world made began in time since the creation of the world is an outward action of God voluntary The very same answer may be made vnto the rule wheÌ„ the cause is the effect is the cause eternal therfore the effect to wit y e world For this holdeth in natural things also that worke naturally necessarily but not in things y e worke freely willingly as God did in creating Otherwise euery house must be as ancient as the Carpenter that made it No the relatioÌ„ ther betwixt y e cause the effect beginneth in time after because he is a voluntary cause so is it with God Silly then slack are these conclusions you euidently see and far from demonstrations Thirdly they reason thus That which hath no alteration is not subiect to generation or corruption The heauen hath no alterations for thus many thousand yeares none haue beene obserued Therefore it is not subiect to generation to be made or corruption to cease to be Therefore it is eternall We aunswer that all though it might be truly sayde that many partes of the world are subiect to alteratioÌ„s as the aire the water the earth c and consequently the whole not perpetuall whose parts be alterable Yet with diuinitie we rather say that Generatio physica naturall generation and creation be two things and differ much so do Corruptio physica naturall corruption and violent destruction which a renuing shal follow Therefore although neither generation nor corruption can be without alteration yet things may be created that haue no alterations as Angels stars soules And by diuine power celestiall bodies may be destroyed or at least changed and renued according to the saying Heauen and earth shall passe and againe They all shall waxe old as doth a garment c. Behold I create a new heauen and new earth and with such like For the argument then it may be granted that albeit the world was not Genitus generated as I may say yet it was created by God of nothing and so their purpose faileth for all this cauill also Fourthly they say Time is eternall therefore motus moouing for time is the measure of moouing if motion then a thing moued to wit the world c. For answer wherevnto first the consequence may be denyed for time is not onely taken as philosophy taketh it for measure of moouing according to first and later But sometime it is put simply and absolutely for the continuance of a thing though it be not the measure of the motion of the same So may we call eternitie and that infinite continuance that I may so speake of God who hath bin from euerlasting But this is improperly for indeed the maner that hath taken place in schooles is to call time the measure of mouing Now Aristotle not able by naturall wit to see rightly what difference was betwixt time eternitie or what maner of continuance eternitie was iudged time to be eternall because he saw an eternitie of a moouer which is not so for there may be a mouer eternall to wit God albeit no motus corporis mobilis for God is not corpus mobile as the parts of the world are as philosophie meaneth Now Tempus est mensura motus corporis mobilis non dei according to Philosophy Secondly touching the antecedent that time is eternall it may truly also be denyed And for that which is vsually brought to prooue it that it began with the first moouer in some moment or poynte of time which point being a coniunction of passed and future presupposeth a point passed and so an other infinitely it may be answered that euery point of time is not a continuer ioiner of passed and future but it is also sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amending of time whether it be at the beginning or ending for as for example the point in the line is not euer a continuer of the same line ioyning that which followeth after to that which went before but also a certaine thing both beginning and ending the line So in time there is Nunc initians a beginning and an instant or a present that beginneth with the thing as when the world tooke his beginning then began also such an instant or present there is also Nunc continuans a continuing pointe which is properly called time because Tempus est fluxio à priori ad posterius a going from the first to the later and at last there shall be Nunc terminans an ending point to wit the end of the world now thus created moouing and bâ—ing Nothing therefore helpeth this argument to prooue an eternitie of the world more then the rest did Many mo might be alleadged to this purpose but no better then these and I iudge neither these nor them very pleasant to such as I specially labour to profit because they conceiue not such consequences Wherefore I cut them off and this onely I commend vnto you to be thought of It is impossible euen by the Philosophers owne rules that there should be mo infinites then one Now God is one infinite therefore nothing els in heauen or earth beside But whatsoeuer is else it had a beginning and many things shall haue an ending also The rest by his power shall haue an eternitie giuen them to continue not of themselues 4 How did God create all things Not by or with any labour but by his word for He spake the word saith the Psalme and they were made he commanded and they were created