth Christ Lord by which title he acknowledgeth himselfe to be his seruant or rather his redeemed bondslaue and confesseth him to be his Sauiour He adioyneth Remember me which is a word full of hope Fayth Loue Deuotion Humility He sayth not remember me if thou canst because he belieued Christ could doe all things neither saith he if it pleaseth thee because he was confident of Christs charity and goodnes He saith not I desire the consort and participation of thy Kingdome because his Humility would not beare this kind of speach to conclude he desireth nothing in particular but onely saith rmember me which is as much if he had said If thou wilt vouchsafe only to remember me if thou wilt be pleased to turne the Eye of thy Benignity towards me it is sufficient for me because I am assured of thy Power and Wisdome and vpon thy goodnes and Charity I wholy anker and stay my selfe He lastly addeth this when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome to shew that his desire was not fixed vpō any weake and temporary benefit but that it aspired to thinges sublime and eternall Heere it followeth that we consider the Answere of Christ he sayth Amen I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise That particle Amen is a word graue and solemne with Christ the which he was occustomed to vse when he would affirme any thing earnestly and vehemently S. Austin was not afraid to say that this word Amen was as it were the oath of Christ tract 41. in Ioan. Properly it is no oath since when our Lord said in S. Mathew I say to you not to swere at all And a litle after Let your speach be yea yea no no And that which is ouer and aboue these is of Euill Mat. 5. Novv it is no way probable that our Lord should haue sworne so often as he pronounted Amen since he vsed this word Amen many tymes And in S. Iohn he sayth not only Amen but Amen Amen Therefore S. Austin truly said that Amen was as it were an Oath but he said not that it was an Oath For this word Amen signifieth Truly And when one sayth I say truly to thee he affirmeth earnestly and an earnest affirmation is peculiar to an Oath Therfore Christ with good reason said to the Thiefe Amen I say to thee that is I truly do affirme but do not sweare And indeed there were three emergent Reasons which might cause the Thiefe to wauer and rest doubtfull of the Promise of Christ except he had auerred it with so earnest an asseueration The first may be drawne from the person of the Thiefe who seemed not in any sort worthy of so great a Reward or so great a guift For who would imagine that a Theife should from the Crosse presently passe to a kingdome The second Reason is taken from Christ promising who at that instant seemed to be reduced brought to extremity of want weaknes calamity For the Thiefe might probably thus reason and discourse with himselfe Yf this man during his life tyme was not able to performe any thing in behalfe of his friends shall not he be lesse able being dead The third reason may haue reference to the thing promised For here Paradise is promised but Paradise as then all men tooke notice did belong not to the Soule but to the Body since by the Word Paradise a terrestriall Paradise was vnderstood by the Iewes It had beene more credible to the Thiefe and subiect to his beliefe if our Lord had answered To day thou shalt be with me in the place of repose and refreshment with Abraham Isaac and Iacob For these Reasons therefore did our Lord premise those words Amen Dico tibi Hodie to day Our Lord sayth not In the day of Iudgment when I shall place thee with the lust vpon my right hand Neither sayth he After some yeares of thy being in Purgatory will I bring thee to a place of rest Nor doth he say I will comfort thee after certaine Months or Dayes but he sayth This very day before the sunne shall set thou shalt passe with me from the gibbet of the Crosse to the delights of Paradise A wonderfull Liberality or Bounty of Christ and a wonderfull happines of the sinner With iust reason therefore S. Austin following S. Cyprian herein is of Opinion that this good Thiefe might be reputed a Martyr and therefore escaping Purgatory did passe from this World immediatly to Heauen The Reason why the good Thiefe might be called a Martyr is in that he publikly confessed Christ at such tyme when his Disciples were afraid to speake a word in Honour of him therefore in regard of this his free and ready Confession his death with Christ was reputed with God as if he had suffered for Christ Those words Mecum eris Thou shalt be with me though no other thing should be promised then what these words only import yet had it bene a great benefit and
compunction For who euer did inuocate her in the Night tyme and was not heard of Her Let the Reader peruse those things which we haue written of Innocentius the third in the second booke and nynth Chapter Of the mourning of the Doue Now from all this aboue set downe it is euidently collected That of the signes of Election to Glory a singular deuotion borne to the Mother of God the most B. Virgin is not the last For it should seeeme that he cannot perish eternally of whom it is said to the B. Virgin by Christ Behould thy Sonne So as that man doth not heare with a deafe care what Christ shall say to him Behould thy Mother The End of the first Booke OF THE SEAVEN WORDS OF CHRIST spoken vpon the Crosse THE SECOND BOOKE The fourth Word to wit Deus Deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. is litteraly explaned CHAP. I. IN the former Booke we haue explicated the three first words which our Lord pronounced froÌ„ the chaire of the Crosse about the sixt houre when but a litle before he was nayled to the Crosse We will in this second Booke expound the other foure Words which our sayd Lord after the darknes of three houres from the same Chayre and most neere to his death did with a great and feruerous voice pronounce But it seemeth expedient first briefly to declare what kind of darknes that was how it was occasioned and to what end it was directed The mention of which darknes happened betweene the vttering of the former three Words and the foure other Words heerafter to be discoursed of For thus S. Matthew speaketh cap. 27. From the sixt houre there was darknes made vpoÌ„ the whole earth vntill the nynth houre And about the ninth houre Iesus cryed with a mighty voyce Eli Eli Lamma-sabacthani That is my God my God why hast thou forsaken me That this darknes was occasioned through the defect Eclips of the Sun S. Luke expressely expressely obserueth saying Et obscuratus est sol and the sun was darkned But now three dâ—fficulties are in this place to be discussed and solued for first the Sunn is accustomed to suffer Eclipse of its light in the New moone when the moone is found to be betweene the Sunne and the earth the which could not be at the time of the death of Christ seeing the moone at that tyme was not in coniunction with the Sunne which falleth out in the new moone but was in the opposition which happeneth in the full moone For all that tyme the Pascha or Feast of Easter was celebrated by the Iewes which according to the Law began vpon the foureteenth day of the first Month. Againe admitting that at the PassioÌ„ of Christ the Moone had beene in coniunction with the Sunne yet from hence it followeth not that there could be darknes for the space of three houres that is from the sixt houre to the nynth since the Eclipse of the Sunne cannot continue long especially if it be a full Eclipse and such as may hide the whole Body of the Sunne so as the obscurity of it may be accounted darknes For the moone is more swift in motion then the sunne in regard of the moones proper motion and consequently can darken the sunne but for a very short tyme. For the Moone instantly doth begin to goe backe and leaueth the sunne free that so it may illuminate the Earth with its accustomed light splendour To conclude it can neuer so fall out that through the coniunction of the Moone the sunne should leaue the whole Vniuersall Earth in darknes For the Moone is lesser then the sunne yea then the Earth therfore it cannot by the interposition of its Body so couer the whole Sunne as that the Vniuersall Earth should be left in darknes Now if any heere should obiect say that the Euangelist speaking of the Vniuersall Earth meaneth only of the vniuersall Earth of Palestines and not of the vniuersall Earth absolutely This Obiection may easely be refelled by the testimony of S. Dionysius Areo pagita who in his Epistle to S. Policarpe testifieth that himselfe did see that defection of the sunne and most horrible darknes in the Citty of Heliopolis which is in Egypt And Phlegon a Greeke Historian and a Gentil cited by Origen and Eusebius maketh intention of this Eclips of the sunne saying lib. 2. Quarto anno ducentesima secundae Olympiadis c. In the fourth yeare of the two hundred and second Olympiade a great and notorious defection of the Sunne in comparison of all others which afore had hapned was made for the day at the sixt hower was so turned into darknes and to an obscure night as that the stars in Heauen were then seene Now this Historiographer did not write in Iudaea as all affirme The same Wounder is testifiedâ— by Lucianus the Martyr saying â—erquirite in Annalibus vestris c. Reuolue your Annals and you shall find that the day was interrupted with darknes in the tymes of Pilate the sunne abandoning the Earth These words of S. Lucian are related by Ruffinus in hist. Eccl. Euseb In fine Tertullian Paulus Orosius and all others touching this Eclypse do speake of all the parts coasts of the World and not only of Iudaea But these difficulties may easely be explicated For first where it is said in the beginning that the Eclypse of the sunne is accustomed to be in the New moone only not in the full moone this is true when a Naturall defect of the light of the sunne happeneth But at the death of Christ the defect of the sunne was vniuersall and prodigious which could be wrought only by him who made the sunne the Moone Heauen and Earth For S. Dionysius writeth in the place aboue noted that the Moone was seene by himselfe and by Apollophanes about the midtyme of the day after an vnaccustomed most swift motion to come to the Sunne and lying vnder it there remained after this maÌ„ner vntill the ninth hower and then returned backe towards the Orient to its owne place To that which is added aboue to wit that the defect of the sunnes light could not so remaine for the space of three Howers as that during all that tyme the Earth should be in darknes it may be answered hereto that this is true if we speake of a naturall and vsuall defect of the sunne But this Eclypse of the sunne was not gouerned by the lawes or setled course of Nature but by the Will of the Omnipotent Creatour who as he could bring the moone after a wonderfull manner from the East in a most rapid and swift motion to the sunne and after three howers ended could bring it back to its owne place in the Orient so also was of power to cause that the moone should remaine immoueable vnder the sunne for those three howers and that it should not mooue either more slowly or more