Liberrime sine vlla coactione noÌ„ necessitate absoluta sed necessitate coÌ„sequentiae nempe suae voluÌ„tatis Freely without any coÌ„straint not by an absolute necessitie but by a necessitie of consequence to wit of his owne good wil. Solo nutu sine vlla mutatione aut fatigatione Onely with his beck without any change or wearines in hâ—mselfe which is the highest and excellentest kinde of working 5 Whereof Not of his essence neither of any former matter coeternall with himselfe but of nothing for if by him all things were made surely beside him nothing is excepted from making no not that first matter wherevpon all things were made But you will say man was made of the dust of the earth fishes and fowles of the water woman of man and then how were all things made of nothing Damascene answereth Deus fecit omnia ex nihilo alia quidem immediate alia mediate God made all things of nothing but some immediatly others mediatly His meaning is that God made first of nothing a matter a first matter whereof he made all other things Now that first matter is made of nothing immediatly but the rest that were formed of that matter were formed of nothing mediatly because they were made of that which was made of nothing and so secondarily or mediatly as I say then of nothing But then you will say againe Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing is made And I answere you that so it is
in the order of nature now set and established of God but in God himselfe this principle holdeth not Or if you will thus By man this is impossible to wit to make any thing of nothing but with God all things are possible and want of matter letteth not him It is our comfort that he could and can so do for thereby we know his great abilitie to preserue what so wonderfully he hath made as also to confound and turne to nothing all subtile and malitious practises against his children 6 To what end To the prayse of his glory sayth the Apostle for in him and by him and for him are all things and this is the generall end Beside which there be also speciall ends and subordinate ends vnder them againe as the manifestation the acknowledging and contemplation of his heauenly and diuine wisedome and goodnes which appeareth in the Creation For if the Lord would be celebrated then must he create things to acknowledge him and to celebrate and prayse his name beeing knowne and manifested Therefore he created things reasonable and vnreasonable that they might prayse him and be matter of his glory The heauens declare the glory of God and the fyrmament sheweth his handy worke Agayne the gouernment of the world a subordinate end to that againe For therefore created he the world that he might gouerne it with his prouidence and preserue it and so might euer declare his wonderfull workes which he hath done from the beginning of the world or now doth or yet shall do especially that he might gouerne his Church of elect angells and men Lift vp your eyes sayeth the Prophet therefore and see who hath created these things Thirdly and lastly that all other things might serue to the health of body and soule to the life pleasure and necessitie of man and especially to the good of his chosen being vnto them as it were meanes and ministers whereby God doing them good might be honored and praysed of them Onely man he created for himselfe and all the rest for man Now if any with the Manichees enquire wherefore many things were made whereof they knowe no vse to man eyther of things in the sea or land let them consider what S. Austen aunswereth namely that herein they should rather adore the riches of Gods power and goodnes not only in creating but also in preseruing such a multitude of things as he hath created say with y e prophet Dauid O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of his goodnes Glory be to the Lord for euer let the Lord reioyse in his workes Though we know not the vse of them yet his wisedome doth and that should content vs. Sure we ought to bee that hee made nothing in vayne and it is sayd of them all that they were good Yea but what may be sayde for so many hurtfull beasts and creatures as be in the worlde vppon lande or in Sea Why did God create them Surely it was enough for aunswere heerevnto that was sayde before that though wee knowe not by and by the good of a creature yet therefore God may not be condemned for creating them for hee may do with his owne as pleaseth him Yet neuerthelesse we may further say as some do that if man had not sinned no creature had been hurtfull to him and therefore now his fault to be blamed not Gods creation Lactantius aunswereth that in great wisedome God hath made aswell hurtfull things as others that by contraryes a fuller knowledge might growe in man to the prayse of God that hath done all so well And this true aunswere dasheth that greate thunderbolt as hee thinketh of the Epicure made to ouerthrowe Gods prouidence and care to gouerne the worlde and maketh it seeme more foolish then fearefull God sayth hee eyther will take away all hurtfull things and can not or can and will not or neyther can nor will or both can and will If hee woulde and can not then wanteth hee power and is not God if hee can and will not then is hee enuiouse and is not God if hee neyther can nor will then both enuiouse and weake and so no God if hee both can and will then how do they yet remayne This goodly argument is easely aunswered by saying hee can and will not and yet not enuiouse therein but good and carefull for man that he might by sight of contrary euill better discerne the good and so profit thereby both in wisedome and thankefulnesse to the Lorde Lactantius whose Chapter is very worthy reading 7 And lastly in what time or how many dayes did God create all things in sixe dayes sayth the Scripture and euery day some thing sayth this place till the seuenth day wherein hee rested Non vno momento sed sex dierum spatio not in one moment but in sixe dayes space If you happely thinke or meete with Syrach his wordes who sayth Hee that liueth made all things together the Lord who only is iust c. You must consider that he speaketh not of the time but of the multitude of creatures Meaning that God made them all together before he rested and gaue ouer creating but not meaning that hee made them all in one moment of time or in one day for we see both this place and others against it the Lords owne commaundement written with his owne finger giueth testimonie that in sixe dayes the whole was made Thus are we instructed in all these seuen points that I named in the beginning to wit who created what was created when how whereof to what end and in how many dayes or what time Now touching the vse this further What may be knowne of God sayth the Apostle is manifest in these creatures for God hath shewed it vnto them for y e inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world c. The quantitie qualities course and perpetuities of things created how do they shew God surely sayth the Prophet the heauens declare the glory of God and the fyrmament sheweth his handy worke Agayne the same Prophet teacheth the like when he goeth from this creation to the viewe and thought of Gods wonderfull and great loue to mankinde saying When I beholde thy heauens euen the worke of thy fyngers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordayned O what is man Lord thinke I then c. Reade the whole Psalme Concerning other things to be obserued in this Chapter some say how could Moses write of these things that were done so long before he was borne surely not by any wisedome and learning of Aegypt wherein yet he was most excellent but by that holy spirit of God whereby he had receyued to be a faithfull Minister in the house of God being in this aboue all Prophets that he was inabled not only to gouerne things present and foretell
in the worlde can and that to God himselfe and for greater punishment then any man can inflict wee are so farre from hating that wee hate him that perswadeth vs to hate it Thys is straung madnesse if wee would consider it The Drunkardes drunkennesse cryeth agaynst him and will not suffer the Lorde to rest tyll hee punish it and yet hee loueth it so dooth the Swearer Adulterer and suche like theyr sinnes crye against them c. 7 When the Lorde sayth Their sinne is exceeding greeuous wee maye rightlye note the woonderfull patience and long suffering of the Lorde who beareth and beareth spareth and suffereth holdeth and stayeth expecting amendemente till manye times the sinnes bee horrible and exceeding greeuous as nowe they were in Sodome Nowe hath hee this slownesse towardes sinners that will not amende and is he voyde of affection towardes broken heartes that woulde doe better if they coulde and daylye doe better as they can Farre be such sowre conceits from vs and no lesse farre to presume to sinne because hee is patient For wee see heere though hee staye long yet hee commeth at laste surelye and truelye yea dreadfullye and terriblye with streames of Fire and Brimstone from Heauen vpon suche as presumed to goe on in theyr wickednesse notwithstanding anye admonition to the contrarye tyll theyr sinnes were exceedinge greeuous 8 But the Lordes phrase is that Hee wyll goe see if all bee true or no. Not therein imploying any want of knowledge in himselfe howe all was who can not bee deceyued or ignorante of anye thing but by an humaine speeche After our manner giuing vs to note howe euer in iustice knowledge of a faulte shoulde goe before punishmente of the same And credulitie auoyded to beleeue the worste as a horryble vice It blotted Putiphar it blotted Dauid and it blotteth and blacketh who so euer is spotted with it 9 When Abraham hearde the Lordes iudgementes agaynst Sodome What dooth hee As wee doe in these dayes Care not who sinke if wee swimme passe not who perrishe so wee bee safe No no such sinfull vnfeelingnesse is farre from the heart of so good a man And the Texte telleth vs Hee stoode yet before the Lorde and entreth into a zealous and carefull consideration bothe of the Lordes glorye and Iustice as also of the good of as manye faythfull as might bee founde in Sodome and with all humilitye pleadeth for them bothe his wordes you see and marke them well O this hearte where is it nowe amongst vs eyther to tender what prophane tongues may speake of our GOD or to pyttye and praye againste the intended punyshmentes of our Brethren Alas as I sayde wee care not for any mans woe but our owne and this true loue to God and man is decayed amongst vs. Wee will scarse praye for our neere neighbours that liue dayly amongst vs. Much lesse do the estates of many righteous people in forren countreys affect vs. But learne we in the feare of God from our father Abraham heere to haue a better heart whose true touche and heartie speeches in this place shall witnesse against vs if wee doe not 10 But why did Abraham dreame of anye righteous in so vile a place Surely because hee was a good man and hoped the best of all places so teaching vs to leaue that iudging vaine and condemning braine that we loue too much A good heart hopeth God hath his portion and all be not bad 11 If fiftie if fortie if thirtie if twentie if ten righteous had beene found a promise from the Lorde wee see heâ—re that he would spare the whole Cittie for their sakes and shall wee not see in it the price of his Children with him whatsoeuer the world thinketh of them as also what good commeth many times to the very wicked by them and for them The world hateth and maliceth mocketh and contemneth the godlye making more accompt of one prophane Esau then of twenty true hearted Iacobs but the Lord whose loue is life and worthy regarde indeed more esteemeth one Iacob one true Israelite one faithfull seruant of his then hee dooth ten thousand worldlinges of vncircumcised hearts and eares yea ten of them shall stande before him euen to turne him and alter him as I may saye from anger to mercye when hee will not vouchsafe but for their sakes to respect ten thousand thousand of such as the worlde hath honoured for magnificoes and men and Women of great accompt O euer then may my soule and yours seeke and sue for the Lords louâ— rather then the worlds liking and say with the sweet singer of Israell The greater sort craue worldly goods and riches to imbrace But Lord grant vs thy countenance thy fauour and thy grace For thou thereby shalt make our hearts more ioyfull and more glad Then they that of their corne and wine full great increase haue had And let these dogges and swine of Sodome beholde whether good or euill commeth to a land a Cittie a house by such as feare God For ten sake they all should haue found mercy and haue escaped this fearefull plague of fire and Brimstone from heauen and are these then the hurtes of a place the woes of a common-wealth such as must bee not onely weeded out but digged and rooted out or els wee shall not bee well O price with God and profit to men of such men and women wheresoeuer they are more then wee thinke of and let vs euer heereafter consider it better 12 In that he calleth them righteous in hope some were so who yet were not circumsised plainely it showeth that in those dayes this popish doctrine was not hatched y e saluation is tied to the sacrament If righteousnes theÌ„ might consist without circumcisioÌ„ why may not children now be saued without baptisme which is in the place of circumcision so long as no contempt but Gods speedy visitation by death is the cause This is a new doctrine you see then not ours which was imbraced held of father Abraham so many hundred yeares agoe And I warrant you this Angell which was Christ controlleth not his speech as vntrue but letteth it passe as verye right And as hee tyeth not righteousnesse and saluation to the sacrament so neither dooth he it to his owne life but euen then hee knew it true that Peter after long preached that though God chose him and his for his peculiar people yet in all other nations also he might haue if it pleased him some 13 When he asketh whether the Iudge of all the worlde should not do right hee reasoneth from the Lordes office and teacheth vs that with humble bouldnesse we may do so in our earnest desires as shall not the father pittie his childe and helpe him c. Lord thou art my father then for thy place sake pittie me helpe me saue me and keepe me I beseeche thee and praye thee c. 14 In his title
spared though not by vs. Can we feare or doubt of reward if wee do it when ready will is thus regarded Or doth that doctrine of God condemne good works which thus assureth vs good will is respected yet euer beware to exclude Gods mercy and to put in place of it the works merit 7 Consider what I shall now note vnto you and regard it with me from your hearts Is Abrahams willingnesse to offer his Sonne a token of loue and great affection to the Lord So sayth the Lord heere and so hee taketh it euen as a worke that was done for his sake and which but for his sake could not haue bin obtayned at Abrahams hands for eyther golde or siluer by all the men in the world O harts of ours then that they could feele O eyes of ours that they could see What affection was it in the Lord to vs not to lay onely his owne and onely Sonne beloued and innocent vpon the altar of the Crosse for vs and to heaue vp the knife as ready to doo it but in deede to doo it O loue of loues what loue was this and what affection to vs was this Abraham was commanded of our God who could commaund Abraham should haue sinned if he had refused so should not God Therefore if the one shew loue in Abraham a creature what doth the other in God the creator Well might it be sayde with a vehemency So God loued the world So I say and so as no toong is able to speake of it nor pen write nor hart thinke The Lord giue faith and thankefull feeling euermore 8 Abraham thus stayed from sacrificing his Sonne yet fayled not of a sacrifice in his roome but lifting vp his eyes hee sawe a ramme caught by the hornes in a bush him hee tooke and offred Now remember wee what Abraham sayde to hys sonne before that the Lorde shoulde prouide him a Lambe Was it not so Did not God prouide this ramme to supply yong Isaac his place No question hee did and no chance but Gods guiding hand brought him thither and fastned him there What should we learne then by it but this that if our hearts be set in deede to serue the Lorde in our place and calling certaynly hee will neuer suffer vs to want the thing that shall be necessary and expedient for vs therevnto A great comfort and a true 9 Abraham taketh the ramme and yet none of his owne but Abraham was assured no doubt that it was Gods doing and being so he maketh no scruple to accept of Gods offer and prouidence no more then Eliah made question how the rauens came by the meate which they brought him We cannot folow Abraham except we had his warrant 10 Abraham calleth the place the Lord seeth or prouideth shewing therein his care to continue the memory of Gods mercy not of his owne fact though in deede it was most notable for if he had he would haue giuen some other title that should at least haue glaunced that way but he doth not and so should wee euer seeke the Lords glory and not our owne Surely if wee honor him he will honor vs inough c. Mo things might be noted in this Chapter but let these suffice Chap. 23. Two things in this Chapter especially The death of Sara verse 1. and 2. Her buryall 3. to the end IN mencioning so precisely the age and death of Sara we may note the singular accompt that the Lord made of her and if we marke it well wee shall see it a prerogatiue aboue all other women So would y e Lord by all meanes incourage vs to serue him 2 In that a woman who by nature is not strong in such troubles and griefes many times as she had such remoues and trauels through forren countreys should liue so long how noteth it the power of God greater then any weakenes and how should it comfort vs against any infirmitie of body whatsoeuer 3 When it is sayd that Sarah died though she liued so long remember euer the tale that shall be told of all flesh first or last he is dead she is dead Thus you hard in the fift of this booke of a great sort that euer they dyed were their yeares neuer so many Againe it teacheth vs that there is both a better life and a worse death then heere is in this world otherwise what preheminēce had Gods children ouer the wicked since they dye aswell as they 4 But where dyed she the text nameth the place in Kiriah-Arba in the land of Canaan Thus did the Lord place and set downe in that countrey certayne pledges and pawnes to assure the rest that he would in time giue that land vnto them as he had promised and they should possesse it So may wee now be assured of the kingdome of heauen that forsomuch as many of our brethren and sisters are already there placed and haue taken possession before vs surely wee also shall folow and hee will giue that land euen that heauenly Canaan and new Ierusalem for euer and euer 5 Abraham lamenteth his dead but not the estate of his dead So did Christ our mayster sorow for his friend Lazarus So are we permitted by the Apostle keping a measure as men and women that are not without hope So doth the wise Syrach counsell vs and so hath all laudable custome euer alowed This moderation appeared in Abraham for in the very next verse it is sayd Abraham arose c. 6 He talked with the sonnes of Heth. Where wee see and learne that so wee should giue place to sorow that in the meane while we regard also things necessary as y e buriall of our frends such like otherwise our passions be impatiences and as 〈…〉 the Lord greatly so all wise men will mislike vs worthely 7 Hee telleth them hee is a stranger c. a great token of his rare humilitie and lowlinesse of minde though he were in many respects a very great man Then he seeketh nothing amongst them but for his money as good a testimony that way agayne of a contented minde though he possessed nothing amongst them 8 Nay say the Hittites my Lord thou art a prince of God amongst vs take therefore our chiefest places and bury thy dead in a very great kindnesse and curtesye on their partes agayne And let vs marke in it that humanitie and bountie beare a most glorious shew euen in heathens O how can such vertues then disgrace Gods seruants and professors of a better doctrine then euer heathen knew 9 Abraham bowed himselfe vnto them and yet they were heathens to shewe that he well esteemed both them and their kindnesse But wee haue not so much good nature many of vs to our owne brethren that are of the househould of faith with vs what loue soeuer they shewe vnto vs. Pride and disdayne and scorne are the flowers of our garland and yet none so